# HG changeset patch
# User Karl Heuer <kwzh@gnu.org>
# Date 802659642 0
# Node ID bd3e59a5c0b3cda4fc47bebb60a34c25422f0605
# Parent  12720a817d83976c9ed1d021922ce3f3dd7ef1dc
(file-precious-flag): Doc clarification.

diff -r 12720a817d83 -r bd3e59a5c0b3 lisp/files.el
--- a/lisp/files.el	Fri Jun 09 00:55:30 1995 +0000
+++ b/lisp/files.el	Fri Jun 09 01:00:42 1995 +0000
@@ -131,7 +131,13 @@
 (defconst file-precious-flag nil
   "*Non-nil means protect against I/O errors while saving files.
 Some modes set this non-nil in particular buffers.
-Note that this forces backups to be made by copying.
+
+This feature works by writing the new contents into a temporary file
+and then renaming the temporary file to replace the original.
+In this way, any I/O error in writing leaves the original untouched,
+and there is never any instant where the file is nonexistent.
+
+Note that this feature forces backups to be made by copying.
 Yet, at the same time, saving a precious file
 breaks any hard links between it and other files.")