From: klm at digicool.com (Ken Manheimer)
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 10:24:09 -0400
Subject: Emacs' python-mode buggy?
References: <199904282340.TAA19934@python.org> <3727E329.2E8F3C31@digicool.com> <al8eml4owve.fsf@myntti.helsinki.fi>
Message-ID: <37286B89.FC61DF02@digicool.com>
Content-Length: 1879
X-UID: 1701                                                  

Markus Stenberg wrote:

> Ken Manheimer <klm at digicool.com> writes:
> > Markus Stenberg wrote:
> > I can't speak to the intimacy issue, but the python-mode syntax recognition
> > may be due to having a leading '(' open paren in the first column in one of
> > your docstrings.  If so, emacs' syntax confusion (not to be mistaken for
> > poor gender identification) can be remedied by escaping the leading open
> > paren with a '\' backslash, like so:
> 
> Ah, what's causing that problem?

I can't recall exactly, but what i've retained is that it's inherent in the
emacs syntax parsing mechanism, and not surmountable in any apparant way by
an application like emacs-mode.  

> > \(this is what to do with parens in docstrings.)
> >
> > If it is the problem, well, it's emacs' problem, not pymode.  If it's not,
> > well, do track it down.
> >
> > Oh, does that bug constitute the "tons" you mention, or were there others?
> > I never was good at estimating the weight of bugs - all that chiton, you
> > know.
> 
> Think there is two, as one of my (moderately large) modules has no
> docstrings with ('s yet still exhibits that behavior. (ok, I got carried
> away, but I was moderately frustrated over the feature :-P)

I've been there!  After tripping over the problem a few times (and probably
being told the fix on a few occasions), the last time i did a binary-style
hunt for the culprit by removing and reinserting chunks of text until i
found the line that was responsible.  It was a bit painful, but once i
found a repeatable test for the problem i pinpointed the cause, bopped my
forehead and said "that again", and have recognized it since.

If the other file is showing the same symptom without the same cause, i
suggest that you try a similar hunting expedition, and report back the
cause if you turn up anything interesting...

Ken Manheimer
klm at digicool.com




