Package: emacs;
Reported by: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:30:04 UTC
Severity: normal
Done: Chong Yidong <cyd <at> stupidchicken.com>
Bug is archived. No further changes may be made.
View this message in rfc822 format
From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> To: emacs-pretest-bug <at> gnu.org Subject: bug#4419: 23.1.50; Emacs manual "Invoking `emacsclient'" is unclear Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:22:23 +0300
Please write in English if possible, because the Emacs maintainers
usually do not have translators to read other languages for them.
Your bug report will be posted to the emacs-pretest-bug <at> gnu.org mailing list.
Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:
"(emacs) Invoking emacsclient" says:
The simplest way to use the `emacsclient' program is to run the shell
command `emacsclient FILE', where FILE is a file name. This connects
to an Emacs server, and tells that Emacs process to visit FILE in one
of its existing frames--either a graphical frame, or one in a text-only
terminal (*note Frames::). You can then select that frame to begin
editing.
If there is no Emacs server, the `emacsclient' program halts with an
error message. If the Emacs process has no existing frame--which can
happen if it was started as a daemon (*note Emacs Server::)--then Emacs
opens a frame on the terminal in which you called `emacsclient', as
though you had used the `-t' option (*note emacsclient Options::).
On a graphical display, switching to the Emacs server is
straightforward--just select its (system-level) window. If you are
using a text-only terminal, there are two ways to switch between
`emacsclient''s shell and the Emacs server: (i) run the Emacs server
and `emacsclient' on different virtual terminals, and switch to the
Emacs server's virtual terminal after calling `emacsclient'; or (ii)
call `emacsclient' from within the Emacs server itself, using Shell
mode (*note Interactive Shell::) or Term mode (*note Term Mode::);
`emacsclient' blocks only the subshell under Emacs, and you can still
use Emacs to edit the file.
This description has several problems:
. The last paragraph explains how to ``switch to the Emacs server''.
It does not explain what does it mean, nor why would the user want
to do that, after invoking emacsclient. I'm guessing this text
wants to tell how to switch to an existing frame where FILE is
displayed; if this is true, the text should say that explicitly,
since ``switching to the server'' is not something the user would
necessarily think of as useful. In particular, the first paragraph
correctly says ``you can then select that frame to begin editing'',
so the last paragraph should pick up the same wording to indicate
to the reader that it continues where the 1st left off.
. AFAIU, if emacsclient is invoked with -t, the file will be
displayed on the same terminal where emacsclient was invoked. This
is by far more useful (and much less obscure) way of getting to the
frame where FILE is displayed, so the text should mention that as
well, or at least say that the next section describes this method.
The last paragraph of this node, viz.
If you set the variable `server-window' to a window or a frame, `C-x
#' always displays the next server buffer in that window or in that
frame.
uses ambiguous wording: it took me a few moments to realize that by
``setting a variable to a window or a frame'' it means setting the
_value_ of the variable. I would suggest rephrasing as follows:
If the value of the variable `server-window' is a window or a frame, ...
If Emacs crashed, and you have the Emacs process in the gdb debugger,
please include the output from the following gdb commands:
`bt full' and `xbacktrace'.
If you would like to further debug the crash, please read the file
d:/gnu/emacs/etc/DEBUG for instructions.
In GNU Emacs 23.1.50.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
of 2009-09-12 on HOME-C4E4A596F7
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4)'
Important settings:
value of $LC_ALL: nil
value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
value of $LC_TIME: nil
value of $LANG: ENU
value of $XMODIFIERS: nil
locale-coding-system: cp1255
default enable-multibyte-characters: t
Major mode: Info
Minor modes in effect:
tooltip-mode: t
mouse-wheel-mode: t
tool-bar-mode: t
menu-bar-mode: t
file-name-shadow-mode: t
global-font-lock-mode: t
font-lock-mode: t
blink-cursor-mode: t
global-auto-composition-mode: t
auto-composition-mode: t
auto-encryption-mode: t
auto-compression-mode: t
line-number-mode: t
transient-mark-mode: t
Recent input:
C-u C-h i i n f <tab> e m a c s <return> i e m a c
s c l <tab> <return> <next> 1 <down> <help-echo> <down>
<down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down>
<down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down>
<down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down>
<down> <down> <up> <up> <up> <up> <up> <up> <up> <up>
<up> <up> <up> <up> M-x r e p o r t - e m <tab> <r
eturn>
Recent messages:
For information about GNU Emacs and the GNU system, type C-h C-a.
Found `emacsclient' in Concept Index. (3 total; use `,' for next)
Load-path shadows:
None found.
> From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
> Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:08:41 -0400
>
> I'll leave the code as is, then. It's not like it's harmful.
I commented out the call to custom-reevaluate-setting.
> FWIW, I've just installed a few changes to handle such situations, which
> should now be done by setting the defcustom's initializer to
> custom-initialize-delay.
I will add to my TODO to go through defcustoms for possible users of
this facility.
In general, any file name that violates DOS 8+3 limitations (e.g.,
starts with a period) and uses convert-standard-filename in its
defcustom should use something like that, because what
convert-standard-filename does depends on what the underlying
filesystem, which could be different at dump time and at run time.
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