mailing-list for TeXmacs Users

[David Allouche <address@hidden>]

On Fri, Nov 15, 2002 at 06:17:57AM +0000, Yves Pocchiola wrote:
> Joris van der Hoeven wrote:
> >This is due to the fact that \ has a special meaning in TeXmacs:
> >it is used to enter special markup. You should enter the \ character
> >using "S-F5 \". There has been a discussion on whether we should make
> >the \ keystroke default to the \ character inside sessions.
> >I haven't made a decision yet. Maybe we should let it default
> >to the \ character in textual input inside computer algebra sessions.
>
> Why not to have a button on the tool bar to switch between a Texmacs 
> keyboard shortcuts mode and the on going external session keyboard 
> shortcuts mode ?

I think that should not be done, and for one time, I am pretty sure
that Joris thinks the same.

In different contexts, some actions are meaningful and some are not.
And in different contexts, some actions are more likely "next logical
step" than other.

TeXmacs tries to behave intelligently with respect to the user
expectations. The return key is a good example: In top level text it
splits the current paragraph in two, in lists it splits the current
item in two, in session input it sends the input and in article title
it creates the next logical element (author, then address).

Generally, modality in TeXmacs is context specific. That tend to
provide nice intuitive behaviour (though I agree there are still many
rough edges to polish in that matter). Associating modality to misc.
user interface elements regardless of context is not a Good Thing.

My two cents.

-- 
David Allouche         | GNU TeXmacs -- Writing is a pleasure
Free software engineer |    http://www.texmacs.org
   http://ddaa.net     |    http://alqua.com/tmresources
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TeXmacs is NOT a LaTeX front-end and is unrelated to emacs.