Re: [emacs-bidi] Suboptimal display-reordering in minibuffer

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Larry Denenberg <address@hidden>
> cc: Larry Denenberg <address@hidden>, address@hidden
> Date: Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:17:01 -0400
> 
> It's wrong because this is an LTR sentence that happens to start
> with an RTL character, so the bidi code comes to the wrong
> conclusion about directionality.

The issue here is not why this particular sentence is rendered
incorrectly.  The issue is whether we can safely force the echo area
messages to _always_ be rendered with left-to-right paragraph
direction.  This is what you are suggesting, right?

Such general conclusions cannot be reached by looking at a single
isolated example.

> Aren't problems like this the entire raison d'etre of the invisible RLM
> and LRM characters?

There's no argument that we _can_ display this message with L2R
paragraph direction.  The question is: should we?

> Are there examples of minibuffer messages that we agree should be RTL?

That is the important question.  If someone could go over at least
some of the myriad of calls to `message' in Emacs and see if they all
tend to be L2R, I would agree that we should by default force L2R
paragraph direction on the echo area.

> >Does it work to set bidi-display-reordering in two buffers named
> >" *Echo Area 0*" and " *Echo Area 1*"?
> 
> Absolutely correct again!  So now I can have it if I really want it.

Btw, there's something I overlooked before: why exactly is ^ב
considered a strong R2L character?  Could you please go to it in the
" *Echo Area 0/1*" buffer, type "C-u C-x =", and show what Emacs tells
about that character?

> If there is such a thing as control-bet, then I think it should be
> displayed as "ב^" in RTL text, and as "^ב" in LTR text.

If this is the consensus, I'm okay with it.

> I check around every few months, and only a couple weeks ago that I
> saw that my wishes were finally fulfilled.  It's now a joy to read
> and answer mail.  I'm very very grateful.

Thanks.