XEmacs – open source text editor and application development system

Last Updated on July 13, 2021

XEmacs is a highly customizable open source console based and graphical text editor and application development system. XEmacs has full color support on a color-capable character terminal.

It is an extension of the popular GNU Emacs, more powerful by handling commands written in Lisp. Almost all features of Emacs are supported by XEmacs.

XEmacs was initially based on an early version of Emacs 19 and receives regular updates. The software stems from a collaboration of Lucid, Inc. with Sun Microsystems, Inc. and the University of Illinois with additional support having been provided by Amdahl Corporation, INS Engineering Corporation, and a huge amount of volunteer effort.

Features include:

• “Major modes”, each of which customizes Emacs for editing text of a particular sort:
  • Programming modes (e.g. for editing C, C++).
    • Follow the usual indentation conventions of the language.
    • Move over or kill balanced expressions.
    • Move over or mark top-level balanced expressions.
    • Show how parentheses balance.
    • Insert, kill, or align comments.
    • Find functions and symbols.
  • Text modes (e.g. Nroff, TeX, Outline, XML).
  • Buffers created by Emacs for specific purposes.
• Commands to manipulate words and paragraphs.
• Syntax highlighting.
• Keyboard macros.
• Mail reading (VM, MH-E, and RMail).
• News reader (GNUS).
• Info browser.
• Web browser (W3).
• Calendar.
• Comprehensive help.
• Fully customizable using Emacs Lisp language.

Website: www.xemacs.org
Support: Documentation
Developer: XEmacs community
License: GNU GPL v2

XEmacs is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.

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