Re: Defaults for set-variable

[Juri Linkov]

> I would rather reserve C-u M-x set-variable for set any
> variable, and make a new command
>
>   M-x set-variable-buffer-local
>
> to set the buffer local value.  It would also have a C-u prefix to
> allow setting any variable.

Good!  This is consistent with other commands and convenient as well.

And perhaps like for `apropos-variable' there should be an user option
like `apropos-do-all' to set this permanently. i.e. after
(setq set-variable-do-all t) `set-variable' and `set-variable-buffer-local'
won't require a C-u prefix for setting any variable.

> However, if we _don't_ change this, I think it would make a lot
> of sense if C-u M-x set-variable changed to prompt from
> "Set variable" to "Set variable in <buffer>".

Currently for the second prompt (i.e. reading a variable value)
`set-variable' appends "buffer-locally" or "(buffer-local)".
I think it should append the same text to the first prompt too.

So after typing `M-x set-variable-buffer-local RET'
(or with the current unchanged command: `C-u M-x set-variable RET')
the prompt would be:

  Set variable buffer-locally:

and after the user enters a variable name (e.g. `indent-tabs-mode'),
for the user the second prompt will look like the first prompt
where the string "variable" is replaced with just entered variable name
and the string "to value" appended to the prompt:

  Set indent-tabs-mode buffer-locally to value:

-- 
Juri Linkov
http://www.jurta.org/emacs/