bug#21391: 24.5; `thing-at-point' should return a string

[Dmitry Gutov]

On 09.11.2016 19:58, Drew Adams wrote:

> It has no problem that I'm aware of.  What's the problem?
> `number-at-point' returns a number, as it should.
> `list-at-point' returns a list, as it should, and so on.

No problem there.

> (get 'number 'thing-at-point) returns `number-at-point', which
> is 100% reasonable.

Not at all. As I've explained previously.

> > or people will have to remain content not to use thing-at-point
> > with NO-PROPERTIES argument on them.
>
> What is "them"?

The third-party things.

> Not wanting someone to use (thing-at-point 'number) to return
> a number via (get 'number 'thing-at-point) is one thing.
> And it is already addressed by what I proposed.

I must have missed that proposal.

> Not wanting to let (get 'number 'thing-at-point) to return a
> function that returns a number is quite another thing altogether.
> And it is totally uncalled for.

Isn't that one and the same?

> I disagreed with it strongly in the context of bug #9300, where you
> were the lone voice proclaiming it.  You apparently view the only
> use of this functionality as returning a string near (not at) point
> that can be used as an input default value.  thingatpt.el is much
> more than that.  It is very important that it be able to be used
> to test whether there (really) is a given THING _at_ point (not
> just somewhere near point).

That seems orthogonal to the current discussion.