fix(vim.ui)!: change open() to return result|nil, errmsg|nil #28612

reverts e0d92b9cc2 #28502

Problem:
`vim.ui.open()` has a `pcall()` like signature, under the assumption
that this is the Lua idiom for returning result-or-error. However, the
`result|nil, errmsg|nil` pattern:
- has precedent in:
  - `io.open`
  - `vim.uv` (`:help luv-error-handling`)
- has these advantages:
  - Can be used with `assert()`:
    ```
    local result, err = assert(foobar())
    ```
  - Allows LuaLS to infer the type of `result`:
    ```
    local result, err = foobar()
    if err then
      ...
    elseif result then
      ...
    end
    ```

Solution:
- Revert to the `result|nil, errmsg|nil` pattern.
- Document the pattern in our guidelines.

runtime/doc/develop.txt

@@ -309,6 +309,11 @@ See also |dev-naming|.
   - return iterable instead of table
   - mimic the pairs() or ipairs() interface if the function is intended to be
     used in a "for" loop.
+  - when a result-or-error interface is needed, return `result|nil, errmsg|nil`: >
+    ---@return Foo|nil # Result object, or nil if not found.
+    ---@return nil|string # Error message on failure, or nil on success.
+<
+    - Examples: |vim.ui.open()| |io.open()| |luv-error-handling|
 
 Interface conventions ~
 

runtime/doc/lua.txt

@@ -2551,8 +2551,8 @@ vim.ui.open({path})                                            *vim.ui.open()*
         vim.ui.open("https://neovim.io/")
         vim.ui.open("~/path/to/file")
         -- Synchronous (wait until the process exits).
-        local ok, cmd = vim.ui.open("$VIMRUNTIME")
-        if ok then
+        local cmd, err = vim.ui.open("$VIMRUNTIME")
+        if cmd then
           cmd:wait()
         end
 <
@@ -2561,8 +2561,8 @@ vim.ui.open({path})                                            *vim.ui.open()*
       • {path}  (`string`) Path or URL to open
 
     Return (multiple): ~
-        (`boolean`) false if command not found, else true.
-        (`vim.SystemObj|string`) Command object, or error message on failure
+        (`vim.SystemObj?`) Command object, or nil if not found.
+        (`string?`) Error message on failure, or nil on success.
 
     See also: ~
       • |vim.system()|

runtime/doc/news.txt

@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ cycle (Nvim HEAD, the "master" branch).
 
 • Renamed vim.tbl_isarray() to vim.isarray().
 
-• Changed |vim.ui.open()| return-signature to match pcall() convention.
+• Changed |vim.ui.open()| return-signature to match `result|nil, errormsg|nil` convention.
 
 • Renamed Iter:nextback() to Iter:pop()
 

runtime/lua/vim/_defaults.lua

@@ -98,19 +98,18 @@ do
   --- Map |gx| to call |vim.ui.open| on the <cfile> at cursor.
   do
     local function do_open(uri)
-      local ok, cmd_or_err = vim.ui.open(uri)
-      local rv = ok and (cmd_or_err --[[@as vim.SystemObj]]):wait(1000) or nil
-      if rv and rv.code ~= 0 then
-        ok = false
-        cmd_or_err = ('vim.ui.open: command %s (%d): %s'):format(
+      local cmd, err = vim.ui.open(uri)
+      local rv = cmd and cmd:wait(1000) or nil
+      if cmd and rv and rv.code ~= 0 then
+        err = ('vim.ui.open: command %s (%d): %s'):format(
           (rv.code == 124 and 'timeout' or 'failed'),
           rv.code,
-          vim.inspect(cmd_or_err.cmd)
+          vim.inspect(cmd.cmd)
         )
       end
 
-      if not ok then
-        vim.notify(cmd_or_err --[[@as string]], vim.log.levels.ERROR)
+      if err then
+        vim.notify(err, vim.log.levels.ERROR)
       end
     end
 

runtime/lua/vim/lsp/handlers.lua

@@ -654,15 +654,15 @@ M[ms.window_showDocument] = function(_, result, ctx, _)
 
   if result.external then
     -- TODO(lvimuser): ask the user for confirmation
-    local ok, cmd_or_err = vim.ui.open(uri)
-    local ret = ok and (cmd_or_err --[[@as vim.SystemObj]]):wait(2000) or nil
+    local cmd, err = vim.ui.open(uri)
+    local ret = cmd and cmd:wait(2000) or nil
 
     if ret == nil or ret.code ~= 0 then
       return {
         success = false,
         error = {
           code = protocol.ErrorCodes.UnknownErrorCode,
-          message = ret and ret.stderr or cmd_or_err,
+          message = ret and ret.stderr or err,
         },
       }
     end

runtime/lua/vim/ui.lua

@@ -118,16 +118,16 @@ end
 --- vim.ui.open("https://neovim.io/")
 --- vim.ui.open("~/path/to/file")
 --- -- Synchronous (wait until the process exits).
---- local ok, cmd = vim.ui.open("$VIMRUNTIME")
---- if ok then
+--- local cmd, err = vim.ui.open("$VIMRUNTIME")
+--- if cmd then
 ---   cmd:wait()
 --- end
 --- ```
 ---
 ---@param path string Path or URL to open
 ---
----@return boolean # false if command not found, else true.
----@return vim.SystemObj|string # Command object, or error message on failure
+---@return vim.SystemObj|nil # Command object, or nil if not found.
+---@return nil|string # Error message on failure, or nil on success.
 ---
 ---@see |vim.system()|
 function M.open(path)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ function M.open(path)
     if vim.fn.executable('rundll32') == 1 then
       cmd = { 'rundll32', 'url.dll,FileProtocolHandler', path }
     else
-      return false, 'vim.ui.open: rundll32 not found'
+      return nil, 'vim.ui.open: rundll32 not found'
     end
   elseif vim.fn.executable('wslview') == 1 then
     cmd = { 'wslview', path }
@@ -156,10 +156,10 @@ function M.open(path)
   elseif vim.fn.executable('xdg-open') == 1 then
     cmd = { 'xdg-open', path }
   else
-    return false, 'vim.ui.open: no handler found (tried: wslview, explorer.exe, xdg-open)'
+    return nil, 'vim.ui.open: no handler found (tried: wslview, explorer.exe, xdg-open)'
   end
 
-  return true, vim.system(cmd, { text = true, detach = true })
+  return vim.system(cmd, { text = true, detach = true }), nil
 end
 
 return M

test/functional/lua/ui_spec.lua

@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ describe('vim.ui', function()
       end
       if not is_os('bsd') then
         local rv =
-          exec_lua [[local _, cmd = vim.ui.open('non-existent-file'); return cmd:wait(100).code]]
+          exec_lua [[local cmd = vim.ui.open('non-existent-file'); return cmd:wait(100).code]]
         ok(type(rv) == 'number' and rv ~= 0, 'nonzero exit code', rv)
       end