REQUEST: Backspace clears character to space and moves cursor back, instead of deleting the character

[pedroangelini]

When overtyping, if you make a mistake and hit backspace, the editor will delete the character you just typed, and in doing this it will remove one character from the line. This is similar to pasting multiple characters without "hard mode" paste enabled, which adds characters instead of overwriting them.
My request is to have an option to "hard backspace", which, when enabled, if you hit backspace, the editor would replace the previous character (or selection) with a space (or spaces if in a selection) and move the carriage back.

Example of how it is today (spaces replaced to _ for readability and the carriage is represented by |):

################################################################
######_I'm_writting_on_this_line_and_made_a_mistakee_###########
*puts the cursor below*
################################################################
######_I'm_writting_on_this_line_and_made_a_mistakee|_###########
*hits backspace*
################################################################
######_I'm_writting_on_this_line_and_made_a_mistake_###########
*now my line has one fewer character :(*

If the requested "hard backspace mode" is enabled the sequence would go like this

################################################################
######_I'm_writting_on_this_line_and_made_a_mistakee_###########
*puts the cursor below*
################################################################
######_I'm_writting_on_this_line_and_made_a_mistakee|_###########
*hits backspace*
################################################################
######_I'm_writting_on_this_line_and_made_a_mistake__###########
*note extra space instead of the second e in the last word*

[slosar]

Second that!

[al20878]

I second that, too!

[al20878]

Is there a reason the suggested patch is still pending, and has not been merged for almost 3 months now?

This feature is so desperately needed!

[juarezr]

+1