GNU bug report logs - #81346
32.0.50; `insert' sometimes does not insert text as expected

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Package: emacs; Reported by: Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>; Keywords: notabug; dated Thu, 2 Jul 2026 20:10:06 UTC; Maintainer for emacs is bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN.
Added tag(s) notabug. Request was from Eli Zaretskii <eliz@HIDDEN> to control <at> debbugs.gnu.org. Full text available.

Message received at 81346 <at> debbugs.gnu.org:


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Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:34:47 +0300
Message-Id: <86a4s8bmyg.fsf@HIDDEN>
From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@HIDDEN>
To: triska@HIDDEN
In-Reply-To: <86bjcobnrh.fsf@HIDDEN> (message from Eli Zaretskii on Fri, 03
 Jul 2026 09:17:22 +0300)
Subject: Re: bug#81346: 32.0.50;
 `insert' sometimes does not insert text as expected
References: <20260702201506.939E1F08652@triska-ser8>
 <87v7ax16mj.fsf@HIDDEN> <874iihm8bo.fsf@HIDDEN>
 <86bjcobnrh.fsf@HIDDEN>
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tags 81346 notabug
thanks

> Cc: schwab@HIDDEN, 81346 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:17:22 +0300
> From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@HIDDEN>
> 
> > Cc: 81346 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> > From: Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>
> > Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:43:07 +0200
> > 
> > Andreas Schwab <schwab@HIDDEN> writes:
> > 
> > When I evaluate the following form, then the right edge of space that is
> > meant to be displayed in a box is not shown.
> > 
> > However, when I move cursor between the inserted spaces, then the right
> > border is at last drawn. It seems it should be drawn from the beginning?
> > 
> > In the section you point to, there is also a note about the :box face
> > attribute, but it seems not to apply to this specific situation: In this
> > example, an expected border is not shown immediately after inserting,
> > but it is shown when moving the cursor across the inserted text.
> > 
> > Thank you and all the best,
> > Markus
> > 
> > (progn
> >   (font-lock-mode 0)
> >   (insert "\n")
> >   (insert (propertize " "
> >                       'display '(space :width (120))
> >                       'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
> >   (insert (propertize " "
> >                       'display '(space :width (120))
> >                       'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
> >   (insert "\n"))
> 
> Don't do that, it is not supported (because the face-with-box property
> doesn't change when you go from one buffer position to the other).
> This minor variant produces the expected effect:
> 
>   (progn
>     (font-lock-mode 0)
>     (insert "\n")
>     (insert (propertize " "
> 			'display '(space :width (120))
> 			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple")))
> 	     "X")
>     (insert (propertize " "
> 			'display '(space :width (120))
> 			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
>     (insert "\n"))
> 
> IOW, the buffer text should have something between the two boxes.
> 
> If you don't want the separating text to show on display, you can make
> it invisible, like this:
> 
>   (progn
>     (font-lock-mode 0)
>     (insert "\n")
>     (insert (propertize " "
> 			'display '(space :width (120))
> 			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple")))
> 	    (propertize "X" 'invisible t))
>     (insert (propertize " "
> 			'display '(space :width (120))
> 			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
>     (insert "\n"))
> 

From the ELisp manual:

     If you use the ‘:box’ face attribute on strings displayed instead
     of buffer text via the ‘display’ text property, special
     considerations might apply if the surrounding buffer text also has
     the ‘:box’ face attribute.  *Note Replacing Specs::.  Also note
     that the vertical lines of the box are only drawn when ‘:box’
     attribute changes from ‘nil’ to non-‘nil’ or vice versa; two
     consecutive face properties with a non-‘nil’ ‘:box’ attribute will
     be displayed without the vertical line between them.

So even the last snippet above also shouldn't be expected to behave
100% correctly.  You really need to have text on display without the
box property between two stretches of text with the box property, to
have this work correctly, as in the first variant above.  This is due
to the way this feature is implemented in Emacs, so it's unlikely to
change unless the (quite tricky) implementation is rewritten in a
different way.  Until then, this is not a bug.
Information forwarded to bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN:
bug#81346; Package emacs. Full text available.

