Subject: 23.1; common doc strings that are too wide
From: "Drew Adams" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:45:18 -0700

Doc-string lines should be limited to 70 chars max. This is especially
important when windows or frames are automatically resized to fit
their widest line.  The guideline (Elisp manual, node Documentation
Tips) is in fact 60 chars max, or 67 chars max for the first line:
 
 Format the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window
 on an 80-column screen.  It is a good idea for most lines to be no
 wider than 60 characters.  The first line should not be wider than
 67 characters or it will look bad in the output of `apropos'.
 
Here are a few of the most prominent doc strings that should be
shortened. In some cases, text can be filled to accomplish this. In
other cases, the text should be reworded.

emacs -Q
C-x d <any directory>
 
Search for "Global-Auto-Composition".
The doc string is too wide: 104 chars wide (with another line 85 chars
wide, and another 74 chars).
 
Search for "Global-Font-Lock".
The doc string is too wide: 90 chars wide (with another line 78 chars
wide).
 
Search for "Transient-Mark"
The doc string is also too wide: 84 chars (with another line 75 chars
wide, another 73 chars, and another 72).
 
Other long lines in this buffer:
 
Font-Lock mode has 5 lines longer than 77 chars, 2 of 77 chars, 2 of
76, 2 of 74, and 2 of 72.
 
Auto-Composition has two lines of 77 chars and one of 76.
Auto-Encryption has a line of 72 chars.
 
Dired by name has a line of 73 chars, a line of 72, and a line of 71.
Auto-Compression has a line of 73 chars.
Blink-Cursor has a line of 73 chars.
 
Other modes, which are not in emacs -Q, but are common anyway:
 
Show-Paren (not in emacs -Q), but common anyway) has a line of 74
chars and two lines of 72.
 
Savehist has a line of 72 chars.

In GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2009-07-29 on SOFT-MJASON
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (4.4)'