Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Chris Seberino]

Is it easy/possible to change the prompt strings of various Emacs commands?

For example, what Emacs calls find-file I think of as "opening a file"
and hence would like to change the prompt from "Find file:" to "open file:".

Are global changes like that possible/easy?  Perhaps it would require
an Lisp style macro or something?

Thanks!

cs

RE: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Drew Adams]

> Is it easy/possible to change the prompt strings of various Emacs commands?
> 
> For example, what Emacs calls find-file I think of as "opening a file"
> and hence would like to change the prompt from "Find file:" to "open file:".
> 
> Are global changes like that possible/easy?  Perhaps it would require
> an Lisp style macro or something?

Generally speaking, no.  Typically, a general function that reads
input is called by a command, and it is passed a literal string as
the prompt to use.

Anything is possible, of course.  You can replace, for example, the
standard definition of `find-file-read-args' (which reads the file
name for `find-file' and similar commands), so that it uses your
preferred prompt.

But there is a reason that such functions take a PROMPT argument:
so that they can be called by different commands or in different
contexts, using different prompts.  For `find-file-read-args',
for example:

files.el:1433:   (find-file-read-args "Find file: "
files.el:1453:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other window: "
files.el:1476:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other frame: "
files.el:1490:   (interactive (nbutlast (find-file-read-args "Find existing file: " t)))
files.el:1513:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only: "
files.el:1522:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other window: "
files.el:1531:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other frame: "
menu-bar.el:206:	 (filename (car (find-file-read-args "Find file: " mustmatch))))
files.el:1433:   (find-file-read-args "Find file: "
files.el:1453:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other window: "
files.el:1476:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other frame: "
files.el:1490:   (interactive (nbutlast (find-file-read-args "Find existing file: " t)))
files.el:1513:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only: "
files.el:1522:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other window: "
files.el:1531:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other frame: "
menu-bar.el:206:	 (filename (car (find-file-read-args "Find file: " mustmatch))))

Alternatively, you could replace not the utility functions that read
input but the commands that call the utility functions.  In that case,
you would have even more to change. ;-)

In sum, don't bother to try.  Just learn to live with "Find file" etc.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Christian Seberino]

Drew

Thanks!  As a consolation prize...what if I only wanted to change the 
prompt string when I called wrapper functions *myself*
with a shortcut key?

e.g. I could write my own function called my-find-file that had whatever 
prompt string I wanted, and, then have
it call find-file internally.  I actually went down that route.  The 
problem I had was that I rely on the
TAB completion and abbreviation features of find-file for Tramp and 
other stuff with long path names.

Perhaps it would be feasible/easier to somehow add all those wonderful 
features (TAB completion and abbreviations)
to my own wrapper functions? How hard is *that* by comparision?

cs








On 01/29/2015 10:19 PM, Drew Adams wrote:
>> Is it easy/possible to change the prompt strings of various Emacs commands?
>>
>> For example, what Emacs calls find-file I think of as "opening a file"
>> and hence would like to change the prompt from "Find file:" to "open file:".
>>
>> Are global changes like that possible/easy?  Perhaps it would require
>> an Lisp style macro or something?
> Generally speaking, no.  Typically, a general function that reads
> input is called by a command, and it is passed a literal string as
> the prompt to use.
>
> Anything is possible, of course.  You can replace, for example, the
> standard definition of `find-file-read-args' (which reads the file
> name for `find-file' and similar commands), so that it uses your
> preferred prompt.
>
> But there is a reason that such functions take a PROMPT argument:
> so that they can be called by different commands or in different
> contexts, using different prompts.  For `find-file-read-args',
> for example:
>
> files.el:1433:   (find-file-read-args "Find file: "
> files.el:1453:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other window: "
> files.el:1476:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other frame: "
> files.el:1490:   (interactive (nbutlast (find-file-read-args "Find existing file: " t)))
> files.el:1513:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only: "
> files.el:1522:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other window: "
> files.el:1531:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other frame: "
> menu-bar.el:206:	 (filename (car (find-file-read-args "Find file: " mustmatch))))
> files.el:1433:   (find-file-read-args "Find file: "
> files.el:1453:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other window: "
> files.el:1476:   (find-file-read-args "Find file in other frame: "
> files.el:1490:   (interactive (nbutlast (find-file-read-args "Find existing file: " t)))
> files.el:1513:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only: "
> files.el:1522:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other window: "
> files.el:1531:   (find-file-read-args "Find file read-only other frame: "
> menu-bar.el:206:	 (filename (car (find-file-read-args "Find file: " mustmatch))))
>
> Alternatively, you could replace not the utility functions that read
> input but the commands that call the utility functions.  In that case,
> you would have even more to change. ;-)
>
> In sum, don't bother to try.  Just learn to live with "Find file" etc.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Michael Heerdegen]

