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From: Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
To: Juri Linkov <juri@jurta.org>
Cc: Christoph Scholtes <cschol2112@googlemail.com>,
	Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com>,
	emacs-devel@gnu.org
Subject: Re: Fundamental mode vs. special mode
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:49:16 +0000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20111025204916.GB23228@acm.acm> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <8739ehzst9.fsf@mail.jurta.org>

Hi, Juri.

On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 07:30:18AM +0300, Juri Linkov wrote:
> > In any mode, each key-sequence should do one well established thing, not
> > performing alternate commands based on read-onlyness.  Exceptions should
> > be justified individually.

> But in read-only buffers, self-inserting characters are useless, they
> can't do what they are intended for.  So why not allow them to do more
> useful things, e.g. `q' to run `quit-window'?

If by read-only buffers, you mean something like *info* or *Buffer
List*, then I agree with you.  But if we're talking about file buffers
which happen to be RO at the moment, then no - self-inserting characters
have the important function of beeping.

If we're going to be switching from "editing mode" to "command mode" for
self inserting keys (with C-x C-q or whatever), we might as well go the
whole hog and use vi instead.  Let's preserve the character of Emacs.

> Actually this is what `view-read-only' does when set to non-nil.
> I don't propose to change its default value to non-nil now,
> but at least it's worth thinking about.

view-mode is a distinct mode with its own distinct bindings.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).



  reply	other threads:[~2011-10-25 20:49 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 26+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2011-10-22 20:13 Fundamental mode vs. special mode Christoph Scholtes
2011-10-23  7:21 ` Chong Yidong
2011-10-23  9:19   ` martin rudalics
2011-10-23 13:28     ` Juri Linkov
2011-10-23 18:59       ` martin rudalics
2011-10-24  5:07         ` Juri Linkov
2011-10-24 16:39         ` Richard Stallman
2011-10-23 13:14   ` Johan Bockgård
2011-10-25  2:38     ` Chong Yidong
2011-10-25  3:51       ` Chong Yidong
2011-10-25 12:30         ` Stefan Monnier
2011-10-25 13:53           ` Juanma Barranquero
2011-10-25 15:11             ` Paul Eggert
2011-10-25 20:02               ` Stefan Monnier
2011-10-25 20:30                 ` Alan Mackenzie
2011-10-26  1:11                   ` Chong Yidong
2011-10-26 12:11                     ` Nix
2011-10-26 11:50                   ` Richard Stallman
2011-10-27  2:25                     ` Chong Yidong
2011-10-23 14:58   ` Christoph Scholtes
2011-10-24  5:11     ` Juri Linkov
2011-10-24 12:46       ` Stefan Monnier
2011-10-24 17:17       ` Alan Mackenzie
2011-10-25  4:30         ` Juri Linkov
2011-10-25 20:49           ` Alan Mackenzie [this message]
2011-10-26  1:18             ` Chong Yidong

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