From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Mario Domenech Goulart Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Documentation for car and cdr Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:49:45 +0000 Message-ID: <87vew7q352.fsf@gmail.com> References: <200601252211.k0PMB3618664@raven.dms.auburn.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1138238991 4460 80.91.229.2 (26 Jan 2006 01:29:51 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 01:29:51 +0000 (UTC) Cc: acm@muc.de, Luc Teirlinck , emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Thu Jan 26 02:29:49 2006 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1F1vxF-00059i-PL for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Thu, 26 Jan 2006 02:29:42 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1F1w00-0000Yl-Ji for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:32:32 -0500 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1F1vzN-0000XO-UP for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:31:54 -0500 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1F1vzH-0000VK-Fb for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:31:51 -0500 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1F1vzG-0000VG-Vo for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:31:47 -0500 Original-Received: from [66.249.82.195] (helo=xproxy.gmail.com) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.52) id 1F1vwk-0007VL-RY for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:29:10 -0500 Original-Received: by xproxy.gmail.com with SMTP id t11so159090wxc for ; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 17:28:53 -0800 (PST) DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=beta; d=gmail.com; h=received:to:cc:subject:references:from:date:in-reply-to:message-id:user-agent:mime-version:content-type; b=K72cek5KZk8CoQYMHIKMgtUjr7fIBAzAedKatPbJ7MTv38Oy7Wox2VwGWY1QlQBqALFE64WYynywCt3oQZooSEQp6JmVtEUPhLF7z6gMKF7t7ntbLlWsOjYm9bC9gaKv8oLzlyJbp+dLQQTEOj6omeSYIpJLVDbxP7XTf6qUh1o= Original-Received: by 10.70.96.11 with SMTP id t11mr1563716wxb; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 17:28:53 -0800 (PST) Original-Received: from nachos.gmail.com ( [200.175.81.150]) by mx.gmail.com with ESMTP id i20sm1636809wxd.2006.01.25.17.28.51; Wed, 25 Jan 2006 17:28:53 -0800 (PST) Original-To: storm@cua.dk (Kim F. Storm) In-Reply-To: (Kim F. Storm's message of "Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:51:38 +0100") User-Agent: Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.0.50 (gnu/linux) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:49562 Archived-At: On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:51:38 +0100 storm@cua.dk (Kim F. Storm) wrote: > Luc Teirlinck writes: > >> Describing basic concepts like car, cdr, cons cell, list and so on is >> the task of manuals, not of docstrings. If somebody is not familiar >> with the basic concepts, they have to read a manual, where those >> concepts can be put into the proper context, _not_ individual docstrings. > > I fully agree, but notice that the doc strings for car and cdr > say that the arg is "list". I think that part of the confusion > is that a "pure" list does have a head and a tail and car==head > and cdr==tail. Thanks for focusing this point, Kim. I think it's certainly part of the confusion (specially if you are used to Scheme...). > It might better to change the arg from "list" to "cons" I agree. Best wishes, Mario