Re: `define-minor-mode' makes erroneous docstrings.

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

    The docstrings provided by `define-minor-mode' are wrong for many
    minor-mode variables.  They _automatically_ say that setting the
    variable directly has no effect.  I believe that this is wrong for the
    majority of minor modes.

Would it work to try to distinguish by whether the "body" of
the define-minor-mode form is empty?  If it is non-empty,
then it contains forms that will be executed by the function.
Just setting the variable won't execute those forms, which means
just setting the variable probably isn't right.

If the body is empty, then I think just setting the variable will
work.


As regards mode hooks, I agree it is a mistake to associate
mode hooks with the modes that, aside from their hooks, are
fully controlled by variables.  Maybe this means we should
give define-minor-mode a new option to control whether to
make a hook.