Saluton Roald :) Roald <[email protected]> dixit: > Raúl wrote: "The usage pattern you explained in your message doesn't > make sense as a mode for me, because those actions belong to "normal" > mode." > > I'm no psychologist, but I think my mind is modal - with more modes > than vim. Sometimes I want to browse files, then I'm in a 'browse- > file' state of mind, and want to use a browse mode. Sometimes I want > to write loads of text, and I'm in an according state of mind, and I > want to use insert mode. Sometimes I want to edit (rather than really > create) text, and want to use a different insert mode. And if I have a > (tab separated) table in my text, again another mode would be useful.
I understand your point, and I don't know if your mental schemes are frequent or not between Vim users, but even if they are we are facing a practical problem too: adding a new mode would mean adapting a whole lot of mappings, changing (well, extending) the mapping system, checking for all possible side-effects, specially in scripts, addons, etc. A whole lot of work, implying a lot of changes in the code. So don't expect it to happen anytime soon ;) The problem here is that the modes already present in Vim pervade the entire code, the entire design, because they are the keypoints of the Vim design. > "I suppose that the OP knows that mappings can solve his problem, but > nonetheless he was interested in adding new modes (which, in the end, > would make available plenty of "ordinary" keys, one set for each new > mode). The key here is not if "Insert mode" is a mode or not, or if > mappings can solve OP's problem. The key here is, IMHO, is a good idea > to add new modes for certain operations (like moving between windows, > etc.)." > > Indeed! Not having to press Ctrl's and not having to move away from > the keyboard (as with F's) would be much faster. Sorry, my last sentence above should read "if is a good idea", not "is a good idea": I was asking myself if the idea of adding modes was good or not. I mistyped, sorry. I think that if you choose appropriate mappings you can do what you want without having to add new modes. That's one of the functions of mappings: assign frequent tasks to keys easier to press. > "If you make just one move... well, then the "mode" is already there" > > Yes, but in that mode I would also have keys for switching between > buffers and for scrolling in that mode, and maybe for following links. Your special mode looks a lot like normal mode ;) You want to do almost anything not related with inserting text in that mode: why not using some Normal mode mappings? > "The problem is: how do you go to that mode?" > > I think that's the biggest problem: finding an unused key in normal > mode. That can be used as a leader, followed by a (programmable) mode > specifier. In my keyboard (Spanish) the "ç" is a perfect leader, because I don't use it while typing (usually) and is very near to my right little finger, making it easy to press it fast. I think that your best course of action would be to use a mapleader, make some mappings for the things you want to do fast without having to use "Ctrl-whatever" and imagine that those mappings enter some magic mode allowing you to move between windows, buffers, links, scrolling, etc. Of course, you can try to convince Bram to add a new mode if you describe exactly what kind of things that new mode should do ;) -- Raúl "DervishD" Núñez de Arenas Coronado Linux Registered User 88736 | http://www.dervishd.net It's my PC and I'll cry if I want to... RAmen! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message from the "vim_dev" maillist. For more information, visit http://www.vim.org/maillist.php -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
