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Emacs is GUI desktop software. Few people use it in a terminal. Also, people didn't born knowing Javascript. They learnt it. And one could argue that Lisp is j

by adamors 13y ago

Emacs is GUI desktop software. Few people use it in a terminal. Also, people didn't born knowing Javascript. They learnt it. And one could argue that Lisp is just as easy to learn, if not easier.

pete_aykroyd 13y ago
I mostly agree with that although I think it's also kind of irrelevant in a practical sense because many programmers already have to know javascript for their work so you get a lot more people who can contribute right away. Aside from that -- lisp or javascript as the extension language, I'd love to see a brand-new extensible editor like emacs just to have a shot at changing terminology and some of the APIs. Emacs terminology is a little off-putting because it was invented before the GUIs were widely adopted so it doesn't map that well. I also find some of the APIs a bit weird, but that could just be me.
- adamors 13y ago
  It's true that a lot of people work with Javascript, but honestly I wouldn't say that they can contribute to anything right away. A lot of these people don't know more than $('#element').hide(); In fact, I would wager that there are more potential contributors to Emacs than there are to Atom.
  - scottrblock 13y ago
    But if someone just wants to customize their text editor, $('#element').hide();, or something not orders of magnitude more complex, would actually be useful.
  - pete_aykroyd 13y ago
    Yeah, it's definitely true that a large percentage of people who "know" javascript have about that much knowledge. But still, if you look at absolute numbers of people who can make a function and write a for loop in JS, it's still going to dwarf the number of people who can loop and write a defun in elisp.
  - ulisesrmzroche 13y ago
    That's totally exaggerating. Anyone who is that green to code is probably not even thinking extending their editor yet, and any working programmer has picked up more than enough JS in their to be able to write and understand far more than that line. Plus, Emacs is a ghost town anyway. You're going to run into the problem that there are not bodies willing to use the editor, let alone extend it.
- mattgreenrocks 13y ago
  What'd be cool is an editor that had LLVM IR as a low-level extension language. At runtime, it'd JIT your plugin, and go.
- chenglou 13y ago
  Have you seen Light Table? Go check it out!
  - pete_aykroyd 13y ago
    Good point!
wcummings 13y ago
Most emacs users I know alias emacs to emacs-nw, or install emacs-nox. Myself included (:
- KC8ZKF 13y ago
  Most emacs users I know don't. Myself included.
- jimmahoney 13y ago
  Yup. Terminals ahoy.
- ngoldbaum 13y ago
  I have it aliased but for some reason I still add -nw every time I open it. Silly muscle memory.
timmm 13y ago
> people didn't born knowing Javascript. They learnt it. And one could argue that Lisp is just as easy to learn Just about everyone here knows javascript. Almost know one here knows Lisp, make your own conclusions.
- hnriot 13y ago
  * Almost know one here knows Lisp, make your own conclusions. nor English it seems :)
  - xerophtye 13y ago
    Still waiting for someone to correct the GP... "No one is born knowing JS" or "No one was born..."
    - eyko 13y ago
      Looks like timmm isn't a native English speaker, should his command of English be more important than his message? There are languages where "to be born" is one verb and it makes it reasonable to make the mistake and think that in english it would be the same: "to born".
      - xerophtye 13y ago
        I apologize if i came off as snarky. I was trying every bit not to. I didn't correct it immediately, but when i saw another user correcting, I added my own correction to his comment. Btw, English isn't my first language either, so please do not see this as "arrogant English speaker wants everyone to speak his language". In fact, my mother tongue is far far different from english (we dont even have a common script!)
- Grue3 13y ago
  You do realize this site was written in Lisp?
  - 13y ago
keypusher 13y ago
I'm sure the emacs GUI runs great on your macbook, but for people who live on remove linux servers day in and day out, trust me they are using emacs in the terminal.
- davidw 13y ago
  That or they're using tramp to ssh in to the remote machine and edit that way.
- wodenokoto 13y ago
  Actually it doesn't run great. It's so clunky you might as well just run it in the terminal.

