bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u

bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u

[Drew Adams]

emacs -Q
 
Eval these:

(defun test-univ-arg ()
  (interactive)
  (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
        universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (minibuffer-message "FOO") ; NO GOOD. OK ONLY IF THIS IS REMOVED
  (ensure-overriding-map-is-bound))
 
(defun test2 () (interactive) (describe-function '+))
 
(define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map "\C-f" 'test2)
(define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map
  (vector 'remap 'universal-argument) 'test-univ-arg)
 
Note that the definition of `test-univ-arg' is identical to the
definition of `universal-argument', except for the addition of the
call to `minibuffer-message'.


1. Now do this, without waiting for the 2-sec delay after C-u.
That is, hit C-f immediately after C-u.
 
M-x C-u C-f
 
2. Now do `M-x C-u C-f' again, this time waiting for the delay,
so the minibuffer message `FOO' is no longer displayed, before
hitting `C-f'.
 
#2 has the correct behavior: the input event `C-f' interrupts the
minibuffer message and immediately executes the `C-f' command (the
particular command used is immaterial; I use `describe-function'
just to easily see whether it is executed).
 
In Emacs 23, #1 has this incorrect effect: After C-u, the minibuffer
message FOO is erased, but the `C-f' is not picked up. You must
repeat `C-f' a second time, to get it to be picked up.

Note that if you hit C-f twice even very quickly, then the second
`C-f' is picked up (but not the first). IOW, the problem doesn't
seem to be that the delay has not passed. It seems to be that
only the first input event is ignored if the delay has not
expired. It's hard to hit C-f twice quickly, so I'm not certain
about this, but it seems to be the case.

In Emacs prior to Emacs 23, #1 also had the correct behavior of #2.
IOW, this is a regression.


In GNU Emacs 23.0.96.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2009-07-09 on SOFT-MJASON
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4)'
 

bug#3938: marked as done (23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u)

[Emacs bug Tracking System]

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Your message dated Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:46:30 -0400
with message-id <877hxsolnt.fsf@stupidchicken.com>
and subject line Re: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
has caused the Emacs bug report #3938,
regarding 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
to be marked as done.

This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.

(NB: If you are a system administrator and have no idea what this
message is talking about, this may indicate a serious mail system
misconfiguration somewhere. Please contact owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com
immediately.)


-- 
3938: http://emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=3938
Emacs Bug Tracking System
Contact owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com with problems

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From: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>
To: <emacs-pretest-bug@gnu.org>
Subject: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:30:44 -0700
Message-ID: <CAD1656FC51949788BDCE5A2D545E258@us.oracle.com>

emacs -Q
 
Eval these:

(defun test-univ-arg ()
  (interactive)
  (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
        universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (minibuffer-message "FOO") ; NO GOOD. OK ONLY IF THIS IS REMOVED
  (ensure-overriding-map-is-bound))
 
(defun test2 () (interactive) (describe-function '+))
 
(define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map "\C-f" 'test2)
(define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map
  (vector 'remap 'universal-argument) 'test-univ-arg)
 
Note that the definition of `test-univ-arg' is identical to the
definition of `universal-argument', except for the addition of the
call to `minibuffer-message'.


1. Now do this, without waiting for the 2-sec delay after C-u.
That is, hit C-f immediately after C-u.
 
M-x C-u C-f
 
2. Now do `M-x C-u C-f' again, this time waiting for the delay,
so the minibuffer message `FOO' is no longer displayed, before
hitting `C-f'.
 
#2 has the correct behavior: the input event `C-f' interrupts the
minibuffer message and immediately executes the `C-f' command (the
particular command used is immaterial; I use `describe-function'
just to easily see whether it is executed).
 
In Emacs 23, #1 has this incorrect effect: After C-u, the minibuffer
message FOO is erased, but the `C-f' is not picked up. You must
repeat `C-f' a second time, to get it to be picked up.

Note that if you hit C-f twice even very quickly, then the second
`C-f' is picked up (but not the first). IOW, the problem doesn't
seem to be that the delay has not passed. It seems to be that
only the first input event is ignored if the delay has not
expired. It's hard to hit C-f twice quickly, so I'm not certain
about this, but it seems to be the case.

In Emacs prior to Emacs 23, #1 also had the correct behavior of #2.
IOW, this is a regression.


