[ESS] polymode, tangentially related to ESS

[Vitalie Spinu]

 >>>  (Phillip Lord)on Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:37:08 +0000 wrote:

[...]

 > The problem with indirect-buffers is that they share text-properties as
 > well as text. And modes use text-properties to do things. In my hands,
 > indirect-buffers in different modes end up fighting each other.

Well, to some it is a problem to others it is a must have. Fontification
is also implemented as text properties. As long as the modes "do their
things" in their own buffers it is good enough.

 > The second problem with this approach to multi-mode editing is that
 > *all* the tools must support the mixed syntax environment. 

This is true for all multi-mode approaches out there, but much less so
with indirect buffers.

 > Finally, I would say, it's not clear that you want the multi-mode
 > environment all the time; if you are writing a literate programme do you
 > want the buffer to be in two modes at once? Or do you want to have two
 > modes you can switch between -- so that when, for instance, you are
 > editing the documentation the code is visually less immediate and vice
 > versa.

All multi-modes that don't use indirect buffer got the latter way. They
switch the mode, which is notoriously slow and requires dealing with
mode by mode basis with tons of workarounds. 

 > In this video, I do something you cannot do with indirect-buffers -- the
 > two buffers have different text, yet you can update either.

 > https://vimeo.com/88658729

This is cool, but what is the use of it, concretely? What exactly do you
try to achieve in the long run?

Thanks, 

  Vitalie