* lisp/delsel.el (delete-selection-mode): Don't enable transient-mark-mode.

(delete-selection-helper): Make sure yank starts at the top of the
deleted region.
(minibuffer-keyboard-quit): Use region-active-p.

etc/NEWS

@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ You can pick the name of the function and the variables with `C-x 4 a'.
 
 * Changes in Specialized Modes and Packages in Emacs 24.4
 
-** The backtrace debugger can display local vars with `v'.
+** `delete-selection-mode' can be used without transient-mark-mode.
 
 ** prolog-use-smie has been removed, along with the non-SMIE indentation code.
 
@@ -257,10 +257,6 @@ file and letting SMIE learn from it.
 
 ** sh-script now uses its SMIE indentation algorithm by default.
 
-** The debugger's `e' command evaluates the code in the context at point.
-This includes using the lexical environment at point, which means that
-`e' now lets you access lexical variables as well.
-
 ** `eshell' now supports visual subcommands and options
 Eshell has been able to handle "visual" commands (interactive,
 non-line oriented commands such as top that require display
@@ -318,6 +314,12 @@ Use `electric-indent-mode' instead.
 ** completing-read-multiple's separator can now be a regexp.
 The default separator is changed to allow surrounding spaces around the comma.
 
+** The backtrace debugger and local variables:
+*** The debugger's `e' command evaluates the code in the context at point.
+This includes using the lexical environment at point, which means that
+`e' now lets you access lexical variables as well.
+*** The backtrace debugger can display local vars with `v'.
+
 ** Battery
 
 *** Battery information via the BSD `apm' utility is now supported.

lisp/ChangeLog

 2013-12-11  Stefan Monnier  <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
 
+	* delsel.el (delete-selection-mode): Don't enable transient-mark-mode.
+	(delete-selection-helper): Make sure yank starts at the top of the
+	deleted region.
+	(minibuffer-keyboard-quit): Use region-active-p.
+
 	* emacs-lisp/trace.el (trace-make-advice): Don't deactivate the mark.
 
 	* simple.el (normal-erase-is-backspace-mode): Map kp-delete identically

lisp/delsel.el

@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ any selection."
   :global t :group 'editing-basics
   (if (not delete-selection-mode)
       (remove-hook 'pre-command-hook 'delete-selection-pre-hook)
-    (add-hook 'pre-command-hook 'delete-selection-pre-hook)
-    (transient-mark-mode t)))
+    (add-hook 'pre-command-hook 'delete-selection-pre-hook)))
 
 (defun delete-active-region (&optional killp)
   "Delete the active region.
@@ -122,7 +121,11 @@ If KILLP in not-nil, the active region is killed instead of deleted."
 			(fboundp 'mouse-region-match)
 			(mouse-region-match))
 	       (current-kill 1))
-	     (delete-active-region))
+             (let ((pos (copy-marker (region-beginning))))
+               (delete-active-region)
+               ;; If the region was, say, rectangular, make sure we yank
+               ;; from the top, to "replace".
+               (goto-char pos)))
 	    ((eq type 'supersede)
 	     (let ((empty-region (= (point) (mark))))
 	       (delete-active-region)
@@ -192,7 +195,7 @@ See `delete-selection-helper'."
 In Delete Selection mode, if the mark is active, just deactivate it;
 then it takes a second \\[keyboard-quit] to abort the minibuffer."
   (interactive)
-  (if (and delete-selection-mode transient-mark-mode mark-active)
+  (if (and delete-selection-mode (region-active-p))
       (setq deactivate-mark t)
     (abort-recursive-edit)))
 
@@ -209,9 +212,9 @@ then it takes a second \\[keyboard-quit] to abort the minibuffer."
   (define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map "\C-g" 'abort-recursive-edit)
   (define-key minibuffer-local-must-match-map "\C-g" 'abort-recursive-edit)
   (define-key minibuffer-local-isearch-map "\C-g" 'abort-recursive-edit)
-  (dolist (sym '(self-insert-command insert-char quoted-insert yank clipboard-yank
-		 insert-register
-                 reindent-then-newline-and-indent newline-and-indent newline open-line))
+  (dolist (sym '(self-insert-command insert-char quoted-insert yank
+                 clipboard-yank insert-register newline-and-indent
+                 reindent-then-newline-and-indent newline open-line))
     (put sym 'delete-selection nil))
   ;; continue standard unloading
   nil)