# HG changeset patch # User Richard M. Stallman # Date 1125797718 0 # Node ID 5e93eb177fdbf584e39687ecb03923159933508a # Parent 183e1bf747e4f40b1e6381866dbc5ebd4a7dca25 (nil and t): Minor cleanup. Delete spurious mention of keyword symbols. (Evaluation Notation): Add index entry. (A Sample Function Description): Minor cleanup. (A Sample Variable Description): Not all vars can be set. diff -r 183e1bf747e4 -r 5e93eb177fdb lispref/intro.texi --- a/lispref/intro.texi Sun Sep 04 01:31:14 2005 +0000 +++ b/lispref/intro.texi Sun Sep 04 01:35:18 2005 +0000 @@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ (not nil) ; @r{Emphasize the truth value @var{false}} @end example -@cindex @code{t} and truth +@cindex @code{t}, uses of @cindex true In contexts where a truth value is expected, any non-@code{nil} value is considered to be @var{true}. However, @code{t} is the preferred way @@ -209,14 +209,14 @@ In Emacs Lisp, @code{nil} and @code{t} are special symbols that always evaluate to themselves. This is so that you do not need to quote them to use them as constants in a program. An attempt to change their -values results in a @code{setting-constant} error. The same is true of -any symbol whose name starts with a colon (@samp{:}). @xref{Constant +values results in a @code{setting-constant} error. @xref{Constant Variables}. @node Evaluation Notation @subsection Evaluation Notation @cindex evaluation notation @cindex documentation notation +@cindex notation A Lisp expression that you can evaluate is called a @dfn{form}. Evaluating a form always produces a result, which is a Lisp object. In @@ -355,11 +355,11 @@ arguments default to @code{nil}). Do not write @code{&optional} when you call the function. - The keyword @code{&rest} (which must be followed by a single argument -name) indicates that any number of arguments can follow. The single -following argument name will have a value, as a variable, which is a -list of all these remaining arguments. Do not write @code{&rest} when -you call the function. + The keyword @code{&rest} (which must be followed by a single +argument name) indicates that any number of arguments can follow. The +single argument name following @code{&rest} will receive, as its +value, a list of all the remaining arguments passed to the function. +Do not write @code{&rest} when you call the function. Here is a description of an imaginary function @code{foo}: @@ -450,9 +450,9 @@ @cindex variable descriptions @cindex option descriptions - A @dfn{variable} is a name that can hold a value. Although any -variable can be set by the user, certain variables that exist -specifically so that users can change them are called @dfn{user + A @dfn{variable} is a name that can hold a value. Although nearly +all variables can be set by the user, certain variables exist +specifically so that users can change them; these are called @dfn{user options}. Ordinary variables and user options are described using a format like that for functions except that there are no arguments.