Software Alternatives & Startups

GNU Emacs VS Arc Programming Language

Compare GNU Emacs VS Arc Programming Language and see what are their differences

GNU Emacs

GNU Emacs is an extensible, customizable text editor—and more.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Arc Programming Language

Arc is designed for exploratory programming: the kind where you decide what to write by writing it.

Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Arc Programming Language should be more popular than GNU Emacs. It has been mentioned 17 times since March 2021.

social mentions
6 vs 17
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 33

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

GNU Emacs
APL
Arc Programming Language
Website gnu.org arclanguage.org
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

GNU Emacs 5 features
APL
Arc Programming Language 4 features
  • Highly Extensible
    GNU Emacs is highly customizable, allowing users to configure nearly every aspect using Emacs Lisp. This makes it remarkably adaptable for various workflows.
  • Rich Plugin Ecosystem
    There is a wide array of plugins available for Emacs, extending its functionality for programming, text editing, project management, and more.
  • Versatile
    Aside from text editing, Emacs can function as an email client, web browser, terminal emulator, and more, making it a powerful multi-purpose tool.
  • Free and Open Source
    GNU Emacs is free to use and modify, with source code available under the GNU General Public License, encouraging collaborative improvement and transparency.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Emacs runs on many different operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and various Unix-like systems, ensuring a wide reach and consistent experience across platforms.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its vast array of features and unique keybindings, new users often find Emacs difficult to learn initially.
  • Performance
    Emacs can be slower compared to more lightweight text editors, especially when heavily customized or handling large files.
  • Keyboard-Centric Interface
    Emacs relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts, which can be overwhelming and complex, leading to potential finger strain from extensive use.
  • Complex Configuration
    While its customizability is a strength, configuring Emacs to fit personal needs can be time-consuming and complex, requiring knowledge of Emacs Lisp.
  • Simplicity
    Arc offers a minimalist and straightforward syntax that makes it easy to learn for those familiar with Lisp-like languages. This simplicity allows developers to focus more on solving problems rather than dealing with language complexities.
  • Flexibility
    As a dialect of Lisp, Arc inherits a high degree of flexibility and expressiveness, allowing developers to write concise and dynamic code. This flexibility can lead to higher productivity and enables developers to implement complex ideas with less code.
  • Interactive Development
    Arc provides a responsive REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) environment that facilitates exploratory programming. Developers can iteratively develop and test their code, making it a great tool for rapid prototyping.
  • Macro System
    Arc features a powerful macro system, typical of Lisp languages, which allows developers to create custom syntactic constructs and extend the language to better fit their needs.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Libraries and Tooling
    Arc lacks the extensive library support found in more mainstream languages. This can make it difficult for developers to find pre-built solutions for common tasks, requiring more effort to build those functionalities from scratch.
  • Small Community
    The Arc programming language has a relatively small community compared to other programming languages, which means there are fewer resources, tutorials, and external libraries available for support.
  • Performance
    Arc may not be as optimized for performance as other programming languages, particularly those designed with efficiency in mind. This can be a limitation for applications that require high-speed processing or are resource-intensive.
  • Niche Use Case
    Given its design and origin, Arc is mainly suited for experimental projects and is less commonly used in industrial or large-scale commercial applications. This limits its applicability for developers seeking to use it in mainstream production environments.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

GNU Emacs
APL
Arc Programming Language

Overall verdict

  • GNU Emacs is widely considered to be a powerful and versatile text editor, especially among programmers and developers.

Why this product is good

  • Highly Customizable: Emacs can be extensively customized with Emacs Lisp, enabling users to tailor the editor to fit their specific workflow.
  • Rich Ecosystem: There is a large variety of plug-ins and extensions available, which can transform it into much more than just a text editor.
  • Built-in Tools: Emacs includes numerous built-in tools such as a debugger, calendar, email client, and file manager, making it a comprehensive development environment.
  • Cross-Platform: Emacs runs on multiple platforms, which makes it accessible to a broad audience.

Recommended for

  • Programmers and developers who appreciate a customizable and extensible tool.
  • Users who want to integrate various development tools into a single environment.
  • Individuals comfortable with learning Emacs Lisp to create and understand custom scripts and configurations.
  • People interested in a text editor that has a strong and supportive community.

No analysis of Arc Programming Language yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

GNU Emacs 1 video + Add
APL
Arc Programming Language 0 videos + Add

Switching to GNU Emacs

No Arc Programming Language videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
GNU Emacs
APL
Arc Programming Language
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using GNU Emacs and Arc Programming Language. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

GNU Emacs no reviews yet
APL
Arc Programming Language no reviews yet
  • 14 BEST LaTeX Editor for Mac & Windows in 2022
    www.guru99.com · Sep 2022

    Emacs is a Unix based text editor tool which is used by programmers, engineers, students, and system administrators. It is one of the best LaTeX editor for Mac that allows you to add, modify, delete, insert, words,...

  • The Top 7 Notepad++ Alternatives for You
    www.technize.com · Nov 2020

    Emacs has been around in its various forms since 1976 and is another very worthy Notepad++ alternative. When I first started using Emacs I have to admit that I didn’t find it the easiest to use. But once I got used to...

  • 10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives in 2020
    www.guru99.com · Nov 2020

    Emacs is a Unix based text editor tool which is used by programmers, engineers, students, and system administrators. It allows you to add, modify, delete, insert, words, letters, lines, and other units of text.

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We have no reviews of Arc Programming Language yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

GNU Emacs 6 mentions
APL
Arc Programming Language 17 mentions
  • Emacs daemon as sytemd service in debian 12 (gnome)
    Cat .config/systemd/user/default.target.wants/emacs.service [Unit] Description=Emacs text editor Documentation=info:emacs man:emacs(1) https://gnu.org/software/emacs/ [Service] Type=notify ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/emacs --fg-daemon #... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Why does emacs exec path variable not just copy the users path variable?
    ## If your Emacs is installed in a non-standard location, you may need ## to copy this file to a standard directory, eg ~/.config/systemd/user/ . ## If you install this file by hand, change the "Exec" lines below ## to use absolute file... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Hi DM's, what medium do you use to organise your campaign?
    For gathering notes, writing and organizing, Org-Roam which implies Org and Emacs. Source: about 4 years ago

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  • Hacker News now runs on top of Common Lisp
    The (anonymous? I can't find a name) author of the OP slipped slightly at the end of their otherwise-impeccable sequence of quotes. When I wrote that last comment (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21546438) to Clarc. It includes a... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Lobsters
    Here you can find the latest public code: http://arclanguage.org/ But I don't think there has been any public updates since that release. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Twenty-five open-source network emulators and simulators you can use in 2023
    Well, kind of, at least considering the last public version of Arc, that HN uses (found here: http://arclanguage.org/) It seems to be storing stuff directly on disk, on the same host that the software itself runs on. So you're right if... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago

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Alternatives to GNU Emacs and Arc Programming Language

When comparing GNU Emacs and Arc Programming Language, you can also consider the following products.