bug#27565: 24.5; macro running feedback [enhancement request]

[Boruch Baum]

Currently, when one invokes a macro, instead of an indication that the
macro is running, the invocation key sequence is displayed in the
mini-buffer, eg. `C-u 0 C-x e', until the macro completes (or maybe
until the macro itself sends something to the mini-buffer?).

For a macro invocation that takes a long time to run, either because of
the macro itself or because of the number of times it is being repeated,
I found the result disquieting:

1] Did I forget to type something, and is emacs waiting for me to finish
   entering the command?

2] Did something crash?

3] Is anything happening?

4] Should I `C-g' and try again?

In my case, the macro repeated 221 times for the entire buffer, for a
run-time of about fifteen seconds, enough time to get nervous and turn to
the emacs documentation, but not enough time to abort an otherwise fine
macro run.



ENHANCEMENT REQUEST: When a macro starts running, display a message in
the mini-buffer. Some possible formats might be:

a] macro [optional name] runnning . . .

b] macro [optional name] runnning ( n of m times) . . .



In GNU Emacs 24.5.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu)
 of 2016-03-19 on trouble, modified by Debian
System Description:     Devuan GNU/Linux 1.0 (jessie)

Configured using:
 `configure --build x86_64-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr
 --sharedstatedir=/var/lib --libexecdir=/usr/lib
 --localstatedir=/var/lib --infodir=/usr/share/info
 --mandir=/usr/share/man --with-pop=yes
 
--enable-locallisppath=/etc/emacs24:/etc/emacs:/usr/local/share/emacs/24.5/site-lisp:/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/24.5/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp
 --build x86_64-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr --sharedstatedir=/var/lib
 --libexecdir=/usr/lib --localstatedir=/var/lib
 --infodir=/usr/share/info --mandir=/usr/share/man --with-pop=yes
 
--enable-locallisppath=/etc/emacs24:/etc/emacs:/usr/local/share/emacs/24.5/site-lisp:/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/24.5/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp
 --with-x=no --without-gconf --without-gsettings 'CFLAGS=-g -O2
 -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security -Wall'
 CPPFLAGS=-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 LDFLAGS=-Wl,-z,relro'

Important settings:
  value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix

Major mode: Org

Minor modes in effect:
  anzu-mode: t
  undo-tree-mode: t
  company-mode: t
  shell-dirtrack-mode: t
  simpleclip-mode: t
  winner-mode: t
  show-paren-mode: t
  savehist-mode: t
  desktop-save-mode: t
  delete-selection-mode: t
  tooltip-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  size-indication-mode: t
  column-number-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t
  visual-line-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Memory information:
((conses 16 982834 507981)
 (symbols 48 62726 0)
 (miscs 40 20336 10096)
 (strings 32 210140 80671)
 (string-bytes 1 11506661)
 (vectors 16 98608)
 (vector-slots 8 2709110 19722)
 (floats 8 1547 3224)
 (intervals 56 49530 9728)
 (buffers 960 750)
 (heap 1024 94039 27790))

--

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