Ask HN: Text Editor

Posted by minroot on Sunday July 02, 2023 @04:42PM
from the ask-hn dept.

I have been for the past few years looking for a perfect editor I can live with. Learned Vim, but can't edit Indian languages with it because of being in a terminal. Tried to use emacs, but everytime I install it I find it buggy in most basic things like undoing changes. Tried vscode, but my old laptop is not much equipped for it.

Once watched Russ Cox's screen cast on Acme, I kinda liked it.

I actually don't know exactly what are the things I wish to have in a text editor or program editor. I wish someone knew what I wanted and there were an editor where I could feel home.

I feel sad, one of the primary tool of programmers is in this shape. I'm not sure if it's just me feel this way.

I am looking for a better place, please send help.

( 7 comments | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: Text Editor by stefanos82 on Sunday July 02, 2023 @04:49PM (#36565561)

> ...but can't edit Indian languages with it because of being in a terminal.

What do you mean exactly with "because of being in a terminal"?

I use Greek and I switch between English and Greek under my terminal and works just fine; the reason I switch from Greek back to English is so I can take advantage of the whole mapped keys I personally use.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Text Editor by minroot on Sunday July 02, 2023 @05:42PM (#36566091)

Try Bengali

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Text Editor by georgeyw on Sunday July 02, 2023 @04:54PM (#36565619)

Not sure if this is the issue, but what comes to mind is that some languages in south Asia write from right to left instead of left to right.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Text Editor by leed25d on Sunday July 02, 2023 @04:43PM (#36565500)

Emacs is your friend.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Text Editor by mtmail on Sunday July 02, 2023 @04:46PM (#36565532)

OP said they tried Emacs already multiple times and it doesn't work for them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Text Editor by jjgreen on Sunday July 02, 2023 @04:49PM (#36565562)

    M-x emacs-is-still-your-friend-anyway

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Text Editor by nequo on Sunday July 02, 2023 @08:24PM (#36567270)

Try Emacs again with evil and undo-tree installed. Evil behaves like Vim to a high enough degree that you’ll be comfortable with it if you’re comfortable with Vim. And I haven’t had problems with undo.

If that doesn’t work, how about neovim-gtk or vanilla Neovim in a terminal emulator that’s capable of handling Indian languages?

[ Parent | on HN ]