[ESS] ... when editing R documents, 'delete' key behaves as 'backspace'

[Martin Maechler]

>>>>> "AP" == Alun Pope <AlunPope at rismark.com.au>
>>>>>     on Mon, 8 Sep 2008 17:25:09 +1000 writes:

    AP> Could you please clarify which behaviour you are
    AP> suggesting to drop?  That is, which is "this behaviour"?

the one mentioned in the 'Subject' and below.

The proposal is to make <Delete> in ess-mode behave as it does
otherwise in emacs.
NOTA BENE:  <Delete> != <Backspace>

Martin

    AP> Thanks.  Alun

    AP> -----Original Message----- From:
    AP> ess-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch
    AP> [mailto:ess-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of
    AP> Martin Maechler Sent: Monday, 8 September 2008 5:13 PM
    AP> To: ess-help at stat.math.ethz.ch; Marek Jarocinski Cc:
    AP> ess-bugs at stat.math.ethz.ch Subject: Re: [ESS] ... when
    AP> editing R documents,'delete' key behaves as 'backspace'

    AP> [Forwarded from a semi-private communication in
    AP> ESS-bugs]

>>>>> "StEgl" == Stephen Eglen <S.J.Eglen at damtp.cam.ac.uk>
>>>>>     on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 22:21:23 +0100 writes:

    >>> I have found a solution to this problem: All I need to
    >>> do is to comment out line 173 of ess-mode.el, which
    >>> says: (define-key ess-mode-map "\177"
    >>> 'backward-delete-char-untabify) After this line is
    >>> commented out, DEL key deletes forward, the same as in
    >>> all other modes.  Does that mean that it was an intended
    >>> behavior in ESS?

    StEgl> great, thanks for reporting this.  That code has
    StEgl> probably been there a long time, so I'd imagine that
    StEgl> yes, its intended.  Stephen

    AP> It definitely was back then 15-20 years ago.  But in
    AP> those times, I don't think that the concept of <forward
    AP> deletion> via the delete key as opposed to <backward
    AP> deletion> via the backspace key was as (almost?)
    AP> universal as now.


    AP> I've not used the <delete> key in ESS (or Emacs at that)
    AP> at all in the last 10 years or so, but because of the
    AP> changed "universal" behavior, I propose that we *drop*
    AP> this behavior from ess-mode {the one for editing *.R,
    AP> *.S, *.q, *.SAS, ... files) in ESS.

    AP> Of course we need to hear further opinions.  For that
    AP> reason, I'm forwarding this communication to ESS-help
    AP> hoping to get feedback.

    AP> Martin Maechler

    AP> ______________________________________________
    AP> ESS-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
    AP> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/ess-help

    AP> ______________________________________________________
    AP> This email has been scanned by the Access
    AP> Networks/MessageLabs Email Security System.For more
    AP> information please visit http://www.indicium.com.au/
    AP> ______________________________________________________