custom-set-minor-mode

custom-set-minor-mode

[Luc Teirlinck]

Any non-nil value for a minor mode _variable_ is supposed to indicate
an enabled mode.  It would appear that this includes the value 0 and
negative values.  But currently, when set through Custom, such values
disable the mode.

I believe that it is definitely better to use `t' to enable a minor
mode by default through Custom than a random non-nil value like 0.
Otherwise Custom might get confused if something "simplifies" the
non-nil value to `t', as I believe `define-minor-mode' does.  On the
other hand, it is clearly documented that any non-nil value of the
variable indicates an enabled mode.

I can install the following patch, if we want to change this:

===File ~/custom.el-diff====================================
*** custom.el	05 Mar 2005 21:27:39 -0600	1.81
--- custom.el	08 Apr 2005 22:22:22 -0500	
***************
*** 841,848 ****
  this sets the local binding in that buffer instead."
    (if custom-local-buffer
        (with-current-buffer custom-local-buffer
! 	(funcall variable (or value 0)))
!     (funcall variable (or value 0))))
  
  (defun custom-quote (sexp)
    "Quote SEXP iff it is not self quoting."
--- 841,848 ----
  this sets the local binding in that buffer instead."
    (if custom-local-buffer
        (with-current-buffer custom-local-buffer
! 	(funcall variable (if value 1 0)))
!     (funcall variable (if value 1 0))))
  
  (defun custom-quote (sexp)
    "Quote SEXP iff it is not self quoting."
============================================================

Re: custom-set-minor-mode

[Richard Stallman]

    Otherwise Custom might get confused if something "simplifies" the
    non-nil value to `t', as I believe `define-minor-mode' does.  On the
    other hand, it is clearly documented that any non-nil value of the
    variable indicates an enabled mode.

Yes, any non-nil value *in the variable* should enable the mode.
So your change is clearly correct.

However, 0 as argument to the minor mode function is supposed to turn
the mode off.  Could you verify that still works right afetr your
change?  If it doesn't, another change in another place is probably
needed.

Re: custom-set-minor-mode

[Luc Teirlinck]

Richard Stallman wrote:

   However, 0 as argument to the minor mode function is supposed to turn
   the mode off.  Could you verify that still works right afetr your
   change?  If it doesn't, another change in another place is probably
   needed.

Yes, I checked that it still works correctly after my change.  I did
not change anything to minor mode functions, only to `custom-set-minor-mode'.

Sincerely,

Luc.