RE: Text editors

[Christopher Atlee <catlee isgtec com>]

What I was thinking was providing a set of CORBA components.  You could have
an nedit component, a vim component and an emacs component.  Then users
could choose which they wanted to use on a global basis and on a
per-application basis.  And since all the components support the same
interface, you can interchange them without a problem.  I certainly wouldn't
want to use vim for writing an email, but I would like to use vim for coding
or writing up HTML pages.

Assuming the interfaces for the components are designed well, you could then
have a gnome spell checker which could spell-check any text contained in one
of these components.

Cheers,
Chris

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Maximilien Lincourt [SMTP:max@toonboom.com]
> Sent:	Tuesday, July 13, 1999 4:28 PM
> To:	Christopher Atlee
> Cc:	'gnome-devel-list@gnome.org'
> Subject:	Re: Text editors
> 
> Christopher Atlee wrote:
> > 
> > Hi there,
> > 
> > 
> > Would it not make sense for these programs to make use of a common text
> > editor instead of providing their own? 
> 
>  Yes it does, but for now, there's no real editor that is easy to use 
> and powerfull for the ordinary user and that have the GPL or 
> any acceptable licensing available; the one I would prefer is 
> still nedit, but the licensing is not quite ready; or acceptable
> to the general GNU community.
> 
> 
> > I was thinking that it would be great if I could use a componentized
> version
> > of vim in any application that needed a text editor. 
> 
>  I don't think that using a vi clone, or a emacs clone as a
> standardized
> editor is a good idea, remember that we may be using gnome and, for
> most
> of us, we are in the "programming" business or in the hacking 
> ( in good sense of the word ) hobby, but if the goal of the gnome
> community is to offer an alternative to commercial OSes, we have to 
> be sure that the tools that are included in the packages must be 
> dummy proof and easy to use without leaving to options to let 
> more advance users use the tools to their fullest.
> 
>  The editor wars is one of the more important one ( I think ) 
> on the GNU/Linux front, I remember when I started using Unix, 
> the only editor available was vi, and emacs, I used to have a
> hell of a time just using those tools; but it's my jobs and I 
> had to learn those tools to be effective.
> 
>  but if I have to propose linux and gnome to my mother and the 
> first thing she wants to do is send an Email to someone, and 
> she is presented with vi ( or emacs ) she will turn around and
> not look at linux again. that's why I don't believe the use of 
> vi clone or emacs clone are the way to go.
> 
>  Remember that creating software, is not only for us 
> "geek/nerd/hacker/developer" but also for the general 
> public ( and your mom ! ).
> 
> 
>  Also , I still agree with the original idea to have one 
> editor "widget" for most gnome tasks the require and editor, 
> and that it should offer the possibility to be easy to use and
> powerfull enough for everyone.
> 
> 	Max.
> 
> -- 
> Maximilien Lincourt, B. info.,  Software developer
> mailto:max@toonboom.com    http://www.toonboom.com << File: Card for
> Maximilien Lincourt >>