>From cf87b92aef2013b1d5a72a980f1f958f00222775 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sean Whitton <spwhitton@spwhitton.name>
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2021 14:31:35 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Improve rectangle-mark-mode documentation regarding mark
 activation

* doc/emacs/killing.texi:
* lisp/rect.el (rectangle-mark-mode): State that rectangle-mark-mode
does not activate the mark when Transient Mark mode is off.  State
that the mode persists until the next time the region becomes
inactive; if rectangle-mark-mode does not activate the mark, then the
mode persists until the region is both activated and subsequently
deactivated.  Qualify discussion of rectangle-exchange-point-and-mark
to say that it cycles the four corners only when the region is active.
---
 doc/emacs/killing.texi | 20 ++++++++++----------
 lisp/rect.el           |  3 ++-
 2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/emacs/killing.texi b/doc/emacs/killing.texi
index 375ac970d7..f6458e8c8b 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/killing.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/killing.texi
@@ -923,11 +923,11 @@ Rectangles
 @findex rectangle-mark-mode
   The command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{rectangle-mark-mode}) toggles
 whether the region-rectangle or the standard region is highlighted
-(first activating the region if necessary).  When this mode is enabled,
-commands that resize the region (@kbd{C-f}, @kbd{C-n} etc.)@: do
-so in a rectangular fashion, and killing and yanking operate on the
-rectangle.  @xref{Killing}.  The mode persists only as long as the
-region is active.
+(first activating the region if necessary, unless Transient Mark mode
+is off).  When this mode is enabled, commands that resize the region
+(@kbd{C-f}, @kbd{C-n} etc.)@: do so in a rectangular fashion, and
+killing and yanking operate on the rectangle.  @xref{Killing}.  The
+mode persists until the next time the region becomes inactive.
 
 Unlike the standard region, the region-rectangle can have its corners
 extended past the end of buffer, or inside stretches of white space
@@ -937,11 +937,11 @@ Rectangles
 @findex rectangle-exchange-point-and-mark
 @findex exchange-point-and-mark@r{, in rectangle-mark-mode}
 @kindex C-x C-x@r{, in rectangle-mark-mode}
-When the region is in rectangle-mark-mode, @kbd{C-x C-x} runs the
-command @code{rectangle-exchange-point-and-mark}, which cycles between
-the four corners of the region-rectangle.  This comes in handy if you
-want to modify the dimensions of the region-rectangle before invoking
-an operation on the marked text.
+When the region is active and in rectangle-mark-mode, @kbd{C-x C-x}
+runs the command @code{rectangle-exchange-point-and-mark}, which
+cycles between the four corners of the region-rectangle.  This comes
+in handy if you want to modify the dimensions of the region-rectangle
+before invoking an operation on the marked text.
 
 @node CUA Bindings
 @section CUA Bindings
diff --git a/lisp/rect.el b/lisp/rect.el
index d288adfbaf..80f992e182 100644
--- a/lisp/rect.el
+++ b/lisp/rect.el
@@ -651,7 +651,8 @@ rectangle-mark-mode-map
 (define-minor-mode rectangle-mark-mode
   "Toggle the region as rectangular.
 
-Activates the region if needed.  Only lasts until the region is deactivated."
+Activates the region if it's inactive and Transient Mark mode is
+on.  Only lasts until the region is next deactivated."
   :lighter nil
   (rectangle--reset-crutches)
   (when rectangle-mark-mode
-- 
2.30.2