[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums
From: |
Drew Adams |
Subject: |
bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums |
Date: |
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 10:26:08 -0800 (PST) |
> > Some functions in Emacs accept only fixnums. Also, while fixnums can
> > always be compared for numeric equality with 'eq', bignums require
> > more-heavyweight equality predicates like 'eql'."
> >
> > That's really the _last_ thing we should tell users, not the first.
> >
> > And even if we tell them something like that we should NOT emphasize
> > using `eq' ("bignums _require_..."). We should NOT give users the
> > impression that they should want to avoid the "more-heavyweight"
> > comparison function `eql'.
> >
> > We should instead tell users, right away, that they can (and typically
> > should) use `eql' for comparing any integers, regardless of whether they
> > happen, on this or that platform/machine, to be fixnums or bignums.
> >
> > I'm really surprised this doc got inserted as it is.
> >
> > Using `eq' is only an optimisation; it's platform/machine-specific; and
> > it makes users worry about whether the numbers being compared are both
> > fixnums. (Sure, they can always test first with `fixnump' or `bignump',
> > but still...)
> >
> > And I don't see where the doc tells you how the Lisp reader treats an
> > integer numeral - when it gives you a fixnum and when it gives you a
> > bignum. Shouldn't it tell you that you get a fixnum whenever the value
> > is within the fixnum range (if that's in fact the case)? I mean, if
> > you're going to be comparing against a literal value, and the doc slants
> > you toward using `eq' as it does, you'll at least want to know whether
> > some numeral ends up as a fixnum or a bignum. (Sure, you can always
> > test it...)
>
> There seems to be a contradiction here: where we do describe the
> difference between fixnums and bignums, you argue that we shouldn't,
> but then you pick up a place where we don't distinguish between them,
> and you argue that we should...
Maybe read again what I wrote.
I didn't say we should not describe the
difference between the two. Not at all.
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Drew Adams, 2020/02/10
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Eli Zaretskii, 2020/02/11
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums,
Drew Adams <=
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Noam Postavsky, 2020/02/11
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Drew Adams, 2020/02/11
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Noam Postavsky, 2020/02/12
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Drew Adams, 2020/02/12
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Noam Postavsky, 2020/02/13
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Drew Adams, 2020/02/13
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Richard Stallman, 2020/02/12
- bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Richard Stallman, 2020/02/13
bug#39557: 27.0.60; Elisp manual, doc about bignums, Paul Eggert, 2020/02/17