.emacs.d VS emacs-which-key

If you want to dip your toes, I'd maybe try out https://github.com/doomemacs/doomemacs if you like vi style keybindings or https://github.com/seagle0128/.emacs.d or if you want to use something more traditional. Then I'd recommend https://github.com/gcv/julia-snail for the julia side of things.

Do not use doom as the heretics suggest! It is an awful experience and very janky, they also change how emacs is configured in a weird way that doesn't lead to one understanding the lisp or how emacs starts up. I'd suggest witchmacs (https://github.com/snackon/Witchmacs) or centaur emacs (https://github.com/seagle0128/.emacs.d) to get a feel of how a config actually looks like. With doom it is obscured under so much. As an exvimmer I moved to god-mode and emacs bindings just because everything always works with these. Using evil gets a little complicated since it doesn't always function properly. But using evil is probably best for you at the moment.

My favourite emacs starter kit is centaur emacs, it makes great use of hydras and improves on the standard key bindings. But I have to say I love the look of NΛNO and the svg-lib. u/Nicolas-Rougier, have you thought about combining some of the features of centaur with your work?

If you are looking for an alternative to doom without evil mode, I recommend centaur emacs. https://github.com/seagle0128/.emacs.d

To me, Vanilla Emacs config certainly. I create Centaur Emacs for myself and share to others.

There is https://github.com/seagle0128/.emacs.d and there is my own distro https://github.com/Ultra-Hax/magmamacs which is more minimal but less customizable and more opinionated both of these distros are very minimal and blazing fast.

Example configuration - https://github.com/seagle0128/.emacs.d/blob/e225dbe431f1e7ad368f3fe11d63ceb60c5acfcb/lisp/init-window.el#L142

I think which-key already solves exactly that: https://github.com/justbur/emacs-which-key

As for the "complicated keybindings general" -- I assume because remembering things like C-x C-s is hard because of the shifted keystrokes? I get that, and there is in fact a solution for less used keybindings which I love, called 'which-key' https://github.com/justbur/emacs-which-key

I would recommend installing the which-key package, which is a fantastic discoverability aid. If you ever want an example config to get some inspiration, I have one here: Emacs Bedrock

Make sure you have which-key installed and turned on. When using a keybinding that has a prefix (like C-x or C-c), it displays all the keybindings that start with that prefix.

which-key for the shortcut menus

there are some packages to help with the keybings, which-key shows a list of keybind and its command and (guru-mode)[https://github.com/bbatsov/guru-mode] enforces to use the "best" keybind, for exemple, it forces you to use C-n to move the cursor, blocking you to use the down key, and if you press the down key, it show a text in minibuffer to the best keybind.

Thanks for confirming, I think it's an issue in which-key itself: https://github.com/justbur/emacs-which-key/pull/166

If you haven't already, definitely check out the package which-key.

> even though I'm a terminal user ... I really like the discoverability of GUIs, and that's where a good GUI is unbeatable by CLI.

CLI has poor discoverability? Sure; but even on the terminal, discoverability can still be good:

A couple of nice examples of discoverability in keyboard-focused programs:

- emacs' which-key[0]; there's a vim port[1] too. This shows you (some) of the available keybindings for the next input, and a short label. So you don't have to remember what `SPC h p ...` or all the options under `SPC f...`.. but it still helps to recall that `SPC h` is for 'help' related commands, `SPC f` for file related commands.

- emacs' magit[2][3]. Magit is so good at discoverability, that I'd rate it as the best tool for using git with. I've learned more about git from using it.

[0] https://github.com/justbur/emacs-which-key

[1] https://github.com/liuchengxu/vim-which-key

[2] https://magit.vc/

[3] https://emacsair.me/2017/09/01/magit-walk-through/

Am I right in thinking this is quite similar to which-key?