Re: next-error refactoring

[Juri Linkov <juri@jurta.org>]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:
> To me the concept of "next-error" refers to something that has the
> following properties:
> - every entry in the list of things to step through refers to a location
>   in another buffer.
> - you want to step through the locations referred to rather than only
>   stepping through the entries themselves.

I completely agree on the purpose of the "next-error" framework.

> So I don´t see how it can usefully be applied to functions in a file.

This can be applied to functions when their locations are listed in
another buffer by commands that operate on function names, for example,
`list-tags' (which is not "next-error" capable now), `list-imenu',
`list-outlines' (there are no such functions yet, but they would be useful).

> I see that it can be handy to C-x ` through a list of files in dired in
> some particular cases, tho.  But we then need to design some way to
> distinguish between buffers where this is common and those where it is not,
> otherwise people will be annoyed that C-x ` is always captured by their
> dired buffer instead of compile, or things like that.

I agree.  This should be done only when requested specially by users
in dired buffers or in buffers created by `find-dired' or `locate'.

> I agree that more of the next-error code should be in the generic part of
> the code (all the window-management comes to mind), but I also think this
> is better done post-21.4.  Especially since we still don´t have any sample
> code to try and we´re not sure what the new behavior should be.

I think it's better at least to establish the infrastructure before the next
Emacs release than to release it in the current incomplete (though, usable)
state, if possible.  That means to continue its development at an unhurried pace,
and include it if it will be completely ready before the next release.

-- 
Juri Linkov
http://www.jurta.org/emacs/