What is Emacs?

GNU Emacs is an advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible, real-time display editor. In other words, you use it to create and edit files. With GNU Emacs, you can edit several files simultaneously, open multiple windows on the same document, define keyboard macros, and undo mistakes. Emacs automatically indents programs in languages like Lisp and C, supports facilities for reading and writing mail, and creates back up files. The underlying part of GNU Emacs is written in C and includes a Lisp interpreter. Most of the editing commands in Emacs are written in Lisp, and you can write new editing commands in the middle of an editing session.

Click here to go to the next section.

Or click here to go to the top of the chapter.