Customization list

Customization list

[Ergus]

Hi:

After some years in emacs I still have issues when creating
customization variables:

The examples in the documentation are very simple, but getting some
typical simple behaviors is a bit hard to get from them.

Suppose I have a variable:

(defcustom my-features '(feature1 feature2 feature3)
   :type ???)

This is a variable that may have a list of possible determined values,
so I was expecting to get something like this in the customization menu:

[x] feature1
[x] feature2
[x] feature3
[ ] feature4
[ ] feature5

So, when the user adds or removes one of the choices, the variable gets
a final value associated.

I was trying to use different combination of choice, radio, set, repeat
and const, but there were some issues with each.

Is this very simple "custom menu" approach possible?

Is so, please, could you share some example (either inlined here or a
variable name existent in vanilla) with such behavior.

Thanks in advance,
Ergus

Re: Customization list

[Tassilo Horn]

Ergus <spacibba@aol.com> writes:

> Hi:
>
> After some years in emacs I still have issues when creating
> customization variables:
>
> The examples in the documentation are very simple, but getting some
> typical simple behaviors is a bit hard to get from them.
>
> Suppose I have a variable:
>
> (defcustom my-features '(feature1 feature2 feature3)
>   :type ???)
>
> This is a variable that may have a list of possible determined values,
> so I was expecting to get something like this in the customization menu:
>
> [x] feature1
> [x] feature2
> [x] feature3
> [ ] feature4
> [ ] feature5

Hm, the checkboxiest I can get is

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(defcustom th/foo nil
  "My docstring."
  :type '(alist :key-type symbol
                :value-type boolean
                :options (feature1 feature2 feature3)))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

which looks like

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Hide Th Foo:
Alist:
[X] Key: feature1
    Boolean: Toggle  on (non-nil)
[ ] Key: feature2
    Boolean: Toggle  off (nil)
[X] Key: feature3
    Boolean: Toggle  on (non-nil)
INS
    State : EDITED, shown value does not take effect until you set or save it.
   My docstring.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

but then the value looks like

  ((feature1 . t) (feature3 . t))

and you must both activate each feature and toggle its value to t
(non-nil) but that might be good enough.

I think what you actually want is an extension to repeat with :options,
e.g., (repeat symbol :options (feature1 feature2 feature3)).

Another way would be:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(defcustom th/foo nil
  "My docstring."
  :type '(repeat (choice (const feature1)
                         (const feature2)
                         (const feature3))))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

which looks like

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Hide Th Foo:
Repeat:
INS DEL Choice: Value Menu feature1
INS DEL Choice: Value Menu feature3
INS
    State : SET for current session only.
   My docstring.
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

and given the wanted value: (feature1 feature3).  Of course, then you
are allowed to specify each feature many times...

Bye,
  Tassilo

Re: Customization list

[Ergus]

Hi Tassilo:

On Fri, Jul 12, 2024 at 01:47:08PM GMT, Tassilo Horn wrote:
>Ergus <spacibba@aol.com> writes:
>
>> Hi:
>>
>> After some years in emacs I still have issues when creating
>> customization variables:
>>
>> The examples in the documentation are very simple, but getting some
>> typical simple behaviors is a bit hard to get from them.
>>
>> Suppose I have a variable:
>>
>> (defcustom my-features '(feature1 feature2 feature3)
>>   :type ???)
>>
>> This is a variable that may have a list of possible determined values,
>> so I was expecting to get something like this in the customization menu:
>>
>> [x] feature1
>> [x] feature2
>> [x] feature3
>> [ ] feature4
>> [ ] feature5
>
>Hm, the checkboxiest I can get is
>
>--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>(defcustom th/foo nil
>  "My docstring."
>  :type '(alist :key-type symbol
>                :value-type boolean
>                :options (feature1 feature2 feature3)))
>--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
>which looks like
>
>--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>Hide Th Foo:
>Alist:
>[X] Key: feature1
>    Boolean: Toggle  on (non-nil)
>[ ] Key: feature2
>    Boolean: Toggle  off (nil)
>[X] Key: feature3
>    Boolean: Toggle  on (non-nil)
>INS
>    State : EDITED, shown value does not take effect until you set or save it.
>   My docstring.
>--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
>but then the value looks like
>
>  ((feature1 . t) (feature3 . t))
>
>and you must both activate each feature and toggle its value to t
>(non-nil) but that might be good enough.
>
Indeed, this may work. I am a bit surprised that such simple and useful
thing requires such extra work and doesn't exist already. Also I am not
a big fan of alists, but as you said, this may be good enough, or at
least what we have and have to live with.

