Make Info-edit obsolete

Ref: http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2012-01/msg00374.html
(Warning: interminable bikeshedding in thread)

* lisp/info.el (Info-enable-edit): Remove.
(Info-edit): Disable it rather than using Info-enable.
(Info-edit-mode-hook, Info-edit-map, Info-edit-mode, Info-edit)
(Info-cease-edit): Make editing of Info files obsolete.

* etc/NEWS: Mention this.

3 files changed, 29 insertions, 13 deletions

diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index de151d0c884..d6691ffed8f 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -218,6 +218,10 @@ are obsolete.  Customize the `woman-* faces instead.
 +++
 *** yow.el is obsolete; use fortune.el or cookie1.el instead.
 
+---
+*** The Info-edit command is obsolete.  Editing Info nodes by hand
+has not been relevant for some time.
+
 
 * New Modes and Packages in Emacs 24.4
 ** New nadvice.el package offering lighter-weight advice facilities.
diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index e54b777b3d0..15dd5d30654 100644
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 2013-02-21  Glenn Morris  <rgm@gnu.org>
 
+        * info.el (Info-enable-edit): Remove.
+        (Info-edit): Disable it rather than using Info-enable.
+        (Info-edit-mode-hook, Info-edit-map, Info-edit-mode, Info-edit)
+        (Info-cease-edit): Make editing of Info files obsolete.
+
         * informat.el (Info-tagify):
         Handle buffers not visiting files.  (Bug#13763)
 
diff --git a/lisp/info.el b/lisp/info.el
index 24a7181ff52..3792857d47a 100644
--- a/lisp/info.el
+++ b/lisp/info.el
@@ -59,15 +59,6 @@ to the user."
   :group 'info
   :version "24.1")
 
-(defcustom Info-enable-edit nil
-  "Non-nil means the \\<Info-mode-map>\\[Info-edit] command in Info can edit the current node.
-This is convenient if you want to write Info files by hand.
-However, we recommend that you not do this.
-It is better to write a Texinfo file and generate the Info file from that,
-because that gives you a printed manual as well."
-  :type 'boolean
-  :group 'info)
-
 (defvar Info-enable-active-nodes nil
   "Non-nil allows Info to execute Lisp code associated with nodes.
 The Lisp code is executed when the node is selected.")
@@ -375,6 +366,9 @@ with wrapping around the current Info node."
 (defvar Info-edit-mode-hook nil
   "Hooks run when `Info-edit-mode' is called.")
 
+(make-obsolete-variable 'Info-edit-mode-hook
+                        "editing Info nodes by hand is not recommended." "24.4")
+
 (defvar Info-current-file nil
   "Info file that Info is now looking at, or nil.
 This is the name that was specified in Info, not the actual file name.
@@ -4253,6 +4247,10 @@ Advanced commands:
                         map)
   "Local keymap used within `e' command of Info.")
 
+(make-obsolete-variable 'Info-edit-map
+                        "editing Info nodes by hand is not recommended."
+                        "24.4")
+
 ;; Info-edit mode is suitable only for specially formatted data.
 (put 'Info-edit-mode 'mode-class 'special)
 
@@ -4270,16 +4268,22 @@ which returns to Info mode for browsing.
   (buffer-enable-undo (current-buffer))
   (run-mode-hooks 'Info-edit-mode-hook))
 
+(make-obsolete 'Info-edit-mode
+               "editing Info nodes by hand is not recommended." "24.4")
+
 (defun Info-edit ()
-  "Edit the contents of this Info node.
-Allowed only if variable `Info-enable-edit' is non-nil."
+  "Edit the contents of this Info node."
   (interactive)
-  (or Info-enable-edit
-      (error "Editing Info nodes is not enabled"))
   (Info-edit-mode)
   (message "%s" (substitute-command-keys
                  "Editing: Type \\<Info-edit-map>\\[Info-cease-edit] to return to info")))
 
+(put 'Info-edit 'disabled "Editing Info nodes by hand is not recommended.
+This feature will be removed in future.")
+
+(make-obsolete 'Info-edit
+               "editing Info nodes by hand is not recommended." "24.4")
+
 (defun Info-cease-edit ()
   "Finish editing Info node; switch back to Info proper."
   (interactive)
@@ -4296,6 +4300,9 @@ Allowed only if variable `Info-enable-edit' is non-nil."
   (and (marker-position Info-tag-table-marker)
        (buffer-modified-p)
        (message "Tags may have changed.  Use Info-tagify if necessary")))
+
+(make-obsolete 'Info-cease-edit
+               "editing Info nodes by hand is not recommended." "24.4")
 
 (defvar Info-file-list-for-emacs
   '("ediff" "eudc" "forms" "gnus" "info" ("Info" . "info") ("mh" . "mh-e")