RE: New multi-command facility displays in the wrong echo area.

[Gregory Heytings via "Emacs development discussions." <emacs-devel@gnu.org>]

Hi Drew,

>> I just realized (thanks to Stefan's last email on this list) that my 
>> patch introduces a regression for those who (like him) use 
>> miniwindow-only frames.
>>
>> To correct that regression, ...
>>
>> display the message at the end of the active minibuffer if it is either 
>> on the same frame as the current window, or if it is in a 
>> miniwindow-only frame.
>
> That takes care of that regression, but it doesn't take care of the 
> problem for minibuffer-only frames that it aims to solve otherwise.
>
> This is another reason why echo display in the mode-line is a 
> half-measure.  I'm in the same boat as Stefan on this: I use a 
> standalone minibuffer frame.  And I don't want any `message' output 
> shown in the minibuffer.
>

I gave you a (rough) draft that shows how this can be done yesterday.  I 
copy it here again:

(progn
   (select-frame (make-frame '((minibuffer . nil) (name . "Drew's Echo Area"))))
   (set-frame-height nil 1)
   (set-frame-parameter nil 'tool-bar-lines nil)
   (set-frame-parameter nil 'menu-bar-lines nil)
   (switch-to-buffer " *Drew's Echo Area*")
   (setq-local mode-line-format nil)
   (setq cursor-in-non-selected-windows nil))

(defun set-minibuffer-message (message)
   (with-current-buffer (get-buffer " *Drew's Echo Area*")
     (setq-local inhibit-read-only t)
     (erase-buffer)
     (insert message))
   t)

It's only a rough draft, but it seems to work quite well already.