Re: Add-to-list or setq append...

[Andrea Crotti <andrea.crotti.0@gmail.com>]

"Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:
>
> No, it is not.  The former unconditionally adds the entry at the beginning of
> the alist.  The latter adds the entry to the alist only if an `equal' entry is
> not already present. 
>
> The former ensures that the entry is at the start of the list.  The latter does
> not.  
>
> In the former case the alist can end up with multiple entries with the given
> key, the first such entry shadowing all others with the same key.  If you then
> pop off that first entry, the previously first of all entries with that key is
> still present and now becomes the one that matters (shadows any others with that
> key).

Sure but
--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
ELISP> my-l
((1 . 3)
 (1 . 2))

ELISP> (add-to-list 'my-l '(2 . 3))
((2 . 3)
 (1 . 3)
 (1 . 2))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

it actually not add it ONLY if they're really equal, which is desirable
in my opinion.
What's the point in having twice the same cons in auto-mode-alist?

Then the real difference is that I add in the end instead of at the
beginning, and in that case I don't shadow an already present value...