GNU bug report logs - #58552
29.0.50; [PATCH] dictionary-lookup-definition "Wrong type argument" error when there is no word at point

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Daniel Martín <mardani29 <at> yahoo.es>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 29.0.50; [PATCH] dictionary-lookup-definition "Wrong type argument"
 error when there is no word at point
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2022 21:36:35 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Steps to reproduce the issue:

emacs -Q
M-x dictionary-lookup-definition RET
Answer "y" if asked about using dict.org.

Expected result:

As there is no word at point to act on, the operation should inform the
user right away.

Actual result:

dictionary-encode-charset: Wrong type argument: stringp, nil

An empty dictionary buffer is shown, which is confusing.

The attached patch informs the user that there is no word at point to
act on and aborts the operation early.

If you think it's a good patch, please install on my behalf.  Thanks.

[0001-Signal-an-error-in-dictionary-lookup-if-there-s-no-w.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 58552 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Daniel Martín <mardani29 <at> yahoo.es>
Cc: 58552 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#58552: 29.0.50; [PATCH] dictionary-lookup-definition "Wrong
 type argument" error when there is no word at point
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2022 11:25:35 +0200

Daniel Martín <mardani29 <at> yahoo.es> writes:

> If you think it's a good patch, please install on my behalf.  Thanks.

Looks good to me; now pushed to Emacs 29.

Message #13 received at 58552 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org>
To: Daniel Martín <mardani29 <at> yahoo.es>
Cc: 58552 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#58552: 29.0.50;
 [PATCH] dictionary-lookup-definition "Wrong type argument" error when
 there is no word at point
Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2022 16:53:03 -0400

[[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
[[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
[[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]

As far as I can tell, the message below was sent only to me.
But the message is strange.  So I decided to forward it here.

------- Start of forwarded message -------
From: Daniel Martín <mardani29 <at> yahoo.es>
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2022 21:25:59 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Signal an error in dictionary lookup if there's no word at
 point

* lisp/net/dictionary.el (dictionary-lookup-definition): Signal an
error when there is no word at point.
- ---
 lisp/net/dictionary.el | 5 ++++-
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/lisp/net/dictionary.el b/lisp/net/dictionary.el
index 4c52382c67..b8f5018005 100644
- --- a/lisp/net/dictionary.el
+++ b/lisp/net/dictionary.el
@@ -1173,7 +1173,10 @@ dictionary-search
 (defun dictionary-lookup-definition ()
   "Unconditionally lookup the word at point."
   (interactive)
- -  (dictionary-new-search (cons (current-word) dictionary-default-dictionary)))
+  (let ((word (current-word)))
+    (unless word
+      (error "No word at point"))
+    (dictionary-new-search (cons word dictionary-default-dictionary))))
 
 (defun dictionary-previous ()
   "Go to the previous location in the current buffer."
- -- 
2.34.1


- --=-=-=--
------- End of forwarded message -------
-- 
Dr Richard Stallman (https://stallman.org)
Chief GNUisance of the GNU Project (https://gnu.org)
Founder, Free Software Foundation (https://fsf.org)
Internet Hall-of-Famer (https://internethalloffame.org)

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