Re: [rms@gnu.org: Re: mouse cannot be used in *grep* buffer if font-lock is turned off]

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

> This sounds like a step further: font-lock without fonts, i.e. a property
> lock mode.  Actually I can't for the life of me imagine why anybody would
> not want font-locking, even vi can do it nowadays.  It adds so much
> legibility, I feel it should be on by default.  My oldish 500MHz P3 can
> handle it easily and I'm pretty sure I used without great penalty way back
> on my 100MHz box.

I tend to agree.  I think if the only reason not to turn on font-lock is
because the visual effects are annoying, then I suggest the following:

- always turn on the font-lock machinery.
- font-lock.el places face properties on the `font-lock-face' property.

M-x font-lock-mode does nothing more than

  (set (make-local-variable 'char-property-alias-alist)
       (cons '(face font-lock-face) char-property-alias-alist))


-- Stefan