Bram Moolenaar wrote:
>> This is what the attached patch enables, by adding the new
>> flag 'N' to the 'cpo' setting.
>
> Well, instead of adding an option, what about:
>
> :noremap n /<CR>
> :noremap N ?<CR>
The option would be much better!
I sometimes map n and N to add zz so the hit is in the middle
line, or for various other things, and while I suppose one could
add workarounds, I repeatedly find myself cursing the confusing
n/N behaviour after using # to search backwards. I have used it
a thousand times, and I still find myself going the wrong way,
and that breaks my train of thought in the middle of a complex
piece of code. Also, when I do press the right key, it takes
extra brain power ("now let's see, is it n or N this time?"),
which again is distracting.
Another irritation about the unexpected n/N behaviour is that it
is impossible to easily restore the screen to how it was if the
unexpected search scrolls the window. I can press Ctrl-O, or
search the right direction, but I can't restore the window to
how I had carefully arranged it (so the piece of code under
consideration is visible).
I don't bother with many customisations, but this one would be
permanently on for me.
John