Re: Emacs learning curve

[Miles Bader]

Lennart Borgman <address@hidden> writes:
>> [That is not a mode in the normal sense -- people don't think of "oh,
>> I'll enter C-x mode, then hit C-s," they think of the entire thing
>> sequence as a single entity.  So the downsides normally attributed to
>> modality don't really apply.]
>
> Of course it is a mode in the normal sense, however with a short life.

The "normal sense" precludes "modes" that have sub-second lifetimes in
use, because they are thought about very differently by the user.

> It can create trouble for someone used to CUA keys where you cut with
> C-x or copy with C-c.

No doubt; a shame, but it's not obvious what we can do about it without
causing many more problems.

>>> Of course this work around is not needed any more of CUA would be made
>>> a first class citizen in Emacs.
>>
>> No doubt --- but the costs of doing that (which you constantly seem to
>> simply ignore) seem very high, and thus it is unlikely to happen.
>
> So is not the best to find a way to minimize the cost?

Sure -- but thus far, the only remotely practical method appears to be
"don't use CUA."

I don't have any religious objection to CUA keys (well at least the
C-x/C-c/C-v triumvirate), if there were a practical way of accommodating
them without excessive problems -- but thus far, despite all the
vigorous hand-waving and pontificating, nobody has actually come up with
anything that seems remotely practical.

-Miles

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