GNU bug report logs - #17623
24.4.50; incorrect example for `apply-partially' in (elisp) `Calling Functions'

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Message #20 received at 17623 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 17623 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#17623: 24.4.50;
 incorrect example for `apply-partially' in (elisp) `Calling Functions'
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 19:53:34 +0200

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

> Sorry, I don't understand this critique.  Perhaps if you suggested an
> alternative wording, it would become clear what is it that confused
> you about the current text.

There's nothing wrong per see in the current text, but it sounds as if
`apply-partially` would somehow analyze the argument list of its first
argument.  But it's semantic is very simple.

Say that

  (apply-partially f arg_1 ... arg_n) 

is equivalent to

  (lambda (&rest args) (apply f arg_1 ... arg_n args))

With that, what we currently have an ok elucidation of that definition.


And I think that the paragraph about `apply-partially` should be merged
into the later text talking about functionals, because the main use case
of `apply-partially` is to construct anonymous functions for usage as
argument to some other function.


Michael.

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