RE: Overlay insertion types, markers, etc.

[Drew Adams]

ping.

I really would like to know about this,
if someone has an idea.  Thx.

___

> From (elisp) `Overlays':
> 
> "An overlay uses markers to record its beginning and end."
> 
> 1. You can create an overlay with `make-overlay',
> passing it markers.
> 
> But the insertion types of those markers are not used
> for that overlay.  Instead, you can specify those types
> for the overlay as optional `make-overlay' args.  By
> default, text you insert at the beginning, but not at
> the end, of the overlay is included in the (extended)
> overlay.
> 
> First question:
> 
> Why, if you pass markers, isn't the default to use
> the insertion types of those markers?
> 
> 
> 2. `make-overlay' seems to be the only way to specify
> the insertion types for an overlay.  Is that right,
> or did I miss something?  `move-overlay' doesn't let
> you specify them, nor does `copy-overlay'.  (And I
> don't see this being handled by `overlay-put'' - they
> are not overlay properties.)
> 
> There are hook properties `insert-in-front-hooks'
> and `insert-behind-hooks'.  But that's not the same.
> 
> Second question:
> 
> Why isn't there (or is there?) a simple way to
> change the "marker insertion types" of an existing
> overlay?
> 
> Suppose you want to copy an existing overlay and
> then change some things in the copy.  You can't
> change the insertion types for it, right?
> 
> I guess you need to use `make-overlay', specifying
> insertion types, and then explicitly copy everything
> else from the first overlay.  Is that right?
> 
> 
> 3. Similarly, the default BUFFER for `make-overlay'
> is the current buffer, even if you pass markers.
> 
> Third question (similar to the first):
> 
> Why, if you pass markers to `make-overlay', and
> you don't pass arg BUFFER, isn't the default to
> use the buffer of those markers?
> 
> 
> 4. (Repeating) "An overlay uses markers to record
> its beginning and end."
> 
> It seems that an overlay "uses markers" but those
> aren't the markers you passed to `make-overlay'.
> Is that right?
> 
> Fourth question (also similar to the first):
> 
> Can you retrieve the markers that are "used by"
> an overlay, i.e., as markers?  I don't see that
> you can.  (`overlay-start' and `overlay-end',
> for example, don't give you markers.)  You can
> of course create suitable (but separate) markers.
> 
> (elisp) `Managing Overlays' says, about
> `move-overlay':
> 
> "This is the only valid way to change the endpoints
> of an overlay.  Do not try modifying the markers in
>                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> the overlay by hand, as that fails to update other
> vital data structures and can cause some overlays
> to be lost."
> 
> That makes me wonder.  I don't even see how you
> could try to "modify the markers of the overlay"
> (with Lisp).  How so?  How to get those markers?
> 
> 
> I feel like I'm probably missing something here,
> but I don't notice it in the manual, doc strings,
> or Lisp code (only `remove-overlay' and
> `copy-overlay' are coded in Lisp, it seems).
> 
> Do I understand the situation correctly?  If so,
> what's the rationale for it?  I'm guessing there
> are good reasons?