Be more consistent about "directory name" in manual

This clarifies the documentation, partly in response to the
discussion in Bug#27986.

12 files changed, 35 insertions, 31 deletions

diff --git a/doc/emacs/building.texi b/doc/emacs/building.texi
index cc79eae7770..87ac61bac3b 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/building.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/building.texi
@@ -1389,7 +1389,7 @@ Loading,,, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
 
 @vindex load-path
   The Emacs Lisp load path is specified by the variable
-@code{load-path}.  Its value should be a list of directory names
+@code{load-path}.  Its value should be a list of directories
 (strings).  These directories are searched, in the specified order, by
 the @kbd{M-x load-library} command, the lower-level @code{load}
 function, and other Emacs functions that find Emacs Lisp libraries.  A
diff --git a/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi b/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi
index a1807ad9ddf..819459e0af0 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ variables to be set, but it uses their values if they are set.
 @item CDPATH
 @vindex CDPATH, environment variable
 Used by the @code{cd} command to search for the directory you specify,
-when you specify a relative directory name.
+when you specify a relative directory,
 @item DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
 @vindex DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS, environment variable
 Used by D-Bus when Emacs is compiled with it.  Usually, there is no
diff --git a/doc/emacs/custom.texi b/doc/emacs/custom.texi
index 824fb6ede26..3e17696342f 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/custom.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/custom.texi
@@ -587,7 +587,7 @@ too.)
 
 @vindex custom-theme-load-path
   If you want Emacs to look for Custom themes in some other directory,
-add the directory name to the list variable
+add the directory to the list variable
 @code{custom-theme-load-path}.  Its default value is
 @code{(custom-theme-directory t)}; here, the symbol
 @code{custom-theme-directory} has the special meaning of the value of
@@ -1321,7 +1321,7 @@ Each alist entry consists of a variable name and the directory-local
 value to assign to that variable, when the specified major mode is
 enabled.  Instead of a mode name, you can specify @samp{nil}, which
 means that the alist applies to any mode; or you can specify a
-subdirectory name (a string), in which case the alist applies to all
+subdirectory (a string), in which case the alist applies to all
 files in that subdirectory.
 
   Here's an example of a @file{.dir-locals.el} file:
@@ -1356,7 +1356,7 @@ Variables}.
 @findex copy-file-locals-to-dir-locals
   Instead of editing the @file{.dir-locals.el} file by hand, you can
 use the command @kbd{M-x add-dir-local-variable}.  This prompts for a
-mode or subdirectory name, and for variable and value, and adds the
+mode or subdirectory, and for variable and value, and adds the
 entry defining the directory-local variable.  @kbd{M-x
 delete-dir-local-variable} deletes an entry.  @kbd{M-x
 copy-file-locals-to-dir-locals} copies the file-local variables in the
diff --git a/doc/emacs/dired.texi b/doc/emacs/dired.texi
index c1cc2f8cf96..db5dea329b5 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/dired.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/dired.texi
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ you to operate on the listed files.  @xref{Directories}.
 @kindex C-x d
 @vindex dired-listing-switches
   To invoke Dired, type @kbd{C-x d} (@code{dired}).  This reads a
-directory name using the minibuffer, and opens a @dfn{Dired buffer}
+directory's name using the minibuffer, and opens a @dfn{Dired buffer}
 listing the files in that directory.  You can also supply a wildcard
 file name pattern as the minibuffer argument, in which case the Dired
 buffer lists all files matching that pattern.  A wildcard may appear
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ in particular, @kbd{M-n} puts the name of the visited file (if any) in
 the minibuffer (@pxref{Minibuffer History}).
 
   You can also invoke Dired by giving @kbd{C-x C-f} (@code{find-file})
-a directory name.
+a directory's name.
 
   The variable @code{dired-listing-switches} specifies the options to
 give to @command{ls} for listing the directory; this string
@@ -1433,7 +1433,7 @@ rotation is lossless, and uses an external utility called JpegTRAN.
 @kindex + @r{(Dired)}
 @findex dired-create-directory
   The command @kbd{+} (@code{dired-create-directory}) reads a
-directory name, and creates that directory.  It signals an error if
+directory's name, and creates that directory.  It signals an error if
 the directory already exists.
 
