[comp.sys.amiga] Editor Flame

mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu.UUCP (12/04/87)

I just spent a lot of time downloading (at least it was at 9600 baud)
the source code for MicroEmacs 3.9e, unpacking and compiling it.

I run the program only to find it opening a 640x200 window on my
interlaced, morerow-expanded workbench.  Clicking on the right button
reveals no menu bar.  Clicking the mouse in the window does not change
the cursor position.  Resizing the window results in no change in the
program's behavior. 

I was evaluating MicroEmacs to see if it had matured to the point
where I could use it instead of mg1b for my programming needs (since
MicroEmacs has a C mode, an extension language, and the capability to
redirect stdout to a buffer).  Instead, I find a program with as much
user-interface smarts as a glass-tty.

Now, I realize that I didn't pay anything for this program, and hence
shouldn't be bitching about it.  But isn't it time that the Amiga had
some sort of Emacs-based editor with full Intuition support, the
ability to talk to a shell, *and* an extension language?  With these
features, it wouldn't be too hard to construct an "integrated
programming environment" (such as Turbo Pascal, LightSpeed C or
Benchmark Modula-2) with just the plain Lattice or Aztec compilers. 
I mean, mg is nice (I am using it right now on a Sun to type this
message, and prefer it over GNU Emacs for most small editing jobs),
but I lust for even a smidgen of the features that full GNU Emacs
offers. 

I think I'll stick with mg until version 2a comes out, and think about
adding the features I want that aren't there.  Or maybe it's time to
find out what Matt added to DME.

				--M

--
Michael Portuesi / Carnegie Mellon University
ARPA/UUCP: mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu		BITNET: rainwalker@drycas

"little things remind me of you...cheap cologne and that damn song too!"
		--The Flirts, "Jukebox"

nwd@j.cc.purdue.edu (Daniel Lawrence) (12/04/87)

In article <EVhZdey00WARy2k07t@andrew.cmu.edu> mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) writes:
>I just spent a lot of time downloading (at least it was at 9600 baud)
>the source code for MicroEmacs 3.9e, unpacking and compiling it.
>
>I run the program only to find it opening a 640x200 window on my
>interlaced, morerow-expanded workbench.  Clicking on the right button
>reveals no menu bar.  Clicking the mouse in the window does not change
>the cursor position.  Resizing the window results in no change in the
>program's behavior. 
>
>I was evaluating MicroEmacs to see if it had matured to the point
>where I could use it instead of mg1b for my programming needs (since
>MicroEmacs has a C mode, an extension language, and the capability to
>redirect stdout to a buffer).  Instead, I find a program with as much
>user-interface smarts as a glass-tty.
>
>Now, I realize that I didn't pay anything for this program, and hence
>shouldn't be bitching about it.  But isn't it time that the Amiga had
>some sort of Emacs-based editor with full Intuition support, the
>ability to talk to a shell, *and* an extension language?

	First off, I don't own an amiga... I borrow one from a lot of
different people whom are getting pretty tired of me by now. I support
this editor across UNIX MSDOS AMIGA Atari ST DataGenerals and a lot of
not-so-compatible machines. I am sorry it can not take advantage of all
the nifty features of the AMIGA.

	But you're right, it is time there was such a creature. If you
look through the source code you downloaded, you will see that there is
already provisions for dynamic screen resizing.  Also menu entries can
simply generate keystrokes to activate the appropriate functions.  We
are currently re-wrapping the main editing loop in main.c around an event
loop to make such things possible. If you request such, I will send you
the updated code for that.

	I am glad you volunteered to perform this service for the Amiga
community and I look forward to receiving your changes so I can
incorporate them into my master sources.

			Daniel Lawrence		(317) 742-5153
			UUCP:	{ihnp4!pur-ee!}j.cc.purdue.edu!nwd
			ARPA:	nwd@j.cc.purdue.edu
			FIDO:	201/2 The Programmer's Room (317) 742-5533

dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU.UUCP (12/04/87)

:shouldn't be bitching about it.  But isn't it time that the Amiga had
:some sort of Emacs-based editor with full Intuition support, the
:ability to talk to a shell, *and* an extension language?  With these
:features, it wouldn't be too hard to construct an "integrated
:programming environment" (such as Turbo Pascal, LightSpeed C or
:Benchmark Modula-2) with just the plain Lattice or Aztec compilers. 

	Hey, I've had an integrated programming enviroment on my Amiga 
for at least a year.  It's called multitasking.  I have one or more shell
windows, and usually a couple of DME windows hanging around.  But I will not
get into any editor wars... Suffice it to say that not all of us cares for
Emacs!

