Re: Customize Rogue

[Juanma Barranquero]

On Mon, 10 Mar 2003 15:43:23 +0100, Per Abrahamsen <address@hidden> wrote:

> That would be an a very bad idea

Obviously I don't agree.

I think our difference about custom is philosophical. To me, customize
should be *only* an easy-to-use interface to setting Emacs variables,
modes, etc. In that light, getting a message that says "Value changed
outside of customize buffer" is only meaningful if meant to indicate a
posible problem (for example, that I did set a variable instead of
running the corresponding minor-mode function, as you point out
elsewhere). If I see the message and take the pain to do (custom-setq
var value), I certainly *expect* for custom to be silent from now on,
because I'm "going through it", even if not interactively. There's
*nothing* special in using the interactive, forms-like interface, other
than the fact that it is easier for some people. As it stands now, if I
set up a variable in my .emacs and then do a M-x customize-variable I
get a vague feeling that I'm somehow "doing something wrong"... :)

> Not if it is the only variable in Emacs for which your example makes
> sense. 

My example has nothing to do with the reason why
inhibit-startup-echo-area-message needs to be customized; instead, it has
all to do with the fact that I want the "right" to make customize
believe that I did M-x customize, even if I didn't.

> There is always, modulo bugs, a specific function you need to call
> instead.

I'm not so sure. I'd say (but I've not checked it) that there are
special :set functions that are lambdas and not functions, because
they're intended to make data self-consistent or whatever. Even if in
Emacs proper is not so, what precludes a module writer out there to make
defcustoms that set/reset other defcustoms when set (like, for example,
if emulating a radio-button interface of a GUI)...?

> However, set-activate will relieve you of the problem of
> finding it (fixing the doc-string to mention the function would also
> be a good idea).

I like it (with another name). But I would also make it set 'saved-value
or whatever. If it does not, I supose I'll have to defadvice it in my
.emacs or write an alternative.

                                                           /L/e/k/t/u