GNU bug report logs - #67820
29.1; Code example in "fwd-para while" has unmatched ending parentheses

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Message #16 received at 67820 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Xiyue Deng <manphiz <at> gmail.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 67820 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#67820: 29.1; Code example in "fwd-para while" has unmatched
 ending parentheses
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 14:08:51 -0800

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Xiyue Deng <manphiz <at> gmail.com>
>> Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 21:55:55 -0800
>> 
>> 
>> The code example in section "fwd-para while" has unmatched ending
>> parentheses[1].  Admittedly this code snippet was copied literally from
>> the previous longer code sample where the 2 extra ending parentheses
>> were to match the `if' and `while', but it would make more sense to drop
>> them in this example.  Will add a patch next.
>
> I'm not sure it makes sense to make this expression stand-alone.  As
> you say, this snippet is copied verbatim from the full example at the
> beginning of the section.  So I think we should leave this alone.
>
> Thanks.

This essentially was due to the coding convention to put all ending
parentheses on the last line of the sexp, which most other programming
languages don't normally share.  But anyway.

Just want to say that a code snippet with unmatched ending parentheses
would confuse beginners a little.  However, if from a book writing point
of view that code snippets should be copied literally, it's probably
understandable (adding a small explanation for the extras would better
still, and I can update the patch accordingly.)

Wdyt?

-- 
Xiyue Deng

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