Difference between revisions of "Emacs editors"
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− | + | The '''Emacs editors''' are a group of extensible [[screen editor]] [[text editor]]s, united in having a common [[user interface]]. Multiple '[[window]]s' (actually, divisions of the main window) are standard, as are multiple buffers. | |
+ | |||
+ | It is generally not 'moded'; characters typed as input are immediately inserted into the current buffer, or acted upon as a command. Most commands are not on regular printing keys, but 'Control' and 'Meta' keys (the former part of standard [[ASCII]], the latter ASCII codes with the high bit in the byte set). Less-often used commands are invoked by name, after typing an 'execute named command' command key. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The first, '''EMACS''', one of the first screen editors, was implemented in [[TECO]] [[macro]]s on the [[Incompatible Timesharing System|ITS]] [[operating system]] at [[MIT]]. Since TECO itself was written in [[assembly language]] for the [[PDP-10]], it was fairly quickly moved to [[TENEX]] and [[TOPS-20]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In addition, MIT alumni who moved elsewhere wanted Emacs-like screen editor editing capabilities on the systems at their new locations, which generated a number of new implementations, including 'Montgomery EMACS' for [[PDP-11]] [[UNIX]] machines, and 'Gosling's Emacs' for [[VAX]] [[Unix]]. This spread the usage of Emacs even further; and as people at those facilities saw it, things snow-balled. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A commercial version called '[[Epsilon]]', originally for [[MS-DOS]], later [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], was produced early on; it is still sold and supported. [[SINE]] was created for the [[MagicSix]] operating system. A version was done in [[LISP]] for [[Multics]] by [[Bernie Greenberg]]. The [[Symbolics]] [[LISP machine]] had several Emacs clones, including '[[EINE]]' ('EINE Is Not EMACS') and 'ZWEI' ('ZWEI Was Eine Initially') - the two names are German for 'one' and 'two'. | ||
+ | |||
+ | SCAME ran on Unix V7 and BSD. MINCE ran on CP/M. | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[Richard Stallman]], who had done much of the first EMACS, did a version for the [[GNU]] project, also in LISP, which has proved immensely popular, and is now used very widely. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==External links== | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/5748 An Introduction to the EMACS Editor] - by Eugene Ciccarelli, one of the original EMACS hackers | ||
+ | * [https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/6329 EMACS Manual for ITS Users] - the original EMACS | ||
+ | * [https://github.com/larsbrinkhoff/emacs-history/blob/sources/docs/Montgomery%20Emacs%20History.txt Montgomery Emacs History] | ||
+ | ** [http://ana-3.lcs.mit.edu/~jnc/tech/unix/emacs/emacs.doc An Interactive Screen Editor for UNIX] - manual (date: May 27, 1981) | ||
+ | * [https://multicians.org/mepap.html Multics Emacs: The History, Design and Implementation] | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[Category: Editors]] |
Latest revision as of 02:22, 4 August 2023
The Emacs editors are a group of extensible screen editor text editors, united in having a common user interface. Multiple 'windows' (actually, divisions of the main window) are standard, as are multiple buffers.
It is generally not 'moded'; characters typed as input are immediately inserted into the current buffer, or acted upon as a command. Most commands are not on regular printing keys, but 'Control' and 'Meta' keys (the former part of standard ASCII, the latter ASCII codes with the high bit in the byte set). Less-often used commands are invoked by name, after typing an 'execute named command' command key.
The first, EMACS, one of the first screen editors, was implemented in TECO macros on the ITS operating system at MIT. Since TECO itself was written in assembly language for the PDP-10, it was fairly quickly moved to TENEX and TOPS-20.
In addition, MIT alumni who moved elsewhere wanted Emacs-like screen editor editing capabilities on the systems at their new locations, which generated a number of new implementations, including 'Montgomery EMACS' for PDP-11 UNIX machines, and 'Gosling's Emacs' for VAX Unix. This spread the usage of Emacs even further; and as people at those facilities saw it, things snow-balled.
A commercial version called 'Epsilon', originally for MS-DOS, later Windows, was produced early on; it is still sold and supported. SINE was created for the MagicSix operating system. A version was done in LISP for Multics by Bernie Greenberg. The Symbolics LISP machine had several Emacs clones, including 'EINE' ('EINE Is Not EMACS') and 'ZWEI' ('ZWEI Was Eine Initially') - the two names are German for 'one' and 'two'.
SCAME ran on Unix V7 and BSD. MINCE ran on CP/M.
Richard Stallman, who had done much of the first EMACS, did a version for the GNU project, also in LISP, which has proved immensely popular, and is now used very widely.
External links
- An Introduction to the EMACS Editor - by Eugene Ciccarelli, one of the original EMACS hackers
- EMACS Manual for ITS Users - the original EMACS
- Montgomery Emacs History
- An Interactive Screen Editor for UNIX - manual (date: May 27, 1981)
- Multics Emacs: The History, Design and Implementation