Message received at 81346 <at> debbugs.gnu.org:


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Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2026 09:17:22 +0300
Message-Id: <86bjcobnrh.fsf@HIDDEN>
From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@HIDDEN>
To: Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>
In-Reply-To: <874iihm8bo.fsf@HIDDEN> (message from Markus Triska on Thu, 
 02 Jul 2026 22:43:07 +0200)
Subject: Re: bug#81346: 32.0.50;
 `insert' sometimes does not insert text as expected
References: <20260702201506.939E1F08652@triska-ser8>
 <87v7ax16mj.fsf@HIDDEN> <874iihm8bo.fsf@HIDDEN>
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> Cc: 81346 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> From: Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>
> Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:43:07 +0200
> 
> Andreas Schwab <schwab@HIDDEN> writes:
> 
> When I evaluate the following form, then the right edge of space that is
> meant to be displayed in a box is not shown.
> 
> However, when I move cursor between the inserted spaces, then the right
> border is at last drawn. It seems it should be drawn from the beginning?
> 
> In the section you point to, there is also a note about the :box face
> attribute, but it seems not to apply to this specific situation: In this
> example, an expected border is not shown immediately after inserting,
> but it is shown when moving the cursor across the inserted text.
> 
> Thank you and all the best,
> Markus
> 
> (progn
>   (font-lock-mode 0)
>   (insert "\n")
>   (insert (propertize " "
>                       'display '(space :width (120))
>                       'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
>   (insert (propertize " "
>                       'display '(space :width (120))
>                       'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
>   (insert "\n"))

Don't do that, it is not supported (because the face-with-box property
doesn't change when you go from one buffer position to the other).
This minor variant produces the expected effect:

  (progn
    (font-lock-mode 0)
    (insert "\n")
    (insert (propertize " "
			'display '(space :width (120))
			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple")))
	     "X")
    (insert (propertize " "
			'display '(space :width (120))
			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
    (insert "\n"))

IOW, the buffer text should have something between the two boxes.

If you don't want the separating text to show on display, you can make
it invisible, like this:

  (progn
    (font-lock-mode 0)
    (insert "\n")
    (insert (propertize " "
			'display '(space :width (120))
			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple")))
	    (propertize "X" 'invisible t))
    (insert (propertize " "
			'display '(space :width (120))
			'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
    (insert "\n"))
Information forwarded to bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN:
bug#81346; Package emacs. Full text available.

Message received at 81346 <at> debbugs.gnu.org:


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From: Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>
To: Andreas Schwab <schwab@HIDDEN>
Subject: Re: bug#81346: 32.0.50;
 `insert' sometimes does not insert text as expected
References: <20260702201506.939E1F08652@triska-ser8> <87v7ax16mj.fsf@HIDDEN>
Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:43:07 +0200
In-Reply-To: <87v7ax16mj.fsf@HIDDEN> (Andreas Schwab's message of "Thu, 02
 Jul 2026 22:25:24 +0200")
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 Content preview: Andreas Schwab <schwab@HIDDEN> writes: > 42.16.1
 Display
 Specs That Replace The Text Thank you a lot! I ran into this because I tried
 to construct a smaller example that shows the following issue related to
 `insert': 
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Andreas Schwab <schwab@HIDDEN> writes:

> 42.16.1 Display Specs That Replace The Text

Thank you a lot!  I ran into this because I tried to construct a smaller
example that shows the following issue related to `insert':

When I evaluate the following form, then the right edge of space that is
meant to be displayed in a box is not shown.

However, when I move cursor between the inserted spaces, then the right
border is at last drawn. It seems it should be drawn from the beginning?

In the section you point to, there is also a note about the :box face
attribute, but it seems not to apply to this specific situation: In this
example, an expected border is not shown immediately after inserting,
but it is shown when moving the cursor across the inserted text.

