RE: [External] : Re: Indicate better the current use of the echo area / minibuffer [was: Controlling Isearch from minibuffer]

[Drew Adams]

It seems that this thread has been knee-jerk
hijacked by those intent on pushing a proposal to
base Isearch on the minibuffer.

That's NOT the intention of this thread.
There's another thread for that - please go there
for that.

This thread is about the current (longstanding)
design of Isearch, which is NOT minibuffer-based.

And it's also about the echo area and minibuffer
(independently of any concern with Isearch).

Minibuffer, echo area, and Isearch pattern share
the same screen area.  This thread is about
helping users more easily distinguish the current
state of that area.

[Those insistent on a minibuffer-based Isearch
have been the first to clamor about how confusing
it can be, especially for newbies, that Isearch
doesn't use the minibuffer but it uses the same
screen area.  Where are your voices on this other,
very different question about trying to prevent
or reduce such confusion?]

And of course this feature would be _optional_.
So comments like this one are irrelevant in this
context:

 > Personally, I would not like to use such a
 > colorful "subtle" indication in the echo area. 

That user Jane or Jim might not want any help with
this problem isn't a problem for anyone - they just
wouldn't turn it on.

This isn't about what _you_ might like as a user.
It's about how we might help other users - users in
general.

So far, alas, that comment is the only contribution
to this thread that's been (somewhat) on-topic.  The
rest has all been noise about why we should base
Isearch on the minibuffer.  And Eli has already said
that if _that_ were to be offered it would anyway be
optional for users.  So this problem remains for
Isearch as we've come to know and love it.

How about some ideas for making the state of this
shared screen area more clear to users?

All I've suggested in that regard is that I think a
visual, continuing indication, right there, _in that
area_ is what's called for.  (As opposed to some
ephemeral message, ding, or flash.)

That's my suggestion on the blue-sky whiteboard.
Anyone else have a suggestion?