Re: improving query-replace and query-replace-regexp

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

> What do you think of making M-% and C-M-% b behave similar to C-s and
> C-u C-s?  This is, typing it a second time continues a previous
> query-and-replace action.  This would save a lot of time.

After a M-%, you should already be able to continue the same query-replace
action with: M-% RET

At least it works here.......[checking whether it's a local hack that
I haven't installed yet].......hmmm...indeed, it's a local hack.
See patch below,


        Stefan


--- orig/lisp/replace.el
+++ mod/lisp/replace.el
@@ -67,17 +67,28 @@
 (defun query-replace-read-args (string regexp-flag &optional noerror)
   (unless noerror
     (barf-if-buffer-read-only))
-  (let (from to)
+  (let ((lastfrom (car (symbol-value query-replace-from-history-variable)))
+	(lastto (car (symbol-value query-replace-to-history-variable)))
+	from to)
     (if query-replace-interactive
 	(setq from (car (if regexp-flag regexp-search-ring search-ring)))
+      (if (equal lastfrom lastto)
+	  ;; Typically, this is because the two histlists are shared.
+	  (setq lastfrom
+		(cadr (symbol-value query-replace-from-history-variable))))
       ;; The save-excursion here is in case the user marks and copies
       ;; a region in order to specify the minibuffer input.
       ;; That should not clobber the region for the query-replace itself.
       (save-excursion
-	(setq from (read-from-minibuffer (format "%s: " string)
+	(setq from (read-from-minibuffer (if (null lastto)
+					     (format "%s: " string)
+					   (format "%s [%s -> %s]: " string
+						   lastfrom lastto))
 					 nil nil nil
 					 query-replace-from-history-variable
 					 nil t)))
+      (if (and lastto (zerop (length from)))
+	  (setq from lastfrom to lastto)
       ;; Warn if user types \n or \t, but don't reject the input.
       (if (string-match "\\\\[nt]" from)
 	  (let ((match (match-string 0 from)))
@@ -86,12 +97,13 @@
 	      (message "Note: `\\n' here doesn't match a newline; to do that, type C-q C-j instead"))
 	     ((string= match "\\t")
 	      (message "Note: `\\t' here doesn't match a tab; to do that, just type TAB")))
-	    (sit-for 2))))
+	      (sit-for 2)))))
 
+    (unless to
     (save-excursion
       (setq to (read-from-minibuffer (format "%s %s with: " string from)
 				     nil nil nil
-				     query-replace-to-history-variable from t)))
+				       query-replace-to-history-variable from t))))
     (list from to current-prefix-arg)))
 
 (defun query-replace (from-string to-string &optional delimited start end)