Re: Proposal to improve the nomenclature of scrolling directions

[martin rudalics]

>> Not necessarily.  We can always move point lazily, that is, whenever it
>> is requested.
>
> That requires changes to window-scrolling functions, since currently
> they do move point, and they do it non-lazily.  See
> window_scroll_pixel_based, where it calls SET_PT_BOTH etc.

I meant to move `point' lazily _after_ we're done with scrolling.  If
the emulation is on and the command is not a scrolling command
recognized by the emulation, move `point' to where it was before
scrolling.  That's what I do in `scroll-restore-mode' (if wanted).

> And what does "whenever it is requested" means, anyway, in practical
> terms?

Whenever the current command is not a scroll command.  In
`scroll-restore-mode' I do that in a pre-command hook.

> Those "other editors" that allow point to stay out of the
> window will scroll the display back to show point when some command is
> invoked that modifies the buffer text.

Where would we have `forward-char' start moving when emulating such
"other editors"?

> Given that the modification
> commands don't require moving point, and C-v/M-v won't either (as this
> is the main justification for the feature we are discussing), what
> will?

The modification commands can require moving point, if desired.  But
while it might be useful to emulate other editors in this regard, the
main deficiencies we should concentrate on are:

- When scrolling for-/backward, a window's point should appear where it
  was before we started scrolling.  Currently, it doesn't when using
  different faces and maybe in some other cases as well.

- Avoid the silly way the region is disfigured when it was scrolled
  off-screen.

>> As long as scrolling proceeds, we can pretend (visually) that it's
>> somewhere else.
>
> You are describing the kludgey solution (IIUC), whereas I'm suggesting
> a non-kludgey one.

Every solution here will be kludgey.  Suppose you scroll a non-selected
window and subsequently insert text into its buffer.  Would you insert
it at its old `window-point' even if its `point' is somewhere else?

A basic invariant of Emacs is that at top-level any buffer's `point'
coincides with `window-point' of the selected window, provided the
buffer appears there.  Violating this invariant means we have to rethink
lots of code, including things as fragile as the window configuration
code.

martin