Re: [External] : Tab completion and electric-indent-mode

[carlmarcos]

Jun 17, 2022, 15:33 by eliz@gnu.org:

>> From: Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>
>> CC: "'Help-Gnu-Emacs (help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org)'" <help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
>> Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2022 14:10:00 +0000
>>
>> > `electric-indent-mode` says that in does "On-the-fly
>> > Reindentation".  What does that mean, and how is it
>> > different to normal indentation?
>>
>> (What's "normal indentation"?)
>>
>> The doc string says that the mode does this, which
>> is presumably what it means by hand-waving with
>> "on-the-fly reindentation":
>>
>>  this reindents whenever the hook `electric-indent-functions'
>>  returns non-nil, or if you insert a character from
>>  `electric-indent-chars'.
>>
>> The Emacs manual, node `Indent Convenience' says:
>>
>>  Electric Indent mode is a global minor mode that
>>  automatically indents the line after every <RET>
>>  you type.
>>
>> If you feel that these explanations aren't clear
>> enough then please consider filing an enhancement
>> request to clarify further: `M-x report-emacs-bug'.
>>
>
> But before you do, I suggest to check the latest code, because the
> above quotations are obsolete.
>
Have looked /emacs/lisp/electric.el which now describes command loop for 
`electric' modes.

Still think there should be clear explanations on the level of indentations 
emacs does.
This is because reindentation typically refers to an indentation enhancement 
compared to
some basic indentation method.  "On-the-Fly Reindentation" also has difficulty 
of interpretation.
Does there exist indentation that is "Not On-the-Fly"?  What would that do?

Have viewed the main repository

define-minor-mode electric-indent-mode

says

When enabled, this reindents whenever the hook `electric-indent-functions'
returns non-nil,  I do not find the comment informative regarding the types of
reindents.  

electric-indent-functions states that it is a special hook run to decide 
whether to auto-indent.

Additionally, reindent means that an indentation scheme would have been applied
already, supposedly composed of a simpler indent scheme.

Can information be introduced on how indentation and re-indentation works and 
the conditions
by which indentation is applied?

There needs to be clear explanations of what indentation and reindentation do 
and under what 
conditions as the current information is developer targeted but not user 
targeted.