From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Luc Teirlinck Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: `define-minor-mode' makes erroneous docstrings. Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 21:45:32 -0500 (CDT) Message-ID: <200504120245.j3C2jWQ11924@raven.dms.auburn.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1113273972 25979 80.91.229.2 (12 Apr 2005 02:46:12 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 02:46:12 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Apr 12 04:46:09 2005 Return-path: Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DLBPb-0000gb-W3 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 12 Apr 2005 04:46:00 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DLAzq-0003N6-D7 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:19:22 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1DLAyu-00033C-RM for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:18:24 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1DLAys-00032K-Q8 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:18:24 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1DLAys-000329-JV for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:18:22 -0400 Original-Received: from [131.204.53.104] (helo=manatee.dms.auburn.edu) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1DLBQj-0002Pl-Sk for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:47:10 -0400 Original-Received: from raven.dms.auburn.edu (raven.dms.auburn.edu [131.204.53.29]) by manatee.dms.auburn.edu (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id j3C2l59N015053 for ; Mon, 11 Apr 2005 21:47:06 -0500 (CDT) Original-Received: (from teirllm@localhost) by raven.dms.auburn.edu (8.11.7p1+Sun/8.11.7) id j3C2jWQ11924; Mon, 11 Apr 2005 21:45:32 -0500 (CDT) X-Authentication-Warning: raven.dms.auburn.edu: teirllm set sender to teirllm@dms.auburn.edu using -f Original-To: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:35879 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:35879 The docstrings provided by `define-minor-mode' are wrong for many minor-mode variables. They _automatically_ say that setting the variable directly has no effect. I believe that this is wrong for the majority of minor modes. For global minor modes, setting the variable buffer locally is often useful, like for column-number-mode. For local minor modes, you can enable them globally by setting the default-value of the variable. As an example here is what you get from `C-h v column-number-mode'. It is definitely wrong, you can set it directly and buffer locally. It works. column-number-mode's value is t Local in buffer *info*; global value is nil Non-nil if Column-Number mode is enabled. See the command `column-number-mode' for a description of this minor-mode. Setting this variable directly does not take effect; use either M-x customize or the function `column-number-mode'. You can customize this variable. Defined in `simple'.