Re: bookmark.el and lisp/gnus/gnus-bookmark.el

[Stefan Monnier]

>>> (defun bookmark-make-record-for-text-file (annotation &optional name)
>>> "Return the record.  
>>> If optional arg NAME is non-nil, just return the default name for
>>> this bookmark."
>>> ...)
>> 
>>> I think it's easier.  Each mode should have to worry about one
>>> buffer-local variable (and each dev would only read one docstring...)
>> 
>> This might work, tho I'd throw away the `name' arg.  Let the
>> buffer-local function build a bookmark record (i.e. a cons cell of the
>> form (NAME . ALIST)) with any name it chooses, and then change the name
>> according to the user's choice.  I.e. make the bookmark record before
>> even prompting the user for a name.

> Following Karl advice I've applied a different patch.  There is now
> `bookmark-make-name-function' *and* `bookmark-make-record-function',
> both buffer local.  For an example on how this is supposed to work 
> look at the changes I've made in info.el.  

> I think it's okay like this.  If you plan to change anything please 
> tell me before I work on gnus-bookmark.el. 

I think we should do as I suggest above: a single function of no
arguments that is called first that returns a bookmark record, including
a suggested name (which can be nil so as to use the default heuristic
to decide the default bookmark name).

This has another advantage: since the function is called first, it can
signal an error if the bookmark can't be created (e.g. if
buffer-file-name is nil), so we can drop the (or (local-variable-p ...)
(bookmark-buffer-file-name) (error ...)) test which is currently forced
to guess whether the actual bookmark construction function will work.


        Stefan