From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Stefan Monnier Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.bugs Subject: bug#7291: 24.0.50; `non-essential' is incomprehensible Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:14:06 -0400 Message-ID: References: <9499566E643B466092A98013C6826011@us.oracle.com> <3457CB74869B424BB0DB5A41C034AED7@us.oracle.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Trace: dough.gmane.org 1288287873 19603 80.91.229.12 (28 Oct 2010 17:44:33 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@dough.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:44:33 +0000 (UTC) Cc: 7291@debbugs.gnu.org To: "Drew Adams" Original-X-From: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Thu Oct 28 19:44:31 2010 Return-path: Envelope-to: geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1PBWWL-0008JV-Es for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:44:26 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:45323 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1PBWWB-0001OB-HZ for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:44:03 -0400 Original-Received: from [140.186.70.92] (port=52968 helo=eggs.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1PBWVw-0001Dl-E1 for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:43:58 -0400 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1PBWVP-0001Nj-7t for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:43:16 -0400 Original-Received: from debbugs.gnu.org ([140.186.70.43]:32972) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1PBWVP-0001Nf-6M for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:43:15 -0400 Original-Received: from Debian-debbugs by debbugs.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1PBVzH-0002KL-7d; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:10:03 -0400 X-Loop: help-debbugs@gnu.org Resent-From: Stefan Monnier Original-Sender: debbugs-submit-bounces@debbugs.gnu.org Resent-To: owner@debbugs.gnu.org Resent-CC: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Resent-Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:10:03 +0000 Resent-Message-ID: Resent-Sender: help-debbugs@gnu.org X-GNU-PR-Message: followup 7291 X-GNU-PR-Package: emacs X-GNU-PR-Keywords: Original-Received: via spool by 7291-submit@debbugs.gnu.org id=B7291.12882858008936 (code B ref 7291); Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:10:03 +0000 Original-Received: (at 7291) by debbugs.gnu.org; 28 Oct 2010 17:10:00 +0000 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=debbugs.gnu.org) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1PBVzD-0002K5-ME for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:09:59 -0400 Original-Received: from pruche.dit.umontreal.ca ([132.204.246.22]) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1PBVzC-0002K0-AY for 7291@debbugs.gnu.org; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:09:58 -0400 Original-Received: from faina.iro.umontreal.ca (lechon.iro.umontreal.ca [132.204.27.242]) by pruche.dit.umontreal.ca (8.14.1/8.14.1) with ESMTP id o9SHE681006433; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:14:06 -0400 Original-Received: by faina.iro.umontreal.ca (Postfix, from userid 20848) id 2497FB4681; Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:14:06 -0400 (EDT) In-Reply-To: <3457CB74869B424BB0DB5A41C034AED7@us.oracle.com> (Drew Adams's message of "Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:22:43 -0700") User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.0.50 (gnu/linux) X-NAI-Spam-Score: 0 X-NAI-Spam-Rules: 1 Rules triggered RV3662=0 X-BeenThere: debbugs-submit@debbugs.gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.11 Precedence: list Resent-Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:10:03 -0400 X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.6 (newer, 3) X-BeenThere: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org List-Id: "Bug reports for GNU Emacs, the Swiss army knife of text editors" List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.bugs:41200 Archived-At: >> > So does nil mean the code is performing an essential task? Or does >> > non-nil mean that? >> Let's see, you're asking whether "non-essential = nil" means >> "performing an essential task" or "performing a non-essential >> task"? > Actually, I asked whether `non-essential'=nil or `non-essential'=t means > performing a non-essential task (whatever that in turn might mean). Right, same thing: the answer can be found by using, not the code nor the docstring, but: your brain. > The variable's only use is in Tramp. Why isn't it named with the prefix > `tramp-'? Is there something more general going on? It's used by icomplete and ido as well, so clearly it's not a Tramp-only variable. The fact that only Tramp reacts to it right now is not significant. > You admit that the doc for this is incomprehensible and misleading. No I don't. Apparently you don't understand it, but since you can't even figure out which of "non-essential=nil" or "non-essential=t" means that the executed code is non-essential, I think you're disqualified to judge. Of course, I'm disqualified as well since I wrote it, so we're left with a lack of judgment. > Still, I would like to know what this is about. Especially since it > apparently matters for code that involves file-name completion. > Is there something special about Ido and Icomplete that this should > single them out for its treatment (whatever that treatment might be)? > Or does it apply generally to file-name completion code? Yes, they perform operations which are non-essential, i.e. during which we don't want to pester the user. The particular example where it's currently used is: prompt the user for a password just in order to show the list of possible completions when the user hasn't even asked for completion (other than by turning on icomplete or ido which causes completions to be displayed eagerly). Stefan