Re: use and doc of function symbol properties [was: bug#11381: 23.3; isearch-search-and-update issue?]

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>
> Cc: <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>, <emacs-devel@gnu.org>
> Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 17:10:33 -0700
> 
> > > Even so, I think that `yank' and `kill' are pretty clear even
> > > without reading their descriptions.
> > 
> > Not to me.  "For commands that do a yank" is not a description, it's
> > tautology at best.  "Ensures that the region about to be deleted is
> > not yanked"? why would it be yanked otherwise? and why the value is
> > 'yank' if it "ensures the region will NOT be yanked"?  That just
> > doesn't make any sense!
> 
> It does makes sense, I think, but perhaps only after you understand what it
> does, not necessarily as a lesson. ;-)
> 
> Let me try to do a little better.

Thanks.  It would be nice to have all that in a doc string and/or a
manual near me, some time soon.

>               If the kill-ring entry to be yanked has the same text as
>               the region, then first rotate the kill ring so that the
>               yank will not be a no-op.

This could use some more clarification.  E.g., does it rotate the kill
ring until there's some entry that is different from the text in the
region, or just once?  The "so the yank will not be a no-op" part is
just the rationale, so it should be worded as such (e.g., in parens).