From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Miles Bader Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: suggestion for set-file-modes Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:08:39 +0900 Message-ID: <874pc8s82w.fsf@catnip.gol.com> References: <200801201812.m0KICxYl009632@sallyv1.ics.uci.edu> <871w7jqiic.fsf@cadilhac.name> <200802112200.m1BM0pke028675@sallyv1.ics.uci.edu> <87r6fjoybf.fsf@cadilhac.name> <87y79ku2tf.fsf@jurta.org> <87r6fc33g5.fsf@cadilhac.name> <87ir0oscs1.fsf@jurta.org> <87lk5k30cz.fsf@cadilhac.name> <873arso1bv.fsf@jurta.org> Reply-To: Miles Bader NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1203210543 16857 80.91.229.12 (17 Feb 2008 01:09:03 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:09:03 +0000 (UTC) Cc: Dan, Nicolaescu , =?utf-8?Q?Micha=C3=ABl?= Cadilhac , emacs-devel@gnu.org To: Juri Linkov Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sun Feb 17 02:09:26 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1JQY21-00010M-Vx for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:09:26 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1JQY1X-00052b-LJ for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:08:55 -0500 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1JQY1U-00051A-A8 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:08:52 -0500 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1JQY1S-00050h-Ok for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:08:52 -0500 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1JQY1S-00050e-J4 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:08:50 -0500 Original-Received: from smtp11.dentaku.gol.com ([203.216.5.73]) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1JQY1O-0001q9-H0; Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:08:47 -0500 Original-Received: from 203-216-97-023.dsl.gol.ne.jp ([203.216.97.23] helo=catnip.gol.com) by smtp11.dentaku.gol.com with esmtpa (Dentaku) id 1JQY1K-0007GZ-D4; Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:08:42 +0900 Original-Received: by catnip.gol.com (Postfix, from userid 1000) id D02C32FF7; Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:08:40 +0900 (JST) System-Type: i686-pc-linux-gnu In-Reply-To: <873arso1bv.fsf@jurta.org> (Juri Linkov's message of "Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:48:04 +0200") Original-Lines: 28 X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV GOL (outbound) X-Abuse-Complaints: abuse@gol.com X-detected-kernel: by monty-python.gnu.org: Linux 2.6 (newer, 3) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:89299 Archived-At: Juri Linkov writes: > The standard convention when reading a value in the minibuffer is to put > the default value in the prompt and make it available for editing by M-n. > When the permission bits are retrieved in such notation from the default > value then editing them is just like toggling that is convenient. Soooo, why not convert it to an appropriate "input form" for putting in the prompt/default ? E.g., -rwxrwxrw- => "ug=rwx,o=rw" That has the advantage that such "input forms" are a bit more robust, because they aren't fixed-width with position-senstive fields. They're also somewhat more self-documenting. [Also, of course, it's more consistent with other programs, none of which use the "ls forms" for input.] It shouldn't be very hard to do. -Miles -- The automobile has not merely taken over the street, it has dissolved the living tissue of the city. Its appetite for space is absolutely insatiable; moving and parked, it devours urban land, leaving the buildings as mere islands of habitable space in a sea of dangerous and ugly traffic. [James Marston Fitch, New York Times, 1 May 1960]