mentioning variable aliases in `describe-variable'

[John Paul Wallington <jpw@shootybangbang.com>]

I think it would be nice to mention when a variable is an alias in
`describe-variable'.  What do people think ?

2002-07-10  John Paul Wallington  <jpw@shootybangbang.com>

	* help-fns.el (describe-variable): Mention if the variable is an
	alias.

Index: help-fns.el
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/emacs/emacs/lisp/help-fns.el,v
retrieving revision 1.12
diff -u -r1.12 help-fns.el
--- help-fns.el	27 Jun 2002 16:10:23 -0000	1.12
+++ help-fns.el	10 Jul 2002 09:35:23 -0000
@@ -438,7 +438,16 @@
 		(terpri)))
 	    (let ((doc (documentation-property variable 'variable-documentation)))
 	      (princ (or doc "Not documented as a variable.")))
-	  
+	    
+	    ;; Mention if the variable is an alias.
+	    (let ((alias (condition-case nil
+			     (indirect-variable variable)
+			   (error variable))))
+	      (unless (eq alias variable)
+		(terpri)
+		(terpri)
+		(princ (format "This variable is an alias for `%s'." alias))))
+	    
 	    ;; Make a link to customize if this variable can be customized.
 	    ;; Note, it is not reliable to test only for a custom-type property
 	    ;; because those are only present after the var's definition

-- 
John Paul Wallington