 @cindex searching multiple files via Dired
diff --git a/doc/emacs/files.texi b/doc/emacs/files.texi
index fa1f9e53165..b9bfbd72ce1 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/files.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/files.texi
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ buffer that is not visiting a file, via a command like @kbd{C-x b},
 its default directory is usually copied from the buffer that was
 current at the time (@pxref{Select Buffer}).  You can use the command
 @kbd{M-x pwd} to see the value of @code{default-directory} in the
-current buffer.  The command @kbd{M-x cd} prompts for a directory
+current buffer.  The command @kbd{M-x cd} prompts for a directory's
 name, and sets the buffer's @code{default-directory} to that directory
 (doing this does not change the buffer's file name, if any).
 
@@ -1287,7 +1287,7 @@ this, it runs the program specified by
 @code{directory-free-space-program} with arguments
 @code{directory-free-space-args}.
 
-  The command @kbd{M-x delete-directory} prompts for a directory name
+  The command @kbd{M-x delete-directory} prompts for a directory's name
 using the minibuffer, and deletes the directory if it is empty.  If
 the directory is not empty, you will be asked whether you want to
 delete it recursively.  On systems that have a ``Trash'' (or ``Recycle
@@ -1557,16 +1557,12 @@ not accept wildcard file names.
 In all these commands, if the argument @var{new} is just a directory
 name, the real new name is in that directory, with the same
 non-directory component as @var{old}.  For example, the command
-@c FIXME: '/tmp' should be '/tmp/' because '/tmp'
-@c is not "just a directory name".
-@c And actually the fact that ``directory name'' must end in a slash
-@c is not explained anywhere in this manual.  Moreover, it many times
-@c uses ``directory name'' in contexts where the string it alludes to
-@c will clearly _not_ end in a slash
-@w{@kbd{M-x rename-file @key{RET} ~/foo @key{RET} /tmp @key{RET}}}
-renames @file{~/foo} to @file{/tmp/foo}.  All these
-commands ask for confirmation when the new file name already exists,
-too.
+@w{@kbd{M-x rename-file @key{RET} ~/foo @key{RET} /tmp/ @key{RET}}}
+renames @file{~/foo} to @file{/tmp/foo}.  @xref{Directory Names,,,
+elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
+
+All these commands ask for confirmation when the new file name already
+exists.
 
 @findex copy-file
 @cindex copying files
@@ -1976,7 +1972,7 @@ them all.
 @item M-x file-cache-add-directory-list @key{RET} @var{variable} @key{RET}
 Add each file name in each directory listed in @var{variable} to the
 file name cache.  @var{variable} should be a Lisp variable whose value
-is a list of directory names, like @code{load-path}.
+is a list of directories, like @code{load-path}.
 @item M-x file-cache-clear-cache @key{RET}
 Clear the cache; that is, remove all file names from it.
 @end table
diff --git a/doc/emacs/frames.texi b/doc/emacs/frames.texi
index ee33a6848c5..b168effb3a0 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/frames.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/frames.texi
@@ -836,8 +836,8 @@ associate the speedbar with a different frame, dismiss it and call
   The speedbar can operate in various modes.  Its default mode is
 @dfn{File Display} mode, which shows the files in the current
 directory of the selected window of the attached frame, one file per
-line.  Clicking on a file name visits that file in the selected window
-of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory name shows that
+line.  Clicking on a non-directory visits that file in the selected window
+of the attached frame, and clicking on a directory shows that
 directory in the speedbar (@pxref{Mouse References}).  Each line also
 has a box, @samp{[+]} or @samp{<+>}, that you can click on to
 @dfn{expand} the contents of that item.  Expanding a directory adds
diff --git a/doc/emacs/glossary.texi b/doc/emacs/glossary.texi
index 41899e6152f..82e7394501b 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/glossary.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/glossary.texi
@@ -405,6 +405,14 @@ A directory local variable is a local variable (q.v.@:) that applies
 to all the files within a certain directory.  @xref{Directory
 Variables}.
 
+@item Directory Name
+On GNU and other Unix-like systems, directory names are strings that
+end in @samp{/}.  For example, @file{/no-such-dir/} is a directory
+name whereas @file{/tmp} is not, even though @file{/tmp} names a file
+that happens to be a directory.  On MS-DOS the relationship is more
+complicated.  @xref{Directory Names,,, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference
+Manual}.
+
 @item Dired
 Dired is the Emacs facility that displays the contents of a file
 directory and allows you to ``edit the directory'', performing
@@ -1197,7 +1205,7 @@ string or the next match for a specified regular expression.
 @xref{Search}.
 
