Tweaks to count-words and count-words-region behavior.

In particular, make count-words more analogous to the existing
count-lines function.

* lisp/simple.el (count-words): If called from Lisp, return the word
count, for symmetry with `count-lines'.  Arglist changed.
(count-words--message): Args changed.  Consolidate counting code
from count-words and count-words-region.
(count-words-region): Caller changed.
(count-lines-region): Make it an obsolete alias.

2 files changed, 52 insertions, 38 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 26d2c1746a2..92d12fbc1ff 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+2012-03-05  Chong Yidong  <cyd@gnu.org>
+
+        * simple.el (count-words): If called from Lisp, return the word
+        count, for symmetry with `count-lines'.  Arglist changed.
+        (count-words--message): Args changed.  Consolidate counting code
+        from count-words and count-words-region.
+        (count-words-region): Caller changed.
+        (count-lines-region): Make it an obsolete alias.
+
 2012-03-04  Tassilo Horn  <tassilo@member.fsf.org>
 
         * saveplace.el (save-place-to-alist)
diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index c968ac01b0d..2b4651ba697 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -949,46 +949,51 @@ rather than line counts."
       (forward-line (1- line)))))
 
 (defun count-words-region (start end)
-  "Return the number of words between START and END.
+  "Count the number of words in the region.
 If called interactively, print a message reporting the number of
-lines, words, and characters in the region."
+lines, words, and chars in the region.
+If called from Lisp, return the number of words between positions
+START and END."
   (interactive "r")
-  (let ((words 0))
-    (save-excursion
-      (save-restriction
-        (narrow-to-region start end)
-        (goto-char (point-min))
-        (while (forward-word 1)
-          (setq words (1+ words)))))
-    (when (called-interactively-p 'interactive)
-      (count-words--message "Region"
-                            (count-lines start end)
-                            words
-                            (- end start)))
-    words))
-
-(defun count-words ()
-  "Display the number of lines, words, and characters in the buffer.
-In Transient Mark mode when the mark is active, display the
-number of lines, words, and characters in the region."
-  (interactive)
-  (if (use-region-p)
-      (call-interactively 'count-words-region)
-    (let* ((beg (point-min))
-           (end (point-max))
-           (lines (count-lines beg end))
-           (words (count-words-region beg end))
-           (chars (- end beg)))
-      (count-words--message "Buffer" lines words chars))))
-
-(defun count-words--message (str lines words chars)
-  (message "%s has %d line%s, %d word%s, and %d character%s."
-           str
-           lines (if (= lines 1) "" "s")
-           words (if (= words 1) "" "s")
-           chars (if (= chars 1) "" "s")))
-
-(defalias 'count-lines-region 'count-words-region)
+  (if (called-interactively-p 'any)
+      (count-words--message "Region" start end)
+    (count-words start end)))
+
+(defun count-words (start end)
+  "Count words between START and END.
+If called interactively, START and END are normally the start and
+end of the buffer; but if the region is active, START and END are
+the start and end of the region.  Print a message reporting the
+number of lines, words, and chars.
+
+If called from Lisp, return the number of words between START and
+END, without printing any message."
+  (interactive (list nil nil))
+  (cond ((not (called-interactively-p 'any))
+         (let ((words 0))
+           (save-excursion
+             (save-restriction
+               (narrow-to-region start end)
+               (goto-char (point-min))
+               (while (forward-word 1)
+                 (setq words (1+ words)))))
+           words))
+        ((use-region-p)
+         (call-interactively 'count-words-region))
+        (t
+         (count-words--message "Buffer" (point-min) (point-max)))))
+
+(defun count-words--message (str start end)
+  (let ((lines (count-lines start end))
+        (words (count-words start end))
+        (chars (- end start)))
+    (message "%s has %d line%s, %d word%s, and %d character%s."
+             str
+             lines (if (= lines 1) "" "s")
+             words (if (= words 1) "" "s")
+             chars (if (= chars 1) "" "s"))))
+
+(define-obsolete-function-alias 'count-lines-region 'count-words-region "24.1")
 
 (defun what-line ()
   "Print the current buffer line number and narrowed line number of point."