Update NextStep readme and add wish list.
* nextstep/README: Rewritten from scratch. New sections on "History", "Overview of Cocoa and Objective-C", "Guidelines", "Tracing Support", and "GNUStep". Expanded the "See Also" section. * nextstep/WISHLIST: New file containing list of issues and ideas associated with the NS port of Emacs.
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Anders Lindgren
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nextstep/README
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nextstep/README
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This directory contains files needed to build Emacs on Nextstep-based
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platforms, including GNUstep and Mac OS X (using the Cocoa libraries).
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See the INSTALL file in this directory for compilation instructions.
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NS -- the Cocoa interface for OS X and compatible systems
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---------------------------------------------------------
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This directory contains files needed to build Emacs on system based on
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NextStep (NS), including OS X (Mac) and GNUstep, using the Cocoa API.
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HISTORY
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Up to Emacs 22, the OS X interface was implemented using the C-based
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Carbon API. Starting with Emacs 23, the interface was rewritten in
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Objective-C using the Cocoa API. Meanwhile, the Carbon interface has
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been maintained independently under the name "mac".
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OVERVIEW OF COCOA AND OBJECTIVE-C
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Cocoa is an API for the Objective-C language, an objective oriented
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superset of C. Anybody with experience with iOS or modern OS X
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application development should feel at home.
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A method call in Objective-C differs from most other languages in the
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fact that it doesn't have a normal name. Instead, the method name is
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made up of the name of each parameter. An exception to this rule are
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methods without parameters.
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The following calls a method in the object `anObject'.
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[anObject alpha:1 beta:2 gamma:3];
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Classes are declared like the following:
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@interface AClassName
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{
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// A class method.
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+ (TYPE)name1:(TYPE)param1
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// An object method.
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- (TYPE)name1:(TYPE)param1 name2:(TYPE)param2;
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}
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@end
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GUIDELINES
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* Adhere the to the FSF philosophy that a feature in GNU software
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should not only be available on non-free systems.
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* People with varying Cocoa and Objective-C skills will read and
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modify the NS code over a long period of time. Keep the code simple
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and avoid language constructs that makes the code hard to maintain.
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* Don't use macros and types intended for the XCode Interface Builder,
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like `IBAction'.
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* The NS interface should work on all version of OS X from 10.6.8
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(Snow Leopard) to the latest official release.
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* Under OS X, it is possible to build Emacs using NS, X11, or console
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only. A new OS X feature should work in all appropriate builds.
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TRACING SUPPORT
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The NS interface features a printf-based trace package that prints the
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call tree of selected functions in the Cocoa interface, plus various
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extra information. It can be enabled by uncommenting the line
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defining `NSTRACE_ENABLED' in "nsterm.h". To enable more output,
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uncomment the lines defining symbols starting with `NSTRACE_GROUP'.
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GNUSTEP AND OTHER COMPATIBLE SYSTEMS
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The NS interface works on system compatible with OS X, for example
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GNUstep. Even though they are less frequently used, this is important
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for a number of reasons:
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* It supports the GNUstep project and provides an Emacs with the same
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look-and-feel as the rest of the system.
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* This allows other Emacs developers to test their changes on the NS
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interface without having access to an OS X machine.
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* If a feature in the NS interface work on free systems like GNUstep,
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this meets the FSF requirement that features in GNU software should
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not only be available on non-free systems.
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SEE ALSO
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The src/ns... files contains the C and Objective-C parts.
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The lisp/term/ns-win.el file contains the lisp part of the NS
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interface.
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The INSTALL file in this directory for compilation instructions.
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The WISHLIST file in this directory for a list of ideas for future
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development of the NS interface.
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247
nextstep/WISHLIST
Normal file
247
nextstep/WISHLIST
Normal file
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-*- org -*-
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Wish list for the "NS" OS X Emacs port
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--------------------------------------
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Note: This document is written using "org-mode", a plain-text
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format supporting outlines. To expand a heading, press TAB. To
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expand all headings and subheadings, press S-TAB until Emacs
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responds "SHOW ALL".
