GNU bug report logs - #75645
Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for registers

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

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 11:50:23 +0100

Severity: wishlist.

While analyzing source code files, I use (a lot) the functionality of
keeping buffer
positions in registers ((point-to-register) and (jump-to-register)).

But I miss being able to display the current list of registers in a new buffer
similar to the one generated for bookmarks with the command
(bookmark-bmenu-list).

And following the analogy, I'd like that new buffer to allow things like:
* Delete one, several, or all registers.
* Jump to the position pointed by some register, by clicking (or
pressing ENTER) on its line.

I'd very much like to have such a feature, and I think others would like it too.
Thanks.

In GNU Emacs 31.0.50 (build 32, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version
 3.24.41, cairo version 1.18.0) of 2025-01-18 built on C11-Q8YAKWONJX0
Repository revision: 43c2e49d19f2e7a840507ae9e728b623fcb7c341
Repository branch: master
Windowing system distributor 'Microsoft Corporation', version 11.0.12010000
System Description: Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS

Configured features:
CAIRO DBUS FREETYPE GIF GLIB GMP GNUTLS GSETTINGS HARFBUZZ JPEG
LIBSELINUX LIBXML2 MODULES NOTIFY INOTIFY PDUMPER PNG SECCOMP SOUND
THREADS TIFF TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS TREE_SITTER WEBP X11 XDBE XIM XINPUT2
XPM GTK3 ZLIB

Important settings:
  value of $LANG: C.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #8 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ship Mints <shipmints <at> gmail.com>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 06:00:29 -0500

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

If you don't mind using a package, Daniel Mendler's consult package
supports viewing registers.

https://github.com/minad/consult?tab=readme-ov-file#register

Along with a raft of other great features.

On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 5:51 AM Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> wrote:

> Severity: wishlist.
>
> While analyzing source code files, I use (a lot) the functionality of
> keeping buffer
> positions in registers ((point-to-register) and (jump-to-register)).
>
> But I miss being able to display the current list of registers in a new
> buffer
> similar to the one generated for bookmarks with the command
> (bookmark-bmenu-list).
>
> And following the analogy, I'd like that new buffer to allow things like:
> * Delete one, several, or all registers.
> * Jump to the position pointed by some register, by clicking (or
> pressing ENTER) on its line.
>
> I'd very much like to have such a feature, and I think others would like
> it too.
> Thanks.
>
> In GNU Emacs 31.0.50 (build 32, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version
>  3.24.41, cairo version 1.18.0) of 2025-01-18 built on C11-Q8YAKWONJX0
> Repository revision: 43c2e49d19f2e7a840507ae9e728b623fcb7c341
> Repository branch: master
> Windowing system distributor 'Microsoft Corporation', version 11.0.12010000
> System Description: Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS
>
> Configured features:
> CAIRO DBUS FREETYPE GIF GLIB GMP GNUTLS GSETTINGS HARFBUZZ JPEG
> LIBSELINUX LIBXML2 MODULES NOTIFY INOTIFY PDUMPER PNG SECCOMP SOUND
> THREADS TIFF TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS TREE_SITTER WEBP X11 XDBE XIM XINPUT2
> XPM GTK3 ZLIB
>
> Important settings:
>   value of $LANG: C.UTF-8
>   locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix
>
> --
> Dani Moncayo
>
>
>
>

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

Message #11 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>, Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>
Cc: 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 14:06:59 +0200

> From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 11:50:23 +0100
> 
> While analyzing source code files, I use (a lot) the functionality of
> keeping buffer
> positions in registers ((point-to-register) and (jump-to-register)).
> 
> But I miss being able to display the current list of registers in a new buffer
> similar to the one generated for bookmarks with the command
> (bookmark-bmenu-list).
> 
> And following the analogy, I'd like that new buffer to allow things like:
> * Delete one, several, or all registers.
> * Jump to the position pointed by some register, by clicking (or
> pressing ENTER) on its line.
> 
> I'd very much like to have such a feature, and I think others would like it too.

Thanks.

Thierry, any comments or suggestions?

