Re: Strange use of (run-with-timer 0 nil #'foo args) in do-after-load-evaluation

[Alan Mackenzie]

Hello, Stefan.

On Sat, Oct 26, 2019 at 08:41:27 -0400, Stefan Monnier wrote:
> >           (run-with-timer 0 nil
> >                           (lambda (msg)
> >                             (message "%s" msg))
> >                           msg)

> > run-with-timer is being used to run message once, immediately.
> > Why not just call message?

> Good question.  It's been that way since

>     commit 5766c380eec20a19844253cbb511922b6c70fc0b
>     Author: Stefan Monnier <address@hidden>
>     Date:   Sat Sep 12 03:35:40 2009 +0000
    
>         * lread.c (Fload): Don't output a message after loading an obsolete
>         package any more (done in Lisp now).
>         * subr.el (do-after-load-evaluation): Warn the user after loading an
>         obsolete package.

> but I can't see any trace of an explanation nor can I find it in my memory.

> > What is going on, here?  Is the run-with-timer mechanism being used
> > deliberately to make the "deprecated" message prevail over other
> > messages?

> That's my best guess, yes.

I think I can see what's happening, now.  The (run-with-timer 0 nil ...)
mechanism doesn't trigger its function until Emacs is waiting for input.
This will be in the minibuffer routines, just after the y-or-n-p has
displayed its prompt string and tries to read a character.  So the
(run-with-timer ...) message will overwrite any prompt string.

I have counted 11 occurrences of run-with-timer or run-at-time with a
zero delay in them.

So, the (run-with-timer ...) seems indeed to be being used to raise the
"priority" of its message.  Maybe a simple message call should be used
here instead.

> > The current situation seems unsatisfactory; the prompt from
> > hack-local-variables is more important than the deprecation message,
> > and shouldn't be obscured by it.

> It's a kind of general problem with messages, indeed.

Yes.

>         Stefan

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).