mailing-list for TeXmacs Users

[David Allouche <address@hidden>]

On Friday 29 March 2002 20:25, Nirmal Govind wrote:
> I have a few qns/suggestions:
>
> 1. Is there a way to select text with the keyboard rather than with the
> mouse.. like, say pressing the Shift key and moving the cursor?

See online help, keyboard file:

    \key{ctrl-$x$} Control key based shorthands are used for commands,
    which are compatible with the corresponding commands in Emacs, like
    \key{ctrl-y} for pasting text.

Means that ctrl-space work the expected way.

    \key{ctrl-home} manually set start of the selection.
    \key{ctrl-end} manually set end of the selection.

> 2. Is there a way to move the cursor one word backward/forward?

No. Logical motion commands are indeed desirable.

> 3. How do I insert my own header and footer?

See http://alqua.com/tmresources/headers%20and%20footers

> 4. In the menu, can the current setting be indicated with a bullet so that
> when a selection is made there will be a bullet next to it?

That is indeed a desirable feature that should be put on the wishlist, but...

While that feature is not a problem for document-wide or application wide 
switches, I will not be used soon for local editing features. Indeed, local 
editing features (like font setting commands) just *add* an environment in 
the document tree. As such they are all *structural actions*.

In conventional word processors, those editing features only *switch* a bit 
describing the property on the selected range. So the "checked menu" style is 
perfectly appropriate. However, in TeXmacs, it may improperly clue the user 
that the application works the usual way.

In the longer term, when more complex structured editing commands are 
available, as well a different look-and-feel profiles, heuristics may be 
added to emulate the traditional word processor behaviour. In that case, it 
will make sense to use checked option for local editing commands.

Well, when creating the wishlist item, please do not forget to put in that 
little explanation, since that type of question is likely to come in often.
-- 

                                  -- David --