From: Chong Yidong Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:19:29 +0000 (+0000) Subject: (Defining Variables): Note that `*' is not necessary if defcustom is X-Git-Tag: emacs-pretest-23.0.90~1552 X-Git-Url: http://git.eshelyaron.com/gitweb/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=923dfbaa56324aab7b62d8c9c6ec51fc78165d95;p=emacs.git (Defining Variables): Note that `*' is not necessary if defcustom is used. --- diff --git a/doc/lispref/variables.texi b/doc/lispref/variables.texi index 8a948011483..9e4eeee47bb 100644 --- a/doc/lispref/variables.texi +++ b/doc/lispref/variables.texi @@ -457,13 +457,13 @@ the main benefits of defining the variable.) The documentation is stored in the symbol's @code{variable-documentation} property. The Emacs help functions (@pxref{Documentation}) look for this property. -If the variable is a user option that users would want to set -interactively, you should use @samp{*} as the first character of -@var{doc-string}. This lets users set the variable conveniently using -the @code{set-variable} command. Note that you should nearly always -use @code{defcustom} instead of @code{defvar} to define these -variables, so that users can use @kbd{M-x customize} and related -commands to set them. @xref{Customization}. +If the documentation string begins with the character @samp{*}, Emacs +allows users to set it interactively using the @code{set-variable} +command. However, you should nearly always use @code{defcustom} +instead of @code{defvar} to define such variables, so that users can +use @kbd{M-x customize} and related commands to set them. In that +case, it is not necessary to begin the documentation string with +@samp{*}. @xref{Customization}. Here are some examples. This form defines @code{foo} but does not initialize it: