The Howdy Glossary

Emacs Lisp is a dialect of the Lisp programming language designed to extend the capabilities of GNU Emacs, an extensible text editor. It enables users to customize and automate various aspects of Emacs by modifying its interface or adding new functions. Supporting both compiled and interpreted code execution, it offers familiar Lisp features such as conditionals, loops, lexical scoping, and dynamic typing. Richard Stallman created Emacs Lisp specifically for GNU Emacs to enhance its functionality according to user-specific needs.

Emacs Lisp allows users to modify the interface, add functions, and automate tasks within Emacs, tailoring the editor to individual preferences and workflows. It provides deep interaction with Emacs internals through extensive built-in functions for manipulating buffers, windows, frames, input/output operations within the environment. This integration permits intricate customization using special forms and hooks that control various aspects of Emacs behavior. The language's versatility empowers users to adapt Emacs for specific programming needs while increasing productivity through automation.

While competitors like Vimscript for Vim or Visual Studio Code's JavaScript API also aim at extensibility within their respective editors, Emacs Lisp stands out due to its robust integration with GNU Emacs. Its direct control over core components allows unparalleled customization compared to other extension languages. A longstanding history coupled with strong community support has resulted in a rich library of packages enhancing its functionality further. Users comfortable with programming concepts find in Emacs Lisp a potent tool that aligns their editing environment closely with their workflow preferences through tailored features and automation within GNU Emacs.