GNU bug report logs - #21695
25.0.50; Change most occurrences of `setq' in Emacs manual to `customize-set-variable'

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From: Augusto Stoffel <arstoffel <at> gmail.com>
To: Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org>
Cc: ke.vigouroux <at> laposte.net, 21695 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, larsi <at> gnus.org, Drew Adams <drew.adams <at> oracle.com>
Subject: bug#21695: 25.0.50; Change most occurrences of `setq' in Emacs manual to `customize-set-variable'? Really?
Date: Wed, 01 Sep 2021 14:48:55 +0200

On Mon, 30 Aug 2021 at 23:06, Richard Stallman <rms <at> gnu.org> wrote:

> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
>
> There are a few customization options that are not really variables
> and need to be set with `customize-set-variable'.
>
> However, the rest of them are variables and normally set with `setq'
> and friends.
>
> Telling users to set them all with `customize-set-variable' will be a
> significant hassle.  What's more, users will disregard this instruction.
> `setq' is easy to remember and we all know it.
>
> Having a recommendation in the manual which users will generally
> reject is in itself a problem.
>
> I think we should address this some other way.  Here are some ideas.
>
> * indicate the few customization options
>    which are not really variables.
> * tell people how to check whether
>    a customization options is really a variable.
> * warn about setq for a customization option that isn't really a variable.

I have encountered one pitfall with setq in my init files, but it has
nothing to do with customize.

Namely, if a variable is marked to automatically become buffer-local
when set, then setq will only set it in the temporary buffer where
init.el is evaluated.

Maybe calling setq during init time on automatically buffer-local
variables should generate a warning.

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