# Getting started with Emacs and Ruby (and RoR)?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-with-emacs-and-ruby-and-ror/122904>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [December 12, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-with-emacs-and-ruby-and-ror/122904 "2007-12-12T20:33:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/princenamor)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-with-emacs-and-ruby-and-ror/122904/1 "2007-12-12T20:33:25Z")

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Guys,

I’m a long time vim user and a (relatively) short-time NetBeans user.

However, I’ve flirted with Emacs from time to time and have finally  
made the decision to buck up and learn it. After all, I’m in my  
mid-30s, and I figure the arteries will be hardening soon and learning  
new tricks may become difficult 😉

I’ve bought the OReilly emacs book and am starting to trudge through.  
However, I’d like to get started sooner with editing Ruby and Rails  
with it, as my current projects are saturated with both. I’m using  
NetBeans currently and like it, but hoping emacs will be a bit lighter  
while at the same time as functional.

So, two questions for all you emacs users out there:

1. Is there a defacto, pre-packaged way to get everything set up in  
emacs as a good Ruby/Rails environment? I’ve looked around, but it  
seems like everyone is mixing together a little of this and a little  
of that. I’m looking for a one-stop-shop, hopefully.

2. Is there any way to debug in emacs to the extent that you can in  
NetBeans?

Thanks for the help!

John

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/princenamor)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-with-emacs-and-ruby-and-ror/122904/2 "2007-12-12T21:15:33Z")

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Take a look at: [http://rubyforge.org/projects/emacs-rails/](http://rubyforge.org/projects/emacs-rails/)

Regards,  
Luiz Vitor Martinez C…

On Dec 11, 2007 11:42 PM, John W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> However, I’d like to get started sooner with editing Ruby and Rails
> 
> 1. Is there any way to debug in emacs to the extent that you can in  
> NetBeans?
> 
> Thanks for the help!
> 
> John

–  
Regards,  
Luiz Vitor Martinez C. [Grabber].  
(11) 8187-8662

Eletrical Engineer at maua.br

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**Author:** ![princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/princenamor)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-with-emacs-and-ruby-and-ror/122904/3 "2007-12-12T22:49:51Z")

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On 12/11/07, Luiz Vitor Martinez C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> Take a look at: [http://rubyforge.org/projects/emacs-rails/](http://rubyforge.org/projects/emacs-rails/)
> 
> > 1. Is there any way to debug in emacs to the extent that you can in  
> > NetBeans?

Great, thanks! I have it installed and am looking through.

What about debugging capabilities in line with NetBeans? Is it possible?

Thanks!  
John

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/princenamor)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-with-emacs-and-ruby-and-ror/122904/4 "2007-12-12T23:08:38Z")

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On 12/11/07, John W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> On 12/11/07, Luiz Vitor Martinez C. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:
> 
> > Take a look at: [http://rubyforge.org/projects/emacs-rails/](http://rubyforge.org/projects/emacs-rails/)
> > 
> > > 1. Is there any way to debug in emacs to the extent that you can in  
> > > NetBeans?
> 
> Great, thanks! I have it installed and am looking through.
> 
> What about debugging capabilities in line with NetBeans? Is it possible?

And if it is possible, where might one go to learn how?

Thanks!  
John

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/c0e974/32.png) [@princenamor](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/princenamor)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/getting-started-with-emacs-and-ruby-and-ror/122904/5 "2007-12-12T23:10:59Z")

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I’ve got Aquamacs on my laptop, it’s an OS X emacs, I’ve been fiddling  
with it but I’ll probably have to get the O’Reilly book to really make  
any interesting headway.

(Flame bait: I have to say, I read the Lisp for the Ruby syntax  
coloring in emacs and was really surprised by its relative  
unreadability, although the coloring itself is definitely awesome.)

–  
Giles B.

Podcast: [http://hollywoodgrit.blogspot.com](http://hollywoodgrit.blogspot.com)  
Blog: [http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com](http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com)  
Portfolio: [http://www.gilesgoatboy.org](http://www.gilesgoatboy.org)  
Tumblelog: [http://giles.tumblr.com](http://giles.tumblr.com)