indented meta-info in describe-variable

indented meta-info in describe-variable

[Juanma Barranquero]

Is this change

2007-10-09  Stefan Monnier  <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>

        * help-fns.el (describe-variable): Slightly change the layout of
        meta-info to separate it better from the docstring.

responsable of this?

  follow-mode-off-hook is a variable defined in `follow.el'.
  Its value is nil

    This variable is obsolete since 22.2;
  use `follow-mode-hook' instead.

  Documentation:
  [...]


That's not an improvement IMHO.

             Juanma

Re: indented meta-info in describe-variable

[Stefan Monnier]

> 2007-10-09  Stefan Monnier  <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>

>         * help-fns.el (describe-variable): Slightly change the layout of
>         meta-info to separate it better from the docstring.

> responsable of this?

>   follow-mode-off-hook is a variable defined in `follow.el'.
>   Its value is nil

>     This variable is obsolete since 22.2;
>   use `follow-mode-hook' instead.

>   Documentation:
>   [...]

> That's not an improvement IMHO.

Yes, it's responsible for the added "  " in front of "This" indeed.  And it
should have been responsible for adding "  " in front of "use ..." as well,
but obviously I missed this part.  Thanks for pointing it out.

The reason I made this change is that when a variable has been made
buffer-local and is obsolete and has an safe-local property, the
docstring is pushed too far back for my taste and becomes difficult to
distinguish from that meta-info.


        Stefan

Re: indented meta-info in describe-variable

[Juanma Barranquero]

On 10/9/07, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:

> The reason I made this change is that when a variable has been made
> buffer-local and is obsolete and has an safe-local property, the
> docstring is pushed too far back for my taste and becomes difficult to
> distinguish from that meta-info.

I understand the reason, and I agree with the sentiment. However, the
indenting looks ugly to me when the meta-info is a oneliner.

I suspect most people would hate this even more, but I'd use faces.
That's a good use of font-locking in my view :)

             Juanma

Re: indented meta-info in describe-variable

[Juanma Barranquero]

Is this difference in whitespace intended?

(defvar test nil "test")
(make-variable-buffer-local 'test)

and then:

------------------------------------------------------------
test's value is nil

  Automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion.

Documentation:
test
------------------------------------------------------------
test's value is t
Local in buffer *scratch*; global value is nil
  Automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion.

Documentation:
test
------------------------------------------------------------

             Juanma

Re: indented meta-info in describe-variable

[Stefan Monnier]

> Is this difference in whitespace intended?
> (defvar test nil "test")
> (make-variable-buffer-local 'test)

> and then:

> ------------------------------------------------------------
> test's value is nil

>   Automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion.

> Documentation:
> test
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> test's value is t
> Local in buffer *scratch*; global value is nil
>   Automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion.

> Documentation:
> test
> ------------------------------------------------------------

Should be fixed now,


        Stefan


PS: As for using faces instead of indentation, feel free to try it out, but
it's always tricky business, and may not help on a tty.

Re: indented meta-info in describe-variable

[Juanma Barranquero]

On 10/10/07, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:

> Should be fixed now,

Thanks.

> PS: As for using faces instead of indentation, feel free to try it out, but
> it's always tricky business

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. The output of
describe-variable is a quite structured text, with clearly defined
sections. font-locking seems like a perfect match for it.

> and may not help on a tty.

That wouldn't be worse that the default face used now.

             Juanma