Re: Can we make set_point_both less expensive?

[Richard Stallman]

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  > There are in fact plenty of reasons to be able to move point all over
  > the form. Off the top of my head:

  > * The user might want to mark and copy some part of the form text.
  > * The user might want to look up some words of the form text in a 
dictionary.
  > * The user might want parts of the form text spoken aloud or displayed
  > on a Braille terminal.

Some people occasionally want to do these things, but most of the time
it feels strange that point can move into the fixed text.  In all the
other form filling programs the cursor always in some field.

  > * Moving the point only through the form fields feels unpredictable;
  > the user feels out of control.

On the contrary, that is precisely what all users are accustomed to.
Seeing point move into the labels is what will feel out of control.

  > The Customize system looks like a working real life example of a form,
  > but it does not prevent moving the point outside the fields. Does that
  > mean the original problem 'intangible' was intended to solve is
  > already solved in a better way?

Users seem not to be very happy with Customize.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons of why.

Here's an idea.  There should be a minor mode which controls whether point
can move into the fixed text between the forms, which is enabled by default
when you're filling out a form, but you can turn it off if you want to
do one of those unusual things.

-- 
Dr Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation
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Boston MA 02110
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