The idea of having '(feature1 feature2 feature3) was to simplify also
the manual configuration in the init.el, make it intuitive, simpler to
explain in the doc, but also easier to write and undertsand than an
alist. Also simpler to use in the code with a simple memq.

Hopefully there is something already set that could produce my desired
effect.

Actually I saw that there is the tab-bar-select-tab-modifiers which
looks like what I want, but the code uses a set and a
custom-initialize-default and a lambda in the :set key

Hopefully Juri will comment something ;)

Very thanks in advance,
Ergus

>I think what you actually want is an extension to repeat with :options,
>e.g., (repeat symbol :options (feature1 feature2 feature3)).
>
>Another way would be:
>
>--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>(defcustom th/foo nil
>  "My docstring."
>  :type '(repeat (choice (const feature1)
>                         (const feature2)
>                         (const feature3))))
>--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
>which looks like
>
>--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>Hide Th Foo:
>Repeat:
>INS DEL Choice: Value Menu feature1
>INS DEL Choice: Value Menu feature3
>INS
>    State : SET for current session only.
>   My docstring.
>--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
>and given the wanted value: (feature1 feature3).  Of course, then you
>are allowed to specify each feature many times...
>
>Bye,
>  Tassilo
>

Re: Customization list

[Joost Kremers]

On Fri, Jul 12 2024, Ergus wrote:
>>> Suppose I have a variable:
>>>
>>> (defcustom my-features '(feature1 feature2 feature3)
>>>   :type ???)
>>>
>>> This is a variable that may have a list of possible determined values,
>>> so I was expecting to get something like this in the customization menu:
>>>
>>> [x] feature1
>>> [x] feature2
>>> [x] feature3
>>> [ ] feature4
>>> [ ] feature5

Hmm, looks like what you're after is the 'set' type. An example from one of my
packages:

```
(defcustom writeroom-global-effects '(writeroom-set-fullscreen
                                      writeroom-set-alpha
                                      writeroom-set-menu-bar-lines
                                      writeroom-set-tool-bar-lines
                                      writeroom-set-vertical-scroll-bars
                                      writeroom-set-bottom-divider-width)
  "List of global effects for `writeroom-mode'.
These effects are enabled when `writeroom-mode' is activated in
the first buffer and disabled when it is deactivated in the last
buffer."
  :group 'writeroom
  :type '(set (const :tag "Fullscreen" writeroom-set-fullscreen)
              (const :tag "Disable transparency" writeroom-set-alpha)
              (const :tag "Disable menu bar" writeroom-set-menu-bar-lines)
              (const :tag "Disable tool bar" writeroom-set-tool-bar-lines)
              (const :tag "Disable scroll bar" writeroom-set-vertical-scroll-bars)
              (const :tag "Enable bottom window divider" writeroom-set-bottom-divider-width)
              (const :tag "Add border" writeroom-set-internal-border-width)
              (const :tag "Display frame on all workspaces" writeroom-set-sticky)
              (repeat :inline t :tag "Custom effects" function)))
```

(See <https://github.com/joostkremers/writeroom-mode>.)

In the Customisation buffer, you'll get this:

```
Hide Writeroom Global Effects:
Set:
[ ] Fullscreen
[X] Disable transparency
[X] Disable menu bar
[X] Disable tool bar
[X] Disable scroll bar
[X] Enable bottom window divider
[ ] Add border
[ ] Display frame on all workspaces
[ ] Custom effects:
    INS
    State : CHANGED outside Customize.
   List of global effects for ‘writeroom-mode’. Hide
   These effects are enabled when ‘writeroom-mode’ is activated in
   the first buffer and disabled when it is deactivated in the last
   buffer.
Groups: Writeroom
```

You can tick each box to in/exclude the option, and you can tick the final box
to add custom options. Each option corresponds to a symbol that is added to or
removed from the list.

HTH

-- 
Joost Kremers
Life has its moments