[PATCH] Improve sorting in the bookmark list buffer.

[Karl Fogel]

On 07 Mar 2022, Manuel Giraud wrote:
> There is one minor thing left: the tabulated-list bar (I don't 
> how it is
> called) keep the old information « sorted by bookmark name » when 
> I have
> revert to `bookmark-sort-flag' as nil.

I looked more closely at the situation and came up with the 
attached patch.  The new behavior is a little complex, but I think 
it's the right thing for most users:

If `bookmark-sort-flag' is non-nil, which is the default, then the 
bookmark list [1] will be sorted lexically (case-insensitively, 
and in locale-dependent collation order).

If `bookmark-sort-flag' is nil, then the list starts out sorted by 
bookmark creation order, *but* clicking on the sort-control toggle 
for the Bookmark Name column will sort the list lexically (and 
toggling it changes the direction of that lexical sort each time). 
However, you can use "g" (`revert-buffer') to refresh and thus go 
right back to creation-order sort.  Also, if you change the value 
of `bookmark-sort-flag' and regenerate the buffer, via `g' or 
otherwise, the sort will change accordingly, as one would expect.

Note that there is no option to reverse the direction of creation 
order sort: when sorting by creation order, it's always most 
recent bookmark on top to least recent at bottom.  I didn't see 
any clear need for the reverse direction, and having the column 
sort toggle behave in a familiar (lexical) way seemed much more 
important.

Review / feedback welcome.  This is based against current 'master' 
branch (commit 25308a95f8869c), but once it's been through review 
I'll ask Eli which branch it should go on (or Eli if you want to 
just say now that's fine too).

Best regards,
-Karl

[1] That is, the buffer generated by `bookmark-bmenu-list'.

0001-Improve-sorting-in-the-bookmark-list-buffer.patch
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