Re: Infinite loop

[w t <1218121@gmail.com>]

On 5/12/10, Carsten Dominik <carsten.dominik@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On May 1, 2010, at 10:21 PM, w t wrote:
>
>> Org-mode 6.35trans from 2010-04-30
>> Emacs 23.1
>> Linux
>>
>> Typing
>>
>> |:=$0 <RET>
>>
>> causes an apparent infinite loop, which can be killed with C-g.
>
> Yes, this is true.  But not really a problem, is it?  $0 is supposed
> to be used only
> in a @N$0 context.
>
> - Carsten
>

Sorry for the delay in response.

When I originally read in the manual "‘0’ refers to the current row
and column," I incorrectly thought that $0 would give the column
number, like $#.  So in the context of my misunderstanding, it seemed
important, but not so much now. I don't have enough experience to say
if there is any problem. I can only talk about inconsistency of
perhaps uninteresting examples.

To that end, the manual says "Also, if you omit either the column or
the row part of the reference, the current row/column is implied." I
take this to mean that $0 and @0$0 should produce the same result, but
@0$0 gives 0 if the current field is empty. Or from a different angle,
depending on how we enter $0 as the formula of a empty field, we can
get different results: Again "|:=$0 C-c C-c" give the infinite loop;
but "C-u C-c =" followed by entering $0 at the buffer gives 0.

We can also get inconsistent results with column formulas: entering

|    |
#+TBLFM: $1=$0

followed by C-u C-c * gives

|  0 |
#+TBLFM: $1=$0

but entering the =$0 directly into the empty field give an infinite loop.

Of course, there are other variations, but all this may be just
nitpicking; I can't see any practical problems.