Subject: bug#10624: 24.0.92; default value of `dired-do-ch*'

From: "Drew Adams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2012 21:47:22 -0700

> > Dired-marking all files in the region
> 
> This is a feature that's sorely missing from Dired.

Sorely missing from vanilla Dired, indeed.

But it's been a feature of Dired+ since at least 1999, and probably several
years before that.  And I've offered that and all other features of Dired+ to
Emacs Dev multiple times.  Still sorely missing, though.

1. `S-mouse-1' marks all of the files in the region (no need for it to be
active).

This is like Windows Explorer: click a file, S-click another file, to mark them
both and all between them.  And `C-mouse-1' marks/unmarks the clicked file, also
as in Windows Explorer.

2. `mouse-3' with an active region brings up a menu which includes items `Mark',
`Unmark', `Toggle Marked/Unmarked', and `Flag for Deletion'.

There are of course individual region commands to do each of those things - not
bound to any keys by default.  The mouse is handy enough - drag to select, then
act on the selected files.  Provided you use a mouse. ;-)

Screenshots & info here, if anyone is interested:
http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/DiredPlus

> Currently marking a long list of files by pressing `m'
> and holding it as long as the cursor eventually arrives
> to the last file is too tedious (and the numeric prefix
> doesn't help when the exact number of files to mark is not known).
> 
> Now with the following patch it's possible to mark a list of files
> with normal region selection (and using isearch to speed it up)
> and type `m' (or `u' to unmark) just once.

Now it's possible, indeed.  1999.