problem with comment-start

[Werner LEMBERG]

[emacs CVS 2004-08-22]

In plain text mode, setting the variable `comment-start' to, say, ">",
a long line like

  This is a test with comment-start which starts on the >right side<, and which 
causes strange indentation

looks like this

  This is a test with comment-start which starts on the >right side<,
                                                        >and which
                                                        >causes
                                                        >strange
                                                        >indentation

after pressing M-q.

Can this be improved?  Right now these suggestions come to my mind:

  . If `>' appears in column 12 or greater, don't treat it as
    comment-start.  This ad-hoc value should be customizable.

  . If `>' appears in column 1-11, test the previous and next line
    whether we also have `>' at the same position.

  . Provide a new command within emacs, say, C-M-q, which is the same as
    M-q in text mode, and which ignores `>'.

BTW, there isn't a single remark in the documentation of
`fill-paragraph' that it is influenced by the `comment-start'
variable.


    Werner