Re: Patch to disable links line in *info* buffer

[Robert J. Chassell]

address@hidden (Kim F. Storm) writes

    You have never been able to copy what's in the mode-line.  

That is very true.  This means I cannot copy a file name for Info.
The name has been shifted from easily sharable to hard-to-share.

You point out that the mode-line tells you which file I am in.  This
is true.  But I like sharing this information with others but do not
like wasting my time doing so.  Consequently, an easily copy-able,
properly formatted line helps.

monnier+gnu/address@hidden writes:

   The problem is that the header-line, just line the mode-line, the
   tool-bar, the menu-bar (and probably more) is not part of the
   buffer.  There has never been any way to easily copy their content
   (and especially not their underlying "deep" content) with the usual
   keybindings.

You are right.  The new style for the header-line takes away an Emacs
feature.

I can live with being unable to copy the mode line, since it does not
have information I copy and send to people all the time like the
filename, including path, of the buffer I am visiting.  (My mode lines
have the name and path arranged in format that I personally can read
easily, but that is not good for email; I have not figured out a
format that works both for my monitoring and for my sharing at the
same time.)

I have been bothered by being unable to copy menus readily; but since
I hardly ever use or look at them, I personally don't find that much
trouble.  (People who do use their mouse frequently to open menus are
hurt by being unable to copy them.  For example, how can you
efficiently discuss variations to the `Options' menu without being
able to quote what you have?)

Eli makes a good suggestion, that you should be able to copy all of
Emacs.  I second him.

My concern is thats such copying also fit a `simple and satisfying'
criterion, which is that copying in the usual manner copies what you
see (modulo pro tem markup; i.e., the copying is of the words, which
is what you would do if copying by writing by hand, not the
typesetting).

A second type of textual generation, exemplified by the misnamed
`Info-copy-current-node-name' command, would use other commands, which
should not be bound to the same key, mouse, or other bindings use for
regular copying.  These commands would generate useful expressions for
the context.  The misnamed `Info-copy-current-node-name' command
generates a useful expression for a new-style *info* header; the
`mode-line-specify-current' command should generate a useful
expression for what a mode line says.

-- 
    Robert J. Chassell                  address@hidden
    Rattlesnake Enterprises             http://www.rattlesnake.com