thread-join returns the result of finished thread

* doc/lispref/threads.texi (Basic Thread Functions):
* etc/NEWS: Document return value of `thread-join'.

* src/thread.c (invoke_thread_function, Fmake_thread)
(init_main_thread): Set result.
(Fthread_join): Propagate signals, and return result.
(Vmain_thread): New defvar.

* src/thread.h (struct thread_state): Add `result' field.

* test/src/thread-tests.el (threads-join): Test also return value.
(threads-join-error): New test.
(threads-mutex-signal): Check for propagation of `quit' signal.

5 files changed, 49 insertions, 21 deletions

diff --git a/doc/lispref/threads.texi b/doc/lispref/threads.texi
index 4cef9c9c6e8..58a3a918efd 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/threads.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/threads.texi
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ thread, @code{nil} otherwise.
 
 @defun thread-join thread
 Block until @var{thread} exits, or until the current thread is
-signaled.  If @var{thread} has already exited, this returns
-immediately.
+signaled.  It returns the result of the @var{thread} function.  If
+@var{thread} has already exited, this returns immediately.
 @end defun
 
 @defun thread-signal thread error-symbol data
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index c2b6b500eeb..fc2a5d4c039 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -172,11 +172,6 @@ from a remote host.
 This triggers to search the program on the remote host as indicated by
 'default-directory'.
 
-+++
-** New variable 'main-thread' holds Emacs's main thread.
-This is handy in Lisp programs that run on a non-main thread and want
-to signal the main thread, e.g., when they encounter an error.
-
 
 * Editing Changes in Emacs 27.1
 
@@ -578,7 +573,6 @@ It was obsolete since Emacs 22.1, replaced by customize.
 Use of built-in libgnutls based functionality (described in the Emacs
 GnuTLS manual) is recommended instead.
 
-
 ** Message
 
 +++
@@ -624,6 +618,17 @@ If this option is non-nil, messages appended to an output file by the
 selects the messages to summarize with a regexp that matches the
 sender of the current message.
 
+** Threads
+
++++
+*** New variable 'main-thread' holds Emacs's main thread.
+This is handy in Lisp programs that run on a non-main thread and want
+to signal the main thread, e.g., when they encounter an error.
+
++++
+*** 'thread-join' returns the result of the finished thread now.
+
+
 * New Modes and Packages in Emacs 27.1
 
 +++
@@ -739,6 +744,7 @@ however applications should instead call 'display-buffer-in-side-window'
 is backwards-compatible with versions of Emacs in which the old function
 exists.  See the node "Displaying Buffers in Side Windows" in the ELisp
 manual for more details.
+
 
 * Lisp Changes in Emacs 27.1
 
diff --git a/src/thread.c b/src/thread.c
index 754d286e9f8..1c73d938655 100644
--- a/src/thread.c
+++ b/src/thread.c
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ invoke_thread_function (void)
 {
   ptrdiff_t count = SPECPDL_INDEX ();
 
-  Ffuncall (1, &current_thread->function);
+  current_thread->result = Ffuncall (1, &current_thread->function);
   return unbind_to (count, Qnil);
 }
 
@@ -789,6 +789,7 @@ If NAME is given, it must be a string; it names the new thread.  */)
   new_thread->m_last_thing_searched = Qnil; /* copy from parent? */
   new_thread->m_saved_last_thing_searched = Qnil;
   new_thread->m_current_buffer = current_thread->m_current_buffer;
+  new_thread->result = Qnil;
   new_thread->error_symbol = Qnil;
   new_thread->error_data = Qnil;
   new_thread->event_object = Qnil;
@@ -933,12 +934,13 @@ thread_join_callback (void *arg)
 
 DEFUN ("thread-join", Fthread_join, Sthread_join, 1, 1, 0,
        doc: /* Wait for THREAD to exit.
-This blocks the current thread until THREAD exits or until
-the current thread is signaled.
-It is an error for a thread to try to join itself.  */)
+This blocks the current thread until THREAD exits or until the current
+thread is signaled.  It returns the result of the THREAD function.  It
+is an error for a thread to try to join itself.  */)
   (Lisp_Object thread)
 {
   struct thread_state *tstate;
+  Lisp_Object error_symbol, error_data;
 
