A standard editor is a blank slate. To make it a forge, you must add the tools you need. Every editor has its own way of accepting these gifts, ranging from high-tech marketplaces to the simple placement of a text file.

1. The Modern Market: VS Code

For those in the VS Code world, the anvil is extended via the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X). It is a centralized search-and-click experience. It is convenient, though it tethers you to a specific ecosystem.

2. The Lisp Ecosystem: Emacs

Emacs users often start with the built-in package.el. However, many advanced smiths move to Straight.el or Quelpa. These allow you to bypass the central repositories and pull packages directly from GitHub, ensuring you always have the latest ‘steel’ for your work.

3. The Minimalist Path: Vim

Vim offers the most ‘hands-on’ experience.

  • Managers: Tools like vim-plug or Vundle automate the download and update process.
  • The Native Way: Since Vim 8, you can use packadd to load packages manually.
  • The Smith’s Way: You can simply drop .vim files into the ~/.vim/plugin/ or autoload/ directories. This is how I test my own creations, like narrow-text.

Regardless of the method, the goal is the same: to make the editor move at the speed of your thought.

Forged in the terminal. Refined under the anvil.