In GNU Emacs 23.0.96.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2009-07-09 on SOFT-MJASON
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4)'
 



[-- Attachment #3: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 2496 bytes --]

From: Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
To: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>
Cc: 3938-done@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com
Subject: Re: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:46:30 -0400
Message-ID: <877hxsolnt.fsf@stupidchicken.com>

> (defun test-univ-arg ()
>   (interactive)
>   (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
>         universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
>   (minibuffer-message "FOO") ; NO GOOD. OK ONLY IF THIS IS REMOVED
>   (ensure-overriding-map-is-bound))
>
> (defun test2 () (interactive) (describe-function '+))
>
> (define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map "\C-f" 'test2)
> (define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map
>   (vector 'remap 'universal-argument) 'test-univ-arg)
>
> 1. Now do this, without waiting for the 2-sec delay after C-u.
> That is, hit C-f immediately after C-u.
>
> M-x C-u C-f

The function `sit-for', which `minibuffer-message' uses, treats C-u
specially.  It's easy to get your code to work; just put the call to
`minibuffer-message' after `ensure-overriding-map-is-bound':

(defun test-univ-arg ()
  (interactive)
  (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
        universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (ensure-overriding-map-is-bound)
  (minibuffer-message "FOO"))

bug#3938: marked as done (23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u)

[Emacs bug Tracking System]

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Your message dated Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:14:19 -0700
with message-id <81FEC5A6961B47B5BDF82CA5C33EC637@us.oracle.com>
and subject line bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
has caused the Emacs bug report #3938,
regarding 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
to be marked as done.

This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with.
If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the
bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith.

(NB: If you are a system administrator and have no idea what this
message is talking about, this may indicate a serious mail system
misconfiguration somewhere. Please contact owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com
immediately.)


-- 
3938: http://emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=3938
Emacs Bug Tracking System
Contact owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com with problems

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 4990 bytes --]

From: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>
To: <emacs-pretest-bug@gnu.org>
Subject: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 16:30:44 -0700
Message-ID: <CAD1656FC51949788BDCE5A2D545E258@us.oracle.com>

emacs -Q
 
Eval these:

(defun test-univ-arg ()
  (interactive)
  (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
        universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (minibuffer-message "FOO") ; NO GOOD. OK ONLY IF THIS IS REMOVED
  (ensure-overriding-map-is-bound))
 
(defun test2 () (interactive) (describe-function '+))
 
(define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map "\C-f" 'test2)
(define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map
  (vector 'remap 'universal-argument) 'test-univ-arg)
 
Note that the definition of `test-univ-arg' is identical to the
definition of `universal-argument', except for the addition of the
call to `minibuffer-message'.


1. Now do this, without waiting for the 2-sec delay after C-u.
That is, hit C-f immediately after C-u.
 
M-x C-u C-f
 
2. Now do `M-x C-u C-f' again, this time waiting for the delay,
so the minibuffer message `FOO' is no longer displayed, before
hitting `C-f'.
 
#2 has the correct behavior: the input event `C-f' interrupts the
minibuffer message and immediately executes the `C-f' command (the
particular command used is immaterial; I use `describe-function'
just to easily see whether it is executed).
 
In Emacs 23, #1 has this incorrect effect: After C-u, the minibuffer
message FOO is erased, but the `C-f' is not picked up. You must
repeat `C-f' a second time, to get it to be picked up.

Note that if you hit C-f twice even very quickly, then the second
`C-f' is picked up (but not the first). IOW, the problem doesn't
seem to be that the delay has not passed. It seems to be that
only the first input event is ignored if the delay has not
expired. It's hard to hit C-f twice quickly, so I'm not certain
about this, but it seems to be the case.

In Emacs prior to Emacs 23, #1 also had the correct behavior of #2.
IOW, this is a regression.


In GNU Emacs 23.0.96.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2009-07-09 on SOFT-MJASON
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4)'
 



[-- Attachment #3: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 6021 bytes --]

From: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>
To: "'Chong Yidong'" <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
Cc: <3938-done@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com>
Subject: bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:14:19 -0700
Message-ID: <81FEC5A6961B47B5BDF82CA5C33EC637@us.oracle.com>

> The function `sit-for', which `minibuffer-message' uses, treats C-u
> specially.  It's easy to get your code to work; just put the call to
> `minibuffer-message' after `ensure-overriding-map-is-bound':
> 
> (defun test-univ-arg ()
>   (interactive)
>   (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
>         universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
>   (ensure-overriding-map-is-bound)
>   (minibuffer-message "FOO"))

Actually, I already had the call to `minibuffer-message' last, in my own code.

