(move-to-column-force): Mark obsolete.

(operate-on-rectangle, delete-extract-rectangle-line)
(insert-rectangle, delete-whitespace-rectangle-line)
(open-rectangle-line, clear-rectangle-line): Use move-to-column.
(string-rectangle-history): New var.
(string-rectangle, string-insert-rectangle): Use it.
(delete-rectangle-line): Fix pos/column mixup and simplify.

lisp/rect.el

@@ -37,21 +37,12 @@
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun move-to-column-force (column &optional flag)
-  "Move point to column COLUMN rigidly in the current line.
-If COLUMN is within a multi-column character, replace it by
-spaces and tab.
-
+  "Obsolete.  Use `move-to-column'.
+If COLUMN is within a multi-column character, replace it by spaces and tab.
 As for `move-to-column', passing anything but nil or t in FLAG will move to
 the desired column only if the line is long enough."
-  (let ((col (move-to-column column (or flag t))))
-    (if (> col column)
-	(let (pos)
-	  (delete-char -1)
-	  (insert-char ?  (- column (current-column)))
-	  (setq pos (point))
-	  (indent-to col)
-	  (goto-char pos)))
-    column))
+  (move-to-column column (or flag t)))
+(make-obsolete 'move-to-column-force "move-to-column" "21.2")
 
 ;; not used any more --dv
 ;; extract-rectangle-line stores lines into this list
@@ -88,12 +79,12 @@ Point is at the end of the segment of this line within the rectangle."
      (while (< (point) endlinepos)
        (let (startpos begextra endextra)
 	 (if coerce-tabs
-	     (move-to-column-force startcol)
+	     (move-to-column startcol t)
 	   (move-to-column startcol))
 	 (setq begextra (- (current-column) startcol))
 	 (setq startpos (point))
 	 (if coerce-tabs
-	     (move-to-column-force endcol)
+	     (move-to-column endcol t)
 	   (move-to-column endcol))
 	 ;; If we overshot, move back one character
 	 ;; so that endextra will be positive.
@@ -135,24 +126,19 @@ the function is called."
     ))
 
 (defun delete-rectangle-line (startcol endcol fill)
-  (let ((pt (line-end-position)))
-    (when (= (move-to-column-force startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
-      (if (and (not fill) (<= pt endcol))
-	  (delete-region (point) pt)
-	;; else
-	(setq pt (point))
-	(move-to-column-force endcol)
-	(delete-region pt (point))))
-    ))
+  (when (= (move-to-column startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
+    (delete-region (point)
+		   (progn (move-to-column endcol 'coerce)
+			  (point)))))
 
 (defun delete-extract-rectangle-line (startcol endcol lines fill)
   (let ((pt (point-at-eol)))
-    (if (< (move-to-column-force startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
+    (if (< (move-to-column startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
 	(setcdr lines (cons (spaces-string (- endcol startcol))
 			    (cdr lines)))
       ;; else
       (setq pt (point))
-      (move-to-column-force endcol)
+      (move-to-column endcol t)
       (setcdr lines (cons (buffer-substring pt (point)) (cdr lines)))
       (delete-region pt (point)))
     ))
@@ -277,7 +263,7 @@ and point is at the lower right corner."
 	  (progn
 	   (forward-line 1)
 	   (or (bolp) (insert ?\n))
-	   (move-to-column-force insertcolumn)))
+	   (move-to-column insertcolumn t)))
       (setq first nil)
       (insert (car lines))
       (setq lines (cdr lines)))))
@@ -297,13 +283,13 @@ on the right side of the rectangle."
   (goto-char start))
 
 (defun open-rectangle-line (startcol endcol fill)
-  (when (= (move-to-column-force startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
+  (when (= (move-to-column startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
     (unless (and (not fill)
 		 (= (point) (point-at-eol)))
       (indent-to endcol))))
 
 (defun delete-whitespace-rectangle-line (startcol endcol fill)
-  (when (= (move-to-column-force startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
+  (when (= (move-to-column startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
     (unless (= (point) (point-at-eol))
       (delete-region (point) (progn (skip-syntax-forward " ") (point))))))
 
@@ -324,20 +310,29 @@ With a prefix (or a FILL) argument, also fill too short lines."
 ;; string-rectangle uses this variable to pass the string
 ;; to string-rectangle-line.
 (defvar string-rectangle-string)
-
+(defvar string-rectangle-history nil)
 (defun string-rectangle-line (startcol endcol string delete)
-  (move-to-column-force startcol)
+  (move-to-column startcol t)
   (if delete
       (delete-rectangle-line startcol endcol nil))
   (insert string))
 
 ;;;###autoload
+
 (defun string-rectangle (start end string)
   "Replace rectangle contents with STRING on each line.
 The length of STRING need not be the same as the rectangle width.
 
 Called from a program, takes three args; START, END and STRING."
-  (interactive "*r\nsString rectangle: ")
+  (interactive
+   (progn (barf-if-buffer-read-only)
+	  (list
+	   (region-beginning)
+	   (region-end)
+	   (read-string (format "String rectangle (default `%s'): "
+				(or (car string-rectangle-history) ""))
+			nil 'string-rectangle-history
+			(car string-rectangle-history)))))
   (apply-on-rectangle 'string-rectangle-line start end string t))
 
 (defalias 'replace-rectangle 'string-rectangle)
@@ -349,7 +344,15 @@ Called from a program, takes three args; START, END and STRING."
 When called from a program, the rectangle's corners are START and END.
 The left edge of the rectangle specifies the column for insertion.
 This command does not delete or overwrite any existing text."
-  (interactive "*r\nsString insert rectangle: ")
+  (interactive
+   (progn (barf-if-buffer-read-only)
+	  (list
+	   (region-beginning)
+	   (region-end)
+	   (read-string (format "String insert rectangle (default `%s'): "
+				(or (car string-rectangle-history) ""))
+			nil 'string-rectangle-history
+			(car string-rectangle-history)))))
   (apply-on-rectangle 'string-rectangle-line start end string nil))
 
 ;;;###autoload
@@ -366,13 +369,13 @@ rectangle which were empty."
 (defun clear-rectangle-line (startcol endcol fill)
   (let ((pt (point-at-eol))
 	spaces)
-    (when (= (move-to-column-force startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
+    (when (= (move-to-column startcol (or fill 'coerce)) startcol)
       (if (and (not fill)
 	       (<= (save-excursion (goto-char pt) (current-column)) endcol))
 	  (delete-region (point) pt)
 	;; else
 	(setq pt (point))
-	(move-to-column-force endcol)
+	(move-to-column endcol t)
 	(setq spaces (- (point) pt))
 	(delete-region pt (point))
 	(indent-to (+ (current-column) spaces))))))