scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) (08/31/90)
One of the little-known features of elm folders is that the `+' and `%' keys are synonyms for `='. Any time you save a message to a folder, if the folder name starts with any of the three characters the folder is assumed to be in your folder directory. The feature just recently surfaced during some discussions in the development group; until then I didn't know it existed. We discussed it a bit, and couldn't come up with a good reason for having three different characters. One of the suggestions made (by me) was that we drop the `+' and `%' and use only the `='. This reduces the number of 'magic' characters in elm, thereby reducing user confusion (by the way, this behaviour *is* documented but only in a footnote). But since this is a user-visible change, it seems appropriate to poll the user community before doing it. Comments?
anderson@udder.macc.wisc.edu (Jess Anderson) (08/31/90)
Nothing against dropping + and %; = is the only one I
ever use.
--
Jess Anderson Madison Academic Computing Center University of Wisconsin
Work: Rm. 3130, 1210 West Dayton St., Madison WI 53706, Ph. 608/262-5888
Home: 2838 Stevens St., 53705, 608/238-4833 Bitnet: anderson@wiscmacc
Internet: anderson@macc.wisc.edu UUCP:{}!uwvax!macc.wisc.edu!andersoncrissl@rulcvx.LeidenUniv.nl (Stefan Linnemann) (08/31/90)
In <1990Aug31.014944.12335@lokkur.dexter.mi.us> scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) writes: >One of the suggestions made (by me) was that we drop the `+' and `%' >and use only the `='. This reduces the number of 'magic' characters in >elm, thereby reducing user confusion (by the way, this behaviour *is* >documented but only in a footnote). But since this is a user-visible >change, it seems appropriate to poll the user community before doing >it. Comments? I never knew they were there, so by all means: drop 'em.
cudcv@warwick.ac.uk (Rob McMahon) (08/31/90)
In article <1990Aug31.014944.12335@lokkur.dexter.mi.us> scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) writes: > >One of the little-known features of elm folders is that the `+' and `%' >keys are synonyms for `='. I actually do find `+' useful, since I normally use mush, and this is what mush uses. It's saves me getting quite so confused when I help out elm users. Rob -- UUCP: ...!mcsun!ukc!warwick!cudcv PHONE: +44 203 523037 JANET: cudcv@uk.ac.warwick INET: cudcv@warwick.ac.uk Rob McMahon, Computing Services, Warwick University, Coventry CV4 7AL, England
epeterso@encore.com (Eric Peterson) (08/31/90)
scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) writes: | One of the little-known features of elm folders is that the `+' and `%' | keys are synonyms for `='. Any time you save a message to a folder, if | the folder name starts with any of the three characters the folder is | assumed to be in your folder directory. [ ... ] | | One of the suggestions made (by me) was that we drop the `+' and `%' | and use only the `='. This reduces the number of 'magic' characters in | elm, thereby reducing user confusion (by the way, this behaviour *is* | documented but only in a footnote). But since this is a user-visible | change, it seems appropriate to poll the user community before doing | it. Comments? Well, I know of at least one other program that uses the "+" instead of the "=" to designate the folder directory -- the newsreader NN. I'm not sure, but I believe that there are other programs that recognize the "+" as being a folder indicator as well. On the other hand, I've never heard of nor seen anything that uses the "%" as a folder indicator. I always use "=" for folders, but since (a) other programs recognize "+", (b) this is not a bug, and (c) the two are on the same key (on most keyboards), let's keep it. The "%" should be removed if anything is gonna be. My $0.02. Eric -- Eric Peterson <> epeterson@encore.com <> uunet!gould!epeterson Encore Computer Corp. * Ft. Lauderdale, Florida * (305) 587-2900 x4966 Real Time: Here and now, as opposed to Fake Time, which is there and then.
wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) (09/01/90)
Please make each (=, +, and %) definable. Then if you want them to be the same, ok. But if you instead want to select separate directories, go at it..... -- A host is a host from coast to coast.....wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu & no one will talk to a host that's close............(305) 255-RTFM Unless the host (that isn't close)......................pob 570-335 is busy, hung or dead....................................33257-0335
meo@rsiatl.UUCP (Miles ONeal) (09/01/90)
I suspect they are there for compatibility with other common mailers.
'+' at least is used with standard unix mail (mailx on SysV),
and various other mailers (mush has been mentioned).
I suggest they make transitions easier. I have elm on MOST
systems I use, but not quite all, and such minor details
make life a lot easier.
