Re: make-field suggestion

[Jerry James]

Miles Bader <address@hidden> wrote:
> I think some attention should be paid to the issue of creating
> text-property fields vs. overlay fields -- both are useful in different
> circumstances, so any `make-field' function should allow creating both
> (or there should be multiple `make...field' functions).

That makes sense.  How about something like this?

(defun make-field (from to value &optional buffer front-advance rear-advance
                   use-text-props)
  "Make a field with value VALUE over the range [FROM, TO) in BUFFER.
If omitted, BUFFER defaults to the current buffer.
FROM and TO may be integers or markers.
The fifth argument, FRONT-ADVANCE, if non-nil, makes the front delimiter
advance when text is inserted there.
The sixth argument, REAR-ADVANCE, if non-nil, makes the rear delimiter
advance when text is inserted there.
If USE-TEXT-PROPS is non-nil, then the field is created using text properties.
Otherwise, it is created using an overlay."
  (if use-text-props
      (add-text-properties from to
                           (list 'field value
                                 'front-sticky (not front-advance)
                                 'rear-nonsticky (not rear-advance))
                           buffer)
    (overlay-put (make-overlay from to buffer front-advance rear-advance)
                 'field value))
  value)

I'm not sure what this function could usefully return.  It ought to
return a reference to a field object, but there is no such thing.

Regards,
-- 
Jerry James
http://www.ittc.ku.edu/~james/