Updating frame on gnus-group-get-new-news

Updating frame on gnus-group-get-new-news

[Michael Baer]

I think I'm missing something obvious and I hoped someone here could
help point it out to me.  I have function to run offlineimap and then
gnus-group-get-new-news.  When I run the function the gnus group frame
isn't updated with the new mail folder info (e.g. number of unread mail
/ total number of mail, etc.).  If I run M-x gnus-group-get-new-news or
just 'g' afterwords, the frame is updated as expected. It just doesn't
update from the gnus-group-get-new-news in my function.  The function is
listed below.

Gnus v5.13
GNU Emacs 25.3.1 (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.22.17) of 2017-09-14


(defun cc-offlineimap-and-get-news ()
  (interactive)
  (gnus-group-get-new-news)
	(shell-command "dotopright.pl 'time offlineimap; sleep 4'")
  (gnus-group-get-new-news)
)


[ dotopright.pl just figures out where to put a terminal on the screen
and then opens the terminal running the passed in command ]


-Mike

-- 
Michael Baer
gnus@mikesoffice.com
omnes deorsum absurdo est

Re: Updating frame on gnus-group-get-new-news

[Eric Abrahamsen]

Michael Baer <gnus@mikesoffice.com> writes:

> I think I'm missing something obvious and I hoped someone here could
> help point it out to me.  I have function to run offlineimap and then
> gnus-group-get-new-news.  When I run the function the gnus group frame
> isn't updated with the new mail folder info (e.g. number of unread mail
> / total number of mail, etc.).  If I run M-x gnus-group-get-new-news or
> just 'g' afterwords, the frame is updated as expected. It just doesn't
> update from the gnus-group-get-new-news in my function.  The function is
> listed below.
>
> Gnus v5.13
> GNU Emacs 25.3.1 (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.22.17) of 2017-09-14
>
>
> (defun cc-offlineimap-and-get-news ()
>   (interactive)
>   (gnus-group-get-new-news)
> 	(shell-command "dotopright.pl 'time offlineimap; sleep 4'")
>   (gnus-group-get-new-news)
> )

I don't know exactly what's going wrong here, but I have to assume that
there's a timing mismatch between the `shell-command', and your second
`gnus-group-get-new-news'. It's true that `shell-command' is meant to be
synchronous, so it ought to work, but you'll be better off using the
tools specifically meant for these situations. That would probably be a
combination of `start-process-shell-command' and sentinels.

This is totally untested:

(defun cc-offlineimap-and-get-news ()
  (interactive)
  (let ((proc (start-process-shell-command
	       "offlimap" nil "dotopright.pl 'time offlineimap'")))
    (set-process-sentinel
     proc (lambda (proc event)
	    (when (string-prefix-p "finished" event)
	      (gnus-group-get-new-news))))))

That also allows you to handle different events in the sentinel
callback, popping up a buffer if things go wrong, etc.

Like I said, untested, but something like that should get you there.

Eric

Re: solution

[Michael Baer]

>>>>> On Fri, 27 Oct 2017 18:19:35 -0700, Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> said:

    Eric> Michael Baer <gnus@mikesoffice.com> writes:
    >> I think I'm missing something obvious and I hoped someone here could
    >> help point it out to me.  I have function to run offlineimap and then
    >> gnus-group-get-new-news.  When I run the function the gnus group frame
    >> isn't updated with the new mail folder info (e.g. number of unread mail
    >> / total number of mail, etc.).  If I run M-x gnus-group-get-new-news or
    >> just 'g' afterwords, the frame is updated as expected. It just doesn't
    >> update from the gnus-group-get-new-news in my function.  The function is
    >> listed below.
    >> 
    >> Gnus v5.13
    >> GNU Emacs 25.3.1 (x86_64-redhat-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.22.17) of 2017-09-14
    >> 
    >> 
    >> (defun cc-offlineimap-and-get-news ()
    >> (interactive)
    >> (gnus-group-get-new-news)
    >> (shell-command "dotopright.pl 'time offlineimap; sleep 4'")
    >> (gnus-group-get-new-news)
    >> )

    Eric> I don't know exactly what's going wrong here, but I have to assume that
    Eric> there's a timing mismatch between the `shell-command', and your second
    Eric> `gnus-group-get-new-news'. It's true that `shell-command' is meant to be
    Eric> synchronous, so it ought to work, but you'll be better off using the
    Eric> tools specifically meant for these situations. That would probably be a
    Eric> combination of `start-process-shell-command' and sentinels.

    Eric> This is totally untested:

    Eric> (defun cc-offlineimap-and-get-news ()
    Eric>   (interactive)
    Eric>   (let ((proc (start-process-shell-command
    Eric> 	       "offlimap" nil "dotopright.pl 'time offlineimap'")))
    Eric>     (set-process-sentinel
    Eric>      proc (lambda (proc event)
    Eric> 	    (when (string-prefix-p "finished" event)
    Eric> 	      (gnus-group-get-new-news))))))

    Eric> That also allows you to handle different events in the sentinel
    Eric> callback, popping up a buffer if things go wrong, etc.

    Eric> Like I said, untested, but something like that should get you there.

    Eric> Eric

Thanks Eric, that got me thinking along the right path.

Just as an FYI for anyone, the problem seemed to be a combination of the
Perl script and running the commands in a terminal (I think the
terminal) One of those caused the commands to run asynchronously.

If I run the commands without the perl-script/terminal, it works
synchronously as expected.

-Mike

-- 
Michael Baer
gnus@mikesoffice.com
omnes deorsum absurdo est