Bug in Windows Xmaxima, was: Re: [Maxima] On vacation from 8/7 till 8/15

van Nek writes:

>> (%i1) 2+
>> 1+1;
>>
>> result, when erasing '2+' before pressing the final ENTER after the semicolon? 
>> 2 or 4?
>> In my Windows Xmaxima I get 
>>
>> (%i1) 
>> 1+1;

> 
> no Linux user available for any comments?
> 

I'm both Linux and Windows user.
There is no difference in xmaxima behavior
on Linux and Windows.

> Believe me, the described behaviour (what you see is NOT what you get) of Windows 
> Xmaxima costs me a lot of nerves when teaching Maxima to young students. For them it 
> would be a great benefit, if they can change (and correct) previously entered lines. 


Now let me explain what is going on here.
Xmaxima is essentially quite simple program.
Interacting with Maxima it acts precisely like any
console program - as soon as you hit [Enter] the line is
passed to maxima to maxima and can't be retrieved back
for editing.  Xmaxima has no multiline editing facility
and AFAIK adding such facility is serious Xmaxima rewrite.
On the other hand you can always get previous input lines
for editing by pressing Alt-P.

Really bad thing about xmaxima is that, unlike honest
console programs, it pretends that you are able to
edit previous lines.  It let you erase "2+" while
in fact this "2+" is already passed to maxima and
is already out of xmaxima reach.
This is very confusing and is the only reason I don't
use xmaxima much.

With best regards,

Vadim

-- 
      Vadim V. Zhytnikov

       <vvzhy at mail.ru>
      <vvzhy at netorn.ru>