v4/v3 CMline (was Re: survey on XW use)

["..." adpf@xxxxxxxx]

Hi, Robert: I haven't thought this through, but the way the xyDos 4
CMline handles input does seem to be at the heart of my reservations
about v4. Three examples come quickly to mind, but if I used 4 an hour or
so I could come up with others.

1. *Many* of my *.kb3 entries enter guillemet'd code--v3 doesn't care
whether in text or on CMline. That is fundamental to my xpl programming
practices. One key enters, e.g.:
	{sx00,{is00}E{is00}}{if{pv00}<0!{pv00}>00}{GL....}
	{ei}
placing the cursor on the first 00. I then edit it and the rest of the
code. Before pressing the key for that code, if I put the cursor on
CMline the code will be entered there. I'm not likely to do so for that
entry, but often do to search, e.g., {mdbo}. To get an identical effect
in xyDos 4 requires convoluted U2 entries. I spent a lot of time writing
them (with help from Carl), and some still don't work quite right.
Obviously, this is not the way most folks work, or nobody would use v4.

2. In some cases v4 CMline treats whitespace as not present, and I forget
now in what context. I thought it was like this:

If I BC dir c:\x3\&eg_xpl XC in v3, then want an \x3 dir listing without
destroying the CMline, I can move aside the \&eg_xpl and XC a CMline that
looks like this:
	dir c:\x3 \&eg_xpl
.... then restore the original CMline with del and cursor strokes, without
retyping chars. V4 ignores the presence of the whitespace.

But in fact, that's not true. v4 does that the same way v3 does. Perhaps
you can tell me what the similar situation is where v4 does behave
differently. Rather than noting it when it was driving me nuts, I just
shut down 4 and loaded 3.

OK, here's a substitute v4 CMline kvetch: When I point to a file name in
a v4 dir listing and XC ed, finding ed on the open file's CMline is
really annoying.

3. v3 doesn't convert CMline pers.spl entries, v4 does. The latter may be
most users' preference. It's not mine. (I also hate the
case-insensitivity v4 introduced to pers.spl conversions, but that has
nothing to do with the CMline.)

These examples no doubt seem trivial. I post them only because you ask;
I'm not seeking remedies. But they and their like keep me in v3.

:	[M]ercifully there haven't been any changes since Signature
:	was introduced, it's been stable for the last few years,
:	a rare instance of no news is good news).

Here we must agree to disagree. The v4 CMline is altogether too
sensitive, tries to do too much text processing, for my taste. I'd
welcome--if not a restoration of the "dumber" xyWrite 3 CMline--a way to
reconfigure the v4 CMline to behave like the v3 CMline. I'd also like to
see the 15 cent subway fare restored. Fat chance. ...

Fwiw, my "survey on XW use" msg was a further misadventure in elm--yet
another private msg I dispatched to the list unintentionally. I checked
the header before I sent it, thought it was OK when I saw Steve Shaw's
name on the to: line. But I'd used the reply option, so since his msg
came from the list, apparently elm replied to him @xywrite, not @nih--to
my dismay. ...

While I'm at it, I'll note too that my much-discussed problem with
XXdecoding was the result of a bug in the version of Richard Marks's
en/decoder I was using. Upgrade XXdecodes fine. Picked up that gem from
the NB list/newsgroup through Daniel Say's thoughtful alertness. I'll
thank NB guru Paul Bodin, who posted the information, here since a "who
xywrite" reveals him to be a xyLurker.  ... Ciao. 	--a

============================= adpFisher  nyc