Re: Ligatures

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Cc: address@hidden
> From: Clément Pit-Claudel <address@hidden>
> Date: Mon, 18 May 2020 22:44:27 -0400
> 
> >> In an earlier thread, you mentioned programming font ligatures — wouldn't 
> >> it be very common to deconstruct such ligatures, like → into ->?
> > 
> > No, I don't think so.  Why would this be common?
> 
> I thought it would be the default. Emacs shows →, and you can put the point 
> either before (|→), in the middle (-|>), or after (→|).

Doesn't sound as a useful default to me.  It could be an optional
feature, though.

> Here's a fairly common case: when writing html or XML, you may type <, then 
> >, then press C-b and type the tag name; or you may use < and a paredit-like 
> setup that inserts the > automatically.  If the font has a ligature for <> 
> and you can't put the point in the middle, this breaks.  Same for || — the 
> notation |x| { … } is used for lambdas in some languages; if you type || then 
> try to move the point back inside the composed || glyph it won't work.

Sounds like a bug or misfeature that needs a solution, not necessarily
the one that's been proposed here.  For example, how about a special
insert command that would disable ligation with the character it
inserts?