[Tutor] GNU Emacs and Python

[Tim Johnson]

* Alexander Etter <rhettnaxel at gmail.com> [111101 03:36]:
 
> Rinu, I use emacs. I use Python and C++. I'm also a university
> student. Last semester I learned python 2.7 using IDLE, and
> continued with IDLE while I searched for alternatives over the
> summer. I didn't find what I was looking for. Say, just a few
> weeks ago I started my C++ course and switched to emacs since the
> professor was using it. I tried it, read the easy to understand
> documentation, and I am so productive, jubilant, and satisfied
> with GNU Emacs. It's extensible beyond immediate comprehension;
> like a sunflower it starts as a seed, sprouts leaves, etc; I'm
> elaborating the infinite usability of emacs. 

  My niece graduated in Computer Science at UC Berkeley. I believe
  that emacs was the default programming editor in many of her
  classes. Elisp  employs docstrings for subroutines, constants and
  variables. Emacs has a system of extracting those docstrings,
  which makes any 'plugins' self documenting. I'm sure that these
  features make emacs very attractive for team work, regardless of
  the environment whether academic or professional.

> There is a learning curve. One may find a learning curve with
> everything in existence, whereas I repudiate one discouraging
> another for the aforementioned. 
  Yup. Bigtime.

> Those who desire the power of emacs seek it. 
> Tim, do you use GNU Emacs?
  I did use GNU emacs. I also used Xemacs, but prefered GNU Emacs.

> From what literature I've encountered including a wikipedia page I
> believe there is a satiric starwars-like cold-war feud between
> users of vi and emacs. 
  A feud for those who have nothing better to do. The acrimony
  around the 'fork' of Xemacs is greater and more serious.
  
  I believe that there are 'plugins' that can make emacs easier to
  use for the beginner. There are also a number of emacs 'Cheat Sheets'
  available, perhaps even with the distro.

  There is a physical Reference Card available here:
  http://shop.fsf.org/product/emacs-reference-cards-v-22/
  I highly recommend it.
  cheers
-- 
Tim 
tim at tee jay forty nine dot com or akwebsoft dot com
http://www.akwebsoft.com