External: Blog Revisions

Hi All,

Finally got some time to read the queue & double check terms and wording. Yes, I found quite a bit.

Essentially, there is too much work in maintaining two copies. So, consider XEmacs Null as the first edition and Behind Nullx as the second, most corrected version. Of course, if you have suggestions for improvement and such. Post a comment. Oh well.

Category: Overall
GlR

Tip: Select A Buffer

Question: Why doesn't the select work like - I might expect it to?

It might seem like a bit of a drag. However, once you issue the command below. It seems like you are being asked to type the whole filename (and you can, if you care to).

XEmacs provides an alternative. It is called Filename completion. Simply type the starting part of the filename as a hint & hit the tab key. If the name is very unique in your current directory. It will appear directly. Otherwise, if there are several alternatives. You'll have to provide more of a hint.

XEmacs will show a list of the expansions. So, yes, you will have to type a little more and there you go.

Select Buffer: Ctrl-x, b,
Escape if you "don't care to" run it, after all: Ctrl-g.

Platform: Linux
Level: Amateur
GlR

Tip: Close A Buffer

Question: Why would you want to?

Essentially, there are several ways to pull up additional buffers.(Such as the Sep 22--24, 2005 posts, Titles: Launch Shell, Accessing Man) When you need to kill them, is the problem. Especially, if you are without the X-Windows GUI interface. You can close the buffer by "killing" it.

Close the Buffer: Ctrl-x, k, enter
Select Buffer: Ctrl-x, b,

Platform: Linux
Level: Amateur
GlR

Tip: Accessing Man

Question: How do I pull up man pages from inside XEmacs?

Answer: You can go to the shell & try it there. Although, you can also pull it up directly inside XEmacs. (Of course, this presumes you are on a Unix system or running Cygwin on Windows & XEmacs has access to the Cygwin man pages.)

Launch the Man Page Viewer: Alt-x, man, enter, "xemacs", enter
Close the Buffer: Ctrl-x, k, enter

Platform: Linux
Level: Amateur
GlR

Tip: Launch Shell

Question: Why would I use a shell? Or why shell from inside XEmacs, either?

Answer: I'll answer the second question, first. Simply programmers get lazy and "don't care" to leave their editor or find a shell (console), elsewhere.

The command prompt is a shell. Personally, I consider it the "true natural" (or raw) interface to a computer system. If you are in Windows land and "have to find" a command / application / tool; to do whatever it is? You need. Personally, it is just a lot of mousing around to me. I can type far faster than mouse, myself.

Launch to a Shell: Alt-x, shell, enter.
Close the Buffer: Ctrl-x, k, enter

Platform: Linux
Level: Amateur
GlR

Tip: Changing Case

Question: Why would you want to switch the case of text?

Simple answer, you'll forget to upper case the first letter of your sentence.
As for changing case of a whole word or region. Quite often, you'll receive an email in need a more gentle look. (Some people love screaming in upper-case.)

Answer 1: Changing the case of a letter. You will have to select it, as a region first. Keyboard: Ctrl-x, Ctrl-u # for upper case. Ctrl-x, Ctrl-l # for lower case. (Of course, to change case of one letter. Might as well, do it manually. Less key strokes.)

Answer 2: Menu Commands, Change Case, Upcase Region # or Downcase, Capitalize, or Title-Case Region.

Start Region: Ctrl-Space (then move to the end of it.)
Upcase Region: Ctrl-x, Ctrl-u
Downcase Region: Ctrl-x, Ctrl-d

Platform: Linux
Level: Amateur
GlR

Topic: Kill Text?

Question: Why would you kill text? (Quick Answer: Everything to do with copy and paste.)

Vim the other most popular Unix text editor, applies the copy / paste maxim, this way. You "yank" and then "put" (paste) text. Vim-Doc.

• XEmacs though thinks just a little differently. First, you kill the text (usually region selected). Then, yank it back. (Notice the opposite of Vim.) So, try it out a few times and make it second nature. That's it.

Kill Region: Ctrl-w
Copy to kill ring: Alt-w
Yank (back) Region: Ctrl-y

Platform: Linux
Level: Amateur
GlR

Topic: Marking

Question: What do you have to do, before paste and copy?

