GNU bug report logs - #10607
Handle all the escapes used by ls -b

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Message #1 received at quiet <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
To: quiet <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Handle all the escapes used by ls -b
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:48:59 -0500

Package: emacs
Severity: minor

Emacs only partially handles (setq dired-listing-switches "-alb") at the
moment. Ideally, should add handling for all possible file-name
characters (eg  = \a, etc). dired-goto-file needs this, possibly other
places.

Message #4 received at 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#10607: Handle all the escapes used by ls -b
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:41:19 +0100

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

> Emacs only partially handles (setq dired-listing-switches "-alb") at the
> moment. Ideally, should add handling for all possible file-name
> characters (eg  = \a, etc). dired-goto-file needs this, possibly other
> places.

This problem is still present in Emacs 28.

Case to reproduce:

(progn
  (setq dired-listing-switches "-alb")
  (shell-command "touch /tmp/a\ab")
  (dired "/tmp/")
  (dired-goto-file "/tmp/a\ab"))

This will not go to the a^Gb file.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

Message #9 received at 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Charles El Hourani <charlie.eh <at> gmail.com>
To: 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug-10607
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2023 21:52:39 +0300

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

Here is a way to solve the issue by calling `ls` directly, without
re-implementing the "-b" functionality of ls in elisp.

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

[0001-Fix-dired-goto-file-when-b-is-provided-to-ls-bug-106.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #12 received at 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Charles El Hourani <charlie.eh <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#10607: bug-10607
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:45:57 +0300

> From: Charles El Hourani <charlie.eh <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2023 21:52:39 +0300
> 
> Here is a way to solve the issue by calling `ls` directly, without re-implementing the "-b" functionality of ls in
> elisp.
> 
> From 22962ffd84370ac05017ed05cca88286d010aa0e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Charlie El Hourani <charlie.eh <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2023 21:26:07 +0300
> Subject: [PATCH] Fix dired goto file when -b is provided to ls (bug#10607)
> 
> This fixes the goto file in dired mode for:
> - files containing a control character
> - and when dired uses ls with the "-b" flag
> 
> The goto file function calls 'ls' to give it the escaped name.

Thanks, but is it really a good idea to invoke a program each time we
move in Dired?  dired-goto-file is a function that is used very
frequently.

In any case, calling literally "ls" is not TRT, IMO, since the user
could have modified the value of insert-directory-program.

Message #15 received at 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Charles El Hourani <charlie.eh <at> gmail.com>
To: 10607 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#10607: bug-10607
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2023 12:45:46 -0400

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

Practically, the concern I see in this additional `ls` call here is a
slowdown when dired is used for remote locations. It is an added delay to
the delay already incurred with read-file-name when called interactively.

On that note, dired-goto-file could just use the files already inserted in
the buffer to provide options to the user to pick from. That could obviate
the need to convert the read-file-name choice to what dired originally got
from the insert-directory-program.

Listing the missing control characters is another option, but placing this
conversion in dired is making it more complex when the
insert-directory-program like "ls" is already handling it.

We could call here insert-directory-program instead of "ls", unless the
escape option is not supported in this program. I don't know how we can
find that out.

On Wed, Apr 5, 2023 at 12:45 AM Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> wrote:

> > From: Charles El Hourani <charlie.eh <at> gmail.com>
> > Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2023 21:52:39 +0300
> >
> > Here is a way to solve the issue by calling `ls` directly, without
> re-implementing the "-b" functionality of ls in
> > elisp.
> >
> > From 22962ffd84370ac05017ed05cca88286d010aa0e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> > From: Charlie El Hourani <charlie.eh <at> gmail.com>
> > Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2023 21:26:07 +0300
> > Subject: [PATCH] Fix dired goto file when -b is provided to ls
> (bug#10607)
> >
> > This fixes the goto file in dired mode for:
> > - files containing a control character
> > - and when dired uses ls with the "-b" flag
> >
> > The goto file function calls 'ls' to give it the escaped name.
>
> Thanks, but is it really a good idea to invoke a program each time we
> move in Dired?  dired-goto-file is a function that is used very
> frequently.
>
> In any case, calling literally "ls" is not TRT, IMO, since the user
> could have modified the value of insert-directory-program.
>

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

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