tabulated-list-mode image support and what is expected of it

[Thuna]

For context, see full thread below (bug#53520)


Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:
> I think you're trying to use the mode for things it's not really
> suited for, and adding things like this will only be half measures.

Is tabulated-list-mode not a mode to be used by packages with tabular
content to display their contents?  If so, should it not be responsible
for ensuring the contents given to it are displayed properly?

tabulated-list-mode currently fails to adequately handle images
(bug#53520), a feature it supports.  Is it not expected for it to do so
without the need for packages to ensure their images fit their column, a
process they should not be exposed to?


Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:
> There's a lot of things the package using the mode could want to have
> done with the contents of the table, and modes can advise
> tabulated-list-print to do these transforms if they want to.

Even should this be the case, the variable `tabulated-list-printer' is
what packages should be using to change tabulated-list-mode's behavior,
not advice.

In fact, images can be handled in very much the same way; by defining a
variable `tabulated-list-image-resizer' (name subject to change) that
contains a function which, given an image and a column width, would fit
the image to the column.  This function could then be changed by
packages that wish to handle image resizing differently to suit their
needs.