Re: C-d deleting region considered harmful

[Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org>]

Chad Brown <yandros@MIT.EDU> writes:
>> Not a good idea, I think, since one of the primary uses of C-x C-x
>> is to re-activate the region!  [for me about 90% of the time I
>> think...]
>
> Not to point the ``you're wrong!'' finger, but I suspect that this
> is not the primary use of C-xC-x for *most* people, but instead is
> the use for a narrow selection of people who learned to appreciate
> using the active region with the keyboard before
> mouse/shift-selection was really common.

It's true, that my claim is "just my claim" -- but on the other hand
so is yours (it doesn't seem any more logically consistent).  I think
actual data is necessary to actually determine which is really more
widespread.

> I suspect that the people (like me, admittedly) who started to
> really learn emacs before transient regions had already internalized
> C-xC-x as `hop between two spots', and the newer people who are used
> to graphical feedback flourishes like a highlighted active region
> are used to setting the mark explicitly, or using either the mouse
> or shift-selection.

Remember, C-x C-x _reactivates_ the region, it's not a "set the region
command", and indeed, my most common use seems to be using it after
some typing goof accidentally causes my (laboriously selected) region
to get deactivated for some reason.

For the record, I'm definitely in your generation -- I first started
using Emacs regularly in 1983.  So while I like tmm a lot, I'm of the
"keyboard generation."  I learned the "new usage" of C-x C-x pretty
quickly, and I don't see any obvious reason to believe that others
long-time users are any different (many long-time users of course,
hate tmm generally, but they probably just turn it off, and so really
don't have a dog in this race).

> I suggest adding a flag to invert the default meaning of ARG in
> exchange-point-and-mark, at least as an experiment.  I suspect that
> the new behavior would be more in line with expected behavior for most
> people, but it'd be hard to determine, and it seems reasonable to
> default to the existing behavior in such a situation.

Er, how about a bit more basis than "I suspect" first...

-Miles

-- 
Abstainer, n. A weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a
pleasure. A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but
abstention, and especially from inactivity in the affairs of others.