view etc/future-bug @ 103765:7390f2dfe6b8

Standardize the way M-x commands are written: dashes inside command names, not spaces; spaces before <Return>. (Summary): Describe the new behavior of C-l. (Basic Cursor Control): Don't say that files "ought" to end in newlines. Try to distinguish scroll bar from fringes. You can also scroll with a wheel mouse. (If Emacs Stops Responding): Rename from "When Emacs is hung". (Inserting And Deleting): Continuation marks appear in the fringe. Clarify that deletion can be undone. Mention cut and paste, and the Glossary. (Files, Mode Line): Update mode-line format. (Extending The Command Set): Downplay C-z, since using Emacs on a text-only terminal is less common these days. (Searching): Incremental searching is no longer atypical. Downplay flow control issues, remove reference to deleted FAQ node. (Multiple Windows): Mention frames. (Multiple Frames): New section. (Getting More Help): Downplay C-h having a different binding. Don't say help is "on-line", since the meaning has changed. (More Features): Replace "on-line". Use C-h rather than F10 h. Say a little more about completion. (Conclusion): Don't mention C-z again here.

Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2199 21:03:50 -0600
From: Karl Fogel <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: M-x search-backward-in-time broken...
X-Windows: you'll envy the dead.

In GNU Emacs 51.70.4 (i9986-unknown-linux-gnu, X toolkit) of Sat Feb  20 2199 on floss
configured using `configure  --with-x-toolkit=yes'

        The `search-backward-in-time' function appears to be broken in
Emacs 51.70.

        Unfortunately, I can never seem to start the debugger early
enough to catch the error as it happens.  However I have traced the
problem through source by eye, and it looks like `time-forward' can't
handle negative arguments anymore.  This is consistent with other
symptoms: for example, `undo' (which since 51.25 has worked by passing
a negative arg to `time-forward') is also broken.  However, `do' still
works -- it seems that `time-forward' continues to handle positive
arguments just fine.

        No one here-and-now can figure out how to fix the problem,
because the code for `time-forward' is so hairy.  We're using M-x
report-future-emacs-bug to request that you folks include more
comments when you write it (sometime in 2198 as I recall).

        Thanks!

-Karl Fogel   <[e-mail]>


P.S. You'll be pleased to know that since (time-forward N) still works
     for N >= 0, we've used it to pre-emptively update configure.in.
     Emacs now configures and builds on every platform that will ever
     be made.  It wasn't easy, but at least that's one problem out of
     the way for good.  If you'd like the patch, just ask.