GNU bug report logs - #734
23.0.60; Interactively use a list argument to replace-string + missing documentation

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Message #5 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Nikos Apostolakis <nikos.ap <at> gmail.com>
To: emacs-pretest-bug <at> gnu.org
Cc: rfrancoise <at> debian.org
Subject: 23.0.60; Interactively use a list argument to replace-string + missing documentation
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:37:06 -0400

I learned from a post in gnu.emacs.help that the second argument to
replace-string can be a list of strings.  In this case the elements of
the list are used in cyclic order.  It appears that this feature can't 
be used when the function is used interactively.  I think this can be 
a very useful feature and should probably be accessible interactively. 

Also this behavior is not documented in the doc string or the info page 
of replace-string -- although it is documented in the info page for
perform-replace function.

Thanks,
Nikos

Message #10 received at 734 <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Chong Yidong <cyd <at> stupidchicken.com>
To: Nikos Apostolakis <nikos.ap <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 734 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: 23.0.60; Interactively use a list argument to replace-string + missing documentation
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:52:12 -0400

One of the reason we don't document the fact that the second argument to
replace-string can be a list of strings is that currently this can only
be used programmatically.  As noted in its docstring, replace-string is
seldom the right thing to use in a Lisp program.

As for providing a way to use this feature interactively, that might be
feasible in the future.

Message #15 received at 734 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Nikos Apostolakis <nikos.ap <at> gmail.com>
Cc: rfrancoise <at> debian.org, 734 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#734: 23.0.60; Interactively use a list argument to
 replace-string + missing documentation
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2019 08:06:51 +0200

Nikos Apostolakis <nikos.ap <at> gmail.com> writes:

> I learned from a post in gnu.emacs.help that the second argument to
> replace-string can be a list of strings.  In this case the elements of
> the list are used in cyclic order.  It appears that this feature can't 
> be used when the function is used interactively.  I think this can be 
> a very useful feature and should probably be accessible interactively. 
>
> Also this behavior is not documented in the doc string or the info page 
> of replace-string -- although it is documented in the info page for
> perform-replace function.

The underlying function supports a complex list of replacements, but
`replace-match' does not: It's an interactive-only function, and
entering a list of strings interactively doesn't make much sense.

So I'm closing this bug report.

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

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