Subject: bug#45072: 28.0.50; Emacs switches other buffer back uncontrollably, if other window's buffer is changed by user during minibuffer editing

From: Jean Louis <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2020 15:21:42 +0300

* martin rudalics <[email-masked]> [2020-12-10 14:53]:
> > It is interesting and suprising to see how people use Emacs in different way.
> 
> I don't use Emacs that way.  But I incidentally noticed that when using
> Emacs that way I can pop down the completions window without terminating
> the minibuffer interaction.

Probably majority of users do not use minibuffer much. I am using it
frequently for database queries and repetitive editing of database
values. Often I have tabulated list mode showing database entries,
with one click I edit such lines in the minibuffer.

Many times I move from minibuffer to other windows, switch buffer, get
references, come back.

That means I am reusing Emacs interface features. Other programmers
would program their GUIs in Gtk or other GUI frameworks. To spare
efforts and times I find Emacs useful for reuse of code. Not because
it is best, because it has useful features for quick reuse. And it
works on console as well.

Thinking on what you said, I could maybe replace minibuffer input for
some functions. I could use forms.el for example. Or similar like
defcustom for variables.

Definitely I would not like having interface that does not work on
console alone.

Minibuffer is handy for single lines. One could accept with C-q C-j a
new line in the minibuffer, but is unlikely to happen. This makes it
handy for various database entries such as names, email addresses and
similar. I am using full buffer when entry should span few lines. So I
am using Emacs interface to help with database entry validation. But I
should rather use program and the database to make sure of entry validation.