GNU bug report logs - #66750
Unhelpful text in C-h v for variables with a lambda form as value

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From: Alan Mackenzie <acm <at> muc.de>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: acm <at> muc.de, Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>, 66750 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Subject: bug#66750: Unhelpful text in C-h v for variables with a lambda form as value
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2023 19:46:27 +0000

Hello, Stefan.

On Thu, Nov 02, 2023 at 23:20:36 -0400, Stefan Monnier wrote:
> > How do you feel about this, Stefan (M.)?

> Seems like it would leave `lambda` as well as the closure
> objects unchanged, so it looks good to me.

Thanks!

But it's not quite so simple as all that.  In order to get the doc
strings for lambdas into the .elc file, there'll have to be an
enhancement of the .elc format.  Currently, although doc strings for
defuns/demacros/etc. are stored as file name + offset, those for
lambdas (which are vanishingly rare at this point) are just stored
inline in the .elc, and would get loaded along with the lambdas.

> The one thing I'd point out is: try to pick a format for the "data in
> docstring" that is easily/naturally extensible (contrary to what I did
> for the arglists), so that when we get around to adding support for
> things like debugging info we could add it there without having to
> invent a new format.

I intend to go for simplicity here.  A signature at BOL (something like
what .elc files have) followed by space separated info fields in a fixed
order.  Empty fields would have adjacent spaces there.  Spaces inside
fields (and LFs) could be escaped with \.  The whole thing would be
terminated by the first (unescaped) LF.

As for debugging info in the doc string - well we can argue about that
when it comes up.  ;-)

>         Stefan

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).

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