Package: emacs;
Reported by: James Cherti <contact <at> jamescherti.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2025 18:10:02 UTC
Severity: normal
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From: James Cherti <contact <at> jamescherti.com> To: Rahguzar <rahguzar <at> mailbox.org> Cc: 79286 <at> debbugs.gnu.org Subject: bug#79286: outline-mode: attempting to open folded sections does not work as expected inside a deeply nested header Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:47:15 -0400
Here is an improved version of my-outline-show-entry that
I am currently using to address this issue in my
configuration.
I would greatly appreciate any comments or suggestions
prior to finalizing the patch.
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
;; Author James Cherti
;; GitHub: https://github.com/jamescherti
(defun my-outline-legacy-show-entry ()
"Show the body directly following this heading.
Show the heading too, if it is currently invisible.
(This is the Emacs version of `outline-show-entry'.)"
(interactive)
(save-excursion
(outline-back-to-heading t)
(outline-flag-region (1- (point))
(progn
(outline-next-preface)
(if (= 1 (- (point-max) (point)))
(point-max)
(point)))
nil)))
(defun my-outline-heading-folded-p ()
"Return non-nil if the body following the current heading is folded."
(save-excursion
(end-of-line)
(outline-invisible-p (point))))
(defun my-outline-show-entry ()
"Ensure the current heading and body are fully visible.
Repeatedly reveal children and body until the entry is no longer folded."
(interactive)
(save-excursion
;; Repeatedly reveal children and body until the entry is no longer
folded
(while (my-outline-heading-folded-p)
(save-excursion
(outline-back-to-heading)
(outline-show-children)
(my-outline-legacy-show-entry)))
;; Final pass to guarantee the heading under the cursor and its
body are
;; visible
(my-outline-legacy-show-entry)))
;; Advice
(advice-add 'outline-show-entry :override #'my-outline-show-entry)
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
--
James Cherti
GitHub: https://github.com/jamescherti
Website: https://www.jamescherti.com/
On 2025-08-21 15:09, James Cherti wrote:
> On 2025-08-21 14:34, Rahguzar wrote:
>> Hi James,
>
> Hi Rahguzar,
>
>> James Cherti <contact <at> jamescherti.com> writes:
>>
>>> When using outline-mode or outline-minor-mode, attempting to
>>> open folded sections (outline-show-entry) does not work as
>>> expected when the cursor is positioned inside a deeply
>>> nested header.
>>>
>>> Steps to Reproduce:
>>> -------------------
>>> 1. Open an outline-mode buffer with multiple
>>> nested headers, for example:
>>>
>>> Level 1
>>> ** Level 2
>>> *** Level 3
>>> **** Level 4: A
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> **** Level 4: B
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> **** Level 4: C
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here< PUT THE CURSOR HERE
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> **** Level 4: D
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> **** Level 4: E
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>> Some content here
>>>
>>> 2. Put the cursor before `< PUT THE CURSOR HERE`
>>>
>>> 3. Collapse all folds with: (hide-sublevels 1)
>>>
>>> 6. Show entry: (outline-show-entry)
>>>
>>> The folds fail to expand fully in nested hierarchies, leaving all
>>> content hidden except for `level 4: C`.
>>>
>>> Screenshot:
>>> https://github.com/user-attachments/
>>> assets/2ea6c3bd-0284-40a7-90e5-1619bdf3acc5
>>>
>>> Expected Behavior:
>>> ------------------
>>> The expected behavior is that only the heading at point (and
>>> its associated content) should be expanded, while all
>>> ancestor headings remain collapsed. (Similar to other editors.)
>>>
>>> Actual Behavior:
>>> ----------------
>>> Only the heading at point expands, while other headings
>>> remain invisible, which is confusing. In some cases, these
>>> hidden headings cannot be revealed until the parent heading
>>> is first collapsed and then expanded again.
>>
>> I have encountered this with isearch and was able to fix this
>> with in my init file.
>>
>> ```emacs-lisp
>> (defun +outline-reveal (pos)
>> (let ((heading-pos nil))
>> (while (not (eq heading-pos (progn (outline-back-to-heading)
>> (point))))
>> (setq heading-pos (point))
>> (outline-show-children)
>> (goto-char pos))
>> (outline-show-entry)
>> (goto-char pos)))
>>
>> (defun +outline-invsible-open (&optional _)
>> (when (and outline-minor-mode
>> (outline-invisible-p))
>> (+outline-reveal (point))))
>>
>> (setq outline-isearch-open-invisible-function #'+outline-invsible-
>> open)
>> ```
>> With an interactive spec the function +outline-reveal can be used as an
>> alternative to outline-show-entry without this problem but I can't
>> imagine a scenario where that might be needed.
>>
>
> Unfortunately, neither `+outline-reveal` nor `+outline-invisible-open`
> resolves this issue.
>
> I wrote the following Elisp code to fix this issue:
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> ;; Author James Cherti
> ;; GitHub: https://github.com/jamescherti
> (defun my-outline-show-entry ()
> "Show the body directly following this heading.
> Show the heading too, if it is currently invisible."
> (interactive)
>
> ;; Show previous headers
> (unless (derived-mode-p 'outline-indent-minor-mode)
> (save-excursion
> (let ((func-invisible-p
> (cond
> ((and (derived-mode-p 'org-mode)
> (fboundp 'org-invisible-p))
> 'org-invisible-p)
>
> ((and (or (derived-mode-p 'outline-mode)
> (derived-mode-p 'outline-minor-mode))
> (fboundp 'outline-invisible-p))
> 'outline-invisible-p)
>
> (t
> 'invisible-p)))
> (initial-point (point))
> (visual-point nil)
> (visual-init-point nil))
> ;; Unfolding loop
> (while (and
> ;; Folded?
> (save-excursion
> (end-of-line)
> (funcall func-invisible-p (point)))
> ;; When the real point differs from the visual point,
> it indicates
> ;; that the cursor is still located within a hidden
> header.
> ;;
> ;; This prevents infinite loops if the unfolding stops
> changing
> ;; the cursor position.
> (or
> (not visual-init-point)
> (not visual-point)
> (/= visual-init-point visual-point)))
>
> (save-excursion
> (outline-back-to-heading)
> (beginning-of-line)
> (setq visual-point (point))
> (with-no-warnings
> (show-children))
>
> ;; Go back to point
> (goto-char initial-point)
> (outline-back-to-heading)
> (beginning-of-line)
> (setq visual-init-point (point))))
>
> ;; Previous version of `outline-show-entry'
> (save-excursion
> (outline-back-to-heading t)
> (outline-flag-region (1- (point))
> (progn
> (outline-next-preface)
> (if (= 1 (- (point-max) (point)))
> (point-max)
> (point)))
> nil))))))
>
> (advice-add 'outline-show-entry :override #'my-outline-show-entry)
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>
> This could likely be simplified using built-in functions.
> I welcome any suggestions for improvement.
>
>>> Environment:
>>> ------------
>>> * Emacs version: 30.2 and master branch
>>> (ade6608e2587452c8ea565ce3057879379ebd0b5)
>>>
>>> --
>>> James Cherti
>>> GitHub: https://github.com/jamescherti
>>> Website: https://www.jamescherti.com/
>>
>> Rahguzar
>
> --
> James Cherti
> GitHub: https://github.com/jamescherti
> Website: https://www.jamescherti.com/
>
>
>
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