   CHECK_THREAD (thread);
   tstate = XTHREAD (thread);
@@ -946,10 +948,16 @@ It is an error for a thread to try to join itself.  */)
   if (tstate == current_thread)
     error ("Cannot join current thread");
 
+  error_symbol = tstate->error_symbol;
+  error_data = tstate->error_data;
+
   if (thread_alive_p (tstate))
     flush_stack_call_func (thread_join_callback, tstate);
 
-  return Qnil;
+  if (!NILP (error_symbol))
+    Fsignal (error_symbol, error_data);
+
+  return tstate->result;
 }
 
 DEFUN ("all-threads", Fall_threads, Sall_threads, 0, 0, 0,
@@ -1017,6 +1025,7 @@ init_main_thread (void)
   main_thread.m_saved_last_thing_searched = Qnil;
   main_thread.name = Qnil;
   main_thread.function = Qnil;
+  main_thread.result = Qnil;
   main_thread.error_symbol = Qnil;
   main_thread.error_data = Qnil;
   main_thread.event_object = Qnil;
@@ -1090,8 +1099,7 @@ syms_of_threads (void)
   DEFSYM (Qmutexp, "mutexp");
   DEFSYM (Qcondition_variable_p, "condition-variable-p");
 
-  DEFVAR_LISP ("main-thread",
-               Vmain_thread,
+  DEFVAR_LISP ("main-thread", Vmain_thread,
     doc: /* The main thread of Emacs.  */);
 #ifdef THREADS_ENABLED
   XSETTHREAD (Vmain_thread, &main_thread);
diff --git a/src/thread.h b/src/thread.h
index c10e5ecb758..922eea62178 100644
--- a/src/thread.h
+++ b/src/thread.h
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ struct thread_state
   /* The thread's function.  */
   Lisp_Object function;
 
+  /* The thread's result, if function has finished.  */
+  Lisp_Object result;
+
   /* If non-nil, this thread has been signaled.  */
   Lisp_Object error_symbol;
   Lisp_Object error_data;
diff --git a/test/src/thread-tests.el b/test/src/thread-tests.el
index a447fb3914e..364f6d61f05 100644
--- a/test/src/thread-tests.el
+++ b/test/src/thread-tests.el
@@ -100,15 +100,24 @@
    (progn
      (setq threads-test-global nil)
      (let ((thread (make-thread #'threads-test-thread1)))
-       (thread-join thread)
-       (and threads-test-global
-            (not (thread-alive-p thread)))))))
+       (and (= (thread-join thread) 23)
+            (= threads-test-global 23)
+            (not (thread-alive-p thread)))))))
 
 (ert-deftest threads-join-self ()
   "Cannot `thread-join' the current thread."
   (skip-unless (featurep 'threads))
   (should-error (thread-join (current-thread))))
 
+(ert-deftest threads-join-error ()
+  "Test of error signalling from `thread-join'."
+  :tags '(:unstable)
+  (skip-unless (featurep 'threads))
+  (let ((thread (make-thread #'threads-call-error)))
+    (while (thread-alive-p thread)
+      (thread-yield))
+    (should-error (thread-join thread))))
+
 (defvar threads-test-binding nil)
 
 (defun threads-test-thread2 ()
@@ -197,7 +206,7 @@
 (ert-deftest threads-mutex-signal ()
   "Test signaling a blocked thread."
   (skip-unless (featurep 'threads))
-  (should
+  (should-error
    (progn
      (setq threads-mutex (make-mutex))
      (setq threads-mutex-key nil)
@@ -206,8 +215,10 @@
        (while (not threads-mutex-key)
          (thread-yield))
        (thread-signal thr 'quit nil)
-       (thread-join thr))
-     t)))
+       ;; `quit' is not catched by `should-error'.  We must indicate it.
+       (condition-case nil
+           (thread-join thr)
+         (quit (signal 'error nil)))))))
 
 (defun threads-test-io-switch ()
   (setq threads-test-global 23))