From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Richard Stallman Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Neat features in Eclipse editor Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:53:19 -0400 Message-ID: References: <873aqia0eh.fsf@stupidchicken.com> Reply-To: rms@gnu.org NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15 X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1206320038 13483 80.91.229.12 (24 Mar 2008 00:53:58 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:53:58 +0000 (UTC) Cc: pmr@pajato.com, emacs-devel@gnu.org To: Chong Yidong Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon Mar 24 01:54:28 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1JdaxH-0007Pe-TR for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:54:28 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1Jdawh-0006hR-3o for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:53:51 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1JdawD-0006Oa-Mz for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:53:21 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1JdawC-0006Ng-5V for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:53:21 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1JdawB-0006Na-Vp for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:53:20 -0400 Original-Received: from fencepost.gnu.org ([140.186.70.10]) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1JdawB-0007es-LO for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:53:19 -0400 Original-Received: from rms by fencepost.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.67) (envelope-from ) id 1JdawB-0006OD-2u; Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:53:19 -0400 In-reply-to: <873aqia0eh.fsf@stupidchicken.com> (message from Chong Yidong on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:56:06 -0400) X-detected-kernel: by monty-python.gnu.org: Linux 2.6, seldom 2.4 (older, 4) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:93278 Archived-At: > * "Perspectives" are named persistent window configurations. We have > had the window configuration mechanism in GNU Emacs since the > beginning but we have never developed a good user interface to take > advantage of them. Eclipse's user interface seems to be good. Well, we already have `C-x r w R' (window-configuration-to-register) and `C-x r f R' (frame-configuration-to-register) for saving window configurations, and `C-x r j R' for restoring them. The difference is subtle but crucial. Selecting a perspective in Eclipse is like selecting a buffer: if you change the buffer contents, the changes are permanent in that buffer. If you switch away and switch back, you see what you last put in that buffer, once again. Likewise, changes you make in the layout of a perspective permanently alter that perspective. The changes persist between sessions too. There are also several initially defined perspectives that are useful for specific purposes. What we have now is a bare-bones feature that isn't really useful. Perspectives are a convenient feature that really is useful. Perhaps there is no "fundamental" difference, but the UI difference is all the difference in the world.