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bug#9653: 24.0.50; `ucs-names' - Why all of the ("" . XXX) entries?


From: Drew Adams
Subject: bug#9653: 24.0.50; `ucs-names' - Why all of the ("" . XXX) entries?
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 06:56:49 -0700

> > It should be obvious that a data structure such as 
> > `ucs-names' is useful even outside of reading a
> > character name with `read-char-by-name'.
> >
> > I predict that we'll find that the former is in fact
> > more generally useful than the latter.
> 
> It should be obvious that any variable with scant documentation that
> starts off "Alist of cached..." is internal to something, and 
> probably not very useful outside of that.

Bzzzzt!  No, but thanks for playing.  Scant documentation does not necessarily
mean anything in particular - it can mean anything at all.

And just because a variable caches a value does not necessarily mean that it is
internal to something and is useless outside that something.

More importantly, this is not so much about the variable as the function that is
its front end.  It is really about the combination of the two, which together
act as a (constant) data structure.

If you are only trying to say that the var is internal to the function of the
same name, then fine.  Thus we (properly) document the function, mentioning its
cache variable:

"Return [an] alist of...pairs cached in `ucs-names'."

It is that doc that could be enhanced, to help users.

But if you, like Juanma, are trying to say that `ucs-names' is internal to
function `read-char-by-name', then no.  This is a good example of the falsehood
of such claims.  `ucs-names' is used by 3rd-party code, and in situations where
`read-char-by-name' is not used at all.





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