Re: Please install: Some improvements to doc-view.el

[Tassilo Horn <tassilo@member.fsf.org>]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

Hi Richard,

>     I changed `dired-view-file' so that it asks the user to use
>     doc-view for pdf, ps and dvi files instead of `view-file'.
>
> The change in Dired is similar to a change I installed in 2004, which
> was removed in 2005.  The code worked but there was some sort of
> drawback to the idea.  I don't remember what it was, but before we
> install a similar feature now, someone should check on this list for
> discussion of `dired-view-file' in Dec 2004 and make sure that the
> arguments there don't apply against this change.

I searched through the archives of this list and I think the change you
mean was the introduction of the variable `dired-view-command-alist'.
The list had the form (REGEXP . SHELL-COMMAND) where SHELL-COMMAND was
an external viewer for files matching REGEXP.  So I think that the
problem with that was that calling external programs (which might not be
available) is generally not a good idea.  Since `doc-view' is an emacs
command and the user is asked if he wants to view the document with
`doc-view' instead of `view-file', I think my change is safe.

Bye,
Tassilo