Subject: Re: bug#71374: [PATCH] Simplify 'help-enable-variable-value-editing' using

From: Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:51:18 +0000

Eshel Yaron <[email-masked]> writes:

> reopen 71374
> quit
>
> Hi Philip,
>
> Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]> writes:
>
>> I hadn't pushed the change, have done so now.  Closing the report.
>> Thanks for the reminder.
>
> I'm reopening this (hope you don't mind) to keep track of the minor
> regressions I mentioned here:
>
> https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2024-07/msg01202.html

Thanks, and my apologies for the late reply.

The issue seems to be that (thing-at-point 'sexp) returns nil if inside
a s-expression looking at whitespace:

(1 2     3 4 5)
     ^
     M-: (thing-at-point 'sexp) ;=> nil

One idea is to fall back on a defun at point, if no sexp is found:

diff --git a/lisp/help-fns.el b/lisp/help-fns.el
index 8ea5b301684..4d55ea8bbff 100644
--- a/lisp/help-fns.el
+++ b/lisp/help-fns.el
@@ -1507,13 +1507,14 @@ help-fns-edit-variable
   "Edit the variable under point."
   (declare (completion ignore))
   (interactive)
-  (let* ((val (thing-at-point 'sexp))
-         (var (get-text-property 0 'help-fns--edit-variable val)))
+  (let ((val (or (thing-at-point 'sexp)
+                 (thing-at-point 'defun))))
     (unless val
-      (error "No variable under point"))
-    (let ((str (read-string-from-buffer
-                (format ";; Edit the `%s' variable." (nth 0 var))
-                (prin1-to-string (nth 1 var)))))
+      (error "No value at point"))
+    (let* ((var (get-text-property 0 'help-fns--edit-variable val))
+           (str (read-string-from-buffer
+                 (format ";; Edit the `%s' variable." (nth 0 var))
+                 (prin1-to-string (nth 1 var)))))
       (set (nth 0 var) (read str)))))
 
 (defun help-fns--run-describe-functions (functions &rest args)

Additionally, I moved the `get-text-property' after the check, to ensure
that the indented error message is used.

Comments?

> Thanks,
> Eshel

-- 
	Philip Kaludercic on peregrine