write-region docstring/behavior inconsistency

[Kai Großjohann]

Previously, I've been talking about jka-compr-write-region failing in
conjunction with Tramp.  This time, I'd like to just talk about some
inconsistencies, without regard of application.

The documentation for write-region says that START and END should be
buffer positions, but auto_save_1 calls it with START and END being
nil.  There is an inconsistency here.  

Should the documentation for write-region be changed, or should the
call in auto_save_1 be changed?

If the call is (calls are) changed, should write-region check that its
args are really buffer positions, and not nil?

If write-region should grok nil for START and/or END, should all
filename handlers be checked so that they do so, as well?  (I guess
this means ange-ftp and jka-compr in the standard Emacs distribution;
are there other filename handlers?)

kai
-- 
Simplification good!  Oversimplification bad!  (Larry Wall)