bug#68697: Add option to not always use *grep* buffer when executing `grep' or `vc-git-grep' command

bug#68697: Add option to not always use *grep* buffer when executing `grep' or `vc-git-grep' command

[Nafiz Islam]

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The way `grep' and `vc-git-grep' works right now is that it will always
output its result to a buffer called `*grep*'. So, if I perform another
`grep' command, it will overwrite the previous grep result (unless I rename
the buffer beforehand).

I would like, at least, an option to create a new buffer each time a `grep'
command is executed. Maybe each new buffer could be given the name based on
the regexp or the grep shell command used.

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bug#68697: Add option to not always use *grep* buffer when executing `grep' or `vc-git-grep' command

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Nafiz Islam <nafiz.islam1001@gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:16:12 -0500
> 
> The way `grep' and `vc-git-grep' works right now is that it will always output its result to a buffer called
> `*grep*'. So, if I perform another `grep' command, it will overwrite the previous grep result (unless I
> rename the buffer beforehand).
> 
> I would like, at least, an option to create a new buffer each time a `grep' command is executed.
> Maybe each new buffer could be given the name based on the regexp or the grep shell command
> used.

Did you try to define a compilation-buffer-name-function that would do
what you want?  Such a function can produce any buffer name you want.

bug#68697: Add option to not always use *grep* buffer when executing `grep' or `vc-git-grep' command

[Nafiz Islam]

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Oh right, I can use compilation-buffer-name-function. My only issue is that
it doesn't have enough context to generate a meaningful buffer name; it
only takes a name-of-mode. A meaningful buffer name could consist of the
regexp or the entire grep shell command.

On Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 2:24 AM Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:

> > From: Nafiz Islam <nafiz.islam1001@gmail.com>
> > Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:16:12 -0500
> >
> > The way `grep' and `vc-git-grep' works right now is that it will always
> output its result to a buffer called
> > `*grep*'. So, if I perform another `grep' command, it will overwrite the
> previous grep result (unless I
> > rename the buffer beforehand).
> >
> > I would like, at least, an option to create a new buffer each time a
> `grep' command is executed.
> > Maybe each new buffer could be given the name based on the regexp or the
> grep shell command
> > used.
>
> Did you try to define a compilation-buffer-name-function that would do
> what you want?  Such a function can produce any buffer name you want.
>

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bug#68697: Add option to not always use *grep* buffer when executing `grep' or `vc-git-grep' command

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Nafiz Islam <nafiz.islam1001@gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:58:10 -0500
> Cc: 68697@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> Oh right, I can use compilation-buffer-name-function. My only issue is that it doesn't have enough
> context to generate a meaningful buffer name; it only takes a name-of-mode. A meaningful buffer
> name could consist of the regexp or the entire grep shell command.

You could include in the buffer name the default-directory instead.

Alternatively, you could advise "M-x grep" or write a wrapper around
it, and in that advice/wrapper bind some dynamic variable to the grep
command, and your compilation-buffer-name-function could then access
that variable.

bug#68697: Add option to not always use *grep* buffer when executing `grep' or `vc-git-grep' command

[Juri Linkov]

> The way `grep' and `vc-git-grep' works right now is that it will always
> output its result to a buffer called `*grep*'. So, if I perform another
> `grep' command, it will overwrite the previous grep result (unless I rename
> the buffer beforehand).
>
> I would like, at least, an option to create a new buffer each time a `grep'
> command is executed.

I'm using such config to create unique buffer names for
`compile' and `grep':

```
(setq compilation-buffer-name-function
      (lambda (name-of-mode)
        (generate-new-buffer-name
         (concat "*" (downcase name-of-mode) "*"))))
```

Currently in bug#68570 we are discussing about adding an option
to `project-compilation-buffer-name-function' to create unique names
for project compilation buffers.

So the same way we could turn `compilation-buffer-name-function'
into a defcustom with an option for unique compilation/grep buffers.

> Maybe each new buffer could be given the name based on
> the regexp or the grep shell command used.

A name based on a regexp could be another option indeed.
Here is what I'm using for xref buffer names with a regexp:

```
(with-eval-after-load 'project
  ;; Instead of numbers append the regexp to the xref buffer name:
  (define-advice project-find-regexp (:around (ofun &rest args) unique)
    (require 'xref)
    (let ((xref-buffer-name
           (generate-new-buffer-name
            (format "%s<%s>" xref-buffer-name (car args)))))
      (apply ofun args))))
```