command for creating local variables in files

command for creating local variables in files

[Werner LEMBERG]

Here an after-release suggestion:

  Despite the importance of local variables (and the local variables
  list) of a file, there apparently isn't a command to explitly create
  them.

  I suggest to add an interactive command `file-make-local-variable'
  which does this.  As an interface I can imagine something similar to
  AUCTeX's C-c C-e command.

Perhaps this can be put onto the TODO list.


    Werner

Re: command for creating local variables in files

[Richard Stallman]

      I suggest to add an interactive command `file-make-local-variable'
      which does this.  As an interface I can imagine something similar to
      AUCTeX's C-c C-e command.

For those of us that do not use AUCTeX,
what does that interface look like?

Re: command for creating local variables in files

[Werner LEMBERG]

>       I suggest to add an interactive command
>       `file-make-local-variable' which does this.  As an interface I
>       can imagine something similar to AUCTeX's C-c C-e command.
>
> For those of us that do not use AUCTeX, what does that interface
> look like?

If you type C-c C-e in a just created buffer foo.tex, you see the
following dialogue in the minibuffer:

  Environment type: (default document)
    <user input; after pressing	`enter' you see>
  Document class: (default article)
    <user input; after pressing `enter' you see>
  Options:
    ...

So for a file-make-local-variable command we need questions like

  Major mode: (default <the current major mode>)
    ...
  Variable:
    foo...
  Variable foo set to:
    ...

etc.


    Werner

Re: command for creating local variables in files

[Richard Stallman]

    So for a file-make-local-variable command we need questions like

      Major mode: (default <the current major mode>)
	...
      Variable:
	foo...
      Variable foo set to:
	...

You are describing a command to set up an entire local variables list.
That's not what file-make-local-variable should do.  That command
should add or alter ONE variable in the local variables list; only
one.  It can read a variable name and the value string in the usual
way with the minibuffer.

Re: command for creating local variables in files

[David Kastrup]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

>     So for a file-make-local-variable command we need questions like
>
>       Major mode: (default <the current major mode>)
> 	...
>       Variable:
> 	foo...
>       Variable foo set to:
> 	...
>
> You are describing a command to set up an entire local variables list.
> That's not what file-make-local-variable should do.  That command
> should add or alter ONE variable in the local variables list; only
> one.  It can read a variable name and the value string in the usual
> way with the minibuffer.

It might be nice if it also accepted major-mode as a variable name,
and minor mode variables, and buffer-file-coding-system and translated
them into the corresponding sequences.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum

Re: command for creating local variables in files

[Richard Stallman]

    > You are describing a command to set up an entire local variables list.
    > That's not what file-make-local-variable should do.  That command
    > should add or alter ONE variable in the local variables list; only
    > one.  It can read a variable name and the value string in the usual
    > way with the minibuffer.

    It might be nice if it also accepted major-mode as a variable name,
    and minor mode variables, and buffer-file-coding-system and translated
    them into the corresponding sequences.

Those sound like natural extensions of the basic idea.