RE: [External] : Re: customize option/variable

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > I am running emacs-29.1 on OpenBSD.
> >
> > Anytime I type M-x customize-option, as soon as I
> > start typing it changes from customize-option to
> > customize-variable.

If your minibuffer test that you start typing,
e.g., `customize-o' changes to `customize-variable'
then I think something in your init file or code it
loads is causing that.

I don't see that with `emacs -Q' (no init file).
Do you?

On the other hand, if what you mean is that after
you type `M-x customize-option RET' you see a
_prompt_ that says this:

  Customize variable: 

That's something different.  That's a prompt for
the name of the option.  A user option in Emacs is
a _customizable_ variable, that is, a variable that
you can change using the Customize system (UI or
functions).

Presumably, the reason the prompt says "variable"
and not option is to help underline the fact that
an option is a variable.

[Personally, I think it would be better for it to
say "Customize option:", to avoid the confusion you
encountered.  If someone doesn't know what an option
is then `C-h f customize-option' should tell them.]

> > Not knowing lisp, I would appreciate some assistance in correcting this.
> 
> There's no need to correct anything: an option in Emacs is also a
> variable.  IOW, these two are synonyms.

Not really, no.  Every option is a variable, but not
every variable is an option.  Of course, the command
has "customize" in its name, so yes, in this context,
every variable name you can usefully enter has to be
an option name.