Subject: 24.0.50; (elisp)Type Keywords: incorrect description of :value keyword

From: "Drew Adams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:42:47 -0800

emacs -Q
 
The description of :value is misleading/incorrect:
 
 `:value DEFAULT'
     This is used for a type that appears as an alternative inside of
     `choice'; it specifies the default value to use, at first, if and
     when the user selects this alternative with the menu in the
     customization buffer.
 
     Of course, if the actual value of the option fits this
     alternative, it will appear showing the actual value, not DEFAULT.
 
     If `nil' is not a valid value for the alternative, then it is
     essential to specify a valid default with `:value'.
 
This gives the impression that :value can be used only within a
`choice', which is incorrect.  The truth is that :value just provides a
default value - in all cases, not just "...if and when the user selects
this alternative with the menu...".
 
Here is an example where :value is used to specify the command `ignore'
(instead of `nil') as the default value:
 
;; Use `symbolp' in case the library defining the command is not yet loaded.
(restricted-sexp :tag "Command" :match-alternatives (symbolp) :value ignore)

In GNU Emacs 24.0.50.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2010-11-09 on 3249CTO
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (4.4) --no-opt --cflags
-Ic:/imagesupport/include'