# HG changeset patch
# User Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
# Date 872229497 0
# Node ID d76f57ca7aba42ca5b8ec819042ea477920dd2b0
# Parent  3fce1e7c0fd075279900364b04089c324cc40466
Explain after-change-functions and chars vs bytes.

diff -r 3fce1e7c0fd0 -r d76f57ca7aba lispref/text.texi
--- a/lispref/text.texi	Fri Aug 22 05:51:48 1997 +0000
+++ b/lispref/text.texi	Fri Aug 22 05:58:17 1997 +0000
@@ -2973,9 +2973,16 @@
 This variable holds a list of a functions to call after any buffer
 modification.  Each function receives three arguments: the beginning and
 end of the region just changed, and the length of the text that existed
-before the change.  (To get the current length, subtract the region
-beginning from the region end.)  All three arguments are integers.  The
-buffer that's about to change is always the current buffer.
+before the change.  All three arguments are integers.  The buffer that's
+about to change is always the current buffer.
+
+The length of the old text is measured in bytes; it is the difference
+between the buffer positions before and after that text, before the
+change.  As for the changed text, its length in bytes is simply the
+difference between the first two arguments.  If you want the length
+in @emph{characters} of the text before the change, you should use
+a @code{before-change-functions} function that calls @code{chars-in-region}
+(@pxref{Chars and Bytes}).
 @end defvar
 
 @defvar before-change-function