IDE/editor section tweaking.

p4raw-id: //depot/perl@8374

1 files changed, 41 insertions, 45 deletions

diff --git a/pod/perlfaq3.pod b/pod/perlfaq3.pod
index 5bf2f5c118..5438037c02 100644
--- a/pod/perlfaq3.pod
+++ b/pod/perlfaq3.pod
@@ -157,61 +157,57 @@ the trick.  And if not, it's easy to hack into what you want.
 
 =head2 Is there an IDE or Windows Perl Editor?
 
-If you're on Unix, you already have an IDE--Unix itself.  This powerful
-IDE derives from its interoperability, flexibility, and configurability.
-If you really want to get a feel for Unix-qua-IDE, the best thing to do
-is to find some high-powered programmer whose native language is Unix.
-Find someone who has been at this for many years, and just sit back
-and watch them at work.  They have created their own IDE, one that
-suits their own tastes and aptitudes.  Quietly observe them edit files,
-move them around, compile them, debug them, test them, etc.  The entire
-development *is* integrated, like a top-of-the-line German sports car:
-functional, powerful, and elegant.  You will be absolutely astonished
-at the speed and ease exhibited by the native speaker of Unix in his
-home territory.  The art and skill of a virtuoso can only be seen to be
-believed.  That is the path to mastery--all these cobbled little IDEs
-are expensive toys designed to sell a flashy demo using cheap tricks,
-and being optimized for immediate but shallow understanding rather than
-enduring use, are but a dim palimpsest of real tools.
-
-In short, you just have to learn the toolbox.  However, if you're not
-on Unix, then your vendor probably didn't bother to provide you with
-a proper toolbox on the so-called complete system that you forked out
-your hard-earned cash for.
-
-If you're transferring Windows text files to Unix using FTP be sure to
-transfer them in ASCII mode so the ends of lines are appropriately mangled.
-
-PerlBuilder (http://www.solutionsoft.com/perl.htm) is an integrated
-development environment for Windows that supports Perl development.
-Komodo, ActiveState's cross-platform, multi-language IDE has Perl
-support, including a regular expression debugger and remote debugging
-(http://www.ActiveState.com/Products/Komodo/index.html).  (Visual Perl,
-a Visual Studio.NET plug-in is currently in beta (late 2000)
-(http://www.ActiveState.com/Products/VisualPerl/index.html)).
+Perl programs are just plain text, so any editor will do.
+
+If you're transferring Windows text files to Unix using FTP be sure
+to transfer them in ASCII mode so the ends of lines are appropriately
+converted.
+
+If you're on Unix, you already have an IDE--Unix itself.  The UNIX
+philosophy is the philosophy of several small tools that each do one
+thing and do it well.  It's like a carpenter's toolbox.
+
+For Windows: PerlBuilder (http://www.solutionsoft.com/perl.htm) is
+an integrated development environment for Windows that supports Perl
+development.  Komodo, ActiveState's cross-platform, multi-language IDE
+has Perl support, including a regular expression debugger and remote
+debugging (http://www.ActiveState.com/Products/Komodo/index.html).
+(Visual Perl, a Visual Studio.NET plug-in is currently in beta
+(late 2000) (http://www.ActiveState.com/Products/VisualPerl/index.html)).
 The visiPerl+ IDE is available from Help Consulting
-(http://helpconsulting.net/visiperl/).  Perl code magic is
-another IDE (http://www.petes-place.com/codemagic.html).  CodeMagicCD
+(http://helpconsulting.net/visiperl/).  Perl code magic is another IDE
+(http://www.petes-place.com/codemagic.html).  CodeMagicCD
 (http://www.codemagiccd.com/) is another IDE.  The Object System
 (http://www.castlelink.co.uk/object_system/) is a Perl web
 applications development IDE.
 
-Perl programs are just plain text, though, so you could download GNU
-Emacs (http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/windows/ntemacs.html) or
-XEmacs (http://www.xemacs.org/Download/index.html), or a vi clone such
-as Elvis (ftp://ftp.cs.pdx.edu/pub/elvis/, see also
-http://www.fh-wedel.de/elvis/), nvi (http://www.bostic.com/vi/, or
-available from CPAN in src/misc/), or Vile
-(http://www.clark.net/pub/dickey/vile/vile.html), or vim
-(http://www.vim.org/) (win32: http://www.cs.vu.nl/%7Etmgil/vi.html).
-(For vi lovers in general: http://www.thomer.com/thomer/vi/vi.html)
+Editors: if you're on Unix you probably have vi or a vi clone already,
+and possibly an emacs too, so you may not need to download anything.
+In anyemacs the cperl-mode (M-x cperl-mode) gives you perhaps the
+best available Perl editing mode in any editor.
+
+In Windows: you can download GNU Emacs
+(http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/windows/ntemacs.html) or XEmacs
+(http://www.xemacs.org/Download/index.html), or a vi clone such as
+Elvis (ftp://ftp.cs.pdx.edu/pub/elvis/, http://www.fh-wedel.de/elvis/),
+Vile (http://www.clark.net/pub/dickey/vile/vile.html), or
+Vim (http://www.vim.org/) (win32: http://www.cs.vu.nl/%7Etmgil/vi.html).
+For vi lovers in general: http://www.thomer.com/thomer/vi/vi.html
+
+nvi (http://www.bostic.com/vi/, available from CPAN in src/misc/) is
+yet another vi clone, not unfortunately available for Windows, but in
+UNIX platforms you might be interested in trying it out, firstly because
+strictly speaking it is not a vi clone, it is the real vi, or the new
+incarnation of it, and secondly because you can embed Perl inside it
+to use Perl as the scripting language.  nvi is not alone in this,
+though: at least also vim offers an embedded Perl.
 
 The following are Win32 multilanguage editor/IDESs that support Perl: 
 Codewright (http://www.starbase.com/), MultiEdit (http://www.MultiEdit.com/),
 SlickEdit (http://www.slickedit.com/).
 
-There is also a toyedit Text widget based editor written in Perl that
-is distributed with the Tk module on CPAN.  The ptkdb
+There is also a toyedit Text widget based editor written in Perl
+that is distributed with the Tk module on CPAN.  The ptkdb
 (http://world.std.com/~aep/ptkdb/) is a Perl/tk based debugger that
 acts as a development environment of sorts.  Perl Composer
 (http://perlcomposer.sourceforge.net/vperl.html) is an IDE for Perl/Tk