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From: Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>, Tino Calancha <tino.calancha@gmail.com>
Cc: 21391@debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#21391: 24.5; `thing-at-point' should return a string
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2016 08:10:34 -0800 (PST)	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <123efdfd-3a87-4b39-9567-a56ecc3ea82e@default> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <<83a8dbiaps.fsf@gnu.org>>

> > > A proper fix is to convert the result returned by
> > > (funcall (get thing 'thing-at-point)) to a string.
> > > For that, you can use (format "%s" thing).
> >
> > It's natural if `thing-at-point' returns the thing as a string.
> > When the user don't want a string then s?he can use the specific
> > functions, like `number-at-point' or `list-at-point'.
> 
> Isn't that completely backward-incompatible?  If so, I don't think
> we can do that.
> 
> I don't really see what is "improper" with the other suggestions to
> fix this bug, which simply avoid signaling an error if the "thing at
> point" happens to be something other than a string?

`thing-at-point' has always allowed, and rightfully so, its default
behavior to be replaced by putting a function on the THING symbol as
property `thing-at-point'.  That function is invoked, and what the
return value was returned by `thing-at-point'.

The two branches of the `if' in `thing-at-point' were thus not
symmetrical (and intentionally so, so that it could return actual
things, not just strings naming things).  One branch could return
anything - a THING at point; the other branch returned a string
naming a thing at point.

This meant that `thing-at-point' could return a list, symbol, etc.
- things that are not strings.

What is new (since Emacs 24.4) is that someone added this at the end
of the definition of `thing-at-point', and made it pertain to _both_
branches of the `if'.  In addition, they named the result of the `if'
by the variable `text'.

(when (and text no-properties)
  (set-text-properties 0 (length text) nil text))

They apparently paid no attention to the important `thing-at-point'
behavior provided by the first `if' clause, and instead just assumed
that the `if' always returned a string.

IIUC, Emacs Dev (not I), has insisted that `thing-at-point' itself
should always return a string, as opposed to what `form-at-point'
(and functions defined using it) returns, which can be a THING (not
just a string naming a thing).  For one thing, this allows code
calling `thing-at-point' to count on the result being a string (if
a thing is found) or nil (if not).

I see three possibly reasonable fixes for the bug introduced in
Emacs 24.4:

1. Make `thing-at-point' always return a thing, as (IIUC) wished
   by Emacs Dev.  Have it convert the result of the first `if'
   clause to a string.  Anyone needing a real (non-string) thing
   can use `form-at-point' to get what they want.

2. Make `thing-at-point', as before, return just what the firat
   `if' clause returns, if that clause is taken.  IOW, move the
   removal of text properties (from non-nil NO-PROPERTIES) into
   the second `if' clause.  Among other things (sic), this allows
   the first `if' clause to return a propertized string.

3. Make `thing-at-point', as before, return just what the firat
   `if' clause returns, if that clause is taken, except that if
   either clause returns a string then strip that string of text
   properties (if NO-PROPERTIES is non-nil).

My understanding is that Emacs Dev has preferred that
`thing-at-point' return a string, and that users should use
`form-at-point' if they want something else.  (I've adapted my
own code to that preference.)

If so, then #1 is probably the option of choice: Convert anything
returned by (funcall (get thing 'thing-at-point)) to a string.

Personally, I do not see why Emacs added arg NO-PROPERTIES, as
anyone could always remove properties on a string result from
`thing-at-point'.  Dunno who added this arg, or why, but I
don't see that it provides any advantage.

(Perhaps the one advantage it has inadvertently provided is to
raise the question again of whether `thing-at-point' should
always return a string.)





