Emacs from Scratch

Source: My personal notes from System Crafter’s Emacs configuration video series

Emacs from Scratch

Introduction

• David Wilson - System Crafter’s own configuration
  • Use org file to manage configurations
  • Linux running GNU GUIX
• Navigate files: find-files
• Switch buffers: switch-to-buffer

1- Basic Configuration

• Run emacs for first time: emacs -q
• Run emacs for first time with your configuration: emacs -q -l init.el
• In the video, we build a basic configuration init.el
• See code
• Open init.el below and reload changes to init.el within emacs to see immediate changes: M-x eval-buffer
• Evaluate the current elisp expression with C-x C-e or eval-last-sexp

2 - Adding Helpful UI Improvements

Source

• Configuration from stream
• Suggest replace Caps Locks with Control to improve ergonomics
• Improve help, navigation, and command execution with ivy-rich, counsel, helpful, which-key and others. Bind keys and commands to better or easier versions.

3 - Keybindings and Evil

• Use general package for keybindings
• Use check-parens for unbalance parentheses
• Use evil-mode for vim keybindings
• Run list-packages to refresh packages to prevent errors on update and use packages

4 - Projectile and Magit

Source

• Global find file in project/projects: C-c p f

• Projectile can run a command for project to:

  • Start project
  • Test
  • Compile
  • Set up local variables and settings for Emacs to use

• Counsel-projectile-rg can grep inside a folder

• Magit is a git interface for Emacs

  • Easily correct commits, branching
  • Move newer commits from master to a separate branch
  • Move new staged changes to older commits using commit menu and then instant fix up option
  • Combine commits using rebase menu and interactive rebase, then squash to combine commits
  • Active command line options by pressing keys in the menu (e.g. -f in push menu to force push)
  • Stash changes temporarily to get remote changes

• Forge - package to improve magit abilities

Pointer to what I am listening to

5 - Org Mode Basics

Source

• Org mode is an outliner, a note taking system, a task manager, a project management tool, a calendar, a diary, a publishing system, a markup language, and a literate programming environment.

and:

Interactive computing (source code blocks in org mode)

Task Management:

• Default is TODO and DONE states. More can be customized with org-todo-keywords

6 - Organize your life with Org Mode - Project/task management

Source

• Set org-deadline-warning-days for deadline reminders
• Can use queries to manage tasks (e.g. org-ql)
• Can set up repeating tasks from org-time-stamp like birthdays
  • Notifications can be enabled using org-wild-notifier
• Refile DONE tasks using: org-refile-targets
  • Set up autosave after refiling so all org files are saved

1. Capture Template

   • Quickly capture something without disrupting your flow
   • Use templates to capture tasks: with configuration org-capture-templates and activate using org-capture
   • Items like journal entries, tasks, notes, custom entries in a specific org file
   • Use define-key to bind org-capture to speed up captures

2. Customize agenda view

   Source part of video:

   • Dashboard
   • Next actions
   • Tags with Tasks
     • Add tag with counsel-org-tag. Add multiple tags with M-Enter
     • Queries based on tags
     • In configuration, add your custom tags with org-tag-alist
     • Set multiple tags with hotkeys: org-set-tags-command
   • Set up a custom agenda - like a kanban board with org-agenda-custom-commands and configurations. See example:

   ;; Configure custom agenda views
    (setq org-agenda-custom-commands
     '(("d" "Dashboard"
       ((agenda "" ((org-deadline-warning-days 7)))
        (todo "NEXT"
          ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Next Tasks")))
        (tags-todo "agenda/ACTIVE" ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Active Projects")))))
   
      ("n" "Next Tasks"
       ((todo "NEXT"
          ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Next Tasks")))))
   
      ("W" "Work Tasks" tags-todo "+work-email")
   
      ;; Low-effort next actions
      ("e" tags-todo "+TODO=\"NEXT\"+Effort<15&+Effort>0"
       ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Low Effort Tasks")
        (org-agenda-max-todos 20)
        (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
   
      ("w" "Workflow Status"
       ((todo "WAIT"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Waiting on External")
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
        (todo "REVIEW"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "In Review")
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
        (todo "PLAN"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "In Planning")
               (org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels nil)
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
        (todo "BACKLOG"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Project Backlog")
               (org-agenda-todo-list-sublevels nil)
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
        (todo "READY"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Ready for Work")
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
        (todo "ACTIVE"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Active Projects")
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
        (todo "COMPLETED"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Completed Projects")
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))
        (todo "CANC"
              ((org-agenda-overriding-header "Cancelled Projects")
               (org-agenda-files org-agenda-files)))))))

3. Habit Tracking

   • Uses org-habit
   • Check you are regularly doing habits by tracking it

7 - Configure Everything with Org Babel

Source

• Org babel allows you to be put code blocks into your org files and execute and see results

• Turn on/off ask for confirmation on code execution using: org-confirm-babel-evaluate

• Use org tangle to output source to files. After configuration in org file, use org-babel-tangle to output files, can concatenate output into one file.

