Re: LYNX-DEV LYNX reads "off" from .lynxrc set_cursor=on

[Al Gilman]

to follow up on what Larry W. Virden, x2487 said:

> > I hesitate to get into this discussion, but I think that the current
> > behavior is just fine, and in accord with the documentation.
> > "-show_cursor" is listed as a TOGGLE.  Toggles are common, used in many
> 
> Then perhaps the best thing to do is to rename that switch to
> -toggle_show_cursor
> 
> which makes it relatively clear what is happening.

Let me try to explain the problem.

I don't think Tom should tackle this now; it would be a design
revision.

On the other hand, I do want people to understand that this use
of cascaded toggles is one of the most perplexing and risky
features of the Lynx configuration interface.

A cascade of toggles in lynx.cfg .lynxrc [are there environment
symbols?] and the command line is treacherous for the casual user
to manage.  If the end behavior changes, it takes searching all
of them to find the source of the change; and they are not in
places the casual user is going every day.

We had plenty of cases on the lynx-learners list of lynx users
who had dutifully created aliases to get the "show cursor" set
and who felt betrayed when suddenly this was turning the desired
behavior off.  I admit that that was a case where the same
command line switch symbol was changed from a "set" function to a
"toggle" function, which is yet more devious than just toggles in
general.  On the other hand, this use of toggles is not conducive
to high usability.

For the most part you can be fat, dumb and happy and use Lynx
just fine.  Except for a few points like this...

Al