Emacs Lisp vs Vimscript

The Lisp that turns your text editor into an OS, whether you wanted one or not meets the language that makes vim powerful, but also the reason you'll need a therapist after debugging it. Here's our take.

Emacs Lisp

Nice Pick

The Lisp that turns your text editor into an OS, whether you wanted one or not.

Pros

• Tight integration with Emacs allows for deep editor customization
• Dynamic scoping and macros enable powerful, expressive code
• Mature ecosystem with extensive libraries for text processing

Cons

• Dynamic scoping can lead to confusing bugs and debugging headaches
• Steep learning curve for those new to Lisp or Emacs's idiosyncrasies

Vimscript

The language that makes Vim powerful, but also the reason you'll need a therapist after debugging it.

Pros

• Deep integration with Vim's core features like buffers and modes
• Enables complex automation and custom key mappings
• Widely supported by the Vim plugin ecosystem

Cons

• Syntax can be arcane and inconsistent, making debugging a nightmare
• Limited modern language features compared to alternatives like Lua

The Verdict

Use Emacs Lisp if: You want tight integration with emacs allows for deep editor customization and can live with dynamic scoping can lead to confusing bugs and debugging headaches.

Use Vimscript if: You prioritize deep integration with vim's core features like buffers and modes over what Emacs Lisp offers.

The Bottom Line

Emacs Lisp wins

The Lisp that turns your text editor into an OS, whether you wanted one or not.