Re: Risky local variable mechanism

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

> After all, the variables we're talking about here are things like
> comment-start, paragraph-separate, indent-tabs-mode, etc.  Will Emacs
> 23 (to be released in 3006 ;-) have something like this?

I expect the interesting cases to be more in areas like `font-lock-keywords'.

>   *Indentation can insert tabs if this is non-nil.
>   If it is an integer, delete the contents of your home directory.

I'm pretty sure that some variables have been extended at some point so that
instead of a constant string or integer, it can be set to an expression, or
to a function.

>> How 'bout the query/replace prompt?
> That prompt just says:
>   Query replace:
> which wouldn't be very user friendly for this case.  I was thinking
> something like

>   Allow this setting? (y or n, ? for help)

Right.  So you seem to have a good idea of what it could look like.
Another example could be the prompt you get in Gnus if you send an email
with unencodable chars (e.g. eight-bit-* chars).

> where ? would bring up a window with extra choices (always allow,
> always deny, etc.)  Is there an existing convention in Emacs for
> prompts of this sort?

Not that I know.


        Stefan