Re: Suggested experimental test

[Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>]

* Gregory Heytings <gregory@heytings.org> [2021-03-23 17:19]:
> Just type emacs -Q, M-x list-packages RET, RET.  The package you now see
> ('ace-window') asks you to fiddle with your init file by adding a
> 'global-set-key' to it.  The second package in the list ('ack') does the
> same.  And so forth.  That's not a problem for you and me, it is a problem
> for newcomers, and these 'global-set-key's should be done automatically,
> during the installation process.

I really do not believe it is a problem for newcomers, but if you do,
I would like to see how you get that data.

Newcomers in almost any editor will be able to:

- move cursors with arrows
- insert chars with letters
- delete chars with backspace or DEL
- open and save files

That is it. More than that newcomers do not need. Almost every editor
will provide arrows as key bindings to move, saving and opening
files. 

As soon as newcomer starts installing `ace-window' it is not
"newcomer" any more. :-)

> Do you know any other software that asks you to change a
> configuration file manually to use an extension package?

Actually it is not software that asks user, but README or source
code. Software provides functions which user may use with M-x and for
convenience such can be placed in the menu or on key bindings. 

We already discussed that software could ask user about the proposed
key bindings and that it would be good so as it forwards artificial
intelligence in Emacs which now excels itself only in the "Emacs
Psychotherapist" part.

Your point is valid and useful. When asking which other software asks
you to change a configuration file manually, well, other software
usually do not install functions that become convenient when placed on
a key. So we do not speak just of extensions, we speak of how to make
commands from extensions more convenient. They however work without
key bindings. Key bindings is convenience for commands.

Let us consider example of Gimp as other software, not being editor
and having extensions. GIMP works with GTK, and GTK allows changing
key bindings for every menu function on the fly. Isn't that handy?

Again, to allow such change for any function on the fly, one has to
configure it in: /home/data1/protected/.gtkrc-2.0.mine to be:

gtk-can-change-accels = 1

Then user can go to favorite function such as "Blur" and press key on
the menu item such as C-9 to assign Blur to C-9 on the fly.

From there on I see your proposal that users should be spared of
customizing key bindings very positive for progress of Emacs.

I do not know if Emacs GTK version allows GTK to change key bindings
by pressing a key on the menu, but it should in my opinion, follow the
example of GTK and GIMP above, and various other GTK based software,
at least in GTK version of Emacs. Maybe it does, I have never tried. 

To improve Emacs in general, I would propose that:

- Package authors should be nudged by instructions from the manual to
  make menu for the package by default, and that users can be asked
  upon installation if they wish to have menu turned on -- and how to
  turn it on later if they did not decide to turn it on. Menus could
  be sub-menu of new Extensions menu, as that way the menu line would
  not be full of various packages' menus.

- Once user is in any menu, user could then press a key and assign key
  bindings. If user attempts to assign default key binding, Emacs
  would ask user twice about that decision. Otherwise any empty key
  bindings could be assigned to menu.

- Package key binding assignment function. Instead or in addition to
  the menu system above that would allow simple customization by using
  mouse, Emacs could have a built in general function that summarizes
  all interactive commands from a package and asks user how to assign
  key bindings. This solves the problem on individual basis for each
  user separately, and does not ask package authors to do anything
  special.

Package key binding assignment function
=======================================

It would work as following:

- when package P is loaded, Emacs would create automatically new
  interactive function named P-assign-keys

- function `P-assign-keys' would encompass all interactive functions
  from package P

- it would ask user:

  - For the function P-function-1 "This function erases screen as
    example" -- would you like to assign key bindings?

    When user attempts to assign default key bindings, user would be
    asked twice if sure.

    When user attempts to assign already assigned, but not default key
    binding, function would say it is already assigned and again ask
    user twice

    If key is not bound, it would just get assigned.

- package authors could propose some default key bindings in a list
  that would be used by general key binding assignment function

That way all keys can be assigned interactively with user having
control how to do it. Package authors would not need to do anything
special. If they do propose some key bindings, they could provide a
list, and that list could be used by the general key bindings
assignment function. When `P-assign-keys' is invoked, it would display
some key bindings that package author recommended as default. Authors
could also exclude some functions from `P-assign-keys' processing
unless user press C-u to assign key bindings to all.

That would eliminate users to make key bindings, but it would also not
impose on users any new key bindings without users' control. 

Upon installation of a package, user could be asked if one wishes to
assign key bindings immediately.

> As the author of Magit wrote when he added the "C-x g" global binding:
> 
> "Some [...] beginners will initially have a low threshold for things not
> working out of the box and I don't want to (continue to) scare them off by
> immediately forcing them to learn how to add key bindings and what that even
> means.  There's a lot of talk about making Emacs friendlier for beginners
> and this is a small step in that direction." [1]
> 
> [1] https://github.com/magit/magit/pull/4237#issuecomment-723495053

Sorry, the above paragraph is to me contradictory, as who uses Magit
cannot be a beginner, and I telling people how to change key bindings
results with programmers who contribute to Emacs or make their own
packages. Let us not shoot in our own foot by sparing people to learn
something new.

Jean