(General Variables): Add a footnote that all *PATH variables use

semi-colons on DOS/Windows instead of colons.

1 files changed, 8 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/man/cmdargs.texi b/man/cmdargs.texi
index 8029c389cda..f9fff5b1325 100644
--- a/man/cmdargs.texi
+++ b/man/cmdargs.texi
@@ -331,8 +331,12 @@ Directory for the documentation string file,
 @file{DOC-@var{emacsversion}}.  This is used to initialize the Lisp
 variable @code{doc-directory}.
 @item EMACSLOADPATH
-A colon-separated list of directories to search for Emacs Lisp
-files---used to initialize @code{load-path}.
+A colon-separated list of directories@footnote{
+Here and below, whenever we say ``colon-separated list of directories'',
+it pertains to Unix and GNU/Linux systems.  On MS-DOS and MS-Windows,
+the directories are separated by semi-colons instead, since DOS/Windows
+file names might include a colon after a drive letter.}
+to search for Emacs Lisp files---used to initialize @code{load-path}.
 @item EMACSPATH
 A colon-separated list of directories to search for executable
 files---used to initialize @code{exec-path}.
@@ -390,9 +394,8 @@ The name of the news server.  Used by the mh and Gnus packages.
 The name of the organization to which you belong.  Used for setting the
 `Organization:' header in your posts from the Gnus package.
 @item PATH
-A colon-separated list of directories in which executables reside.
-(On MS-DOS, it is semicolon-separated instead.)  This is used to
-initialize the Emacs Lisp variable @code{exec-path}.
+A colon-separated list of directories in which executables reside.  This
+is used to initialize the Emacs Lisp variable @code{exec-path}.
 @item PWD
 If set, this should be the default directory when Emacs was started.
 @item REPLYTO