Message #14 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 14:49:55 +0100

By the way, I also miss a command to reset/clear the list of registers.

For now, I have the below code in my init file.  I find it useful when
I'm about to start a new research, and what to start anew with an
empty list of registers.

Something like this may be useful for others, I think.

-------
(defun clear-all-registers ()
  "Clear all registers."
  (interactive)
  (setq register-alist nil)
  (message "All registers have been cleared."))
(define-key global-map [?\C-x?r?a] 'clear-all-registers)

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #17 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>, 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 17:03:19 +0000

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

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
>> Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 11:50:23 +0100
>> 
>> While analyzing source code files, I use (a lot) the functionality of
>> keeping buffer
>> positions in registers ((point-to-register) and (jump-to-register)).
>> 
>> But I miss being able to display the current list of registers in a new buffer
>> similar to the one generated for bookmarks with the command
>> (bookmark-bmenu-list).
>> 
>> And following the analogy, I'd like that new buffer to allow things like:
>> * Delete one, several, or all registers.
>> * Jump to the position pointed by some register, by clicking (or
>> pressing ENTER) on its line.
>> 
>> I'd very much like to have such a feature, and I think others would like it too.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Thierry, any comments or suggestions?

It is easy to provide a delete register command for Emacs, however with
the preview interface we can delete only one register at once:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(customize-set-variable 'register-use-preview 'insist)

(defun register-delete (register)
  (interactive (list (register-read-with-preview "Delete register: ")))
  (setq register-alist (delete (assoc register register-alist)
                               register-alist)))

(cl-defmethod register-command-info ((_command (eql register-delete)))
  (make-register-preview-info
   :types '(all)
   :msg "Delete register `%s'"
   :act 'modify
   :smatch t))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---


But for this use case why not using bookmarks instead of registers?

Note: Helm provides a command (helm-register) that does what you are
asking.

-- 
Thierry

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Message #20 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>
Cc: 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 19:07:56 +0100

On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 5:56 PM Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net> wrote:
>
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:
>
> >> From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
> >> Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 11:50:23 +0100
> >>
> >> While analyzing source code files, I use (a lot) the functionality of
> >> keeping buffer
> >> positions in registers ((point-to-register) and (jump-to-register)).
> >>
> >> But I miss being able to display the current list of registers in a new buffer
> >> similar to the one generated for bookmarks with the command
> >> (bookmark-bmenu-list).
> >>
> >> And following the analogy, I'd like that new buffer to allow things like:
> >> * Delete one, several, or all registers.
> >> * Jump to the position pointed by some register, by clicking (or
> >> pressing ENTER) on its line.
> >>
> >> I'd very much like to have such a feature, and I think others would like it too.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Thierry, any comments or suggestions?
>
> It is easy to provide a delete register command for Emacs, however with
> the preview interface we can delete only one register at once:
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> (customize-set-variable 'register-use-preview 'insist)
>
> (defun register-delete (register)
>   (interactive (list (register-read-with-preview "Delete register: ")))
>   (setq register-alist (delete (assoc register register-alist)
>                                register-alist)))
>
> (cl-defmethod register-command-info ((_command (eql register-delete)))
>   (make-register-preview-info
>    :types '(all)
>    :msg "Delete register `%s'"
>    :act 'modify
>    :smatch t))
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

I like that (register-delete) command.  But I think it should error
out if I specify an already empty register.

I propose to add it to Emacs, and also a command to delete all registers.

I would be OK with these two.

>
> But for this use case why not using bookmarks instead of registers?
>

I use registers for temporary, single-session things (analysis of source code).
It would be cumbersome to use bookmarks for that.

> Note: Helm provides a command (helm-register) that does what you are
> asking.

Maybe I'll check it out if I find time.  Thanks.