Christian Seberino <cseberino@gmail.com> writes:

> Perhaps it would be feasible/easier to somehow add all those wonderful
> features (TAB completion and abbreviations)
> to my own wrapper functions? How hard is *that* by comparision?

Actually it is not hard, at least for this specific case and in Emacs >=
24 (didn't check older Emacsen):

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
  (interactive
   (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
                        (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
  (apply origfun args))

(advice-add 'find-file :around #'my-find-file-around-ad)
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

But I think in the long term it's better to get used to the Emacs
nomenclature.


Michael.

[OT] Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Harry Putnam]

Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen@web.de> writes:

This is a bit of the wall but I've been meaning to ask about this
phenomena for a while: 

I run gnus with a black background and cornsilk2 foreground.

,----
|  (defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
|    (interactive
|     (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
|                          (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
|    (apply origfun args))
| 
|  (advice-add 'find-file :around #'my-find-file-around-ad)
`----

The section of the previous post, boxed in above, appears in my gnus reader as
medium green background.

So, set off from the rest of the post by a completely different
background color.

I've seen this a number of times and would like to know how it is
done? 

RE: [OT] Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Drew Adams]

> ,----
> |  (defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
> |    (interactive
> |     (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
> |                          (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
> |    (apply origfun args))
> |  (advice-add 'find-file :around #'my-find-file-around-ad)
> `----
> 
> The section of the previous post, boxed in above, appears in my gnus reader
> as medium green background. So, set off from the rest of the post by a
> completely different background color. I've seen this a number of times
> and would like to know how it is done?

Library boxquote.el:
http://www.davep.org/emacs/#boxquote.el

Re: [OT] Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Harry Putnam]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

>> ,----
>> |  (defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
>> |    (interactive
>> |     (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
>> |                          (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
>> |    (apply origfun args))
>> |  (advice-add 'find-file :around #'my-find-file-around-ad)
>> `----
>> 
>> The section of the previous post, boxed in above, appears in my gnus reader
>> as medium green background. So, set off from the rest of the post by a
>> completely different background color. I've seen this a number of times
>> and would like to know how it is done?
>
> Library boxquote.el:
> http://www.davep.org/emacs/#boxquote.el

Sorry for my lack of clarity, the boxquote is my doing... what I'm
attempting to ask about is how that author colors the background green
for the portion I have boxquoted above.

That is:  In post Message-ID: <87h9v8bqxh.fsf@web.de> (on gmane.emacs.help),
Michael Heerdegen has somehow caused the bit below to appears with
medium green background.

  (defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
    (interactive
     (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
                          (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
    (apply origfun args))
  
  (advice-add 'find-file :around #'my-find-file-around-ad)

I'd like to know how that is done.

boxquote.el does not appear to offer anything related to color.  At
least the word `color' or `background' do not appear in it.

Re: [OT] Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Michael Heerdegen]

Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> writes:

> That is:  In post Message-ID: <87h9v8bqxh.fsf@web.de> (on gmane.emacs.help),
> Michael Heerdegen has somehow caused the bit below to appears with
> medium green background.
> [...]
> I'd like to know how that is done.

I used `message-mark-inserted-region' (C-c M-m).

This just inserts these "cut here" markers, nothing more.  AFAICT it's a
Gnus feature that the text gets displayed with some colored background
instead when you read a message containing such markers.


Regards,

Michael.

Re: [OT] Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Harry Putnam]

Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen@web.de> writes:

> Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> writes:
>
>> That is:  In post Message-ID: <87h9v8bqxh.fsf@web.de> (on gmane.emacs.help),
>> Michael Heerdegen has somehow caused the bit below to appears with
>> medium green background.
>> [...]
>> I'd like to know how that is done.
>
> I used `message-mark-inserted-region' (C-c M-m).
>
> This just inserts these "cut here" markers, nothing more.  AFAICT it's a
> Gnus feature that the text gets displayed with some colored background
> instead when you read a message containing such markers.

