Re: Syntax tables for multiple modes [was: bug#22983: syntax-ppss returns wrong result.]

[Alan Mackenzie]

Hello, Vitalie.

On Mon, Mar 21, 2016 at 05:42:51PM +0100, Vitalie Spinu wrote:

> >> On Mon, Mar 21 2016 10:43, Stefan Monnier wrote:

> >> parse-partial-sexp is called from code exclusively and it just happens
> >> that in multi-modes it is called outside of narrow region quite often.

> > How/why?  Can you give some concrete scenario?

> MM engine narrows to span region for a lot of tasks, most importantly
> font-lock. If inner mode fortification functions misbehaves (ignoring
> font-lock-dont-widen for example) like c-mode does this leads to trouble.

That's a misunderstanding of what `font-lock-dont-widen' is.  It's
purely a signal to font-lock.  Its doc string makes clear that it's
intended for use by major modes.  It is for a major mode to set this
flag, not to act on it.

CC Mode absolutely needs to widen, to get the context necessary for
correct fontification and indentation (which can be an arbitrary depth).  

> So to avoid those troubles you would advice individual functions and
> narrow them properly or apply other tricks like overwriting output
> value or input args.  It all works fine till that function calls
> parse-partial-sexp (or some other low level function) and blows with
> args-out-of-range error.

Reading some of the posts on emacs-devel today, it strikes me that
narrowing might be the wrong tool for marking the boundaries of distinct
regions where different major modes are in effect.  It seems to cause
nothing but trouble.  I don't know what the right tool is, and it may
not currently exist in Emacs.  But it might be a good use of time to
work out what properties such boundary markers ought to have, and if
necessary, to implement them.

[ .... ]


>   Vitalie

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).