Re: help-window-select and info-lookup-symbol

[Helmut Eller <eller.helmut@gmail.com>]

* martin rudalics [2009-07-26 13:00+0200] writes:

>> I was thinking that a new function or macro would delete the
>> buffer-local variable before displaying the buffer, something like
>> with-help-window.  display-buffer would be called in the process but
>> display-buffer would know nothing about the buffer-local variable.
>
> The functions that could safely decide whether a buffer-local-variable
> shall be deleted is the "any function calling `display-buffer' but the
> help/info type ones".  It's impossible to enumerate them all because
> someone might add a new one tomorrow.

I think we aren't talking with each other.  If there is a (single)
function to initialize help buffers, let's call it display-help-buffer,
then there is exactly one function to enumerate.  The callers of
display-help-buffer don't count.

> What could be done is provide a variable `do-not-wipe-out-old-value'
> which is normally nil but the help/info type functions bind to t around
> their `display-buffer' calls.  And `display-buffer' wouldn't wipe out
> the old value if that variable is t.

display-buffer doesn't need to know what display-help-buffer does with
buffer-local variables.  Actually, display-buffer is already complicated
enough that it would be better to keep that separated.

Helmut