Re: Windows' "split status"

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

> My problem with `window-nest' is that the term is misleading: windows
> can still be "nested" even when `window-nest' is nil, in the sense that
> groups of live windows are nested within internal parent windows.  A
> non-nil `window-nest' only means that a parent window can have only two
> children.

But I think this result is just a consequence of the implementation
rather than actual intention.  My impression is that window-nest is
trying to solve a problem which can't be solved with a user-config: it's
trying to provide some kind of way for elisp packages to use parent
windows as a form of "very lightweight sub-frame", without touching much
of their code (e.g. without making their code use parent windows
explicitly).
IIUC the use of window-nest for that purpose only works if the
application limits itself to using 2 windows within that "sub-frame", so
it's not ideal.

> That's why I think it's better to replace the "window nest status"
> concept with something like "the number of allowed children", which is
> more direct.

But I think it goes even further away from the actual intention and need
of (elisp) users.

I can't think of any case where you'd want to set this to a value
greater than 2, for example.


        Stefan