Start of the design paper on vim-ACME.

Also, added ancient paper on MaxThink for Emacs (then).

4 files changed, 257 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/consistency-of-experience.rst b/consistency-of-experience.rst
index 6ffaa44..e439ff2 100644
--- a/consistency-of-experience.rst
+++ b/consistency-of-experience.rst
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Consistency of user experience or Contra-zenclavier
 
 :date: 2005-11-26T00:04:00
 :category: computer
-:tags: vim
+:tags: vim, outliner
 
 (Answer to discussion caused by my `message on
 gmane.comp.editors.vim.outliner about creating Kate syntax highlighting
diff --git a/maxthink-for-emacs.rst b/maxthink-for-emacs.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4a58a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/maxthink-for-emacs.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+My ideas about possible MaxThink-mode
+=====================================
+
+:date: 2002-09-20T06:00:00
+:category: computer
+:tags: vim, emacs, outliner, design
+
+(This is a very old draft of a paper I have sent to RMS asking
+for his feedback on extension of the Emacs’s ``outline-mode`` to
+support what I remembered from MaxThink_ by Neil Larsen;
+org-mode_ didn’t exist yet, and not long after that I have met
+VimOutliner_ anyway).
+
+First of all, when I have contemplated about this report on
+MaxThink, I have came to conclusion, that just remodelling of
+Outline-mode probably shall not be enough (I am not a programmer,
+so I may be wrong).  For example, I guess that some special
+(certainly text-based) data format should be invented. Tree with
+around hundred levels would be very inefficiently saved when
+every level would begin with hundred of asterisks.
+
+Another substantial difference (IMHO) is that in Outline-mode
+branches are deemed to be just headlines and majority of text is
+supposed to be body text (aka leaf). On the other hand, there is
+nothing like body text in MaxThink, only leaves and each leaf can
+have a subtree (for the sake simplicity I do not make in this
+document a difference between individual leaves and subtrees --
+each leaf is possible subtree, maybe with none children). Another
+idea is that leaves tends to be *very* short for better movement
+and processing (just couple of lines, maybe paragraphs when it is
+a quotation or like).
+
+Basics
+------
+
+Fast movement
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The very idea of Mr. Larsen (author of MaxThink) is that browsing
+through any set of data should be as fast as possible given the
+intuitive memory (or what's the name) expires in some two seconds or
+so. Therefore, in order to make really intuitive knowledge base, you
+need to be able to browse it *fast*. I mean, really fast.
+
+Therefore, his MaxThink (as well as his other program, Houdini,
+for making hyperlinked knowledge networks—but, it seems to me
+to be much less useful than MaxThink) uses modal design. In
+browsing mode you need only arrow keys (no Ctrl-, Alt-, or
+anything else). When your cursor is on the proper leaf of the
+tree, just press [TAB] and you are in very simple editor for the
+particular leaf (with wrapping, but otherwise, just plain text).
+Out of this mode you get either by [ESC] or by making other leaf
+(see below for description of hotkeys F7-10).
+
+Certainly, I suppose that maxthink-mode (or whatever will be its
+name) shall follow EMACS standards of user-interface, but it is
+necessary to keep *speed* of browsing and simplicity. In the
+further text I shall describe MaxThink as it functions now.
+
+View
+~~~~
+
+There is only limited number of levels on the screen in a given moment
+(you can change it while browsing by Ctrl-[<-] amd Ctrl-[->] for
+collapsing or expansion), so when you switch to any deeper /higher
+level, whole view shifts so that parent of actual level is on the top
+of the screen and as many of its children as fits to the screen below
+(slightly intended and numbered).
+
+Every leaf in the whole tree has its address based on the decimal
+numbering of leaves (top leaf is 0; the first level leafs are
+0.1, 0.2, etc.; the second level leaves are 0.1.1, 0.1.2, 0.2.3,
+etc.). Relative addresses and addressing of group of leaves are
+both possible. Whenever possible user can select item by arrow
+keys movement, rather than by just typing address(es), which is
+also always possible.
