A very, very newbie question :)

[Erik Max Francis]

Jonadab the Unsightly One wrote:

> In brief, to use Emacs really effectively you need to take
> the time to learn lisp, but once you do it can literally do
> anything.

Depends on what you mean by "really effectively."  You certainly don't
need to have an extensive knowledge of elisp to use emacs as a
full-fledged development environment.

-- 
 Erik Max Francis / max at alcyone.com / http://www.alcyone.com/max/
 __ San Jose, CA, US / 37 20 N 121 53 W / ICQ16063900 / &tSftDotIotE
/  \ After a thousand years or so you go native.
\__/ Camden Benares
    Kepler's laws / http://www.alcyone.com/max/physics/kepler/
 A proof of Kepler's laws.