Re: Why the odd interactive form in byte-compile-file?

[Daniel Colascione]

On 01/15/2014 06:46 AM, Stefan Monnier wrote:
> > > > Is there some deeper reason we're not using code that looks like this?
> > > > (interactive
> > > >      (list (read-file-name (if current-prefix-arg
> > > >                                "Byte compile and load file: "
> > > >                              "Byte compile file: "))
> > > >            current-prefix-arg))
> > > The current ‘interactive’ form supplies DIR and DEFAULT-FILENAME args to
> > > ‘read-file-name’ if the current buffer is Emacs Lisp (ish).  Those are
> > > available to the user via ‘M-n’.
> > Why is that useful?
>
> Because you can compile the current buffer's file by just hitting RET.

Sure, but that also works without the file-dir and file-name parameters 
being passed at all.