by adamors 13y ago

Emacs is GUI desktop software. Few people use it in a terminal. Also, people didn't born knowing Javascript. They learnt it. And one could argue that Lisp is just as easy to learn, if not easier.

pete_aykroyd 13y ago

I mostly agree with that although I think it's also kind of irrelevant in a practical sense because many programmers already have to know javascript for their work so you get a lot more people who can contribute right away. Aside from that -- lisp or javascript as the extension language, I'd love to see a brand-new extensible editor like emacs just to have a shot at changing terminology and some of the APIs. Emacs terminology is a little off-putting because it was invented before the GUIs were widely adopted so it doesn't map that well. I also find some of the APIs a bit weird, but that could just be me.

adamors 13y ago
It's true that a lot of people work with Javascript, but honestly I wouldn't say that they can contribute to anything right away. A lot of these people don't know more than $('#element').hide(); In fact, I would wager that there are more potential contributors to Emacs than there are to Atom.
- scottrblock 13y ago
  But if someone just wants to customize their text editor, $('#element').hide();, or something not orders of magnitude more complex, would actually be useful.
- pete_aykroyd 13y ago
  Yeah, it's definitely true that a large percentage of people who "know" javascript have about that much knowledge. But still, if you look at absolute numbers of people who can make a function and write a for loop in JS, it's still going to dwarf the number of people who can loop and write a defun in elisp.
- ulisesrmzroche 13y ago
  That's totally exaggerating. Anyone who is that green to code is probably not even thinking extending their editor yet, and any working programmer has picked up more than enough JS in their to be able to write and understand far more than that line. Plus, Emacs is a ghost town anyway. You're going to run into the problem that there are not bodies willing to use the editor, let alone extend it.
mattgreenrocks 13y ago
What'd be cool is an editor that had LLVM IR as a low-level extension language. At runtime, it'd JIT your plugin, and go.
chenglou 13y ago
Have you seen Light Table? Go check it out!
- pete_aykroyd 13y ago
  Good point!

wcummings 13y ago

Most emacs users I know alias emacs to emacs-nw, or install emacs-nox. Myself included (:

KC8ZKF 13y ago
Most emacs users I know don't. Myself included.
jimmahoney 13y ago
Yup. Terminals ahoy.
ngoldbaum 13y ago
I have it aliased but for some reason I still add -nw every time I open it. Silly muscle memory.

timmm 13y ago

> people didn't born knowing Javascript. They learnt it. And one could argue that Lisp is just as easy to learn Just about everyone here knows javascript. Almost know one here knows Lisp, make your own conclusions.

hnriot 13y ago
* Almost know one here knows Lisp, make your own conclusions. nor English it seems :)
- xerophtye 13y ago
  Still waiting for someone to correct the GP... "No one is born knowing JS" or "No one was born..."
  - eyko 13y ago
    Looks like timmm isn't a native English speaker, should his command of English be more important than his message? There are languages where "to be born" is one verb and it makes it reasonable to make the mistake and think that in english it would be the same: "to born".
    - xerophtye 13y ago
      I apologize if i came off as snarky. I was trying every bit not to. I didn't correct it immediately, but when i saw another user correcting, I added my own correction to his comment. Btw, English isn't my first language either, so please do not see this as "arrogant English speaker wants everyone to speak his language". In fact, my mother tongue is far far different from english (we dont even have a common script!)
Grue3 13y ago
You do realize this site was written in Lisp?
- 13y ago

keypusher 13y ago

I'm sure the emacs GUI runs great on your macbook, but for people who live on remove linux servers day in and day out, trust me they are using emacs in the terminal.

davidw 13y ago
That or they're using tramp to ssh in to the remote machine and edit that way.
wodenokoto 13y ago
Actually it doesn't run great. It's so clunky you might as well just run it in the terminal.