Subject: bug#33007: 27.0.50; Proposal for function to edit and return string

From: Eric Abrahamsen <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2018 09:40:09 -0700

Drew Adams <[email-masked]> writes:

>> Don't we already have something like that in Customize
>> and/or in EWW, where they allow the user to fill fields
>> in a form?
>
> As Michael said, " I think it already has been reinvented
> multiple times in Emacs itself."
>
> The buffer is usually exited with `C-c C-c'. If the buffer
> contains Lisp code, that's typically read with `read'
> when you use `C-c C-c'.
>
> The mode should be configurable, maybe defaulting
> to Emacs Lisp mode (?). A key (other than `q') should
> let you cancel (burying or killing the buffer without
> evaluating or otherwise processing it in any way).
>
> The functions that (1) create and display the buffer
> and (2) process it (e.g. a command bound to `C-c C-c',
> by default) or cancel it should be usable in various
> ways, for buffer content of various kinds and for
> processing of various kinds.
>
> This should be done as simply as possible, e.g. as
> contrasted with something like what `view-mode'
> does, which is complex. If we want to provide
> different buffer-display behaviors that should be
> done simply somehow.

Gnus also invented this wheel a while ago, for editing Group parameters.
There's also a Customize interface to the same data, though, which is
arguably easier to use.