Subject: bug#38013: [PATCH] Rectangular region selection with mouse

From: Drew Adams <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2019 08:08:32 -0800 (PST)

> > No.  We should argue, if that's needed, only after
> > the feature has been used by users for quite a while
> > and users have called for a default binding.
> 
> Of course rectangular selection should have a binding by default. This
> is not controversial in the slightest.

Count me as one user who disagrees that this deserves
a default binding.

Eli suggested defining a minor mode, as does CUA.

That mode could be global, and it could have a default
binding for this, like CUA.  That's the right approach,
IMHO.

When CUA (including CUA rectangle) was introduced, it
wasn't foisted on all Emacs users by imposing its
bindings.  It's coexisted politely in a minor mode.

Lots of users liked CUA and used it.  And eventually
its rectangle selection was introduced outside CUA.

I see no reason why Emacs should precipitously bind
mouse actions to this new feature by default.  Anyone
who wants to use it could just turn on the minor mode
once, and leave it on, getting whatever default
bindings you want for that.

That shouldn't be "controversial in the slightest".