GNU bug report logs - #16610
24.3.50; [ruby-mode] Variables named as built-in functions font-locked incorrectly

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

From: Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 24.3.50; [ruby-mode] Variables named as built-in functions font-locked
 incorrectly
Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 09:22:56 +0200

In the following snippet `format` is font-locked as the built-in
function, but it's actually a variable.

respond_to do |format|
  format.json do
    # ...
  end
end

This problem obviously exists for all built-ins, but it's not a big
issue in general, since most of them don't have names that are likely to
be used as variable names. Not sure if we can have a simple solution for
this problem without a parser, though. I guess we can have a check if
the built-in methods have arguments (as most of them have). 




In GNU Emacs 24.3.50.1 (x86_64-apple-darwin13.0.0, NS apple-appkit-1265.00)
 of 2014-01-27 on Bozhidars-MacBook-Pro.local
Windowing system distributor `Apple', version 10.3.1265
Configured using:
 `configure --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/emacs/HEAD --without-dbus
 --enable-locallisppath=/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp
 --infodir=/usr/local/Cellar/emacs/HEAD/share/info/emacs
 --without-gnutls --with-ns --disable-ns-self-contained'

Important settings:
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Major mode: Ruby

Minor modes in effect:
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<backspace> <backspace> <backspace> C-x b <return>
<backspace> * <return> <tab> <down-mouse-1> <mouse-1>
<backspace> = = <return> <tab> <backspace> <backspace>
<backspace> \ <return> C-p C-p C-n <backspace> / <backspace>
/ <return> <help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo>
C-x b <return> <backspace> <backspace> <backspace>
<backspace> <backspace> <backspace> O t h e r SPC s
i m i l a r SPC o p e r a t o r s SPC l i k e SPC *
, SPC / , SPC e t c SPC e x h i b i t SPC t h e SPC
s a m e SPC p r o b l e m . C-p C-p <down-mouse-1>
<mouse-1> C-x b <return> <backspace> <backspace> +
<return> x SPC = SPC <backspace> <backspace> = SPC
5 SPC + SPC 1 0 C-a C-f C-f C-f C-f C-k y SPC + SPC
z C-a C-SPC C-e M-w C-x o <return> <return> # # # <backspace>
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<backspace> <backspace> <backspace> <backspace> <backspace>
<backspace> <backspace> <backspace> <backspace> b a
d SPC i n d e n t a t i o n C-c C-c y <help-echo> <help-echo>
<help-echo> <help-echo> M-x <return>

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Message #8 received at 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
To: Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com>
Cc: 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#16610: 24.3.50;
 [ruby-mode] Variables named as built-in functions font-locked
 incorrectly
Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 17:19:17 +0200

Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com> writes:

> In the following snippet `format` is font-locked as the built-in
> function, but it's actually a variable.
>
> respond_to do |format|
>   format.json do
>     # ...
>   end
> end
>
> This problem obviously exists for all built-ins, but it's not a big
> issue in general, since most of them don't have names that are likely to
> be used as variable names. Not sure if we can have a simple solution for
> this problem without a parser, though. I guess we can have a check if
> the built-in methods have arguments (as most of them have).

A lot of them don't, though (or have no required arguments): __callee__,
__dir__, __method__, binding, caller, block_given?, exit, exit!, raise,
(s)rand, readline(s), sleep.

Guess we can separate these, and for all others, check if they're
followed by " *[]|,.)}]\\|$".

Message #11 received at 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com>
To: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
Cc: 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#16610: 24.3.50; [ruby-mode] Variables named as built-in
 functions font-locked incorrectly
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2014 17:31:12 +0200

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

On Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 5:19 PM, Dmitry Gutov wrote:
> Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com (mailto:bozhidar <at> batsov.com)> writes:
>  
> > In the following snippet `format` is font-locked as the built-in
> > function, but it's actually a variable.
> >  
> > respond_to do |format|
> > format.json do
> > # ...
> > end
> > end
> >  
> > This problem obviously exists for all built-ins, but it's not a big
> > issue in general, since most of them don't have names that are likely to
> > be used as variable names. Not sure if we can have a simple solution for
> > this problem without a parser, though. I guess we can have a check if
> > the built-in methods have arguments (as most of them have).
> >  
>  
>  
> A lot of them don't, though (or have no required arguments): __callee__,
> __dir__, __method__, binding, caller, block_given?, exit, exit!, raise,
> (s)rand, readline(s), sleep.
>  
> Guess we can separate these, and for all others, check if they're
> followed by " *[]|,.)}]\\|$".
>  
>  

Separating the methods sounds reasonable. Variables can’t end with ?, so block_given? is always clear. Same goes for exit!. Pretty sure no one will ever name a var __xxx__. `binding` & `caller` seem the most likely names in the list to cause a problem like `format`, since they’d be good variable names (at least in code making use of metaprogramming).  

