From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Eli Zaretskii Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Docstrings and manuals Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2016 05:30:16 +0300 Message-ID: <83k2jvabt3.fsf@gnu.org> References: <6ok2vyzwf9.fsf@fencepost.gnu.org> <08f70cda-44be-0657-e50a-2b2c80d2c21c@yandex.ru> <87oa9dzgl0.fsf@gmx.de> <87potshczh.fsf@gmx.de> <87h9f4ghzg.fsf@gmx.de> <8737qnc8ep.fsf@gmx.de> <87k2jwd3gr.fsf_-_@gmx.de> <8dfdfe5d-41fe-7c05-0054-0bd3e589390e@yandex.ru> <8737qkcwoo.fsf@gmx.de> <909c91ef-aa2e-4bcc-9828-603c4203e3d0@yandex.ru> <83ziss9sml.fsf@gnu.org> <532e9505-ea1b-d035-e5c6-131ec36ea441@yandex.ru> Reply-To: Eli Zaretskii NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1460946660 6345 80.91.229.3 (18 Apr 2016 02:31:00 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2016 02:31:00 +0000 (UTC) Cc: rgm@gnu.org, michael.albinus@gmx.de, emacs-devel@gnu.org To: Dmitry Gutov Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon Apr 18 04:30:55 2016 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1aryxi-0007gj-UD for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 18 Apr 2016 04:30:55 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:56052 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aryxi-0005IZ-6l for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 17 Apr 2016 22:30:54 -0400 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:43079) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aryxQ-0005EI-T1 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 17 Apr 2016 22:30:37 -0400 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aryxM-0007pl-Jz for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 17 Apr 2016 22:30:36 -0400 Original-Received: from fencepost.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::e]:34368) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1aryxM-0007pJ-AT; Sun, 17 Apr 2016 22:30:32 -0400 Original-Received: from 84.94.185.246.cable.012.net.il ([84.94.185.246]:1401 helo=home-c4e4a596f7) by fencepost.gnu.org with esmtpsa (TLS1.2:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:128) (Exim 4.82) (envelope-from ) id 1aryxL-0007Ia-12; Sun, 17 Apr 2016 22:30:31 -0400 In-reply-to: <532e9505-ea1b-d035-e5c6-131ec36ea441@yandex.ru> (message from Dmitry Gutov on Sun, 17 Apr 2016 22:59:21 +0300) X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.2.x-3.x [generic] X-Received-From: 2001:4830:134:3::e X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.21 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "Emacs-devel" Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:203026 Archived-At: > Cc: michael.albinus@gmx.de, rgm@gnu.org, emacs-devel@gnu.org > From: Dmitry Gutov > Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2016 22:59:21 +0300 > > > IOW, writing a good manual is still a human activity that cannot be > > easily automated. Ideally, doc strings should be phrased like > > reference material, covering all the traits as tersely as possible, > > while the manual should provide an easier reading with more continuity > > text and even some explanations why things are the way they are. At > > least IMO. > > That sounds fine, and maybe this way is best for the more complex > subjects, but in general I'd prefer to see docstrings also written with > readability in mind. This would make them too long ad wordy, something we'd like to avoid, I think.