; More accurate text about how `equal` compares various objects

* doc/lispref/objects.texi (Equality Predicates):
Attempt at improving the text further (bug#72888).

(cherry picked from commit 2ca7d5649c69efbc65a4c7c074c52d8f4f0d4a21)

diff --git a/doc/lispref/objects.texi b/doc/lispref/objects.texi
index 399a1d169c262de2fc232edd1aca2c8dbf7ec005..34ea7cf4996b3b0c148a2519612ad71081b2a504 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/lispref/objects.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/objects.texi
@@ -2413,10 +2413,12 @@ the converse is not always true.
 @end group
 @end example
 
-The @code{equal} function recursively compares the contents of objects
-if they are integers, strings, markers, lists, cons cells, vectors,
-bool-vectors, byte-code function objects, char-tables, records, or font
-objects.
+The @code{equal} function compares strings and bool-vectors by value.
+Numbers are compared by type and numeric value, using @code{eql}.
+Lists, cons cells, vectors, records, markers, char-tables, font objects,
+and function objects (closures)@footnote{However, equality of distinct
+function objects cannot be guaranteed in general.} are compared
+recursively by using @code{equal} on their constituent parts.
 
 Comparison of strings is case-sensitive, but does not take account of
 text properties---it compares only the characters in the strings.