Best editor?

[beliavsky at aol.com]

ChinStrap wrote:
> When not using the interactive prompt, what are you using? I keep
> hearing everyone say Emacs, but I can't understand it at all. I keep
> trying to learn and understand why so many seem to like it because I
> can't understand customization even without going through a hundred
> menus that might contain the thing I am looking for (or I could go
> learn another language just to customize!).

Epsilon http://www.lugaru.com/ is a commercial Emacs-like editor with a
built-in Python mode and will automatically treat .py files as being
Python. No fiddling is required. It works well, and I spend many of my
waking hours in front of an Epsilon (even created a Fortran mode :)). I
think Epsilon is used more on Windows than Linux/Unix, where Emacs and
XEmacs have existed for a long time, but an Epsilon license contains
binaries for Linux and other Unices as well.

XEmacs/Emacs frustrate me, for example constantly asking if I want to
enable a "recursive mini-buffer", which I have no clue about or
interest in. Epsilon is a well-done Emacs IMO.

A key benefit of Emacs-like editors, including Epsilon, is that one can
run the shell (cmd.exe prompt on Windows, bash/csh/ksh on Unix) from
within the editor. One can fill the entire screen with an Emacs, split
it into buffers for source codes and a shell, and live happily ever
after :). Standard output is not lost but can be retrieved just by
scrolling up in the editor. I am addicted to running a shell within an
Emacs-like editor.

Of course there are many good editors -- don't feel obligated to use
Emacs if you are happy and productive with something else.