GNU bug report logs - #55156
[PATCH] eval.c: New functions `defvar-f` and `defconst-f`

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Message #38 received at 55156 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 55156 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca
Subject: Re: bug#55156: [PATCH] eval.c: New functions `defvar-f` and
 `defconst-f`
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2022 23:10:40 -0400

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We don't have a convention of an `-f' suffix in function names.
That form of name is extra cryptic.
Let's choose names that follow some existing pattern
rather than being inconsistent with old practice.

I suggest `defvar-internal', since it isn't meant for users to call.
Even `defvar-function' would be better than `defvar-f'.

For the doc string, it is better to say in a self-contained way what
the function does, rather than only make an analogy.

How about this:

   Define the variable VAR, with initial value INITVAL and doc string DOC.

Note that `defvar', being a special form, can distinguish between nil
as INITVAL and having only one argument.  However, a function cannot
do that: it will treat those two cases the same.

-- 
Dr Richard Stallman (https://stallman.org)
Chief GNUisance of the GNU Project (https://gnu.org)
Founder, Free Software Foundation (https://fsf.org)
Internet Hall-of-Famer (https://internethalloffame.org)

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