Re: howto: 2 users interactively edit the same file ?

[Tim X]

"PT" <spamfilteraccount@gmail.com> writes:

> After years of using Emacs I accidentally discovered M-x
> make-frame-on-display which can do what you want if memory serves me
> right.
> 
> I don't know if it works on Windows, but it was seamless on Unix.
> 

I don't think this will work. The problem will be getting input. I
suspect that as this would involve redirecting a frame from an
existing emacs session to a different display, while the second user
would be able to see the frame, they would not be able to input data
as the application itself is still associated with the input from the
user who started the session. 

It would probably be possible to start emacs and have all its i/o
directed to the second display, but then the first user who started
emacs won't have any way to input commands/characters etc. 

I think the root of the problem here is that the OP wants to be able
to setup emacs in such a way that two users can be usinig it at the
same time - it simply is not designed to achieve this - don't forget
emacs doesn't have thread support either, so I doubt you could even
modify emacs itself to achieve this. 

The best you could do wold be -

    1. Use CVS as the repository for the files
    2. Each user checks out their own copy 
    3. Each user starts emacs and opens their own copy
    4. Each user creates a second frame with a copy of the file they
    are editing and redirects this frame to the other users display
    5. Each user checks in their document once editing has finished. 

The two users would be editing *different* copies of the file and
there would still be a need to merge them together, but CVS will take
care of the trivial merging problems. The two users will have to
resolve more complex merges. The redirected frame would at least allow
each user to see what the other has done - but I suspect the
functionality here will be limited as I don't think the second user
will be able to manipulate the contents of the window i.e. scroll
up/down etc. 
-- 
Tim Cross
The e-mail address on this message is FALSE (obviously!). My real e-mail is
to a company in Australia called rapttech and my login is tcross - if you 
really need to send mail, you should be able to work it out!