Re: Text editors

[Mike Sangrey <mike sojurn lns pa us>]

Nathan Clegg brought up the issue (or shall I say 'need') to make the 
keybindings configurable.  I whole heartily agree.  If fact, it is even more 
important than what one immediately sees.

Let's take 'file-save' for example.  Bind that to a key.  So far so good.  
Now, in one application the person wants to save a file, so they press a key 
or select a menu, or whatever.  File is saved and everyone is happy.  But!  
What does 'file-save' mean?  Does it mean:  "write that file out to disk 
again, yeah, I know it's saved, but do it anyway?"  Or, does it mean, "Check 
whether I've saved that file, if I haven't, then save it.  That way I don't 
use network bandwidth nor muck with the time stamp."  For one editor, people 
will be use to 'file-save' meaning one thing; for another editor, the 
semantics may be different.  It's a little tricky.

My point, maybe longwindedly, is:
  1.  The semantics of what the keybindings can be bound to must be clearly 
defined.
  2.  Those semantics must be clearly communicated so that users are not 
surprised when they use the keybinding.
  3.  The configurability of keygindings for the applications must allow for 
considerable flexability.  I must be able to bind 'file-save-I-insist' for one 
application; and 'file-save-maybe' for another--for the same keybinding!
-- 
Mike Sangrey
mike@sojurn.lns.pa.us