From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!.POSTED.blaine.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Drew Adams Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: RE: file-exists-p on empty string Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2019 14:23:59 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Injection-Info: blaine.gmane.org; posting-host="blaine.gmane.org:195.159.176.226"; logging-data="229931"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@blaine.gmane.org" Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org To: lg.zevlg@gmail.com, monnier@iro.umontreal.ca Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Wed Feb 27 23:24:54 2019 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]) by blaine.gmane.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:256) (Exim 4.89) (envelope-from ) id 1gz7dG-000xiW-L8 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 27 Feb 2019 23:24:54 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:51477 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1gz7dF-00076W-J3 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 27 Feb 2019 17:24:53 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([209.51.188.92]:58804) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1gz7cZ-00076G-TE for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 27 Feb 2019 17:24:12 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1gz7cX-0000Gk-Vy for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 27 Feb 2019 17:24:11 -0500 Original-Received: from aserp2130.oracle.com ([141.146.126.79]:52360) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1gz7cX-0000Ef-Ie for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 27 Feb 2019 17:24:09 -0500 Original-Received: from pps.filterd (aserp2130.oracle.com [127.0.0.1]) by aserp2130.oracle.com (8.16.0.27/8.16.0.27) with SMTP id x1RMDpV2139132; Wed, 27 Feb 2019 22:24:06 GMT DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=oracle.com; h=mime-version : message-id : date : from : sender : to : cc : subject : references : in-reply-to : content-type : content-transfer-encoding; s=corp-2018-07-02; bh=UiZxbBI90aIXg+JsWzB/kRLfuCoG6C/56tnRIE1Lji4=; b=Qjus4XlW1MP5TQa1XNOdwXPsw/+TgdW8nBDoW5mJqRZP4yBP0DSj433xno6kv0mohGT2 e//MUZjMYw+V2zMtjkVaS/f48RYkuHs4zNH5Pxi410IhNvcjkivaiZEQ2oGa3Sm7dpRv k3dBlmZEh32SE+5KLc3KXbY2rWi1QN0/0fAFZC9C2PHuwVxwnPMS9fQWsHXGigBFIS1d Pn6ACXzZhnjc6G4AMCm5PEWkxe5XRX3wROI5j5lSA7Jm8NCEFEJu89tRdOjfoXu24hdv PPRruESRVWlN+HaQ221wjjBQxc80oFUYST4AjqHRZ59QUl1Hbz7Oc3FuvZkqQstuZEhi 6g== Original-Received: from aserv0022.oracle.com (aserv0022.oracle.com [141.146.126.234]) by aserp2130.oracle.com with ESMTP id 2qtupedv11-1 (version=TLSv1.2 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=OK); Wed, 27 Feb 2019 22:24:06 +0000 Original-Received: from userv0121.oracle.com (userv0121.oracle.com [156.151.31.72]) by aserv0022.oracle.com (8.14.4/8.14.4) with ESMTP id x1RMO0SE017068 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=OK); Wed, 27 Feb 2019 22:24:01 GMT Original-Received: from abhmp0015.oracle.com (abhmp0015.oracle.com [141.146.116.21]) by userv0121.oracle.com (8.14.4/8.13.8) with ESMTP id x1RMO0aQ025170; Wed, 27 Feb 2019 22:24:00 GMT In-Reply-To: X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: Oracle Beehive Extensions for Outlook 2.0.1.9.1 (1003210) [OL 16.0.4810.0 (x86)] X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=nai engine=5900 definitions=9180 signatures=668685 X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 priorityscore=1501 malwarescore=0 suspectscore=0 phishscore=0 bulkscore=0 spamscore=0 clxscore=1011 lowpriorityscore=0 mlxscore=0 impostorscore=0 mlxlogscore=999 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx scancount=1 engine=8.0.1-1810050000 definitions=main-1902270145 X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 3.x [generic] X-Received-From: 141.146.126.79 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.21 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "Emacs-devel" Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:233683 Archived-At: > > The problem is that docstrings describe the behavior of a specific > function, so they usually don't mention the more general aspects that > affect all functions of a given subsystem, such as here the general > treatment of the empty string when used as a file name. Otherwise, > every file-name-manipulating function would have to repeat this > information in its docstring. >=20 > So, maybe FILENAME argument at least could be renamed to NAME to give > at least some hint that this is not a filename, but just a name hint > which will be expanded and canonised to real filename? That's not good enough. It might make sense to you now, now that you know something about how the input is interpreted as a file name. The parameter name FILENAME is more appropriate than NAME. But the doc string should say more about it. You can't rely on just the parameter name to convey all of the meaning that you're (now) reading into it.