GNU bug report logs - #13862
24.3.50; File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing the prefix")

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

From: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing
	the prefix")
Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:44:55 +0530

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

1. emacs -Q 
2. Visit the attached patch file. (I have removed some hunks)

   Side Issue: shouldn't *.patch file open in diff mode.  Currently it
   opens in fundamental mode.

See the following error reported

,----
| File mode specification error: (error "Local variables entry is missing the 
| prefix")
| File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing the
| prefix")
`----

In GNU Emacs 24.3.50.10 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2013-03-03 on debian-6.05
Bzr revision: 111916 eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu-20130302183934-3d4pouz6i3qwkxs9
Windowing system distributor `The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.10707000
System Description:	Debian GNU/Linux 6.0.5 (squeeze)

[0001-ox-html.el-org-html-code-org-html-verbatim-Transcode.patch (text/x-diff, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
To: 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing
	the prefix")
Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:51:50 +0530

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com> writes:

> 1. emacs -Q 
> 2. Visit the attached patch file. (I have removed some hunks)

Sorry, wrong attachment.  Use this one instead.

[0002-Always-use-utf-8-encoding-for-HTML-export.patch (text/x-diff, attachment)]

[Message part 3 (text/plain, inline)]

>
>    Side Issue: shouldn't *.patch file open in diff mode.  Currently it
>    opens in fundamental mode.
>
> See the following error reported
>
> ,----
> | File mode specification error: (error "Local variables entry is missing the 
> | prefix")
> | File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing the
> | prefix")
> `----
>
> In GNU Emacs 24.3.50.10 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
>  of 2013-03-03 on debian-6.05
> Bzr revision: 111916 eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu-20130302183934-3d4pouz6i3qwkxs9
> Windowing system distributor `The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.10707000
> System Description:	Debian GNU/Linux 6.0.5 (squeeze)

Message #11 received at 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13862: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing
	the prefix")
Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:17:43 -0500

Adding .diff and .patch to inhibit-local-variables-regexps would avoid this.

Message #14 received at 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
To: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13862: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing
	the prefix")
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:08:54 +0530

Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org> writes:

> Adding .diff and .patch to inhibit-local-variables-regexps would avoid
> this.

,----
|  ;; Local variables:
|  ;; generated-autoload-file: "org-loaddefs.el"
| +;; coding: utf-8
|  ;; End:
`----

The question is: 

Is there are any local variables in the patch?  There isn't any.  So why
should we inhibit something that is not there.

If `diff-mode' has no comment syntax defined, then by extension, it
cannot specify file local variables.

ps: I am not sure why *.patch files are visited in diff-mode?

Jambnathan K.

Message #19 received at 13862-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: 13862-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13862: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing
	the prefix")
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 02:38:31 -0500

Version: 24.4

Jambunathan K wrote:

> Is there are any local variables in the patch?  There isn't any.  So why
> should we inhibit something that is not there.

Inhibit to prevent a false detection, exactly as in this case.

> If `diff-mode' has no comment syntax defined, then by extension, it
> cannot specify file local variables.

Err, you can specify file local variables without a prefix. Eg etc/NEWS.

Message #22 received at 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
To: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
Cc: 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13862: closed (Re: bug#13862: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing
	the prefix"))
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:28:52 +0530

help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System) writes:

>> Is there are any local variables in the patch?  There isn't any.  So why
>> should we inhibit something that is not there.
>
> Inhibit to prevent a false detection, exactly as in this case.
>
>> If `diff-mode' has no comment syntax defined, then by extension, it
>> cannot specify file local variables.
>
> Err, you can specify file local variables without a prefix. Eg
> etc/NEWS.

Seems to me that it is worth re-visiting the above decision.  Closing
the bug will only suppress further arguments surrounding this bug.

Message #25 received at 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13862: closed (Re: bug#13862: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is missing
	the prefix"))
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:37:42 -0500

>>> Is there are any local variables in the patch?  There isn't any.  So why
>>> should we inhibit something that is not there.
>> Inhibit to prevent a false detection, exactly as in this case.
>>> If `diff-mode' has no comment syntax defined, then by extension, it
>>> cannot specify file local variables.
>> Err, you can specify file local variables without a prefix. Eg
>> etc/NEWS.
> Seems to me that it is worth re-visiting the above decision.  Closing
> the bug will only suppress further arguments surrounding this bug.

I think we should start by turning the error into a warning.


        Stefan

Message #28 received at 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
Cc: rgm <at> gnu.org, 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13862: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is
	missing	the prefix")
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:07:27 +0200

> From: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:08:54 +0530
> Cc: 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org> writes:
> 
> > Adding .diff and .patch to inhibit-local-variables-regexps would avoid
> > this.
> 
> ,----
> |  ;; Local variables:
> |  ;; generated-autoload-file: "org-loaddefs.el"
> | +;; coding: utf-8
> |  ;; End:
> `----
> 
> The question is: 
> 
> Is there are any local variables in the patch?  There isn't any.  So why
> should we inhibit something that is not there.
> 
> If `diff-mode' has no comment syntax defined, then by extension, it
> cannot specify file local variables.

File local variables never had anything to do with comment syntax; you
won't find that neither in the code nor in the documentation.  Which
is a Good Thing: if file local variables were supported only for modes
which have comment syntax defined, we couldn't have used them in all
the modes that don't.  For example, Text mode, or the tutorials, or the
ChangeLog files.  You name it.

In modes that do have comment syntax defined, it makes sense to put
these variables into comments, so as not to confuse the translator.
But that's about all these variables have in common with comments.
You will see in the code that Emacs deduces the prefix and suffix
heuristically, and that is how this is documented.

So I think Glenn is right about the solution.  Diffs don't have
contents of their own (well, except for the hunk headers), so looking
up diffs for file-local variables doesn't make much sense.

> ps: I am not sure why *.patch files are visited in diff-mode?

What else?

Message #31 received at 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>, 13862 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#13862: 24.3.50;
	File local-variables error: (error "Local variables entry is
	missing	the prefix")
Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:47:07 -0500

> So I think Glenn is right about the solution.  Diffs don't have
> contents of their own (well, except for the hunk headers), so looking
> up diffs for file-local variables doesn't make much sense.

Actually, diff files can have any other text beside the diff itself, and
so you can very easily add file local variables in there.
But it's probably OK to inhibit them, because I don't think they're
often/ever used.


        Stefan

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