Subject: Re: bug#36454: 26.2.90; feature request - Insert char by hex tab completion or C-x 8 RET ffe <TAB>

From: Sebastian Urban <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2019 16:36:20 +0200

> I don't think completing over hex codes is a good idea (it's a very
> dehumanising interface), and I don't think adding a variable to
> switch it off or on is, either.

Well, this is why it would be optional, an extension of the default
behaviour, only for those who want it.  At least until someone will do
bigger makeover.

> But what you really want is (it seems to me) to be able to list all
> characters from a Unicode block, because you know where the
> character is, but you want to find a specific one in that
> neighbourhood.

Hmmm... this sounds kind of like (on emacs 26.2):
'M-x list-charset-chars RET unicode-bmp/sip/smp/ssp RET'.
Assuming someone knows hex code or part of it, simply doing
'isearch-forward' will bring him to the neighbourhood of the character
he is looking for.

> Instead, perhaps there should be a new command to complete over
> Unicode block names, and then list the characters in that block, and
> allow you to choose one of them?

This sounds more like bigger(?) upgrade of 'insert-char', rather than
a new command.