 @item Search Path
-A search path is a list of directory names, to be used for searching for
+A search path is a list of directories, to be used for searching for
 files for certain purposes.  For example, the variable @code{load-path}
 holds a search path for finding Lisp library files.  @xref{Lisp Libraries}.
 
diff --git a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
index 431ef35ac7f..6a592e2d51a 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/maintaining.texi
@@ -1125,7 +1125,7 @@ it is used to specify multi-file VC filesets for commands like
 @kindex C-x v d
 @findex vc-dir
   To use the VC Directory buffer, type @kbd{C-x v d} (@code{vc-dir}).
-This reads a directory name using the minibuffer, and switches to a VC
+This reads a directory's name using the minibuffer, and switches to a VC
 Directory buffer for that directory.  By default, the buffer is named
 @file{*vc-dir*}.  Its contents are described
 @iftex
diff --git a/doc/emacs/misc.texi b/doc/emacs/misc.texi
index 7602fbb7454..6ad5fbafdd6 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/misc.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/misc.texi
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ available.
 (either in the @var{cmd} argument to one of the above commands, or in
 other contexts), Emacs searches for the program in the directories
 specified by the variable @code{exec-path}.  The value of this
-variable must be a list of directory names; the default value is
+variable must be a list of directories; the default value is
 initialized from the environment variable @env{PATH} when Emacs is
 started (@pxref{General Variables}).
 
@@ -2815,7 +2815,7 @@ Find @var{filename}, guessing a default from text around point
 @code{ffap-alternate-file}, analogous to @code{find-alternate-file}.
 @item C-x d @var{directory} @key{RET}
 @kindex C-x d @r{(FFAP)}
-Start Dired on @var{directory}, defaulting to the directory name at
+Start Dired on @var{directory}, defaulting to the directory at
 point (@code{dired-at-point}).
 @item C-x C-d
 @code{ffap-list-directory}, analogous to @code{list-directory}.
diff --git a/doc/emacs/msdos-xtra.texi b/doc/emacs/msdos-xtra.texi
index 0d98dc81c1e..03250447bbf 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/msdos-xtra.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/msdos-xtra.texi
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ the home directory, as you would on GNU or Unix.  You can also set
 @env{HOME} variable in the environment before starting Emacs; its
 value will then override the above default behavior.
 
-  Emacs on MS-DOS handles the directory name @file{/dev} specially,
+  Emacs on MS-DOS handles the name @file{/dev} specially,
 because of a feature in the emulator libraries of DJGPP that pretends
 I/O devices have names in that directory.  We recommend that you avoid
 using an actual directory named @file{/dev} on any disk.
diff --git a/doc/emacs/package.texi b/doc/emacs/package.texi
index ecc955d3efe..215f50cb406 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/package.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/package.texi
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ variable @code{package-archives}, whose value is a list of package
 archives known to Emacs.  Each list element must have the form
 @code{(@var{id} . @var{location})}, where @var{id} is the name of a
 package archive and @var{location} is the @acronym{HTTP} address or
-directory name of the package archive.  You can alter this list if you
+name of the package archive directory.  You can alter this list if you
 wish to use third party package archives---but do so at your own risk,
 and use only third parties that you think you can trust!
 
diff --git a/doc/emacs/text.texi b/doc/emacs/text.texi
index d1e451175ed..ab401c73362 100644
--- a/doc/emacs/text.texi
+++ b/doc/emacs/text.texi
@@ -1726,8 +1726,8 @@ C-p} (@code{tex-print}) to print a hardcopy of the output file.
   By default, @kbd{C-c C-b} runs @TeX{} in the current directory.  The
 output of @TeX{} also goes in this directory.  To run @TeX{} in a
 different directory, change the variable @code{tex-directory} to the
-desired directory name.  If your environment variable @env{TEXINPUTS}
-contains relative directory names, or if your files contains
+the desired directory.  If your environment variable @env{TEXINPUTS}
+contains relative names, or if your files contains
 @samp{\input} commands with relative file names, then
 @code{tex-directory} @emph{must} be @code{"."} or you will get the
 wrong results.  Otherwise, it is safe to specify some other directory,