bug#66464: Vc mode-line

[Juri Linkov]

>> The format is "project-branch" instead of "backend-branch".
>
> It might also be misread as a directory name. E.g. I have directories
> called "emacs" and "emacs-master" (thanks to git-worktree), and they get
> automatically assigned the corresponding project names. The new mode-line
> with your customization looks like "emacs-master-master". But that could
> just be my problem.

I had the same problem even after enabling project-mode-line,
so needed to remove the branch name from project names.

>> I'm sure that showing the backend name in all file buffers is useless
>> for most users and wastes the precious screen space.
>
> Hmm, I suppose since we're in a situation where one VCS (Git) is used 99%
> of the time, the indication might be unnecessary. But it's also a reminder
> that this mode-line item is for VC. Anyway...

The problem is that the useless word "Git" (with big G)
between the project name and the branch name is a big distraction.

>>> And if you customize 'vc-display-status' to 'with-project' but don't
>>> set project-mode-line to t, the project name won't be shown at all.
>> This is why the condition already handles this case:
>>    (and (eq vc-display-status 'with-project)
>>         (bound-and-true-p project-mode-line))
>
> What happens if mode-line-format doesn't contain project-mode-line-format,
> or has it in the wrong place? E.g. if the user (or third-party package)
> customized the mode-line.

Indeed, for such cases this option can't be used.  I believe we should
better document such situation in the docstring.

> Anyway, I've raised the questions, but I don't have strong objections to
> your patch. Perhaps consider changing the description from
>
>   (const :tag "Show project name and status" with-project)
>
> to
>
>   (const :tag "Show only status next to project name" with-project)

Currently the options are aligned and provide a nice review
what the user will see on the mode line:

 :type '(choice (const :tag "Show project name and status" with-project)
                (const :tag "Show backend and status" t)
                (const :tag "Show only backend name" nil))

So I'd rather like to describe more details in the docstring.

> and, maybe, check that project-mode-line-format precedes the vc-mode
> indicator in the current mode-line format. And otherwise keep the
> separating " ". If that makes sense to you.

Probably it should be sufficient to describe this in the docstring
like in this patch?

PS: Probably we could also add another option `no-backend'
that will show only an indicator and the branch name.
But the dangling indicator such as "-" or "*" before the branch name
doesn't look nice when there is a space that separates it
from the project name, e.g. "project -branch".

diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el b/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el
index c16fb63b2ff..6e4be6414d2 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-hooks.el
@@ -152,8 +152,15 @@ vc-follow-symlinks
 
 (defcustom vc-display-status t
   "If non-nil, display revision number and lock status in mode line.
-Otherwise, not displayed."
-  :type 'boolean
+If nil, it's not displayed.
+When the value is `with-project' then instead of the backend name
+a project name can be displayed before the revision number and lock
+status.  This works only in case when you enable `project-mode-line'
+and don't change the default order of `project-mode-line' and
+`vc-mode' in `mode-line-format'."
+  :type '(choice (const :tag "Show project name and status" with-project)
+                 (const :tag "Show backend and status" t)
+                 (const :tag "Show only backend name" nil))
   :group 'vc)
 
 
@@ -683,7 +690,9 @@ vc-mode-line
           (ml-echo (get-text-property 0 'help-echo ml-string)))
       (setq vc-mode
            (concat
-            " "
+            (unless (and (eq vc-display-status 'with-project)
+                         (bound-and-true-p project-mode-line))
+              " ")
             (propertize
              ml-string
              'mouse-face 'mode-line-highlight
diff --git a/lisp/vc/vc-git.el b/lisp/vc/vc-git.el
index 707fc7cfc07..0313f6ec827 100644
--- a/lisp/vc/vc-git.el
+++ b/lisp/vc/vc-git.el
@@ -423,7 +423,10 @@ vc-git-mode-line-string
                (rev (vc-working-revision file 'Git))
                (disp-rev (or (vc-git--symbolic-ref file)
                              (and rev (substring rev 0 7))))
-               (state-string (concat backend-name indicator disp-rev)))
+               (state-string (concat (unless (and (eq vc-display-status 
'with-project)
+                                                  (bound-and-true-p 
project-mode-line))
+                                       backend-name)
+                                     indicator disp-rev)))
     (propertize state-string 'face face 'help-echo
                 (concat state-echo " under the " backend-name
                         " version control system"