vile (VI Like Emacs) is a text editor combining vi-style editing with Emacs-like multi-buffer and window management.
This program retains the feel of vi, while adding the multiple buffer and multiple window features of Emacs and other editors.
vile is Vi(m) like, but not a clone, as some core functionality is not present, and its appearance is not identical. The program is built from a combination of hand-crafted code and tables processed by a special-purpose program.
vile has been in development since 1990.
There’s an X version of vile available, called xvile. It’s the same text editor, built as an X-windows program, with fully integrated mouse support, scrollbars and more.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- All of vi’s good features have been retained, such as searching with the / and ? keys, and command repeating with a “.”.
- Infinite undo.
- Supports multiple windows.
- Read from pipes.
- Complex fences.
- Command completion – covering the command name, filename, directory name, and mode values.
- Major modes.
- Vile commands can be linked together in repetitive or conditional ways using various builtin directives (e.g. “if”, “else”, “while”, “break”, etc), and intermediate results can be stored in string-valued temporary variables.
- Syntax highlighting – runs a syntax filter program which parses the buffer contents. Most of these syntax filters use lex. Each filter reads one or more keyword files, which list specific keywords and their highlighting attributes, as well as classes of keywords.
- Macro language and use of environment variables offers scripting functionality.
- Supports Perl as an extension language by embedding a Perl interpreter into the editor.
- Directory browser extension with the Perl interface:
- Two panel display for separate listing of directories and files
- Configurable color highlighting based on the type of the file
- Recognizes broken symlinks
- Hypertext based directory traversal and file viewing
- MIME aware capabilities to view files using appropriate applications
- Plugins extension to the MIME library to allow to view certain files within vile after passing through a vile based Perl filter routine.
- Comprehensive help file is available via a keystroke within the editor.
Website: invisible-island.net/vile
Support:
Developer: Kevin Buettner, Paul G Fox, Tom Dickey
License: GNU General Public License
vile is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Vim-like Text Editors | |
|---|---|
| Neovim | Vim-fork focused on extensibility and usability |
| Helix | Kakoune / Neovim inspired editor. |
| Lapce | Modern editor in Rust which uses native GUI and GPU rendering |
| NvChad | Neovim config aiming to provide a base configuration |
| LunarVim | IDE layer for Neovim |
| Kakoune | Implements Vi’s "keystrokes as a text editing language" model |
| Vis | Combining modal editing with structural regular expressions |
| vile | Text editor that combines aspects of the Emacs and vi editors |
| pyvim | Implementation of Vim in Python |
| gVim | Vim with a built-in GUI |
| amp | Vim-like editor written in Rust |
| Vy | Vim-like in Python made from scratch |
| moe | Command-line editor inspired by Vim |
| wig | Modal, Vim-like text editor |
| sled | Simple text editor with a terminal UI |
| red | Modern modal text editor written in Rust |
| ad | Adaptable text editor |
| hat | Hackable modal text editor |
| HAKO | Lightweight terminal-based modal text environment |
| xvi | Portable multi-file text editor |
| aretext | Minimalist text editor with vim-compatible key bindings |
| Levee | Also known as Captain Video |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
| Emacs-like Text Editors | |
|---|---|
| TeXmacs | High quality scientific word processor and typesetting program |
| Lem | General-purpose editor/IDE |
| vile | Combines aspects of the Emacs and vi editors |
| Zile | Customizable, self-documenting real-time display editor |
| Remacs | Community-driven port of Emacs to Rust |
| JOE | Joe's Own Editor with no code used from Emacs |
| Textbringer | Emacs-like text editor written in Ruby |
| QEmacs | Small but powerful UNIX editor |
| mg | Small, fast, and portable Emacs-like editor |
| ce | Small, fast, Emacs-like text editor |
| JOVE | Jonathan's Own Version of Emacs. Supports many ancient systems |
| Ymacs | Emacs-like code and text editor that runs in a web browser |
| MicroEmacs | Compact Emacs-like text editor |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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