GNU bug report logs - #70804
29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting INITIAL-INPUT in comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil

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

From: Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
To: "bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org" <bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org>
Subject: 29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting INITIAL-INPUT in
 comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil
Date: Mon, 6 May 2024 23:36:32 +0700

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

"#" is the most common comment syntax in text files whose major mode
couldn't be recognized automatically.

I hope this can be customized in Emacs 30.

Daanturo

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

[0001-Add-comment-start-default-suggestion-user-option.patch (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

Message #10 received at 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#70804: 29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting INITIAL-INPUT
 in comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil
Date: Sun, 2 Mar 2025 17:59:11 -0800

Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com> writes:

> "#" is the most common comment syntax in text files whose major mode
> couldn't be recognized automatically.
>
> I hope this can be customized in Emacs 30.

Thanks for the patch, and sorry for the long delay.

Maybe we should just offer "#" as the default instead, if it's the most
common one?  My reasoning here is that there is no need to add a
defcustom, if no one has asked for it.

> From f0a011fdc888f41eb49cb44e1be577261f8b2a9b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Daanturo <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 6 May 2024 23:16:56 +0700
> Subject: [PATCH] Add `comment-start-default-suggestion' user option
>
> * lisp/newcomment.el: Define `comment-start-default-suggestion' Lisp
> variable and use it in `comment-normalize-vars'.
>
> * etc/NEWS: Announce the option.
> ---
>  etc/NEWS           | 5 +++++
>  lisp/newcomment.el | 9 ++++++++-
>  2 files changed, 13 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
> index 456f9b8f8b8..fa9b7c82a97 100644
> --- a/etc/NEWS
> +++ b/etc/NEWS
> @@ -541,6 +541,11 @@ whereas if the mouse pointer is in the left half of a glyph, point
>  will be put in front the buffer position corresponding to that glyph.
>  By default this is disabled.
>
> +---
> +** New user option 'comment-start-default-suggestion'.
> +When 'comment-normalize-vars' asks for nil 'comment-start', use this as
> +the default suggested string in the prompt.
> +
>  ** Internationalization
>
>  ---
> diff --git a/lisp/newcomment.el b/lisp/newcomment.el
> index ee7b2ea34d8..86529668067 100644
> --- a/lisp/newcomment.el
> +++ b/lisp/newcomment.el
> @@ -349,6 +349,12 @@ terminated by the end of line (i.e., `comment-end' is empty)."
>    "Return the mirror image of string S, without any trailing space."
>    (comment-string-strip (concat (nreverse (string-to-list s))) nil t))
>
> +(defcustom comment-start-default-suggestion nil
> +  "The default suggestion when unset `comment-start' is asked."
> +  :type 'string
> +  :version "30.1"
> +  :group 'comment)
> +
>  ;;;###autoload
>  (defun comment-normalize-vars (&optional noerror)
>    "Check and set up variables needed by other commenting functions.
> @@ -358,7 +364,8 @@ functions work correctly.  Lisp callers of any other `comment-*'
>  function should first call this function explicitly."
>    (unless (and (not comment-start) noerror)
>      (unless comment-start
> -      (let ((cs (read-string "No comment syntax is defined.  Use: ")))
> +      (let ((cs (read-string "No comment syntax is defined.  Use: "
> +                          comment-start-default-suggestion)))
>  	(if (zerop (length cs))
>  	    (error "No comment syntax defined")
>            (setq-local comment-start cs)

Message #13 received at 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: "70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#70804: 29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting
 INITIAL-INPUT in comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2025 21:16:10 +0700

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

I was afraid that directly setting the default may break many people's muscle
memory, or hypothetically maybe someday "#" won't be the most common unknown
case anymore. Between a new custom variable and the default I have no strong
opinion otherwise.

