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GNU Emacs VS Postgres.app

Compare GNU Emacs VS Postgres.app and see what are their differences

GNU Emacs logo GNU Emacs

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

Postgres.app logo Postgres.app

The easiest way to run PostgreSQL on the Mac.
  • GNU Emacs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-19
  • Postgres.app Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-28

GNU Emacs features and specs

  • 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 of GNU Emacs

  • 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.

Postgres.app features and specs

  • Ease of Installation
    Postgres.app is very easy to install on macOS as it provides a one-click setup process, making it ideal for beginners or developers looking for a hassle-free installation experience.
  • Integrated Environment
    It includes a full PostgreSQL server, along with utilities such as pgAdmin, psql, and PostGIS, offering an integrated environment for database development and management without requiring additional installations.
  • Regular Updates
    Postgres.app is regularly updated to include the latest stable releases of PostgreSQL, ensuring users have access to the newest features and security patches.
  • Self-Contained
    All components required for running PostgreSQL are bundled within the app, reducing potential conflicts with other software and simplifying the management of dependencies.
  • No Need for Administrative Privileges
    Postgres.app can be run without needing administrative privileges on the host machine, making it convenient for users who do not have admin access.

Possible disadvantages of Postgres.app

  • macOS Only
    Postgres.app is only available for macOS, which limits its availability to users on other operating systems like Windows and Linux.
  • Large File Size
    The app's self-contained nature results in a relatively large file size, which might be problematic for users with limited storage space.
  • Limited Configuration Options
    While Postgres.app is suitable for development, it may not offer the same level of configuration customization as a manual installation, which can be a drawback for advanced users needing specific settings.
  • Performance Limitations
    Being an all-in-one package, Postgres.app might not be optimized for high-performance production environments compared to more finely-tuned installations.
  • Potential for Outdated Components
    Although updates are frequent, there may be a delay in releasing the very latest versions of PostgreSQL or its components, which could be a concern for bleeding-edge users.

Analysis of GNU Emacs

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.

GNU Emacs videos

Switching to GNU Emacs

Postgres.app videos

Installing and Setting up PostgreSQL Using Postgres.app

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GNU Emacs and Postgres.app)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
MySQL Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GNU Emacs and Postgres.app

GNU Emacs Reviews

14 BEST LaTeX Editor for Mac & Windows in 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, letters, lines, and other units of text.
Source: www.guru99.com
The Top 7 Notepad++ Alternatives for You
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 it I realized just how powerful Emacs is for the programming community.
10 Best Notepad++ Alternatives in 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.
Source: www.guru99.com
7 open source alternatives to Dreamweaver
Vim or Emacs. Without participating in the holy war between these two traditional text editors, I can safely say that there are a number of enhancements for web editing available for both. So if you're already a terminal junkie, take your pick. Or, if those don't satisfy, try one of these Emacs/Vim alternatives.
Source: opensource.com
10 Best Sublime Text Alternatives in 2019
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.
Source: www.guru99.com

Postgres.app Reviews

We have no reviews of Postgres.app yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Postgres.app should be more popular than GNU Emacs. It has been mentiond 41 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GNU Emacs mentions (6)

  • 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 # Emacs will exit with status 15 after having received SIGTERM, which # is the default "KillSignal" value systemd uses to stop services. SuccessExitStatus=15 # The location of the... Source: about 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 names for the executables. [Unit] Description=Emacs text editor Documentation=info:emacs man:emacs(1)... 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: almost 4 years ago
  • This Guy is getting out of control at this point.
    I was heading to gnu.org/software/emacs to prove my point and it said:. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • opam doesn't see emacs?
    <><> Version-specific details <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 🐫 Version 1 Repository default Homepage: "http://gnu.org/software/emacs" Bug-reports: "https://github.com/ocaml/opam-repository/issues" Authors: "anil@recoil.org" Maintainer: "anil@recoil.org" License: "GPL-1.0-or-later" Flags: conf Synopsis Virtual package to install the Emacs editor Description This... Source: almost 5 years ago
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Postgres.app mentions (41)

  • Show HN: Threds.dev – Git-style branching/merging for LLM research chats
    - Code: https://github.com/benjaminfh/researchtree Note: the hosted app currently requires signup (workspaces are persisted + shareable). If you prefer not to create an account, the repo supports running locally (including an Electron build: npm run desktop:package with a local Postgres instance which is quick to spin up using, e.g., https://postgresapp.com/). Feedback I’m hoping for: does branch/merge for context... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • DuckDB is probably the most important geospatial software of the last decade
    PostGIS is included in Postgres.app which is a single executable for Mac. DuckDB appears also to be a single file download for Mac. I’m not sure your “when I was first learning PostGIS” experience reflects the current situation. https://postgresapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Test Driving a Rails API - Part One
    A running Rails application needs a database to connect to. You may already have your database of choice installed, but if not, I recommend PostgreSQL, or Postgres for short. On a Mac, probably the easiest way to install it is with Posrgres.app. Another option, the one I prefer, is to use Homebrew. With Homebrew installed, this command will install PostgreSQL version 16 along with libpq:. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Full Stack Chat App with Socket.io
    I was using Postgres.app, but of course, you can download it in any way as long as it works. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Building Secure Neon-Infused Web Apps with Auth0, Express, and EJS
    There are two ways to connect with the Postgres database which can be in the terminal or using a Postgres GUI client app like DBeaver. But first, download the PostgreSQL installer for macOS or Windows, depending on your OS. The setup and installation come with the psql command, a tool shipped with Postgres that allows you to communicate with Postgres through the command line. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing GNU Emacs and Postgres.app, you can also consider the following products

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

TablePlus - Easily edit database data and structure

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Node.js - Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications