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* Re: Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation
@ 2005-02-10 17:25 Robert J. Chassell
  2005-02-10 18:25 ` David Kastrup
                   ` (2 more replies)
  0 siblings, 3 replies; 157+ messages in thread
From: Robert J. Chassell @ 2005-02-10 17:25 UTC (permalink / raw)


Customize is a can of worms.  But the worms can improve the garden if
handled rightly!

As others feared years ago, I now fear that some will come to depend
on their .emacs file being written automatically by Customize.  They
will lose or not gain an understanding of the technology.  This
applies especially to people who are not programmers and who do not
wish to become programmers.

Customize should always show what it is automatically writing, just as
menu items always show key strokes, so anyone can become more expert
and more efficient if he or she wants.

This does not force anyone to learn anything, but it makes that
learning easy.  The person faces a low hill rather than a steep
mountain.

For a single value, 

    `Set for Current Session'

should show in the value window the humanly readable version of what
is set, such as

    (custom-set-variables
     ;; ...
     '(baud-rate 38400)
     ;; ... )

which takes a minimum of four lines.  (The current interface requires
one line, but does not show the complete expression.)  This need for
extra lines is a problem that I do not think we can avoid.

The commentary should say, as it does now,

    you have set this option, but not saved it for future sessions.


For future sessions, for a single value, we should replace `Save for
Future Sessions' with the more accurate statement

    `Set and Save', 

write the four line expression in the value window, and say in the
commentary

    you have set this option and saved it in your initialization file

So you would see in your  *Customize Face: bold*  buffer

    (custom-set-faces
     ;; ...
     '(bold ((t (:background "DodgerBlue4" :foreground "PaleGreen"))))
     ;; ... )

and the same expression, with the other custimized faces, too, in your
.emacs file.

As for `All': when using the automatic writing feature for
customization, that only makes sense as both a set and a save.
Otherwise, novices might inadvertently come to think that you need to
start a new instance of Emacs to gain new customizations.

-- 
    Robert J. Chassell                         
    bob@rattlesnake.com                         GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
    http://www.rattlesnake.com                  http://www.teak.cc

