Re: [O] org-program-exists vs executable-find

[Sebastien Vauban]

Hi Bastien,

Bastien wrote:
> "Sebastien Vauban" <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> While browsing the Org code, I've found the function `org-program-exists':
>>
>> #+begin_src emacs-lisp
>>   (defun org-program-exists (program-name)
>>     "Checks whenever we can locate program and launch it."
>>     (if (member system-type '(gnu/linux darwin))
>>         (= 0 (call-process "which" nil nil nil program-name))))
>> #+end_src
>>
>> It is used 3 times in `org-clock.el', nowhere else.
>
> The name `org-program-exists' is actually misleading, it should be
> `org-executable-call' instead, while still checking if the executable exists
> before calling it.

Nope, the name is not misleading. The documentation string is false -- what I
hadn't noticed, btw.

That function just checks if the executable can be found; it does _not_ call
it afterward.

On Linux and Mac OS, it just calls "which + <program name>", no more...
On Windows, it simply fails immediately (even if the program could be found).

>> On the contrary, `executable-find' is used 10 times in the Org code base
>> (in 4 different libraries).
>>
>> Shouldn't we better use `executable-find' everywhere, instead of
>> `org-program-exists' (which, btw, fails on Windows systems, even when they
>> have the Cygwin `which' at their disposal)?
>>
>> I'm ready to submit a patch for this.
>
> Please submit a patch using `executable-find' in `org-executable-call'.
> ̀executable-find' takes care of (gnu/linux|darwin-windows). Also add an alias
> org-program-exists -> org-executable-call in case people are using
> org-program-exists in their programs.

Best regards,
  Seb

-- 
Sebastien Vauban