[patch] abbrev.el (write-abbrev-file): Write table entries in alphabetical order by table name.

[patch] abbrev.el (write-abbrev-file): Write table entries in alphabetical order by table name.

[Eric Hanchrow]

The motivation for this should be clear from the comment.

	* abbrev.el (write-abbrev-file): Write table entries in
       alphabetical order by table name.

--- abbrev.el	11 Apr 2005 11:13:44 -0700	1.39
+++ abbrev.el	14 Apr 2005 11:40:56 -0700	
@@ -221,7 +221,20 @@
   (let ((coding-system-for-write 'emacs-mule))
     (with-temp-file file
       (insert ";;-*-coding: emacs-mule;-*-\n")
-      (dolist (table abbrev-table-name-list)
+      (dolist (table 
+
+               ;; We sort the table in order to ease the automatic
+               ;; merging of different versions of the user's abbrevs
+               ;; file.  This is useful, for example, for when the
+               ;; user keeps their home directory in a revision
+               ;; control system, and is therefore keeping multiple
+               ;; slightly-differing copies loosely synchronized.
+               (sort (copy-list abbrev-table-name-list)
+                     (lambda (s1 s2)
+                       (string< (symbol-name s1)
+                                (symbol-name s2))))
+                                                   
+               )
 	(insert-abbrev-table-description table nil)))))
 \f
 (defun add-mode-abbrev (arg)

-- 
If you're trying to choose between two theories and one gives
you an excuse for being lazy, the other one is probably right.
        -- Paul Graham