Re: lynx-dev libreadline

[brian j pardy]

On Setting Orange, the 53rd of The Aftermath, 3165, Klaus Weide wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Dec 1999, brian j pardy wrote:
> 
> > Actually, I just downloaded and compiled readline-4.0.  It has an
> > option to side-scroll as opposed to wrap (set horizontal-scroll-mode
> > in .inputrc, assume can be done in the source).
> > 
> > Also -- I'm not proposing completely switching over to readline, just
> > the possibility of a compile-time choice.  From a quick skim of the
> > source, I think it might be possible to #ifdef out a bit of the edit
> > handling code, if someone wants to use readline.  The only area where
> > I think it could possibly be used is when there's a simple line
> > prompt, such as for save file name, or when composing mail.  I'm not
> > sure it could be manipulated into handling form fields or anything,
> > nor if that would even be desirable.
> > 
> > As for the benefit, that would be wholly subjective.  I like using vi
> > commandline editing, with a bunch of additional keybindings for the
> > emacs control keys.  Using readline would allow users to set bindings
> > only in .inputrc, and have all readline-using apps follow that.
> 
> So in some situations input would act one way (and be controlled in one
> way), and in other situations input would act in another way (and be
> controlled in another way - .inputrc).  I just think this isn't very
> useful, to most people.  That shouldn't prevent you from playing around
> with it, of course.

The difference between the two areas would be a little annoying to
someone who isn't expecting it, I agree.  I'm just annoyed at having
my shell and the readline programs I have handle vi-style line
editing.  It would probably be too much trouble to hack modality into
the line editor in lynx, which is why I'm inclined to pass it off to
readline.  If anything, I can keep it as a personal patch. :)

> (Any chance you'll do something wrt cookie saving
> before 2.8.3 ? :))

What do you have in mind for cookie saving?  I have a bunch of saved
mail regarding cookie handling for dump/source (the thread between
yourself, Vlad, and Leonid, mainly) -- is this what you mean?  I may
have missed something else.

> > > That said, try the following experiment anyway:
> > >      TERM=dumb bash
> > 
> > Apart from ^A and ^E not working (which I think is a side-effect of
> > not having my bash rc scripts set up -- I use zsh), what am I looking for?
> 
> I found that it has the effect of not wrapping the line, but side-scrolling
> instead, with '<' and '>' indicators left and right (quite similar to what
> the lynx line editing code does, actually).  At least on two systems:
> 
>   Linux 2.0.33       with GNU bash 2.01.1(1)-release (i486-pc-linux-gnu),
>   FreeBSD 3.3-STABLE with GNU bash 2.03.0(1)-release (i386-pc-freebsd3.1),
> 
> with libreadline version 2.1 for the first (not sure about the second), so
> I thought the behavior might be the general.  Oh and ^A and ^E do work.

The same on Linux 2.2.13 with GNU bash 1.14.7(1) and a static readline
(assume 2.1).  I suppose I should upgrade that sometime.

-- 
GRASSHOPPOTAMUS:
        A creature that can leap to tremendous heights... once.