Re: Need a simple text mode

[roodwriter@ureach.com]

hemant <gethemant@gmail.com> writes:

> Hi,
> 
> I wanted a simple text mode, in which all the newlines should be
> started at the previous indentation level and If i want to change the
> indentation level from any given line I would press <TAB> key, which
> would insert 2 spaces from the current indentation level and indent
> the line.
> 
> 
> Many would claim, this is already the behaviour, but its not so. If I
> press TAB sometimes I get indentation width of 2 or 4 or 8 spaces.
> Even though I have set tab-stop variable to:
> 
> 2 4 6 8 10 ....
> 
> So for setting up uniform indentation of 2 spaces in text mode, I did:
> 
> (define-key text-mode-map [tab] (lambda
>                                  () (interactive) (insert "  ")))
> 
> I guess, you would agree this is not the solution.
> 
> Any help?
> 
> 
> -- 
> There was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs
> were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary.
> 
> 

You can get a text tab with M-i, C-q C-i or C-q tab. Not convenient, I
know, but the default tab is apparently set for programmers, not
writers, who like variable indents. You, of course, can define your
tab any way you like.

I one time tried changing the keybinding on my tab key to M-i but
found that some commands (maybe some macros, don't remember) then
wouldn't work correctly.

Your tabs will work the way you think they will if you write things
unfilled, since the tab takes its cue from the first word in the
previous line. But writing unfilled isn't as nice for most of us.

Another way, which I favor, is to write only in block paragraphs,
which is what you're seeing here, and use longlines.el. It's nothing
to set up a permanent macro to convert the empty newline (or two
newlines in a row) to a tab when you're done. I find writing without
tabs faster and you're less prone to accidentally hitting the caps
lock AND GETTING A LOT OF TEXT LIKE THIS.

If you want the full tabbed-paragraph experience, though, use
longlines.el with M-x paragraph-indent-text-mode. You'll still have to
M-i etc. though.

Hope this was what you were looking for.

--Rod
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