  • e.g. #+begin_src elisp :tangle ~/emacs-scratch/init-new.el

• You can define output tangle file for org file using org file property at top of file

• Output all tangles from an org in an automated way:

(org-babel-tangle)
(org-babel-tangle-file "~/Projects/Code/emacs-from-scratch/Emacs.org")

• Use tangle to output to different files like #+begin_src conf :tangle ~/.gitconfig :mkdirp yes. :mkdirp yes says to create the directory if the source file doesn’t exist yet.

• Allows you to pass variables into babel using noweb

• Use imenu to navigate to org headings

8 - Build Your Own IDE with lsp-mode

Source

• Langauge Server Protocop (LSP)-mode addresses multiple language editing in different editors
• Emacs LSP
• History is OmniSharp came up with idea and VS Code developed it
• Each langauge server (LS) allows different messages to editor. Some LS have more features than others.
• Emacs LSP-mode is a package to allow Emacs to be a client to LSPs
• For video, will use TypeScript language:
  • Prerequisite: Install LS of the target language. For TypeScript which requires npm installed.
  • Restart Emacs after LS is installed and open file to see LSP starting

LSP features:

• Default completion in Emacs - suggestions at cursor: completion-at-point
• Information about methods, variables when highlighted or using completions
• Highlighting text provides feedback like highlight variable throughout code
• Find references: C-c l g r
• Find definitions: C-c l g g
• Refactor like rename: C-c l r
• Diagnostics - problem checks
  • Flymake tracks problems in file: flymake-show-buffer-diagnostics
    • Modeline will display lightbulb for quick fixes
• Code formatting C-c l = =
• Comment line with comment...
• Integrate with other packages to enhance:
  • Ivy for search of symbols and other
  • Treemacs for references, symbols, messages, files

9 - Learn to Love the Terminal Modes

Source

• Learn and configure terminal and shell modes in Emacs

• term: Terminal emulator in emacs lisp, will be slower then other terminals and is available in default emacs. It emulates being on a console and interrupts control codes and sends and share input/output.

  • term-char-mode: Send keys directly to emulators
  • term-line-mod: Regular mode, all Emacs commands, buffer manipulation are enabled
  • Opening it again will return you to same terminal unless you rename first terminal buffer

• ansi-term: automatically opens a new terminal each time

• Term and ansi-term is hardcoded to using sh. It is not possible to use is easily in Windows. If on Windows, use shell instead.

• vterm: uses native compiled library and requires dependencies and allows it to be faster

• shell: like in between terminal and eshell.

  • Not terminal emulator, just a shell with buffer I/O is managed by emacs

  • Disadvantages: certain commands like htop will not work

  • Advantages:

    • Emacs buffer editing and commands can work. E.g. shell history

  • For Windows, configure powershell as default is an option

    (when (eq system-type 'windows-nt)
      (setq explicit-shell-file-name "powershell.exe")
      (setq explicit-powershell.exe-args '()))

• eshell: native, consistent, bash like, emacs lisp shell and provides full access and integration with Emacs

  • Pros:
    • Bash shell replication
    • Support aliases
    • Consistent shell across operating systems
    • Can run Elisp REPL and Emacs commands like dired
    • Can redirect output to buffers
  • Cons compared to terminal:
    • Less completions
    • Slower
    • Syntax differences
    • Some tools do not work like nvm, virtualenv

• Recommendations:

  • Use ansi-term and vterm for terminal emulation
  • Use shell for native shells
  • Use eshell for cross platform consistency and Emacs lisp. Has potential.

10 - Effortless File Management with Dired

Source:

Emacs From Scratch #10 - Effortless File Management with Dired

• C-x d to open dired
  • Looks like ls output
• Configure with dired-listing-switches
  • dired-listing-switches "-alh" to show hidden files and human readable sizes
  • dired-listing-switches "-alh --group-directories-first" to group directories first
  • dired-listing-switches "-alh --group-directories-first --color=always" to show colors
• Use package “dired single” to prevent multiple dired buffers remaining
  • Use package “dired-hide-dotfiles” to toggle showing dot (hidden) files

11 - Keeping Your Emacs Packages Up to Date

Source:

• Keeping Your Emacs Packages Up To Date - Emacs From Scratch #11

• Emacs won’t remind you to update your packages, it won’t do background checks. You have to do it manually.

