Re: Where to show message output while inputting [was: New multi-command facility displays in the wrong echo area]

[Gregory Heytings]

> The same problem will exist if you move output (`message' echoes) to the 
> mode-line: you won't be able to see the mode-line info and the message 
> at the same time.

That's obviously a problem that will exist in any possible solution to 
that problem: the message will hide something.  The question is then: what 
is the "something" that can be hidden with the least possible risk?  IMO 
the mode-line is, in this context, the least important element, and it can 
be temporarily right-shifted.  Eldoc does this, too.

> Or we could choose to echo in a separate area only when needed.  E.g., 
> we might use the same area for echo and minibuffer whenever there's no 
> conflict (no overlap in time), and show echoes in some other place (e.g. 
> pop-up) in the rarer cases when needed.

That's exactly what my proposed solution does.  The same area is used when 
there's no conflict, and the "pop-up" uses the space on the left of the 
mode-line, which is temporarily right-shifted.

> "Pop up" here could mean temporarily overwriting the mode-line, as 
> Gregory suggested.

No, the mode-line is not temporarily overwritten, it is temporarily 
right-shifted.  Usually (when the message is not too long) the leftmost 
part of the mode-line remains visible.