Subject: bug#18164: 24.3.92; appt-mode-line is missing a white-space (in conjunction with display-time-and-date)

From: s shaw <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2017 19:16:14 -0500

>> Glenn Morris wrote:
>> ... I could equally well say that display-time-mode-string does not have
>> space at either end.
>> It seems to be a general issue. Eg display-time-mode +
display-battery-mode
>> has the same issue.

> H. Dieter Wilhelm wrote:
> Then this is calling for a general mode-line guide-line ;-).  Everything
> textual must be followed by a whitespace.

​While not explicitly stated it is implied[1] that a minor mode's lighter
should begin with a space to prevent these issues.

> H. Dieter Wilhelm wrote:
> for the time being, I'll activate then display-time before
app-activate... :-)

Requiring one to load in a particular order or having to reformat
global-mode-string is in some ways contrary to idea behind mode line
control: don't modify mode-line-format, let it delegate the work to its
contents.

Why not just start each of these modes' string with a space?

[1]
https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Defining-Minor-Modes.html