Re: suggestion for set-file-modes

[Michaël Cadilhac]

Juri Linkov <address@hidden> writes:

>>> natural to allow entering file permission in the same notation in
>>> the minibuffer.
>>
>> I still don't think really so; the rational for Wdired to permit that
>> is that the bits are *toggled*, not arbitrary set.
>
> The standard convention when reading a value in the minibuffer is to put
> the default value in the prompt and make it available for editing by
> M-n.

First, if we have three different notations, why this one should be
preferred as the default one?

> When the permission bits are retrieved in such notation from the default
> value then editing them is just like toggling that is convenient.

Second, from `-------' to `-rw-rwxr-x', there is 5 times `space' and
three `right' when we talk about toggling, while it's `right, C-d, r,
C-d, w, right, C-d, r, C-d, w, C-d, x, C-d, r, right, C-d, x' when
editing, which is a lot more cumbersome.  And typing `-rw-rwxr-x'
(which, you'd agree, is not natural) is best replaced by `a+r,ug+w,go+x'
or `675' if you're bit-oriented.  The `ls -l' notation has the drawback
that you have not only to precise the modes the file have, but also the
modes the file doesn't have.

But of course, if there're people that actually want to use that, we can
add it I guess.

-- 
 |   Michaël `Micha' Cadilhac       |    Le copillage-collage                |
 |   http://michael.cadilhac.name   |       tue le programmeur.              |
 |   JID/MSN:                       |           -- Dictons LRDE              |
 `----  address@hidden  |                                   -  --'

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