Uwe Stöhr wrote:
> It is totally confusing that we have the menu Insert->Special character
> that already provides the char.
I don't understand.
> OK, this doesn't work on windows because
> the Windows standard fonts don't support to display this character and one
> therefore cannot even see it in the special character dialog. But we also
> have the menu for special formatting characters and that is what
> \textvisiblespace is.
Sure. InsetSpace _is_ in that menu.
> Inserting it as a space is illogical. I mean with a character I can really
> do something, with a space not. So I can paint it red, I can emphasize it,
> I can scale and rotate it - all because it is a character. All this cannot
> be done with a space. Or do you ant to extend the space insert that it is
> possible to apply character styles and font formattings to it.
> So yes, the concept of spaces and characters is important here.
Of course I can scale a space. Compare "foo~bar" to "foo{\huge ~}bar"
I can also emphasize it. The difference is more subtle, but it's there.
Then we have the brace, the arrows, the line and all in InsetSpace (hfill).
These I can even paint red.
> > The discussion about glyph classification ("technical symbol" vs.
> > "space") is completely irrelevant for most users. They might just want
> > to "make a space visible", and that's what \textvisible space is useful
> > for.
>
> They can already do this in listings and when I want a character to
> visualize it is logical to me that I insert an appropriate character for
> it.
But what if I do not want to have a listing, but a visible space in text?
Listing is a special case.
> But it is illogical that I can transform a real space to a character with
> all the consequences in an inset that is designed for spaced and not
> characters.
No. See above.
Jürgen
> > but to sum up as the time passed we have 3 patches:
> > 1. special symbol - simple Unicode char
> > 2. part of insetspace
> > 3. special symbol - specific drawing
>
> regards Uwe
