[Bug: 21.5-b27] describe-function shows build-time file locations

[Ron Isaacson]

Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> 
> Ron Isaacson writes:
> 
>  > I notice that describe-function mistakenly reports the build-time
>  > location for some functions.
> 
> XEmacs is correct, you are wrong.  Those files were in fact loaded at
> build time.  At least, custom.elc is.

Hmm. Didn't realize that.

> Note that the semantics of these functions is not at all clear.
> Originally the intention was to take you to where you can edit the
> function to change the behavior of XEmacs.  For a dumped file that
> should be a file in the source tree.  That's arguably inconvenient in
> your environment

...and misleading in general, because as you say, it's not enough to
rebuild the elc file -- you actually need to recompile xemacs. Hmm.

> , but we have to be careful to find the source file in
> cases where it does exist.  (I say "arguably" because we often get
> reports that somebody has edited and compiled a Lisp file, but the
> change doesn't "take" because it's a dumped file, so the changed .elc
> needs to be reloaded in every session.)

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but is there a reason for that? Why do
these libs need to be built into the binary? Is it just a performance
thing?

--
Ron Isaacson
Morgan Stanley
ron.isaacson at morganstanley.com / (212) 276-0268

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