Now if only I could read news with elm, or make nn feel like
elm, I'd be content!
-Miles
Miles O'Neal
{uunet | emory}!rsiatl!meo (home)
meo@sware.com (work)
{uunet | emory}!sware!meo (work)david@PacBell.COM (David St. Pierre) (09/02/90)
Mailers such as mush, mailx and Mail all use '+' to denote the mail
folder. I vote for keeping the '+' around - it's a lot easier training
users familiar with some of the other mailers out there.
--
David St. Pierre 415/823-6800 {att,bellcore,sun,ames,decwrl}!pacbell!davided@alt.dah.sub.org (Ed Braaten) (09/03/90)
scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons) writes: >One of the suggestions made (by me) was that we drop the `+' and `%' >and use only the `='. This reduces the number of 'magic' characters in I would say keep the '=' and '+'. (Keep '+' for compatibility with nn). Drop '%'. In fact you could use '%' as the key for the "Mangle Address" function in a future release... ;-) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Braaten | Jesus answered, "I am the way and the Work: ed@imuse.de.intel.com | truth and the life. No one comes to the Home: ed@alt.dah.sub.org | Father except through me." John 14:6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
berny@tndsyd.oz (Berny M. Goodheart) (09/04/90)
Since some mailers use + I suggest you leave it in. I don't know of any mailers using % though. so that can go as far as I am concerned. However, what would be nice is if we could manage more than one folder directory. = being the default, + being another, % a bin bucket etc... While I am at it, another nice want is to be able to use Elm for posting and reading news!. ============================================================================== Berny M. Goodheart (+61)-2-957-5566 ACSnet: berny@tndsyd.oz UUCP: uunet!munnari.oz!tndsyd.oz.au!berny INTERNET:berny@tndsyd.oz.au TANDEM Computers Incorporated 76 Berry St, North Sydney, NSW, 2060, Australia
mark@DRD.Com (Mark Lawrence) (09/04/90)
david@PacBell.COM (David St. Pierre) wrote: } Mailers such as mush, mailx and Mail all use '+' to denote the mail } folder. I vote for keeping the '+' around - it's a lot easier training } users familiar with some of the other mailers out there. True, but '=' doesn't require 'shift' and since I switch folders a lot, I'd rather not shift. Make it a configure option and everybody will be happy. -- mark@DRD.Com uunet!apctrc!drd!mark$B!J%^!<%/!!!&%m!<%l%s%9!K(B
mark@DRD.Com (Mark Lawrence) (09/04/90)
meo@rsiatl.UUCP (Miles ONeal) wrote: [...] } Now if only I could read news with elm, or make nn feel like } elm, I'd be content! Dave mentioned that he once had a version of elm that did read news. I wonder if that code still exists somewhere and how hard it would be to graft in. I'd love to have an elm that reads news. I like trn a lot, but I'd like elm a whole lot better. -- mark@DRD.Com uunet!apctrc!drd!mark$B!J%^!<%/!!!&%m!<%l%s%9!K(B
jand@kuling.UUCP (Jan Dj{rv) (09/05/90)
In article <1990Sep4.121426.16558@DRD.Com> mark@DRD.Com (Mark Lawrence) writes: >david@PacBell.COM (David St. Pierre) wrote: >} Mailers such as mush, mailx and Mail all use '+' to denote the mail >} folder. I vote for keeping the '+' around - it's a lot easier training >} users familiar with some of the other mailers out there. > >True, but '=' doesn't require 'shift' and since I switch folders a lot, >I'd rather not shift. Make it a configure option and everybody will be >happy. >-- Very keyboard dependant that. On my keyboard '=' requires shift and '+' doesn't... I think (like someone suggested) that '+' and '%' should be .elmrc configurable to optionally mean another folder directory. The default would of course be the same as '='. Jan D.
sbd@dsto.oz.au (Scott Davis) (09/06/90)
In article <1990Aug31.223711.7091@mthvax.cs.miami.edu> wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) writes: > Please make each (=, +, and %) definable. Then if you want them > to be the same, ok. But if you instead want to select separate > directories, go at it..... This seems by far the best option. I never knew the others existed, but I DO use elm to read my saved News (saved in Mail format by gnus). News is saved in a different directory, so it would be useful to have another key (eg +) set to my News directory. Scott Davis -- Scott Davis Phone (08) 259 6360 Information Technology Division, Defence Science and Technology Organisation Salisbury, South Australia sbd@itd.dsto.oz.au