From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Andries Brouwer Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: cc-mode adds newlines Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2004 14:54:48 +0100 Message-ID: <20041121135448.GM20436@apps.cwi.nl> References: <20041119231343.GA19603@apps.cwi.nl> <20041121020850.GA20436@apps.cwi.nl> <20041121113801.GC20436@apps.cwi.nl> <20041121130022.GH20436@apps.cwi.nl> <20041121133511.GK20436@apps.cwi.nl> NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1101045321 4001 80.91.229.6 (21 Nov 2004 13:55:21 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:55:21 +0000 (UTC) Cc: Andries Brouwer , emacs-devel@gnu.org, Jari Aalto , Alan Mackenzie , snogglethorpe@gmail.com, miles@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sun Nov 21 14:55:10 2004 Return-path: Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by deer.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1CVsBK-0007jc-00 for ; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 14:55:10 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.33) id 1CVsKK-0000Qw-AV for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 09:04:28 -0500 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.33) id 1CVsKA-0000Nx-1C for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 09:04:18 -0500 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.33) id 1CVsK8-0000NA-TR for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 09:04:17 -0500 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.33) id 1CVsK8-0000N6-Mf for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 09:04:16 -0500 Original-Received: from [192.16.191.8] (helo=hera.cwi.nl) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.34) id 1CVsB6-0002YU-7v; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 08:54:56 -0500 Original-Received: from apps.cwi.nl (apps.cwi.nl [192.16.191.34]) by hera.cwi.nl with ESMTP id iALDsmxh009678 for ; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 14:54:53 +0100 (MET) Original-Received: (from aeb@localhost) by apps.cwi.nl (8.11.7p1+Sun/8.12.2) id iALDsme17392; Sun, 21 Nov 2004 14:54:48 +0100 (MET) Original-To: David Kastrup Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4i X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:30172 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel:30172 On Sun, Nov 21, 2004 at 02:41:24PM +0100, David Kastrup wrote: > > I do not think so. Most likely they are sorry that this happened. > > Variables are not introduced by accident. This is a side discussion, but let me answer once. Variables are often introduced out of ignorance. (Not the pejorative ignorance but the lack-of-information ignorance.) There is a certain behaviour, and it gets complaints. Now what? Shall we change it? But it could be that someone depends on it. Let us introduce an additional variable so that people can select both old and new behaviour. This procedure happens all the time. In many cases there is no evidence that there actually exist people who want the old behaviour. But introducing an additional choice is not an unconditional improvement. Each variable makes the system more complicated, and therefore more difficult to use. That is, each new variable makes the system a bit worse. New variables should be introduced only when they offer an important new choice. Andries