error "`c-lang-defconst' when nXhtml is compiled

[jess]

I am running GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.18.3) and xhtml was working fine until I compiled it via the menu nXhtml -> nXhtml Help and Setup -> Byte Compile nXhtml. Now when opening .php files I am getting error "`c-lang-defconst'- must be used in a file".

My .emacs uses:
(load "~/.site-lisp/nxhtml/autostart.el")

The issue seems to be a problem with php-mode.el described here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/898063/making-php-mode-compatible-with-emacs-23

Here is the complete backtrace:
Debugger entered--Lisp error: (error "`c-lang-defconst'- must be used in a file")
  signal(error ("`c-lang-defconst' must be used in a file"))
  error("`c-lang-defconst' must be used in a file")
  c-define-lang-constant(c-mode-menu ((t cons ["Comment Out Region" comment-region ...] (cons ["Uncomment Region" ... ...] ...))))
  require(cc-langs)
  byte-code("ÀÁ!ÀÂ!ÀÃ!ÀÄ!ÀÅ!ÀÆ!ÀÇ!ÈÉÊËÌÍÎÏ&" [require add-log speedbar font-lock cc-mode cc-langs custom etags custom-declare-group php nil "Major mode `php-mode' for editing PHP code." :prefix "php-" :group languages] 8)
  php-mode()
  mumamo-fetch-major-mode-setup(php-mode nil nil nil nil)
  mumamo-get-major-mode-setup(php-mode)
  mumamo-end-in-code(6 485 php-mode)
  mumamo-find-next-chunk-values(#<overlay from 1 to 1 in index.php> nil nil nil)
  mumamo-find-chunks-1(1 "mumamo-turn-on-actions")
  mumamo-find-chunks(1 "mumamo-turn-on-actions")
  mumamo-turn-on-actions(fundamental-mode)
  nxhtml-mumamo-mode()
  set-auto-mode-0(nxhtml-mumamo-mode nil)
  set-auto-mode()
  normal-mode(t)
  after-find-file(nil t)
  find-file-noselect-1(#<buffer index.php> "~/work/grokcode/redesign2010/wordpress/wp-content/themes/twentyten/index.php" nil nil "~/work/grokcode/redesign2010/wordpress/wp-content/themes/twentyten/index.php" (2237325 2053))
  find-file-noselect("/home/smudge/work/grokcode/redesign2010/wordpress/wp-content/themes/twentyten/index.php" nil nil nil)
  find-file("/home/smudge/work/grokcode/redesign2010/wordpress/wp-content/themes/twentyten/index.php")
  command-line-1(("index.php"))
  command-line()
  normal-top-level()

[lborgman (lennart-borgman)]

Thanks jess,

I have mailed the Emacs c mode maintainer and asked for some advice for how to fix this.

[Alan Mackenzie (acm-muc)]

On Wed, Aug 17, 2010 at 12:40:29PM +0200, Lennart Borgman wrote:
> Hi Alan,

> Do you have any idea of how this can be handled?

Hmm. The error message comes from `c-define-lang-constant' (cc-defs.el)
which is purely a compile time function. That is, it's called only from
the macro c-lang-defconst, and doesn't even appear in the compiled CC
Mode, the bit that gets loaded. cc-langs.el should NEVER be `require'd
at runtime.

So, either CC Mode's definition and handling of this macro are buggy, or
somebody (quite a few of them) are building the derived modes in a
suboptimal fashion. Looking at the backtrace below, it seems that
c-define-lang-constant is being called (probably via c-lang-defconst) at
runtime. This is not a Good Thing to do. "lang consts" are constants
whose values vary between C, C++, Java, Objective C, .......PHP, C#.
They are created completely at build time.

If I'm right, then the maintainer of PHP Mode should rethink this
non-standard and unforseen use of `c-lang-defconst'.

Questions to <email address hidden> on this topic will get answered. ;-)

It would probably be a Good Thing for all this to be better documented
somewhere.

> Best wishes,
> L

--
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: jess <email address hidden>
> Date: Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 7:05 AM
> Subject: [Bug 619629] [NEW] error "`c-lang-defconst' when nXhtml is compiled
> To: <email address hidden>

> Public bug reported:

> I am running GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.18.3)
> and xhtml was working fine until I compiled it via the menu nXhtml ->
> nXhtml Help and Setup -> Byte Compile nXhtml.  Now when opening .php
> files I am getting error "`c-lang-defconst'- must be used in a file".