I pared down my original code again, and discovered that the problem of the
regression is elsewhere. (Note, BTW, that the definition of `sit-for' has not
changed in Emacs 23 wrt Emacs 22, and this bug is a regression from Emacs 22.)

emacs -Q

(define-key minibuffer-local-must-match-map "\C-f" 'test2)
(define-key minibuffer-local-must-match-map
  (vector 'remap 'universal-argument) 'test-univ-arg)

(defun test2 () (interactive) (describe-function '+))

(defun test-univ-arg ()
  (interactive)
  (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
        universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (my-ensure-overriding-map-is-bound)
  (minibuffer-message "FOO"))

;; Same as `ensure-overriding-map-is-bound', but with
;; `my-universal-argument-map' instead of `universal-argument-map'.
(defun my-ensure-overriding-map-is-bound ()
  (unless overriding-map-is-bound
    (setq saved-overriding-map           overriding-terminal-local-map
          overriding-terminal-local-map  my-universal-argument-map
          overriding-map-is-bound        t)))

;; Exact copy of `universal-argument-map'.
(defvar my-universal-argument-map
  (let ((map  (make-sparse-keymap)))
    (define-key map [t] 'universal-argument-other-key)
    (define-key map (vector meta-prefix-char t) 'universal-argument-other-key)
    (define-key map [switch-frame] nil)
    (define-key map [?\C-u] 'universal-argument-more)
    (define-key map [?-] 'universal-argument-minus)
    (define-key map [?0] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?1] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?2] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?3] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?4] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?5] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?6] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?7] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?8] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?9] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-0] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-1] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-2] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-3] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-4] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-5] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-6] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-7] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-8] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-9] 'digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-subtract] 'universal-argument-minus)
    map))

IOW, we use an exact copy of `universal-argument-map' instead of
`universal-argument-map' itself. That's the only change from vanilla Emacs (the
definition of `my-ensure-overriding-map-is-bound' just reflects the vanilla
definition).

Same instructions as before: M-x C-u C-f, hitting C-f right after C-u (no delay)
vs waiting until the 2-sec delay for `minibuffer-message' has elapsed.

Compare the same test using Emacs 22.

With Emacs 23, the delay must elapse entirely - the user input event of hitting
`C-f' does not seem to interrupt it (`sit-for' should be interrupted by an input
event). So the effect, in Emacs 23, is that you need to hit `C-f' twice (or wait
before hitting it). In Emacs 22, hitting `C-f' just once works immediately. In
Emacs 23, the first `C-f' just has the effect of clearing "FOO" from the
minibuffer.


[Also, if instead of using `my-universal-argument-map' you use (copy-keymap
universal-argument-map) the result is the same. Using
`my-universal-argument-map' is a better test, since `copy-keymap' doesn't copy
recursively.]

bug#3938: BUG system seems messed up - I did not close this bug

[Drew Adams]

There is a problem with the bug system, it seems. I sent a simple reply to
Yidong's message, which had the original bug subject:
bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u

However, somehow my reply got interpreted as CLOSING the bug. Yidong had closed
it. In fact, I had sent a control message to reopen it.

This bug system is a mess, it seems.

This bug should not be closed.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Emacs bug Tracking System 
> [mailto:owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 1:20 PM
> To: Drew Adams
> Subject: bug#3938 closed by "Drew Adams" 
> <drew.adams@oracle.com> (bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: 
> minibuffer-message interferes with C-u)
> 
> 
> This is an automatic notification regarding your bug report
> which was filed against the emacs package:
> 
> #3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
> 
> It has been closed by "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>.
> 
> Their explanation is attached below along with your original report.
> If this explanation is unsatisfactory and you have not received a
> better one in a separate message then please contact "Drew 
> Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> by
> replying to this email.
> 
> 
> -- 
> 3938: http://emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=3938
> Emacs Bug Tracking System
> Contact owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com with problems
> 

bug#3938: BUG system seems messed up - I did not close this bug

[Sven Joachim]

On 2009-07-28 22:47 +0200, Drew Adams wrote:

> There is a problem with the bug system, it seems. I sent a simple reply to
> Yidong's message, which had the original bug subject:
> bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u
>
> However, somehow my reply got interpreted as CLOSING the bug. Yidong had closed
> it.

