GNU bug report logs - #22206
25.1.50; doc string of `define-minor-mode'

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 25.1.50; doc string of `define-minor-mode'
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 09:52:39 -0800 (PST)

Unlike (elisp) `Defining Minor Modes', the doc string does not say that
LIGHTER is a string and that keyword :lighter has a string value.
Please mention that the value is a string.

In GNU Emacs 25.1.50.1 (i686-pc-mingw32)
 of 2015-12-04
Bzr revision: ffefb6e899fbcdcbd79cb34292d57b7bc3043fcc
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 6.1.7601
Configured using:
 `configure --prefix=/c/Devel/emacs/snapshot/trunk --enable-checking=yes
 --enable-check-lisp-object-type --without-compress-install 'CFLAGS=-Og
 -ggdb3' LDFLAGS=-Lc:/Devel/emacs/lib 'CPPFLAGS=-DGC_MCHECK=1
 -Ic:/Devel/emacs/include''

Message #8 received at 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#22206: 25.1.50; doc string of `define-minor-mode'
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 21:32:07 +0200

> Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 09:52:39 -0800 (PST)
> From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
> 
> Unlike (elisp) `Defining Minor Modes', the doc string does not say that
> LIGHTER is a string and that keyword :lighter has a string value.
> Please mention that the value is a string.

The doc string says:

  Optional LIGHTER is displayed in the mode line when the mode is on.

What else could it possibly be, except a string?

Message #13 received at 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#22206: 25.1.50; doc string of `define-minor-mode'
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 21:41:35 +0200

On 12/18/2015 09:32 PM, Eli Zaretskii wrote:

> What else could it possibly be, except a string?

A form in the format described in mode-line-format. And that works, 
actually, so I'm not sure we should document it to be more limited.

Message #16 received at 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
Cc: drew.adams <at> oracle.com, 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#22206: 25.1.50; doc string of `define-minor-mode'
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 21:44:13 +0200

> Cc: 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> From: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>
> Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 21:41:35 +0200
> 
> On 12/18/2015 09:32 PM, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
> 
> > What else could it possibly be, except a string?
> 
> A form in the format described in mode-line-format. And that works, 
> actually, so I'm not sure we should document it to be more limited.

Exactly.

Message #19 received at 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Cc: 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#22206: 25.1.50; doc string of `define-minor-mode'
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 12:09:39 -0800 (PST)

> > Unlike (elisp) `Defining Minor Modes', the doc string does not say that
> > LIGHTER is a string and that keyword :lighter has a string value.
> > Please mention that the value is a string.
> 
> The doc string says:
>   Optional LIGHTER is displayed in the mode line when the mode is on.
> 
> What else could it possibly be, except a string?

Tons of things can be displayed in the mode line, including symbols.
"Displayed" does not preclude producing a string representation of
the thing to be displayed.  And users of this macro should not need
to know intricacies of how things can be displayed in the mode line.
They should be told what the type of LIGHTER is, IMO.

But if you don't want to clarify this by adding one word, as in the
manual, then, well, don't.

Message #22 received at 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: Dmitry Gutov <dgutov <at> yandex.ru>, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 22206 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: RE: bug#22206: 25.1.50; doc string of `define-minor-mode'
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2015 12:11:14 -0800 (PST)

> > What else could it possibly be, except a string?
> 
> A form in the format described in mode-line-format. And that works,
> actually, so I'm not sure we should document it to be more limited.

IMO, we should document what it needs to be.  If it can be more than
a string, then we should document just what it can be.  And in that
case the manual (which states that it is a string) should likewise
be updated to say what the value can be.

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