Re: Making a function than can only be used interactively

[Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org>]

carlmarcos--- via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor wrote:

>> You’re right, with an interactive specification that
>> evaluates to a list it matters, because the list you return
>> may or may not have as many arguments as the
>> function takes.
>
> Using a list in the most general way to use interactive. 
> I need specific rules for using a list, how to decide
> whether the arguments should be mandatory or optional.

Rule for using a list: When it gets too complicated to use the
interactive spec string. Try that first.

Rule for mandatory: When the operation to be carried out don't
make sense without that information, then it's mandatory.
Blow up a bomb. WHEN, WHERE and what BOMB, those are
mandatory. Optional WHY. If provided, there will be
a communique (in lowercase-only letters) to the press (not
Springer media) and that will be the WHY argument. So if you
write something there that hasn't anything to do with the
attentat that will be published just as well! So be careful
and think before you act.

Optional arguments can also be fancy features and the default
is, not enabled. You may have heard of para-arithmetic
transcendence, instigated by the de facto information
conglomerate known to us only as the Dark Druids. That's the
kin of thing you realize, it's not gonna happen just
by itself ever again.

Those days are over :(

-- 
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