From: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>
Subject: RE: facemenu-unlisted-faces
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 08:06:24 -0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <EIENLHALHGIMHGDOLMIMGEKFCJAA.drew.adams@oracle.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <878xmx9gwk.fsf@catnip.gol.com>
> IOW, the usefulness you describe for face `fixed-pitch' is an
> argument for its existence as a face, but as a *constant* face.
> Since it is specifically intended to have a constant appearance
> (its particular appearance is its raison d'etre), changing its
> appearance should somehow be discouraged or prevented.
That doesn't make the least bit of sense -- 90% of the _reason_ for
having a face like `fixed-pitch' is so that the user can change it!
In a very narrow way (see below). 99.99% of the definition of this face is
*not* intended to be changed by users or code.
There are various place in emacs that want a fixed-pitch font: by
inheriting from `fixed-pitch', there's no need for the user to customize
all those faces if he wants to change which fixed-pitch font gets used
in general; he can just customize `fixed-pitch'.
I already mentioned the advantage of inheritance from `fixed-pitch'. That's
part of the "argument for its existence as a face". The same advantage is
present, however, if you inherit from a constant face.
Anyway, you raise a good point, even if it is a nuance. Face `fixed-pitch'
is a bit different from faces such as `bold'. In the case of `fixed-pitch',
the intention is not that the face definition (and its appearance) remain
100% constant, but that it remain constant *except* for the :font-family
attribute, and for the :font-family, the intention is that only a
fixed-pitch family be allowed. IOW, you can substitute a different
fixed-pitch font family for Courier, but that's the only way you're supposed
to change the definition of `fixed-pitch'. It's intended to be a very
constant face, but there is a tiny exception.
We're far from being able to specify fine-grained constraints like that,
alas. Which do you think is more important, 1) the fact that the face is
(intended to be) essentially constant (all attributes except :font-family,
and even that is restricted), or 2) the fact that some variability is
allowed? Would you toss it in the `dired-flagged' camp or the `bold' (face)
camp - `defface' or `defconst-face'?
I'd say, given the lack of a mechanism to precisely state and control the
intention, that the best solution is to use an analog of `defconst', and to
express the particular exceptions (your nuance) in the doc string.
There is a world of difference between the intention behind `fixed-pitch'
and the intention behind `dired-flagged'. There is less difference between
face `fixed-pitch and a face such as `bold' that is intended to remain 100%
constant. `fixed-pitch' is a face whose meaning, like that of face `bold',
is based on its appearance, not on its use. Its appearance is (intended to
be) essentially constant.
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2006-07-14 15:06 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 55+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2006-07-01 23:55 facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-02 0:33 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Chong Yidong
2006-07-02 3:17 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-02 22:30 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-02 23:50 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-03 7:44 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces David Kastrup
2006-07-03 14:34 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-04 12:55 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-04 18:07 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-05 14:51 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-05 16:55 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-06 13:32 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-06 15:52 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-03 15:11 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Chong Yidong
2006-07-03 16:48 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-04 12:55 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-04 19:19 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-05 14:51 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-05 16:54 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-06 13:32 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-06 15:52 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-07 19:30 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-07 22:49 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-08 15:31 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-09 2:32 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-09 4:42 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Miles Bader
2006-07-09 5:45 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-09 11:01 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Miles Bader
2006-07-09 18:19 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-09 11:03 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Robert J. Chassell
2006-07-09 18:19 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-09 21:08 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Robert J. Chassell
2006-07-09 19:03 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-09 20:29 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-09 19:03 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-09 20:01 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-13 8:14 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Sascha Wilde
2006-07-13 10:00 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces tomas
2006-07-13 10:49 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Robert J. Chassell
2006-07-13 16:49 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-13 18:03 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Miles Bader
2006-07-13 21:30 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-14 0:19 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Miles Bader
2006-07-14 15:06 ` Drew Adams [this message]
2006-07-19 4:37 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Miles Bader
2006-07-16 6:26 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-16 17:33 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-17 16:06 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-05 14:51 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-05 16:55 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-09 14:12 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-09 18:19 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-08-06 8:10 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Drew Adams
2006-07-02 22:29 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Richard Stallman
2006-07-03 14:34 ` facemenu-unlisted-faces Chong Yidong
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