GNU bug report logs - #80084
Koutliner: unable to delete region with kotl commands

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Mats Lidell <matsl <at> gnu.org>
To: zyd <zyd-p <at> proton.me>
Cc: bug-hyperbole <at> gnu.org, "hyperbole-users <at> gnu.org" <hyperbole-users <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: Koutliner: unable to delete region with kotl commands
Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2025 16:02:29 +0100

Hi Zyd,

> zyd writes:
> Greeting hyperbole and koutliner users.
>
> I just started using koutliner today myself and have come across a weird
> issue. I'm unsure if it's a bug or not: when I mark the region, I expect to be
> able to delete that text when I press <backspace> or <DEL>, but instead I either
> get a message
>
> kotl-mode:delete-char: (kotl-mode:delete-char): End of cell
>
> Or, a single character gets deleted. This happens with both commands
> kotl-mode:delete-backward-char and kotl-mode:delete-char. This is really weird
> behavior. Currently the only way to delete a region is by killing it to the ring
> via C-w, but that pollutes my kill ring with text I never intend to yank/paste.

Thanks for trying out the koutliner and thanks for the report.

Yes, I can see that this is confusing since it does not align with regular
text editing behavior. The functions you mention does not take the region into
account so acts just from point on characters. That is why <DEL> when at point
of the end of a cell gives an error message. You can't delete a cell boundary.

I'll forward this to bug-hyperbole and we will take a look at it. I think what
you are expecting is very reasonable. Personally I have C-w in my muscle
memory for deleting regions so I have not seen this how odd it might sound.

> If this is not a bug but a feature/expected behavior, does anyone have
> suggestions for implementing the behavior I want beyond just locally rebinding
> those keys to #'backward-delete-char. I'd like to keep the dwim-like features of
> the kotl keybinds but deal with this edge case.

A, possibly lame, alternative for now is to insert a SPACE char since self
insert respects the region and will replace it a the space.

> Attached is a video demonstration
>
> Hyperbole version: 20251225.1030

%% Mats

<#secure method=pgpmime mode=sign>

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