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From: robert@jimi.cs.unlv.edu (Robert Cray)
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Re: edt or vi?
Message-ID: <397@jimi.cs.unlv.edu>
Date: Thu, 11-Dec-86 01:31:32 EST
Article-I.D.: jimi.397
Posted: Thu Dec 11 01:31:32 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Jan-87 02:45:36 EST
References: <241@tellab5.UUCP>
Reply-To: robert@jimi.cs.unlv.edu (Robert Cray)
Organization: University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Lines: 59
Keywords: EDT sucks

In article <241@tellab5.UUCP> etan@tellab3.UUCP (Nate Stelton) writes:
>
>
>I am a UNIX/vi user who was recently told about EDT (under VMS), and I would
>like to solicit some comments.  What I'm wondering is:
>
>1.  Is EDT a superior text editor to vi?

	No.  VI has many things EDT does not, regular expressions,
	the g & v commands, conditional replacement, the undo command,
	and lots more.  EDT does not really do anything.

	If you want to use an editor under VMS, you should you EDIT/TPU
	This editor has multiple windows, the ability to execute commands
	on a buffer, and can be extended.  It does not have regular exp.
	built in, but has the functions needed to build it yourself.

	Better still would be to use GNU emacs, it is free, runs on lots
	of machines, and there are lots of people working on different
	modes, e.g. C mode, TeX mode, etc.  Of course you have to get
	it which can be painful if you don't want to ftp 8 meg of code.
>
>2.  Is there a version of EDT that can run under UNIX 4.2(or3) BSD?
>
	There is an emulator of EDT that runs under GNU Emacs.  This
	comes with the latest dist. I think

>3.  Is VMS a better environment for electronic publishing than UNIX? (I.e.,
>fuller support, more powerful tools).

	I have found that everything VMS has, UNIX has, plus a lot more.
	It is much easier to do development under unix. It really
	surprises me that anyone would go looking for EDT, it is really
	one of the poorer editors that I have seen.

	VMS has Digital standard runoff,TeX & WPS, Unix has troff (like
	DSR except much better) and TeX.  I have yet to talk to anyone
	that didn't hate WPS, so that leaves TeX, which you have on UNIX

	I think TeX is the best of all of them, this also is free and runs
	on lots (UNIX, VMS, TOPS-20, IBM-PC, Mac, Amiga) of machines.

	The only reason to use EDT on unix is if you don't have time to
	learn GNU or vi.  Right now I use eve under vms and find it
	acceptable (You just about have to customize it, the way it
	comes is quite obnoxious, so don't be discouraged)

					--robert

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