Even more batteries included with Emacs(karthinks.com)
232 points by signa11 9 hours ago | 54 comments
tl;dr: Third installment in a series highlighting lesser-known built-in Emacs features, requiring no packages and minimal learning curve. Highlights include `dictionary-tooltip-mode` for hover definitions, wildcard support in `find-file`/Dired, `compare-windows` as a lightweight diff, `kmacro-edit-lossage` for retroactively turning keystrokes into macros, `scroll-all-mode` for syncing window scrolls, `refill-mode` for actual auto-wrapping, and `emacs-lock-mode` to prevent buffer/Emacs termination. The author also shares Elisp snippets to extend `vc-diff` to work with backup files and improve other commands.
HN Discussion:
  • Emacs is stable in practice and its ecosystem is better than alternatives like Neovim
  • Blog posts won't help Emacs adoption; the real problem is out-of-the-box experience, not discoverability
  • Emacs breaks frequently on updates, making it impractical for getting actual work done
  • The real issue is package stability and combinations, not discoverability as the article implies
  • Appreciation for learning new built-in features highlighted in the post