obsolete variable, use 2nd arg of `display-buffer' instead

obsolete variable, use 2nd arg of `display-buffer' instead

[Sam Steingold]

Hi,
variables special-display-buffer-names, special-display-regexps et al
are now obsolete and replaced with display-buffer-alist.
alas, I cannot figure out how to replace my settings.

E.g., I used to do
 (custom-set-variables
 '(special-display-buffer-names ("*info*" ...))
 '(special-display-regexps '("^*Customize " "^*Shell " "^*WoMan "))
 '(same-window-buffer-names '("*Diff*"))
 ...)
 what do I replace them with?
I tried this:

(custom-set-variables
 '(Man-frame-parameters
   `((height . ,(min 70 sds-frame-height)) (width . 80)
     (top . 35) (left . 0) (font . ,sds-small-font)) t)
 '(display-buffer-alist
      (cons
       `(((label . special) (regexp . "List\\*$")
          (regexp . "Help\\*$") (regexp . "Apropos") (regexp . "^*WoMan ")
          (regexp . "^*Customize ") (regexp . "^*Shell ")
          (name . "*info*"))
         pop-up-frame
         (pop-up-frame-alist . ,Man-frame-parameters))
       display-buffer-alist)))

this does not work for *info* (C-h i does not create a new frame).
this does not even attempt to handle "*Diff*" (how do I do that?)

So, what am I doing wrong?

PS  is there a way to tell custom-set-variables to push something on top
of the existing value instead of replacing it (like I do with cons above)?

-- 
Sam Steingold (http://sds.podval.org/) on CentOS release 5.6 (Final) X 11.0.60900031
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Re: obsolete variable, use 2nd arg of `display-buffer' instead

[martin rudalics]

 > variables special-display-buffer-names, special-display-regexps et al
 > are now obsolete and replaced with display-buffer-alist.
 > alas, I cannot figure out how to replace my settings.
 >
 > E.g., I used to do
 >  (custom-set-variables
 >  '(special-display-buffer-names ("*info*" ...))
 >  '(special-display-regexps '("^*Customize " "^*Shell " "^*WoMan "))
 >  '(same-window-buffer-names '("*Diff*"))
 >  ...)
 >  what do I replace them with?

At this very moment please don't replace them but try with the old
settings (and bear with the warnings).  The new code should respect the
old settings but it doesn't do so always.  So any feedback on this is
welcome.

 > I tried this:
 >
 > (custom-set-variables
 >  '(Man-frame-parameters
 >    `((height . ,(min 70 sds-frame-height)) (width . 80)
 >      (top . 35) (left . 0) (font . ,sds-small-font)) t)
 >  '(display-buffer-alist
 >       (cons
 >        `(((label . special) (regexp . "List\\*$")
 >           (regexp . "Help\\*$") (regexp . "Apropos") (regexp . "^*WoMan ")
 >           (regexp . "^*Customize ") (regexp . "^*Shell ")
 >           (name . "*info*"))
 >          pop-up-frame
 >          (pop-up-frame-alist . ,Man-frame-parameters))

"label" hardly works at the moment.  It will work as soon as calling
functions set this.  For the rest you've been lumping together all
regexps and names under one big specifier that will pop up a frame with
Man-frame-parameters.  Is is that what you see?  Where is your entry for
*Diff*?

 >        display-buffer-alist)))
 >
 > this does not work for *info* (C-h i does not create a new frame).
 > this does not even attempt to handle "*Diff*" (how do I do that?)
 >
 > So, what am I doing wrong?

Please try using the customization interface (personally, I've never set
this variable by hand) starting from scratch.  I spent some time writing
it just in order to remove combinations that are inherently not useful.

For example to handle:

*Diff* use a Name as identifier and as Method

"Reuse window" "Selected only" "Any buffer" "Selected frame only"


To handle "*^WoMan " use a Regexp as identifier and as Method

"Pop-up frame" with the corresponding paramter / value pairs.


It would be very important if you gave me some feedback on how this is
written.  So far only Drew Adams has tried to delve deeper into this but
I haven't had time yet to read his criticism.

 > PS  is there a way to tell custom-set-variables to push something on top
 > of the existing value instead of replacing it (like I do with cons above)?

The function `display-buffer-alist-set' should automatically convert
your Emacs 23 settings of all involved options to the according
`display-buffer-alist' settings.  However, due to some recent changes
I'm not sure whether it gets them right.  If you gave it a try, that
would be great!

martin

Re: obsolete variable, use 2nd arg of `display-buffer' instead

[Sam Steingold]

> * martin rudalics <ehqnyvpf@tzk.ng> [2011-06-22 14:33:35 +0200]:
>
>> I tried this:
>>
>> (custom-set-variables
>>  '(Man-frame-parameters
>>    `((height . ,(min 70 sds-frame-height)) (width . 80)
>>      (top . 35) (left . 0) (font . ,sds-small-font)) t)
>>  '(display-buffer-alist
>>       (cons
>>        `(((label . special) (regexp . "List\\*$")
>>           (regexp . "Help\\*$") (regexp . "Apropos") (regexp . "^*WoMan ")
>>           (regexp . "^*Customize ") (regexp . "^*Shell ")
>>           (name . "*info*"))
>>          pop-up-frame
>>          (pop-up-frame-alist . ,Man-frame-parameters))
>
> "label" hardly works at the moment.  It will work as soon as calling
> functions set this.  For the rest you've been lumping together all
> regexps and names under one big specifier that will pop up a frame with
> Man-frame-parameters.

that's exactly what I want.

>>        display-buffer-alist)))
>>
>> this does not work for *info* (C-h i does not create a new frame).
>> this does not even attempt to handle "*Diff*" (how do I do that?)
>>
>> So, what am I doing wrong?
>
> Please try using the customization interface (personally, I've never set
> this variable by hand) starting from scratch.  I spent some time writing
> it just in order to remove combinations that are inherently not useful.

I do not and will not use the customization ui.
I want my settings where I can read and modify them.

> The function `display-buffer-alist-set' should automatically convert
> your Emacs 23 settings of all involved options to the according
> `display-buffer-alist' settings.  However, due to some recent changes
> I'm not sure whether it gets them right.  If you gave it a try, that
> would be great!

it produces a lot of separate entries like
 (((name . "*acl-listener*"))
  fun-with-args
  (fun-with-args special-display-popup-frame #1#))
 (((name . "*scheme*"))
  fun-with-args
  (fun-with-args special-display-popup-frame #1#))
 (((name . "*allegro*"))
  fun-with-args
  (fun-with-args special-display-popup-frame #1#))
 (((name . "*cmu*"))
  fun-with-args
  (fun-with-args special-display-popup-frame #1#))

I think it would be better to group them together like I do above.

also, it converts same-window-buffer-names into 
 (((name . "*Diff*")) reuse-window (reuse-window same))
how is this different from
 (((regexp . ".*")) reuse-window (reuse-window nil same 0))
  
also, special-display-popup-frame is marked as obsolete, so
display-buffer-alist-set should not be producing it.

also, how is
 (.... fun-with-args (fun-with-args special-display-popup-frame #1#))
different from
 (.... pop-up-frame (pop-up-frame-alist ....))


-- 
Sam Steingold (http://sds.podval.org/) on CentOS release 5.6 (Final) X 11.0.60900031
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