GNU bug report logs - #10522
Patch: Improve optional variable and keyword notation in manual

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Message #11 received at 10522 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: ludo <at> gnu.org (Ludovic Courtès)
To: Andy Wingo <wingo <at> pobox.com>
Cc: b3timmons <at> speedymail.org, guile-devel <guile-devel <at> gnu.org>,
	10522 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#10522: Patch: Improve optional variable and keyword notation
	in manual
Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:54:02 +0100

Hello!  :-)

Andy Wingo <wingo <at> pobox.com> skribis:

> On Mon 16 Jan 2012 20:46, Bake Timmons <b3timmons <at> speedymail.org> writes:
>> -@deffn {Scheme Procedure} resolve-module name [autoload=#t] [version=#f] [#:ensure=#t]
>> +@deffn {Scheme Procedure} resolve-module name [autoload=#t [version=#f]] @
>> +                          [#:ensure ensure=#t]
>
> Nesting the optional arguments in brackets can get a bit ugly.  It is
> precise but verbose.  But I suppose we should not encourage interfaces
> with many optional arguments, so perhaps it is a moot point.

Indeed.

> Also, it seems pedantic to repeat the keyword arguments (once as
> keyword, once as identifier).  Surely #:foo=bar is unambiguous?

That’s what I would think.

Perhaps the people behind bug-texinfo <at> gnu.org have something to say
about this kind of thing, since there are other Lispy packages out there
with similar features?

Thanks,
Ludo’.

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