GNU bug report logs - #58446
28.2; file-attribute-device-number returns a cons cell instead of an integer

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From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Michael Albinus <michael.albinus <at> gmx.de>
Cc: Thierry Volpiatto <thievol <at> posteo.net>, Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>, 58446 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#58446: 28.2; file-attribute-device-number returns a cons cell instead of an integer
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 14:34:09 -0400

>> - The name `file-attribute-file-number` doesn't sound right
>>   because it doesn't return a number.
> The name is a reminiscence of the existing variable buffer-file-number,
> which serves exactly the same purpose.

One error doesn't justify another.
Maybe a better name would be "file identifier"?

>> - I wouldn't use `defsubst` (so it can more easily be modified in the
>>   future, e.g. in case we add more fields to the attributes or use some
>>   other representation for attributes).
> All other accessor functions for file-attributes are defsubsts.

Every `defsubst` should be judged on its own individual value.
This one doesn't seem to be justified.

>> - I would document it more abstractly, mentioning inode and device
>>   number only as *examples* of things it might contain.
> There is no intention to use it for anything else.  It shall return
> (nthcdr 10 attributes) like all the other file-attributes accessor
> functions return for the respective slots.

I did not suggest changing its implementation.  Only its documentation.
The doc should describe the intended semantics of the return value
without documenting how it's implemented.


        Stefan

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