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* Introduction
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This is a wishlist for future development of the "NS" Emacs user
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interface whose primary use is the official Emacs version on OS X.
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This list should be seen as a complement to the bug- and wishlist on
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[[http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/pkgreport.cgi?package%3Demacs][debbugs]], the Emacs bug tracker.
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* Missing features
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This sections contains features found in other official Emacs ports.
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** Support for "xwidget"
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Emacs 25 has support for "xwidgets", a system to include operating
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system components into an Emacs buffer. The components range from
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simple buttons to "webkit" (effectively, a web browser).
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Currently, "xwidget" only works for the "gtk+" framework but it is
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designed to be compatible with multiple Emacs ports.
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** Respect `frame-inhibit-implied-resize'
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When the variable `frame-inhibit-implied-resize' is non-nil, frames
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should not be resized when operations like changing font or toggling
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the tool bar is performed.
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Unfortunately, the tool bar (and possible other operations) always
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resize the frame.
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** Support `proced' (implement `process-attributes')
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Unfortunately, a user-level process like Emacs does not have the
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privileges to get information about other processes under OS X.
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There are other ways to do this:
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1) Spawn "ps" and parse the output ("ps" has superuser privileges).
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2) Sign Emacs as part of the distribution process.
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3) Ask the user to self-sign Emacs, if this feature is of interest.
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Anders Lindgren <andlind@gmail.com> has implemented
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`process-attributes' for OS X -- which currently only work when
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running Emacs as root.
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[[http://emacsredux.com/blog/2013/05/02/manage-processes-with-proced/][See this article by Bozhidar Batsov for an overview of Proced.]]
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** Tooltip properties
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Tooltip properties like the background color and font are hard wired,
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even though Emacs allow a user to customize such features.
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* New features
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This section contains features unique to the NS and/or OS X.
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** PressAndHold for writing accented character
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On OS X, many application supports the press and hold pattern to
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invoke a menu of accented characters. (See example at [[https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201586][Apple]].)
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Currently, this doesn't work in Emacs.
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Note that "ns-win.el" explicitly disables this.
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Note: This feature might not be allowed to be implemented until also
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implemented in Emacs for a free system.
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** Floating scroll bars
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In modern OS X applications, the scroll bar often float over the
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content, and is invisible unless actually used. This makes user
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interface less cluttered and more area could be used to contain text.
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With floating scroll bars, the user interface would look like it does
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when they are disabled today. However, they will be made visible when
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a scroll action is initiated, e.g. by putting two fingers on a
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trackpad.
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Note: This feature might not be allowed to be implemented until also
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implemented in Emacs for a free system.
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* Features from the "mac" port
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This section contains features available in the "mac" Emacs port.
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As the "mac" port (as of this writing) isn't an official Emacs port,
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it might contain features not following the FSF rule "must exist on
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free systems".
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The "mac" port is based on the Emacs 22 C-based Carbon interface. It
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has been maintained in parallel to the official Cocoa-based NS
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interface. The Carbon interface has been enhanced, and a number of the
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features of that interface could be implemented NS.
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** Smooth scrolling -- maybe not a good idea
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Today, by default, scrolling with a trackpad makes the text move in
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steps of five lines. (Scrolling with SHIFT scrolls one line at a
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time.)
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The "mac" port provides smooth, pixel-based, scrolling. This is a very
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popular features. However, there are drawbacks to this method: what
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happens if only a fraction of a line is visible at the top of a
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window, is the partially visible text considered part of the window or
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not? (Technically, what should `window-start' return.)
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An alternative would be to make one-line scrolling the default on NS
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(or in Emacs in general).
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Note: This feature might not be allowed to be implemented until also
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implemented in Emacs for a free system.
