Subject: bug#8686: 24.0.50; `re-search-backward' does not respect `search-invisible'

From: Drew Adams <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2016 06:51:51 -0700 (PDT)

> > My impression is that `re-search-backward' and `*-forward' do not
> > respect `search-invisible'.  This makes it difficult if not impossible
> > to use them in code to not find matches in hidden text.  Why would this
> > variable be respected only in the Isearch Lisp code?  What am I missing?
> 
> Well, `search-invisible' is documented as only applying to interactive
> searches:
> 
> ----
> 
> search-invisible is a variable defined in 'isearch.el'.
> Its value is 'open'
> 
> Documentation:
> If t incremental search/query-replace can match hidden text.
> A nil value means don't match invisible text.
> 
> ----
> 
> If you want code not to match invisible text, you have to make your code
> check for the visibility.  Closing.

I don't think this is correct.  Did you check whether it
truly works only for interactive use?  It is a general
test, used in multiple places now (including `perform-replace').