Re: Overlay mechanic improvements

[David Kastrup]

Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:

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>
> I don't see that it makes sense to store overlays like text properties.
> The existing data structure is fine for overlays used as they are intended
> to be used.

preview-latex <URL:http://www.gnu.org/software/auctex/preview-latex>
extensively uses overlays (and they can easily grow to a few thousand
per document in a mathematically oriented paper), and it is very clearly
_overlays_ which are wanted here since the associated images are only
correct in the context and position of a particular document and would
not make any sense at all to copy and paste.

Quadratic behavior for the markers used as start- and end markers is
clearly undesirable.

Naturally, this could be addressed by changing the data
structures/algorithms for updating markers (thus killing two birds with
one stone).  But whether solved together with marker behavior or not,
this is worth addressing.

-- 
David Kastrup