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EDITOR NOTES

This is a beta release. See Related Links below for the last stable release.

DESCRIPTION

Aquamacs... This is a preview version. Version 1.9 is our latest stable release and recommended for mission-critical use.

Aquamacs Emacs is a Mac-like distribution of the powerful Emacs text editor. It looks and behaves like a Mac program - even though it's still GNU Emacs with all the extensibility that millions have come to appreciate.

Emacs is a text editor of legendary power and configurability, but it also has an enormously complex interface. Aquamacs tames the Emacs tiger: you get Apple shortcuts (in addition to the Emacs ones), nice fonts, one file per window (if wanted), international input methods, Apple Help manuals and more. Aquamacs comes with a range of modes for various markup and programming languages: HTML, C/C++, Java, Python, Perl, AppleScript, Tcl, XML, R (S)... These modes have extra functions for the languages, including excellent syntax highlighting. You can even use Aquamacs to read news and e-mail, just like any Emacs.

WHAT'S NEW
Version 2.0preview3:
  • Aquamacs is now based on Emacs 23 and the Cocoa (NextStep) port. There are many changes under the hood associated with this. A few functions don't work right just yet, and we recommend neither this preview of Aquamacs 2.0 nor the Emacs 23.1 for mission-critical production use. Please help the Aquamacs team complete the transition by contributing code and fixes or, if that's not possible, a donation. Here, we report the changes between Emacs 22 and Emacs 23 with respect to the Aquamacs distribution. Further changes can be found in the NEWS file for Emacs 23.
  • Aquamacs has a new icon in the Dock, designed by graphic designer Jessica Walker (jekawacaneer@gmail.com).
  • The Aquamacs application has been renamed to Aquamacs.app (from Aquamacs Emacs.app).
  • Spell-checking now uses the system-wide dictionaries in all the languages supported on OS X. The standard spelling user interface is available as well as the traditional Emacs 'ispell' interface (which also uses the system-wide spelling mechanism). Configure the use of GNU 'aspell' through the 'ispell-program-name' variable if desired. Code by Nathaniel Cunningham.
  • Dialogs have been vastly improved: they appear as sheets over the frames where they belong, contain better UI elements (as in the case of the dialog displayed before quitting Aquamacs, which was once called "dialog from hell" before receiving a makeover). The standard Enter, Space and Esc keys (and more) are supported.
  • Toolbars can now be configured through the normal customization panel. Right-click on the toolbar, use the Options/View menu item (or use M-x ns-tool-bar-customize). The chosen icons are persistent; toolbar customizations are, however, tied to the toolbars set by modes. That means that users can chose a different set of icons to display in latex-mode, for instance.
  • The 'ns-tool-bar-display-mode' variable now supports label-only toolbars. Right-click on the toolbar to change; or use M-x customize or Preferences.el to set it to 'labels' in order to only show labels. The former meaning of this value (showing labels and icons) is now 'both' (or, usually, nil, the default).
  • Fonts and colors of all (mode-specific) faces can now be configured using the standard font and color panels. The Options / Appearance menu provides a function to show the font panel, which leads to buttons for foreground and background colors. We also have a menu item for the color panel separately, from where colors can be dragged&dropped directly onto any piece of text to customize its face. Holding down the Option key will, instead, set the face's background color.
  • The printing system has been revised; the standard print and page setup dialogs are used inside the application. The print dialog now appears more quickly. (Note: over-long lines will always be wrapped at word boundaries when printing. Clipping or horizontal pagination are not supported at this time.)
  • When printing, double spaces are formatted as such and can be used to align text. Reported by George Nurser.
  • HTML and PDF export functions have changed: PDF export can be achieved as in any Mac application via the Print dialog. Use the new Copy as HTML function in the Edit menu to copy formatted text including all the coloring into the clipboard in HTML format. Many other applications, including presentation software, can then display the formatted text and keep it editable.
  • Keyboard bindings are displayed more consistently in the menus now. Throughout Aquamacs, Mac standard key descriptions are used (this may be configured using the variable 'ns-use-mac-modifier-symbols'). Users should be aware that manuals and tutorials will often refer to keys such as C-x (X or Control X), and that keys like M-q correspond to the chosen Meta key modifier, normally the Option key.
  • Fullscreen mode works largely as before in 10.6; in older versions of OS X, it will unconditionally take over the full screen (Dock and menu are not visible).
  • 'aquamacs-find-file' (C-x C-f) will ask for confirmation if you first complete partial filename input in the minibuffer, but then attempt to create a new file.
  • Completion is, in many cases, more powerful by completing to the left and the right of the input string. Customize the option 'completion-styles' to control this.
  • Internally, Emacs is based on a superset of Unicode now. Emacs also uses Cocoa, a modern technology that facilitates program development and maintenance, supports 64-bit computing on Macs and allows for better integration of applications with the operating system and other applications.
  • As per Emacs 23, Aquamacs now supports multi-file commits in distributed version-control systems through the VC-dir package.
  • Soft wrapping is called 'visual-line-mode' internally now, and the former Aquamacs mode of the same name is now a customization variable called 'line-move-visual', which is enabled by default. 'Longlines-mode' is considered obsolete. Users with manual customizations should adjust their settings.
  • .wiki files now open in wikipedia-mode.
  • Aquamacs uses "Python-mode" by default now for Python source files. Users who prefer the original Emacs python package can switch by including (require 'python) in their Preferences.el file. Code by Barry Warsaw.
  • Ruby mode has been revised to match and track the latest version included with GNU Emacs.
  • Many more improvements between Emacs 22 and Emacs 23. See etc/NEWS at http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/NEWS.23.1. NB, many of the items listed there do not apply to Mac OS X.
  • DocView mode is no longer used to display PDF and other files (it didn't work well).
REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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SCREENSHOT

Developer:David Reitter
Downloads:32,452
  - Version d/l:426
Development:Editors
License:Free
Date:26 Oct 2009
Platform:PPC/Intel
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Aquamacs User Reviews (24 posts)Write A Review
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Oct 27 2009

DAVIDSWELT  Note: This is a preview version. We regularly maintain and recommend version 1.9 for mission-critical use.

