GNU bug report logs - #38205
Unhelpful documentation for add-variable-watcher.

Previous Next

Full log

Message #10 received at 38205-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>
Cc: 38205-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#38205: Unhelpful documentation for add-variable-watcher.
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2019 11:21:29 +0200

> Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2019 07:38:35 +0000
> From: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>
> 
> The doc string for add-variable-watcher wrongly states:
> 
>     Cause WATCH-FUNCTION to be called when SYMBOL is set.
> 
> .  Correct would be either
> 
>     Cause WATCH-FUNCTION to be called just before SYMBOL is set.
> 
> or
> 
>     Cause WATCH-FUNCTION to be called just after SYMBOL is set.

Well, the doc string goes on to say

  NEWVAL is the value it will be changed to.
                         ^^^^^^^
which is a clear hint to what actually happens.  But I made this even
more clear in the doc string, thanks.

> The documentation in the Elisp manual is similarly ambiguous.  It uses
> the conjunction "whenever".

Fixed that as well.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.