bug#20100: 24.4.91; Can't scroll a window while in minibuffer

[martin rudalics]

> I'm trying to write a completion package using `read-from-minibuffer'
> combined with `post-command-hook'.
>
> Everything is working OK, except when I want to sync the current
> completion candidate (one of buffer's lines) with the corresponding line
> in the buffer.
>
> This code, specifically `recenter', doesn't work:
>
> (with-current-buffer buf
>    (goto-char (point-min))
>    (forward-line (1- num))
>    (recenter))

I suppose that at the time you invoke `recenter', the selected window
doesn't show `buf'.  When with emacs -Q I do

(let ((buffer (get-buffer-create "*buffer*"))
      (line 0))
  (set-window-buffer nil buffer)
  (with-current-buffer buffer
    (while (< line 100)
      (insert (format "%02d\n" line))
      (setq line (1+ line))))

  (with-current-buffer buffer
    (goto-char (point-min))
    (forward-line 25)
    (recenter)))

then I see the line starting with "25" centered in the selected window.
Can you try modifying my example such that it "doesn't work for you"?

> However, this code will scroll the window (`buf' and `wnd' correspond to
> each other):
>
> (with-current-buffer buf
>    (goto-char (point-min))
>    (forward-line (1- num))
>    (setf (window-point wnd)
>          (point)))

The fact that you apparently have to

(setf (window-point wnd) (point))

seems to suport my claim above, namely that `wnd' is not selected at
that time.

> Still, it's not a perfect solution, since even after setting
> `window-point', (window-start wnd) and (window-end wnd t) will not
> return the correct thing.

What is the wrong thing and what would the correct thing be?  The only
function that should work "correctly" here is `set-window-start'.

> I'm pretty sure it's a bug and the code above should work as is, but I'd
> also appreciate pointers for achieving the scrolling and window bounds
> re-calculation for the current Emacs.

Beyond what you can read in the documentations, explaining `recenter' is
hardly possible without explaining redisplay as well.  You have to look
at its implementation.

martin