Daanturo

On Mar 3 2025, at 8:59 am, Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> wrote:
> Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
> > "#" is the most common comment syntax in text files whose major mode
> > couldn't be recognized automatically.
> >
> > I hope this can be customized in Emacs 30.
>
> Thanks for the patch, and sorry for the long delay.
> Maybe we should just offer "#" as the default instead, if it's the most
> common one? My reasoning here is that there is no need to add a
> defcustom, if no one has asked for it.
>
> > From f0a011fdc888f41eb49cb44e1be577261f8b2a9b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> > From: Daanturo <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
> > Date: Mon, 6 May 2024 23:16:56 +0700
> > Subject: [PATCH] Add `comment-start-default-suggestion' user option
> >
> > * lisp/newcomment.el: Define `comment-start-default-suggestion' Lisp
> > variable and use it in `comment-normalize-vars'.
> >
> > * etc/NEWS: Announce the option.
> > ---
> > etc/NEWS | 5 +++++
> > lisp/newcomment.el | 9 ++++++++-
> > 2 files changed, 13 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
> > index 456f9b8f8b8..fa9b7c82a97 100644
> > --- a/etc/NEWS
> > +++ b/etc/NEWS
> > @@ -541,6 +541,11 @@ whereas if the mouse pointer is in the left half of a glyph, point
> > will be put in front the buffer position corresponding to that glyph.
> > By default this is disabled.
> >
> > +---
> > +** New user option 'comment-start-default-suggestion'.
> > +When 'comment-normalize-vars' asks for nil 'comment-start', use this as
> > +the default suggested string in the prompt.
> > +
> > ** Internationalization
> >
> > ---
> > diff --git a/lisp/newcomment.el b/lisp/newcomment.el
> > index ee7b2ea34d8..86529668067 100644
> > --- a/lisp/newcomment.el
> > +++ b/lisp/newcomment.el
> > @@ -349,6 +349,12 @@ terminated by the end of line (i.e., `comment-end' is empty)."
> > "Return the mirror image of string S, without any trailing space."
> > (comment-string-strip (concat (nreverse (string-to-list s))) nil t))
> >
> > +(defcustom comment-start-default-suggestion nil
> > + "The default suggestion when unset `comment-start' is asked."
> > + :type 'string
> > + :version "30.1"
> > + :group 'comment)
> > +
> > ;;;###autoload
> > (defun comment-normalize-vars (&optional noerror)
> > "Check and set up variables needed by other commenting functions.
> > @@ -358,7 +364,8 @@ functions work correctly. Lisp callers of any other `comment-*'
> > function should first call this function explicitly."
> > (unless (and (not comment-start) noerror)
> > (unless comment-start
> > - (let ((cs (read-string "No comment syntax is defined. Use: ")))
> > + (let ((cs (read-string "No comment syntax is defined. Use: "
> > + comment-start-default-suggestion)))
> > (if (zerop (length cs))
> > (error "No comment syntax defined")
> > (setq-local comment-start cs)
>

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

Message #16 received at 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: "70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#70804: 29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting INITIAL-INPUT
 in comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2025 14:28:59 +0000

Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com> writes:

> I was afraid that directly setting the default may break many people's muscle
> memory, or

Hmm, but the default now is the empty string, which AFAIU means to do
nothing.

It seems strange to have, in muscle memory, `M-; RET`, if it indeed has
the effect to do nothing...

IOW, I think a new default is harmless here.

> hypothetically maybe someday "#" won't be the most common unknown
> case anymore.

When that day comes, we can add a defcustom.

> Between a new custom variable and the default I have no strong
> opinion otherwise.

Would you like to propose a new patch along the above lines?

I don't think this needs to be in NEWS, even.

Message #19 received at 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: "70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#70804: 29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting
 INITIAL-INPUT in comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2025 01:56:16 +0700

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

Attached a single sexp change patch =)).

Daanturo

On Mar 3 2025, at 9:28 pm, Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> wrote:
> Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
> Would you like to propose a new patch along the above lines?
> I don't think this needs to be in NEWS, even.

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

[0001-Let-sharp-be-the-suggested-comment-start-when-undefined-bug-70804.patch (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

Message #22 received at 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#70804: 29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting INITIAL-INPUT
 in comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2025 19:10:19 +0000

Version: 31.1

Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com> writes:

> Attached a single sexp change patch =)).

Thanks!  Some comments below:

> From 549ee68d5b6cf3dae5dd69b8f1a99c045f200cbe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Daanturo <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2025 18:46:01 +0000
> Subject: [PATCH] Let "#" be the suggested comment-start when undefined
>  (bug#70804)
>
> * lisp/newcomment.el: add "#" to 'comment-normalize-vars' prompt's
> initial input.
> ---
>  lisp/newcomment.el | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/lisp/newcomment.el b/lisp/newcomment.el
> index 945187e863f..3258735dcea 100644
> --- a/lisp/newcomment.el
> +++ b/lisp/newcomment.el
> @@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ comment-normalize-vars
>  function should first call this function explicitly."
>    (unless (and (not comment-start) noerror)
>      (unless comment-start
> -      (let ((cs (read-string "No comment syntax is defined.  Use: ")))
> +      (let ((cs (read-string "No comment syntax is defined.  Use: " "#")))

I think you should use the DEFAULT-VALUE argument instead of
INITIAL-INPUT.

Also, I recommend using format-prompt, e.g.

    (format-prompt "No comment syntax is defined, use" "#")

>  	(if (zerop (length cs))
>  	    (error "No comment syntax defined")
>            (setq-local comment-start cs)
> --
> 2.48.1

Message #25 received at 70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Daan Ro <daanturo <at> gmail.com>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: "70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org" <70804 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#70804: 29.3.50; Feature request: Allow setting
 INITIAL-INPUT in comment-normalize-vars when comment-start is nil
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2025 17:33:37 +0700

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

Thank you! I see, that way is far less disrupting so it could be
proceeded without debating.

Daanturo

On Mar 4 2025, at 2:10 am, Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> wrote:
> Version: 31.1
>
> I think you should use the DEFAULT-VALUE argument instead of
> INITIAL-INPUT.
>
> Also, I recommend using format-prompt, e.g.
> (format-prompt "No comment syntax is defined, use" "#")

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

[0001-Let-sharp-be-the-default-comment-start-when-prompted-bug-70804.patch (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

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