Re: org-startup-truncated default should be nil [legibility 2/6]

[Adam Porter <adam@alphapapa.net>]

Texas Cyberthal <texas.cyberthal@gmail.com> writes:

> #+begin_src elisp
> (org-startup-truncated nil)
> #+end_src
>
> Line truncation is necessary for code but anathema for prose. Prose
> lines need visual wrap as windows resize, so that texts can be
> compared easily.
>
> Advanced Org uses such as large tables require line truncation. Tables
> are a code-like fixed-pitch feature.
>
> Users will write a paragraph of prose longer than the screen well
> before they discover a need for line truncation, such as long lines of
> code or wide tables. Users who need line truncation are likely to know
> about it, whereas users who need line truncation off are unlikely to
> know what it's called.
>
> Learning about line truncation is an unnecessary hurdle for beginners.
> Therefore the default should be nil.

visual-line-mode and toggle-truncate-lines are basic Emacs commands that
all users should learn early.  As well, many users prefer to use filled
paragraphs rather than visual wrapping.  And we shouldn't prioritize
prose above other uses. So this default should probably not be changed.

What would be useful would be if Emacs/Org could be configured to wrap
prose lines but not, e.g. tables and code blocks.  I don't think such
functionality exists in Emacs now, but here's a new package that may be
relevant: https://github.com/luisgerhorst/virtual-auto-fill

As well, it might be good to discuss on emacs-devel whether a feature
could be developed to truncate/wrap lines selectively; maybe
font-locking could be used to apply text properties to disable wrapping
dynamically (assuming that a feature could be developed to wrap based on
a certain text property).  Then we could have the best of both worlds,
and solve an existing problem, viz. that tables and code gets wrapped
when visual-line-mode is enabled.