In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> you write: >I still use emacs for some things that I haven't figured out how >to get vim to do. Xemacs has extra buttons on the screen, which take >up screen space. The last line on the terminal in vi takes more >than enough, I don't want to give up even more . . . also, using emacs >on CCIE (*Control Key In Exile) keyboard, causing enough long reaches >on my little finger sthat I had to see a quack, is probably part (put a >minor part) of my avoiding either.
Well seeing, as you are comparing vim to emacs here. I have used vim for a long time, and like it because: - it is fast to load. - I can remember the keystrokes - I like to be able to do things like c/"hello which will change all the text up to the next set of quotes with the word hello (it does get messy if you want to replace an entire C string though, and the C string contains nested '"'). I haven't worked out if this is possible with emacs. - no need to learn LISP. - built in support for DOS text mode format. On the downside: - autoindent, especially in text mode, messes up X-Windows paste operations - ie it autoindents. I try to undo with u, but it removes a lot more then I wanted :-(. So I have to undo the undo (redo), and manually delete the problem lines. I haven't yet noticed this problem in emacs, but it might just mean I haven't found it yet. - frequently paste data into a text mode vim editor, when it is in command mode... :-(. - I start typing in text to find it is in command mode, or start typing in commands to find it is in data mode. Yes, I have set up vim so that this is clearly marked, but often I type without thinking. If you look through any draft documents I type, you will see an occasional 'i', where I tried to go into insert mode, but never noticed it already was in insert mode. Recently I have started using emacs and xemacs again. I can't see much difference myself, so I just use xemacs, sometimes with (-nw), sometimes without. The things I like about emacs are: - very customizable. However, with xemacs it is often difficult to know what some of the options on the config menus do (maybe this has changed in xemacs 21, I have never tried it). - has built in support for special features, eg Supercite will automatically handle citations in LaTeX files. - has built in news reader and mailer. Currently I am experimenting with Gnus. I have mixed feelings about it. Sometime I may try Mews. On the downside: - hard to remember exact key stroke, unless you use it frequently. For instance, to change to another buffer, is it C-x C-b or C-x b? I always try the wrong one first (buffer listing). Other times, I am way off, eg to find a parent article in gnus, I type R A instead of A R. R is the command for reply... - I use an Ultrix DECstation a lot. The Meta key on Ultrix, is in about the same position as the Ctrl key on IBM keyboards... To exit, I frequently am typing M-x M-c instead of C-x C-c. Often when I start to type the wrong command, it is difficult for me to abort. Sometimes Ctrl+G works, other times Esc Esc Esc works. Sometimes aborting has unwanted side-effects, eg closing all windows but the active one. I find this really annoying. - no redo command??? - just how do you use the menus from text mode? I don't particular care what editor I use, just as long as it gets the job done efficiently. -- Brian May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