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

Message #14 received at 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
To: Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com>
Cc: 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#16610: 24.3.50;
 [ruby-mode] Variables named as built-in functions
 font-locked incorrectly
Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 18:29:10 +0200

On 01.02.2014 17:31, Bozhidar Batsov wrote:
> Variables can’t end with ?, so
> block_given? is always clear. Same goes for exit!. Pretty sure no one
> will ever name a var __xxx__.

Good points.

> `binding` & `caller` seem the most likely
> names in the list to cause a problem like `format`, since they’d be good
> variable names (at least in code making use of metaprogramming).

Still not very likely, though (e.g. compared to `format`, which is in 
every other Rails tutorial). And anyone doing metaprogramming should be 
aware of these two, and would probably name their vars differently.

I have a patch ready, but here's what I'm not sure about: if the 
built-in method that requires arguments is followed by (maybe whitespace 
and) newline, do we highlight it?

If yes, we'll have false positives when a local variable with that name 
is at a line by itself, maybe on the last line of a method, so that its 
value is returned.

If no, any such built-in won't be highlighted until the user types in 
the first argument, which is also suboptimal (if I made a typo, I'll 
have to go back a longer distance).

Message #17 received at 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com>
To: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
Cc: 16610 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#16610: 24.3.50; [ruby-mode] Variables named as built-in
 functions font-locked incorrectly
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2014 18:47:43 +0200

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

On Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 6:29 PM, Dmitry Gutov wrote:
> On 01.02.2014 17:31, Bozhidar Batsov wrote:
> > Variables can’t end with ?, so
> > block_given? is always clear. Same goes for exit!. Pretty sure no one
> > will ever name a var __xxx__.
> >  
>  
>  
> Good points.
>  
> > `binding` & `caller` seem the most likely
> > names in the list to cause a problem like `format`, since they’d be good
> > variable names (at least in code making use of metaprogramming).
> >  
>  
>  
> Still not very likely, though (e.g. compared to `format`, which is in  
> every other Rails tutorial). And anyone doing metaprogramming should be  
> aware of these two, and would probably name their vars differently.
>  
> I have a patch ready, but here's what I'm not sure about: if the  
> built-in method that requires arguments is followed by (maybe whitespace  
> and) newline, do we highlight it?
>  
> If yes, we'll have false positives when a local variable with that name  
> is at a line by itself, maybe on the last line of a method, so that its  
> value is returned.
>  
> If no, any such built-in won't be highlighted until the user types in  
> the first argument, which is also suboptimal (if I made a typo, I'll  
> have to go back a longer distance).
>  
>  

I’d say that the second option is better, since it won’t cause false positives.  
This would also take care of an annoying bit regarding the `p` built-in - each time you start
typing something that starts with “p" the “p” briefly gets font-locked as built-in, before the following letter is inserted.  

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

Message #22 received at 16610-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
To: Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar <at> batsov.com>
Cc: 16610-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#16610: 24.3.50;
 [ruby-mode] Variables named as built-in functions
 font-locked incorrectly
Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 19:09:16 +0200

Version: 24.4

On 01.02.2014 18:47, Bozhidar Batsov wrote:
> I’d say that the second option is better, since it won’t cause false
> positives.
> This would also take care of an annoying bit regarding the `p` built-in
> - each time you start
> typing something that starts with “p" the “p” briefly gets font-locked
> as built-in, before the following letter is inserted.

Yeah, okay. I haven't noticed this problem with "p" yet, but probably 
would, from now on.

Installed, with the caveat that the regexp doesn't take care of binary 
operations and keywords. Have to leave space for future improvement. :)

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