Re: [h-e-w] help with auto-fill-mode

[David Vanderschel]

On Thursday, February 14, "Kevin Seguin" 
<address@hidden> wailed:
>i'm using auto-fill-mode when writing a text document
>to do automatic line breaking at a certain column.
>this is great while inserting text, but when i go
>back and edit text, the paragraphs are not adjusted
>so that they fill to the specified column. ...

On Thursday, February 14, "Flynn, Michael" 
<address@hidden> suggested:
>Kevin,
>Just type ESC-q, which runs fill-paragraph, and will
>reformat the paragraph that you're in.  There's also
>fill-region which will do the same for the current
>region.  

There is also fill-individual-paragraphs (in region),
with which I seem to have better luck.  (As far as I
can tell, the behaviour of fill-region does not match
its documentation.  In particular, it seems to fill
the region as if it were just one paragraph.)

>I don't know if there's a way to have it reformat the
>paragraph as you edit it.  

There is one, but I cannot remember the name.  I tried
it, and I did not like it.  I prefer for the following
lines of text to stay put until _I_ say "fill".
(Needless to say, I do have a M-q 'reflex' which comes
into play when I modify the interior of a paragraph.)

On Thursday, February 14, "Jayakrishan Nair" 
<address@hidden> suggested:
>type Ctrl-U then ESC-q, the paragraph will right fill
>to the column.

I don't think Kevin was seeking to do right
justification - just fill.  IMO a ragged right margin
looks better anyway when using a fixed width font.
(Some editors (person-type) claim that a ragged right
is better period, because it gives more 'texture' to
the overall page, thus allowing one's eye to more
easily maintain one's position on the page.)

Regards,
  David V.