GNU bug report logs - #13687
24.3.50; `read-regexp' should provide regex for symbol at point as defaults

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From: Jambunathan K <kjambunathan <at> gmail.com>
To: Juri Linkov <juri <at> jurta.org>
Cc: 13687 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Subject: bug#13687: /srv/bzr/emacs/trunk r111878: * lisp/replace.el(read-regexp): Let-bind `default' to the first
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:54:09 +0530

Juri

(For the sake of record)

Feel free to take over this bug.

In light of recent developments on the mailing list, I am a bit hesitant
to take these discussions any further.

Jambunathan K.


Juri Linkov <juri <at> jurta.org> writes:

>> EXPERIMENTAL and ABANDONED PATCH
>
> I think your patch is useful, please don't abandon it
> except its `this-command' part.  As you already noted
> `this-command' is very fragile and flaky.  Removing everything
> related to `this-command' would leave other useful parts of your patch
> that adds a new defcustom `read-regexp-defaults' and especially this part:
>
> +               (choice :tag "Function to retrieve the regexp"
> +                       (const :tag "Use no defaults" nil)
> +                       (radio
> +                        (function-item find-tag-default-as-regexp)
> +                        (function-item find-tag-default)
> +                        (function-item :tag "Regexp history"
> +                                       (lambda nil
> +                                         "Use regexp history."
> +                                         (car regexp-history)))
> +                        function)))))
>
> and a new function `read-regexp-defaults'.
>
> Instead of using `this-command', look for ideas to other similar features.
> For example, many invocations of minibuffer functions specify their
> HISTORY argument as a symbol that divides history variables into groups.
> The DEFAULTS argument could use a similar grouping, i.e. when
> `read-regexp' uses the symbol `regexp-history' in a call like:
>
>   (read-regexp "Regexp to highlight" (car regexp-history) 'regexp-history)
>
> This could be changed to specify DEFAULTS as the symbol `read-regexp-defaults':
>
>   (read-regexp "Regexp to highlight" 'read-regexp-defaults 'regexp-history)
>
> where `read-regexp-defaults' is a symbol name of the function that uses
> the value of the defcustom `read-regexp-defaults' the get the default value
> or returns nil.
>
> We could add as many additional default-providing functions
> as the number of places that call `read-regexp'.  But I think
> it should be enough to have just two functions:
>
> (defun read-regexp-defaults-or-history ()
>   (or (read-regexp-defaults)
>       (car regexp-history)))
>
> (defun read-regexp-defaults-or-tag ()
>   (or (read-regexp-defaults)
>       (find-tag-default-as-regexp)))
>
> These two functions are necessary to keep the current status quo
> where some commands traditionally provide the last history element
> as the default (`highlight-regexp', `occur-read-primary-args', `how-many',
> `flush-lines', `keep-lines'), and other commands provide the tag at point
> (`rgrep', `query-replace', `multi-occur-in-matching-buffers').
> This is an artificial division existing solely for historical reasons.
> These functions could be used e.g. in `occur-read-primary-args' as:
>
>   (read-regexp "List lines matching regexp" 'read-regexp-defaults-or-history 'regexp-history)
>
> and e.g. in `grep-read-regexp':
>
>   (read-regexp "Search for" 'read-regexp-defaults-or-tag 'regexp-history)
>
> This implementation will satisfy three goals:
>
> 1. Backward compatibility for the current traditional defaults,
> 2. Allow easy customization in one place (defcustom `read-regexp-defaults'),
> 3. Allow fine-tuning with function redefinitions, i.e. when
>    the users will ask for more specific functions they could be added as:
>
> (defun occur-read-regexp-defaults ()
>   (read-regexp-defaults-or-history))
>
> (defun grep-read-regexp-defaults ()
>   (read-regexp-defaults-or-tag))
>
> and can be used in `occur-read-primary-args':
>
>   (read-regexp "List lines matching regexp" 'occur-read-regexp-defaults 'regexp-history)
>
> and in `grep-read-regexp':
>
>   (read-regexp "Search for" 'grep-read-regexp-defaults 'regexp-history)

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