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From: Per Abrahamsen <abraham@dina.kvl.dk>
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Subject: Re: reducing defface redundancy
Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 17:59:41 +0200
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Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> writes:

> So this is a suggestion on a way to reduce the redundancy of defface
> specs.

Please, always remember that the usability of the defface UI is far
more important than the usability of the defface Lisp interface.
defface is really a sibling to defcustom.

So when making changes to the defface, please consisder first:

1. How will these changes affect the UI?

2. Will the changes make the already far too complex UI more or less
   complex? 

3. If it make the UI more complex, is the added power really worth the
   complexity?

It is really easy to invent all kinds of smart stuff to the defface
spec at the Lisp level.  Comming up with good UI is way harder.

Actually, I think it would be far more useful to work on the UI,
determine what it needs to become simpler or more useful, and then,
afterwards, start to think about how to translate these changes to the
Lisp interface.