GNU bug report logs - #38248
help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found

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

From: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
To: Bug-Gnu-Emacs <bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org>
Subject: help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2019 20:40:33 +0100

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Package: emacs
Severity: minor
Tags: patch

Currently, help-follow and help-follow-mouse signal an error if there's
nothing to follow. However, help-follow-symbol does not, which means that
C-c C-c in the help buffer when over an arbitrary non-symbol does nothing
and says nothing.

That's not just inconsistent, but a bit disconcerting, as sometimes
following a symbol can be slow. In my build, it takes a second or more to
show the symbol documentation, so when there's no symbol I stand waiting
for something to happen for a couple of seconds.

The following patch fixes that. The only reason against I can think of is
when `help-follow-symbol' is called from elisp, because it will now signal
an error. However, at least in the Emacs sources help-follow-symbol is
never called from elisp, just as a keybinding or menu entry.

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[0001-lisp-help-mode.el-help-follow-symbol-Signal-no-symbo.patch (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#38248: help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2019 16:12:03 +0100

Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com> writes:

> That's not just inconsistent, but a bit disconcerting, as sometimes
> following a symbol can be slow. In my build, it takes a second or more
> to show the symbol documentation, so when there's no symbol I stand
> waiting for something to happen for a couple of seconds.
>
> The following patch fixes that. The only reason against I can think of
> is when `help-follow-symbol' is called from elisp, because it will now
> signal an error.  However, at least in the Emacs sources
> help-follow-symbol is never called from elisp, just as a keybinding or
> menu entry.

Adding an error-out here I think should be OK.  I googled a bit and
couldn't see anything out-of-tree that uses that command as a function.

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

Message #11 received at 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#38248: help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:50:21 +0100

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Eli, are you OK with this (slightly) incompatible change?

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[0001-help-follow-symbol-now-tells-that-no-symbol-was-foun.patch (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

Message #14 received at 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
Cc: larsi <at> gnus.org, 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#38248: help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 21:25:31 +0200

> From: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:50:21 +0100
> Cc: 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
> 
> Eli, are you OK with this (slightly) incompatible change?

Rationale?

> +** help-follow-symbol now signals user-error if point (or the position

user-error should be quoted 'like this'.

Message #17 received at 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>, 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#38248: help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 20:40:15 +0100

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

On Fri, Nov 22, 2019 at 8:25 PM Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> wrote:

> Rationale?

I quote from my original bug report:

Currently, help-follow and help-follow-mouse signal an error if there's
nothing to follow. However, help-follow-symbol does not, which means
that C-c C-c in the help buffer when over an arbitrary non-symbol does
nothing and says nothing.

That's not just inconsistent, but a bit disconcerting, as sometimes
following a symbol can be slow. In my build, it takes a second or more
to show the symbol documentation, so when there's no symbol I stand
waiting for something to happen for a couple of seconds.

> > +** help-follow-symbol now signals user-error if point (or the position
>
> user-error should be quoted 'like this'.

Ok.

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Message #20 received at 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
Cc: larsi <at> gnus.org, 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#38248: help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 21:52:56 +0200

> From: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 20:40:15 +0100
> Cc: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>, 38248 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> Currently, help-follow and help-follow-mouse signal an error if there's
> nothing to follow. However, help-follow-symbol does not, which means
> that C-c C-c in the help buffer when over an arbitrary non-symbol does
> nothing and says nothing.
> 
> That's not just inconsistent, but a bit disconcerting, as sometimes
> following a symbol can be slow. In my build, it takes a second or more
> to show the symbol documentation, so when there's no symbol I stand
> waiting for something to happen for a couple of seconds.

OK.

Message #25 received at 38248-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>, 38248-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#38248: help-follow-symbol silent when no symbol was found
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 21:13:03 +0100

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Committed as b7d4c5d1d1b55fea8382663f18263e2000678be5

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