Re: Visual cleanup for customize buffers

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

storm@cua.dk (Kim F. Storm) writes:

> Luc Teirlinck <teirllm@dms.auburn.edu> writes:
>
>> Kim Storm wrote:
>>
>>    - click on  whole buffer "Save for Future Sessions" button
>>
>>       => saves the unset options, but NOT the changed face!!
>>
>> That is because you hid it, as I explained.
>
> Ok, so I looked in the manual -- which states:
>
>    If you see `[Show Value]' instead of `[Hide Value]', it means that
>    the value is hidden; the customization buffer initially hides
>    values that take up several lines.  Invoke `[Show Value]' to show
>    the value.
>
> Sounds pretty harmless to me ... but (much later), it states:
>
>    Near the top of the customization buffer there are two lines of
>    buttons:
>     ...
>    Each of the other buttons performs an operation--set, save or
>    reset--on each of the settings in the buffer that could
>    meaningfully be set, saved or reset.  They do not operate on
>    settings whose values are hidden, nor on subgroups not visible in
>    the buffer.
>
> Ok, I never really noticed that last sentence...  

Actually, I think this behavior might have some usefulness as a quirk,
it is too incoherent to be a feature.

a) to be "expected" behavior, the naming would have to be something
like Access/Disregard instead of Show/Hide.  Show/hide implies that
only the visibility is concerned.

b) if the visibility affects the operation of "save settings", it
makes absolutely no sense that some options start out being shown,
others hidden.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum