bug#64693: Documentation for the definition of a Menu Item

bug#64693: Documentation for the definition of a Menu Item

[uzibalqa via Bug reports for GNU Emacs, the Swiss army knife of text editors]

Have been looking at the documentation for 'DEF' in 'define-key'.

(define-key KEYMAP KEY DEF &optional REMOVE)

DEF, the definition of a Menu Item is described in form as 

   (menu-item item-name binding . item-property-list)

Note that DEF constitutes a single list.  The special
dotted notation indicates that 'item-property-list' is not
a separate list but rather enables any number of property
elements in the form of ':keyword value' within the same
list structure.

But such detail is not properly described.  Pointing out how
the description of 'Cons Cells' and 'Dotted Notation' is sketchy
at best in the 'Elisp Reference Manual', and non-existent  in 
the 'Introduction to Programming in Emacs Lisp',  the aforementioned
description should be added in the documentation of 'define-key'.

Furthermore, a more comprehensive explanation of Cons Cells, Dotted
Notation, and Backquote Construct, should be introduced and backed up 
with real-life syntax such as the one described here.

  

bug#64693: Documentation for the definition of a Menu Item

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2023 20:44:04 +0000
> From:  uzibalqa via "Bug reports for GNU Emacs,
>  the Swiss army knife of text editors" <bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
> 
> 
> Have been looking at the documentation for 'DEF' in 'define-key'.
> 
> (define-key KEYMAP KEY DEF &optional REMOVE)
> 
> DEF, the definition of a Menu Item is described in form as 
> 
>    (menu-item item-name binding . item-property-list)
> 
> Note that DEF constitutes a single list.  The special
> dotted notation indicates that 'item-property-list' is not
> a separate list but rather enables any number of property
> elements in the form of ':keyword value' within the same
> list structure.
> 
> But such detail is not properly described.

If you type "i property list RET" in Info, you will land in the
"Property Lists" node, which starts by saying:

  A “property list” (“plist” for short) is a list of paired elements.
  Each of the pairs associates a property name (usually a symbol) with a
  property or value.

So I think when the manual says that item-property-list is a property
list, it does a good job.

> Furthermore, a more comprehensive explanation of Cons Cells, Dotted
> Notation, and Backquote Construct, should be introduced and backed up 
> with real-life syntax such as the one described here.

This is all properly done elsewhere in the manual; see my response to
your report in bug#64692.

So I'm closing this bug.

bug#64693: Documentation for the definition of a Menu Item

[uzibalqa via Bug reports for GNU Emacs, the Swiss army knife of text editors]

------- Original Message -------
On Tuesday, July 18th, 2023 at 11:03 PM, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:


> > Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2023 20:44:04 +0000
> > From: uzibalqa via "Bug reports for GNU Emacs,
> > the Swiss army knife of text editors" bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> > 
> > Have been looking at the documentation for 'DEF' in 'define-key'.
> > 
> > (define-key KEYMAP KEY DEF &optional REMOVE)
> > 
> > DEF, the definition of a Menu Item is described in form as
> > 
> > (menu-item item-name binding . item-property-list)

Looking at "23.17.1.1 Simple Menu Items" nowhere does it say that
the vector of symbols is equivalent to the sequence of keystrokes 
when using keyboard bindings (key sequences).  
 
> > Note that DEF constitutes a single list. The special
> > dotted notation indicates that 'item-property-list' is not
> > a separate list but rather enables any number of property
> > elements in the form of ':keyword value' within the same
> > list structure.
> > 
> > But such detail is not properly described.
> 
> 
> If you type "i property list RET" in Info, you will land in the
> "Property Lists" node, which starts by saying:
> 
> A “property list” (“plist” for short) is a list of paired elements.
> Each of the pairs associates a property name (usually a symbol) with a
> property or value.

Provide a cross-reference to 'property list' in "23.17.1.2 Extended Menu Items".
 
> So I think when the manual says that item-property-list is a property
> list, it does a good job.
> 
> > Furthermore, a more comprehensive explanation of Cons Cells, Dotted
> > Notation, and Backquote Construct, should be introduced and backed up
> > with real-life syntax such as the one described here.
> 
> 
> This is all properly done elsewhere in the manual; see my response to
> your report in bug#64692.
> 
> So I'm closing this bug.
>

bug#64693: Documentation for the definition of a Menu Item

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:35:27 +0000
> From: uzibalqa <uzibalqa@proton.me>
> Cc: 64693-done@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> > A “property list” (“plist” for short) is a list of paired elements.
> > Each of the pairs associates a property name (usually a symbol) with a
> > property or value.
> 
> Provide a cross-reference to 'property list' in "23.17.1.2 Extended Menu Items".

Done, thanks.