Use a gensym to store doc metadata

[MikeInnes]

Proposed fix for #11974. Would a constant symbol like __META__ buy us anything over this approach?

[ScottPJones]

Could you use __META__ instead of META'? (but otherwise keep it like you have)
Calling something blah prime is something that mathematicians would get, but not general programmers, and the use of a single quote in an identifier is sure to leave some people scratching their heads.

[MikeInnes]

Possibly, but this is very much an implementation detail that people in general aren't going to look at.

The actual meta dict in your module is going to be called something like ##META#2538, which is even more likely to make the general programmer scratch their head if they come across it (as with many other implementation details). But we're not really optimising for user surprise here because it's not user-level.

[MikeInnes]

(In fact, we sort of are optimising for user surprise here – it's as surprising as is reasonably possible exactly so that people don't come across it by accident).

[MichaelHatherly]

(Whoops, totally forgot to go and implement this after opening #11974... sorry about that.)

Re: using a gensym rather than just an underscored name change, +1.

[ScottPJones]

Possibly, but this is very much an implementation detail that people in general aren't going to look at.

Well, I saw it, and scratched my head! Is the META' name not saved anywhere then?
I still think not using single quotes in identifiers is a good thing.

[StefanKarpinski]

How about we just call the constant in every module __META__ instead of doing the gensym thing. I'd prefer to know what the name is and have it be a reserved name (i.e. of the form __xxx__).

[MikeInnes]

Sure, I'm completely OK with that too.

[ScottPJones]

I hope you do keep the meta function, that is precisely what's being talked about elsewhere, as being more Julian than accessing a field.

[MikeInnes]

Done in 4fc9bb6

[MichaelHatherly]

What should the official interface for getting at the metadata be then? Docs.meta(MyMod) or MyMod.__META__?