* binding.el: Add comment describing why C-d binds to `delete-char'.

* lisp/simple.el (delete-forward-char): Mark as interactive-only.
* src/cmds.c (delete-char): Update docstring pointing out that the
function ignores `delete-active-region' and `overwrite-mode'.

3 files changed, 11 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 82115af1cd5..a5232e431ee 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2014-03-04  Michal Nazarewicz  <mina86@mina86.com>
+
+        * binding.el: Add comment describing why C-d binds to `delete-char'.
+        * simple.el (delete-forward-char): Mark as interactive-only.
+
 2014-03-03  Juanma Barranquero  <lekktu@gmail.com>
 
         * icomplete.el (icomplete-completions):
diff --git a/lisp/bindings.el b/lisp/bindings.el
index 416f6337d64..fac34ed4106 100644
--- a/lisp/bindings.el
+++ b/lisp/bindings.el
@@ -873,6 +873,11 @@ if `inhibit-field-text-motion' is non-nil."
 
 ;; Update tutorial--default-keys if you change these.
 (define-key global-map "\177" 'delete-backward-char)
+;; We explicitly want C-d to use `delete-char' instead of
+;; `delete-forward-char' so that it ignores `delete-active-region':
+;; Most C-d users are old-timers who don't expect
+;; `delete-active-region' here, while newer users who expect
+;; `delete-active-region' use C-d much less.
 (define-key global-map "\C-d" 'delete-char)
 
 (define-key global-map "\C-k" 'kill-line)
diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 18448331ff0..200e86596d7 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -1008,6 +1008,7 @@ KILLFLAG is set if N was explicitly specified."
 
         ;; Otherwise, do simple deletion.
         (t (delete-char n killflag))))
+(put 'delete-forward-char 'interactive-only 'delete-char)
 
 (defun mark-whole-buffer ()
   "Put point at beginning and mark at end of buffer.