GNU bug report logs - #9557
24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area

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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 <at> gnu.org
Subject: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:19:54 +0200

Hi,

In my init file, I have `(fset 'yes-or-no-p 'y-or-n-p)' in order to
speed up the "yes/no" answers.  But I've just seen a minor problem
associated to it.

From "emacs -Q":
1. Eval: (fset 'yes-or-no-p 'y-or-n-p)
2. Visit some file.
3. M-x revert-buffer <RET> y
--> (Expected) The echo area ends up empty (as happens if you omit step #1).
--> (Observed) The echo area remains with a residual text "Revert
buffer from file <your-file>? (y or n)  y".


In GNU Emacs 24.0.50.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2011-09-12 on 3249CTO
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (4.5) --no-opt'

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #8 received at 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> linux-m68k.org>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:38:21 +0200

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

> 1. Eval: (fset 'yes-or-no-p 'y-or-n-p)
> 2. Visit some file.
> 3. M-x revert-buffer <RET> y
> --> (Expected) The echo area ends up empty (as happens if you omit step #1).

Since yes-or-no-p doesn't use the echo area (it uses the minibuffer) you
cannot compare it with y-or-n-p.

Andreas.

-- 
Andreas Schwab, schwab <at> linux-m68k.org
GPG Key fingerprint = 58CA 54C7 6D53 942B 1756  01D3 44D5 214B 8276 4ED5
"And now for something completely different."

Message #11 received at 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> linux-m68k.org>
Cc: 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:43:41 +0200

> Since yes-or-no-p doesn't use the echo area (it uses the minibuffer) you
> cannot compare it with y-or-n-p.

The question is: from an user POV, is there a way to achieve the
behavior I want (short answers), without the "residual text" problem?

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #14 received at 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:00:58 -0400

> Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:19:54 +0200
> From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
> 
> 1. Eval: (fset 'yes-or-no-p 'y-or-n-p)
> 2. Visit some file.
> 3. M-x revert-buffer <RET> y
> --> (Expected) The echo area ends up empty (as happens if you omit step #1).
> --> (Observed) The echo area remains with a residual text "Revert
> buffer from file <your-file>? (y or n)  y".

y-or-n-p deliberately displays the prompt with your response before it
returns to the caller, see the source.  It does that because
otherwise you would not have a chance of observing your response.

Message #17 received at 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, schwab <at> linux-m68k.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 06:02:08 -0400

> Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:43:41 +0200
> From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
> Cc: 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> The question is: from an user POV, is there a way to achieve the
> behavior I want (short answers), without the "residual text" problem?

If you really don't want to see your response, write your own function
that calls y-or-n-p, clears the echo area (by displaying an empty
message), then returns the value returned by y-or-n-p.

Message #20 received at 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:27:17 +0200

> y-or-n-p deliberately displays the prompt with your response before it
> returns to the caller, see the source.  It does that because
> otherwise you would not have a chance of observing your response.

Ah, ok.

In my case, I find that echo a bit unnecessary/disconcerting (hence
this bug report).

What about adding a variable to control that echo (with default value
"on", to keep the current behavior untouched)?

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #23 received at 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Juri Linkov <juri <at> jurta.org>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:54:11 +0300

>> y-or-n-p deliberately displays the prompt with your response before it
>> returns to the caller, see the source.  It does that because
>> otherwise you would not have a chance of observing your response.
>
> Ah, ok.
>
> In my case, I find that echo a bit unnecessary/disconcerting (hence
> this bug report).
>
> What about adding a variable to control that echo (with default value
> "on", to keep the current behavior untouched)?

You can put in your .emacs:

(defadvice y-or-n-p (around y-or-n-p act)
  (let ((answer ad-do-it))
    (message "")
    answer))

Message #26 received at 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
To: Juri Linkov <juri <at> jurta.org>
Cc: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, 9557 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:47:54 +0200

>> In my case, I find that echo a bit unnecessary/disconcerting (hence
>> this bug report).
>>
>> What about adding a variable to control that echo (with default value
>> "on", to keep the current behavior untouched)?
>
> You can put in your .emacs:
>
> (defadvice y-or-n-p (around y-or-n-p act)
>  (let ((answer ad-do-it))
>    (message "")
>    answer))
>

Thanks, Juri.  It works fine.  I'll use it.

I was going to propose another (more flexible) alternative: Instead of
storing a boolean value in a variable (to switch echoing on/off),
store a time delay, after which the echoed text would be removed (if
was not already removed by another event).  A value of 0 would mean
"don't echo", and a value greater that some limit would mean "never
remove" (as now).

But if no one else thinks that this change is worthwhile, you can
close this bug report.

Thanks again.

-- 
Dani Moncayo

Message #33 received at 9557-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Juri Linkov <juri <at> jurta.org>
To: Dani Moncayo <dmoncayo <at> gmail.com>
Cc: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, 9557-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9557: 24.0.50; "y-or-n-p" does not clear the echo area
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:16:19 +0300

tags 9557 notabug wontfix
thanks

> But if no one else thinks that this change is worthwhile, you can
> close this bug report.

I doubt that anyone might want to miss information about the incorrect answer.
IOW, more information is better than less information.

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