Re: [StrongED] RFC; Changing the choices system

[Fred Graute <fjgraute@xxxxxxxxx>]

In message <mpro.ne2b3102kz0i900mt.pittdj@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
          David Pitt <pittdj@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Fred Graute, on 26 Oct, wrote:
>
> > In message <mpro.ndyifl01hfh6a023q.pittdj@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >           David Pitt <pittdj@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

[snip]

> > I can see some appeal in that but we'd then need a new way to change
> > settings at text/view level (menus, different dbox?). It would avoid the
> > confusion of different scopes showing different values at the expense of
> > having more ways to change the settings.
>
> I think I did see a three level hierarchy, global (all modes), mode and
> view/text. In my vision a change to the Mode Choices is a change to the
> default value and would be applied to subsequent views and not the current
> one, an override of the default would be done from the lower toolbar.

As I work quite a lot with more than 1 view on a text I'd like to be
able to set display options at view level. The problem is that not all
settings can be changed using the Infobar so we need an alternative way
to alter such settings. How that might be done is what I'm trying to
find out.

> OTOH the choice of scope as illustrated in the demo prog would do the
> same but perhaps with less clarity. Tricky, he said unhelpfully.

No it didn't allow that and neither did my revised proposal. Changes at
mode level would be applied to the entire mode including open texts and
views. In principle all changes would be pushed onto inner scopes but
not to outer scopes.

> A developer might make much more intensive use of StrongED than I ever do,
> particularly if developing something complex like StrongED itself, be much
> more aware of the inconsistencies than I am and see these with more clarity.

There are a number of settings where inconsistencies occur. For example
the settings that make invisible characters visible. Very useful but I
usually want it 'on' in one particular view, but the option is applied
at mode level as well as view level.

Consequently all new views in that mode also show invisibles so I turn
it back off, which is fine as it doesn't affect the already open view
where I do want it.

Now I want to turn it off in that particular view. I have turn it on
first (because it's off at mode level) and then turn it back off to get
it off in that view.

Reason is, only settings that have been changed are applied and checking
that is done by comparing the dialogue box against the current settings
at mode level. The proper thing to do here would have been to use and
compare against the current view settings, hence the idea of using
scopes.

Another type of inconsistency is that some Infobar options override the
mode choices completely whereas others don't. Changing the wrapwidth in
mode choices doesn't affect the current view. However altering how tabs
are inserted does affect the current text but only if the value at text
level matches the value at mode level.

> I do hope this is of use and is not just user generated muddle.

Nope, not at all. It's very useful to be given a different view on
things. As maintainer I plan and implement things so I always (ahem)
know how they work and why they work in a specific way. Users may find
things confusing or impractical and I'd like to avoid that which is why
I'll raise changes that might be controversial here to see what people
think. The feedback is then used to fine-tune the idea or to change it
completely.

Cheers,
Fred.

-- 
StrongED Developer
http://www.stronged.iconbar.com/

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