RE: Getting more info on a variable in Customize buffers

["Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

       > So, it sounds like perhaps we should reconsider what
       > the aim of this
       > so-called "initial Lisp expression" is. What is the
       > need that its display is meant to satisfy?

       The idea is to allow the user to edit the *unevaluated* expression
       that is used to initialize the variable at start-up.

    That is apparently not what it does.  If you set, say,
    auto-revert-interval, which is 5 by default, to 10 and save for
    future sessions, then set it to 20 for this session only, "show
    initial Lisp expression" will show 10, not 5.

I think you mean "will show 10, not (if window-system 'x 2)".

IOW, if this was supposed to show the unevaluated defining Lisp EXPRESSION
at installment, then you are saying that it doesn't - it shows the
last-saved VALUE (as a sexp). Two differences here: 1) when it was defined
(installment vs last save), 2) uneval'd vs eval'd.

It is most useful to see:

1) The current defining Lisp sexp (not necessarily the definition at
installment time, since another library might have modified the def). The
best way to make this available is with a link to the source code - a la
`C-h v'.

2) The current value of the variable as a sexp - a la `C-h v'. This is not
the same as the last-saved value. (The last-saved value is available in the
custom file/.emacs.)

Neither of these is currently available. The "initial Lisp expression"
should be dropped in favor of these two display options.