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I like to download some source code off and on and to explore it. Usually I used Eclipse to work in a project if it takes a long time. But for quick source code explorations creating a project every time I download smth and explore it seems to be overkill. Is there some convenient alternative to Eclipse/Project explorer on Linux where I can browse a few folders of downloaded repo and quickly look inside some files?

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Use any modern graphical text editor with syntax highlighting. I'm on Ubuntu and use Gedit. Don't use vi. It's antique material and should be stored in a museum. I haven't used emacs. So can't say. – aml90 Jan 29 '12 at 17:28
Uuuu, a nice flame war is just what I needed on this boring eve :))) – ldigas Jan 29 '12 at 17:50

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5 Answers

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Learn and use Vim. Once you have the hang of it, nothing beats it for handling code.

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Komodo Edit is a nice tool. It's somewhat more than an editor with highlighting but it's less than an IDE. It starts up really fast and you can browse folders or create projects if you wish. It also has some nice language features, autocomplete and other stuff.

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up vote 2 down vote

For just looking at the file, open a terminal and use the less command. You can move through the file in forward and reverse directions, search, display line numbers. For me, that's all I need for a quick examination.

When I actually want editor features, pressing "v" within less opens the file in vim. That's probably a configuration setting, but I don't know where it's set. All my Linux machines have operated that way for as long as I can remember.

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Obviously, emacs is the best editor ever.

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And it has dired, so you only need one instance. – user1249 Jan 29 '12 at 16:53
up vote 5 down vote

Obviously, vi is the best editor ever.

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Since nobody uses vi (they use vim) - I deduce you use emacs or neither :). – AD7six Jan 29 '12 at 16:57
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Why do people use vi/vim in this modern age of graphical editors? I was born in the 90s. So I don't know :D – aml90 Jan 29 '12 at 17:34
@amalantony Well when you need to modify something on a server with no GUI, command line is your only option. Why does being born in the 1990s mean you don't know of command line? – Glenn Nelson Jan 29 '12 at 17:42
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VIM is fast. There's no GUI clutter, no stupid mouse to use which wastes your time, it runs on pretty much any system is highly configurable and there's hardly any functionality which can't be added via a plugin – Ivo Wetzel Jan 29 '12 at 17:49
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@amalantony, if you are only aware of the base functionality of the original vi, I could see why you'd have that opinion. However, vim has pretty much replaced the original vi. Vim does have a GUI version (gvim), and more extensions than you can shake a stick at: remote editing, code completion, code browsing, integration with the VCS of your choice, scriptable in Python. It's right up there with emacs in terms of functionality. – Charles E. Grant Jan 29 '12 at 18:50
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