Subject: bug#54017: [External] : bug#54017: add regexp translation option to read-regexp

From: Drew Adams <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2022 22:46:20 +0000

(Probably at least somewhat off-topic.)

I'd like to see Emacs regexp handling support
a way to either (1) specify a new, multiline
"dot" syntax that's equivalent to \(.\|[\n]\)
or (2) have a (dynamic) variable, or a mode,
that you can toggle to switch the behavior of
ordinary dot to multiline dot.
___

In Icicles I have a command that toggles the
behavior in the minibuffer.  Users see `.',
but under the covers \(.\|[\n]\) is used.
Editing (e.g. char deletion) automatically
treats that regexp as if it were just the
single char `.'.

When a `.' in the minibuffer actually stands
for \(.\|[\n]\) it gets highlighted, to
remind you of its behavior.

This is admittedly just a hack.  It would be
much better for Emacs itself to provide for
multiline (i.e. true any-char) dot matching.