Learning GNU Emacs, 3rd Edition
by Debra Cameron, James Elliott, Marc Loy, Eric S. Raymond, Bill Rosenblatt
An Approach to Learning Emacs
This book is designed to get you started with Emacs as quickly as possible, whether you are an experienced computer user or a novice. The first two chapters give you the basics you need to know, and the rest of the book builds on these basics. After the first two chapters, you don't have to read the rest consecutively; you can skip to the topics that interest you. Additionally, the book is designed to give you just the level of hand-holding you want; you can either read the book in detail or skim it, looking for tables of commands and examples.
Here are some reading paths you could take:
|
If |
Read |
|---|---|
|
You are a casual user |
Preface, Chapter 1-Chapter 3, Chapter 14 |
|
You are a programmer or system administrator |
Preface, Chapter 1-Chapter 5, Chapter 9-Chapter 12 |
|
You are a writer or production person |
Preface, Chapter 1-Chapter 3, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 14 |
|
You want to customize Emacs |
Chapter 10 and possibly Chapter 11 |
|
You write HTML or XML | |
|
You want to use operating system commands in Emacs | |
|
You use Emacs on Windows or Mac OS X |
These reading paths are offered only as a guideline. Emacs is one gigantic, functionally rich editor. We've divided it up into digestible bites for you, so you don't have to be put off by its size and scope. The best way to learn Emacs is incrementally; learn a little now, then learn more features as you get curious about them. If you need to do something ...