[TxMt] Re: overwriting opening tag doesn't mirror on the closing tag.

[Theorik]

Scripsit Allan Odgaard diē 3.5.2006 10:51:
> On 3/5/2006, at 10:07, Theorik wrote:
> 
>> [...] This is a problem with some few TextMate mappings; especially  
>> mappings with the [shift and] option key can be annoying if one  
>> regularly uses the special characters that can be produced this way.
> 
> My policy here is that most European layouts are already broken, and  

You cannot judge this, I'm afraid.  For a much to detailed explanation, 
see below.


> I encourage everyone who can, to switch to the US keymap, it is such  
> a productivity gain when coding/using the shell, to have easy to  
> reach /, \, [, ], {, }, |, ;, :, etc. key.
> 
> Of course I know some perceive this almost as saying “boot into  
> Windows” :p

Not supporting non-US keyboard layouts is a severe limitation and should 
be stated clearly in the manual and on the web page.
(This is not to say that it makes no sense – it probably does make sense 
for you.)

Had I read your recommendation earlier, I wouldn't have paid for 
TextMate – seriously.  You don't offer a refund, do you?

Cheers,
Bernhard


<waffle>
As you don't take the point of hiding special characters seriuosly, what 
you're saying seems that you refuse to support TextMate outside of the 
domains of (a) writing English or (classical) Latin text and (b) 
programming in languages restricted to 7bit character sets (c) using an 
US English keyboard.  This may is fine (but should be stated clearly!) 
and may cover the majority of your users – it just doesn't cover me.

Your recommendation is indeed a lot like saying “boot into Windows…” – 
for many things,  Windows works (at least in the beginning, although in 
my experience, it deteriorates quite fast), maybe a bit less convenient 
than a unixoid system.  The standard US keyboard doesn't work for me, so 
you should continue your suggestion “…to run TextMate”.

I don't use a text editor only for programme code[0] but also for typing 
text (I even have text messages in my programmes – most of them 
containing 8bit characters), so I want to easily type both (especially) 
German and other “common” characters (yes, this is not specific, and it 
changes according to what I type about and who I cite or whose music I 
listen to[1] etc.) and the characters needed for coding LaTeX etc.  The 
easiest way to have part of this is using a German keyboard layout; I 
don't mind using the option key a log – I do mind using the character 
table all the time.[2]  Another option would be building my own keyboard 
with more (modifier) keys; for practical reasons, I refrain from this 
(fitting such a keyboard on my laptop might prove difficult).

A last question to close my rant: Why do you offer a choice between 
UTF-8 and ISO-8859 encodings?  They are equivalent to ASCII for all 
purposes you develop TextMate for.[3]


[0] Even most programming languages I use are able to use 8bit encodings 
– why shouldn't I use them?  Most programmes will never cross the 
borders of my city, even less the Atlantic.

[1] E.g. I like Dvořák – why shouldn't I be able type his name 
correctly?  (By the way: he didn't invent the similar-sounding 
keyboard!)  The same for the names of Central European cities that are 
geographically much closer to me than the US cities with their ASCII names?

[2] In fact, the German (and other?) keyboard layout of XFree / X.org as 
found on Linux, FreeBSD etc. offers most flexibility if you activate the 
compose key; the Apple keyboard layout is already a lot better than the 
standard Windows layout.  Obviously, you cannot have everything.

[3] It would have greater potential, you know?
</waffle>