Re: Reset buttons in Customize (Was: Bug, probably related to Custom Themes.)

[Richard M. Stallman]

    Richard put in the y-or-n-p message "Update buffer text to show all
    saved settings?".  The mistake is that "Reset to current" also sets
    the *current* values of the customize items to their *saved* values,
    even if they are different.

Yes, now I remember.  In our previous discussion, we decided that
these commands should not skip levels--so, for instance, a command
operating on the levels of buffer text and saved values should not
jump over the level of current settings.

I had forgotten about this, and did not see anything that clued me in.
The names did not indicate it clearly.

However, that doesn't mean it is better to change this decision.

    I've fixed that message, but I think it is better to root out the
    confusion.

It was good to fix the message, and I agree we should do something to
clarify the situation, but that doesn't mean we should change the
semantics.

    I suggest changing custom-reset-current and
    custom-reset-saved to *really* become "Show Current Value" and "Show
    Saved Value" (and custom-reset-standard to "Show Standard Value").
    That is, the buttons only change the values shown in the widgets,
    without setting them.  The user explicitly calls "Set for Current
    Session" or "Save for Future Sessions" to do what he wants, which
    reduces the risk of confusion.

This is extremely clear--for a programmer.  In our previous
discussion, we concluded that this would not be clear for
non-programmers who are starting to use Emacs.  That's why we
implemented the decision which I temporarily didn't remember.


As for simplifying the complexity the complexity caused
by having current values and saved values, perhaps that would
be easier to understand as "temporary values".  However,
now is not the time to consider such a change.