From: ctrbdo@iapa.uucp%mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu (bryan d oakley)
Subject: Re: DEMACS---ARGHHHHHHHH!
Organization: FAA / Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 15:40:05 GMT

>>>>> On 20 Jan 93 22:28:45 GMT, tfj@apusapus.demon.co.uk (Trevor Jenkins) said:

In article <727568925snx@apusapus.demon.co.uk> tfj@apusapus.demon.co.uk (Trevor Jenkins) writes:

Trevor> I thought that Emacs would be the answer to my prayer for a
Trevor> single consistent editor across all the platforms that I use,
Trevor> viz VMS, Ultrix, AIX and MS-DOS.

Trevor> However, if my experience of using Demacs is anything to go by
Trevor> then I shall not proceed with installing any version for the
Trevor> other systems.

Trevor> It (demacs) insists that my current directory is the one where
Trevor> I wish to store the file. I DONT WORK LIKE THIS. I keep my
Trevor> working directory as C:\ and never move from there; this
Trevor> practice makes it very convient about remembering where the
Trevor> f**k I am so I dont delete the wrong file. (I use the same
Trevor> practice under Unix and VMS as well.) As a result of this
Trevor> inanity I had to type in the same file four times before the
Trevor> DAMN thing would put the file where _I_ wanted it put!!!!

Are you serious?  Do you REALLY keep your working directory in one
place the whole time?  I never met anyone that did that :-)

I must admit ignorance with DEMACS, but I hear that it is a faithful
representation of EMACS.  When I use EMACS, it keeps it's own idea of
the 'current directory' for each buffer.  For example, if I open
/tmp/foo and try to save it, it puts it back in /tmp/foo.  Also, if I
open a new file while working in /tmp/foo, it assumes the new file is
in /tmp.  Does DEMACS not work this way?  Perhaps you just don't
understand how the program works?

Trevor> It (demacspc.exe) insists that I use / as the directory
Trevor> separator so it can find the demacs code when EVERYBODY knows
Trevor> that the directory separator under DOS is \. GNU may not like
Trevor> it but that's reality. Am I going to suffer the same crass
Trevor> stupidity with the VMS version---emacs being the only program
Trevor> that expects me to put / where all the others expect .?

I suspect this is because many of the folks who use DEMACS come from a
UNIX environment; therefore it made sence to keep the separator as
'/'.  If it doesn't work for you, well, choose another editor...

Trevor> Lastly, when I try to edit an existing file (the one that I
Trevor> had to type in four times no less) I get a message saying that
Trevor> it cannot find a load file called userlock. And demacs refuses
Trevor> to let me edit the file anymore.

Trevor> I give up. I'll stick with vi under Unix; TPU under VMS and
Trevor> the BINGO editor I'm trying out under DOS. If the Red Queen
Trevor> can believe a hundred impossible things before breakfast then
Trevor> I can continue to use three totally imcompatiable editing
Trevor> system.

Sad to think that having problems with DEMACS on a peecee will cause
you to give up the real thing (EMACS) on a unix machine in favor of
vi.  Oh well.  Do what works best for you.
-- 
/'''  ---------------------------------------------------------------
c-OO  Instrument Approach Procedures Automation       DOT/FAA/AMI-230
   \  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  -   Bryan D. Oakley            ctrbdo%iapa@constellation.uoknor.edu