Re: Please stop putting curly quotes into doc strings!

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>> git grep ‘
>
> I don't see anything serious in this output.  Again, if there's
> a problem somewhere, make a specific request.  We don't have a general
> rule against arbitrary character code appearing in our code base.

Well, various text files like
etc/NEWS:nil for Emacs local time, t for Universal Time, \u2018wall\u2019 for system wall
etc/NEWS:clock time, or a string as in \u2018set-time-zone-rule\u2019 for a time zone
etc/NEWS:rule.  The affected functions are \u2018current-time-string\u2019,
etc/NEWS:\u2018current-time-zone\u2019, \u2018decode-time\u2019, and \u2018format-time-string\u2019.  The
etc/NEWS:function \u2018encode-time\u2019, which already accepted a simple time zone rule
etc/PROBLEMS:  No fonts match \u2018-*-fixed-medium-r-*--6-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1\u2019

Comments and messages like
lisp/cedet/mode-local.el:;; \u2018require\u2019 by (defvar find-function-regexp-alist) and
lisp/cedet/mode-local.el:  "For \u2018elisp-xref-find-def-functions\u2019; add overloads for SYMBOL."
lisp/cedet/mode-local.el:      ;; don't want to list the same function twice. So order \u2018modes\u2019
lisp/cedet/mode-local.el:  "Regexp used by \u2018xref-find-definitions\u2019 when searching for a
lisp/cedet/mode-local.el:  "Function used by \u2018xref-find-definitions\u2019 when searching for an

outcommented stuff that would become non-standard when commented back
in:
lisp/emacs-lisp/advice.el:;;          (y-or-n-p (format "\u2018%s\u2019 does not exist, create? " (ad-get-arg 0))))
lisp/emacs-lisp/bytecomp.el:      ;; (message "%s not compiled because of \u2018no-byte-compile: %s\u2019"
lisp/emacs-lisp/bytecomp.el:                      ;;   "\u2018%s\u2019 is not a known condition name
lisp/emacs-lisp/bytecomp.el:          ;;   "\u2018%s\u2019 is not a known condition name (in condition-case)"

various messages like
lisp/info.el:              (format "*Index for \u2018%s\u2019*::" (cdr (nth 0 nodeinfo)))
lisp/info.el:                    (format "*Index for \u2018%s\u2019*" topic))))
lisp/info.el:   (insert "This is a list of search results produced by \u2018info-apropos\u2019.\n\n")
lisp/info.el:   (insert "Index entries that match \u2018" (nth 1 nodeinfo) "\u2019:\n\n")
lisp/info.el:   (setq nodename (format "Index for \u2018%s\u2019" string))
lisp/info.el:     "The following packages match the keyword \u2018" nodename "\u2019:\n\n")
lisp/info.el:     "Description of the package \u2018" nodename "\u2019:\n\n")

The English adventure "dunnet"
lisp/play/dunnet.el:  open it.  You may just use \u2018in\u2019 or walk in the direction of the door.
lisp/play/dunnet.el:- You can save your game with the \u2018save\u2019 command, and use restore it
lisp/play/dunnet.el:  with the \u2018restore\u2019 command.
lisp/play/dunnet.el:      (dun-mprincl "No more questions, just do \u2018answer foo\u2019.")
lisp/play/dunnet.el:says: This VAX is named \u2018pokey\u2019.  To type on the console, use the
lisp/play/dunnet.el:\u2018type\u2019 command.  The exit is to the east."
lisp/play/dunnet.el:is a sign on the wall that reads: \u2018receiving room\u2019."
lisp/play/dunnet.el:that says \u2018put treasures here for points\u2019."
lisp/play/dunnet.el:switch on the wall labeled \u2018BL\u2019.  There are doors to the west and north."
lisp/play/dunnet.el:history.  On the blackboard is written, \u2018No children allowed downstairs.\u2019
lisp/play/dunnet.el:There is a door to the east with an \u2018exit\u2019 sign on it.  There is another
lisp/play/dunnet.el:does have a sign that says: This machine's name is \u2018endgame\u2019.  The
lisp/play/dunnet.el:order to get by.  Use the \u2018answer\u2019 command to answer the question."
lisp/play/dunnet.el:          Type the \u2018reset\u2019 command to type on the PC.
lisp/play/dunnet.el:"The paper says: Don't forget to type \u2018help\u2019 for help.  Also, remember
lisp/play/dunnet.el:this word: \u2018worms\u2019"
lisp/play/dunnet.el:written: \u2018For key upgrade, put key in here.\u2019"
lisp/play/dunnet.el:"It says \u2018express mail\u2019 on it."
lisp/play/dunnet.el:"It is a 35 passenger bus with the company name \u2018mobytours\u2019 on it."

and a few others.  You stated that you considered the source to be in
"pristine state" without curly quotes and I said that this was not quite
accurate.  Now you try to make it about how "serious" this is supposed
to be, conveniently eliding the whole preceding context not supporting
this subject.  I don't think I know any other mailing list where this
sort of quoting game is as popular as on the Emacs developer list.
Appears to be some culture thing but it's definitely annoying, not least
of all because it leads to the same points being made over and over and
promotes exasperation as a main decision-finding process.

-- 
David Kastrup