Re: Neat features in Eclipse editor

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

    > * "Perspectives" are named persistent window configurations.  We have
    > had the window configuration mechanism in GNU Emacs since the
    > beginning but we have never developed a good user interface to take
    > advantage of them.  Eclipse's user interface seems to be good.

    Well, we already have `C-x r w R' (window-configuration-to-register)
    and `C-x r f R' (frame-configuration-to-register) for saving window
    configurations, and `C-x r j R' for restoring them.

The difference is subtle but crucial.  Selecting a perspective in
Eclipse is like selecting a buffer: if you change the buffer contents,
the changes are permanent in that buffer.  If you switch away and
switch back, you see what you last put in that buffer, once again.

Likewise, changes you make in the layout of a perspective permanently
alter that perspective.  The changes persist between sessions too.

There are also several initially defined perspectives that are useful
for specific purposes.

What we have now is a bare-bones feature that isn't really useful.
Perspectives are a convenient feature that really is useful.
Perhaps there is no "fundamental" difference, but the UI difference
is all the difference in the world.