Nicolas Petton <nicolas@petton.fr> writes:

> The alist is indeed modified within the `map-delete' function, but in an
> unexpected way: if the first key is deleted, the variable `map' is
> `setq'ed, which has no effect outside of the function.
>
> One fix would be to make `map-delete' a macro:

Here's a fixed version:

  (defmacro map-delete (map key)
    "Delete KEY from MAP and return MAP.
  No error is signaled if KEY is not a key of MAP.  If MAP is an
  array, store nil at the index KEY.
  
  MAP can be a list, hash-table or array."
    (macroexp-let2 nil key
      `(progn
         (map--dispatch ,map
           :list (setf (alist-get ,key ,map nil t) nil)
           :hash-table (remhash ,key ,map)
           :array (and (>= ,key 0)
                       (<= ,key (seq-length ,map))
                       (aset ,map ,key nil)))
         ,map)))

And the associated regression test:

  (ert-deftest test-map-delete-first-key-alist ()
    (let ((alist '((a . 1) (b . 2) (c . 3))))
      (map-delete alist 'a)
      (should (null (map-elt alist 'a)))))

Cheers,
Nico