bug#15117: 24.3.50; doc of `(forward|backward)-*': state return value

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> These are motion functions, just like `goto-char' and
> `skip-chars-forward'.  Their doc should specify the return value
> (regardless of whether it is a position, a Boolean, always nil, or
> anything else).
>
> If, for some special (good) reason, code should not rely on the return
> value of some function then this fact should be stated explicitly in
> the doc: "This function is used only for its side effects; the return
> value is undefined."  This is Lisp, not C - return values are the norm,
> not the exception.

No, in Emacs we seldom say that.  Functions used for side effect are
quite normal.

> The doc of `(forward|backward)-(word|line)' already correctly specifies
> the return value.  Not so for other `(forward|backward)-*' functions,
> such as `(forward|backward)-sexp'.

They don't seem to return anything useful.  Closing.

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