Re: Bidirectional text and URLs

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

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  > > One idea: change the mode line color when there is any RTL text
  > > (in the buffer, or on the screen, whichever is easier).

  > That's possible, but I think it's too drastic.  Just having RTL text
  > doesn't yet constitute any danger or require special vigilance on the
  > part of the user,

It requires special vigilance if the user isn't expecting it!

I am not saying that RTL per se is dangerous.  I'm suggesting we
should warn users very visibly about RTL text it if they don't
normally use it and are perhaps not expecting it.

Changing the color of the mode line was my first idea.  Another idea
is to display "This buffer contains right-to-left text\n\n" at the start
of the buffer.

People like you who are accustomed to RTL editing would set a flag
to disable those messages.

  > > Another idea: make magic bidi characters visible by default.  People
  > > who edit in RTL languages and get used to bidi could set a user option
  > > to make them invisible.

  > This is both possible and easy, we already have infrastructure for
  > this.  Not sure it's enough, though:

I don't think it is enough by itself.  We should continue with the
other proposed measures too.

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Dr Richard Stallman
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