bug#19298: 25.0.50; `set-frame-font': non-nil FRAMES argument

bug#19298: 25.0.50; `set-frame-font': non-nil FRAMES argument

[Drew Adams]

The doc string says:

 If FRAMES is non-nil, it should be a list of frames to act upon,
 or t meaning all existing graphical frames.
 Also, if FRAMES is non-nil, alter the user's Customization settings
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 as though the font-related attributes of the `default' face had been
 "set in this session", so that the font is applied to future frames.

I don't understand why a list of frames should alter Customization
settings.

Parameter FRAMES was added for Emacs 24, and it probably hasn't gotten
much use yet.  For code to change the font for a given list of frames
and NOT ALSO screw with the user's customization settings, the code must
select each frame in turn and call `set-frame-font' with a nil FRAMES
arg.  That's silly, no?  I am coming up against this right now.

Hard to believe that there is no simple way to change the font of a
frame and NOT ALSO change custom settings without selecting that frame.

Why does that design make sense?


In GNU Emacs 25.0.50.1 (i686-pc-mingw32)
 of 2014-10-20 on LEG570
Bzr revision: 118168 rgm@gnu.org-20141020195941-icp42t8ttcnud09g
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 6.1.7601
Configured using:
 `configure --enable-checking=yes,glyphs CPPFLAGS=-DGLYPH_DEBUG=1'

bug#19298: 25.0.50; `set-frame-font': non-nil FRAMES argument

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> Parameter FRAMES was added for Emacs 24, and it probably hasn't gotten
> much use yet.  For code to change the font for a given list of frames
> and NOT ALSO screw with the user's customization settings, the code must
> select each frame in turn and call `set-frame-font' with a nil FRAMES
> arg.  That's silly, no?  I am coming up against this right now.
>
> Hard to believe that there is no simple way to change the font of a
> frame and NOT ALSO change custom settings without selecting that frame.
>
> Why does that design make sense?

I can see how it makes sense from a "where on earth do I stash this
setting, then?" implementation point, but from a user interface point it
seems very odd indeed.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

bug#19298: 25.0.50; `set-frame-font': non-nil FRAMES argument

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
> Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2016 18:24:30 +0200
> Cc: 19298@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> > Hard to believe that there is no simple way to change the font of a
> > frame and NOT ALSO change custom settings without selecting that frame.
> >
> > Why does that design make sense?
> 
> I can see how it makes sense from a "where on earth do I stash this
> setting, then?" implementation point, but from a user interface point it
> seems very odd indeed.

And I'm asking why in the world would some Lisp change the default
font of several frames, except if the user wanted that customized??
Will you Lisp programmers please keep your hands off my fonts?!

bug#19298: 25.0.50; `set-frame-font': non-nil FRAMES argument

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> The doc string says:
>
>  If FRAMES is non-nil, it should be a list of frames to act upon,
>  or t meaning all existing graphical frames.
>  Also, if FRAMES is non-nil, alter the user's Customization settings
>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>  as though the font-related attributes of the `default' face had been
>  "set in this session", so that the font is applied to future frames.
>
> I don't understand why a list of frames should alter Customization
> settings.

I've now added a parameter to allow inhibiting this (as I guess it's too
late to change the interface otherwise after all these years) to Emacs
28.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

bug#19298: 25.0.50; `set-frame-font': non-nil FRAMES argument

[Drew Adams]

> > > Hard to believe that there is no simple way to change the font of a
> > > frame and NOT ALSO change custom settings without selecting that frame.
> > >
> > > Why does that design make sense?
> >
> > I can see how it makes sense from a "where on earth do I stash this
> > setting, then?" implementation point, but from a user interface point it
> > seems very odd indeed.
> 
> And I'm asking why in the world would some Lisp change the default
> font of several frames, except if the user wanted that customized??
> Will you Lisp programmers please keep your hands off my fonts?!

Not all Lisp code is used behind a user's back against
her will.  A user can want to use a command that does
exactly that.  If so, that's the user's choice.