On Sat, Nov 08, 2008 at 03:10:57PM -0800, Gary Johnson wrote: >> I just updated the mail.vim syntax file to include syntax folding. It >> now supports folding away quoted text, headers, and signatures. >> >> Does someone have comments? Issues are as follows: >> >> 1. Someone who has fdm=syntax will start composing new mail with all >> text folded away (his signature, header, and quoted text). I >> presume this is useless. I avoid this by putting an autocommand >> that sets fdc=3 and fdl=9 for mail files. But perhaps this should >> be done by default in the ftplugin file, if the user has >> fdm=syntax. >> >> 2. Bram uses expression folding: I attach the snipped he sent to me >> (off list). Perhaps this should go into the default ftplugin >> file, and add documentation saying mail can be folded by >> syntax/expression etc. >> >> 3. Would be nice to have the important header fields unfolded. But >> that would involve splitting the header into multiple regions, >> which might or might not be desirable. > > Not to be a wet blanket, but I do have a couple of comments. > > 1. A proper signature is no more than 4 lines and appears at the > very bottom of the message, so folding it seems hardly > worthwhile. Other people's signatures should not be included in > a reply. > > 2. Similarly, if your mailer includes any of your headers at all in > the file it gives your editor, they should be few and at the > very top of the file. Other people's headers need not be > included in a reply. > > 3. If part of the message you are quoting is not important enough > for you to need to refer to it as you're composing your reply, > it's not important enough to include in the reply. Any part of > a message that you would like to fold away should probably just > be deleted from the message.
For similar reasons, I too thought syntax folding for mails was pointless. But Christian Brabandt sent me a preliminary folding patch. I accepted it, thinking that anyone who doesn't want folding needn't use fdm=syntax, and won't see change. However -- after using it a little I found it quite useful. However having the regions marked as folds makes it easy for you to delete / navigate (e.g. zk/zj zCdd, [z, ]z etc.). Further when I edit raw messages, folding away long headers is quite useful. That said -- if you don't think syntax folding is useful, don't use it, and don't clutter my mailbox. If you have constructive suggestions (esp. constructive suggestions with patches) let me know, GI -- Top Ten New Intel Slogans For The Pentium: 8.9999163362 It's Close Enough, We Say So
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