• List packages: M-x list-packages

  • U to mark for update
  • x to execute update
  • i to mark for install
  • d to mark for delete
  • r to refresh
  • g to refresh and update
  • q to quit

• Manual update:

  • Use list-packages
  • U to mark ones ready for update
  • x get upgrades
  • Restart Emacs

• Automatic update:

  • Can use a package auto-package-update
  • M-x auto-package-update-now to update

• Should you auto update?

  • Updates could break your Emacs

12 - How to Cut Emacs Start Up Time in Half

Source:

• How to Cut Emacs Start Up Time in Half! - Emacs From Scratch #12

1. Pain point, slow Emacs startup

   • Emacs start up time can get slow as you configure and use more packages.

   • It is not daemon mode related where Emacs and always running as daemon

   • Does Emacs actually start slow? no, try emacs -Q to start without any configuration and see it is instant.

2. Startup time

   You can track start up times with dashboard package or example:

   ;; Track start up time and number of garbage collections
   (defun efs/display-startup-time ()
     (message "Emacs loaded in %s with %d garbage collections."
              (format "%.2f seconds"
                      (float-time
                      (time-subtract after-init-time before-init-time)))
              gcs-done))
   
   (add-hook 'emacs-startup-hook #'efs/display-startup-time)

   All start up stuff can be seen in function normal-top-level and/or read list of Summary: Sequence of Actions at Startup.

3. Advice on Startup times

   See tips

   use-package gives you a few different ways to defer package loading:

   • :hook - Package will be loaded the first time one of the hooks is invoked
   • :bind - Package will be loaded the first time one of the key bindings is used
   • :commands - Package will be loaded when one of the commands are used
   • :mode - Package will be loaded the first time a file with a particular extension is opened
     • Regexp pattern on file before a mode is loaded
   • :after - Load this package after other specific packages are loaded
   • :defer - If you don’t use any of the other options, this one will defer loading until after startup
     • Defer to later or number of seconds after startup
     • Determine if packages needs to be there at startup, otherwise defer
   • :demand t - If you want to load a package at startup despite other options, use demand
   • Load stuff after other things using with-eval-after-load
   • Adjust garbage collection. See also package gcmh that adjusts garbage collections during run time

Emacs from Scratch Old Series - Final Init.el

See my dotfiles

N1 The Basics of Emacs Configuration

The Basics of Emacs Configuration

• Edit Emacs configuration in a file in Emacs Lisp language
  • ~/.emacs or ~/.emacs.d/init.el
  • Recommendation for Linux ~/.config/emacs/init.el

Common use cases:

• Set variables
• Change features

1. Set Variables

   ;; Do not show splash screen
   ;; Flash on warnings
   (setq inhibit-startup-message t
         visble-bell t) ;; Comment at end of line
   
   ;; t = true
   ;; nil = false

   • This is a lisp expression (wrapped in parentheses) that is a “call” to a function called setq. The function setq takes two arguments, the first is the variable name and the second is the value to set it to.
   • Variable and function names in Emacs are usually form some-variable-name = lower case words with hyphen characters between them.
   • You can evaluate Emacs configuration as it is running.

2. Change Features

   ;; Disable tool bar
   (tool-bar-mode -1)

   • -1 in this case means false

   1. Setting Theme

      ;; Set theme to Modus Vivendi (Emacs 28 and later)
      (load-theme 'modus-vivendi t)

      ' before modus-vivendi tells lisp to not evaluate the theme’s name and just read it as a name

3. Getting Help

   Get documentation

   • describe-symbol - documentation on any

   Can read from cursor:

   • describe-variable - documentation on any variable
   • describe-function - documentation on any function

N2 The 6 Emacs Settings Every User Should Consider

The 6 Emacs Settings Every User Should Consider

• (recentf-mode 1) - recall recently opened file

• (savehist-mode 1) - save history of minibuffer

  • I use package amx instead which saves recent commands and recalls them during M-x

• (save-place-mode 1) - remember the last place you visited in a file

• Save customization variables to a different place instead of your init.el

(setq custom-file (locate-user-emacs-file "custom-vars.el")
(load custom-file 'noerror 'nomessage)

• use-dialog-box nil - disable graphical dialog boxes
• (global-auto-revert-mode 1) - automatically check for changes on disk. To manually update files if this mode is not on in the buffer, use revert-buffer
  • (setq global-auto-revert-non-file-buffers t) - check for changes in non-file buffers

See Also

Sources: Video Series from System Crafters

• Emacs from Scratch Series - customization, UI, Bindings, Projectile, Magit, Org Mode, IDE and LSP-mode, Terminal, File Management with Dired, Update packages, Cut start up times
• Configuration with Org Babel (configuration)