The correct version name of this is "2.0preview3".  
(Version 2.0pr3)

praisebury
0
[ Reply ]
Jul 9 2009

JOSE L BLAS  I started coding three years ago and although I had heard of emacs I have never used it. I have tried to learn VI but I found it very hard to learn and not user-friendly at all.

When I first started coding on my Mac I was advised to try BBedit, it's not free but it's the best editor I have ever tried. They have a free tuned-down version called TextWrangler and it works very well. I would recommended it to anyone interested in a free text editor for OS X.

I paid £25 for a licence of BBEdit and it's probably the best spent of all my software purchases. It's not the best looking software for the mac but it's very stable, fast and has all the features I need as web, software and game developer.  
(Version 1.8c)

praisebury
-5
[ 2 Replies - Reply ]
Replies:
Jul 10 2009

CA  What about Emacs? Have you tried it?  
(Version 1.8c)

praisebury
0
Aug 1 2009

MARK EVERITT  Although I wouldn't recommend this particular editor, VI and Emacs are both incredibly fast when you learn the key strokes. Of course they aren't easy to learn or user friendly. You're a programmer! Get used to it!

You will not find anything faster, but you have to put the effort in. Laziness gets you nowhere.

Why are you posting this on the Emacs thread anyway? At least try it first. People generally like Emacs or VI. If you don't like VI then this is probably for you.  
(Version 2.0pr1)

praisebury
+1

Jun 30 2009

PENG BAI  Good app! I use it for Latex and Python. However, poor at Python, so plug-in needed. I hope Python can be enhanced in this app:)

Thx!  
(Version 1.8a)

praisebury
0
[ 4 Replies - Reply ]
Replies:
Jul 1 2009

DAVIDSWELT  which plug-in do you use?  
(Version 1.8a)

praisebury
0
Jul 2 2009

PENG BAI  python-mode  
(Version 1.8a)

praisebury
0
Jul 2 2009

DAVIDSWELT  Actually, Aquamacs already comes with python-mode and all you need to do is

(require 'python-mode)

We will enable this variant by default for python in future 2.0 series releases.

Thanks for your input.  
(Version 1.8a)

praisebury
0
Jul 5 2009

PENG BAI  Fabulous!!! It works perfectly. Sorry for that comment. How can I know what you have bundled in this app?   
(Version 1.8a)

praisebury
+1

Jun 22 2009

DAVIDSWELT  Want to check out our latest work? Download a nightly build of the new 2.0 branch, which is based on Cocoa and Emacs 23. It's far from perfect yet, but already quite usable: http://aquamacs.org/nightlies.shtml  
(Version 1.8a)

praisebury
0
[ Reply ]
Dec 29 2008

DAVIDSWELT  If you're on a PPC Mac and you downloaded 1.6preview4 on Monday Dec 29, you may encounter a problem with the Finder refusing to run Aquamacs ("not for this architecture"). We've fixed this - just download again. If you're not on PPC, there is no need to download it again.  
(Version 1.6pre4)

praisebury
+1
[ Reply ]
Aug 11 2008

HOTFREAKS  "Kenny's so poor, he has to use Aquamacs instead of TextMate. I hate you, Kenny."  
(Version 1.5rc2)

praisebury
-2
[ 3 Replies - Reply ]
Replies:
Dec 21 2008

GAVIN CUTSHALL  Well, you got some frownies, but I think this is hilarious.  
(Version 1.6pre2)

praisebury
+4
Dec 29 2008

DAVIDSWELT  I find it hilarious, too :)  
(Version 1.6pre4)

praisebury
+4
Jun 18 2009

ZEBA  :) that's the spirit ppl  
(Version 1.8)

praisebury
0

Jul 29 2008
*****

PIXIEMOTION  Aquamacs has become a really mature Emacs for OS X; the balance between Mac usability and Emacs power is near-perfect.

If you've never used any Emacs before, this is the best way to get to know it. If you have used Emacs before, this is the best Mac distribution.  
(Version 1.5rc1)

praisebury
+1
[ Reply ]
Jun 19 2008
****.

MRGANDO  This is a great piece of software, the Apple Scientific and some of the developer communities will make great use of this software.

Thanks  
(Version 1.4)

praisebury
+1
[ Reply ]
Jun 19 2008
****.

MRGANDO  This is a great piece of software, the Apple Scientific and some of the developer communities will make great use of this software.

Thanks  
(Version 1.4)

praisebury
0
[ Reply ]
Sep 27 2006
****½

JOHN NOWAK  First off: No, it is not a beautiful Cocoa editor. It isn't supposed to be. It is supposed to be a Mac version of emacs that doesn't require X11 and integrates a bit better with the system -- And it does that. Very solid documentation, good stability, lots of included packages, good concept, and a wonderful implementation.  
(Version 0.9.9d)

praisebury
+3
[ Reply ]
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