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** Mouse gestures
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The "mac" port defines the gestures `swipe-left/right/up/down',
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`magnify-up/down', and `rotate-left/right'.
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It also binds the magnification commands to change the font
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size. (This should be not be done in a specific interface, instead
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Emacs should do this binding globally.)
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Note: This feature might not be allowed to be implemented until also
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implemented in Emacs for a free system.
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** Synthesize bold fonts
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* Open issues
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This section contains issues where there is an ongoing debate.
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** Key bindings of CMD and ALT
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Currently in the "ns" port, ALT is bound to Meta and CMD is bound to
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Super -- allowing the user to use typical OS X commands like CMD-A to
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mark everything.
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Unfortunately, when using an international keyboard, you can't type
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normal characters like "(" etc.
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There are many alternative key bindings. One solution is to bind CMD
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to Meta and pass ALT to the system. In fact, this is what Emacs did up
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to, and including, version 22. Also, this is how the "mac" port binds
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the keys.
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One could envision asymmetrical variants as well, however, this is
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inappropriate for the default setting.
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See the discussion on emacs-devel [[https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2015-12/msg01575.html][part 1]] and [[https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2016-01/msg00008.html][part 2]].
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* Bugs
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This sections contains a small selection of bugs which are hard to
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fix. For other bugs, see the official bug tracker debbugs.gnu.org.
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** Incorrect translation of Super modifier with Ctrl or Meta on OS X
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When pressing `M-s-a', Emacs replies "M-s-å is undefined". What
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happened is a mix of Emacs view that Meta and Super has been pressed,
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and OS X view that ALT-a should yield "å".
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The bug reports suggests two different patched, unfortunately, none
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work properly. For example:
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Use a Swedish keyboard layout
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(setq ns-alternate-modifier nil)
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"CMD-ALT-9"
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Today, this correctly yields that s-] is undefined. With the either
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of the two patches, Emacs responds that s-9 was pressed.
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More investigation is needed to fix this problem.
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Links:
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- [[http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug%3D19977][bug#19977]]
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- [[http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug%3D21330][bug#21330]]
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- [[http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug%3D21551][bug#21551]]
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** Toggline the toolbar in fullheight or maximized modes
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The toolbar, in the NS interface, is not considered part of the text
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area. When it is toggled, the Emacs frame change height accordingly.
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Unfortunately, this also occurs when the frame is in fullheight or
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maximized modes (N.B. this is not the same as "fullscreen"). The
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effect is that the full frame size either increases (stretching down
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below the lower edge of the screen) or decreases (leaving space
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between the lower edge of the frame and the lower edge of the screen).
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A better solution would be for the frame to retain its size,
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i.e. change the text area.
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This is related to the `frame-inhibit-implied-resize' issue.
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* Internal development features
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** Regression test system (or at least a checklist)
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Today, after each change to the user interface, Emacs must be manually
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tested. Often, small details are overlooked ("Oh, I didn't test
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toggling the tool-bar in one of the full screen modes, when multiple
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frame were open -- silly me.")
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It would be an enormous help if this could be tested automatically.
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Many features are generic, however, the NS interface provides a number
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of unique features.
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*** Existing packages
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Note that there is a generic UI test named "[[http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug%3D21415#284][frame-test.el]]". The NS
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interface pass this, with the exception of two toolbar related
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errors.
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*** Anders frame test
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Anders Lindgren <andlind@gmail.com> has implmented some (very basic)
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tests for full screen, toolbar, and auto-hiding the menu bar.
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** Make sure all build variants work
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Emacs can be build in a number of different ways. For each feature,
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consider if is really is "NS" specific, or if it should be applied to
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all build versions.
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- With the "NS" interface. This is the normal way to build Emacs on
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OS X.
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- With the "X11" interface. On OS X, this is mainly of interest to
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developers of Emacs to get a "reference" interface implementations.
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However, it might be of interest for people working remotely, as X11
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applications can be used over a network connection.
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- Console only.
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