The Basics of Emacs Configuration

Hey folks! In this video, I explain the basics of configuring the ultra-powerful productivity tool called Emacs. We'll discuss how to set configuration variables and enable new functionality, all while gaining a basic understanding of Emacs Lisp. This is the first video in a series where I'll show you how to build a complete Emacs configuration using only functionality that comes with it! Show notes: https://systemcrafters.net/emacs-from-scratch/basics-of-emacs-configuration/

Great idea for a series. Thanks for all your wonderful Emacs content!

Rumor has it, he's still configuring his Emacs to this day...

You're not wrong...

1. Thanks for doing this. 2. It's good to teach some Elisp early on. **+1**. 3. It's a shame that there's no mention of using Customize to set and save settings (options and faces). * Show setting and saving with the ***Options*** menu. * Show the use of Customize: `customize-option` or `customize-face`. Show it for setting, saving, and unsetting. * Show adding these to init file: (1) setting `custom-file`, (2) loading `custom-file`. Show what Customize does to your init file if you don't use a separate `custom-file`, and explain why mixing hand-coded code with generated code is problematic. [Use Customize or its functions](https://emacs.stackexchange.com/questions/102/advantages-of-setting-variables-with-setq-instead-of-custom-el/106#106) for options and faces.

I probably should have given it a passing mention, you're right. At some point I plan to make a video about how to use the customization system too

Thanks for considering this.

Aren't we all?

apropos would be a good interactive command for a new user to find things related to 'tab' in addition to describe-symbol

I love the customization system for exploration and for temporary customization! (Not for permanent customization because `custom.el` and I disagree about the meaning of "tidy": I don't think "lump *eveything* together, but alphabetically" is very tidy). Embark has several tricks to support customization buffers: 1. If you are in a customization buffer with point on the heading for a variable (the line with the little triangle to the left to collapse or expand the settings for the variable), `embark-act` will act of the underlying variable. So you can, for example, use `embark-dwim` right there to go to the source where the variable is defined, or use `embark-act` and `s` to go to the corresponding section of the info manual (for built-in variables). 2. If you run `embark-collect-snapshot` from a customization buffer, you get an Embark collect buffer listing the variable from the customization buffer. 3. If from `describe-variable` you run `embark-export` you get a customization buffer with just the variables that are completions for what you've typed at the `describe-variable` prompt. Same works for `describe-face`. And since I realize Embark is off-topic for a series on the Basics of Emacs Configuration, here are two non-embark tips: 1. You can easily configure `imenu` to navigate among settings in a customization buffer: (defun configure-imenu-Custom () (setq imenu-generic-expression '(("Faces" "^\\(?:Show\\|Hide\\) \\(.*\\) face: \\[sample\\]" 1) ("Variables" "^\\(?:Show Value\\|Hide\\) \\([^:\n]*\\)" 1)))) (add-hook 'Custom-mode-hook 'configure-imenu-Custom) 2. If you want customize's guidance for setting a variable, but not the whole customization buffer, try `customize-set-variable` which works in the minibuffer! (It's bound to `c` in `embark-variable-map`, so you can comfortably use it from within `describe-variable` ---OK, this tip was half-embarky).

Nice tips, thanks a lot! I'll keep a note for these when I cover the customization system. I'm also planning to do a legitimate video on Embark at some point this year :)

Been watching some of your videos lately, they're awesome, keep up the good work!

Thanks a lot!

Yep, I'll cover `apropos` and the Info system in another video, possibly in the Emacs Essentials series.

What custom.el lacks in tidiness and readability, it makes up for in fragility. None of those are good things. The idea behind custom.el is a good one, and the maintainers roughly agree that it has several sharp corners and unfinished pieces. If someone were interested in hacking on a self-contained part of emacs, this is an area where effort could clearly be applied usefully. (The biggest political pitfall here is what I will call the simplicity/purity trade-off around precisely when, where, and how custom.el stores and applies its settings.)