From unknown Fri Jun 20 07:17:21 2025 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: MIME-tools 5.509 (Entity 5.509) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 From: bug#41417 <41417@debbugs.gnu.org> To: bug#41417 <41417@debbugs.gnu.org> Subject: Status: Enhancement request for Emacs forms (as of 24.3) Reply-To: bug#41417 <41417@debbugs.gnu.org> Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:17:21 +0000 retitle 41417 Enhancement request for Emacs forms (as of 24.3) reassign 41417 emacs submitter 41417 "Ulrich Windl" severity 41417 wishlist thanks From debbugs-submit-bounces@debbugs.gnu.org Wed May 20 09:06:37 2020 Received: (at submit) by debbugs.gnu.org; 20 May 2020 13:06:38 +0000 Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:52571 helo=debbugs.gnu.org) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1jbOQR-0000Me-27 for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Wed, 20 May 2020 09:06:37 -0400 Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]:40514) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1jbOQL-0000MR-2y for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Wed, 20 May 2020 09:06:22 -0400 Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:45012) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1jbOQK-0001V1-Ts for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Wed, 20 May 2020 09:06:16 -0400 Received: from mx4.uni-regensburg.de ([2001:638:a05:137:165:0:4:4e7a]:49560) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1jbOQJ-0005sb-Md for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Wed, 20 May 2020 09:06:16 -0400 Received: from mx4.uni-regensburg.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by localhost (Postfix) with SMTP id B300B600004E for ; Wed, 20 May 2020 15:06:09 +0200 (CEST) Received: from gwsmtp.uni-regensburg.de (gwsmtp1.uni-regensburg.de [132.199.5.51]) by mx4.uni-regensburg.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id 953E6600004A for ; Wed, 20 May 2020 15:06:09 +0200 (CEST) Received: from uni-regensburg-smtp1-MTA by gwsmtp.uni-regensburg.de with Novell_GroupWise; Wed, 20 May 2020 15:06:09 +0200 Message-Id: <5EC52B40020000A100039192@gwsmtp.uni-regensburg.de> X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise Internet Agent 18.2.1 Date: Wed, 20 May 2020 15:06:08 +0200 From: "Ulrich Windl" To: Subject: Enhancement request for Emacs forms (as of 24.3) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Received-SPF: pass client-ip=2001:638:a05:137:165:0:4:4e7a; envelope-from=Ulrich.Windl@rz.uni-regensburg.de; helo=mx4.uni-regensburg.de X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: First seen = 2020/05/20 09:06:11 X-ACL-Warn: Detected OS = ??? X-Spam_score_int: -18 X-Spam_score: -1.9 X-Spam_bar: - X-Spam_report: (-1.9 / 5.0 requ) BAYES_00=-1.9, SPF_PASS=-0.001 autolearn=_AUTOLEARN X-Spam_action: no action X-Spam-Score: 0.0 (/) X-Debbugs-Envelope-To: submit X-BeenThere: debbugs-submit@debbugs.gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18 Precedence: list List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: debbugs-submit-bounces@debbugs.gnu.org Sender: "Debbugs-submit" X-Spam-Score: -1.0 (-) Hi! After having written my first form in Emacs, I'd like to suggest several = enhancements: 1) If the data file is being viewed in Emacs, the form does not allow = modification. It's not very obvious why. Improve the diagnostics. 2) If the elist file is read-only (like when being checked out by RCS), = the form does not allow to modify any data when starting forms-mode. Allow = modifications of data even if the elist code is write-protected 3) When starting forms-mode from the elisp buffer, the buffer content = changes, but not the buffer name. This is very much confusing. Why not use = a "*form from foo.el*" buffer name? 4) Having fixed-length input fields (like in customize mode) would be very = much desired. Currently when there are multiple fields in one line, any = edit will move the field(s) right of the edit. 5) When providing pre-set fields, a mechanism to replace the preset value = would be nice (like in MS-Windows when you TAB to the next field and then = enter something). Currently the user has to remove any pre-set value when = replacing is desired. 6) C-k should work (i.e.: delete to end of field) for fields that are not = the last ones on a line 7) It would be nice to have "input hints" for fields, i.e.: display some = value while no value was entered. (Like HTML forms do these days) 8) Allow a changing/focus change function: A function would have the = currecnt record and the current field number as parameters. Optionally it = will receive the previous field number. So the function could either = validate the field previously modified, or pre-set the current field from = values already present. 9) When multi-line fields are disallowed, it should not be possible to = enter such values. Currently the error check is delayed until the record = is going to be written 10) An easy mechanism to check input values against some regular expression= would be nice. 11) "C-c ?" does not work as advertised 12) A function to re-read the record from file (to undo editing while not = saved) would be nice 13) Having the current record number in a variable could be nice 14) The ability to have an "append-only" mode for data files would be nice = (like for creating some activity log) 15) Having elements like radio buttons, check-marks or value menus = (enumeration of fixed strings) would be nice (probably more)