  parent reply	other threads:[~2016-11-07 16:10 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 71+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2015-09-01  1:59 bug#21391: 24.5; `thing-at-point' returns error when called with arguments 'number t Tino Calancha
2015-09-05  8:23 ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-10-13  7:00 ` bug#21391: 24.5; `thing-at-point' returns error when called with arguments 'number t) Tino Calancha
2016-11-04 16:31   ` Drew Adams
2016-11-04 18:31     ` Andreas Röhler
2016-11-04 19:27       ` Drew Adams
2016-11-04 20:21         ` Drew Adams
2016-11-07  9:30           ` Andreas Röhler
2016-11-07 15:00             ` Drew Adams
2016-11-07 15:01             ` Drew Adams
2016-11-04 20:03     ` Drew Adams
2016-11-07  3:17       ` bug#21391: 24.5; `thing-at-point' should return a string Tino Calancha
2016-11-07 15:14         ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-07 19:12           ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-07 19:47             ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-07 19:51               ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-07 20:02                 ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-07 20:03                   ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-08 13:15                     ` Tino Calancha
2016-11-08 15:05                     ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-09  0:04                       ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-09  6:43                         ` Andreas Röhler
2016-11-09 15:45                         ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-09 23:30                           ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-10 16:08                             ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-10 16:19                               ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-10 17:13                                 ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-10 17:28                                   ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-10 18:49                                     ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-10 18:55                                       ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-10 19:59                                         ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-10 21:12                                           ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-11 10:07                                             ` Tino Calancha
2016-11-11 10:57                                               ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-11 14:13                                                 ` Tino Calancha
2016-11-11 14:35                                                   ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-11 14:46                                                     ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-11 14:51                                                       ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-11 14:57                                                         ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-11 15:31                                                           ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-11 15:05                                                         ` Tino Calancha
2016-11-11 15:37                                                           ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-14  1:52                                                             ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-14  2:43                                                               ` Drew Adams
2016-11-14 10:26                                                                 ` Andreas Röhler
2016-11-14 15:19                                                                   ` Drew Adams
2016-11-16 13:49                                                                     ` Andreas Röhler
2016-11-16 14:45                                                                       ` Drew Adams
2016-11-14 15:36                                                                   ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-15  7:18                                                                     ` Andreas Röhler
2016-11-14 15:34                                                                 ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-10 18:27                                 ` Drew Adams
2016-11-09 17:58                         ` Drew Adams
2016-11-09 23:35                           ` Dmitry Gutov
2016-11-10  0:40                             ` Drew Adams
2016-11-10  8:55                               ` Dmitry Gutov
2020-08-24 18:32                       ` Lars Ingebrigtsen
     [not found]                     ` <<83inrygggr.fsf@gnu.org>
2016-11-08 16:31                       ` Drew Adams
     [not found]                       ` <<cc2e7eab-e58d-db76-b5ed-0ec9871fad9d@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                         ` <<83y40sfyij.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                           ` <<76505436-e66c-0ed3-6d7a-ce654f38ef30@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                             ` <<83bmxnfhbi.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                               ` <<73600483-1df5-597c-6066-232189bbdd4a@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                 ` <<834m3ffeb9.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                   ` <<fcb1bcf1-20f0-3eda-1c33-df7ba085d487@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                     ` <<83twbfdvav.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                       ` <<73be4b9d-2df8-cc83-b873-398cb7dd043b@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                         ` <<83pom3ds3e.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                           ` <<ef67e387-0302-1aaa-4764-cab2d3337a2c@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                             ` <<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611111851250.21428@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                               ` <<83bmxme12w.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                 ` <<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611112313020.23900@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                                   ` <<834m3edqyr.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                     ` <<6dbea00c-3bde-6ec3-b109-7aa205bedb5f@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                                       ` <<8337iydq8z.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                         ` <<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611112355090.24203@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                                           ` <<83y40qc9jv.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                             ` <<df484e47-dbd7-06d5-5987-a067185d3e00@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                                               ` <<bd8f220e-6ac2-4996-91ed-7bcf4cc5413f@default>
     [not found]                                                                 ` <<83a8d2hy8f.fsf@gnu.org>
2016-11-14 16:24                                                                   ` Drew Adams
2016-11-14 16:44                                                                     ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-08  8:22                   ` Andreas Röhler
