Re: "> > >" space removal removes too many spaces?

[Simon Josefsson <jas@extundo.com>]

Kai.Grossjohann@CS.Uni-Dortmund.DE (Kai Großjohann) writes:

> Look at this:
> 
> % ftp
> ftp> open host
> ftp> quit
> % date
> 
> If you hit `F' or `R' on this message you will see that some lines are
> quoted like "> % ftp" whereas other lines are quoted like ">ftp> quit".
> Note how a space is missing in the `ftp>' lines.
> 
> Is this a bug?

I think so; `message-yank-cited-prefix' (">") should probably only be
used if the original article used the "correct" quotation style.
Right now `message-cite-prefix-regexp' is used to match quoted lines,
but that regexp matches lots of weird styles, and there might exist
uglier missmatches than this.

Also, consider the following style as well:

,----
| Kai> Hm.  The agent.  Hm.  I have (gnus-agentize) in my .gnus and the
| Kai> server is under the agent, but I'm always plugged.
| 
| If plugged, it shouldn't matter then as it shouldn't be talking to the
| agent (AFAIK).
`----

When quoting that, I think

,----
| > Kai> Hm.  The agent.  Hm.  I have (gnus-agentize) in my .gnus and the
| > Kai> server is under the agent, but I'm always plugged.
| > 
| > If plugged, it shouldn't matter then as it shouldn't be talking to the
| > agent (AFAIK).
`----

looks nicer than

,----
| >Kai> Hm.  The agent.  Hm.  I have (gnus-agentize) in my .gnus and the
| >Kai> server is under the agent, but I'm always plugged.
| > 
| > If plugged, it shouldn't matter then as it shouldn't be talking to the
| > agent (AFAIK).
`----

Perhaps.

So, maybe the following?  Maybe it shouldn't match ">From"?  And maybe
it shouldn't be hardcoded.  Or maybe, both that string and
`message-yank-{cited-,}prefix' really _should_ be hardcoded (users
should not really change them).  Perhaps it's enough that these
variables aren't documented.

--- message.el.~6.108.~	Sat Jul 28 19:01:54 2001
+++ message.el	Sun Aug  5 14:43:53 2001
@@ -2101,7 +2101,7 @@
       (save-excursion
 	(goto-char start)
 	(while (< (point) (mark t))
-	  (if (looking-at message-cite-prefix-regexp)
+	  (if (looking-at ">")
 	      (insert message-yank-cited-prefix)
 	    (insert message-yank-prefix))
 	  (forward-line 1))))