Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/utilities-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/utilities-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -N -r1.189.2.34 -r1.189.2.35
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/utilities-procs.tcl	16 Nov 2019 16:54:06 -0000	1.189.2.34
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-tcl/tcl/utilities-procs.tcl	20 Nov 2019 14:06:41 -0000	1.189.2.35
@@ -1203,11 +1203,15 @@
 }
 
 
-ad_proc -public exists_and_equal { varname value } {
+ad_proc -deprecated exists_and_equal { varname value } {
     Returns 1 if the variable name exists in the caller's environment
     and is equal to the given value.
 
+    DEPRECATED: the value provided by this proc is arguable, as it can
+    be replaced by a plain tcl oneliner.
+
     @see exists_and_not_null
+    @see plain tcl idioms
 
     @author Peter Marklund
 } {
Index: openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/list-procs.tcl
===================================================================
RCS file: /usr/local/cvsroot/openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/list-procs.tcl,v
diff -u -N -r1.94.2.3 -r1.94.2.4
--- openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/list-procs.tcl	9 Aug 2019 19:51:02 -0000	1.94.2.3
+++ openacs-4/packages/acs-templating/tcl/list-procs.tcl	20 Nov 2019 14:06:41 -0000	1.94.2.4
@@ -1691,7 +1691,7 @@
             }
             switch -- $filter_properties(type) {
                 singleval {
-                    set selected_p [exists_and_equal current_filter_value $value]
+                    set selected_p [expr {[info exists current_filter_value] && $current_filter_value eq $value}]
                 }
                 multival {
                     if { ![info exists current_filter_value] || $current_filter_value eq "" } {
@@ -1716,7 +1716,7 @@
                     foreach elm $value {
                         foreach { elm_key elm_value } [lrange $elm 0 1] {}
                         if {$elm_key eq $filter_properties(name)} {
-                            set selected_p [exists_and_equal current_filter_value $elm_value]
+                            set selected_p [expr {[info exists current_filter_value] && $current_filter_value eq $elm_value}]
                         }
                     }
                 }