File local variable name containing ':'

[Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk>]

I think it isn't possible to use a Local Variables line to set the value
of a variable whose name contains a colon . E.g. something like

# Local Variables:
# var:name: value
# End:

doesn't work because of the colon in var:name.

Assuming I'm not overlooking an easy workaround, it seems that one
possible fix would be to recognise the separator character on-the-fly as
the character following the word "Variables". For what it's worth, I did
have a go at making that change (below). Could this behaviour be changed
or is this a limitation that's here to stay?

Dan

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
diff --git a/lisp/files.el b/lisp/files.el
index 3d9dd90..68ba1f0 100644
--- a/lisp/files.el
+++ b/lisp/files.el
@@ -3053,7 +3053,7 @@ If MODE-ONLY is non-nil, all we do is check whether the major mode
 is specified, returning t if it is specified."
   (let ((enable-local-variables
 	 (and local-enable-local-variables enable-local-variables))
-	result)
+	result separator)
     (unless mode-only
       (setq file-local-variables-alist nil)
       (report-errors "Directory-local variables error: %s"
@@ -3066,10 +3066,11 @@ is specified, returning t if it is specified."
 	(search-backward "\n\^L" (max (- (point-max) 3000) (point-min))
 			 'move)
 	(when (let ((case-fold-search t))
-		(search-forward "Local Variables:" nil t))
+		(re-search-forward "Local Variables\\([^ \t\n]\\)" nil t))
+	  (setq separator (match-string 1))
 	  (skip-chars-forward " \t")
-	  ;; suffix is what comes after "local variables:" in its line.
-	  ;; prefix is what comes before "local variables:" in its line.
+	  ;; suffix is what comes after "local variables<SEPARATOR>" in its line.
+	  ;; prefix is what comes before "local variables<SEPARATOR>" in its line.
 	  (let ((suffix
 		 (concat
 		  (regexp-quote (buffer-substring (point)
@@ -3088,7 +3089,7 @@ is specified, returning t if it is specified."
 	      (save-excursion
 		(unless (let ((case-fold-search t))
 			  (re-search-forward
-			   (concat prefix "[ \t]*End:[ \t]*" suffix)
+			   (concat prefix "[ \t]*End" separator "[ \t]*" suffix)
 			   nil t))
                   ;; This used to be an error, but really all it means is
                   ;; that this may simply not be a local-variables section,
@@ -3118,15 +3119,15 @@ is specified, returning t if it is specified."
 		  ;; Find the variable name; strip whitespace.
 		  (skip-chars-forward " \t")
 		  (setq beg (point))
-		  (skip-chars-forward "^:\n")
-		  (if (eolp) (error "Missing colon in local variables entry"))
+		  (skip-chars-forward (concat "^\n" separator))
+		  (if (eolp) (error "Missing separator character in local variables entry"))
 		  (skip-chars-backward " \t")
 		  (let* ((str (buffer-substring beg (point)))
 			 (var (let ((read-circle nil))
 				(read str)))
 			 val)
 		    ;; Read the variable value.
-		    (skip-chars-forward "^:")
+		    (skip-chars-forward (concat "^" separator))
 		    (forward-char 1)
 		    (let ((read-circle nil))
 		      (setq val (read (current-buffer))))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---