Barry's Emacs FAQ

This version dated 07-July-2002 and is maintained by Barry A. Scott, barry@barrys-emacs.org.

General

Why should I choose Barry's Emacs?

Barry's Emacs is easy to use and accessable yet powerful.

You can start using Barry's Emacs as a notepad replacement. Then, at your own speed use more advanced features.

Its user interface uses familiar Windows style user interface, key bindings, menus, toolbar and dialogs. Barry's Emacs is integrated with the windows explorer.

Contrast this with GNU Emacs that uses a quirky user interface, non Windows key bindings and requires configuration in its ELisp language before being useful.

Which Operating Systems are supported?

There are three Barry's Emacs kits.

Is Barry's Emacs based on GNU Emacs?

No. Barry's Emacs has been in existence in one form or another since 1980, GNU Emacs came along a few years later.

Can I get the source of Barry's Emacs?

The source of all the MLisp extensions is included in each kit.

However the source code of the main editor is not available.

User Interface

How do I use Ctrl-X for Cut and Emacs Ctrl-X commands?

Traditionally Emacs like editors use Ctrl-X as a keyboard command prefix. This conflicts with the normal use of Ctrl-X as the Cut operation.

By default Barry's Emacs allows both uses of Ctrl-X. If you have highlighted a selection Ctrl-X will Cut it into the clip board. Otherwise Barry's Emacs uses the Ctrl-X as a first key of a Ctrl-X command.

To add the default behaviour to your emacsinit.ml place the following line at the top of the file.

(default-emacs-init "windows,windows-extended")

Programming

What languages can I program Barry's Emacs in?

Barry's Emacs is usually programmed in MLisp, its own simplified version of Lisp.

On Windows Emacs can be extended by writting DLL's using the Barry's Emacs extension API.

The Python language can also be used to program Barry's EMacs. However the Python integration with Barry's Emacs is still experimental.

Itergating Emacs with other tools

Visual Studio V6

This is how to add Barry's Emacs to the Visual Studio Tools menu.

  1. From the "Tools" menu select "Customize..."
  2. Select the "Tools" tab in the customize dialog.
  3. Add a new command "&Barry's Emacs"
    Command: c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\bemacs.exe
    Arguments: +$(CurLine) "$(FilePath)"

Now type ALT-T-B to have BEmacs edit the current file from Visual Studio.

Configuring WinGrep to use BEmacs as the editor.

Use the following command line in the Options/Preferences... dialog box.

"C:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\BEmacs.exe" /package=wingrep $f $l

Create the file emacs_user:wingrep.mlp with the following contents:

(defun
    (wingrep-com
	(visit-file (argv 1))
	(goto-line (argv 2))
    )
)

Configuring SourceSafe to use BEmacs as the editor

The vss-view package support SourceSafe Edit and View operations.

This package is automatically run from the vss-view.exe program.

  1. Start SourceSafe
  2. From the "Tools" menu select "Options..."
  3. Set "Editor for viewing files:" to c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe
  4. Set "Folder for temporary files:" to c:\temp

You will also need to edit your SS.INI file to allow overridden file types to use vss-view.exe.

Here are some example lines for SS.INI

; The following lines force SourceSafe not to execute certain file types.
.reg = c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe
.vbp = c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe
.vcp = c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe
.mak = c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe
.bat = c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe
.cmd = c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe
.py  = c:\Program Files\Barry Scott\Barry's Emacs\vss-view.exe