Re: org-mode, please change the name of function org-metaleft etc

[Bastien <bzg@altern.org>]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

>     In org-mode the functions that are bound to some keys are named
>     after the key binding, for example:
>
>        <M-left>        org-metaleft
>
> M-left is a basic cursor motion key which runs backward-word.
> It is not good for any major mode to rebind such keys,
> unless the new binding is a sort of extension or adaptation
> of the standard binding.  It is hard to see how backward-word
> could require any adaptation to a given major mode.
>
> What's up here?

Just a few remarks:

1. `org-metaleft' falls back on `backward-word' in the vaste majority of
   cases.  It calls the two other commands only when the point is at a
   table or a subtree -- so no surprise for the user.

2. the historical key for `backward-word' (M-b) remains unchanged.

3. this rebinding doesn't seem conceptually different to the one
   affecting the C-a key in message-mode: `message-beginning-of-line'
   redefines `beginning-of-line' so that the command is aware of the
   implicit field the line may contain.

4. the way Org handles all the commands associated with the arrow keys
   is very coherent; changing one binding among arrow keys commands may
   affect the whole equilibrum.

-- 
Bastien