(thanks to d8uv for the title)
I usually describe myself as an "'ex' troglodyte", because I prefer the Unix line editor ex(1) to all other text editors. This makes people look at me like I'm something they found by turning over a rock, but what do I care?
(I know that ed(1) is the standard text editor, but I'm willing to trade off a little minimalism for a little convenience.)
Anyhow, in the tradition of Tim Bray's MARS, I will now say that I make my web site with HAXE, standing for HTML, Apache, and ex (reversed for euphony and cuteness).
Update: Though I don't like cokebottle editors, much of what's said in The Case For Emacs is relevant to me. I don't use ex(1), it is part of me.
6 comments:
pe'u ko cusku bau la lojban
cusku ma
pe'u ru'e ko cusku bau la lojban ba'e po'o
Unfortunately, some people might get confused about HAXE. At first blush, I did. But maybe I'm in the wrong camp. ;)
Out of sheer curiosity, what specifically about ex do you prefer to its visual mode? Is it something you can describe, or is it more-or-less something along the lines of: too many years spent on non-visual editors prior to their ubiquity?
I definitely sympathize with choosing ex over ed: if I were to use either regularly, particularly for programming, I'd much prefer the availability of ex's autoindent.
Also: are you aware of any currently available vi's available to GNU/Linux users that support a traditional "open" mode? I've never had the opportunity to use it, and am not entirely clear on the concept.
If the answer is "no": could you see yourself using "open" mode in preference to "ex" mode if it were available? :)
It's simply that I've internalized the ed/ex command set, as I've been using it ever since I gave up Teco. If it weren't for the lack of a Win32 version of Sam that handles remote editing, I'd probably have switched to Sam a long time ago, as it treats mouse-driven and command-line editing as equals.
I don't actually use autoindent; my private variant of 1TBS (in which right braces are indented one extra time) has become so ingrained over the last 30 years that hitting Tab as required is fully automatic.
Open mode is basically like vi with a one-line screen (so it doesn't need to know how to move up and down on the screen and all that). Historically it predates vi mode. I wouldn't use it.
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