Editing

Editing under Linux is basically the same as editing under Unix. Under Linux the following editors (at least) exist :

• vi - the vanilla Unix editor from the 60's, a screen-based modal editor with cryptic commands, no online help, on Linux it is cursor sensitive when running under X11,
• emacs - the super duper configurable editor from the GNU project, includes an online help, fully screen based, LISP interpreter, lots of language sensitive configurations are available, somewhat cryptic commands,
• joe - a mode-less editor similar to PC editors, fully featured screen editor, users of Wordstar and Turbo language type editors will feel at home with this one,
• xedit - simple text editor for X.

Seeing as editing is such a personal matter ¹. it is not advisable to standardise on editors, every programmer should be free to make their own choice.

File names should follow the standard Unix conventions for suffixes e.g. C/C++ code must use the .c suffix, Fortran the .f suffix, include files the .h suffix and so on. Refer to the compiler man page when in doubt.