bug#12394: 24.2.50; wdired: error when wdired-use-interactive-rename is non-nil

[Michael Heerdegen]

Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen@web.de> writes:

> when you have set `wdired-use-interactive-rename' to non-nil, and you
> add something to the front of a filename when in wdired-mode, you get
> an error after hitting C-c C-c.

But wait.  There are many more problems with
`wdired-use-interactive-rename' non-nil.

All in emacs -Q:

1.  When I hit ! at the prompt after hitting C-c C-c to perform changes,
this has not the desired effect.  Emacs still asks me one time for every
remaining renaming action.

2.  If I hit n when Emacs prompts, I get this error:

dired-create-files: No buffer named *Dired log*

3.  I also noticed that `wdired-use-interactive-rename' non-nil is not
usable at all when circular renamings are to be done.  You end up with
files renamed to a temporary name.  E.g. try to switch the names of two
files, and see what you get.

To sum up, setting `wdired-use-interactive-rename' to a non-nil value
breaks many many things.

I also think that the questions you would get when performing circular
renamings would confuse many users, if we would get it work.

In general, IMHO `wdired-use-interactive-rename' is not very useful at
all.  I never used it, and the fact that all these problems were never
reported by anyone before indicates that not many people are using it.

I suggest to remove it completely.  Instead, it would be better to
ask the user in a way similar to e.g. C in dired, like

Really perform these renamings?

a -> b
b -> a
file-x -> file-y
...

But I'm open to other suggestions.  Any opinions?


Thanks,

Michael.