Re: New folding backend & outline (was: [PATCH 22/35] ORG-NEWS: Add list of changes)

[Ihor Radchenko]

Kévin Le Gouguec <kevin.legouguec@gmail.com> writes:

> From the perspective of a heavy outline-minor-mode user, who dreams of
> Org "backporting" its great outlining features to outline.el, that's a
> bit disheartening, since IIUC this will cause Org and outline.el to
> drift further apart?

We already had some subtle (yet important) deviations between Org mode
and outline.el, which made using outline-* functions in Org buffers
unreliable at times. This patch just makes the already existing trend
more prominent.

> I realize this question might sound outlandish, but I'll ask it anyway:
> would it be feasible (and relevant) to add this new folding backend to
> outline.el, so that (1) /both/ Org and outline(-minor)-mode benefit from
> it, (2) outline.el functions keep working in Org?
>
> (Assuming outline.el could be turned into a :core GNU ELPA package, and
> Org would tolerate adding this dependency)

Sure. I kept this idea in mind when developing the branch.
org-fold-core.el is written in such a way that it can be used by an
arbitrary major or minor mode:

;; This file contains library to control temporary invisibility
;; (folding and unfolding) of text in buffers.

;; The file implements the following functionality:
;;
;; - Folding/unfolding regions of text
;; - Searching and examining boundaries of folded text
;; - Interactive searching in folded text (via isearch)
;; - Handling edits in folded text
;; - Killing/yanking (copying/pasting) of the folded text
;; - Fontification of the folded text

If desired, outline.el can be rather trivially converted to use
org-fold-core.

> I hope this doesn't come across as negative criticism; the amount of
> work that went into this branch is astounding, and as an Org user I'm
> indebted to the developers for the energy that goes into maintaining it.
>
> Lest I let this message end on that sour note: great work, and thanks
> for the energy you put into Org!

Thanks!

Best,
Ihor