GNU bug report logs - #77307
30.1; Could have just hit return

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

From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 30.1; Could have just hit return
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2025 19:29:01 +0800

When we see
'Are you sure you want to quit reading news? (y or n)'
it turns out hitting RET works the same as n.
So say
'Are you sure you want to quit reading news? (y or n/RET)'
etc. I.e., no more unnecessary hunting for n on the keyboard.

Message #8 received at 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>, 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#77307: 30.1; Could have just hit return
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 00:14:55 +0000

Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org> writes:

> When we see
> 'Are you sure you want to quit reading news? (y or n)'
> it turns out hitting RET works the same as n.
> So say
> 'Are you sure you want to quit reading news? (y or n/RET)'
> etc. I.e., no more unnecessary hunting for n on the keyboard.

I think the clear and readable prompt is more important than mentioning
this obscure feature, that users will either stumble upon or not.

I'd lean towards closing this as a wontfix.

Message #13 received at 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#77307: 30.1; Could have just hit return
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:07:03 +0800

One also notices in (describe-function 'y-or-n-p):

> No confirmation of the answer is requested; a single character is
> enough.  SPC also means yes, and DEL means no.

> To be precise....

but still it is not clear that just hitting RET equals "n".
Or maybe it doesn't always.

Message #16 received at 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#77307: 30.1; Could have just hit return
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:09:40 +0800

Anyways, for such cases, there is a 50% chance that RET could mean y,
and a 50% chance that 50% could mean n, at least in users' minds, so it
would be best to be clear. 

Message #19 received at 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
Cc: stefankangas <at> gmail.com, 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#77307: 30.1; Could have just hit return
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:44:24 +0300

> Cc: 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
> Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:07:03 +0800
> 
> One also notices in (describe-function 'y-or-n-p):
> 
> > No confirmation of the answer is requested; a single character is
> > enough.  SPC also means yes, and DEL means no.
> 
> > To be precise....
> 
> but still it is not clear that just hitting RET equals "n".
> Or maybe it doesn't always.

RET means the default, whatever that is.

Message #22 received at 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: stefankangas <at> gmail.com, 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#77307: 30.1; Could have just hit return
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:51:00 +0800

EZ> RET means the default, whatever that is.

Can the default please be revealed to the user?
Yes, I know they can just hit RET to find out.
But I'm talking about before they hit RET.

Message #25 received at 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
Cc: stefankangas <at> gmail.com, 77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#77307: 30.1; Could have just hit return
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:34:18 +0300

> From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
> Cc: stefankangas <at> gmail.com,  77307 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:51:00 +0800
> 
> EZ> RET means the default, whatever that is.
> 
> Can the default please be revealed to the user?

It isn't always explicit in the call.  Sometimes the code says
something like "unless the user types "y", treat that as "n".  In
those cases, the function that actually prompts doesn't know what is
"the default".

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