GNU bug report logs - #73709
29.4; Doc of `file-newer-than-file-p'

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From: Michael Heerdegen <michael_heerdegen <at> web.de>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 73709 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, drew.adams <at> oracle.com
Subject: bug#73709: 29.4; Doc of `file-newer-than-file-p'
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:11:41 +0200

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

> "Last saved" assumes the file is edited, but this function doesn't
> care whether a file has been edited.  "Last written to" might be
> better.

Ok - "last written" then.

> But the problem for which I find no good solution is that there are
> ways to make the filesystem lie to us about when was file last written
> to: use set-file-times in Emacs or the 'touch' shell command or
> anything similar.

Sure.  But I thought we want to explain the abstraction?  So, if you
don't want to lie, why not say "in general this means the times when the
files were last written" or so?  As you said we _don't_ want to go to
the level of implementation and file system specific details - so why
discuss them at all?  There are always details a short description
doesn't cover ("newer" also didn't cover them).

Of course you can add that "details depend on capabilities and features
of the used file system and the chosen implementation (Tramp)".  We do
say similar things in other docstrings, too.

Michael.

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