From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Michael Durland" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: virtual space? Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 01:52:28 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: <87y8vgbhdc.fsf@lucien.dreaming> NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1066701719 23626 80.91.224.253 (21 Oct 2003 02:01:59 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 02:01:59 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Oct 21 04:01:57 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by deer.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1ABlqP-0005jv-00 for ; Tue, 21 Oct 2003 04:01:57 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.24) id 1ABlpT-0000WO-CI for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Mon, 20 Oct 2003 22:00:59 -0400 Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!logbridge.uoregon.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!elnk-nf2-pas!newsfeed.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net.POSTED!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help Original-Lines: 35 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 165.247.206.3 Original-X-Complaints-To: abuse@earthlink.net Original-X-Trace: newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net 1066701148 165.247.206.3 (Mon, 20 Oct 2003 18:52:28 PDT) mdurland@ix.netcom.com Original-NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 18:52:28 PDT Original-Xref: shelby.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:117467 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:13398 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:13398 > > I tried picure-mode, but that seems to insert tabs into the file as > > soon as the cursor is moved into empty space. I don't want to modify > > the file, I just want to be able to move the cursor anywhere. Only if > > I start typing in that empty space, then I do want it to fill the > > empty space with tabs and/or spaces. > > Why would you want to move the cursor somewhere if you don't plan to > edit anything there? Having the cursor move to somewhere where I didn't tell it to go is annoying. For example, imagine holding down the up or down arrow key to move some distance in a file, like from the bottom of a window to somewhere in the middle. The cursor should move directly up the column it started in. But emacs doesn't do that. The cursor jumps around all over the place. It is very distracting. Regardless of where typing actually occurs, the cursor shouldn't move except exactly where it's told to go. If I tell it to go up, it should go up one line and not change columns. Period. I researched this a little more and indeed this is not something that can be changed in emacs. Furthermore, I found posts in newsgroups asking for this feature going back to at least 1998, 5 years. Every good editor I've ever used has virtual space. I find it hard to believe that the most well known/respected best editor on the planet can't do it. Can someone please point me to how to submit a wishlist request for the next version of emacs? I really want to learn this great editor, but stuff like this is frustrating. When I need to work on UNIX where I don't have my trusty TSE Pro, I was hoping I could customize emacs to do what I need. But it just lacks key features. e.g. virtual space and popup windows being the ones I can't live without. Emacs windows and frames do not cut it for popup windows. On this note, I saw another post requesting popup windows as well, e.g. in order to implement something akin to the C++ class member autocompletion popups of many editors. I read this can be somewhat faked with the new tooltip concept, but it is not a complete solution. *sigh*