Blog - /Tech/Projects

Today I have implemented a new minor mode that is bundled with Projects: Emacs Muse, called "Muse list edit minor mode". It is meant to be used with other major modes, such as Message (for composing email) and debian-changelog-mode (for editing debian/changelog files).

It implements practically perfect support for editing and filling lists. It can even handle nested lists. In addition to Muse-specific list items ("-", numbers, definition lists, footnotes), I made it also handle items that begin with "*" or "+". Filling should Just Work, regardless of whether you are using filladapt, which is the primary reason to use this tool. It also adds several keybindings.

• M-RET: Insert a new list item at point, using the indentation level of the current list item.
• C-<: Decrease indentation of the current list item.
• C->: Increase indentation of the current list item.

To use it, get the latest development version of Muse and add the function turn-on-muse-list-edit-minor-mode to your mode hooks of choice.

This functionality was inspired by code in Ye Wenbin's public Muse configuration that made M-RET a global keybinding. Thanks to Per B. Sederberg for implementing the existing list editing commands, which were very easy to retrofit into this new minor mode.