GNU bug report logs - #13805
query-replace-regexp has conflicting interactive defaults

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Richard Copley <rcopley <at> gmail.com>
To: "bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org" <bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org>
Subject: query-replace-regexp has conflicting interactive defaults
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:38:20 +0000

`query-replace-regexp' offers to repeat the last replacement, but
then goes off and does something exciting and new instead.

IMHO replace-regexp and friends should not default their
argument using the thing at point, because the user doesn't have
control of point: it is by definition at one end of the region to be
searched. That means the default is useful only in exceptional
cases, and just a distraction otherwise.

From `emacs -Q':
M-% . RET ! RET ;; To put a replacement into the history.
M-b    ;; To place point before the word "buffer" in *scratch*.
C-M-%  ;; Prompts "Query replace regexp (default . -> !): ".
RET    ;; Prompts "Query replace regexp \_<buffer\.\_> with: ".
RET !  ;; Replaces "buffer" with "".


In GNU Emacs 24.3.50.1 (i386-mingw-nt6.2.9200)
 of 2013-02-24 on MACHINE
Bzr revision: 111868 rgm <at> gnu.org-20130224194517-l50airg5zdb6y0cr
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 6.2.9200
Configured using:
 `configure --with-gcc (4.7) --cflags -I c:/gnuwin32/include --ldflags
 -L c:/gnuwin32/lib'

Important settings:
  value of $LANG: ENG
  locale-coding-system: cp1252
  default enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Lisp Interaction

Minor modes in effect:
  tooltip-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  tool-bar-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  blink-cursor-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Recent input:
M-% . <return> ! <return> M-b C-M-% <return> ? <return>
! M-x r e p o r t - e m a c s - b u g <return>

Recent messages:
For information about GNU Emacs and the GNU system, type C-h C-a.
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lisp-float-type mwheel dos-w32 ls-lisp w32-common-fns disp-table w32-win
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Message #8 received at 13805 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Juri Linkov <juri <at> jurta.org>
To: Richard Copley <rcopley <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 13805 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13805: query-replace-regexp has conflicting interactive
	defaults
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2013 02:03:37 +0200

> From `emacs -Q':
> M-% . RET ! RET ;; To put a replacement into the history.
> M-b    ;; To place point before the word "buffer" in *scratch*.
> C-M-%  ;; Prompts "Query replace regexp (default . -> !): ".
> RET    ;; Prompts "Query replace regexp \_<buffer\.\_> with: ".
> RET !  ;; Replaces "buffer" with "".

The default logic was broken a week ago in revno:111803.
This patch should restore the previous correct behavior:

=== modified file 'lisp/replace.el'
--- lisp/replace.el	2013-02-22 17:13:05 +0000
+++ lisp/replace.el	2013-02-25 00:01:21 +0000
@@ -592,7 +592,8 @@ (defun read-regexp (prompt &optional def
 
 Non-nil HISTORY is a symbol to use for the history list.
 If HISTORY is nil, `regexp-history' is used."
-  (let* ((defaults
+  (let* ((default (if (consp defaults) (car defaults) defaults))
+	 (defaults
 	   (append
 	    (if (listp defaults) defaults (list defaults))
 	    (list
@@ -610,7 +611,6 @@ (defun read-regexp (prompt &optional def
 		  (car (symbol-value
 			query-replace-from-history-variable)))))
 	 (defaults (delete-dups (delq nil (delete "" defaults))))
-	 (default (car defaults))
 	 ;; Do not automatically add default to the history for empty input.
 	 (history-add-new-input nil)
 	 (input (read-from-minibuffer


To avoid similar confusion in the future, I propose to improve the
terminology and give the variables proper names, i.e. to rename the
variable `defaults' to `suggestions' (a list of values available via `M-n')
as opposed to the variable `default' (a single value used when the user
accepts empty input).  This patch could be applied over the above patch:

=== modified file 'lisp/replace.el'
--- lisp/replace.el	2013-02-25 00:01:21 +0000
+++ lisp/replace.el	2013-02-25 00:02:12 +0000
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@
 Non-nil HISTORY is a symbol to use for the history list.
 If HISTORY is nil, `regexp-history' is used."
   (let* ((default (if (consp defaults) (car defaults) defaults))
-	 (defaults
+	 (suggestions
 	   (append
 	    (if (listp defaults) defaults (list defaults))
 	    (list
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@
 		  (regexp-quote (or (car search-ring) ""))
 		  (car (symbol-value
 			query-replace-from-history-variable)))))
-	 (defaults (delete-dups (delq nil (delete "" defaults))))
+	 (suggestions (delete-dups (delq nil (delete "" suggestions))))
 	 ;; Do not automatically add default to the history for empty input.
 	 (history-add-new-input nil)
 	 (input (read-from-minibuffer
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@
 				 (query-replace-descr default)))
 		       (t
 			(format "%s: " prompt)))
-		 nil nil nil (or history 'regexp-history) defaults t)))
+		 nil nil nil (or history 'regexp-history) suggestions t)))
     (if (equal input "")
 	(or default input)
       (prog1 input

Message #13 received at 13805-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Juri Linkov <juri <at> jurta.org>
To: Richard Copley <rcopley <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 13805-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13805: query-replace-regexp has conflicting interactive
	defaults
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2013 22:58:09 +0200

>> From `emacs -Q':
>> M-% . RET ! RET ;; To put a replacement into the history.
>> M-b    ;; To place point before the word "buffer" in *scratch*.
>> C-M-%  ;; Prompts "Query replace regexp (default . -> !): ".
>> RET    ;; Prompts "Query replace regexp \_<buffer\.\_> with: ".
>> RET !  ;; Replaces "buffer" with "".
>
> The default logic was broken a week ago in revno:111803.
> This patch should restore the previous correct behavior:

This is fixed now, thanks for the bug report.

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