> --
> Thierry


-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #23 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>, 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 18:26:29 +0000

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

Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> writes:

> On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 5:56 PM Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net> wrote:
>>
>> Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:
>>
>> >> From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
>> >> Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 11:50:23 +0100
>> >>
>> >> While analyzing source code files, I use (a lot) the functionality of
>> >> keeping buffer
>> >> positions in registers ((point-to-register) and (jump-to-register)).
>> >>
>> >> But I miss being able to display the current list of registers in a new buffer
>> >> similar to the one generated for bookmarks with the command
>> >> (bookmark-bmenu-list).
>> >>
>> >> And following the analogy, I'd like that new buffer to allow things like:
>> >> * Delete one, several, or all registers.
>> >> * Jump to the position pointed by some register, by clicking (or
>> >> pressing ENTER) on its line.
>> >>
>> >> I'd very much like to have such a feature, and I think others would like it too.
>> >
>> > Thanks.
>> >
>> > Thierry, any comments or suggestions?
>>
>> It is easy to provide a delete register command for Emacs, however with
>> the preview interface we can delete only one register at once:
>>
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>> (customize-set-variable 'register-use-preview 'insist)
>>
>> (defun register-delete (register)
>>   (interactive (list (register-read-with-preview "Delete register: ")))
>>   (setq register-alist (delete (assoc register register-alist)
>>                                register-alist)))
>>
>> (cl-defmethod register-command-info ((_command (eql register-delete)))
>>   (make-register-preview-info
>>    :types '(all)
>>    :msg "Delete register `%s'"
>>    :act 'modify
>>    :smatch t))
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
> I like that (register-delete) command.  But I think it should error
> out if I specify an already empty register.

You can't (try to) delete an empty register with the preview.

-- 
Thierry

[signature.asc (application/pgp-signature, inline)]

Message #26 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>
Cc: 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 19:44:01 +0100

On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 7:20 PM Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net> wrote:
>
> Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> writes:
> >
> > I like that (register-delete) command.  But I think it should error
> > out if I specify an already empty register.
>
> You can't (try to) delete an empty register with the preview.

(??) Maybe I'm missing something.

If I execute the (delete-register) command you wrote, and then I type
a key which doesn't currently have any register value, what I see is
that the preview window and the prompt message disappear, as if the
command had finished correctly. But I could have accidentally hit the
wrong key, and thought everything went well, when it didn't.

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #29 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>
Cc: 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 20:06:01 +0100

On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 7:44 PM Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 7:20 PM Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net> wrote:
> >
> > Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> writes:
> > >
> > > I like that (register-delete) command.  But I think it should error
> > > out if I specify an already empty register.
> >
> > You can't (try to) delete an empty register with the preview.
>
> (??) Maybe I'm missing something.
>
> If I execute the (delete-register) command you wrote, and then I type
> a key which doesn't currently have any register value, what I see is
> that the preview window and the prompt message disappear, as if the
> command had finished correctly. But I could have accidentally hit the
> wrong key, and thought everything went well, when it didn't.

Oh, I think I found the misunderstanding: If I do
(customize-set-variable 'register-use-preview 'insist), then I indeed
get an error ("[not matching]") in the echo area.

But with the default value of register-use-preview (traditional), the
(delete-register) command should error out if I try to delete an empty
register, like it does if I try to jump to an empty register.

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #32 received at 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>, 75645 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#75645: Implement something like (bookmark-bmenu-list) for
 registers
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2025 20:13:50 +0000

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

Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> writes:

> On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 7:44 PM Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> On Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 7:20 PM Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com> writes:
>> > >
>> > > I like that (register-delete) command.  But I think it should error
>> > > out if I specify an already empty register.
>> >
>> > You can't (try to) delete an empty register with the preview.
>>
>> (??) Maybe I'm missing something.
>>
>> If I execute the (delete-register) command you wrote, and then I type
>> a key which doesn't currently have any register value, what I see is
>> that the preview window and the prompt message disappear, as if the
>> command had finished correctly. But I could have accidentally hit the
>> wrong key, and thought everything went well, when it didn't.
>
> Oh, I think I found the misunderstanding: If I do
> (customize-set-variable 'register-use-preview 'insist), then I indeed
> get an error ("[not matching]") in the echo area.
>
> But with the default value of register-use-preview (traditional), the
> (delete-register) command should error out if I try to delete an empty
> register, like it does if I try to jump to an empty register.

Yes the default value (traditional) doesn't handle properly such issues
among other things.

-- 
Thierry

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