Re: xref-query-replace-in-results error message after xref-find-definitions, was: Re: bug#58158: 29.0.50; [overlay] Interval tree iteration considered harmful

[Dmitry Gutov]

On 11.10.2022 15:55, Eli Zaretskii wrote:

> > But we can try to be helpful by offering an alternative:
> >
> >     Cannot replace in this search; to rename a symbol, invoke
> > \\[xref-find-references] first
>
> But then we'd need to name the other 2 commands as well, to be
> accurate, yes?

If our conclusion is that the error is due to user trying to rename a 
symbol (and failing because xref-find-definitions's results don't allow 
them to do so), then xref-find-references is exactly the right suggestion.

Users who try to replace in regexp search matches don't see the error.

> > > > Perhaps I should remind that xref-find-definitions is still the main
> > > > exception -- where this command doesn't work.
> > >
> > > But not the only one?
> >
> > The only known one, so far.
>
> So maybe just saying
>
>    Cannot do global replacement using results of \\[xref-find-definitions]
>
> should be okay?

Isn't it almost the same as I suggested upthread? Except I suggested 
"this search" instead of naming the specific command.

Do you think naming it will be helpful enough to sacrifice the 10% 
accuracy of the message? I suppose someone might have indeed forgotten 
that they did the search using xref-find-definitions.

> > That would mean that one 'r' can work in lsp-mode's
> > xref-find-definitions results (they define a bunch of custom commands
> > like lsp-find-definition and lsp-find-declaration, but that probably
> > doesn't matter). Not sure if we should do something about that.
>
> If 'r' happens to work in that case, we don't have to worry about the
> error message, right?

That's correct, but having the command succeed might be a problem by 
itself, couldn't it? It will rename the definitions (and/or 
declarations), but not other occurrences.

If we go in from this direction, we can have 
xref-show-definitions-buffer (the default 
xref-show-definitions-function) ensure that the binding for 'r' is set 
to some command that always reports an error (like 'cannot replace in 
definitions'), or is unbound.

This would do nothing for custom values of 
xref-show-definitions-function, but should remove most of the confusion 
with default configuration. And some non-default ones as well (lsp-mode 
doesn't change the value of xref-show-definitions-function).

If the docstring of xref-show-definitions-function looks okay to you, we 
can use its vocabulary.

  Cannot replace in definition search results

should cover xref-find-definitions, lsp-find-definition and 
lsp-find-declaration. Wouldn't help with lsp-find-implementation, though 
(its results are also questionable WRT renaming because they don't 
include all references either), but it won't make it worse.