GNU bug report logs - #75591
30.0.92; Inconsistency in Function Naming: *-open-file vs. *-find-file

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

From: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 30.0.92; Inconsistency in Function Naming: *-open-file vs. *-find-file
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:29:44 -0500

Hello Emacs Maintainers,

I noticed an inconsistency in the naming conventions of certain Emacs
functions that I find confusing.  Specifically, some functions use
*-open-file(s), while others use *-find-file.

Functions such as eww-open-file and recentf-open-files use 'open-file'
or 'open-files' in their naming.  In contrast, many other functions,
including dired-find-file, find-file, project-find-file, and
ido-find-file, use the 'find-file' format.

I am curious about the rationale behind this difference.  Is there
a specific reason that some functions prefer 'open-file' over
'find-file' even though they seem to perform similar actions?

Thank you for your time!

* * *
In GNU Emacs 30.0.92 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version
3.24.41, cairo version 1.18.0)
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.12101014
System Description: Guix System

Configured using:
 'configure
 CONFIG_SHELL=/gnu/store/6nqyia3ra10sgd1ppzk2047ncbzjwhff-bash-minimal-5.1.16/bin/bash
 SHELL=/gnu/store/6nqyia3ra10sgd1ppzk2047ncbzjwhff-bash-minimal-5.1.16/bin/bash --prefix=/gnu/store/ml6xyl3py6hqfdps2sypdi7s212y7k02-emacs-next-30.0.92-0.881d593 --enable-fast-install --with-cairo --with-modules --with-native-compilation=aot --disable-build-details'

Configured features:
ACL CAIRO DBUS FREETYPE GIF GLIB GMP GNUTLS GPM GSETTINGS HARFBUZZ
JPEG LCMS2 LIBOTF LIBSELINUX LIBSYSTEMD LIBXML2 M17N_FLT MODULES
NATIVE_COMP NOTIFY INOTIFY PDUMPER PNG RSVG SECCOMP SOUND SQLITE3
THREADS TIFF TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS TREE_SITTER X11 XDBE XIM XINPUT2 XPM
GTK3 ZLIB

--
Regards,
Anush

Message #8 received at 75591 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 75591 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75591: 30.0.92;
 Inconsistency in Function Naming: *-open-file vs. *-find-file
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:16:03 +0200

> From: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
> Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:29:44 -0500
> 
> I noticed an inconsistency in the naming conventions of certain Emacs
> functions that I find confusing.  Specifically, some functions use
> *-open-file(s), while others use *-find-file.
> 
> Functions such as eww-open-file and recentf-open-files use 'open-file'
> or 'open-files' in their naming.  In contrast, many other functions,
> including dired-find-file, find-file, project-find-file, and
> ido-find-file, use the 'find-file' format.
> 
> I am curious about the rationale behind this difference.  Is there
> a specific reason that some functions prefer 'open-file' over
> 'find-file' even though they seem to perform similar actions?

I think just personal preferences of whoever implemented these
functions, and the many years that passed between the "find" names
were introduced and the time the "open" names weer introduced.
Nothing more.

Message #11 received at 75591 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 75591 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75591: 30.0.92; Inconsistency in Function Naming:
 *-open-file vs. *-find-file
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:20:19 -0500

> From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
> Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:16:03 +0200
>
>> From: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
>> Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:29:44 -0500
>>
>> I noticed an inconsistency in the naming conventions of certain Emacs
>> functions that I find confusing.  Specifically, some functions use
>> *-open-file(s), while others use *-find-file.
>>
>> Functions such as eww-open-file and recentf-open-files use 'open-file'
>> or 'open-files' in their naming.  In contrast, many other functions,
>> including dired-find-file, find-file, project-find-file, and
>> ido-find-file, use the 'find-file' format.
>>
>> I am curious about the rationale behind this difference.  Is there
>> a specific reason that some functions prefer 'open-file' over
>> 'find-file' even though they seem to perform similar actions?
>
> I think just personal preferences of whoever implemented these
> functions, and the many years that passed between the "find" names
> were introduced and the time the "open" names weer introduced.
> Nothing more.

Thank you for clarifying. I had wrongly assumed that "find-file" might
be the standard, as those seemed to have been introduced first.

Regards,
Anush

Message #18 received at 75591-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 75591-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75591: 30.0.92; Inconsistency in Function Naming:
 *-open-file vs. *-find-file
Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2025 11:29:00 +0200

> From: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
> Cc: 75591 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:20:19 -0500
> 
> > From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
> > Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 22:16:03 +0200
> >
> >> From: Anush V <j <at> gnu.org>
> >> Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:29:44 -0500
> >>
> >> I noticed an inconsistency in the naming conventions of certain Emacs
> >> functions that I find confusing.  Specifically, some functions use
> >> *-open-file(s), while others use *-find-file.
> >>
> >> Functions such as eww-open-file and recentf-open-files use 'open-file'
> >> or 'open-files' in their naming.  In contrast, many other functions,
> >> including dired-find-file, find-file, project-find-file, and
> >> ido-find-file, use the 'find-file' format.
> >>
> >> I am curious about the rationale behind this difference.  Is there
> >> a specific reason that some functions prefer 'open-file' over
> >> 'find-file' even though they seem to perform similar actions?
> >
> > I think just personal preferences of whoever implemented these
> > functions, and the many years that passed between the "find" names
> > were introduced and the time the "open" names weer introduced.
> > Nothing more.
> 
> Thank you for clarifying. I had wrongly assumed that "find-file" might
> be the standard, as those seemed to have been introduced first.

It's true that find-* where introduced first, but we nowadays use
both.

So I'm now closing this bug.

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