[stevekemp]

If you write a small pre-processor (simple to do) you can store your emacs configuration file in a markdown file - allowing you to document all the settings neatly.

As I was reading this piece I was imagining that is what the author had done, as it is what I did too:

https://github.com/skx/dotfiles/blob/master/.emacs.d/init.md

[prakashk]

No need for a separate preprocessor. org-mode offers org-babel which enables you to practice "literate programming" to create your init file, where you interleave text and code.

Here's are couple of examples: https://github.com/howardabrams/dot-files/blob/master/emacs....

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sachac/.emacs.d/gh-pages/S...

Also see: http://howardism.org/Technical/Emacs/literate-programming-tu...

[andreareina]

There are various schemes to use an org mode file as your configuration, which gives you all the niceties of org mode: collapsible headers, language-aware editing modes, etc.

Here's one: http://endlessparentheses.com/init-org-Without-org-mode.html

[joshstella]

Author here. I didn't, but I might now. Dig this.

[rockmananoff]

Hi there. Thanks for the article. I'm a newbie when it comes to emacs config files. You said, that we will put (add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/lisp/") in the .emacs file, but that was before we had created it. Then a few paragraphs later, when we finally do create it, you tell us to just put in

;; set up ido mode (require `ido) (setq ido-enable-flex-matching t) (setq ido-everywhere t) (ido-mode 1)

Where do we put in (add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/lisp/") ?

[joshstella]

Disclaimer: I spend very little time configuring emacs these days, as it's working well for me, and there are others around who are much better at emacs than I am. There are likely better ways to do everything than I have, but I shared what works for me.

I've got the `(add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/lisp/")` pretty early in the file. You can put the `(require `ido) (setq ido-enable-flex-matching t) (setq ido-everywhere t) (ido-mode 1)` where you like. Basically, you just need the lines in your .emacs file - if you add the reference prior to creating the directory and populating it, you'll get an error, but nothing will break. Add the directory and do a `M-x eval-buffer` and it'll pick it up without restarting emacs. Or just restart emacs. Hope this helps. Someone will tell you a better way.

[stevekemp]

"Obviously" the code is in init.el in the same directory.

But I'm sure there are similar implementations out there you could copy from too.

[angus-g]

It's probably more idiomatic to use org-mode (not that it makes a difference really). Here's a random example I found: https://github.com/larstvei/dot-emacs