7 Best-Selling EMacs Books Millions Love

When Bob Glickstein noticed how deeply customizable Emacs could be, he wrote this book to unlock its full potential through Lisp programming. You learn how to move beyond simple tweaks to creating entire new editing environments, mastering interactive commands, hooks, and error handling. The book breaks down complex concepts like syntax tables and macro templates into manageable sections, guiding you from basic customizations to building extensive major modes. If you're ready to truly harness Emacs as a programmable platform rather than just a text editor, this book offers a clear path forward. However, if you're looking for a casual overview, this technical focus might feel intense.

The methods Robert J. Chassell developed while deeply involved with GNU Emacs offer a gateway for non-programmers to grasp the fundamentals of programming through Emacs Lisp. His book walks you through setting variables, crafting function definitions, and mastering control structures like "if" and loops, making it accessible yet thorough. You'll find detailed explanations on customizing Emacs for personal or networked environments, complete with exercises and real code examples from GNU Emacs itself. This text suits anyone looking to understand Emacs Lisp from scratch or enhance their Emacs workflow, especially if you want to move beyond surface-level usage into programming customization.

This tailored book explores the practical art of mastering Emacs customization and extensions, focusing on methods that match your background and goals. It guides you through configuring your Emacs environment, developing custom functions, and creating extensions that enhance your productivity. By combining proven popular knowledge with your personal interests, this book reveals how to extend Emacs powerfully and efficiently. Through this personalized approach, it covers detailed techniques that adapt to your specific Emacs use cases, making complex customization accessible and enjoyable. You gain deep insights into Emacs Lisp programming and customization tools that resonate with your experience and objectives.

The breakthrough moment came when Debra Cameron, president of Cameron Consulting, channeled her deep research into emerging technologies to distill GNU Emacs into a concise, accessible pocket reference. This slim volume zeroes in on Emacs version 20, offering a straightforward tabular format that bridges the gap between beginner and advanced users by detailing core commands and UNIX text processing capabilities. You’ll find it especially useful for mastering Emacs as a comprehensive working environment rather than just an editor, with quick access to essential elements that can streamline your workflow. If you rely on Emacs daily or want a compact guide to its command structure, this book fits the bill without overwhelming you with excess detail.

What started as a need to demystify Emacs for users overwhelmed by its complexity became a focused guide that breaks down this powerful editor by function and platform. Jesper S. Pedersen and his coauthors walk you through the essentials of GNU Emacs while also introducing related variants like XEmacs, giving you a broader understanding of the tool’s ecosystem. The book’s clear, tutorial-driven chapters cover everything from basic editing to customization and programming within Emacs, including tips for Windows users, which is often overlooked. If you want to gain practical skills navigating one of UNIX’s most favored editors, this book offers a solid foundation without drowning you in jargon or unnecessary detail.

What started as a technical dive into the complex world of extensible text editors became a detailed guide with Larry Ayers’ GNU Emacs and XEmacs W/CD. Ayers, recognizing Emacs’ intimidating nature, breaks down its myriad features, from basic setup to advanced customization using LISP, allowing you to truly tailor your environment. You’ll learn not just how to use Emacs but how to integrate daily tasks into one powerful tool, enhancing productivity in Linux programming and scripting. This book suits anyone ready to move beyond basic text editing and harness Emacs’ full potential, especially those willing to invest time understanding its depth and flexibility.

This personalized book explores a focused 30-day plan to elevate your productivity with Emacs, tailored to your experience and workflow goals. It covers essential aspects such as efficient text editing, custom keybindings, automation with Emacs Lisp, and integrating Emacs tools to streamline tasks. The content reveals how to build progressive skills day-by-day, ensuring you can harness Emacs' power effectively without overwhelming complexity. By matching your background and interests, this book crafts a clear path to mastering features that will truly enhance your daily productivity. It examines reader-validated tips and techniques, blending popular knowledge with your unique learning objectives for a truly tailored experience.

The breakthrough moment came when Debra Cameron and her co-authors expanded the scope of text editing into a full working environment with GNU Emacs. This book guides you from basic editing to advanced customization and programming, including practical use cases like integrating Emacs with version control systems and developing in languages such as Java and Perl. You'll also find clear instructions on running Emacs across platforms like Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, making it accessible regardless of your setup. If you're aiming to master a powerful, flexible editor that can evolve with your skills, this book offers solid, focused guidance without overwhelming you.

Robert J Chassell draws on years of experience programming within the GNU Emacs environment to demystify Emacs Lisp for newcomers. You’ll learn the core programming concepts that power Emacs extensions, starting from basic syntax and functions to writing your own customizable commands. The book walks you through practical examples that illustrate how to extend Emacs’s capabilities, making it ideal if you want to tailor your editor or dive into Emacs Lisp development. While it’s approachable for beginners, those aiming to deepen their programming fundamentals within Emacs will find this guide particularly useful.