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 157+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~2005-02-21  1:00 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 157+ messages (download: mbox.gz follow: Atom feed
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
     [not found] <DNEMKBNJBGPAOPIJOOICKENMCAAA.drew.adams@oracle.com>
2005-01-31  0:20 ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file should ask forconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-01-31  1:07   ` Stefan Monnier
2005-01-31  2:02     ` Miles Bader
2005-01-31  1:16   ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file should askforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-01-31  1:55     ` Miles Bader
2005-01-31  2:06     ` Drew Adams
2005-01-31 15:21     ` Per Abrahamsen
2005-01-31 17:22       ` Drew Adams
2005-01-31 21:39         ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-01-31 22:37           ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file shouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-01-31 22:59           ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file should askforconfirmation Kim F. Storm
2005-01-31 23:50             ` Stefan Monnier
2005-02-01  0:44               ` Simon Josefsson
2005-01-31 23:56             ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-01  8:56               ` Per Abrahamsen
2005-02-01 14:11                 ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-01 16:21                   ` Drew Adams
2005-02-02  7:27         ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-02 18:01           ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file shouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-02 18:46             ` Stefan Monnier
2005-02-02 19:02               ` Drew Adams
2005-02-03  2:43                 ` Miles Bader
2005-02-03  6:58                   ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-03  7:39                     ` Miles Bader
2005-02-03  9:36                       ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-03 14:46                         ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-03 15:18                           ` David Kastrup
2005-02-03 15:30                             ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-03 19:30                         ` Drew Adams
2005-02-03 19:54                           ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-03 20:05                             ` Drew Adams
2005-02-03 20:13                               ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-03 20:18                                 ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-03 20:23                                   ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-04 10:22                             ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Kim F. Storm
2005-02-07  5:32                               ` Drew Adams
2005-02-07  7:25                                 ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-07  7:34                                   ` Drew Adams
2005-02-07 17:28                                     ` Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-07 20:23                                       ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-07 20:26                                       ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-08 11:46                                         ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-07 13:45                                   ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-07 16:46                                     ` Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-07 14:15                                   ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-07 16:23                                     ` Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-07 20:22                                       ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-07 20:29                                         ` Customize buttons that changeuser'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-08 11:46                                           ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-09  8:11                                     ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-02-09 13:29                                       ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-07 15:07                                   ` Customize buttons that change user's customfiles Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-07 15:53                                     ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-09  8:11                                 ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-02-09 13:31                                   ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-09 17:27                                     ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-09 20:31                                       ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-09 21:27                                         ` Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-10 14:42                                           ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-10 15:20                                             ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-11 21:12                                             ` Customize buttons that changeuser'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-09 14:12                                   ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-09 17:17                                     ` Drew Adams
2005-02-10 18:39                                     ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-10 21:56                                       ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-11 21:13                                         ` Drew Adams
2005-02-12 14:27                                           ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-12 18:04                                             ` Drew Adams
2005-02-12 18:45                                               ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-12 21:01                                                 ` Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-12 21:21                                                   ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-12 21:28                                                     ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-12 21:42                                                       ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-13  0:17                                                         ` Customize buttons that changeuser'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-13  0:54                                                           ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-13  4:13                                                           ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-14  2:25                                                             ` Customize buttons thatchangeuser'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-13  4:32                                                           ` Customize buttons that changeuser'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-14  2:07                                                 ` Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-14  2:21                                                   ` Drew Adams
2005-02-14  3:32                                                   ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-12 19:03                                               ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-12 19:21                                               ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-12 20:09                                               ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-12  8:37                                         ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-12  9:14                                           ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-12 11:48                                           ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-12 14:58                                             ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-07 20:51                           ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-02-08 20:37                             ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-15  6:18                         ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-02-15  7:05                           ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-16  9:32                             ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-16 13:07                               ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-16 14:44                                 ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-16 17:14                                   ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-16 23:07                                     ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-15 17:51                           ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-15 18:33                             ` Drew Adams
2005-02-15 19:14                               ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Lennart Borgman
2005-02-15 19:51                                 ` Drew Adams
2005-02-16  7:25                                   ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-17 10:34                             ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-02-15 23:20                           ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-16  0:03                             ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-16  0:56                               ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-17 10:35                             ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-17 12:44                               ` Kim F. Storm
     [not found]                                 ` <003e01c51506$35ecb6e0$0200a8c0@sedrcw11488>
     [not found]                                   ` <m3oeejyxd6.fsf@kfs-l.imdomain.dk>
2005-02-17 17:27                                     ` David Kastrup
2005-02-17 18:32                                     ` Drew Adams
2005-02-17 20:33                                       ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-17 23:06                                         ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-17 22:57                                 ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-18  8:23                                   ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-18 13:54                                     ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-18 14:12                                     ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-18 14:56                                       ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-18 22:59                                         ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-18 23:29                                           ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-18 23:45                                             ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-19  1:16                                               ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-19  1:28                                               ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-19  3:10                                               ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-19 21:32                                                 ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-19 20:55                                           ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-19 21:24                                           ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-20  2:31                                             ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-19 20:54                                         ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-20  8:52                                           ` Lennart Borgman
2005-02-20 17:09                                             ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-20 19:24                                               ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-20 20:18                                                 ` David Kastrup
2005-02-20 20:46                                                   ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-21  1:00                                                 ` Drew Adams
2005-02-20 17:17                                             ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-19  9:44                                       ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-19 15:42                                         ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-19  9:44                                     ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-17 18:34                               ` Drew Adams
2005-02-18 14:13                                 ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-18 15:17                                   ` Customize buttons that change user's customfileshouldaskforconfirmation Drew Adams
2005-02-19  3:51                                     ` Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-16  0:37                           ` Customize buttons that change user's custom fileshouldaskforconfirmation Luc Teirlinck
2005-02-17 10:35                             ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-03 19:13                 ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file shouldaskforconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-02-01 13:30     ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file should askforconfirmation Richard Stallman
2005-01-31  1:22   ` Customize buttons that change user's custom file should ask forconfirmation Miles Bader
2005-02-01 13:30     ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-10 17:25 Customize buttons that change user'scustomfileshouldaskforconfirmation Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-10 18:25 ` David Kastrup
2005-02-10 19:01 ` Stefan Monnier
2005-02-10 22:49   ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-10 21:39 ` Kim F. Storm
2005-02-10 23:45   ` Robert J. Chassell
2005-02-11  0:54     ` David Kastrup
2005-02-12  8:38       ` Richard Stallman
2005-02-12 18:20     ` Drew Adams

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