Re: (insert ...) won't respect delete-selection-mode

[Xah <xahlee@gmail.com>]

In this thread:
«(insert ...) won't respect delete-selection-mode Options»
«(put 'insert-date 'delete-selection t)»
«The command also needs to be activated with keyboard. M-x does not do
it.»
«Doesn't this look like a delicate problem? Maybe a bug?»

I reported this to FSF.

http://groups.google.com/group/gnu.emacs.bug/browse_frm/thread/ba8ab4a5223591b7

Richard M Stallman wrote:
«It's intentional.  This feature implements expectations that users
have for single-character editing operations in other editors, where
those commands don't have names and there's nothing like M-x.  So
there's no reason why M-x should delete the region.  It is better for
M-x just to call the function.»

Xah Lee wrote:

«Interesting point.

For elisp programers who wish to write extentions where the command's
behaviors change depending on whether user has delete-selection-mode
on, what should they do? Check for mark-active and delete-selection-
mode before any call to the insert function?

also, the current behavior seems to introduce a complexity, where
command behaves differently depending on whether it is invoked by a
keybinding or by M-x.
»

Richard wrote:
«If you really want to make behavior depend on those variables, you
need to check them.  Whether you check them before or after calling
`insert' is up to you.

But that seems like a strange thing to do.»

Doh! I failed humanity.

  Xah
∑ http://xahlee.org/

☄