Re: font-lock-maximum-decoration should be 2 by default?

[Jason Rumney <jasonr@gnu.org>]

"Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> Uh, where do you see ANYTHING there that supports the claim that "the" reason
> why the variable was _introduced_ in the first place was "to get snappier
> display"?

Sorry, I have to rely on memory for that.  I don't know if there is
still an archive of emacs-hackers around on the GNU machines, but it
seems that is what it will take to convince you that Eli and my memories
are correct.

To be more precise, it was introduced originally (in 1995) to allow more
processor intensive font-locking to be computed, without degrading the
default experience for users on older machines. By 1997, those older
machines were scarce enough that the default could be safely changed.

To have this suddenly become an issue in 2012 is somewhat of a surprise.

> It is clear to me that there are users, today, who want less fontification in
> some modes (I've heard from some of them).  This variable gives them a way to
> get that.

I suspect that those users would be just as well served, if not better
served due to the lack of support in many modes for font-lock levels, by
customizing the font-lock faces.