nonEmacs

nonEmacs is a term used in computing to describe software, workflows, or ecosystems that are not based on the Emacs text editor. It is not a defined standard and its precise meaning varies by user, context, and discourse. In practice, nonEmacs is often used to contrast Emacs-centered tooling with alternatives.

In discussions about editors and development environments, nonEmacs typically refers to other text editors and IDEs such as Vim, Nano, Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, or JetBrains products, as well as configurations and plugin ecosystems that do not rely on Emacs Lisp or the Emacs-style extension model. The term emphasizes the existence of choices outside the Emacs paradigm and can reflect preferences for different interface paradigms, scripting languages, or performance characteristics.

Because Emacs has a distinctive and long-running culture around customization and Lisp-based extension, nonEmacs can also function as a shorthand in debates about extensibility, keybindings, and workflow integration. Some discussions treat nonEmacs as a catch-all for non-Emacs workflows, while others use it to describe a hypothetical or proposed project that aims to provide a familiar editing experience without Emacs dependencies.

There is no canonical definition or official project universally identified as nonEmacs. The term remains informal and context-dependent, varying in emphasis from simple editor choice to broader reflections on software ecosystems.