> My .emacs uses:
> (load "~/.site-lisp/nxhtml/autostart.el")

> The issue seems to be a problem with php-mode.el described here:
> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/898063/making-php-mode-compatible-
> with-emacs-23

> Here is the complete backtrace:
> Debugger entered--Lisp error: (error "`c-lang-defconst'- must be used
> in a file")
>  signal(error ("`c-lang-defconst' must be used in a file"))
>  error("`c-lang-defconst' must be used in a file")
>  c-define-lang-constant(c-mode-menu ((t cons ["Comment Out Region"
> comment-region ...] (cons ["Uncomment Region" ... ...] ...))))
>  require(cc-langs)
>  byte-code("ÀÁ!ÀÂ!ÀÃ!ÀÄ!ÀÅ!ÀÆ!ÀÇ!ÈÉÊËÌÍÎÏ& " [require add-log speedbar
> font-lock cc-mode cc-langs custom etags custom-declare-group php nil
> "Major mode `php-mode' for editing PHP code." :prefix "php-" :group
> languages] 8)
>  php-mode()
>  mumamo-fetch-major-mode-setup(php-mode nil nil nil nil)
>  mumamo-get-major-mode-setup(php-mode)
>  mumamo-end-in-code(6 485 php-mode)
>  mumamo-find-next-chunk-values(#<overlay from 1 to 1 in index.php> nil nil nil)
>  mumamo-find-chunks-1(1 "mumamo-turn-on-actions")
>  mumamo-find-chunks(1 "mumamo-turn-on-actions")
>  mumamo-turn-on-actions(fundamental-mode)
>  nxhtml-mumamo-mode()
>  set-auto-mode-0(nxhtml-mumamo-mode nil)
>  set-auto-mode()
>  normal-mode(t)
>  after-find-file(nil t)
>  find-file-noselect-1(#<buffer index.php>
> "~/work/grokcode/redesign...

[lborgman (lennart-borgman)]

Hi Aaron,

What do you think about this? In the version of php-mode.el there is a line

   (require 'cc-langs)

which Alan says is no good.

- L

On Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:36 PM, Alan Mackenzie <email address hidden> wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 17, 2010 at 12:40:29PM +0200, Lennart Borgman wrote:
>> Hi Alan,
>
>> Do you have any idea of how this can be handled?
>
> Hmm.  The error message comes from `c-define-lang-constant' (cc-defs.el)
> which is purely a compile time function.  That is, it's called only from
> the macro c-lang-defconst, and doesn't even appear in the compiled CC
> Mode, the bit that gets loaded.  cc-langs.el should NEVER be `require'd
> at runtime.
>
> So, either CC Mode's definition and handling of this macro are buggy, or
> somebody (quite a few of them) are building the derived modes in a
> suboptimal fashion.  Looking at the backtrace below, it seems that
> c-define-lang-constant is being called (probably via c-lang-defconst) at
> runtime.  This is not a Good Thing to do.  "lang consts" are constants
> whose values vary between C, C++, Java, Objective C, .......PHP, C#.
> They are created completely at build time.
>
> If I'm right, then the maintainer of PHP Mode should rethink this
> non-standard and unforseen use of `c-lang-defconst'.
>
> Questions to <email address hidden> on this topic will get answered.  ;-)
>
> It would probably be a Good Thing for all this to be better documented
> somewhere.
>
>> Best wishes,
>> L
>
> --
> Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).
>
>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: jess <email address hidden>
>> Date: Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 7:05 AM
>> Subject: [Bug 619629] [NEW] error "`c-lang-defconst' when nXhtml is compiled
>> To: <email address hidden>
>
>
>> Public bug reported:
>
>> I am running GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.18.3)
>> and xhtml was working fine until I compiled it via the menu nXhtml ->
>> nXhtml Help and Setup -> Byte Compile nXhtml.  Now when opening .php
>> files I am getting error "`c-lang-defconst'- must be used in a file".
>
>> My .emacs uses:
>> (load "~/.site-lisp/nxhtml/autostart.el")
>
>> The issue seems to be a problem with php-mode.el described here:
>> http://stackoverflow.com/questions/898063/making-php-mode-compatible-
>> with-emacs-23
>
>> Here is the complete backtrace:
>> Debugger entered--Lisp error: (error "`c-lang-defconst'- must be used
>> in a file")
>>  signal(error ("`c-lang-defconst' must be used in a file"))
>>  error("`c-lang-defconst' must be used in a file")
>>  c-define-lang-constant(c-mode-menu ((t cons ["Comment Out Region"
>> comment-region ...] (cons ["Uncomment Region" ... ...] ...))))
>>  require(cc-langs)
>>  byte-code("АБ!АВ!АГ!АД!АЕ!АЖ!АЗ!ИЙКЛМНОП& " [require add-log speedbar
>> font-lock cc-mode cc-langs custom etags custom-declare-group php nil
>> "Major mode `php-mode' for editing PHP code." :prefix "php-" :group
>> languages] 8)
>>  php-mode()
>>  mumamo-fetch-major-mode-setup(php-mode nil nil nil nil)
>>  mumamo-get-major-mode-setup(php-mode)
>>  mumamo-end-in-code(6 485 php-mode)
>>  mumamo-find-next-chunk-values(#<overlay from 1 to 1 in index.php> nil nil nil)
>>  mumamo-find-chunks-1(1 "mumamo-turn-...