Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Christopher Dimech]

After writing many lines in a file, the Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Óscar Fuentes]

Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com> writes:

> After writing many lines in a file, the Line Number in the mode line
> shows ??.

Look for "Optional Mode Line Features" in the Emacs manual.

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Christopher Dimech]

> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 3:01 PM
> From: "Óscar Fuentes" <ofv@wanadoo.es>
> To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.
>
> Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com> writes:
> 
> > After writing many lines in a file, the Line Number in the mode line
> > shows ??.
> 
> Look for "Optional Mode Line Features" in the Emacs manual.
 
How would that help?  Looks as a bug to me.

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>
> Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 06:05:57 +0200
> Sensitivity: Normal
> Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> 
> > > After writing many lines in a file, the Line Number in the mode line
> > > shows ??.
> > 
> > Look for "Optional Mode Line Features" in the Emacs manual.
>  
> How would that help?  Looks as a bug to me.

Because it isn't a bug, it's a feature, and the section pointed out by
Óscar explains how it works and how to control it.

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Christopher Dimech]

Are you talking about "line-number-display-limit"?

> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 4:27 PM
> From: "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz@gnu.org>
> To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.
>
> > From: Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>
> > Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 06:05:57 +0200
> > Sensitivity: Normal
> > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > 
> > > > After writing many lines in a file, the Line Number in the mode line
> > > > shows ??.
> > > 
> > > Look for "Optional Mode Line Features" in the Emacs manual.
> >  
> > How would that help?  Looks as a bug to me.
> 
> Because it isn't a bug, it's a feature, and the section pointed out by
> Óscar explains how it works and how to control it.
> 
>

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Christopher Dimech]

When I load the file, the line number is there and is correct.  Howewer, when
I start changing the file, I then get "??".  It continues to be "??" even when
I save the file.  


Then I close emacs and load the file to get the line number correct again.



> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 4:27 PM
> From: "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz@gnu.org>
> To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.
>
> > From: Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>
> > Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 06:05:57 +0200
> > Sensitivity: Normal
> > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > 
> > > > After writing many lines in a file, the Line Number in the mode line
> > > > shows ??.
> > > 
> > > Look for "Optional Mode Line Features" in the Emacs manual.
> >  
> > How would that help?  Looks as a bug to me.
> 
> Because it isn't a bug, it's a feature, and the section pointed out by
> Óscar explains how it works and how to control it.
> 
>

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>
> Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 06:34:12 +0200
> 
> Are you talking about "line-number-display-limit"?

Yes, and also line-number-display-limit-width.

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>
> Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 06:43:23 +0200
> 
> When I load the file, the line number is there and is correct.  Howewer, when
> I start changing the file, I then get "??".  It continues to be "??" even when
> I save the file.  
> 
> Then I close emacs and load the file to get the line number correct again.

How many lines are there in the file, and what is the length of the
longest line?

Emacs will not stop showing line numbers until it actually displays
for the first time a line that is wider that
line-number-display-limit-width columns.  So if the number of lines
there is less that line-number-display-limit, but one of the lines is
very wide, and that wide line is not at the first portion of the file
that Emacs displayed when you visit the file, then you could have line
numbers initially, but they will be turned off whenever the wide line
comes into the view.

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Christopher Dimech]

I do not think it is very long, it is 8607 lines

Length of longest line is 139.

> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 5:29 PM
> From: "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz@gnu.org>
> To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.
>
> > From: Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>
> > Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 06:43:23 +0200
> >
> > When I load the file, the line number is there and is correct.  Howewer, when
> > I start changing the file, I then get "??".  It continues to be "??" even when
> > I save the file.
> >
> > Then I close emacs and load the file to get the line number correct again.
>
> How many lines are there in the file, and what is the length of the
> longest line?
>
> Emacs will not stop showing line numbers until it actually displays
> for the first time a line that is wider that
> line-number-display-limit-width columns.  So if the number of lines
> there is less that line-number-display-limit, but one of the lines is
> very wide, and that wide line is not at the first portion of the file
> that Emacs displayed when you visit the file, then you could have line
> numbers initially, but they will be turned off whenever the wide line
> comes into the view.
>
>

Re: Line Number in the mode line shows ??.

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>
> Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> Date: Sun, 16 May 2021 08:09:13 +0200
> 
> I do not think it is very long, it is 8607 lines
> 
> Length of longest line is 139.

Then I don't think I understand why it happens.  Probably some of your
customizations get in the way, or does it happen in "emacs -Q" as
well?  It would be interesting for you to find out when exactly the
number becomes "??"  and report the details.