Ahh. I see.  Thanks for the reply

RE: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Drew Adams]

> Thanks!  As a consolation prize...what if I only wanted to change the
> prompt string when I called wrapper functions *myself*
> with a shortcut key?
> 
> e.g. I could write my own function called my-find-file that had whatever
> prompt string I wanted, and, then have
> it call find-file internally.  I actually went down that route.  The
> problem I had was that I rely on the
> TAB completion and abbreviation features of find-file for Tramp and
> other stuff with long path names.
> 
> Perhaps it would be feasible/easier to somehow add all those wonderful
> features (TAB completion and abbreviations)
> to my own wrapper functions? How hard is *that* by comparision?

My opinion?  Don't bother.

But yes, you certainly can call `find-file-read-args' (or
`read-file-name') yourself, passing it any prompt you like.
You will get all of the usual TAB completion etc. - no problem.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Christian Seberino]

On 01/30/2015 08:41 AM, Drew Adams wrote:
> But yes, you certainly can call `find-file-read-args' (or 
> `read-file-name') yourself, passing it any prompt you like. You will 
> get all of the usual TAB completion etc. - no problem. 

Can I ask if the 2 functions you mentioned above would fix a minor 
problem with this simple wrapper below?...

(defun my-find-file (name)
        (interactive "sopen file: ")
        (find-file name))

The TAB completion for abbreviations works great with one problem....the 
TAB is not removed but APPENDED
to end of replacement.

So after pressing day "d" + "TAB" instead of getting this...

"/ssh:me@example.com:/home/me/some/path"

I see this

"/ssh:me@example.com:/home/me/some/path         "
(Notice the TAB at end!)



How remove the TAB?   Somehow the insert works differently when a custom
interactive file is called versus when find-file does it?

cs

RE: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Drew Adams]

> > But yes, you certainly can call `find-file-read-args' (or
> > `read-file-name') yourself, passing it any prompt you like. You will
> > get all of the usual TAB completion etc. - no problem.
> 
> Can I ask if the 2 functions you mentioned above would fix a minor
> problem with this simple wrapper below?...
> (defun my-find-file (name) (interactive "sopen file: ") (find-file name))

Yes.  `find-file-read-args' is made to order for `find-file' and
similar commands.  `read-file-name' is more general - it is called
by `find-file-read-args'.  These provide file-name completion.

You want to read a file name, not a string.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Christian Seberino]

You may have seen my post regarding this...

(defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
   (interactive
    (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
                         (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
   (apply origfun args))

I don't know why that has the same issue of NOT removing the TAB properly
like find-file does.

Dunno why.

cs
On 01/30/2015 06:31 PM, Drew Adams wrote:
>>> But yes, you certainly can call `find-file-read-args' (or
>>> `read-file-name') yourself, passing it any prompt you like. You will
>>> get all of the usual TAB completion etc. - no problem.
>> Can I ask if the 2 functions you mentioned above would fix a minor
>> problem with this simple wrapper below?...
>> (defun my-find-file (name) (interactive "sopen file: ") (find-file name))
> Yes.  `find-file-read-args' is made to order for `find-file' and
> similar commands.  `read-file-name' is more general - it is called
> by `find-file-read-args'.  These provide file-name completion.
>
> You want to read a file name, not a string.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Christian Seberino]

Here is how I configured my Tramp abbreviations in case the problem is 
there...

(define-abbrev-table
  'tramp-abbrev-table
  '(("d"  "/ssh:cs@philfour.com:/home/cs/Ws")
    ("dr" "/ssh:cs@philfour.com|su:philfour.com:/home")
    ("w"  "/ssh:cs@services.philfour.com:/home/webwork_custom")
    ("wr" "/ssh:cs@services.philfour.com|su:services.philfour.com:/home")))

(add-hook 'minibuffer-setup-hook (lambda ()
                                   (abbrev-mode t)
                                   (setq local-abbrev-table 
tramp-abbrev-table)))

(defadvice minibuffer-complete
            (before my-minibuffer-complete activate)
            (expand-abbrev))


