Re: Modifying a variable from describe-variable

[Ivan Andrus <darthandrus@gmail.com>]

On Jan 10, 2014, at 1:16 PM, Tom <adatgyujto@gmail.com> wrote:

> The other day I checked a variable with describe-variable (C-h v)
> and I wanted to do a minor change (like changing a character) in
> the value. It was a complicated variable with lots of
> sublists (e.g. font-lock-keywords), so it would have been natural
> and easy to change it on the spot in the *Help* buffer.
> 
> E.g. the user presses e (for edit) in the *Help* buffer which
> either becomes writable or a new buffer pops up with the variable
> value. The user modifies the value, presses C-c C-c and the
> modifications are applied to the variable.
> 
> It does not seem hard to implement and it would be quite
> convenient for quick experimenting with the value of some variable.
> 
> I checked the bindings (surely someone has thought of this
> before), but I didn't find an existing function to do that.


Even simpler (to implement) would be a binding to customize-variable.  Of course, it might not always work, but might be preferable to some people in the cases when it does work.

I think the hardest part would be getting it to DTRT WRT buffer local-ness and such.

-Ivan