					-Matt

ejkst@cisunx.UUCP (Eric J. Kennedy) (12/06/87)

In article <EVhZdey00WARy2k07t@andrew.cmu.edu>, mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) writes:
> I just spent a lot of time downloading (at least it was at 9600 baud)
> the source code for MicroEmacs 3.9e, unpacking and compiling it.
> 
> I run the program only to find it opening a 640x200 window on my
> interlaced, morerow-expanded workbench.  Clicking on the right button
> reveals no menu bar.  Clicking the mouse in the window does not change
> the cursor position.  Resizing the window results in no change in the
> program's behavior. 
[...] 
> ability to talk to a shell, *and* an extension language?  With these
> features, it wouldn't be too hard to construct an "integrated
> programming environment" (such as Turbo Pascal, LightSpeed C or
> Benchmark Modula-2) with just the plain Lattice or Aztec compilers. 
[...] 
> I think I'll stick with mg until version 2a comes out, and think about
> adding the features I want that aren't there.  Or maybe it's time to
> find out what Matt added to DME.


...or what Rick Stiles has added to Uedit.  It's  not emacs based, but
integrated environments can, and have already been, done easily.  I have
environments for TDI modula-2 and Aztec C.  The improvement in recent
versions is major, so if you haven't seen it recently, check it out.
(Oh yeah, it automatically uses morerows, interlace, and setfont.  I get
40 lines of topaz 11 plus title bar and message line. ) 
 
> Michael Portuesi / Carnegie Mellon University

Eric Kennedy

dmg@ssc-vax.UUCP (David Geary) (12/09/87)

In Article 11577, Michael Portuesi writes:

>I just spent a lot of time downloading (at least it was at 9600 baud)
>the source code for MicroEmacs 3.9e, unpacking and compiling it.

>I run the program only to find it opening a 640x200 window on my
>interlaced, morerow-expanded workbench.  Clicking on the right button
>reveals no menu bar.  Clicking the mouse in the window does not change
>the cursor position.  Resizing the window results in no change in the
>program's behavior. 

>I was evaluating MicroEmacs to see if it had matured to the point
>where I could use it instead of mg1b for my programming needs (since
>MicroEmacs has a C mode, an extension language, and the capability to
>redirect stdout to a buffer).  Instead, I find a program with as much
>user-interface smarts as a glass-tty.

>Now, I realize that I didn't pay anything for this program, and hence
>shouldn't be bitching about it.  But isn't it time that the Amiga had
>some sort of Emacs-based editor ...

Actually, it WAS time that the Amiga had some sort of Emacs-based
editor when the new release of Amigados (1.2) came out.  If you look
on the Extras disk that came with the upgrade to 1.2, you will find
a very nice emacs editor complete with pull-down menus, the ability
to spawn a new cli from the editor, etc.  (The cursor even moves
when you click the right mouse button ;-}).
I use emacs exclusively as a text editor for writing C programs, and
I find it to be a very nice editor.  

Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me for not e-mailing this response ;-},
however, I have seen alot of stuff on this net that implies that people do 
not know about the Emacs editor on the Extras disk.  (I even saw a posting
where someone still uses ED - yuk!!! ;-} ;-}).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~	"...The dog up and died,			~
~	    he up and died,				~
~	    and after twenty years he still grieves..."	~
~							~
~		Bojangles by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dca@toylnd.UUCP (David C. Albrecht) (12/09/87)

> Now, I realize that I didn't pay anything for this program, and hence
> shouldn't be bitching about it.  But isn't it time that the Amiga had
> some sort of Emacs-based editor with full Intuition support, the
> ability to talk to a shell, *and* an extension language?  With these
> features, it wouldn't be too hard to construct an "integrated
> programming environment" (such as Turbo Pascal, LightSpeed C or
> Benchmark Modula-2) with just the plain Lattice or Aztec compilers. 
> I mean, mg is nice (I am using it right now on a Sun to type this
> message, and prefer it over GNU Emacs for most small editing jobs),
> but I lust for even a smidgen of the features that full GNU Emacs
> offers. 
> 
Sure, go right ahead.  You know what they say about getting it done right.

Generally, emacs rarely talks mouse, menus etc.  The one that came with the
enhancer stuff at least supports it to the point of clicking to a location
and setting marks but not for switching windows or selecting regions.

