BKGEMACS.RVW  961017
 
"Learning GNU Emacs", Debra Cameron/Bill Rosenblatt/Eric Raymond, 1996,
1-56592-152-6, U$29.95/C$42.95
%A   Debra Cameron
%A   Bill Rosenblatt billr@panix.com 
%A   Eric Raymond esr@snark.thyrus.com
%C   103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA   95472
%D   1996
%G   1-56592-152-6
%I   O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
%O   U$29.95/C$42.95 800-998-9938 707-829-0515 fax: 707-829-0104 nuts@ora.com
%P   560
%T   "Learning GNU Emacs, 2nd ed."
 
In a class in "human factors engineering," an instructor set up an experiment. 
The half of the class that described themselves as "computer familiar" were to
teach themselves the vi editor from the man pages.  They were then to teach
themselves emacs and, paired with one of us from the unfamiliar group, teach
us.  There were some tests being applied here to determine how well and how
fast people learned.  I must have skewed the results somewhat.  The first word
processor I ever learned was called Perfect Writer and I had loved it.  I
immediately recognized the emacs interface; obviously Perfect Writer had been a
commercial knock-off from the days prior to the Free Software Foundation and
the General Public License.  I still love emacs and recommend it often as a
word processor.  Now I have a book to recommend along with it.  (Yes, I know,
emacs is not a word processor:  it's a text editor.  It's still a lot better
than a lot of word processors.)
 
This book is probably not for the complete novice dealing with text
manipulation for the first time.  Then again, very few texts are.  Anyone who
has used any text editor to any extent can follow the material.  Those who want
the more advanced functions will follow it farther.  The preface, in fact,
gives a guide for the different types of users, and what sections they should
read.
 
The material is a complete introduction to the emacs editor and environment. 
Basics, file functions, search and replace, and windows and buffers are
covered.  Then there is the emacs environment, the Internet functions, simple
formatting, use of emacs with formatters, macros, customization, the language
modes, emacs LISP, X Window System use, version control, and online help. 
Appendices tell how to get and configure emacs as well as technical details. 
This edition extends coverage to version 19 of emacs.
 
Those who think they are familiar with emacs may also find this useful as an
introduction to features they've never used before.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994, 1996   BKGEMACS.RVW  961017

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