RE: ASCII-folded search [was: Re: Upcoming loss of usability ...]

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> We have just installed that feature, and it's still being worked on
> to eliminate some rough edges and unintended consequences.  Let it be
> refined, then let it be used by users (including you, Drew) for some
> time, and then let's collect user experience and complaints and see
> if something needs to be fixed.  _Then_ we will have experience and
> real data points to discuss constructively and efficiently.

I'm guessing that the feature you are talking about is the char
folding that Bruce/Artur installed, and *not* the suggestion by
Kaushal to "take over the mode line" and use "a lot of space to
verbosely display the searching options".

If so then we are in violent agreement and I think you did not
understand me.  My comments were directed to the suggested
mode-line feature, not to the char-folding feature.

My message was to not go down the road of changing the mode
line that way now without thinking about what might be
appropriate when there are more folding possibilities.

My point was precisely to let people use the new char folding
for a while, *without* also immediately jumping into a UI
change of the mode line to indicate whether it is on or off.

That's all.  I am in favor of the char-folding advancement,
and of its refinement over time, based on user experience etc.,
exactly as you describe.  I was quite clear that I am "very
thankful that we will soon have some additional char folding
beyond case folding."  This is a step forward.

I agree that we should "collect user experience and complaints
and see if something needs to be fixed."  And not just wrt
fixing something but wrt improvement suggestions, including
any suggestions about how to let users know what the current
search state is.  Time will tell what is most helpful for that.

My point was only that we should not prematurely opt now for a
new, mode-line UI means of conveying the status - something we
don't even do currently for case folding.

Wait and see what might work best for this - that was my
message.  As you put it, "_Then_ we will have experience and
real data points to discuss constructively and efficiently."

We could discuss it now, but we should not just throw some
take-over-the-mode-line UI change out there now, which might
end up tying our hands (yes, momentum) and not make sense if
and when more folding possibilities become available.  And
even discussion about the UI possibilities is best carried
out when we've had more experience with the new feature.

A priori, I am in favor of our eventually adding some way of
indicating the current search state, including perhaps using
the mode-line.  My objection is to us prematurely opting for
a way that might not fit well with the existence of multiple
foldings.