Re: dabbrev-select-buffers-function's help unhelpful

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni@kimo.FiXcomTHiS.tw>
> Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.bug
> Date: 26 Apr 2001 05:26:43 +0800
> 
> -------
> dabbrev-select-buffers-function's value is 
> dabbrev--select-buffers
> 
> Documentation:
> A function that selects buffers that should be searched by dabbrev.
> The function should take no arguments and return a list of buffers to
> search for expansions.  Have a look at `dabbrev--select-buffers' for
> an example.
> --------
> I click on the cheery invitation to look at dabbrev--select-buffers
> and
> --------
> dabbrev--select-buffers is a compiled Lisp function in `dabbrev'.
> (dabbrev--select-buffers)
> not documented

Thanks, I added a doc string.

> By the way, I did look at the source code for that function, an it's
> obviously 13 times over my head.  Info doesn't talk about this part.

What did you find missing in the manual, and which manual was that?

In general, only important Lisp functions (in addition to primitives)
are described in the ELisp manual.  It would be impossible to describe
every single subroutine in every package.

If you don't understand what some Lisp code does, or don't know how to
achieve something, I suggest to post questions to gnu.emacs.help,
which is the proper forum for such discussions.

> I want dabbrev-expand to, e.g., include "*Buffer-List*" amongst its
> source areas.  How to do that?

You need to write a predicate function to include it, and then
customize dabbrev-friend-buffer-function to point to that predicate.

Again, please ask such questions on gnu.emacs.help.

> By the way, looking at
> ;;; dabbrev.el --- dynamic abbreviation package
> 
> ;; Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 92, 94, 96, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> 
> ;; Author: Don Morrison
> ;; Maintainer: Lars Lindberg <Lars.Lindberg@sypro.cap.se>
> ;; Created: 16 Mars 1992
> ;; Lindberg's last update version: 5.7
> 
> one feels unsure about the date of last change.

The last year in the Copyright line tells that.  If you want a more
accurate idea, look in the lisp/ChangeLog file.