From: Gregory Heytings <gregory@heytings.org>
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2023 22:41:33 +0000 (+0000)
Subject: Improve warning about changing the string returned by symbol-name
X-Git-Tag: emacs-29.0.90~126
X-Git-Url: http://git.eshelyaron.com/gitweb/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=b7f03333551b2214f4d151d25d319e62402167c1;p=emacs.git

Improve warning about changing the string returned by symbol-name

* src/data.c (Fsymbol_name): Add warning.  See bug#62009.

* doc/lispref/symbols.texi (Creating Symbols): Improve warning.
---

diff --git a/doc/lispref/symbols.texi b/doc/lispref/symbols.texi
index 5b53cbe310a..c6a0408abd1 100644
--- a/doc/lispref/symbols.texi
+++ b/doc/lispref/symbols.texi
@@ -276,9 +276,8 @@ This function returns the string that is @var{symbol}'s name.  For example:
 @end group
 @end example
 
-@strong{Warning:} Changing the string by substituting characters does
-change the name of the symbol, but fails to update the obarray, so don't
-do it!
+@strong{Warning:} Never alter the string returned by that function.
+Doing that might make Emacs dysfunctional, and might even crash Emacs.
 @end defun
 
 @cindex uninterned symbol, and generating Lisp code
diff --git a/src/data.c b/src/data.c
index 0f1d881e00b..930d476bc3f 100644
--- a/src/data.c
+++ b/src/data.c
@@ -773,7 +773,10 @@ DEFUN ("symbol-plist", Fsymbol_plist, Ssymbol_plist, 1, 1, 0,
 }
 
 DEFUN ("symbol-name", Fsymbol_name, Ssymbol_name, 1, 1, 0,
-       doc: /* Return SYMBOL's name, a string.  */)
+       doc: /* Return SYMBOL's name, a string.
+
+Warning: never alter the string returned by `symbol-name'.
+Doing that might make Emacs dysfunctional, and might even crash Emacs.  */)
   (register Lisp_Object symbol)
 {
   register Lisp_Object name;