Re: Problem advising nreverse.

[Pascal J. Bourguignon]

Sergei Organov <osv@javad.com> writes:

> pjb@informatimago.com (Pascal J. Bourguignon) writes:
>
>> Sergei Organov <osv@javad.com> writes:
>>
>>> pjb@informatimago.com (Pascal J. Bourguignon) writes:
>>>> Sergei Organov <osv@javad.com> writes:
>>>>
>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>
>>>>> It seems that an advice set for `nreverse' function fails to be called
>>>>> when `nreverse' is called from a byte compiled function:
>>>
>>> [...]
>>>
>>>>> Is it bug or feature? What's going on here? 
>>>>
>>>> Indeed, it is a feature.
>>>>
>>>> Advices are not available from several call points:
>>>>
>>>> 1- when the advised function is called from C code.
>>>>
>>>> 2- when the advised function is a an opcode of the virtual machine.
>>>>    You can observe the difference between the two primitives nreverse
>>>>    and buffer-name for example, with:     
>>>>
>>>>      (disassemble (byte-compile (lambda (x) (nreverse x))))
>>>>    vs.:
>>>>      (disassemble (byte-compile (lambda (x) (buffer-name x))))
>>>>
>>>>    In the former case, nreverse is a byte code, and therefore no
>>>>    advice applies.  In the later case, buffer-name is called with the
>>>>    call byte code, which will go thru the advice.
>>>>
>>>> Notice that if you really want to advice such a low level primitive
>>>> function as nreverse, you can replace it with a lisp function (and
>>>> recompile all the code that uses it).
>>>
>>> Thanks a lot for the explanations and suggestion.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately this is not an option as intention was to advise
>>> `nreverse' during calls to a possibly buggy `ewoc-collect' function that
>>> for a long time errorneously called `nreverse' at the end (fixed since
>>> 2008).
>>
>> Redefining nreverse and reloading the ewoc-collect function would help
>> as indicated...
>
> Yeah, but:
>
> 1. I don't really want `nreverse' to be always redefined.

Of course.  You do that only while "debugging" ewoc-collect.  Then you
can either put back the old nreverse, or reboot emacs.

(require 'cl)
(setf (symbol-function 'old-nreverse) (symbol-function 'nreverse))
(defun nreverse (&rest arguments) 
   (message "nreverse called with %S" arguments)
   (funcall old-nreverse arguments))
;; possibly add an advice, but you can as well put the code in the 
;; new definition of nreverse above.
(do-stuff-with-new-nreverse)

;; When done:
(setf (symbol-function 'nreverse)  (symbol-function 'old-nreverse))


> 2. I don't know how to reload `ewoc-collect' (from elisp) provided it's
>    already byte-compiled.

C-h f ewoc-collect RET C-x o TAB RET

should bring you to the file where ewoc-collect is defined.  Then you
can load it, or just re-evaluate the ewoc-collect definition to have
it take into account the new nreverse.  If you want to debug it while
compiled, you can byte-compile it too.


> Here what I've actually originally tried (that didn't work):
>
> (defadvice ewoc-collect (around fix-ewoc-collect activate)
>   "Fix buggy `ewoc-collect' by reversing its result provided it
>    was altered by `nreverse'."
>   (let ((last-nreverse-result))
>     (unwind-protect
>         (progn
>           (defadvice nreverse (after notice-nreverse activate)
>             (setq last-nreverse-result ad-return-value))
>           ad-do-it)
>       (ad-unadvise 'nreverse))
>     (if (eq last-nreverse-result ad-return-value)
>         (setq ad-return-value (nreverse ad-return-value)))))
>
> This starts to work as soon as I re-evaluate the (defun ewoc-collect
> ...) in the ewoc.el file

Then you know where ewoc-collect is defined, you can load this ewoc.el
file!


>  after the above defadvice is evaluated and
> continues to work even if I byte-compile the (defun ewoc-collect...)
> after that (though I still don't understand why it works after
> byte-compiling), but then it's both easier and cleaner to just re-define
> ewoc-collect to a correct version.

Indeed.

-- 
__Pascal Bourguignon__