bug#65380: [PATCH] Add command to copy contents in a diff-mode buffer

[Philip Kaludercic <philipk@posteo.net>]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Philip Kaludercic <philipk@posteo.net>
>> Cc: juri@linkov.net,  65380@debbugs.gnu.org
>> Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2024 19:40:01 +0000
>> 
>> Ugh, I forgot to amend by last patch, this is the current version:
>> 
>>   This command copies to the 'kill-ring' a region of text modified
>>   according to diffs in the current buffer, but without applying the
>>   diffs to the original text.  If the selected range extends a hunk, the
>>   commands attempts to look up and copy the text in-between the
>>   hunks.
>> 
>> I am thinking about splitting the first sentence up into
>> 
>>   This command copies text out of a diff to the 'kill-ring'.  By default
>>   it will use the text the diff would modify, without having to apply a
>>   hunk.  If the selected range extends a hunk, the commands attempts to
>>   look up and copy the text in-between the hunks.
>> 
>> WDYT?
>
> Two comments:
>
>  . "copies text out of a diff" is hard to understand.  My
>    understanding is that it takes the original text, modifies it using
>    the diff hunks in the region, and copies the result to kill-ring.
>    That's what I tried to describe in the first sentence that you now
>    want to split.  If that interpretation is correct, then "copies
>    text out of a diff" makes it much less clear.
>  . The split version says "by default", but doesn't clearly say what
>    will happen "not by default".  If the next sentence is that
>    "non-default" case, then it is better to join these two sentences:
>    "By default, ..., but if the selected text extends a hunk, ...".
>    And in that latter case, I'm not sure I understand the significance
>    of "by default", to tell the truth.
>
> Or maybe I simply misunderstand what the patch does, as I'm not an
> expert on diff-mode and don't know well enough what the various
> functions you call do.  But then neither will the prospective reader
> of this NEWS entry.

No, your understanding was ring.  I'll go ahead and use your suggestion
then.

Is there anything else left to discuss?

> Thanks.

-- 
	Philip Kaludercic on peregrine