Subject: bug#47688: 28.0.50; repeat-mode: Make rectangle commands repeatable. Also some misc. queries, comments

From: Ramesh Nedunchezian <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2021 18:34:18 +0530

On 10/04/21 4:04 pm, Dmitry Gutov wrote:
> On 10.04.2021 11:23, Ramesh Nedunchezian wrote:
>>     So, a repeat-map, like the rectangle one below, which has lots of
>>     keybindings can set a `:help' attribute on itself.
>>     `repeat-post-hook' can then rely on this `:help'-er to provide a
>>     help much similar to what the hydra package provides.
> 
> :help attribute sounds like a neat alternative, but what would you set it to?
> 
> Aside from nil, perhaps.

Hydra -- this is part of GNU Emacs / GNU ELPA -- uses one of the 3
types

    (defcustom hydra-hint-display-type 'lv
      "The utility to show hydra hint"
      :type '(choice
	      (const message)
	      (const lv)
	      (const posframe))
      :group 'hydra)

(https://github.com/abo-abo/hydra/blob/2d553787aca1aceb3e6927e426200e9bb9f056f1/hydra.el#L249)

Hydra's hints are very pleasant to look at, and hydra is one of the
frequently mentioned package in reddit.com/r/emacs.

I am attaching screenshots of how the 'lv' and 'posframe' hints looks
like for one of the "fancier" hydras in the project's README
(https://github.com/abo-abo/hydra)

The core idea behind my suggestion is that /the/ repeat map itself is
the best judge on what sort of hint is the best.

I understand that repeat-mode's "Repeat with ..." and "Exit with ..."
messages are more of informational / diagonsic messages.  The messages
need stop at being diagnostic assurances. They can go a step further
and be hints.

'nil'--do nothing--as a ':help'-er is what an experienced user may
want.  A verbose hint is what a beginner will appreciate.

Rectangle, register and highlight commands are very useful ... and
when I was new to Emacs they were bothersome to type and remember.
/Younger/ me would have /loved/ a hydra-like hints.