[Emacs-diffs] Changes to emacs/lispref/variables.texi

[Chong Yidong]

Index: emacs/lispref/variables.texi
diff -u emacs/lispref/variables.texi:1.71 emacs/lispref/variables.texi:1.72
--- emacs/lispref/variables.texi:1.71   Mon Feb  6 11:55:10 2006
+++ emacs/lispref/variables.texi        Tue Feb 14 01:22:05 2006
@@ -1752,9 +1752,9 @@
 
 @defopt enable-local-variables
 This variable controls whether to process file local variables.  A
-value of @code{t} means process them unconditionally; @code{nil} means
-ignore them; anything else means ask the user what to do for each
-file.  The default value is @code{t}.
+value of @code{t} means to process them, querying the user if unsafe
+variables are encountered; @code{nil} means ignore them; anything else
+means to query the user for each file.  The default value is @code{t}.
 @end defopt
 
 @defun hack-local-variables &optional mode-only
@@ -1773,46 +1773,70 @@
 
   If a file local variable could specify a function that would
 be called later, or an expression that would be executed later, simply
-visiting a file could take over your Emacs.  To prevent this, Emacs
-takes care not to allow to set such file local variables.
+visiting a file could take over your Emacs.  Emacs takes several
+measures to prevent this.
 
-  For one thing, any variable whose name ends in any of
address@hidden, @samp{-frame-alist}, @samp{-function},
address@hidden safe local variable
+  When Emacs encounters a file local variable whose safety is not
+guaranteed, it asks the user whether or not to obey the file variable
+specifications.  If the user says no, Emacs ignores @emph{all} the
+file variables specified in that file.  A variable can be marked as
address@hidden by setting its @code{safe-local-variable} property.  If the
+property is @code{t}, that variable is always considered safe,
+regardless of the value assigned to it.  The
address@hidden property can also be a a function taking
+exactly one argument.  In that case, Emacs considers it safe to give
+the variable a certain value if the function returns address@hidden
+when called with that value as argument.  Many commonly-encountered
+file variables possess @code{safe-local-variable} by default,
+including @code{fill-column}, @code{fill-prefix}, and
address@hidden
+
address@hidden safe-local-variable-values
+This variable provides another way to mark variables as safe.  It is a
+list of cons cells @var{(var . val)}, where @var{var} is a variable
+name and @var{val} is a value of that variable that is safe.
+
+When Emacs asks the user whether or not to obey a set of file variable
+specifications, the user can choose to mark them as safe.  This adds
+those variable-value pairs to @code{safe-local-variable-values}, and
+saves it to the user's custom file.
address@hidden defopt
+
address@hidden safe-local-variable-p sym val
+This function returns address@hidden if it is safe to give @var{sym}
+the value @var{val}, based on the above criteria.
address@hidden defun
+
address@hidden risky local variable
+Some variables are considered @dfn{risky}.  A variable whose name ends
+in any of @samp{-command}, @samp{-frame-alist}, @samp{-function},
 @samp{-functions}, @samp{-hook}, @samp{-hooks}, @samp{-form},
 @samp{-forms}, @samp{-map}, @samp{-map-alist}, @samp{-mode-alist},
address@hidden, or @samp{-predicate} cannot be given a file local
-value.  In general, you should use such a name whenever it is
-appropriate for the variable's meaning.  The variables
address@hidden, @samp{font-lock-keywords} followed by a
-digit, and @samp{font-lock-syntactic-keywords} cannot be given file
-local values either.  These rules can be overridden by giving the
-variable's name a address@hidden @code{safe-local-variable} property.
-If one gives it a @code{safe-local-variable} property of @code{t},
-then one can give the variable any file local value.  One can also
-give any symbol, including the above, a @code{safe-local-variable}
-property that is a function taking exactly one argument.  In that
-case, giving a variable with that name a file local value is only
-allowed if the function returns address@hidden when called with that
-value as argument.
-
-  In addition, any variable whose name has a address@hidden
address@hidden property is also ignored.  So are all
-variables listed in @code{ignored-local-variables}:
address@hidden, or @samp{-predicate} is considered risky.  The
+variables @samp{font-lock-keywords}, @samp{font-lock-keywords}
+followed by a digit, and @samp{font-lock-syntactic-keywords} are also
+considered risky.  Finally, any variable whose name has a
address@hidden @code{risky-local-variable} property is considered
+risky.
+
address@hidden risky-local-variable-p sym
+This function returns address@hidden if @var{sym} is a risky variable,
+based on the above criteria.
address@hidden defun
+
+If a variable is risky, it will not be entered automatically into
address@hidden as described above.  Therefore,
+Emacs will always query before setting a risky variable, unless the
+user explicitly allows it by editing @code{safe-local-variable-values}
+via Customize.
 
 @defvar ignored-local-variables
 This variable holds a list of variables that should not be given local
 values by files.  Any value specified for one of these variables is
-ignored.
+completely ignored.
 @end defvar
 
address@hidden risky-local-variable-p sym &optional val
-If @var{val} is address@hidden, returns address@hidden if giving
address@hidden a file local value of @var{val} would be risky, for any of
-the reasons stated above.  If @var{val} is @code{nil} or omitted, only
-returns @code{nil} if @var{sym} can be safely assigned any file local
-value whatsoever.
address@hidden defun
-
   The @samp{Eval:} ``variable'' is also a potential loophole, so Emacs
 normally asks for confirmation before handling it.