GNU bug report logs - #4300
23.1.50; bad function name: browse-url-default-browser

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Message #5 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Leo <sdl.web <at> gmail.com>
To: emacs-pretest-bug <at> gnu.org
Subject: 23.1.50; bad function name: browse-url-default-browser
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:13:42 +0100

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:

,----[ C-h f browse-url-default-browser RET ]
| browse-url-default-browser is a compiled Lisp function in
| `browse-url.el'.
| 
| (browse-url-default-browser url &rest args)
| 
| Find a suitable browser and ask it to load url.
| Default to the url around or before point.
| 
| When called interactively, if variable `browse-url-new-window-flag' is
| non-nil, load the document in a new window, if possible, otherwise use
| a random existing one.  A non-nil interactive prefix argument reverses
| the effect of `browse-url-new-window-flag'.
| 
| When called non-interactively, optional second argument NEW-WINDOW is
| used instead of `browse-url-new-window-flag'.
| 
| The order attempted is gnome-moz-remote, Mozilla, Firefox,
| Galeon, Konqueror, Netscape, Mosaic, Lynx in an xterm, and then W3.
| 
| [back]
`----

The only thing that is related to 'default' is it uses url around point
by default. But the name is misleading, for example, emacs-w3m uses it
to open a default external browser, but it will open bizarre browsers on
OS X or Windows.

I wonder if the function name can be improved, for example,
browse-url-try-browsers.

Thanks.

Leo

Message #10 received at 4300 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Leo <sdl.web <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 4300 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: 23.1.50; bad function name: browse-url-default-browser
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:37:09 +0200

Leo <sdl.web <at> gmail.com> writes:

> ,----[ C-h f browse-url-default-browser RET ]
> | browse-url-default-browser is a compiled Lisp function in
> | `browse-url.el'.

[...]

> The only thing that is related to 'default' is it uses url around point
> by default. But the name is misleading, for example, emacs-w3m uses it
> to open a default external browser, but it will open bizarre browsers on
> OS X or Windows.
>
> I wonder if the function name can be improved, for example,
> browse-url-try-browsers.

I think the function name is clear enough, and renaming it would
introduce churn for little extra gain, so I'm closing this report.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

Message #17 received at 4300 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Leo <sdl.web <at> gmail.com>
To: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: 4300 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: 23.1.50; bad function name: browse-url-default-browser
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:56:28 +0800

On 2011-07-13 05:37 +0800, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen wrote:
> I think the function name is clear enough, and renaming it would
> introduce churn for little extra gain, so I'm closing this report.

Lars,

The function name is misleading in that it does not find the default
browser on the OS to open url. For example, on OSX, it opens up an
xterm, which is ridiculous to most OSX users.

Changing a function name to better introduces no churn and helps 3rd
party developers improve their code.

Cheers,
Leo

Message #20 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lawrence Mitchell <wence <at> gmx.li>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4300: 23.1.50; bad function name: browse-url-default-browser
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:12:38 +0100

Leo wrote:
> On 2011-07-13 05:37 +0800, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen wrote:
>> I think the function name is clear enough, and renaming it would
>> introduce churn for little extra gain, so I'm closing this report.

> Lars,

> The function name is misleading in that it does not find the default
> browser on the OS to open url. For example, on OSX, it opens up an
> xterm, which is ridiculous to most OSX users.

> Changing a function name to better introduces no churn and helps 3rd
> party developers improve their code.

How about this patch, which doesn't change the name, but does stop
it from lying.  It also removes the (unnecessary, and indeed
incorrect) implementation description from
browse-url-default-browser.

diff --git a/lisp/net/browse-url.el b/lisp/net/browse-url.el
index ac12030..e18b42a 100644
--- a/lisp/net/browse-url.el
+++ b/lisp/net/browse-url.el
@@ -214,13 +214,7 @@
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defcustom browse-url-browser-function
-  (cond
-   ((memq system-type '(windows-nt ms-dos cygwin))
-    'browse-url-default-windows-browser)
-   ((memq system-type '(darwin))
-    'browse-url-default-macosx-browser)
-   (t
-    'browse-url-default-browser))
+  'browse-url-default-browser
   "Function to display the current buffer in a WWW browser.
 This is used by the `browse-url-at-point', `browse-url-at-mouse', and
 `browse-url-of-file' commands.
@@ -908,12 +902,13 @@ a random existing one.  A non-nil interactive prefix argument reverses
 the effect of `browse-url-new-window-flag'.
 
 When called non-interactively, optional second argument NEW-WINDOW is
-used instead of `browse-url-new-window-flag'.
-
-The order attempted is gnome-moz-remote, Mozilla, Firefox,
-Galeon, Konqueror, Netscape, Mosaic, Lynx in an xterm, and then W3."
+used instead of `browse-url-new-window-flag'."
   (apply
    (cond
+    ((memq system-type '(windows-nt ms-dos cygwin))
+     'browse-url-default-windows-browser)
+    ((memq system-type '(darwin))
+     'browse-url-default-macosx-browser)
     ((browse-url-can-use-xdg-open) 'browse-url-xdg-open)
     ((executable-find browse-url-gnome-moz-program) 'browse-url-gnome-moz)
     ((executable-find browse-url-mozilla-program) 'browse-url-mozilla)

-- 
Lawrence Mitchell <wence <at> gmx.li>

Message #23 received at 4300 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Leo <sdl.web <at> gmail.com>
To: Lawrence Mitchell <wence <at> gmx.li>
Cc: 4300 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4300: 23.1.50; bad function name: browse-url-default-browser
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:23:38 +0800

On 2011-07-13 16:12 +0800, Lawrence Mitchell wrote:
> How about this patch, which doesn't change the name, but does stop
> it from lying.  It also removes the (unnecessary, and indeed
> incorrect) implementation description from
> browse-url-default-browser.

Sounds like a good change ;)

Leo

Message #26 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4300: 23.1.50; bad function name: browse-url-default-browser
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:50:31 +0200

Lawrence Mitchell <wence <at> gmx.li> writes:

> How about this patch, which doesn't change the name, but does stop
> it from lying.  It also removes the (unnecessary, and indeed
> incorrect) implementation description from
> browse-url-default-browser.

Thanks; applied.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

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