How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp

How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp

[KARR, DAVID (ATTCINW)]

After installing GNU Emacs on some new boxes recently, I finally
realized one thing that is behaving differently than what I'm used to.

When I'm using isearch-forward-regexp, I can type letter by letter, and
it will update the first match found.  I used to be able to hit
backspace while typing to remove the last character entered in the
search string, in case I made a mistake entering the string.

Now, when I hit backspace, it exits isearch-forward-regexp and sends the
backspace directly to the buffer I was searching in, usually deleting
the previous character at the end of the last match.

I have a feeling this must have something to do with the binding of the
backspace key in Cygwin.

I'm using Emacs 23.0.92.1 on Cygwin 1.5.

How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp

[David Karr]

(I apologize if this is a duplicate post. I tried using the email
gateway, but it didn't seem to work, or it takes too long.)

After installing GNU Emacs on some new boxes recently, I finally
realized one thing that is behaving differently than what I'm used to.

When I'm using isearch-forward-regexp, I can type letter by letter,
and it will update the first match found.  I used to be able to hit
backspace while typing to remove the last character entered in the
search string, in case I made a mistake entering the string.

Now, when I hit backspace, it exits isearch-forward-regexp and sends
the backspace directly to the buffer I was searching in, usually
deleting the previous character at the end of the last match.

I have a feeling this must have something to do with the binding of
the backspace key in Cygwin.

I'm using Emacs 23.0.92.1 on Cygwin 1.5.

RE: How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp

[Drew Adams]

> After installing GNU Emacs on some new boxes recently, I finally
> realized one thing that is behaving differently than what I'm used to.
> 
> When I'm using isearch-forward-regexp, I can type letter by letter,
> and it will update the first match found.  I used to be able to hit
> backspace while typing to remove the last character entered in the
> search string, in case I made a mistake entering the string.
> 
> Now, when I hit backspace, it exits isearch-forward-regexp and sends
> the backspace directly to the buffer I was searching in, usually
> deleting the previous character at the end of the last match.
> 
> I have a feeling this must have something to do with the binding of
> the backspace key in Cygwin.
> 
> I'm using Emacs 23.0.92.1 on Cygwin 1.5.

Sounds like you should file a bug. But you might want to get the latest pretest
first, to see if the problem is already fixed.

Re: How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 15.07.2009 um 00:48 schrieb Drew Adams:

> Sounds like you should file a bug. But you might want to get the  
> latest pretest
> first, to see if the problem is already fixed.


Same version on Mac OS X does not show this behaviour. A backspace  
entered returns to previous places found by the evolving regular  
expression and eats this one, not the contents of the buffer  
searched. And the search is not interrupted. (Recent version is  
23.1.50, so there is probably a stable 23.1 released…)

--
Greetings

   Pete

With Capitalism man exploits man. With communism it's the exact  
opposite.

Re: How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp

[Bernardo]

> (I apologize if this is a duplicate post. I tried using the email
> gateway, but it didn't seem to work, or it takes too long.)
> 
> After installing GNU Emacs on some new boxes recently, I finally
> realized one thing that is behaving differently than what I'm used to.
> 
> When I'm using isearch-forward-regexp, I can type letter by letter,
> and it will update the first match found.  I used to be able to hit
> backspace while typing to remove the last character entered in the
> search string, in case I made a mistake entering the string.
> 
> Now, when I hit backspace, it exits isearch-forward-regexp and sends
> the backspace directly to the buffer I was searching in, usually
> deleting the previous character at the end of the last match.
> 
> I have a feeling this must have something to do with the binding of
> the backspace key in Cygwin.
> 
> I'm using Emacs 23.0.92.1 on Cygwin 1.5.
> 

does it happen when you start Emacs with -Q command line option?
(it's not happening here but i'm not running the Cygwin version)

in the meantime something like this:
(define-key isearch-mode-map [backspace] 'isearch-delete-char)

in your init file (.emacs) could provide a relief

RE: How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp

[KARR, DAVID (ATTCINW)]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+dk068x=att.com@gnu.org [mailto:help-gnu-
> emacs-bounces+dk068x=att.com@gnu.org] On Behalf Of Bernardo
> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 3:26 AM
> To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: How to backspace in isearch-forward-regexp
> 
> 
> 
> > (I apologize if this is a duplicate post. I tried using the email
> > gateway, but it didn't seem to work, or it takes too long.)
> >
> > After installing GNU Emacs on some new boxes recently, I finally
> > realized one thing that is behaving differently than what I'm used
> to.
> >
> > When I'm using isearch-forward-regexp, I can type letter by letter,
> > and it will update the first match found.  I used to be able to hit
> > backspace while typing to remove the last character entered in the
> > search string, in case I made a mistake entering the string.
> >
> > Now, when I hit backspace, it exits isearch-forward-regexp and sends
> > the backspace directly to the buffer I was searching in, usually
> > deleting the previous character at the end of the last match.
> >
> > I have a feeling this must have something to do with the binding of
> > the backspace key in Cygwin.
> >
> > I'm using Emacs 23.0.92.1 on Cygwin 1.5.
> >
> 
> does it happen when you start Emacs with -Q command line option?
> (it's not happening here but i'm not running the Cygwin version)
> 
> in the meantime something like this:
> (define-key isearch-mode-map [backspace] 'isearch-delete-char)
> 
> in your init file (.emacs) could provide a relief

Yes, it works when I start with "-Q", and the "define-key" also fixes
it.  From that information, I would conclude that the following line,
which I added to get backspace to work normally in text to delete the
previous char, is likely what is causing this:

(global-set-key [backspace] 'delete-backward-char)

I've now added that "define-key" line after this one, and now backspace
works properly in both normal editing, and in isearch.