matchdelete call fails when current window is not window associated with id

[myitcv]

matchaddpos has the following signature:

matchaddpos({group}, {pos} [, {priority} [, {id} [, {dict}]]])

This allows me to add a match in a specific window because the dict argument is defined as follows:

                The optional {dict} argument allows for further custom
                values. Currently this is used to specify a match specific
                conceal character that will be shown for hl-Conceal
                highlighted matches. The dict can have the following members:

                        conceal     Special character to show instead of the
                                    match (only for hl-Conceal highlighted
                                    matches, see :syn-cchar)
                        window      Instead of the current window use the
                                    window with this number or window ID.

The value returned from matchaddpos is an ID which I had assumed was independent of window. But calling matchdelete with a current window of W2, say, passing in an ID that is the result of a call to matchaddpos for window W1, fails with:

E803: ID not found: <ID>

Am I doing something wrong here?

[andymass]

As far as I know there is no api to delete a match in a different window.

[myitcv]

Thanks.

Perhaps matchdelete could take an optional dict parameter, to mirror matchaddpos?

I think there needs to be some symmetry with matchaddpos here whatever the solution.

[andymass]

I suppose by symmetry then a dict argument would need to be added to clearmatches() and getmatches() as well, which is a bit unnatural.

[myitcv]

I suppose by symmetry then a dict argument would need to be added to clearmatches() and getmatches() as well

Yes, I agree.

which is a bit unnatural.

Why so?

It's definitely unnatural not to have the dict parameter, because it means that you can only call matchaddpos without switching windows. There is a definite use case for adding/removing matches in the non-current window (govim/govim#24)

[andymass]

I just meant that the following API seemed more natural:

clearmatches([{win}])
getmatches([{win}])
matchdelete({id} [, {win}])

I don't see a strong reason for the extra indirection, i.e.,

clearmatches(l:win)           vs      clearmatches({'window': l:win})
getmatches(l:win)             vs      getmatches({'window': l:win})
matchdelete(l:id, l:win)      vs      matchdelete(id, {'window': l:win})

Are there any other options besides window that could be put in the dict? I get the impression it was added to the dict in the case of matchadd only to avoid adding a 6th argument.

[myitcv]

Ah I see what you mean, apologies.

I'm absolutely not fixed/set on a particular API, just that there needs to be some means by which a window ID can be specified for the functions you listed.

[andymass]

The following patch would implement the non-dict convention for functions matchdelete, clearmatches, getmatches, setmatches andymass@44c3c3e?format=patch

[myitcv]

Thanks @andymass and @brammool