GNU bug report logs - #66756
30.0.50; [PATCH] Improve discussion of 'let' in Elisp Introduction manual

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Message #32 received at 66756 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org>
To: Jim Porter <jporterbugs <at> gmail.com>
Cc: eliz <at> gnu.org, 66756 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#66756: 30.0.50; [PATCH] Improve discussion of 'let' in Elisp
 Introduction manual
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2023 22:39:03 -0500

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I think your changes are good.

  > +parts a ``scope'').  For historical reasons, Emacs Lisp uses a form of
  > +variable binding called ``dynamic binding'' by default.  However, in
  > +this manual, we discuss the preferred form of binding, called
  > +``lexical binding'' (if you have programmed in other languages before,
  > +you're likely already familiar with how lexical binding behaves).  In
  > +order to use lexical binding in a program, you should add this to the
  > +first line of your Emacs Lisp file:
  > +
  > +@example
  > +;;; -*- lexical-binding: t -*-
  > +@end example
  > +
  > +For more information about this, @pxref{Selecting Lisp Dialect, , ,
  > +elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.

Do we want to change the default some day to lexical binding:?  If so,
we should say so somewhere in this manual -- perhaps here, perhaps
elsewhere,

  > +If we instead change @code{lexical-binding} to have a value of
  > +@code{nil}, we will get a different result here.

"Get a different result" is vague -- it would be clearer if it said
concretely what will happen.

I suggest you show the dynamci situation in the same way you show the lexical
situation.  That will help people compare the two.

-- 
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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