+
+Certainly, there is unlimited depth of the tree (or very high, I
+have never seen a tree deeper than 100 levels), so that asterisks
+(as in current Outline mode) are certainly not satisfactory
+solution and some more advanced one should be found (e.g., whole
+actual address of the actual leaf may be shown on a mode-line and
+leaves on one level should be numbered by ordinary numbers or in
+Chicago-manual-of-Style-outline-numbering style; A.I.1.a. etc.).
+
+There are also some kind of bookmarks available (similar to ones
+in Netscape or any other www browser) and symlinks (where a
+leaf is just a mirror-image of another one).
+
+Inserting new leaf
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+While the cursor is on a leaf you can press couple of hotkeys to
+create new leafs (F10 for sibling below the actual leaf, F9 one
+above, F8 is for child, and F7 for brother of parent below the
+parent's leaf). The same options are available from a menu, but
+hardly used by myself.
+
+Any number of leaves can be selected and copied/moved/deleted
+etc. to make parents/siblings/children of target leaf.
+
+Advanced functions
+------------------
+
+What makes MaxThink something more than just powerful outliner
+are advanced functions for fast and mighty reorganization of
+tree. Sorting is obvious (on selected leaves or all on the given
+level of current subtree). Dividing/joining of actual leaf (or
+selected leaves) by words/lines/paragraphs is self-describing.
+Other simple option is randomizing given leafs on one level
+(sometimes, when you cannot find a solution in given order, it
+helps to mess things and start afresh).
+
+There is also computer aided binsorting (i.e., putting things in
+different bins, no relation with a type of sorting algorythm).
+Try to imagine, that you have couple of hundred leaves long list
+to be organized in separate categories. You can use cut/paste
+method but it is too slow. You can also, create couple of new
+leaves in the top of the list and mark them as bins. Than you
+start the function BINSORT and you are asked in sequence for
+position of each leaf (remember, categories as well as any leaf
+in MaxThink are numbered so one tick on keyboard is enough to say
+which category is the one, if there is only up to nine of them;
+but you can use arrow keys as well), then it is moved to so
+created category (i.e., subtree). I have binsorted five hundred
+topics in beautiful outline in a hour. Try it with plain cutting
+and pasting.
+
+Another function is simple. It's called LOCK and you just staple
+a current leaf (or subtree under current leaf) to your cursor and
+moves with it until you find the best position for it and let it
+be there (by [ESC]).
+
+There is also a function called GATHER. When you switch it on,
+you can pick leaves up while browsing in some temporary memory
+and than throw them in some new place (either with move or copy).
+
+Another function is called PRIORITIZE (isn't it beautifuly
+bureaucratic word! :-). It is based on presumption, that it is
+much more simple to find *one* most important thing in the given
+list of items, than to sort them. So, this very simple function
+asks you which of items from the list is the most important one
+(BTW, every function has usually some sensible defaults—in
+this case list of all items on the current level of current
+subtree). Then it hides your pick and asks you again, ... until
+the list is sorted. Incredibly simple and stupid, but very
+efficient (especially with huge lists, which are really difficult
+to organize).
+
+Sometimes it is usefull to mark some items on huge list (here
+MaxThink makes things simple by just inserting ten equal signs)
+and recreate an outline by one operation where all non-marked
+leaves are subtopics of makred leave directly precedent (these
+equal signs are of course deleted when non-needed). Inverse
+function is available as well.
+
+Some funny things
+-----------------
+
+There are some other things as well. Additional program makes a
+tree from any directory and its subdirectories on your harddrive,
+so you can analyze it with MaxThink. You can add by a hotkey
+date/time while editing a leaf. Program is able to divide whole
+tree while printing on more sheets of paper, so you can setup
+(e.g., in your local gym) with a tree of any size. Tree can be
+exported to some wordprocessors (MaxThinks has export to
