GNU bug report logs - #64835
‘describe-variable’ unconditionally let-binds ‘print-circle’ to t

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Message #14 received at 64835 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
To: Sebastian Miele <iota <at> whxvd.name>
Cc: 64835 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Subject: Re: bug#64835: ‘describe-variable’
 unconditionally let-binds
 ‘print-circle’ to t
Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2023 04:54:10 +0200

Sebastian Miele <iota <at> whxvd.name> writes:

>   2c18969c810f338d73beda592ee5af7103132e97
>   Author:     Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
>   AuthorDate: Thu Mar 2 02:08:08 2017 -0500
>
>   * lisp/help-fns.el (describe-variable): Use cl-print for the value
>   [...]
>

>   (describe-variable 'ispell-dictionary-alist)
>
> The display of the value in my machine contains, e.g., "(nil #1# #2# #3#
> t #4# nil utf-8)".
> [...]
> I do not see the reason for hard-coding ‘print-circle’ to t in
> ‘describe-variable’.

I think I agree.  Both values might be the optimum in different cases.
But most users are probably never interested in shared structures, some
will even be confused.  And those that are interested also know how to
print using print-circle enabled themselves.

Stefan, would it be ok to turn off `print-circle' for
`describe-variable' again, or would this break something in the new
code?


TIA,

Michael.

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