Subject: 25.1; search and query-replace in Dired

From: Drew Adams <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2016 17:54:18 -0800 (PST)

You unwisely changed `A' and `Q' in Dired to two completely different
commands.  You ignored arguments for keeping these as they were and
creating new bindings for the new, completely different, search and
replacement commands you provided.  You even claimed that you intend to
deprecate the "old" commands.  All of that is sorely misguided.

See bug #23428 for background:
https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=23428

However, you did NOT change the menu bindings for `dired-do-search' and
`dired-do-query-replace-regexp' (the commands formerly bound to `A' and
`Q').  This is inconsistent.  Those menu items no longer show the
keyboard shortcuts, because they have none.  And the new commands are
not on menus at all.

It was unwise to change the key bindings.  They should be restored, and
new bindings should be sought for your new commands.

And the "old" commands should definitely not be deprecated.  The new
commands do NOT AT ALL replace their functionality.

The new commands are not incremental.  You cannot change the search
patterns on the fly.  Nor can you add and remove filter predicates on
the fly.

And of the new are limited to the kinds of regexps supported by certain
`grep' commands, which are external to Emacs.  The "old" require no
programs outside Emacs, and they support all Emacs regexps, including
those that match multiple lines.

The new commands are essentially just `grep' or `find' cousins.  They
are fine to have - in addition.  But they should not have usurped the
longstanding keybindings.

Please reconsider: Restore the `A' and `Q' keybindings as they were, and
come up with _additional_ key bindings for the new commands.  The new
commands are NOT better or a replacement; they are simply different.
Their power is strictly MORE limited (not incremental, and only limited
regexps), even if they do have certain advantages for certain cases
(fast, global view).

There is no need to wipe out extremely useful commands and their
bindings, just because you come up with new commands that do something
somewhat similar.

No users asked for these key-binding changes.  There was no reason you
could not add without subtracting.  Users and Emacs Dev can decide over
time, based on feedback and usage, which are the best keys for which
commands and whether any of the commands should be deprecated.  This
switcheroo was unnecessarily precipitous (if not downright arrogant).

In GNU Emacs 25.1.1 (x86_64-w64-mingw32)
 of 2016-09-17 built on LAPHROAIG
Windowing system distributor 'Microsoft Corp.', version 6.1.7601
Configured using:
 'configure --without-dbus --without-compress-install CFLAGS=-static'