GNU bug report logs - #23264
25.0.90; `C-h f' (`describe-function'): "This function has a compiler macro"

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From: Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
To: 23264 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#23264: 25.0.90; `C-h f' (`describe-function'): "This function has a compiler macro"
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 11:47:57 -0700 (PDT)

This mystery sentence was added to the output of
`describe-function' - at the very top, no less:

  This function has a compiler macro.

I had to search the _source code_ to find out what that is
meant to mean - what it means for a function to have a
"compiler macro", and even what a "compiler macro" is.

And having found symbol property `compiler-macro' used in
the source code, I had to then search the Elisp manual for
that (there is no index entry for it).  Finally, I found a
little light in node `Declare Form'.

It cannot be clear to readers of `C-h f eval-after-load'
(for example) what that mystery sentence is for.  If we are
going to include mention of this we should use English to
get across the real point, which is presumably to say that a
call to the function might be expanded by the compiler in
different ways.

I admit that I still do not understand why we would tell
users this in `C-h f' output.  And perhaps I still do not
fully grasp the message.

What seems clear to me is that most users will have NO CLUE
what this mystery sentence (again, at the top of the help
output, no less) is trying to tell them, much less why it is
(or isn't) important.


In GNU Emacs 25.0.90.4 (i686-w64-mingw32)
 of 2016-03-20
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 6.1.7601
Configured using:
 `configure --host=i686-w64-mingw32 --without-dbus
 --without-compress-install CFLAGS=-static'

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