Line joining and opening

[tuhdo]

@xahlee @mlf176f2 These are the two editing commands that I found really useful.

• Line joining is the ability to merge next line into the current line without moving point. For example, you have a list of function parameters or a list of sexp on multiple lines and feel we can save space by moving them all within a line. Suppose we have 4 lines to merge. Then we simply execute join command 4 times. Without it, we have to move cursor to the end, run kill-line, then move point to the end again. At least we need to execute between 8 commands, and we have to alternate our hands between two different command. Emacs already has stock join-line, but it joins from the bottom. We can write a little function to easily achieve the reverse. You can take a look at this post for join-top-line command. I suggest the key bindings for joining lines are Alt + [ to join-top-line and Alt + ] for stock join-line.
• Line opening is the ability to insert a new line and move point to the beginning of next line, preferably at the beginning of indentation. It is useful when you are in the middle of a line and decide to add something to the next line, without having to move to the beginning or end of line and press RET, then press Alt + i or k to finally move to where you want to insert. I suggest bind it to Alt + Enter for opening line below and Alt + Shift + Enter for opening line above, since those key bindings are used for newline-and-indent, which is bound to RET in ErgoEmacs by default.

[xahlee]

line joining you can do by calling ergoemacs-shrink-whitespaces or xah-shrink-whitespaces. i recently modified xah-shrink-whitespaces so it actually join lines in the last repeat.

line opening, if you mean emacs's open-line command. (but it doesn't match your description) I find open-line useful in recent years.

Xah

On Fri, Mar 13, 2015 at 2:59 PM, Tu Do notifications@github.com wrote:

@xahlee https://github.com/xahlee @mlf176f2 https://github.com/mlf176f2 These are the two editing commands that I found really useful.

-

Line joining is the ability to merge next line into the current line without moving point. For example, you have a list of function parameters or a list of sexp on multiple lines and feel we can save space by moving them all within a line. Suppose we have 4 lines to merge. Then we simply execute join command 4 times. Without it, we have to move cursor to the end, run kill-line, then move point to the end again. At least we need to execute between 8 commands, and we have to alternate our hands between two different command. Emacs already has stock join-line, but it joins from the bottom. We can write a little function to easily achieve the reverse. You can take a look at this post http://emacsredux.com/blog/2013/05/30/joining-lines/ for join-top-line command. I suggest the key bindings for joining lines are Alt + [ to join-top-line and Alt + ] for stock join-line.

Line opening is the ability to insert a new line and move point to the beginning of next line, preferably at the beginning of indentation. It is useful when you are in the middle of a line and decide to add something to the next line, without having to move to the beginning or end of line and press RET, then press Alt + i or k to finally move to where you want to insert. I suggest bind it to Alt + Enter for opening line below and Alt

• Shift + Enter for opening line above.

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/ergoemacs/ergoemacs-mode/issues/339.

[tuhdo]

@xahlee Oh sorry about the open-line. I meant the open-line feature in Prelude:

(defun prelude-smart-open-line (arg)
  "Insert an empty line after the current line.
Position the cursor at its beginning, according to the current mode.
With a prefix ARG open line above the current line."
  (interactive "P")
  (if arg
      (prelude-smart-open-line-above)
    (progn
      (move-end-of-line nil)
      (newline-and-indent))))

As for line joining, ergoemacs-shrink-whitespaces doesn't seem to join the next line. It only erases spaces.

[xahlee]

As for line joining, ergoemacs-shrink-whitespaces doesn't seem to join the next line. It only erases spaces.

no, it doesn't, but as i said, the modified version xah-shrink-whitespaces does.

about prelude-smart-open-line, in my opinion it is not general enough to be a core ~30 commands that warrant a key. Right now, in ergoemacs-mode, there are i think 2 or 3 key spot left. But anyway, it's Matt's call.

Xah

On Sat, Mar 14, 2015 at 9:46 PM, Tu Do notifications@github.com wrote:

@xahlee https://github.com/xahlee Oh sorry about the open-line. I meant the open-line feature in Prelude https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude/blob/b24bea01bf4e8a34307be9e5aaa119192ceb97be/core/prelude-core.el#L114 :

(defun prelude-smart-open-line (arg) "Insert an empty line after the current line.Position the cursor at its beginning, according to the current mode.With a prefix ARG open line above the current line." (interactive "P") (if arg (prelude-smart-open-line-above) (progn (move-end-of-line nil) (newline-and-indent))))

As for line joining, ergoemacs-shrink-whitespaces doesn't seem to join the next line. It only erases spaces.

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/ergoemacs/ergoemacs-mode/issues/339#issuecomment-80854105 .

[mattfidler]

There are many people who may use prelude, so many people may want the option. I really don't have much time to code up the open-line function and add some tests for it. If you would like to do this I'm fine with it, but I am afraid that you would have had to sign the gnu licence agreement if you want to have it included in ergoemacs-mode since it is on gnu elpa.

For now you should be able to work-around it with a global-set-key in your start-up.

[mattfidler]

I don't think that I would add it to the core-theme, but an option you can enable/disable.

[mattfidler]

I have added the functionality. It is disabled on the standard theme, by default.

You may enable it by

(ergoemacs-require '(join-line open-line))

Or select it from the ergoemacs-mode menu.

I have used your suggested bindings. This implies that RET is no longer bound to newline, but newline-and-indent when you enable this component.

I'm not sure I like the keys since they aren't that ergonomic... In the reduction theme, the join line statements take a little less stretching.

[mattfidler]

By adding this component, many of my convenient Alt+RET key bindings have disappeared. I can't stand that ido-mode no longer opens the directory in dired without Alt+RET.

Probably needs more work.