bug#2002: `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly. It shouldn't!

bug#2002: `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly. It shouldn't!

[Alan Mackenzie]

Hi, Emacs!

I was "horrified" to find `beginning-of-defun' pushes the mark.  OK,
maybe I should wake up, this having been done as long ago as 2004-05-01
in .../emacs-lisp/lisp.el 1.53.

However, this pushing of the mark is NOT DOCUMENTED, neither in the
Emacs nor the Elisp manual.  THIS IS A BUG!!!!

This marking is fine (maybe) when a user types C-M-a.  Actually, I think
it's of marginal utility - it's about as likely to be a nuisance as to
be helpful.

The marking is NOT ACCEPTABLE when begining-of-defun is used in a lisp
program.  Using b-o-d in a program is a reasonable thing to do.

The feature, if it is to remain must be documented in both manuals.  OK,
I'm volunteering to do this.  ;-)

POSSIBLE FIXES
==============

1. A new customizable option, with a name better than
`defun-movement-leaves-mark'.  This could be bound to nil by lisp
programs.

2. Document that lisp programs should use `beginning-of-defun-raw'.
(Does this exist in XEmacs?).

3. Revert b-o-d to leaving the mark well alone.

What do people think?

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

bug#2002: `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly. It shouldn't!

[Glenn Morris]

Alan Mackenzie wrote:

> The marking is NOT ACCEPTABLE when begining-of-defun is used in a lisp
> program.

But it doesn't actually push the mark in that case, though, does it?

bug#2002: marked as done (`beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly. It shouldn't!)

[Emacs bug Tracking System]

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Your message dated Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:44:11 +0000
with message-id <20090125234411.GB6588@muc.de>
and subject line Re: bug#2002: `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly. It shouldn't!
has caused the Emacs bug report #2002,
regarding `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly.  It shouldn't!
to be marked as done.

This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.

(NB: If you are a system administrator and have no idea what this
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-- 
2002: http://emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=2002
Emacs Bug Tracking System
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From: Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
To: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
Subject: `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly.  It shouldn't!
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:27:14 +0000
Message-ID: <20090123112714.GA3056@muc.de>

Hi, Emacs!

I was "horrified" to find `beginning-of-defun' pushes the mark.  OK,
maybe I should wake up, this having been done as long ago as 2004-05-01
in .../emacs-lisp/lisp.el 1.53.

However, this pushing of the mark is NOT DOCUMENTED, neither in the
Emacs nor the Elisp manual.  THIS IS A BUG!!!!

This marking is fine (maybe) when a user types C-M-a.  Actually, I think
it's of marginal utility - it's about as likely to be a nuisance as to
be helpful.

The marking is NOT ACCEPTABLE when begining-of-defun is used in a lisp
program.  Using b-o-d in a program is a reasonable thing to do.

The feature, if it is to remain must be documented in both manuals.  OK,
I'm volunteering to do this.  ;-)

POSSIBLE FIXES
==============

1. A new customizable option, with a name better than
`defun-movement-leaves-mark'.  This could be bound to nil by lisp
programs.

2. Document that lisp programs should use `beginning-of-defun-raw'.
(Does this exist in XEmacs?).

3. Revert b-o-d to leaving the mark well alone.

What do people think?

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).




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From: Alan Mackenzie <acm@muc.de>
To: 2002-done@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com
Subject: Re: bug#2002: `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly. It shouldn't!
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:44:11 +0000
Message-ID: <20090125234411.GB6588@muc.de>

On Fri, Jan 23, 2009 at 11:27:14AM +0000, Alan Mackenzie wrote:
> Hi, Emacs!
 
> I was "horrified" to find `beginning-of-defun' pushes the mark.  OK,
> maybe I should wake up, this having been done as long ago as 2004-05-01
> in .../emacs-lisp/lisp.el 1.53.

> However, this pushing of the mark is NOT DOCUMENTED, neither in the
> Emacs nor the Elisp manual.  THIS IS A BUG!!!!

Closed - there is no bug.  The report was a mistake.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

bug#2002: `beginning-of-defun' pushes mark undocumentedly. It shouldn't!

[Alan Mackenzie]

Hi, Glenn!

On Fri, Jan 23, 2009 at 07:52:20PM -0500, Glenn Morris wrote:
> Alan Mackenzie wrote:

> > The marking is NOT ACCEPTABLE when begining-of-defun is used in a lisp
> > program.

> But it doesn't actually push the mark in that case, though, does it?

No, it doesn't.  I am calling `mark-sexp', which flashes "Mark set" in
the echo area.

I shouldn't be using `mark-sexp', because the mark is for the user, not
for the elisp programmer.  My mistake.

Sorry for the noise, and thanks for the correction.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).