Hi all, while Org 9.4 is on its way, I am considering changing a few default settings (10 options in total). I have created a survey here:
https://framadate.org/Ufc42EVxS2jO1Ajz Can you take a few minutes and express your opinion there? Here is the list of options and a line of justification - feel free to discuss this on the mailing list too, of course. - org-loop-over-headlines-in-active-region => t This option was not documented in the manual until recently. It is useful to act on several headlines in the region. When you select a region, it feels natural to expect some commands to act specially on the selected region. - org-agenda-loop-over-headlines-in-active-region => t Same for the agenda: the feature has been added in Org 9.4. It makes things really easier than bulk marking entries when bulking marking in a row. - org-fontify-done-headline => t This is useful to visualize done headlines and can be easily turned off, while not being easily discovered for Org newcomers. - org-hide-emphasis-markers => t - org-hide-macro-markers => t The two changes proposed above will probably trigger some reactions as they touch something very sensitive: whether Org should try to be "too clever" at making things invisible. I am all for letting Org newcomers enjoying these visual enhancements, while letting experts turning them off if needed. - org-refile-use-cache => t This is a speed boost when refiling entries: if org-refile-targets is big, caching refile targets help refiling faster. - org-special-ctrl-k => t The default value for the sister option org-special-ctrl-a is set to reversed and while this changes a fundamental Emacs command behavior it feels useful. I'd argue this is the same for org-special-ctrl-k: setting it to t will feel natural. - org-src-tab-acts-natively => t I believe that's the natural expectation when using TAB in a source block. Things can be brittle in this area, but turning this on will provide a better experience to everyone. - org-allow-promoting-top-level-subtree => t With the current default of nil, an error is thrown when the user tries to promote a top level subtree. The new default setting would let users convert the top level heading to a commented heading. - Add org-tempo to org-modules Last but not least: we had long discussions about this one in the past. Expansion of the "<s" templates (and other "<*" templates) at the beginning of the line has been turned off. I have IRL met with Org users* who just thought the feature was broken/deleted, without having/taking the time/knowledge/guts to look for the things they can turn on. I am all for turning this on again, letting experts disabling the feature if they don't want it. * We have regular meetings with https://www.emacs-doctor.com/ Thanks in advance for your feedback. Changing defaults is always a sensitive matter. There are generally two points of view confronting themselves: those who take side with the "beginners" or the "don't-have-time-to-config" (although these are just abstract figures here), and those insisting that default are "for everyone", beginners, non-configurers, experts. I think both sides are correct, provided we consider Org's experience as something *dynamic* in time, a learning process. So good defaults are a balance between beginners/non-configurers experience and that of experts. In any case, let's keep the discussion as constructive as possible. Thanks! -- Bastien