On 01/30/2015 06:35 PM, Christian Seberino wrote:
> You may have seen my post regarding this...
>
> (defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
>   (interactive
>    (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
>                         (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
>   (apply origfun args))
>
> I don't know why that has the same issue of NOT removing the TAB properly
> like find-file does.
>
> Dunno why.
>
> cs
> On 01/30/2015 06:31 PM, Drew Adams wrote:
>>>> But yes, you certainly can call `find-file-read-args' (or
>>>> `read-file-name') yourself, passing it any prompt you like. You will
>>>> get all of the usual TAB completion etc. - no problem.
>>> Can I ask if the 2 functions you mentioned above would fix a minor
>>> problem with this simple wrapper below?...
>>> (defun my-find-file (name) (interactive "sopen file: ") (find-file 
>>> name))
>> Yes.  `find-file-read-args' is made to order for `find-file' and
>> similar commands.  `read-file-name' is more general - it is called
>> by `find-file-read-args'.  These provide file-name completion.
>>
>> You want to read a file name, not a string.
>

-- 
___________________________

Christian Seberino, Ph.D
cseberino@gmail.com
(936) 828-8747
___________________________

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Michael Heerdegen]

Christian Seberino <cseberino@gmail.com> writes:

> (define-abbrev-table
>  'tramp-abbrev-table
>  '(("d"  "/ssh:cs@philfour.com:/home/cs/Ws")
>    ("dr" "/ssh:cs@philfour.com|su:philfour.com:/home")
>    ("w"  "/ssh:cs@services.philfour.com:/home/webwork_custom")
>    ("wr" "/ssh:cs@services.philfour.com|su:services.philfour.com:/home")))
>
> (add-hook 'minibuffer-setup-hook (lambda ()
>                                   (abbrev-mode t)
>                                   (setq local-abbrev-table
> tramp-abbrev-table)))
>
> (defadvice minibuffer-complete
>            (before my-minibuffer-complete activate)
>            (expand-abbrev))

I tried this and invoked `find-file-read-args'.  I don't see any tab
character inserted or being left, I get the expected behavior, with all
Emacs versions I tried.  Of course I can't connect to your hosts.

But really, all the trouble you may provoke with your hack is IMHO much
worse than getting used to the "Find file" wording.


Michael.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Christian Seberino]

OK.  Thanks everyone for your help.  I think I'll just get used to "Find 
file" for now. :)

cs
On 02/01/2015 07:55 AM, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> Christian Seberino <cseberino@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> (define-abbrev-table
>>   'tramp-abbrev-table
>>   '(("d"  "/ssh:cs@philfour.com:/home/cs/Ws")
>>     ("dr" "/ssh:cs@philfour.com|su:philfour.com:/home")
>>     ("w"  "/ssh:cs@services.philfour.com:/home/webwork_custom")
>>     ("wr" "/ssh:cs@services.philfour.com|su:services.philfour.com:/home")))
>>
>> (add-hook 'minibuffer-setup-hook (lambda ()
>>                                    (abbrev-mode t)
>>                                    (setq local-abbrev-table
>> tramp-abbrev-table)))
>>
>> (defadvice minibuffer-complete
>>             (before my-minibuffer-complete activate)
>>             (expand-abbrev))
> I tried this and invoked `find-file-read-args'.  I don't see any tab
> character inserted or being left, I get the expected behavior, with all
> Emacs versions I tried.  Of course I can't connect to your hosts.
>
> But really, all the trouble you may provoke with your hack is IMHO much
> worse than getting used to the "Find file" wording.
>
>
> Michael.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Marcin Borkowski]

On 2015-02-02, at 00:18, Christian Seberino <cseberino@gmail.com> wrote:

> OK.  Thanks everyone for your help.  I think I'll just get used to "Find 
> file" for now. :)

For now.  Yeah, sure.

And in five years, when some Emacs newbie asks you about all those
strange terms, you'll say: "Young \(wo\)?man, forget about the newspeak
of opening files in panes, using tabs, cutting and pasting, moving the
cursor and pressing Ctrl+F.  Instead, embrace the ancient wisdom of
visiting files in windows, using buffers, killing and yanking, moving
the point and pressing C-s."

Welcome to the rabbit hole.

> cs

Best,

-- 
Marcin Borkowski               This email was proudly sent
http://mbork.pl                from my Emacs.

