Re: emacs-27 breaks null function

[Stefan Monnier]

> Some 34 years ago, I wrote a function with the code snippet
>
>       (if (null executing-macro) ...)
>
> and that function has been in daily use through emacs-26.  However,
> with emacs-27, I get an error with this traceback
>
>       Symbol's value as variable is void: executing-macro

Grep says:

    % grep executing-macro etc/NEWS*
    etc/NEWS.1-17:** Variable `executing-macro' renamed `executing-kbd-macro'.
    %

So you've been using a variable name that's been obsolete for ... 34 years?
I took a bit more work to find why you're only seeing this now:

    % git log | grep -C9 executing-macro | head
        (select-tags-table-mode): No need to set `buffer-read-only'
        explicitly, `special-mode' takes care of that.
        * lisp/vc/log-edit.el (log-edit-show-files): Use `special-mode'
        instead of setting `buffer-read-only' explicitly.
    
    commit a6844ee86e0577acaeb699a26902c4dc9e7352aa
    Author: Sam Steingold <address@hidden>
    Date:   Wed Nov 22 16:07:54 2017 -0500
    
        Remove variable alias executing-macro, obsolete since before 19.34.
    %

Not sure why it's not mentioned in etc/NEWS, but it looks like
a simple oversight.


        Stefan