Subject: bug#33870: 27.0.50; xref-goto-xref not configurable

From: Juri Linkov <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2019 23:54:39 +0200

>> At least, the current behavior can't be described as "natural".
>> For example, if the user prefers using frames and types `C-x 5 .'
>> the xref buffer is displayed in another WINDOW, not FRAME.
>
> As you very well know by now, the "other frame" there refers to the
> buffer that eventually displays the cross-reference, which
> very often doesn't require the *xref* itself, and _not_ *xref* buffer
> itself.
>
> Look, I get it that you dislike the current interface very, very
> much and would like to change it.  As I have repeatedly asked,
> do you  understand that a viable path to do that might be:

I don't dislike the current interface, thanks for working on what it
does well.  But please don't assume that the current UI is so perfect,
there is no way to make it better.  There are some details that cause
minor annoyances (so minor that you won't get many reports for them,
e.g. when the xref pops up in a wrong window, it's easy to fix manually).

> 1. Make the current interface configurable
> 2. Present a number of configurations for xref to work
> with and how to select them.

Of course, it should be configurable, I completely agree,
this is the whole point of this report.

> 3. Choose the "most natural" one to be the default
> (this is up for debate, sorry, but other people have opinions,
> too)

Or course, this should be discussed, this is what I do all the time:
for example, when recently Dmitry filed a complaint about the next-error
framework, I happily cooperated to resolve all disagreements and other
controversies and implemented fixes for what we have discussed to make
the next-error framework more configurable and change previous defaults
based on reached consensus.

So far we have only 3 opinions in this discussion.  One way to advance is
to ask what others think about this.  Since you have already heard my opinion,
at this moment I have nothing more to say.