Subject: bug#12158: 24.1; unclear, incomplete doc of window parameter `quit-restore'

From: "Drew Adams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 09:11:31 -0700

In (elisp) `Window Parameters', the description of `quit-restore' is not
very helpful.  It says what the parameter is used for, and how it is
established, and even which function uses it.  But it says _nothing_
about what the parameter value is or how to understand its various
components.
 
>From the description of `window-parameters' and experimenting using that
function we can discover that `quit-restore' has a value that is a list.
But that is all.  What the parts of that list are and what they mean or
are used for is a complete mystery.  Here is an example `quit-restore'
value:
 
(frame frame #<window 3 on *Messages*> #<buffer *Process List*>)
 
And?  What is the expected form of the parameter value?  Does it always
have 4 elements?  What are they - what do they mean?  How are they used?
 
OK, so there are two cross references here, that should presumably
enlighten us.  Following the first and searching for `quit-restore', we
find NOTHING - it is not even mentioned in that node.
 
Following the second and searching for `quit-restore', we find only
this:
 
 "The function `quit-window' bases its decisions on information stored
  in WINDOW's `quit-restore' window parameter (*note Window Parameters::),
  and resets that parameter to `nil' after it's done."
 
That does not help us at all to understand the `quit-restore' value.
Searching the rest of the manual shows that there is nothing anywhere
that helps us interpret `quit-restore' values.
 
NOTE: It is possible that this comment applies also to other window
parameters listed in this node.  Please describe each parameter: its
format (possible values), including the use/meaning of any components of
possible values.

In GNU Emacs 24.1.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2012-06-10 on MARVIN
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
Configured using:
 `configure --with-gcc (4.6) --cflags
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/libXpm-3.5.8/include
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/libXpm-3.5.8/src
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/libpng-dev_1.4.3-1/include
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/zlib-dev_1.2.5-2/include
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/giflib-4.1.4-1/include
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/jpeg-6b-4/include
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/tiff-3.8.2-1/include
 -ID:/devel/emacs/libs/gnutls-3.0.9/include'