On 2016-02-07, at 23:24, John Wiegley <jwieg...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>> Eli Zaretskii <e...@gnu.org> writes: > >> What is the current consensus? should we adjust the documentation or fix the >> code? John? Richard? > > I think read-only overlays could be very useful. For example: > > 1. Create a command called `mask-regexp'. It creates read-only overlays for > matching text throughout the buffer. > 2. There should also be a way to add manual masks, using `mask-region'. > 3. Now use `replace-string' or any other command to bulk transform text. > However, masked text is not changed. > 4. Then execute unmask-all, and the mask disappears. > > This method of editing is key to video editing workflows. I think the only > reason I never thought to use it in Emacs is because it's never been there > (and so never occurred to me until now).
Hi, I just realized that this idea could be /extremely/ useful. Here's the case: I start a clock in Org-mode (C-c C-x C-i), and an entry with the starting time is added in the :LOGBOOK: drawer (and btw, it is invisible). While working on the file, I hit C-/ (undo) once too many, and the entry disappears (and this fact is still invisible to me!). Then, after some more work, I stop the clock only to see "org-clock-out: Clock start time is gone", and my clock is still going on (!). While the last thing (about the clock still going on) is probably an Org-mode bug (I'll propbably report it later "officially", I'm now Cc-ing this message to the Org-mode ML), the whole experience (and yes, it happened to me) is /very/ confusing. When read-only properties and masking are here, Org could just mark the half-done entry as read-only. I suspect that trying to undo it would perhaps trigger some error, which could be confusing, but it would be still better than silently removing a vital information. Best, -- Marcin Borkowski http://octd.wmi.amu.edu.pl/en/Marcin_Borkowski Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science Adam Mickiewicz University