Re: cua-mode and the tutorial

[Kim F. Storm]

address@hidden (Kim F. Storm) writes:

> I tried to enter the tutorial after enabling viper-mode,
> but I didn't see any information about VIPER in the help
> buffer...  so I don't know how to activate the stuff about
> vi in your patch...

Well, I tried again, and now I see it -- and I still think
my objection below is valid.

> In any case, I think that emacs should simply reject to run the
> tutorial if VIPER is enabled (or turn it off in the tutorial and NOT
> give the option to enable it in the tutorial).
>   
> The current code to deal with this is overly complex -- and
> the tutorial is about learning to use basic Emacs bindings.
>
> Does the tutorial make sense at all in viper mode???

The first instruction is to type C-v ... and it doesn't work
as described!


However, in general, your changes have a big problem.
The new informational (yellow) area may take so much
space on the frame that the instructions:

    >>  Now type C-v (View next screen) to move to the next screen.
        (go ahead, do it by holding down the CONTROL key while typing v).
        From now on, you should do this again whenever you finish
        reading the screen.

is partially or even completely hidden, so the whole point of the
tutorial is lost (you have to know how to scroll before you can
learn how to scroll ...).


It would be much better if you just placed a few yellow lines
near the top with the following wording:

 Some of the standard key bindings described in this tutorial
 have been modified, so Emacs may behave differently from
 what you learn here.  Click here for more details: [Details]

And then restore all key bindings (if possible) to their default
inside the tutorial.


This way, you can also structure your code so there is:
- one function which simply checks if any keys are changed
- one function which setup the standard key bindings
- one function to show the details (in a *Help* buffer).


WDYT?  WDOT?


>
>
> BTW, the patch mixes two sets of changes ... for the key binding
> stuff and for running multiple tutorials at the same time.
>
> The latter part should IMO, never be installed -- it is just
> too obscure for normal users!

-- 
Kim F. Storm <address@hidden> http://www.cua.dk