A quickfill problem and an enhancement suggestion

[Lincoln A Baxter]

On Wed, 2011-04-06 at 11:02 -0400, Derek Atkins wrote:
> Paul Abrahams <abrahams at acm.org> writes:
> 
> > On Wednesday, April 06, 2011 10:21:38 AM Derek Atkins wrote:
> >> 
> >> I don't particularly like using "initial backspace"[to cancel quickfill for 
> > the current transaction].  I do like the idea
> >> of using 'escape'.
> >
> > That might be even better, since it could work even after you've started 
> > entering the transaction (though it might be somewhat confusing).  I'm less 
> > attached to the particular key sequence than to the idea of being able to 
> > cancel Quickfill for the current transaction easily.  The "initial backspace" 
> > idea was an existence proof.
> 
> One issue with "initial backspace" is that you might not KNOW a-priori
> that there is a QuickFill match.  So how would you know to type that
> initial backspace.  I don't like the idea of using *any* backspace
> because, well, *I* make typing mistakes, even in my quickfill entries,
> and I wouldn't want to have to "start over" when I *want* quickfill just
> because I made a typing mistake.
>
> This is why I like using 'escape'.  I suppose we could find another key
> that works, too?  But I don't like "backspace".
> 

Derek makes a great point here! 

I've been following this debate because I too have be very annoyed at
times by the quick fill behavior, though I love it when it fills the
right thing, and since I know the behavior, I plan my descriptions so
that I don't have to encounter the problem very often.  

This _is_ the problem with using backspace... BOTH as an initial
keystroke, and after quickfill starts.  So some character that one does
not normally type when entering text makes a huge amount of sense.  How
about ANY configurable meta-character (of which escape could be one --
maybe even the default)?

Lincoln



> > Paul
> 
> > Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
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> 
> -derek
>