From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Dan Davison Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: How to display message persistently in echo area Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 19:12:42 +0100 Message-ID: <20080808181242.GA4885@stats.ox.ac.uk> References: <87bq035y0q.fsf@lion.rapttech.com.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1218219220 28505 80.91.229.12 (8 Aug 2008 18:13:40 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 18:13:40 +0000 (UTC) To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri Aug 08 20:14:31 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1KRWTu-0004rK-QW for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:14:31 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:46623 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1KRWSx-0001H2-Mg for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:13:31 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1KRWSg-0001Gu-Jj for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:13:14 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1KRWSf-0001F5-8G for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:13:14 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=38260 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1KRWSe-0001Ee-Sv for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:13:12 -0400 Original-Received: from markov.stats.ox.ac.uk ([163.1.210.1]:38738) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1KRWSd-0000uV-W3 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:13:12 -0400 Original-Received: from blackcap.stats.ox.ac.uk (blackcap.stats [163.1.210.5]) by markov.stats.ox.ac.uk (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id m78IDAS9021106 for ; Fri, 8 Aug 2008 19:13:10 +0100 (BST) Original-Received: by blackcap.stats.ox.ac.uk (Postfix, from userid 5158) id 437B818082; Fri, 8 Aug 2008 19:13:10 +0100 (BST) Mail-Followup-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <87bq035y0q.fsf@lion.rapttech.com.au> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.18 (2008-05-17) X-detected-kernel: by monty-python.gnu.org: Solaris 8 (1) X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:56326 Archived-At: On Sat, Aug 09, 2008 at 01:25:57AM +1000, Tim X wrote: > Dan Davison writes: > > > When I evaluate (message "the message"), "the message" remains in the > > echo area until, for example, a key press in the current buffer. > > > > I'd like to be write a function that behaves like message, but for > > which the message does not disappear when I start typing. I want it to > > go away when I next do something that actually uses the echo area / > > minibuffer. What strategy do people suggest for achieving this aim? Or > > have I missed something that exists already? > > > > [The motivation is in ESS (Emacs Speaks Statistics) which has a nice > > function that reminds one of function arguments in the echo > > buffer. Unfortunately I've discovered that I can remember 3 function > > arguments for less than a couple of seconds.] > > > maybe minibuffer-message-timeout will help > > ,----[ C-h v minibuffer-message-timeout RET ] > | minibuffer-message-timeout is a variable defined in `C source code'. > | Its value is 2 > | > | Documentation: > | *How long to display an echo-area message when the minibuffer is active. > | If the value is not a number, such messages don't time out. > | > | [back] > `---- AIUI minibuffer-message-timeout controls the following situation: C-x b C-f [you were about to choose a buffer, but now there's a message saying 'End of buffer' -- how long is that thing going to be in the way for if I just sit here and do nothing?] If I set it to some non-number then the message will stay around forever, but only if the minibuffer is active. However if I start typing then AIUI the minibuffer will not be active, and so the variable doesn't seem to help me. Dan p.s. When I evaluate (setq minibuffer-message-timeout 1), the following appears in the echo area: 1 (#o1, #x1) What does that notation mean? > > Tim > > > -- > tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au