CoffeeCup HTML Editor vs. GNU Emacs

My typical use is to edit HTML and CFM pages from prior projects, and use them to create new ones. So, I rarely use the tools for designing pages provided in this application. I have found the ability to preview a page very useful. I am aware of numerous features in this editor, that simpler editors would not provide. It has proven to be a great fit for my use.

Incentivized

Emacs is best utilized on a Unix system where it can be easily installed and accessed. It allows for quick editing of files on a system whether you are accessing it locally through the console or remotely via an ssh connection. Once users familiarize themselves with the Emacs shortcuts, it becomes a pretty efficient text manipulation program. On a standard Windows computer, it is less likely to use Emacs for code editing, especially if you have a local repository on your host machine.

Incentivized

• Easy to use editing features
• Helpful analysis of code, and useful suggestions for corrections
• Very useful split-screen preview of HTML code
• Wizards to guide inserting tables, links, images, audio etc.

Incentivized

• GNU Emacs is a text editor that can do almost anything that you want to do with it. It is fairly easy to extend the functionality using Emacs Lisp with a large library available.
• It can be easily customized using themes as well as custom code to change the look and feel as well as how everything works.

Incentivized

• Maybe I could list a con if my use of it was more diverse and consistent. It does everything and more for my purposes, and in ways I Iike very much.

Incentivized

• Emacs is old, so it's a little crufty and not too easy to pick up and start using. There is a community package called Spacemacs that simplifies a lot of things that you do with Emacs. It is probably better suited to beginners.
• Sometimes, the choices that were made to integrate certain functionality change the basic models for that functionality. This is seen primarily in the version control system support, where multiple version control systems are supported and "unified" to a standard Emacs-y way of doing things. This can be confusing to the new user not familiar with the Emacs way.
• Emacs has, as its foundation, a lisp interpreter. This means that the extension language for Emacs is emacs-lisp. Some people find lisp hard to understand and have difficulties writing Emacs extension code, or understanding existing code.

Incentivized

Everything that you need to know about Emacs can be found on the internet. There are many Emacs "cheat sheets" that list out all of the shortcuts for Emacs. There are videos on how to use Emacs. Emacs is easily installed using the standard Linux package managers and can also be easily updated through them as well. There are tutorials on how to customize Emacs to your liking.

Incentivized

Of course, Vim is a good contender for comparison as well, so I'll include it. I find Emacs much easier to learn, which will help speed up productivity for newer users. It seems much faster than VIM and VSCode, especially under load. It's highly highly customizable, in ways other editors don't stack up against. Its lack of bloat also is a nice addition to a great product.

Incentivized

• This editor certainly saves time in reducing my need to know and/or check coding minutiae.

Incentivized

• Emacs is free software, there is no cost at all.
• It has helped tremendously in situations where many, or large, log files need to be searched.

Incentivized