Re: display.texi: (<line>,<col>) isn't documented.

[Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>]

'n Tag, Tomas!

On Thu, Jun 07, 2007 at 08:23:35AM +0000, tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 06, 2007 at 12:19:47AM +0100, Alan Mackenzie wrote:
> > Hi, Emacs!

> > When one of line-number-mode and column-number-mode is enabled, you
> > see either "L561" or "C2" in the mode line.  When both are enabled,
> > you see instead "(561,2)".  This isn't documented in the Emacs manual
> > page "Optional Mode Line".

> One definitive disadvantage of the "Lnnn Cnnn" format (and of the
> separate "Lnnn" or "Cnnn" formats in use now) is that they are not very
> internatinalization-friendly: they'll work only in English and some
> Latin-based languages.
 
I don't agree.  I think that the "L" and the "C" aren't really understood
as letters: they're kind of uninterpreted symbols.  Were the the position
to be indicated as just "561 2", who would know what they meant?  I'd
dislike that immensely.  But I wouldn't be bothered if some other random
letters, say "Z" und "S" were used instead.
 
> Of course, Emacs isn't i18n-ready, by a far stretch, but if we want to
> have that some day, maybe now is the time to consider such things when
> designing new features -- wdyt? 

That I want Emacs optimised for left-to-right European languages and
culture.  ;-)  For example, the Line number is written to the left of the
Column number, and it is "obviously" the Right Thing in our culture.
Surely part of the internationalisation will be displaying these things
appropriately for other cultures: for example, with the mode column on
the left, and the line number under the column number.  We shouldn't try
to find a compromise solution which would satisfy nobody.

> Regards -- tomás

-- 
Alan.