4 ms·

Switching to emacs (after 16 years of vim)

19 points by zeveb 9y ago

aaronchall 9y ago
He mentions that the key factor in him choosing to try out emacs is orgmode. I truly think orgmode is today's killer app for emacs. (A killer app is the one app needed to make people pick up the tech - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_application https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_application .) I have given 9 tech talks so far in my career - and I've written every talk in orgmode. I've outlined training for support people in orgmode. I like to use it to organize my work and notes on things I'm studying as well. My next big project is to write a book using it. Check out orgmode, learn what other value emacs creates, and consider adding emacs to your toolbelt as well. Some things I've been using emacs for: - text editing - writing and running Python code and tests - writing .tex files for LaTeX, previewing the pdfs *in* emacs - erc - an IRC chat client - subshells - orgmode, of course I know others use it for - email - newsgroups - web browsing I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of the things I can do with it, and I feel like emacs will be with me forever, so I want to use it to replace my desktop gui operating system, to the greatest extent possible.
pen2l 9y ago
> It is there on default Fedora installation. Come on, seriously? That's seriously your 'big reason' for switching? Guys it's 2017, it's not that hard to apt-get install $FAVORITE_EDITOR and scp your dotfiles, it takes less than a minute. To any of the newbs out there, here's an advice I'll give that I wish someone would have given me in my early years: IGNORE THE EDITOR EVANGELISTS. Vim, emacs, visual studio, notepad, all of those things are inconsequential next to an understanding of proper computer science concepts. I think I spent like an year getting good at vim many years ago. I'm fairly good at vim now, but my goodness do I regret having spent time on that, instead of, say, studying proper maths, studying data structures, getting practice CODING. I say this because I distinctly recall going over vim exercises, taking my sweet time, and feeling good and thinking "Hmmm I'm really improving here!" True, it's not a total waste of time, I'm just saying don't mistake editor skill as a core skill. In other words, you can get a nice paying job if you can put together a reasonably simple CRUD application made in notepad... but you cannot get a job if you're REALLY GOOD at vim but are unable to do much with it. Don't make the same mistake I did.
- zzalpha 9y ago
  I've never really grasped the idea of "studying" an editor. I switched to Vim from Emacs many years ago to deal with RSI. I learned the basics and then just started using the damn thing. Periodically I'd go look up a few tips or tricks and then keep on keeping on. These are tools. The best way to learn how to use a tool is to use it, not sit there studying how you might use it.
gumby 9y ago
Rather than trying too hard, just learn Emacs incrementally. It's modeless by default, like TextEdit. You can get a lot done with a few commands: c-F (forward), c-B (backwards), c-P (previous line), c-n (next line), c-S (incremental search -- the primary motion command for most people). Find and save files (c-x c-f and c-x c-s respectively). Once you are comfortable with that, every new command simply adds to your abilities. There in no large bolus to learn in order to become productive. Disclaimer: I've been using, and modifying, Emacs since the late 1970s -- but this is how I learned too.

19 points by zeveb 9y ago

He mentions that the key factor in him choosing to try out emacs is orgmode. I truly think orgmode is today's killer app for emacs. (A killer app is the one app needed to make people pick up the tech - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_application https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_application .) I have given 9 tech talks so far in my career - and I've written every talk in orgmode. I've outlined training for support people in orgmode. I like to use it to organize my work and notes on things I'm studying as well. My next big project is to write a book using it. Check out orgmode, learn what other value emacs creates, and consider adding emacs to your toolbelt as well. Some things I've been using emacs for: - text editing - writing and running Python code and tests - writing .tex files for LaTeX, previewing the pdfs *in* emacs - erc - an IRC chat client - subshells - orgmode, of course I know others use it for - email - newsgroups - web browsing I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of the things I can do with it, and I feel like emacs will be with me forever, so I want to use it to replace my desktop gui operating system, to the greatest extent possible.

pen2l 9y ago

> It is there on default Fedora installation. Come on, seriously? That's seriously your 'big reason' for switching? Guys it's 2017, it's not that hard to apt-get install $FAVORITE_EDITOR and scp your dotfiles, it takes less than a minute. To any of the newbs out there, here's an advice I'll give that I wish someone would have given me in my early years: IGNORE THE EDITOR EVANGELISTS. Vim, emacs, visual studio, notepad, all of those things are inconsequential next to an understanding of proper computer science concepts. I think I spent like an year getting good at vim many years ago. I'm fairly good at vim now, but my goodness do I regret having spent time on that, instead of, say, studying proper maths, studying data structures, getting practice CODING. I say this because I distinctly recall going over vim exercises, taking my sweet time, and feeling good and thinking "Hmmm I'm really improving here!" True, it's not a total waste of time, I'm just saying don't mistake editor skill as a core skill. In other words, you can get a nice paying job if you can put together a reasonably simple CRUD application made in notepad... but you cannot get a job if you're REALLY GOOD at vim but are unable to do much with it. Don't make the same mistake I did.

zzalpha 9y ago
I've never really grasped the idea of "studying" an editor. I switched to Vim from Emacs many years ago to deal with RSI. I learned the basics and then just started using the damn thing. Periodically I'd go look up a few tips or tricks and then keep on keeping on. These are tools. The best way to learn how to use a tool is to use it, not sit there studying how you might use it.

gumby 9y ago

Rather than trying too hard, just learn Emacs incrementally. It's modeless by default, like TextEdit. You can get a lot done with a few commands: c-F (forward), c-B (backwards), c-P (previous line), c-n (next line), c-S (incremental search -- the primary motion command for most people). Find and save files (c-x c-f and c-x c-s respectively). Once you are comfortable with that, every new command simply adds to your abilities. There in no large bolus to learn in order to become productive. Disclaimer: I've been using, and modifying, Emacs since the late 1970s -- but this is how I learned too.