GNU bug report logs - #30538
Elisp manual doesn't say how to get a raw syntax descriptor of a character.

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

From: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Elisp manual doesn't say how to get a raw syntax descriptor of a
 character.
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 20:32:33 +0000

Hello, Emacs.

The title says it all.  Actually, in the early part of the Elisp manual,
it does say that `aref' works on char-tables.  And around the syntax part
of the manual, much later, it says that syntax tables are char-tables.

This makes it far too much work for somebody to find out what to do.
Therefore I suggest the following amendment, for Emacs-26:



diff --git a/doc/lispref/syntax.texi b/doc/lispref/syntax.texi
index b37f2b22b8..585ecf760d 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/syntax.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/syntax.texi
@@ -972,6 +972,9 @@ Syntax Table Internals
 below.  @var{matching-char}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies a matching
 character (similar to the second character in a syntax descriptor).
 
+Use @code{aref} (@pxref{Array Functions}) to get the raw syntax
+descriptor of a character, e.g. @code{(aref (syntax-table) ch)}.
+
   Here are the syntax codes corresponding to the various syntax
 classes:
 


-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

Message #8 received at 30538 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>
Cc: 30538 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#30538: Elisp manual doesn't say how to get a raw syntax
 descriptor of a character.
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 20:57:58 +0200

> Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 20:32:33 +0000
> From: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>
> 
> The title says it all.  Actually, in the early part of the Elisp manual,
> it does say that `aref' works on char-tables.  And around the syntax part
> of the manual, much later, it says that syntax tables are char-tables.
> 
> This makes it far too much work for somebody to find out what to do.
> Therefore I suggest the following amendment, for Emacs-26:

OK, but:

  . this should have an appropriate index entry, to allow finding this
    stuff easily
  . please take the code snipped in @w{..}, to avoid splitting it
    between lines.

Thanks.

Message #13 received at 30538-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 30538-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#30538: Elisp manual doesn't say how to get a raw syntax
 descriptor of a character.
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 18:43:09 +0000

Hello, Eli.

On Tue, Feb 20, 2018 at 20:57:58 +0200, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
> > Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 20:32:33 +0000
> > From: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>

> > The title says it all.  Actually, in the early part of the Elisp manual,
> > it does say that `aref' works on char-tables.  And around the syntax part
> > of the manual, much later, it says that syntax tables are char-tables.

> > This makes it far too much work for somebody to find out what to do.
> > Therefore I suggest the following amendment, for Emacs-26:

> OK, but:

>   . this should have an appropriate index entry, to allow finding this
>     stuff easily
>   . please take the code snipped in @w{..}, to avoid splitting it
>     between lines.

I've committed the patch (with the amendments you've requested) and am
closing the bug.

> Thanks.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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