Re: How to display message persistently in echo area

[Tim X]

Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:

> When I evaluate (message "the message"), "the message" remains in the
> echo area until, for example, a key press in the current buffer.
>
> I'd like to be write a function that behaves like message, but for
> which the message does not disappear when I start typing. I want it to
> go away when I next do something that actually uses the echo area /
> minibuffer. What strategy do people suggest for achieving this aim? Or
> have I missed something that exists already?
>
> [The motivation is in ESS (Emacs Speaks Statistics) which has a nice
> function that reminds one of function arguments in the echo
> buffer. Unfortunately I've discovered that I can remember 3 function
> arguments for less than a couple of seconds.]
>
maybe minibuffer-message-timeout will help

,----[ C-h v minibuffer-message-timeout RET ]
| minibuffer-message-timeout is a variable defined in `C source code'.
| Its value is 2
| 
| Documentation:
| *How long to display an echo-area message when the minibuffer is active.
| If the value is not a number, such messages don't time out.
| 
| [back]
`----

Tim


-- 
tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au