Is there a way to create a stripped-down version of Windows GNU Emacs?

[David Spector]

To: help-emacs-windows mailing list

Hi, everyone.

I used to use Emacs years ago, but more recently have been using the 
NoteTab Pro editor. Unfortunately, NoteTab is no longer maintained, and 
it has problems such as an inability to handle UTF-8 text, as well as 
bugs. I have to move on.

I downloaded and evaluated 14 current programming editors for Windows, 
and had to reject each one due to one limitation or bug after another. I 
was very surprised to find that every editor has dark corners in places 
where I need them to function well. For the first few evaluations I 
reported bugs I found to the developers, but now, months later, not one 
of those bugs has been fixed, even for editors that are sold for money.

If I must consider creating my own editor, I think my ideal Windows 
programming editor might be based on EmacsLisp, so I thought I would 
send out the following question:

Is there any way to obtain or create a stripped-down version of Windows 
GNU Emacs?

What I'm looking for:

* Full support for basic EmacsLisp programming
* All the basic editor commands and defuns (moving, selecting, etc.)
* Support for windows, buffers, and files
* A minimal keyboard map
* No or few extension packages
* No or few buffer modes or submodes
* No syntax coloring or features like "goto a function definition"
* Optional: no requirement to build Emacs on my own computer in whatever 
compiled language its kernel is written in.

Why am I looking for this? Because I want certain features that no 
editors have, such as saved text files containing groups of buffers 
associated with tasks which are in turn associated with projects, the 
ability to work with indexed outline files (like NoteTab has), and lots 
more.

Why am I not looking for microEmacs? Because I want to do heavy 
extension work, not deal with yet another limited editor. I think I need 
the generality and flexibility of EmacsLisp with basic editing commands.

I welcome all suggestions, particularly those that explain how to start 
with the enormous Windows Emacs and strip away to end up with a basic, 
small Windows Emacs.

Feel free to ask questions or give advice. I'm a retired software 
engineer with 40 years of experience.

Hope everyone is coping well with our post-COVID-19 world.

David Spector
Springtime Software