Subject: 23.1.91; doc string of dired-insert-set-properties

From: "Drew Adams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 15:02:53 -0800

emacs -Q
 
The doc string is:
"Make the file names highlight when the mouse is on them."
 
The function name does not at all reflect what the function does, for
one thing.  This makes it all the more important that the doc string
does reflect what the function does.
 
Prior to Emacs 23, the doc string was complete and accurate. Starting
with Emacs 23, this function does something additional, which is quite
important: it puts the `dired-filename' text property on the file name.
This is at least as important as the fact that the function adds the
`mouse-face' property to highlight the file name.
 
Especially since property `dired-filename' is set here for use
elsewhere.  The connection between `dired-insert-set-properties' and
`dired-move-to(-end-of)-filename' is not obvious.  If there were more
occurrences of `dired-filename' in the file it would be even harder to
see this connection.
 
A sentence such as this should be added to the doc string:
"Add text property `dired-filename' to the file name."
 
In GNU Emacs 23.1.91.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2010-01-02 on PRETEST
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4)'