GNU bug report logs - #16617
24.3.50; REGRESSION: `C-q ?' pops up annoying *Char Help* buffer

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From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: dancol <at> dancol.org, sdl.web <at> gmail.com, 16617 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#16617: 24.3.50; REGRESSION: `C-q ?' pops up annoying *Char Help* buffer
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 13:20:32 -0700 (PDT)

> > 3. This *Char Help* buffer should not be popped up at all -
> >    for ANY char that you type after `C-q'.  This is a
> >    misfeature.
> 
> (Of course now you will claim that F1 is not a character.)

You can take anything you want out of context, if your aim is
to obfuscate.  I have made it clear MANY times by now that THIS
bug is about `?', and specifically when it is not bound to a
help char.

I have also said, as in the quote above, that IMO `C-q' should
quote all chars, regardless of whether they are bound to a help
char.  And I pointed out that this is already the case for
`C-q C-h' (to which you have nothing to say, apparently).  But
I have clearly insisted that THIS bug is not about fixing that
more general problem too.  I said that we can discuss that
separately, if you like.

(And yes, I also pointed out from the outset - not just "now" -
that F1 is not a char.)

Even the subject line summarizes this bug fairly well.  The
only thing it does not do is distinguish (e.g., exclude) the
tiny minority of cases where `?' is a help char.  It clearly
does not say that `C-q' must quote all chars.

And again, `C-q' DOES quote the help char `C-h'.  Based on your
silence about `C-h' and your argument that `?' should not be
quoted BECAUSE it is a help char (which it is only rarely, BTW),
you seem to claim that `C-q' should quote some help chars but
not others.  Maybe you would like to clarify that?

> > > _That_ is certainly not a regression, as Emacs have
> > > behaved like that since about forever.
> >
> > I also doubt that that is true.  Certainly in Emacs 20 `C-q ?'
> > inserts `?' when `?' is not a help char.  IOW, THIS regression is
> > not present in Emacs 20.
> 
> Try with F1.

Again, "THIS regression".  Search for "THIS" in the thread and you
will find that I've been very clear that THIS bug is about `?'.
 
> > And `grep' does not find "Char Help" anywhere in the Emacs 20
> > lisp or C files.
> 
> It was just *Help* back then.

OK, I see that.  But again, `C-q ?' does not show the help, in
*Help* or anywhere else.  THIS bug is a clear regression wrt
Emacs 20.  And, as mentioned, also wrt Emacs 22 through 24.3.
For none of those releases does `C-q ?' show help.

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