+WordPerfect and M$-Word, but in a free world it just cries for
+export to LaTeX).
+
+
+.. _MaxThink:
+    http://maxthink.com/
+.. _org-mode:
+    http://orgmode.org/
+.. _VimOutliner:
+    http://vimoutliner.cepl.eu/
diff --git a/vim-acme-design.rst b/vim-acme-design.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9954de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vim-acme-design.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+Design notes on plan9-for-vimspace
+##################################
+
+:date: 1970-01-01T00:00:00
+:status: draft
+:category: computer
+:tags: vim, plan9, ACME
+
+When I have seen for the first time the screencast_ presenting ACME,
+modular text editor from Plan9, I was intriguied by its design which
+seemed to put Unix philosophy on steroids. However, in the same I was
+driven away by the mouse-driven nature of the result. I am a strong
+believer in Zenclavier_ and mouse is the first thing which breaks any
+attempts of learning my fingers patterns of behavior. I remember I was
+thinking when I saw the screencast whether it would be possible to
+transfer somehow the modular nature of ACME to the vim world. I haven’t
+came with anything, so I gave up then and forgot whole thing.
+
+So, I was very excited when looking for something else I found on GitHub
+project_ trying to bring some Advantages of ACME text editor to the vim.
+However, it is obviously in the early stages of development and it
+didn’t give much of description on what’s going on (or what’s at least
+planned to go on). So, I have asked_ for help, but then I decided that
+actually what I was asking for (to summarize the screencast, separate
+individual ideas, and try to relocate them to the vim universe) could be
+done by myself. Better for annotation than screencast is actual paper,
+so I have found (because of the great Bell Labs tradition of documenting
+their design in standalone papers) Rob Pike’s paper_ describing design
+of ACME. This article is basically commentary on this paper, trying to
+identify individual features, and translate them to the vim universe.
+
+User Interface
+==============
+
+Tag
+---
+
+    The tag contains the name of the window (usually the name of the
+    associated file or directory), some built-in commands, and a scratch
+    area to hold arbitrary text.
+
+The tag looks very much like our good bad friend, toolbar, which can be
+found in all GUI text editors and wordprocessors (including gvim). As
+such opinions on it are rather mixed and some people (including me)
+immediately switch them off. It is possible though that if the tag was
+done right, it could be actually useful. ACME’s design offer one
+possibly large advantage against normal toolbar in being very easily
+modifiable. Just by pointing to it and editing its text one change the
+content of the toolbar quite easily.
+
+Another problem with the normal toolbars (including the gvim ones) is
+that they require using mouse which makes it unappealing for hard-core
+rodent haters (like me ;)). However, this problem shouldn’t impossible
+to overcome. Shortcut could be created for activating the toolbar and
+then one could move in it (for example) with ``TAB`` and activate with
+``ENTER``. Or there could be set of shortcuts for activating first,
+second, etc. “button” in the toolbar (e.g., ``<Leader>t1`` or something
+of that type).
+
+And yes I like very much possibility of calling not only “internal”
+(however defined) commands, but also external scripts when the internal
+command is not found with the given name.
+
+Hyperlinks in the body of text
+------------------------------
+
+x
+
+
+.. _project:
+    https://github.com/plan9-for-vimspace/plan9-for-vimspace/
+.. _screencast:
+    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP1xVpMPn8M
+.. _Zenclavier:
+    http://archive.oreilly.com/pub/a/oreilly//news/zenclavier_1299.html
+.. _asked:
+    https://github.com/plan9-for-vimspace/plan9-for-vimspace/issues/4
+.. _paper:
+    http://doc.cat-v.org/plan_9/4th_edition/papers/acme/
diff --git a/why-yzis.rst b/why-yzis.rst
index f6b0bb4..5d16d99 100644
--- a/why-yzis.rst
+++ b/why-yzis.rst
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Why lua? or questions about yzis
 
 :date: 2005-04-13T23:45:00
 :category: computer
-:tags: KDE, vim
+:tags: KDE, vim, outliner
 
 (This article is a slightly edited version of my post to `comp.editors`_
 newsgroup).