bug#41497: 28.0.50; Flawed text formatting of files like etc/TODO, etc/NEWS, etc.

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Bastien <bzg@gnu.org>
> Cc: 41497-done@debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Mon, 01 Jun 2020 08:29:38 +0200
> 
> > As for etc/NEWS, we usually
> > fix it shortly before the release, so please look at NEWS on the
> > emacs-27 branch, and if you see problems there, please point them
> > out.
> 
> I have seen some problems, like sentences that start as the headline 
> and continue as the paragraph below.
> 
> Shall I fix these in emacs-27 directly?

Yes, please.

>   Temporary note:
>   +++ indicates that all relevant manuals in doc/ have been updated.
>   --- means no change in the manuals is needed.
>   When you add a new item, use the appropriate mark if you are sure it
>   applies, and please also update docstrings as needed.
> 
> So, +++ both mean that no action is needed, either because the manuals
> have been updated already or because they don't need any update.  If
> this is meant as a call to action for Emacs maintainers, what is it
> (since both say that things are okay)?  If this is meant to the users,
> what info is conveyed here?  What means "Temporary note": is it
> because --- and +++ are removed right before the release?

It's the entries that don't have any markers that are noteworthy.

These markers are a reminder for when Emacs is released: "Someone"
should go through the entries which have neither "+++" not "---"
marker, and decide whether any manuals need to be updated due to that
change.  These markers are removed as part of preparing the release
tarball, so they never appear in a released Emacs

> What about getting rid of --- and +++ in these files and moving the
> message is conveys (about the need for an update of the manuals) in 
> the etc/TODO file, or in a dedicated etc/PRERELEASE file?

That'd be inconvenient: the person who does the job of updating the
documentation, usually yours truly, will have to look at two files
instead of just one.

Why are those markers a problem?