Re: New to Emacs

[Peter Lee]

Code Fox <codefox@ftml.net> writes:

> I just downloaded emacs 21.2 for windows. I haven't used it
> before. I'm just getting used to navigating and using the control and
> meta key commands. Right now I'm kind of overwhelmed by the features
> available in emacs. I find it a bit difficult to follow the gnu emacs
> manual for a first read. Could someone provide me with links to get
> started with emacs? Also I have a few doubts:

http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/windows/ntemacs.html
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/GNU-Emacs-FAQ/

HTH.
>From help-gnu-emacs-bounces@gnu.org  Tue Dec 17 13:55:14 2002
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From: marcel-sl@gmx.de (Marcel Schmittfull)
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Subject: Re: M-TAB already used by KDE
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Benjamin Lewis <bclewis@cs.sfu.ca> wrote:

>On Mon, 16 Dec 2002, Marcel Schmittfull wrote:
>
>> Yes ok, this works. But for me it's very awkward to type <ESC><TAB>
>> since I've to leave the ground position of my left hand on the
>> keyboard (on an usual German keyboard; probably that's quite different
>> from English ones). Since I'm going to use completion _very_ often, I
>> would be very happy about an easier keybinding...
>
>Perhaps you could use a different key for Meta in emacs.  I use the
>"Windows" key for windowmanager functions, and the "Alt" key as Meta in
>emacs.  If KDE doesn't allow you to change key bindings, perhaps some
>jiggery-pokery in .emacs and/or with xmodmap would allow the change in
>emacs. (Assuming you have a such a key available).

Yes, I have the "windows" key on my keyboard. What would I have to
write in my .emacs in order to use the "windows" key in the same
meaning as the "Alt" key ? That is I want the "alt" key and the
"windows" key to have both the same meaning in emacs, namely "Meta".

TIA
Marcel
>From help-gnu-emacs-bounces@gnu.org  Tue Dec 17 14:00:10 2002
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From: kai.grossjohann@uni-duisburg.de (Kai =?iso-8859-1?q?Gro=DFjohann?=)
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Code Fox <codefox@ftml.net> writes:

> I just downloaded emacs 21.2 for windows. I haven't used it
> before. I'm just getting used to navigating and using the control and
> meta key commands. Right now I'm kind of overwhelmed by the features
> available in emacs. I find it a bit difficult to follow the gnu emacs
> manual for a first read. Could someone provide me with links to get
> started with emacs? 

I think people generally suggest to start with the tutorial.  After
that, you're expected to read those parts of the manual that appear
interesting to you.  But one problem is to figure out what is
interesting, as Emacs uses unusual terms.  I suggest to read the
glossary first.  That tells you about the Emacs terminology.

> Also I have a few doubts:
>
> 1. I use many scripting languages like PHP, ASP, and Python. If I want
>    to write my own syntax hilighting for a particular language how do
>    I do it?

There are already modes for Python and for PHP.  Not sure about ASP.
So maybe you don't need to do that much yourself.

Usually, you should write a `major mode' for things like syntax
highlighting.  Emacs comes with files generic.el and generic-x.el.
The former provides for a way to fairly simply construct a major
mode.  The latter contains some examples to learn from.

And then there is define-derived-mode which you can use if there is
already a major mode that's similar.  (Some people suggest to always
use define-derived-mode -- if necessary, derive from
fundamental-mode...)

> 2. I have an IMAP mail account. I configured gnus to retrieve mails
>    from my IMAP account but I couldn't see all folders. Is there an
>    email client for emacs which would let me use my IMAP account with
>    ease, like moving messages between 2 folders?

I find that Gnus does let me use my IMAP account `with ease'.  But
there are two ways to use IMAP with Gnus.  One is to create an entry
in mail-sources, the other is to use nnimap.  The second is what makes
Gnus a full-fledged IMAP client.  Please provide more details about
things you tried.

> 3. I use various C++ compilers. How do I configure emacs to compile my
>    program using a particular compiler?

The variable is compile-command.  I suggest to always write a
Makefile, then the default value will be fine.  It is quite easy to
write Makefiles.  (In simple cases, the Makefiles are simple.  In more
complicated cases, the Makefiles are more complicated.  But such is
life...)

For example, if your C++ compiler is called dumbledore, then the
following one-liner might be enough:

CXX=dumbledore

> 4. How do I create a custom spell-check dictionary?

The standard ispell commands provide for ways to add words to the
private dictionary.  Did you read the documentation on ispell?

-- 
~/.signature is: umop ap!sdn    (Frank Nobis)
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Ajanta <ajanta@no.spam> writes:

> Yes I do understand that this does not come standard with unix. The
> discussion was about the desirability for it to be so. There was a
> suggestion that an extention of ls would be a logical choice; the
> system would of course have to log/record some extra information in
> addition to what it already does . However, some people felt this was a
> good opportunity to start arguing over the word "log".

Yes, indeed.  Alas, the Unix crowd appears to follow the Perl
philosophy `There is more than one way to do it', and hence, different
Unices have different ways.

Some Linux distributions have rpm, others have dpkg and apt-get.
FreeBSD has pkg_add and friends.  Solaris also has something named
pkgfoo, for some value of foo.  MacOS has fink, amongst others.  Since
MacOS is based on FreeBSD (or is it NetBSD or OpenBSD) in some way,
maybe MacOS also uses pkg_add and friends?

Of course, these tools only do something if they are actually used.
Originally, several files and directories were mentioned; it appears
that at least two versions of Emacs were installed -- one in /usr and
one in /usr/local.  Of course, I have no idea which system maintains
the files.
-- 
~/.signature is: umop ap!sdn    (Frank Nobis)
>From genealogy@angiesgenealogy.com Tue Dec 17 16:37:19 2002
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