Epsilon Programmer's Editor for Windows

User Reviews

• This a most useful editor, I couldn't live without it.

  okofotoJanuary 23, 2010

  Pros

  Small, fast, configurable, runs other programs from within (compile, spell in many languages, sort). Best find and replace. Remembers many cuts and copies as well as previous files. Has a "swap adjacent characters" function!

  Cons

  Some fine configuring might take a while to learn if you never program. Will not format text (I use it with TeX, so I don't care,; it automatically indents for programs).

  Summary

  I have used Epsilon since its first version as it was the only way to get Emacs functionality under Windows. Since then I even install it on my Linux machines since for some things it is better than Emacs (which it resembles a lot). If you expect it to be like Word (or any other huge editor), then this is not for you. But if you like to set up your editor the way you want, almost infinitely configurable, and if you program, then go for it. Indeed, its primary use seems to be programming as it formats (indents) according to the language you use. Epsilon is not meant to be a WYSIWYG editor, but is great for editing files that form an input for other programs. It is extremely useful for minor adjustments (or even rewrites) of most .imi files (under Windows, I always move my Firefox and Thunderrbird user files to another drive and Epsilon lets me do this much faster, especially since I set it as the default editor in Ztree, another program I could not live without). I routinely use it to change separator symbols in text files that will be input for Excel, remove unwanted symbols (including formatting like eol, newline, etc). Example: I write mathematics in LaTeX (I also write poetry in LaTeX, as it has the environment "verse"). I can compile the file from within Epsilon, spell check, preview, make a pdf file, print. Probably email, but I have not tried. And some years ago, before languages other English were available in other editors, Epsilon and LaTeX allowed me to write in French and in Czech and so on (you can write music in LaTeX with lillypond). I am only scratching the surface here. Since I do not really program a lot, I have had no need to redifine various key or reonfigure much beyond the basics. If you are a programmer, you should give it a try. And even if you are not, provide you are willing to suspend your Word view. In short, highly recommended for thinking people. Many things can be done faster with Epsilon. And the support is fantastic.

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