bugGNU nano - Bugs: bug #55040, [Request] add the ability to...

 
 

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bug #55040: [Request] add the ability to switch between inserting and overtyping

Submitter:  Peter Passchier <pepa65>
Submitted:  Fri 16 Nov 2018 08:01:50 PM UTC
   
 
Severity:  1 - Wish Status:  Wont Fix
Assigned to:  None Open/Closed:  Closed

Sun 30 Dec 2018 07:05:35 PM UTC, comment #5: 

Not going to add this feature.  If you find a whole bunch of people who want this feature, I /might/ reconsider.

Benno Schulenberg <bens>
Group administrator
Mon 19 Nov 2018 06:33:37 PM UTC, comment #4: 

No default binding for Overtype toggle would be excellent. Those that want it will bind it themselves and only have themselves to blame for pressing it.

An indicator would not strictly be needed, but isn't there a lot of available space on the top bar? Then an indicator for Macro recording could also be shown, as a service to users, so they can visually check where they are.

Peter Passchier <pepa65>
Mon 19 Nov 2018 03:50:13 PM UTC, comment #3: 

No, as said: there would not be a default binding for the Overtype toggle.  And certainly not one that is hard to type, because if a newbie then hits it by accident, how is he ever going to switch it off again?  Having to read the help text to find that out would be infuriating.

Yes, the need for an indicator is another reason why I don't want to add an Overtype mode.  (I agree that fiddling with the cursor is not a good idea.)

Yes, the addition of COUPLE_BEGIN and COUPLE_END should make it relativelly easy to undo as a whole the deletion of one character plus the insertion of another.

Benno Schulenberg <bens>
Group administrator
Sat 17 Nov 2018 08:21:23 PM UTC, comment #2: 

OK, I should have looked harder at earlier requests for this.
I would propose the following:

- Of course always start with overype off.

- Have a (not too easy to type) keycombo by default to toggle to overtype (that is rebindable to the Insert-key for those that want that), OR don't offer a default key(combo) at all (those that want the functionality can bind it to Ins or something else).

- Two-column characters get overwritten as a whole (as other editors that offer overtype do). This means a "visual move" for the remainder of the line, but that is how overtype works.

- An indicator should be included (either in the top bar or the bottom bar). (I would like an indicator for macro recording as well, any major state change should ideally be shown. Messing with the cursor is too error-prone on different systems.)

I hope the undo system having improved recently makes this functionality easier to implement.

Peter Passchier <pepa65>
Sat 17 Nov 2018 09:09:23 AM UTC, comment #1: 

Nano has always done this.  Just like Pico it doesn't have an Overtype mode.  There was a proposal a year ago to add that mode to nano -- see the thread that starts here: http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/nano-devel/2017-10/msg00032.html.

It is not so easy to implement: what should happen when a two-column character gets overwritten with a single-column one?  The idea of overtyping is to not "move" the text that comes after the cursor.  What should it do?  Insert an extra space?  Or relax the constraint and let the user adjust for the movement?

Anyway, even if Overtype mode would get integrated into nano, it will not be bound by default, because I don't want nano to go accidentally into Overtype mode.  Which means that for you (and some others) the <Insert> key will continue to not "work as expected".

Benno Schulenberg <bens>
Group administrator
Fri 16 Nov 2018 08:01:50 PM UTC, original submission:  

Not sure whether nano has always done this -- if so, this is more of a feature request.
With the default configuration, the Insert key calls (file) "insert".

What I expected (and wanted) was the common behaviour that "overtype" mode would get activated (instead of "insert" mode where characters are inserted). Is any form of overtype possible in nano?

Here using nano 3.0 on Ubuntu MATE 18.04.1

Peter Passchier <pepa65>

 

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    Follow 5 latest changes.

    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2019-03-10 bens Open/ClosedOpen Closed
    2018-12-30 bens StatusNone Wont Fix
    2018-11-19 bens Severity3 - Normal 1 - Wish
        Summary&lt;Insert&gt; doesn't toggle between inserting and overtyping [Request] add the ability to switch between inserting and overtyping
    2018-11-17 bens SummaryInsert doesn't work as expected <Insert> doesn't toggle between inserting and overtyping

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