Re: [External] : Re: Simple isearch concerns

[Juri Linkov]

>> When you type 'C-f' in a web browser, it activates the "minibuffer".
>> Then you can type a search string.  As soon as you type a character
>> in the minibuffer, it immediately updates the search state
>> in the original window.  You can edit the search string
>> while the minibuffer is active, and the search results are
>> updated immediately.  Also each browser window has own search.
>
> That makes sense for a web browser, because a web browser is typically
> used only for viewing content and not editing. It typically also has
> no point (except in form fields and editable content). (There is also
> an optional accessibility feature that gives you a point which you can
> move around the page and select text with the keyboard.)

Such a feature as Caret Browsing (F7) in Firefox is quite convenient
to reduce dependence on mouse.

> Because browsing the Web is mostly a mouse-driven activity, and only a
> few keys are involved, a browser can afford giving all text editing
> keys to the search bar, including Home/←/→/End to move the insertion
> point within the search box and any text selection and cut/copy/paste
> keys.

I never use the mouse for searching in web browsers because there are
Isearch-like keys: C-g to repeat forward, and C-S-g to repeat backward.
And additionally the search string can be edited.  Even in a browser
Home/End are frequently used keys outside of the search to move
to the beginning/end of the window, but there is no problem to use
these keys to edit the search string in search mode.

So when Home/←/→/End by default quit Isearch, this is fine, but this
doesn't preclude from having an option to use Home/←/→/End to edit
the search string, and RET/C-g to quit the search minibuffer.