Using variables to set defaults to parameters

[goncholden <goncholden@protonmail.com>]

------- Original Message -------

On Thursday, February 3rd, 2022 at 4:24 PM, Stefan Monnier via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor <help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org> wrote:

> I am currently defining a minor-mode with default parameters, but want
>
> to pass defaulted variables instead. What is the way to do this,
>
> using setq ?
>
> (define-minor-mode rich-minor-mode
>
> "Brief description" nil "" nil

Don't use this long obsolete form. Use the keyword arguments, instead:

(define-minor-mode rich-minor-mode

"Brief description"

:lighter "")

> then changed to
>
> (setq initval nil)
>
> (setq mdline-indic "")
>
> (setq other nil)

I don't know what you mean with "then changed" nor where the above code
is intended to be placed (inside the `define-minor-mode`? In some
other function?).

Stefan

Have been trying to pass the parameters with names that mean something, rather than
using

(define-minor-mode rich-minor-mode "Brief description" nil "" nil

so I would have

(define-minor-mode rich-minor-mode "Brief description" initval mdline-indic other

Where can I find some information on using the keyword arguments? I only know about the
long obsolete form.