Re: cursor doesn't show through transparent images in emacs 22, unlike emacs 21

[Ken Manheimer]

On 8/20/06, Richard Stallman <address@hidden> wrote:
>     yes.  it's terrible the way it is.
>
> What exactly are you trying to do, which comes out so terrible?

sorry - i did elaborate later that evening in a subsequent message,
including a few pictures that show what i feel is a real problem.
here's the details of the problem.

in my allout outliner extensions, the outline structure is represented
with graphics characters - icons for the connecting lines and item
bullets.  single character navigation is available when the cursor is
on the structural elements (like allout's "hotspot" navigation, but
extended), so browsing and even moving between edits is simplified by
moving to the structural icons.  with this bug, however, it's hard to
tell whether or not the cursor is in the window or another.

in my (now, a couple of months worth of) experience, highlighting of
the mode line is not sufficient because the cue of the highlighted
cursor is normally so pronounced that it eclipses all other cues.
(that's not a bad thing - the cursor is the central focus of active
editing, and this activation an appropriate piece of info for it to
convey, along with location.)  being used to the highlighted cursor
cue, it's absence is a problem - when returning to my editing session,
or from editing in separate frame, i frequently spend time distracted,
wondering whether or not the cursor is active.  you would think i'd
look at the mode line, but usually i move the cursor around.  talk
about the editor getting in the way of editing...

if you have doubts about the severity of the problem, please look at
the pictures in my previous message.  while it omits some information
that actually is present, it presents what i, for one, actually notice
while editing, and what's there is inadequate to gauge an important
detail - whether or not the cursor is active.

in my case, it would be sufficient to have a buffer-local variable
that says "highlight cursor behind transparent graphics".  that
variable could default to off or on, i don't care.  another provision
on top of that, which might be a thorough solution, would be to allow
such a setting per graphic - so that a buffer could have it on and
selected graphics could inhibit it, or vice versa.

--
ken
address@hidden
http://myriadicity.net