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Subject: |
Re: puzzling byte-compile-file message: `=' called for effect |
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Date: |
Tue, 15 Nov 2005 17:09:35 +0000 |
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User-agent: |
Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.0.50 (gnu/linux) |
>>>>> Drew Adams <address@hidden> writes:
> The term "for effect" is correct here, but I don't think it is as clear as
> it could be. The compiler is suggesting that, if the `=' expression is
> useful, it must be useful because of side effects that occur during its
> evaluation.
> I think the compiler should explicitly say that the resulting _value_ of the
> `=' expression is not used. It might also say that the `=' expression may be
> useful for its side effects (or side effects of its subexpressions), but the
> resulting value has no effect on the overall code. At a minimum, the word
> "side" should be added to "effect".
Yes, I agree. I was so puzzled by the elliptical message that I
missed the obvious error in my code.
> The message might better say:
> "Warning: `=' return value ignored. Is the expression useful
> for its side effects?"
Something like that, I agree, even simply "`=' called for side effect
alone".
> Ccing emacs-devel, as I think the message should be clarified
> somehow.
Me too.
Regards,
--
Jim Ottaway
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