Yes, he had sent a message to 3938-done@e.d.b. _and_ to you.  If you
reply to that, you need to edit out the "-done" part to prevent
re-closing the bug if you reopened it.

Since this is somewhat confusing, maybe it would be better to only send
bug closing messages to the nnnn-done address and not to the submitter
as well?

Sven

bug#3938: BUG system seems messed up - I did not close this bug

[Drew Adams]

> Yes, he had sent a message to 3938-done@e.d.b. _and_ to you.  If you
> reply to that, you need to edit out the "-done" part to prevent
> re-closing the bug if you reopened it.
> 
> Since this is somewhat confusing, maybe it would be better to 
> only send bug closing messages to the nnnn-done address and
> not to the submitter as well?
> 
> Sven

I see; thanks.

However, the submitter needs to be informed of a bug closing. What shouldn't
happen, perhaps, is to include all of the addresses in the same mail. Or,
better, the bug tracking system should use only instructions in the mail body to
close a bug - it shouldn't just close a bug if the address *-done is a
recipient. Anyway, I'll leave solving the bug-tracker problems to others more
qualified. Obviously, it is fragile, overly complex, and needs some improvement.

I hope that this bug (#3938) is still open for now, in any case.

bug#3938: BUG system seems messed up - I did not close this bug

[Stefan Monnier]

> However, the submitter needs to be informed of a bug closing. What shouldn't

She is informed automatically by the bug-tracker.


        Stefan

bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with C-u

[Drew Adams]

Taking off the "3938-done" address, I forgot to add back the original
recipients, so this would get to the bug list. So here it is again, with the bug
list added back as recipient.

[It is really a shame that once someone closes a bug you can no longer just
reply to the message; you have to reopen the bug and change the recipients... I
replied, and my reply was recorded as _me_ closing the bug. What a lame UI...
And of course none of that meta-conversation was added to the bug thread, except
for a bit by Stefan, who no doubt thought to add the bug list as recipient.]

Anyway...

-----Original Message-----
From: Drew Adams Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 10:07 PM
To: 'Chong Yidong'
Subject: RE: bug#3938: 23.0.96; regression: minibuffer-message interferes with
C-u

> 1. That kind of thing should not be necessary. Something has 
> become overly fragile or things have become overly coupled.
> 
> I'm not "hacking universal-argument this way" or in any way - 
> I don't redefine it. I just use a different binding for `C-u' 
> and a different keymap from `universal-argument-map'. (In the 
> bug report I show that even an exact copy of that map 
> demonstrates the bug, but in my real code I do use a slightly 
> different map.)
> 
> All my code does is change the behavior of `C-u' during 
> completion very slightly, so that the prefix arg is echoed in 
> the minibuffer using `minibuffer-message'. IOW, instead of 
> echoing "FOO" as in the bug report, it shows the prefix arg. 
> In Icicles, you can perform lots of operations during 
> completion, and you can use `C-u' with those operations.
> 
> That's true for vanilla Emacs too, but it's not as often that 
> users use `C-u' when editing minibuffer text. Because `C-u' 
> is used more during completion, Icicles shows the prefix value.
> 
> 
> 2. As I mentioned, the code for `sit-for' has not changed a 
> bit between Emacs 22 and 23 (and my code works in Emacs 
> 22-21-20). Something else must have changed. There should be 
> no need to replace any of the `sit-for' code. This should not 
> be happening. There should be no need for such jumping 
> through hoops and redefining multiple things.
> 
> I appreciate the workaround advice, and I'll look into it as 
> a temporary Emacs 23 workaround. But how about fixing this 
> regression? Interrupting `sit-for' with user input should 
> never cause the full `sit-for' delay to be waited out - 
> something is amiss. `sit-for' is not `sleep-for'.

In case it helps, below is what my code really does, so you can see that I am in
no way changing the code of `universal-argument' etc. In each case, I write and
use my own function and my own keymap. The code is nearly the same as the
original, with the only real change (and the purpose) being to add a minibuffer
message that echoes the prefix arg.

I hope this regression will be fixed. Thanks.

