Re: Emacs 21.2 display bugs: variables: cursor-type; properties: display, before-string, after-string, invisible, intangible

[Joe Wells <jbw@izanami.cee.hw.ac.uk>]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

> > The buffer's value of cursor-type is ignored when the buffer's
> > window is not the selected window.  Instead, the usual hollow box
> > cursor is displayed.
> 
> This is not a bug, but the documentation of cursor-type fails to say
> it.

It is a bug in the sense that it is contrary to the expectations of
anyone using the cursor-type variable.  That is, even if you think the
code is doing what you intended it to do, I think the intended
behavior is wrong.

> However, it might be reasonable to change this.  Perhaps the cursor
> in a nonselected window should have the same appearance as when the
> cursor "blinks off".  For a bar cursor, this would mean it becomes a
> thin bar.

I don't understand this, because when the cursor blinks off for me, it
disappears completely.

> What do people think of that idea?

There are several situations which can now result in distinct cursor
appearances:

  the window is selected

  the window is selected, the cursor is "blinking", and it has blinked
  "off"

  the window is not selected

There are also variations in the shape of the cursor (bar of various
thicknesses, block, hollow block, completely missing) and the color of
the cursor.

It seems to me that the shape and color of the cursor should be
selectable for each situation.  So you could make the cursor "blink"
by changing color or thickness instead of disappearing.

-- 
Joe Wells