[playback] choking on column name

[saulpw]

In the attached I'm trying to create a macro that will show Reddit dumps consistently. My goal is to hide all columns but 5 and create an iso column.

https://asciinema.org/a/sKvTyL5MfBqdeZCE5t9xTpOTo

m
C
| ^(author|created_utc|selftext|title|url)$
gt
c width
ge 0
q
c created
= e2iso(created_utc)
^ created
h
-
m

Originally posted by @reagle in #2102 (comment)

[midichef]

The problem is in the commands that are saved in the macro file. The quit command is not saved. That's because quit is in nonLogged:

visidata/visidata/cmdlog.py

Line 12 in 002cd84

nonLogged = '''forget exec-longname undo redo quit

Along the same lines, go-* commands are not saved in macros. I wonder if they should be? For people used to macros in vi, it's reasonable to expect.

[reagle]

Oh. I don’t use vi and missed this if this was documented somewhere. From that perspective, and given how important opening and quitting sheets are, I don’t see why those commands wouldn’t be saved. I was trying to create a robust and concise macro via the column sheet. Perhaps I could think of an alternative. Would commands related to sheets be saved? For example, jumping into the previous sheet, or going into the Sheets sheet?

[saulpw]

Part of the issue is that macros are almost identical to cmdlogs. I think it works pretty well, but maybe we should ignore the nonLogged check for macros?

Also I think it's reasonable to make sheet quits, if not other movements, to be loggable commands for all cmdlogs. I hoped the sheet/col/row fields would suffice instead of recording the literal go- commands, but I can see how go-col (which takes a regex) might be nice to record by default. As long as we don't wind up recording every arrow key and fidget.

[midichef]

Would commands related to sheets be saved? For example, jumping into the previous sheet, or going into the Sheets sheet?

No, jump-prev is not saved in macros or command logs, because the prefix jump is also in nonLogged:

visidata/visidata/cmdlog.py

Line 13 in 002cd84

show error errors statuses options threads jump

But sheets-stack and sheets-all will be saved.

For a solution that you can use right now, you can edit the macro or cmdlog file yourself, to manually add quit-sheet to the command file:
{"sheet": "", "col": "", "row": "", "longname": "quit-sheet", "input": "", "comment": "quit current sheet"}
The macro file would be a .vdj file in visidata_dir, which by default is ~/.visidata/.

[reagle]

Part of the issue is that macros are almost identical to cmdlogs. I think it works pretty well, but maybe we should ignore the nonLogged check for macros?

@saulpw, the exclusion of quit and jump commands explains my failures at the beginning of the year to use VDJ to restore my work. (I then moved to VDS but that leads to duplicated files and a small annoyance #2309).

I think it's reasonable to make sheet quits, if not other movements, to be loggable commands for all cmdlogs. I hoped the sheet/col/row fields would suffice instead of recording the literal go- commands, but I can see how go-col (which takes a regex) might be nice to record by default. As long as we don't wind up recording every arrow key and fidget.

Yes please; I'd err on the side of inclusion. I was using c and r commands to avoid fragile arrow commands, but I still don't see the problem with including any command that might affect things. It might lead to bloated command logs, but that's better than things not working; and in macros, people can take care to use concise pathways.

For a solution that you can use right now, you can edit the macro or cmdlog file yourself, to manually add quit-sheet to the command file

Thanks @midichef, good tip!

[saulpw]

I still don't see the problem with including any command that might affect things. It might lead to bloated command logs, but that's better than things not working; and in macros, people can take care to use concise pathways.

In the first implementation, every arrow movement was included, and it was untenable. Not just bloated--movements obscured all other commands, and by a large margin. The whole design of the cmdlog (with sheet/col/row) was my attempt to make the cmdlog meaningful by factoring out these movement commands, so if we're thinking of including them all, we should really consider redesigning the whole thing (maybe we just play back keystrokes).

Before we embark on that, let's add back in the jump- commands and go-col/go-row, etc, and see if we can get a functioning cmdlog with some smaller tweaks.

[reagle]

add back in the jump- commands and go-col/go-row

That'd be appreciated! I wonder if the sidebar could show warning/info about this when a macro command is started?

[saulpw]

Okay, I made it so that all commands are recorded in a macro (even movements), but kept it as it is with the cmdlog. Also the replay status now shows when a macro is being recorded. Extra help during macro recording would be fine, if someone wants to write a draft that would be appreciated.