RE: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Drew Adams]

> > OK.  Thanks everyone for your help.  I think I'll just get used to "Find
> > file" for now. :)
> 
> For now.  Yeah, sure.
> And in five years, when some Emacs newbie asks you about all those
> strange terms, you'll say: "Young \(wo\)?man, forget about the newspeak
> of opening files in panes, using tabs, cutting and pasting, moving the
> cursor and pressing Ctrl+F.  Instead, embrace the ancient wisdom of
> visiting files in windows, using buffers, killing and yanking, moving
> the point and pressing C-s."  Welcome to the rabbit hole.

Yup.  "Ancient wisdom" or not, rabbit hole or not, that's the Emacs
jargon.

Suppose you do change things locally to teach Emacs not to use its
own jargon etc. - and you can do so to different degrees, though it
might mean jumping through a few hoops (is it worth it?).

Then you have difficulty communicating with (e.g., helping) others,
because that jargon is what is used by the application itself and its
community.

For better or worse.  Learn to speak Emacs - that's my advice.  Whether
you think it represents "ancient wisdom" or not.  And if you feel strongly
about some bit of jargon, then argue on emacs-devel@gnu.org to change it.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Rusi]

On Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at 3:41:46 AM UTC+5:30, Drew Adams wrote:
> > > OK.  Thanks everyone for your help.  I think I'll just get used to "Find
> > > file" for now. :)
> > 
> > For now.  Yeah, sure.
> > And in five years, when some Emacs newbie asks you about all those
> > strange terms, you'll say: "Young \(wo\)?man, forget about the newspeak
> > of opening files in panes, using tabs, cutting and pasting, moving the
> > cursor and pressing Ctrl+F.  Instead, embrace the ancient wisdom of
> > visiting files in windows, using buffers, killing and yanking, moving
> > the point and pressing C-s."  Welcome to the rabbit hole.
> 
> Yup.  "Ancient wisdom" or not, rabbit hole or not, that's the Emacs
> jargon.
> 
> Suppose you do change things locally to teach Emacs not to use its
> own jargon etc. - and you can do so to different degrees, though it
> might mean jumping through a few hoops (is it worth it?).
> 
> Then you have difficulty communicating with (e.g., helping) others,
> because that jargon is what is used by the application itself and its
> community.
> 
> For better or worse.  Learn to speak Emacs - that's my advice.  Whether
> you think it represents "ancient wisdom" or not.  And if you feel strongly
> about some bit of jargon, then argue on emacs-devel  to change it.


I started using emacs around '92 -- context was (some predecessor) of comint.
Teaching python with emacs 10 years later.

And now for the first time in all these years, Ive switched from emacs to idle
(for teaching python)

Sad....

Yeah beauty, power, generality, programmability, cuteness and much else is fine
But ultimately the need to back out of the rabbit hole wins

[Just to be clear: Ive not given up on emacs, just given up on emacs-evangelism]

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Chris Seberino]

Michael

I tried using the function below....the advice-add part gave an error..

 function definition is void: advice-add
(Emacs ver 24.3)

When I removed the advice-add part it seems to work!!  i.e. this works...

(defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
  (interactive
   (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
                        (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
  (apply origfun args))

The only problem is when I use TAB completion to replace abbreviations,
it appends the TAB to the end instead of *replacing it*....find-file
does it right and I was hoping using find-file-read-args would work right
too but it didn't.  Do you know why TAB remains unlike with find-file?

On Friday, January 30, 2015 at 2:42:46 AM UTC-6, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> Christian Seberino <cseberino@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > Perhaps it would be feasible/easier to somehow add all those wonderful
> > features (TAB completion and abbreviations)
> > to my own wrapper functions? How hard is *that* by comparision?
> 
> Actually it is not hard, at least for this specific case and in Emacs >=
> 24 (didn't check older Emacsen):
> 
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> (defun my-find-file-around-ad (origfun &rest args)
>   (interactive
>    (find-file-read-args "Open file: "
>                         (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer)))
>   (apply origfun args))
> 
> (advice-add 'find-file :around #'my-find-file-around-ad)
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> 
> But I think in the long term it's better to get used to the Emacs
> nomenclature.
> 
> 
> Michael.

Re: Easy/Possible to globally change prompt strings of messages? e.g. changing find-file's prompt string from "Find file:" to "open file:" ?

[Michael Heerdegen]

Chris Seberino <cseberino@gmail.com> writes:


> I tried using the function below....the advice-add part gave an
> error..

Then your Emacs is too old and doesn't have it yet.  Just use defadvice
instead.


Michael.