Make your first interface in Emacs. They're powerful, but intimidating. [OC]

step 5 : draw the rest of the owl

Yeah, I felt the same way. It doesn't really explain how to create an interface aside from saying you create a mode, then write code and functions. I mean, this isn't wrong but I don't think I'm any close to creating my own interfaces than I was five minutes ago.

At that moment the student was enlightened.

> In most programs, you can't create interfaces at all What does this mean?

it means the author doesn't know about ffi

Most programs aren't extensible the way Emacs is, not permitting you to make a display that shows information and lets you interact with it. Can you download Word and make it display git information, like Magit does in Emacs? Or download iTunes and create your own snippet management window?

Hrm. Maybe "interface" was not the best way to describe it. I think the crux of the biscuit comes in step 3. If you imagine an interface made from ASCII art, what characters would it be made from? If this is the interface you want: Animal | Number Seen -------------------- Crow | 4 Bluebird | 10 Then write some code that runs `(insert "Animal | Number Seen\n--------")` and so forth. It might be worth writing this up in a longer article, with an example.

Oh, I see what you mean. "Program" is confusingly broad in this context, as is what it means to "create an interface". I thought you meant most software doesn't have any sort of interface 😂

A picture of text shared via Twitter... You may want to reconsider how you share your writing. I can't comment on the quality because I'm not about to read it in that form.

This.

https://typeshare.co/zck/posts/make-your-first-interface-in-emacs

If we assume them to mean: > in most IDEs or text editors you cannot create first class interfaces with relatively low friction and must use less extensible or typically harder alternatives like FFI Then perhaps they do! Maybe I read too much into things, but I feel this is more what they meant.