excessive [?\C-x ?[] and [?\C-x ?]] paging needed in emacs dired-x buffers

[Daniel Ortmann]

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In GNU Emacs 21.1.1 (sparc-sun-solaris2.7, X toolkit)
 of 2001-10-23 on rm50
configured using `configure  --prefix=/lsi/soft/misc'
Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: nil
  locale-coding-system: nil
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

In previous emacs versions, only one single set of C-x [ and C-x ]
dired-x keystrokes were required to page forward to the next /...: line.
The new emacs version requires twice the keystrokes.

PAGING IS CONCEPTUALLY A STEPPING BETWEEN SIMILAR THINGS, WHEREAS THE
NEW BEHAVIOR STEPS BETWEEN DIS-SIMILAR THINGS, VIOLATING THE BASIC
MEANING OF A "PAGE".

I can see why some people might want the new behavior, but it should be
an optional choice.  The former behavior is more consistent with the
concept of paging.

Since C-x [ requires 4 distinct hand/finger motions (control x upfingers
[) or 2 complex motions, arriving at the first entry of a subdirectory
requires 8 motions in the new scheme and only 7 in the old scheme
(control x upfingers [ n n n).  ... Furthermore, the new scheme
drastically reduces the degree of FORWARD PROGRESS available in dired-x
mode, leaving 1 to 3 M-$ hideall commands followed with n the only way
to regain the speed in skipping between subdirectories.

Recent input:
a s k e d SPC w h e r e SPC t h e SPC c g i SPC s c 
r i p t s SPC c o u l d SPC b e SPC s t o r e d ? <backspace> 
. SPC <backspace> C-c C-c C-x s ! t C-x 1 C-x d C-g 
C-x b m i <tab> <return> $ n n n n $ C-x ] C-x ] C-x 
[ C-x [ M-x b u g <tab> <backspace> <backspace> <backspace> 
e m <tab> C-g M-x r e p o <tab> r <tab> <return>

Recent messages:
To exit, simply kill this buffer and return to list.
Mark set
Auto-saving...done
Wrote /lsi/home/dortmann/.todo-do
 [10 times]
Type C-x 1 to remove  *todo tmp* window.  M-C-v to scroll the help.
dired-read-dir-and-switches: Quit
Making completion list...
call-interactively: Quit
Making completion list...

-- 
Daniel Ortmann, 2450 Marion Road SE, Suite 106, Rochester, MN 55904
dortmann@lsil.com / 507.529.3887 (w)
ortmann@isl.net   / 507.288.7732 (h)