Emacs: What's the Best Setup for Python, Ruby, Java, JavaScript, etc?

One of the common question i get is:

what's the best emacs setup for {Python, Ruby, PHP, JavaScript, Java, C++, etc}?

Vanilla Emacs works fine. You just need to master it.

I recommend mastering plain emacs first. Most people asking such questions have no idea about emacs basics.

〔see Emacs: Init File Tutorial〕

〔see Emacs: Master Tips〕

There are, however, many useful and quality emacs enhancements. Here's a guide.

List of Emacs Starter Kits, year 2013

Try a starter kit. I recommend spacemacs.

List of Emacs Starter Kits, year 2013

Abbrev and Function Templates

abbrev saves lots of typing! Setup your own collection of abbrevs of any lang.

Emacs: Setup Hundreds of Abbrevs

Smart Completion

Try company-mode at http://company-mode.github.io/

It's available on MELPA.

〔see Emacs: Install Package with ELPA/MELPA〕

Note: if you are {C, C++, Java} programer working on large code base, emacs's completion will never be as good as those in Microsoft Visual Studio or IntelliJ (or the lesser Eclispe, NetBeans). (only very few may disagree. That usually means you have to be expert of emacs and elisp.)

Syntax Checking

try flycheck at http://www.flycheck.org/en/latest/

Ruby

Try emacs prelude https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude

try Steve Purcell's https://github.com/purcell/emacs.d

also

• 〔Setting up Emacs as Ruby development environment on OSX 2013-10-17 By Hemant Kumar. At http://crypt.codemancers.com/posts/2013-09-26-setting-up-emacs-as-development-environment-on-osx/ , accessed on 2013-10-30〕
• 〔Configuring Emacs as a productive development environment for Rails development 2014-02-02 By Gaurab Paul. At http://lorefnon.me/2014/02/02/configuring-emacs-for-rails.html , accessed on 2014-04-24〕

Haskell Clojure Elm etc

try Steve Purcell's https://github.com/purcell/emacs.d

Python

try Steve Purcell's https://github.com/purcell/emacs.d

try

• Elpy, the Emacs Lisp Python Environment https://github.com/jorgenschaefer/elpy/wiki

• Jedi.el — Python auto-completion for Emacs http://tkf.github.io/emacs-jedi/

• Ropemacs is a plugin for performing python refactorings in emacs. It uses rope library and pymacs. https://github.com/python-rope/ropemacs

HTML CSS

try web-mode http://web-mode.org/

try Emacs: Xah CSS Mode 📦 for pure css file.

JavaScript

emacs has a simple js mode builtin.

other js mode with more features are

js2 mode https://github.com/mooz/js2-mode

js3 mode (fork of js2) https://github.com/thomblake/js3-mode

if you prefer simple and static, try my Emacs: Xah JS Mode (JavaScript) 📦

skewer-mode, for live web dev, connecting to browser. https://github.com/skeeto/skewer-mode

C, C++

〔Emacs for C++ developers 2013-07-07 By Bin Chen (陈斌). At ❮https://github.com/redguardtoo/mastering-emacs-in-one-year-guide/blob/master/emacs_cpp_developer_guide-en.org❯, accessed on 2013-07-07〕

Emacs Lisp

try my Emacs: Xah Elisp Mode 📦

Editing Parenthesis

lisp hackers like ParEdit http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/ParEdit. I don't like.

try smartparens, which is based on ParEdit https://github.com/Fuco1/smartparens

try lispy, an alternative to ParEdit or SmartParen https://github.com/abo-abo/lispy

or, try Xah's way. That is, Emacs: Xah Fly Keys 📦. It deals with parenthesis/brackets too.

Emacs Key System

emacs keybinding system is the MOST important element for improving efficiency, for working with any programing language. Because, it is the keys you use to do anything in emacs.

using a efficient emacs keybinding system will beat efficiency than any emacs enhancement.

i recommend one of the following

try Emacs: Xah Fly Keys 📦

try ergoemacs-mode http://ergoemacs.github.io/

try https://github.com/emacs-evil/evil

You need few weeks to be proficient with any of them.