Correct syntax table data structure. Other clarifications about

syntax tables.

diff --git a/man/custom.texi b/man/custom.texi
index 3e2b7eb1f37192b3302625e876f5e7e584a6616a..e27b295ab4e9eb9afe8e60f3143ffb887281b20c 100644 (file)
--- a/man/custom.texi
+++ b/man/custom.texi
@@ -1980,23 +1980,28 @@ normally treats @key{BACKSPACE} as @key{DEL}.
   All the Emacs commands which parse words or balance parentheses are
 controlled by the @dfn{syntax table}.  The syntax table says which
 characters are opening delimiters, which are parts of words, which are
-string quotes, and so on.  Each major mode has its own syntax table
-(though sometimes related major modes use the same one) which it
-installs in each buffer that uses that major mode.  The syntax table
-installed in the current buffer is the one that all commands use, so we
-call it ``the'' syntax table.  A syntax table is a Lisp object, a
-char-table, whose elements are numbers.
+string quotes, and so on.  It does this by assigning each character to
+one of fifteen-odd @dfn{syntax classes}.  In some cases it specifies
+some additional information also.
+
+  Each major mode has its own syntax table (though sometimes related
+major modes share one syntax table) which it installs in each buffer
+that uses the mode.  The syntax table installed in the current buffer
+is the one that all commands use, so we call it ``the'' syntax table.
 
 @kindex C-h s
 @findex describe-syntax
-  To display a description of the contents of the current syntax table,
-type @kbd{C-h s} (@code{describe-syntax}).  The description of each
-character includes both the string you would have to give to
+  To display a description of the contents of the current syntax
+table, type @kbd{C-h s} (@code{describe-syntax}).  The description of
+each character includes both the string you would have to give to
 @code{modify-syntax-entry} to set up that character's current syntax,
-and some English to explain that string if necessary.
+starting with the character which designates its syntax class, plus
+some English text to explain its meaning.
 
-  For full information on the syntax table, see @ref{Syntax Tables,,
-Syntax Tables, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
+  A syntax table is actually a Lisp object, a char-table, whose
+elements are cons cells.  For full information on the syntax table,
+see @ref{Syntax Tables,, Syntax Tables, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
+Reference Manual}.
 
 @node Init File
 @section The Init File, @file{~/.emacs}