Final answer:
The bash shell uses the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variables to determine which text editor to open, defaulting to Emacs if neither are set.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bash shell attempts to launch the editor defined by the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variables. If neither of these environment variables is set, bash defaults to launching Emacs. When a user tries to edit a command line or a file within the bash environment and these variables are referenced, bash checks for the first variable VISUAL, and if it is not set, it then checks for EDITOR. If neither environment variable is configured, Emacs is used as the fallback editor. These settings allow users to choose their preferred text editor for command-line operations.