Subject: bug#52384: [External] : bug#52384: 26.3; dired buffer navigation tweak

From: Arthur Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2021 23:26:06 +0100

Drew Adams <[email-masked]> writes:

> My 2c:
>
> Leave `<' and `>' alone, letting them move to
> the previous/next directory file line.

If you keep directories sorted before or after files then < and > become almost
redundant, since 'p' and 'n' will have same effect in practice. I say almost,
because there is instance when one is deep below in files and would like to jump
do directories (when sorted before). So pressing '<' would take you to the last
directory before files listing begin, and than one can use either p/n or </> to
move cursor.

I also think dired should use by default --group-directories-first/ls-lisp-dirs-first
to group directories before/after regular files. This seems to be asked quite
few times if you search the web, there are SX/Reddit questions, Emacs Wiki
article, some blogs, etc; so it seems to be asked/desired/expected behaviour.

I understand that this was optional back in time when computers were less
powerful, but nowadays sorting dirs before files is trivial. Pesonally I think
listings with dirs/files mixed look aesthetically more noisy and harder to find
what I looking for. Might be just me getting used to this style though.

> (The Dired+ versions of these commands wrap
> around, if option `diredp-wrap-around-flag'
> has its default value of `t'.)

I would suggest this option to make it's way into Emacs. Can't you suggest a
patch? Windmove has similar option for moving left-right windows to wrap
around. It would be handy if 'p' and 'n' and '<' and '>' would behave similarly.