Re: delete-selection-mode

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Juri Linkov <address@hidden>
> Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:43:36 +0300
> Cc: address@hidden, address@hidden, address@hidden
> 
> > I am very much against enabling delete-selection-mode by default.
> 
> I am very surprised.  What could be a reason not to delete the region
> after typing a character when this region was intentionally activated
> specially for doing this.

If the region activates as a side effect of otherwise innocent
commands, such as M-> or C-s or C-x C-x, then I'd object deleting it
as well.  Even if I explicitly mark the region with C-SPC followed by
cursor motion commands, it does not yet mean I'm about to replace it
with another text.  I might just want to M-w it or something.  Imagine
typing some self-inserting key by mistake in this situation, for
example.

IOW, the problem is that in Emacs a region is used and created by many
commands that are not available in other GUI apps, or if they are
available, they don't paint the marked text.

I sincerely hope that I'm missing something very important (because I
didn't follow the discussions about this until now), because otherwise
I fear the UI of Emacs 23 will simply be unbearable for newcomers and
veterans alike.