Re: Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation

[Robert J. Chassell]

A better user interface for the `Customize' feature would show the
current value of a variable or face, the previous and yet earlier
values when applicable, and the value in the distribution.  The value
should not only be listed, but in the case of faces, shown as samples,
as is done now.


        Current  Previous    Yet earlier    Distribution  
         value     value        value         default     
                                               value      
          (in     (from       (from                       
          init    earlier     an even                     
          file)    init       earlier                     
                   file)       init                       
                               file)                      
                                                          
                                                          
Thus, for Mark Ring Max, the buffer among other features might show:

                                                          
        Current  Previous    Yet earlier    Distribution 
         value     value        value         default    
                                                         
           32        24           20            16       

(The `previous' and `yet earlier' entries should be blank when you
have not made previous initializations or customizations.  In this
instance the `current value' is the same as the `distribution default
value'.)

Since the Customization buffer only provides customization for some
objects, namely variables and faces, and does not even write defuns
automatically, it should be renamed the `Partial Customization
buffer'.  

This way, no one would suggest that `Customize All' in a partial
customization buffer should mean `Customize only those items that are
set in this buffer; do not Customize All'.  In particular, novices
mislearn when they come to think that a feature's range is different
than it really is.

Even when a partial customization buffer shows only variables and
faces, no hooks, defuns or keymappings, it would help both novices and
experts to show history -- that is to show the current value in one's
.emacs or other initialization file, previous values from init file
back ups, and the default or standard distribution value (which you
get from `emacs -Q'),

-- 
    Robert J. Chassell                         
    address@hidden                         GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
    http://www.rattlesnake.com                  http://www.teak.cc