RE: defcustom and the stars.

[Drew Adams]

> Not to defend modifying describe-variable right now, but this:
> 
> > Yes. Here is a doc string I have, for instance.
> >
> >  "**Completions* window is removed if fewer chars than this are input."
> 
> is basically incorrect, in the sense that
> 
>   (defvar my-var nil "*Completions* window blah blah.")
> 
> is wrong; it makes my-var a user variable, when it isn't intended to.
> Seems like a docstring payload (taking out the possible initial "*")
> should not start with an asterisk...

Sorry, I don't understand. The variable with that doc string (beginning "**") 
_is_ a user variable. It is intended to be a user variable.

You raise, I imagine, a different issue: how to prevent a variable from 
becoming a user variable (changeable with `set-variable') if its doc string 
begins with `*', as in your defvar: "*Completions* window blah blah.".

It's possible I misunderstand you. But if that is the issue you want to raise, 
then I think it is not worth pursuing: people can rephrase the text to avoid 
starting with `*' if they don't want `*' to indicate a user variable. (In my 
case, I _do_ want it to indicate a user variable.)