Re: lynx-dev saving-options problem : why

[Philip Webb]

990727 Leonid Pauzner explained: 
> 28-Jul-99 05:40 Philip Webb wrote:
>> the key  [  makes the same change as setting `Show Images' = `ignore'
>> & also changes the setting shown in the Options form!
>> if there's a simple key to toggle the effect
>> & there's no way to save it to disk, WHY is it in the Options list at all??
> This option (and others from "Document Layout" section) were added
> to forms options to make things obvious: they present a STATE of this option
> (hot key is only a toggle and you may easily lost an idea
> where you are when press a toggle several times during the session).

your good intentions are never in question,
but your approach hardly made things clearer to the uneducated user.
the Options Form is not intended to tell users the state of key toggles,
but to allow changes to listed options for the session or in  .lynxrc .
 
> certain items from options menu are NOT saved into .lynxrc intentionally,
> especially those under "Document Layout" section,
> they are assumed to be changed temporarily for certain page.
> Defaults are kept in  lynx.cfg , as described in on-line help.

why would anyone assume such changes are only temporary?
i use Lynx primarily to read the Canadian/international news daily
& my options & key toggles reflect various sites, eg FT or Wash'n Post,
which are predictable day-day & usually for months at a time.
users don't have to save to disk, if they don't want to,
so yours is not an adequate reason to deny that choice to those who do.
 
> this is a sensitive area.  LYNXCFG://reload/
                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ what's that?
> will save  .lynxrc  automatically, which may be a bad side effect
> if toggling layout hotkeys was made & such options are saved into .lynxrc

pending your explanation of the above, i can only comment generally
that it seems dangerous to have  .lynxrc  saved automatically ever.

> From the other hand, such options are not included in OLD options menu,
> so it would be strange to save such options for those who prefer old-style.
 
that makes no sense (if i understand):
old-stylers can't save them, as they're not in the Options Menu,
but that shouldn't stop us new-stylers saving them in the Options Form.

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