Here you have my complete use of this, so you can better understand. Each
function is identical to the original, except in the minor ways indicated:

;; Use my map for overriding terminal local.
;; Same as the definition of `ensure-overriding-map-is-bound',
;; except for using the different map.
(defun icicle-ensure-overriding-map-is-bound ()
  (unless overriding-map-is-bound
   (setq saved-overriding-map           overriding-terminal-local-map
         overriding-terminal-local-map  icicle-universal-argument-map
         overriding-map-is-bound        t)))

;; Bound to `C-<0-9>', `M-<0-9>', `C-M-<0-9>' in minibuffer.
(defun icicle-digit-argument (arg)
  "`digit-argument', but also echo the prefix arg."
  (interactive "P")
  (let* ((char   (if (integerp last-command-char)
                     last-command-char
                   (get last-command-char 'ascii-character)))
         (digit  (- (logand char ?\177) ?0)))
    (cond ((integerp arg)
           (setq prefix-arg  (+ (* arg 10) (if (< arg 0) (- digit) digit))))
          ((eq arg '-)
           ;; Treat -0 as just -, so that -01 will work.
           (setq prefix-arg  (if (zerop digit) '- (- digit))))
          (t
           (setq prefix-arg  digit))))
  (setq universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (icicle-ensure-overriding-map-is-bound)
  (icicle-msg-maybe-in-minibuffer "prefix %S" prefix-arg))

;; Bound to `M--', `C-M--' in minibuffer.
(defun icicle-negative-argument (arg)
  "`negative-argument', but also echo the prefix arg."
  (interactive "P")
  (cond ((integerp arg) (setq prefix-arg  (- arg)))
        ((eq arg '-) (setq prefix-arg  nil))
        (t (setq prefix-arg  '-)))
  (setq universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (icicle-ensure-overriding-map-is-bound)
  (icicle-msg-maybe-in-minibuffer "prefix %S" prefix-arg))

; Bound to `C-u' in minibuffer.
(defun icicle-universal-argument ()
  "`universal-argument', but also echo the prefix arg."
  (interactive)
  (setq prefix-arg                     (list 4)
        universal-argument-num-events  (length (this-command-keys)))
  (icicle-ensure-overriding-map-is-bound)
  (icicle-msg-maybe-in-minibuffer "prefix %S" prefix-arg))

(defun icicle-universal-argument-more (arg)
  "`universal-argument-more', but also echo the prefix arg."
  (interactive "P")
  (universal-argument-more arg)
  (icicle-msg-maybe-in-minibuffer "prefix %S" prefix-arg))

(defun icicle-universal-argument-other-key (arg)
  "`universal-argument-other-key', but also echo the prefix."
  (interactive "P")
  (universal-argument-other-key arg)
  (icicle-msg-maybe-in-minibuffer "prefix %S" prefix-arg))

(defun icicle-universal-argument-minus (arg)
  "`universal-argument-minus', but also echo the prefix arg."
  (interactive "P")
  (universal-argument-minus arg)
  (icicle-msg-maybe-in-minibuffer "prefix %S" prefix-arg))

(defun icicle-msg-maybe-in-minibuffer (format-string &rest args)
  "Display FORMAT-STRING as a message.
If called with the minibuffer inactive, use `message'.
Otherwise, use `minibuffer-message'."
  (if (active-minibuffer-window)
      (save-selected-window
        (select-window (minibuffer-window))
        (minibuffer-message
         (apply #'format (concat "  [" format-string "]") args)))
    (apply #'message format-string args)))

;; Same code as that defining `universal-argument-map',
;; but with the above corresponding functions substituted.
(defvar icicle-universal-argument-map
  (let ((map  (make-sparse-keymap)))
    (define-key map [t] 'icicle-universal-argument-other-key)
    (define-key map (vector meta-prefix-char t)
                    'icicle-universal-argument-other-key)
    (define-key map [switch-frame] nil)
    (define-key map [?\C-u] 'icicle-universal-argument-more)
    (define-key map [?-] 'icicle-universal-argument-minus)
    (define-key map [?0] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?1] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?2] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?3] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?4] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?5] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?6] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?7] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?8] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [?9] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-0] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-1] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-2] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-3] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-4] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-5] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-6] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-7] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-8] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-9] 'icicle-digit-argument)
    (define-key map [kp-subtract] 'icicle-universal-argument-minus)
    map)
  "Keymap used while processing `C-u' during Icicles completion.")

;; Use my `C-u' during completion (only).
(define-key minibuffer-local-completion-map
            (vector 'remap 'universal-argument) 'icicle-universal-argument)

Besides this, I think that your suggested workaround has no chance of solving
the problem. The problem cannot be in `sit-for', since that code has not changed
between Emacs 22 and 23. And this bug is a regression wrt Emacs 22 (and 21,
20...).

Thanks for taking another look.