     [not found]       ` <<874m3krnb6.fsf_-_@gmail.com>
     [not found]         ` <<83a8dbiaps.fsf@gnu.org>
2016-11-07 16:10           ` Drew Adams [this message]
2016-11-07 18:04             ` Eli Zaretskii
2016-11-07 17:22       ` bug#21391: 24.5; `thing-at-point' returns error when called with arguments 'number t) Andreas Röhler
2016-11-07 17:37         ` Drew Adams
2016-11-08  8:43           ` Andreas Röhler
2016-11-08 16:31             ` Drew Adams
     [not found]       ` <<<874m3krnb6.fsf_-_@gmail.com>
     [not found]         ` <<<83a8dbiaps.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]           ` <<123efdfd-3a87-4b39-9567-a56ecc3ea82e@default>
     [not found]             ` <<831syni2u1.fsf@gnu.org>
2016-11-07 18:37               ` bug#21391: 24.5; `thing-at-point' should return a string Drew Adams
     [not found] <<<<alpine.LRH.2.20.1509011056480.5317@calancha-ilc.kek.jp>
     [not found] ` <<<<83pom7gjhl.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]   ` <<<<0a8d76e4-4d1b-a26d-2b76-a2d9384d9f72@yandex.ru>
     [not found]     ` <<<<83mvhbgitf.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]       ` <<<<25bb22e8-1388-275a-d0da-7e698acdf6da@yandex.ru>
     [not found]         ` <<<<83inrygggr.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]           ` <<<<cc2e7eab-e58d-db76-b5ed-0ec9871fad9d@yandex.ru>
     [not found]             ` <<<<83y40sfyij.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]               ` <<<<76505436-e66c-0ed3-6d7a-ce654f38ef30@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                 ` <<<<83bmxnfhbi.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                   ` <<<<73600483-1df5-597c-6066-232189bbdd4a@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                     ` <<<<834m3ffeb9.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                       ` <<<<fcb1bcf1-20f0-3eda-1c33-df7ba085d487@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                         ` <<<<83twbfdvav.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                           ` <<<<73be4b9d-2df8-cc83-b873-398cb7dd043b@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                             ` <<<<83pom3ds3e.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                               ` <<<<ef67e387-0302-1aaa-4764-cab2d3337a2c@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                 ` <<<<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611111851250.21428@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                   ` <<<<83bmxme12w.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                     ` <<<<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611112313020.23900@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                       ` <<<<834m3edqyr.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                         ` <<<<6dbea00c-3bde-6ec3-b109-7aa205bedb5f@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                           ` <<<<8337iydq8z.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                             ` <<<<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611112355090.24203@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                               ` <<<<83y40qc9jv.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                 ` <<<<df484e47-dbd7-06d5-5987-a067185d3e00@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                                   ` <<<<bd8f220e-6ac2-4996-91ed-7bcf4cc5413f@default>
     [not found]                                                     ` <<<<83a8d2hy8f.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                       ` <<<5a6ddd21-ebf9-42bf-9fb6-7fc9e037b3ed@default>
     [not found]                                                         ` <<<83zil2ggf7.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                           ` <<fe942899-b2b4-4add-9f80-87ddf53bc680@default>
     [not found]                                                             ` <<83wpg6gc8h.fsf@gnu.org>
2016-11-14 18:54                                                               ` Drew Adams
     [not found] <<<alpine.LRH.2.20.1509011056480.5317@calancha-ilc.kek.jp>
     [not found] ` <<<83pom7gjhl.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]   ` <<<0a8d76e4-4d1b-a26d-2b76-a2d9384d9f72@yandex.ru>
     [not found]     ` <<<83mvhbgitf.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]       ` <<<25bb22e8-1388-275a-d0da-7e698acdf6da@yandex.ru>
     [not found]         ` <<<83inrygggr.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]           ` <<<cc2e7eab-e58d-db76-b5ed-0ec9871fad9d@yandex.ru>
     [not found]             ` <<<83y40sfyij.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]               ` <<<76505436-e66c-0ed3-6d7a-ce654f38ef30@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                 ` <<<83bmxnfhbi.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                   ` <<<73600483-1df5-597c-6066-232189bbdd4a@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                     ` <<<834m3ffeb9.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                       ` <<<fcb1bcf1-20f0-3eda-1c33-df7ba085d487@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                         ` <<<83twbfdvav.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                           ` <<<73be4b9d-2df8-cc83-b873-398cb7dd043b@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                             ` <<<83pom3ds3e.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                               ` <<<ef67e387-0302-1aaa-4764-cab2d3337a2c@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                 ` <<<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611111851250.21428@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                   ` <<<83bmxme12w.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                     ` <<<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611112313020.23900@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                       ` <<<834m3edqyr.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                         ` <<<6dbea00c-3bde-6ec3-b109-7aa205bedb5f@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                           ` <<<8337iydq8z.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                             ` <<<alpine.DEB.2.20.1611112355090.24203@calancha-pc>
     [not found]                                               ` <<<83y40qc9jv.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                 ` <<<df484e47-dbd7-06d5-5987-a067185d3e00@yandex.ru>
     [not found]                                                   ` <<<bd8f220e-6ac2-4996-91ed-7bcf4cc5413f@default>
     [not found]                                                     ` <<<83a8d2hy8f.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]                                                       ` <<5a6ddd21-ebf9-42bf-9fb6-7fc9e037b3ed@default>
     [not found]                                                         ` <<83zil2ggf7.fsf@gnu.org>
2016-11-14 17:33                                                           ` Drew Adams
2016-11-14 18:14                                                             ` Eli Zaretskii
     [not found] <<alpine.LRH.2.20.1509011056480.5317@calancha-ilc.kek.jp>
     [not found] ` <<83pom7gjhl.fsf@gnu.org>
     [not found]   ` <<0a8d76e4-4d1b-a26d-2b76-a2d9384d9f72@yandex.ru>
     [not found]     ` <<83mvhbgitf.fsf@gnu.org>

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