bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Jean Louis]

I don't think that this is right return value from:

(string-edit "" "" 'ignore)

to be this:

#("Type C-c C-c when you’ve finished editing" 5 12 (font-lock-face help-key-binding face help-key-binding))



In GNU Emacs 29.0.50 (build 7, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, cairo
 version 1.17.6, Xaw3d scroll bars) of 2022-10-10 built on
 protected.rcdrun.com
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-- 
Jean

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bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Stefan Kangas]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> I don't think that this is right return value from:
>
> (string-edit "" "" 'ignore)
>
> to be this:
>
> #("Type C-c C-c when you’ve finished editing" 5 12 (font-lock-face help-key-binding face help-key-binding))

Do you have a use case where you care about the return value?

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> I don't think that this is right return value from:
>
> (string-edit "" "" 'ignore)
>
> to be this:
>
> #("Type C-c C-c when you’ve finished editing" 5 12 (font-lock-face help-key-binding face help-key-binding))

That function isn't defined as having any particular return value, so
that's as good a value as any.

Closing.

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Phil Sainty]

On 2022-10-11 13:36, Lars Ingebrigtsen wrote:
> That function isn't defined as having any particular return value,
> so that's as good a value as any.

Is it really, though?

How about returning the edited string (or nil if aborted)?  Then it
would be possible to use `string-edit' as a method of interactively
obtaining a string value.

Surely that's a useful-and-therefore-better return value (which
can then be documented).

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Phil Sainty <psainty@orcon.net.nz> writes:

> How about returning the edited string (or nil if aborted)?  Then it
> would be possible to use `string-edit' as a method of interactively
> obtaining a string value.

That's `read-string-from-buffer'.

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Phil Sainty]

On 2022-10-12 00:00, Lars Ingebrigtsen wrote:
> That's `read-string-from-buffer'.

Aha.  I was going to suggest mentioning that in the `string-edit'
docstring to make this easier to discover, but I see you've just
done exactly that, so I think it looks good now.

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Jean Louis]

* Stefan Kangas <stefankangas@gmail.com> [2022-10-11 03:09]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > I don't think that this is right return value from:
> >
> > (string-edit "" "" 'ignore)
> >
> > to be this:
> >
> > #("Type C-c C-c when you’ve finished editing" 5 12 (font-lock-face help-key-binding face help-key-binding))
> 
> Do you have a use case where you care about the return value?

My case is heavy use case, that is what I do every day.

I was thinking to start using the Emacs built-in feature, but then I
see it misbehaves.

Heavy use case is for editing values from database. Just any
values. Here is the function that I use and this one returns the
string.

(defun read-from-buffer (&optional value buffer-name mode title keymap place highlight-list minor-modes input-method)
  "Edits string and returns it"
  (let ((this-buffer (buffer-name))
	(title (or title ""))
	(value (or value ""))
	(new-value value)
	(point (cond ((numberp place) place)
		     ((listp place) (cdr (assoc "place" place)))))
	(table (when (listp place) (cdr (assoc "table" place))))
	(column (when (listp place) (cdr (assoc "column" place))))
	(table-id (when (listp place) (cdr (assoc "table-id" place))))
	(_ (message "EDIT %s" place))
	(_ (message "%s" place))
	(read-buffer (if buffer-name
			 (generate-new-buffer buffer-name)
		       (generate-new-buffer "*edit-string*"))))
    (save-excursion
      (switch-to-buffer read-buffer)
      (erase-buffer)
      (set-buffer read-buffer)
      (if mode
	  (if (fboundp mode)
	      (funcall mode)
	    (rcd-message "You need `%s' mode" (symbol-name mode)))
	(text-mode))
      (while minor-modes
	(let ((minor-mode (pop minor-modes)))
	  (if minor-mode
	      (if (fboundp (intern minor-mode))
		  (funcall (intern minor-mode))
		(rcd-message "You need `%s' minor mode" (symbol-name minor-mode))))))
      (setq rcd-db-current-table table)
      (setq rcd-db-current-column column)
      (setq rcd-db-current-table-id table-id)
      ;; (local-set-key (kbd "C-c C-c") 'exit-recursive-edit)
      (local-set-key (kbd "<f8>") 'exit-recursive-edit)
      (when keymap
	(use-local-map keymap))
      (when input-method (set-input-method input-method))
      (setq header-line-format (format "%s ➜ Finish editing with or C-M-c or F8" title))
      (if (stringp value) (insert value))
      (goto-char (or point (point-min)))
      (message "When you're done editing press C-M-c or F8 to continue.")
      (setq eval-expression-debug-on-error nil)
      (unwind-protect
	  (recursive-edit)
	(if (get-buffer-window read-buffer)
	    (progn
	      (setq new-value (buffer-substring (point-min) (point-max)))
	      (kill-buffer read-buffer))))
      (setq eval-expression-debug-on-error t)
      (switch-to-buffer this-buffer)
      new-value))) ;; TODO if mode is used, maybe it should not return propertized string


-- 
Jean

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bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Jean Louis]

* Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> [2022-10-11 03:36]:
> Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:
> 
> > I don't think that this is right return value from:
> >
> > (string-edit "" "" 'ignore)
> >
> > to be this:
> >
> > #("Type C-c C-c when you’ve finished editing" 5 12 (font-lock-face help-key-binding face help-key-binding))
> 
> That function isn't defined as having any particular return value, so
> that's as good a value as any.
> 
> Closing.

I can just say "WOW" on that.

I understand that the fallback function is called and I like the
approach.

But from functions I expect return values.

If there is success than I would expect TRUE or something.

Best would be not to have special function to handle that, but to have
return value. See my function in previous email.


-- 
Jean

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https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

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bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> I understand that the fallback function is called and I like the
> approach.

It's not a fallback function -- it's a callback function.

> But from functions I expect return values.

Then your expectations are wrong -- many functions don't return anything
meaningful, but work by side effect only.

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Jean Louis]

* Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> [2022-10-11 15:29]:
> Phil Sainty <psainty@orcon.net.nz> writes:
> 
> > How about returning the edited string (or nil if aborted)?  Then it
> > would be possible to use `string-edit' as a method of interactively
> > obtaining a string value.
> 
> That's `read-string-from-buffer'.

Aha that one, thanks. 

(read-string-from-buffer "Enter text" "") ⇒ "OK here"

It is to consider, thanks. I like it full window.

-- 
Jean

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https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

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bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Juri Linkov]

>> > How about returning the edited string (or nil if aborted)?  Then it
>> > would be possible to use `string-edit' as a method of interactively
>> > obtaining a string value.
>>
>> That's `read-string-from-buffer'.
>
> Aha that one, thanks.
>
> (read-string-from-buffer "Enter text" "") ⇒ "OK here"

I expected that typing immediately 'C-c C-c' will return an empty string,
but it returned the prompt.  A bug?

> It is to consider, thanks. I like it full window.

It's possible to customize to full window by 'display-buffer-alist'.

bug#58423: 29.0.50; Weird behavior of string-edit

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Juri Linkov <juri@linkov.net> writes:

>> (read-string-from-buffer "Enter text" "") ⇒ "OK here"
>
> I expected that typing immediately 'C-c C-c' will return an empty string,
> but it returned the prompt.  A bug?

Yup.