The thing that drives me bananas is the scrolling behavior. I tried compiling
3.8 and the window scrolls so that your cursor position is at the top of the
screen at the drop of a hat (including opening a line).  I haven't felt
compelled to search out why it has wacky scrolling behavior which the
unix drivers do not.  I just went back to the one that came with the enhancer
disk.  Unfortunately the one that comes on the enhancer disk doesn't have my
little hack (which I posted to comp.emacs) that vastly improves the
performance of windows split onto a single buffer (which is normally pretty
grim).  I'll bet 3.9e doesn't have it either.  Sigh.  Isn't reintegrating
your changes to changing software fun?  It seems I'll have to reintroduce
my routines that handle termcap input keysequences back in as well.  Sniff.

David Albrecht   Well at least one person managed to get a 2000
                 for the $1000 + serial number deal from Mountain Software,
                 mine finally arrived (yay!).  Haven't got my $500 rebate
                 yet though so for right now its $1500 + serial number.

page@ulowell.cs.ulowell.edu (Bob Page) (12/11/87)

>isn't it time that the Amiga had some sort of Emacs-based editor
>with full Intuition support, the ability to talk to a shell, *and* an
>extension language?

The new version of TxEd (TxEd plus?) allows to to rebind your keys
and also supports REXX if you have it.  Don't know when it will
be available (I haven't seen it and currently don't use TxEd).

UEdit allows you to do something similar - I've seen a wordstar
front end for it and a turbo-pascal like facility for Manx Aztec C.

..Bob
-- 
Bob Page, U of Lowell CS Dept.  page@ulowell.edu  ulowell!page
"I've never liked reality all that much, but I haven't found a
better solution."		--Dave Haynie, Commodore-Amiga

mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) (12/11/87)

>Actually, it WAS time that the Amiga had some sort of Emacs-based
>editor when the new release of Amigados (1.2) came out.  If you look
>on the Extras disk that came with the upgrade to 1.2, you will find
>a very nice emacs editor complete with pull-down menus, the ability
>to spawn a new cli from the editor, etc.  (The cursor even moves
>when you click the right mouse button ;-}).
>I use emacs exclusively as a text editor for writing C programs, and
>I find it to be a very nice editor.  

Yeah, I know all about the Emacs that came with the 1.2 Extras disk.  But the
fact of the matter is that the 1.2 Extras Emacs is less powerful than any of
the Emacses currently available for the Amiga.  You can't rebind keys in it,
there is no such thing as M-x, etc.  The mouse interface is very nice, as is
the ability to switch between regular/interlace display modes, but I find I
can't use it for very long due to its lack of features.

What I really want is an Emacs with an Intuition interface plus an extension
language.  I really like being able to point the cursor where I want it to
go, and to "mouse off" a block of text.  I also want the editor to indent my
C code for me, too, and I would like to run a CLI in an Emacs buffer.  Sure,
I can just switch to a CLI window and run the two concurrently, but having
the results of a compliation in an Emacs buffer gives you a "softcopy" of
your compilation errors, plus instant history of CLI commands and
command-line editing for free.  Currently, there is no Emacs on the Amiga
capable of doing all of this at the same time.

It may sound like I'm flaming (which I am), but I'm also expressing
puzzlement that some other Emacs freak hasn't remedied the situation already.

			--M

mp1u+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Portuesi) (12/11/87)

>Actually, it WAS time that the Amiga had some sort of Emacs-based
>editor when the new release of Amigados (1.2) came out.  If you look
>on the Extras disk that came with the upgrade to 1.2, you will find
>a very nice emacs editor complete with pull-down menus, the ability
>to spawn a new cli from the editor, etc.  (The cursor even moves
>when you click the right mouse button ;-}).
>I use emacs exclusively as a text editor for writing C programs, and
>I find it to be a very nice editor.  

Yeah, I know all about the Emacs that came with the 1.2 Extras disk.  But the
fact of the matter is that the 1.2 Extras Emacs is less powerful than any of
the Emacses currently available for the Amiga.  You can't rebind keys in it,
there is no such thing as M-x, etc.  The mouse interface is very nice, as is
the ability to switch between regular/interlace display modes, but I find I
can't use it for very long due to its lack of features.

What I really want is an Emacs with an Intuition interface plus an extension
language.  I really like being able to point the cursor where I want it to
go, and to "mouse off" a block of text.  I also want the editor to indent my
C code for me, too, and I would like to run a CLI in an Emacs buffer.  Sure,
I can just switch to a CLI window and run the two concurrently, but having
the results of a compliation in an Emacs buffer gives you a "softcopy" of
your compilation errors, plus instant history of CLI commands and
command-line editing for free.  Currently, there is no Emacs on the Amiga
capable of doing all of this at the same time.

It may sound like I'm flaming (which I am), but I'm also expressing
puzzlement that some other Emacs freak hasn't remedied the situation already.

			--M