Re: [Emacs-diffs] master 9ce1d38: Use curved quotes in core elisp diagnostics

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

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  > helpful to have these work in doc strings too.  As a simple example, the Elisp 
  > manual says this:

  >   -- Function: eql value1 value2
  >       This function acts like ‘eq’ except when both arguments are
  >       numbers.  It compares numbers by type and numeric value,...

  > If I were to write a similar function I might copy some of this into the new 
  > function's doc string and then adapt it, like this:

  >    (defun eqfuzz (value1 value2)
  >      "Compare two values but use fuzzy comparison on numbers.
  >    This function acts like ‘eq’ except when both arguments are numbers....

Doc strings and Lisp manual entries are written in a very different
style; to start with a Lisp manual entry and edit it into a doc string,
you will have to do a lot of rewriting.

If you must also change the quotes, that's a tiny bit of extra work.

What you should really do is go to the source of the original function
and copy its doc string.  That's already in the style you want, so you
won't have to make changes (other than for your change in the
functionality), and as a small bonus you also won't have to change the
way quoting is written.

For doc strings in the source, we should stick to ASCII quotes.


-- 
Dr Richard Stallman
President, Free Software Foundation (gnu.org, fsf.org)
Internet Hall-of-Famer (internethalloffame.org)
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