From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Ted Zlatanov Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: An easier way to edit variables Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:22:21 -0500 Organization: =?utf-8?B?0KLQtdC+0LTQvtGAINCX0LvQsNGC0LDQvdC+0LI=?= @ Cienfuegos Message-ID: References: Reply-To: emacs-devel@gnu.org NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1421248974 26701 80.91.229.3 (14 Jan 2015 15:22:54 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 15:22:54 +0000 (UTC) To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Wed Jan 14 16:22:48 2015 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1YBPmP-000085-6m for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:22:45 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:46766 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1YBPmO-000615-Km for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:22:44 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:35909) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1YBPmL-00060t-GN for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:22:42 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1YBPmF-0007KL-0m for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:22:41 -0500 Original-Received: from plane.gmane.org ([80.91.229.3]:38469) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1YBPmE-0007KG-QJ for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 10:22:34 -0500 Original-Received: from list by plane.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1YBPmB-0008SA-Ig for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:22:31 +0100 Original-Received: from 198.0.146.153 ([198.0.146.153]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:22:31 +0100 Original-Received: from tzz by 198.0.146.153 with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:22:31 +0100 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ Mail-Followup-To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-Lines: 45 Original-X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: 198.0.146.153 X-Face: bd.DQ~'29fIs`T_%O%C\g%6jW)yi[zuz6; d4V0`@y-~$#3P_Ng{@m+e4o<4P'#(_GJQ%TT= D}[Ep*b!\e,fBZ'j_+#"Ps?s2!4H2-Y"sx" Mail-Copies-To: never User-Agent: Gnus/5.130012 (Ma Gnus v0.12) Emacs/25.0.50 (darwin) Cancel-Lock: sha1:cCk9tLdBTgKe9qNfJNRCaoEFnEY= X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: Genre and OS details not recognized. X-Received-From: 80.91.229.3 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:181254 Archived-At: On Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:53:52 +0000 (UTC) Tom wrote: T> Ted Zlatanov lifelogs.com> writes: >> >> The `describe-variable' popup already has a link to the customization >> interface but the in-place-editing would be really nice. Perhaps it >> could be implemented as an accordion-style interface (like in >> `customize-group') so it's hidden by default, yet you don't need to hit >> a link and go to a different buffer to use it. >> T> It should work for all variables, of course, not just for T> customizable variables. Perhaps, but I think it's significantly less useful to users if you just drop them into a "enter a Lisp form" interface. It could actually be harmful and lose their data. T> I think it was pressing e for edit in the Help buffer, then T> the buffer is narrowed to the variable value only (which can be a T> complex list or anything) which you can modify in place and T> then press C-c C-c to apply it to the variable and exit T> edit mode. ... T> That's why a quick edit feature in the Help buffer is useful, because T> you already see the value there, so if it's complex list T> (e.g. a font lock setting or anything) then you don't have to T> copy it etc, if you just want to change one thing in it, T> you just press e, you get the lisp value, you edit it, T> press C-c C-c and it is applied instantly. You'd need good custom editors for strings, lists, alists, plists... and a guess on which one to use... and lots of luck :) IMHO it's better to try to write customization tools that all users can use, and link to those. T> BTW, I should add that when I wrote "easier" in the subject I T> meant easier for Lisp hackers who change Lisp variables on T> a daily basis. I really think those guys are in the minority and already know about `setq` and `M-:` and so on. If you're targeting them specifically, it's not as useful as I thought. Ted