1 files changed, 39 insertions, 12 deletions

diff --git a/src/pardes.zig b/src/pardes.zig
index b8b2de33..61950562 100644
--- a/src/pardes.zig
+++ b/src/pardes.zig
@@ -8818,7 +8818,17 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
                             // a topbar word runs on the PRESS — there is no
                             // drag to chord into, so the argument is simply
                             // whatever is selected right now: select a word,
-                            if (word.len > 0) _ = p.execute(p.active, p.withArg(word, p.heldSelection(p.active)));
+                            // ...but only for a builtin that HAS somewhere to
+                            // put one (see takesArg): a word left selected in
+                            // some pane an hour ago is not an argument to
+                            // Kill, and splicing it made a name that matches
+                            // no builtin and therefore went to a shell.
+                            const named = std.meta.stringToEnum(Builtin, word);
+                            const held = if (named) |b|
+                                (if (takesArg(b)) p.heldSelection(p.active) else null)
+                            else
+                                p.heldSelection(p.active); // not a builtin: an ordinary acme 2-1
+                            if (word.len > 0) _ = p.execute(p.active, p.withArg(word, held));
                         }
                         return;
                     }
@@ -10998,17 +11008,7 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
         const sp = std.mem.indexOfAny(u8, cmd, " \t");
         const bi: ?Builtin = std.meta.stringToEnum(Builtin, cmd) orelse blk: {
             const head = std.meta.stringToEnum(Builtin, cmd[0 .. sp orelse break :blk null]) orelse break :blk null;
-            break :blk switch (head) {
-                .Restore, .Find, .Grep, .Rename, .WsSymbols, .Theme, .Look, .Exec => head,
-                // Font is a BRANCH and not another name in that prong for the
-                // reason output_pane.traits has the same shape: it is not in
-                // the enum at all off the gui, and a comptime-false `if` is
-                // the one form that is not analysed there.
-                else => {
-                    if (platform == .gui) if (head == .Font) break :blk head;
-                    break :blk null;
-                },
-            };
+            break :blk if (takesArg(head)) head else null;
         };
         const b = bi orelse return false;
         p.exec_depth += 1;
@@ -11018,6 +11018,33 @@ pub const Pardes = struct {
         return true;
     }
 
+    /// Which builtins match their name with a TAIL — `Restore <path>`,
+    /// `Grep <pat>`, `Theme <name>`, and the two verbs, `Look <word>` /
+    /// `Exec <cmd>`, which is what makes `` @`Look .` `` nest. Every other
+    /// name must match WHOLE, so `Kill foo` is a shell command and not Kill.
+    ///
+    /// Asked in two places and so written in one. The second asker is the
+    /// topbar's execute, and it is why this is a function: a topbar click runs
+    /// the word under it WITH whatever happens to be selected (select a word,
+    /// click Grep, it greps that word), and a builtin that takes no argument
+    /// was getting one anyway — `Kill` with a stale sweep somewhere became
+    /// `Kill <word>`, which is not Kill, so it fell through to the shell and
+    /// ran as a command nobody typed. A selection is only an argument to
+    /// something that has somewhere to put it.
+    fn takesArg(b: Builtin) bool {
+        switch (b) {
+            .Restore, .Find, .Grep, .Rename, .WsSymbols, .Theme, .Look, .Exec => return true,
+            // Font is a BRANCH and not another name in that prong for the
+            // reason output_pane.traits has the same shape: it is not in the
+            // enum at all off the gui, and a comptime-false `if` is the one
+            // form that is not analysed there.
+            else => {
+                if (platform == .gui) if (b == .Font) return true;
+                return false;
+            },
+        }
+    }
+
     fn applyStartupConfig(p: *Pardes) void {
         var lines = std.mem.splitScalar(u8, p.opts.startup_config orelse return, '\n');
         while (lines.next()) |line| _ = p.executeBuiltinLine(p.active, line);