On 07/02/2008, Jason Rumney <jasonr@gnu.org> wrote:

> It shouldn't be loaded on non-w32 platforms, what evidence do you have
> that it is

Just the fact that is was on my system

On non-w32, e.g. add a  to lisp/w32-vars.el :
(defcustom this-should-not-exist-on-non-w32 t
"test for w32 load issue"
:type 'boolean
:group 'killing)
, rebuild, then emacs -Q  and M-x customize-group killing =>
See attached screenshot, near bottom.


> The variable names are the same where the functionality is identical
> because lisp code that sets x-* variables should not have to do (if (eq
> system-type 'w32) w32-... x-...).

Not of immediate concern if I can just stop w32-vars.el being pulled
in on non-w32 in the first place, but:

(a) selection functionality is intrinsically not identical between w32
and x11 in the first place.

(b) Code shouldn't really be setting x- variables unless it is itself
x specific (I realise e.g. tool-bar might do so on even on non-x11,
but it probably shouldn't, that's breaking what was a perfectly good
abstraction barrier).
Having w32  use what are (or were and should be) x-win customizations
because some other code is x-win specific when it shouldn't be is tail
wagging the dog.