Re: [dev] Experimental editor

On 12 June 2011 18:55, Martin Kühl <martin.kuehl_AT_gmail.com> wrote:
> Have you considered a command-quasimode? That way you could keep
> vi-style composeable commands and stay mostly modeless.

Yes, this is possible -- I was wondering whether we could fit in
command composition. A quasimode would work well for things like
numeric composition (e.g., `Meta↓ # ↑ Ctrl↓ 6 r f ↑' or similar), but
wouldn't work for complex functions like substitution.

For substitution I'm tempted to just add a keybind to switch to and
from the command pane, which appears at the bottom of the view
(`Quake-like', as Paul says). That means we can do this just with a
raw command, like vi does with `:'.

So that's pretty much modeless, then. The only mode is switching pane,
which is a necessary component of the X user's locus. Sounds good to
me.

> Nice, just please keep leaping backwards in mind as well. I seem to
> recall later Archie prototypes spliting leap into two commands for
> leaping forwards and backwards (Mod+> and Mod+< respectively), both
> implemented as quasimodes.

Yeah, leaping backward is an annoyance. I'd like to keep leaps in
instant muscle memory, which imo rules out `Mod->'. Meta-Ctrl would
use up too many digits -- I imagine binding Meta to CapsLock, in which
case I naturally use fingers 4 and 5, leaving nothing to hit Shift --
we would need "foot pedals and a chin switch". So honestly I don't
know, yet. I'm open to more ideas.

Thanks,
cls
Received on Sun Jun 12 2011 - 23:38:50 CEST