Answer: You have to mark the region. (Otherwise, you can mark a paragraph, page, or the whole buffer. Usually, I just mark the region.)

I'll show you how to start and end your marked region, here. Next post, we'll cover paste and yank.

First, you'll need to set your mark, from where you want the region started. Lastly, move to the end of your region, and kill it or copy to the kill ring.

Set the Mark: Ctrl-@
Kill Region: Ctrl-w
Copy to kill ring: Alt-w

Platform: Linux
Level: Amateur
GlR

The File-Related Category

It might not be obvious, to most readers. However, I'll just mention this here and be done with it.

Earlier, I wrote about Files and Buffers. Well, in the sense of how XEmacs works. When you are editing a file. You are only altering it's buffer (image). Once, you save, then the changes are commited, of course.

= Perhaps, I should of created a Buffers category. However, for the purposes of this blog. I'll simply include those entries under File Related.

GlR

PS. You'll have to visit my Behind Nullx blog, to see the category breakdown. Behind Nullx

Opinion: E-macs or XEmacs

You might of noticed, I cast them both in their own light. Why is this?

Ahem, no reason, really. Just I started with XEmacs first and it (seems) is easiest to install anywhere.

If you want read the full details. Why is this? The Deep Divide of E-macs vs XEmacs.

Otherwise, I spell them both differently, just for purpose of distinction. Emacs as E-macs & Xemacs as XEmacs. Just a personal preference.

As a rough guess, except for some basic things (the config file; custom.el vs. .emacs), most things are the same. Around 95 percent, I believe. (When it comes to the extensions, the packages. Of coure, they aren't compatible.)

GlR

External: Follow-up HOW-TO

After reading the previous mentioned - HOW-TO article. Here is what I thought.

(1) It is well written and aimed at anyone. (Yes, even Windows users.)

(2) I like the very first section. What is E-macs. I couldn't of said it better. (Yes, to some people, it is a religion. Not to me, though.) Indeed a very flexible text editor.

(3) Getting E-macs. I already covered that in --- the Tuesday, May 10, 2005 post, titled: Availability.

(4) The mini-buffer, he mentions is the bottom-most line in the E-macs screen. Makes sense. Not that, I've used it that deeply. (Even after "more than a year" of using XEmacs. You just take things for granted, I guess.)

(5) Terms he defines: Files & Buffers (I have covered this, too.), Point & Region, the Windows of the editor, and Frames. (Personally, I avoid the frames. I prefer working with split-windows (the frame) and such.)

(6) Then, discussion about the command keys. (Yes, I've discussed this before, as well.)

(7) Commands for jumping to various places in the buffer.

(8) Essential commands. I should check these out, further.

(9) Then, he discusses the tutorial. Which, again, I have mentioned it and I encourage everyone to spend 15 minutes - following it.

(10) The modes: E-macs, major / minor, then programming mode.

(11) Then, he lists modes which E-macs supports by file typing, for the editor. I'll just list the ones he covers here.

List: C/C++/Java, Perl, Python, shell scripts, (text), Sed? Tcl?, Makefile, authoring, spell-checking (via ispell), HTML, TeX, SGML, & VC (version control). Plus, shell mode. Where you go to the shell, of course.

(12) Then, he writes about customization (.emacs config file) and using packages inside E-macs. (Such as, mail applications)

(13) A list of the E-macs newsgroups. (I should dig up the XEmacs ones & add them here, too.)

GlR

External: Ramping Up for More

Hi All,

Sorry, it has been a while - since, I last posted. (Yes, this blog isn't too active. But, that isn't why I post on it, anyhow.)

Summer is over. The kids are back in school and time marches on. Plus, MediaBin is "back online," again. (Hopefully, it will stay that way, now. ??? high security modes!)

So, without further adieu, I hope to continue on the two day schedule.

---

Here is an interesting page, the E-macs beginer HOW-TO. (Or the author's site and his HOW-TO page.)

Please read it. My next posts will cover many of it's interesting points. However, it certainly is quite thorough.

GlR