I adopted two tools early on and have used them for decades: Emacs and LaTeX/TeX. Both are programmable and have an amazing set of available extensions that enh

I adopted two tools early on and have used them for decades: Emacs and LaTeX/TeX. Both are programmable and have an amazing set of available extensions that enhance their use. As a computer scientist it’s easy to spend time tweaking either of these flexible systems. I have to keep in mind that at some point I need to stop sharpening my axe and start chopping wood. LaTeX takes a lot of study to become expert in it, but there are books that help. Emacs, on the hand, can be learned from the inside through its great help functionality (starting with the easy to remember Ctrl-H).