RE: Global bar to display global information

[Drew Adams]

> If [reusing the minibuffer area] is not possible or convenient,
> a dedicated line on each frame looks like the next choice.

If it is on each frame then the feature doesn't really factor out the global
info.  Since you use only one frame, "on each frame" just hides the general-case
duplication from you.

> (If the global info line is displayed on just one frame, what happens
> when the user creates a new frame on a remote display?)

Dunno.  (But why would you want this info on *each* remote frame?)

So make it one frame per display (remotes + local), instead of just one frame
overall.  Or I suppose users could configure some option to specify just which
frames to use...  (Hello, Martin ;-))

Essentially, what's requested is some stable place to post (and leave posted) a
bit of general info - info that is not specific to any buffer or window or
frame...

What you feel about windows should also hold for frames: get rid of the
duplication.  That you use only one frame does not mean that that need goes away
for others who might like the feature.

It makes most sense not to duplicate that info anywhere, with the possible
exception I guess that it could be available (once) on each display (e.g. each
remote display, plus local).

That means not on every frame and not on every window.  It means either giving
it its own, dedicated frame (frames, if we include remote) or posting it in some
existing frame (e.g. standalone minibuffer frame).

And the info need not be limited to a single line.  Especially if it is in a
dedicated frame, it could use any number of lines.

This could be done easily now, just by using a dedicated frame.  Instead of
posting your global info to the mode line, just display it in a buffer that uses
a special frame (which is dedicated).

Yes, that's different from (somehow) gathering up some common, global stuff from
existing mode lines and displaying it elsewhere.  But how to identify such
factorable info in existing mode lines?

Anyway, it sounds like the main case (OP) was user code that displays such stuff
in the mode line.  If that hurts then don't do it - instead, put it in a
special-display buffer in its own frame.

For my part, I still think it could be useful to (be able to) add the info to a
standalone minibuffer frame.  One difference from having a separate frame for it
is that that would save the real estate of an extra frame title and border.