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RE: Q: text-quoting-style -- is its value a string or a symbol?


From: Drew Adams
Subject: RE: Q: text-quoting-style -- is its value a string or a symbol?
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2015 19:50:00 -0800 (PST)

> > 1. Just because you might make use of this
> >     variable in the implementation of `substitute-command-keys',
> >     that is no reason to document it here.
> 
> Where should it be documented?

In the Emacs manual, IMO.  Where, I don't know.  Perhaps
somewhere where we discuss help display, or whatever this
variable affects.

If this is truly something that programmers of Elisp need to
know, why are we telling them they can change the value by
using `setq' in their init files?  An Elisp programmer knows
how to set a variable value.  We don't make such statements
for other internal variables documentind in the Elisp manual.

But the mention of using `setq' in a users init file really
betrays the fact that this is a user setting, not a programmer
setting.  It should be a user option, IMO.

> > 2. What does this mean?
> 
> I changed that wording just now to try to clarify it a bit.
> 
> > 3. Why is this not a _user option_, instead of an internal
> >    variable?
> 
> Stefan asked that it not be a custom var; see:
> https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2015-08/msg01020.html
> 
> Seemed reasonable to me, too. Users who care about this sort of thing tend
> to be experts who don't need handholding.

1. Customize is not only about non-experts, and it is not about
   hand-holding.  It's too bad that you apparently think it is.  And
   who's to say what "users who care about this" will "tend to be"?
   This is a new feature.  They might "tend to be" anyone.

2. If we are telling users how to change the behavior, by using
   `setq' in their init files, then I think this should be a user
   option.  Whether a user is an "expert" or not is irrelevant to
   our recommending Customize for user settings.



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