Thank you and all the best,
Markus

(progn
  (font-lock-mode 0)
  (insert "\n")
  (insert (propertize " "
                      'display '(space :width (120))
                      'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
  (insert (propertize " "
                      'display '(space :width (120))
                      'face '(:box (:line-width (12 . -1) :color "purple"))))
  (insert "\n"))
Information forwarded to bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN:
bug#81346; Package emacs. Full text available.

Message received at 81346 <at> debbugs.gnu.org:


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From: Andreas Schwab <schwab@HIDDEN>
To: Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>
Subject: Re: bug#81346: 32.0.50; `insert' sometimes does not insert text as
 expected
In-Reply-To: <20260702201506.939E1F08652@triska-ser8>
References: <20260702201506.939E1F08652@triska-ser8>
Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2026 22:25:24 +0200
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On Jul 02 2026, Markus Triska wrote:

> In "emacs -Q", when I evaluate the following form:
>
>     (let ((d1 (propertize " " 'display "t"))
>           (d2 (propertize " " 'display "t"))
>           (d3 (propertize " " 'display "t")))
>       (insert d1 d2 d3))
>
> then "ttt" is inserted, as expected.
>
> In contrast, when I evaluate the following form:
>
>     (let ((d (propertize " " 'display "t")))
>       (insert d d d))
>
> then unexpectedly only a single "t" is inserted.

42.16.1 Display Specs That Replace The Text
-------------------------------------------

   For replacing display specifications, “the text that has the
property” means all the consecutive characters that have the same Lisp
object as their ‘display’ property; these characters are replaced as a
single unit.  If two characters have different Lisp objects as their
‘display’ properties (i.e., objects which are not ‘eq’), they are
handled separately.

-- 
Andreas Schwab, schwab@HIDDEN
GPG Key fingerprint = 7578 EB47 D4E5 4D69 2510  2552 DF73 E780 A9DA AEC1
"And now for something completely different."
Information forwarded to bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN:
bug#81346; Package emacs. Full text available.

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From: Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>
To: bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN
Subject: 32.0.50; `insert' sometimes does not insert text as expected
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In "emacs -Q", when I evaluate the following form:

    (let ((d1 (propertize " " 'display "t"))
          (d2 (propertize " " 'display "t"))
          (d3 (propertize " " 'display "t")))
      (insert d1 d2 d3))

then "ttt" is inserted, as expected.

In contrast, when I evaluate the following form:

    (let ((d (propertize " " 'display "t")))
      (insert d d d))

then unexpectedly only a single "t" is inserted.

The expectation is that "ttt" is inserted.

Thank you and all the best,
Markus

In GNU Emacs 32.0.50 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw
 scroll bars) of 2026-07-02 built on beelink-ser8
Repository revision: 44bff5182d190fd3e42bf8f85039cc1d19e50acd
Repository branch: master
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.12101016
System Description: Debian GNU/Linux 13 (trixie)

Configured using:
 'configure --without-cairo --with-x-toolkit=lucid
 --with-xpm=ifavailable --with-gif=ifavailable --with-tiff=ifavailable
 --with-gnutls=ifavailable --with-native-compilation=no'

Configured features:
DBUS FREETYPE GIF GLIB GMP GNUTLS GSETTINGS HARFBUZZ JPEG LIBSYSTEMD
LIBXML2 MODULES NOTIFY INOTIFY PDUMPER PNG RSVG SECCOMP SOUND THREADS
TIFF TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS TREE_SITTER WEBP X11 XDBE XFT XIM XINERAMA
XINPUT2 XPM XRANDR LUCID ZLIB
Acknowledgement sent to Markus Triska <triska@HIDDEN>:
New bug report received and forwarded. Copy sent to bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN. Full text available.
Report forwarded to bug-gnu-emacs@HIDDEN:
bug#81346; Package emacs. Full text available.
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