RE: Some developement questions

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > > > we should turn on `delete-selection-mode' by default.
> > >
> > > I don't think we can, because it gets in the way when editing code.
> >
> > How so? It doesn't get in my way. Quite the contrary - I appreciate
> > it for editing code. Please give a recipe
> 
> Type "C-x C-x", then some letter: puff! the whole region is gone.
> This could be okay in text modes, but in code buffers users generally
> don't replace regions with single letters.

Just don't do that.

Not a problem at all. Never been a problem for me.
And if I somehow did that by mistake I'd just undo it.

It's equivalent to your doing this without `delete-selection-mode':
C-x C-x M-w, then some letter

I see zero difference between editing code and editing plain prose,
in this regard. In both cases the selection can be replaced by typing,
and that's a plus, not a minus. Nothing obliges you to replace the
region. If you want just to swap point and mark, without acting on
the region, then just C-g.

That C-x C-x activates the region is what's behind this. If you don't
want the region to be active then C-g after C-x C-x. Typing a letter
is no different from using M-w: you're acting on the active region.

C-x C-x is no longer just swapping point and mark. That ship sailed
long ago, when we turned on `transient-mark-mode' by default.
Now it also activates the region, and anyone who doesn't want it
activated can just use C-g to deactivate it.