GNU bug report logs - #21932
24.3.1; tabulated-list-mode minor bugs and feature requests

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From: Ken Raeburn <raeburn@HIDDEN>
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Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2015 03:14:39 -0500
Subject: 24.3.1; tabulated-list-mode minor bugs and feature requests
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Tabulated list mode is quite a nice helper for viewing information.  =
I=E2=80=99ve used it to throw together various simple modes for =
debugging other Emacs code or for work =E2=80=94 listing Emacs timers, =
listing Emacs frames and which displays they=E2=80=99re on, listing my =
Perforce workspaces with descriptions.

In using it, I have run across a few minor issues, and have a few =
enhancements I=E2=80=99d like to see.

1) Tabulated list mode doesn=E2=80=99t line the columns up properly if =
you use C-x C=E2=80=94 or C-x C-+ to alter the text size.  The columns =
are not lined up consistently, though in the mode I=E2=80=99m writing =
right now, some of them do seem to stay lined up with the headers if I =
shrink the text.

2) When changing the text size, the text of the header line is =
unchanged.  If this is intentional, then the number of characters in =
each column should be adjusted up or down to compensate, so that entry =
columns aren=E2=80=99t too wide, and aren=E2=80=99t truncated to a much =
narrower width than necessary.  I would guess it=E2=80=99s accidental, =
though.

3) Tabulated list mode doesn=E2=80=99t line the columns up properly if =
you use variable-pitch-mode.  This one is hard, I=E2=80=99m sure, =
because the same buffer could simultaneously be displayed on multiple =
displays that support different fonts, and on terminals that don=E2=80=99t=
 support anything but one fixed-width font.  If we don=E2=80=99t =
truncate each string to the shortest length useable across all frames =
displaying the buffer based on font metrics and the specific text to be =
displayed, which would probably look kind of ugly (=E2=80=A6but might =
not?), then I think we need the display engine to make the choice where =
to truncate rather than the Lisp code.

4) On most graphical displays it should be capable of using the Unicode =
ellipsis code point U+2026 instead of taking up three columns with dots; =
that would give us back two columns of text on such displays.  Again, =
this would be potentially displaying different amounts of text, as well =
as different ellipses, on different displays.

5) Adjustable column widths: Many table-based GUIs I=E2=80=99ve seen let =
the user grab the dividing line between headers and drag it left or =
right to alter a field=E2=80=99s width, sometimes with limits to how =
wide or narrow the field is allowed to be.  It wouldn=E2=80=99t work for =
every case, but when there is a padding space between column headers, =
perhaps it can be given mouse bindings similar to the way =
mouse-drag-vertical-line works.

Ken=