Re: how to find out where a variable is changed?

[Tim X <timx@nospam.dev.null>]

dkcombs@panix.com (David Combs) writes:

> In article <mailman.8136.1204386400.18990.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>,
> Peter Dyballa  <Peter_Dyballa@Web.DE> wrote:
>>
>>Am 01.03.2008 um 16:35 schrieb sunway:
>>
>>> the variable is changed outside, but where is it changed?
>>
>>~/.emacs, your personal init file? Don't you see the hyper-link to  
>>the customise interface?
>
> What hyper-link -- in one's .emacs?
>
> For me, at least, it's a new concept -- a hyper-link in a .emacs?
>
> I really don't understand what you (two) are talking about   :-(
>
>
>
> -------
>
> Separately, and a real pain for me, I've never understood just how
> to use customize.   (Edit options, yes, from way, way, back -- but
> not this "newfangled" customize thing.)
>
>
> I guess the main problem for me is that it's windows-like, in that
> you've got to traversing down in a tree, easy enough if you
> already know what's where in the tree.
>
> But without that knowledge, I'm just stuck there at the top,
> having no idea where to go down to.
>
> Like windows, you see in some book instructions to
>  
>     "foo" -->  "parties" --> "drinks" ---> ...
>
> What a pain having to have pretty-much memorized what's where.
>
> I always thought unix stuff was more flat than windows, 
> eg large (well, HUGE) numbers of commands under a /bin,
> like sec (1) man-pages, enormous, and all flat.
>
> Anyway, every other emacs-user seems happy with customize -
> maybe I could get some hints from you guys?
>
>
> Thanks!
>

Like many things in emacs and even unix, there are many ways of using
customize. 

If you just type M-x customize, you do get the big tree browser of all
customizable options/variables. However, this is not how I normally use
it. 

You can also use M-x customize-variable, M-x customize-group, M-x
customize-face. I tend to use these a lot more often. In later versions
of emacs, M-x customize-face and M-x customize-variable will also
default to something 'sensible' based on where the point is in the
buffer. When you do a C-h v, you will usually also see a "this variable
can be /customized/ " where customize is a link that will bring up the
necessary customize buffer for that variable.

It took me a long time to move to using customize as well, but now I
find it fast and useful - very useful for trying out changes as
well. While of no great help to me, it also has the advantage of
allowing people to customize emacs without having to know elisp.

Tim


-- 
tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au