* simple.el (define-alternatives): Fix docstring by advising

developers to (defvar COMMAND-alternatives).

2 files changed, 9 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 25c4e9e75b7..e8057c3c386 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2014-01-17  Bastien Guerry  <bzg@gnu.org>
+
+        * simple.el (define-alternatives): Fix docstring by advising
+        developers to (defvar COMMAND-alternatives).
+
 2014-01-17  Dmitry Gutov  <dgutov@yandex.ru>
 
         * progmodes/ruby-mode.el (ruby-alignable-keywords): New constant.
diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index ff32d204d17..e69cbbdfdc3 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -7666,8 +7666,10 @@ Running `C-u M-x COMMAND RET' prompts again for an alternative
 and overwrites the previous choice.
 
 The variable `COMMAND-alternatives' contains an alist with
-alternative implementations of COMMAND.  `define-alternatives'
-does not have any effect until this variable is set.
+alternative implementations of COMMAND.  Developers should
+use (defvar COMMAND-alternatives) to declare this variable
+after they write (define-alternatives COMMAND), otherwise
+the variable will not be handled by programs like etags.
 
 CUSTOMIZATIONS, if non-nil, should be composed of alternating
 `defcustom' keywords and values to add to the declaration of