address@hidden: RE: doc string of `diff' does not mention prefix arg]

[Richard Stallman]

Would someone please install this in the trunk?

------- Start of forwarded message -------
X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.0 required=5.0 tests=UNPARSEABLE_RELAY 
        autolearn=failed version=3.1.0
From: "Drew Adams" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Subject: RE: doc string of `diff' does not mention prefix arg
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:16:05 -0700
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
        charset="ISO-8859-15"
In-Reply-To: <address@hidden>

> Would you like to send a patch?

Below. But notice this exchange from the thread, which shows that the prefix
arg was in fact mentioned - I just didn't read the doc string well. Anyway,
I've tried to make it clearer.

> > > The doc string of command `diff' should mention that if you supply a
> > > prefix arg you are prompted for the diff switches.
> >
> > "With prefix arg, prompt for diff switches."
> >
> > Copied directly from the doc string.
>
> My bad; sorry for the noise. Thanks.
>
> No excuse for my not seeing that, but don't we usually mention the
> interactive use first? That is, wouldn't it be better to put the
> info about
> C-u before the explanation of non-interactive arg NO-ASYNC? And to
> explicitly call out that NO-ASYNC is for a non-interactive call?

Here's the patch:

diff -c "c:/drews-lisp-20/cvs-lisp/diff-CVS-2007-07-10.el"
"c:/drews-lisp-20/cvs-lisp/diff-CVS-patched-2007-07-10.el"
*** c:/drews-lisp-20/cvs-lisp/diff-CVS-2007-07-10.el    Tue Jul 10 15:08:24
2007
- --- c:/drews-lisp-20/cvs-lisp/diff-CVS-patched-2007-07-10.el  Tue Jul 10
15:13:38 2007
***************
*** 75,84 ****
  ;;;###autoload
  (defun diff (old new &optional switches no-async)
    "Find and display the differences between OLD and NEW files.
! Interactively the current buffer's file name is the default for NEW
! and a backup file for NEW is the default for OLD.
! If NO-ASYNC is non-nil, call diff synchronously.
! With prefix arg, prompt for diff switches."
    (interactive
     (let (oldf newf)
       (setq newf (buffer-file-name)
- --- 75,87 ----
  ;;;###autoload
  (defun diff (old new &optional switches no-async)
    "Find and display the differences between OLD and NEW files.
! Interactively, the current buffer's file name is the default for NEW,
!   and a backup file for NEW is the default for OLD.
! Interactively, if you supply a prefix argument then you are prompted
!   for the `diff' command switches to use.  With no prefix arg, the
!   value of variable `diff-switches' is used.
! Non-interactively, non-nil optional argument NO-ASYNC means call
! `diff' synchronously."
    (interactive
     (let (oldf newf)
       (setq newf (buffer-file-name)
------- End of forwarded message -------