Subject: Re: bug#2355: 23.0.60; Enabling minor-mode disables major mode

From: Juanma Barranquero <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:13:15 +0100

On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 15:23, Stefan Monnier <[email-masked]> wrote:

> IIUC there's also another
> difference: if the major mode is specified at the end, it is set after
> setting the major-mode based on the file name.

That is, indeed, what causes the difference in behavior. BTW,
lisp/doc-view.el abuses it:

 ;; Local Variables:
 ;; mode: outline-minor
 ;; End:

> It would be good to fix those discrepancies.

I don't think investing effort in fixing wrong (harmless) behavior
caused by user error is very useful...

> But it would also be good to improve the documentation so as to say
> clearly that at least one of the `mode's specified should be
> a major mode.

You seem to be implying that it is OK to use mode: to set a minor
mode. That seems to contradict the docs, at least my reading of
(emacs)"27.1 How Major Modes are Chosen" and (emacs)"57.3.4.1
Specifying File Variables".

Also, a few times has been mentioned in emacs-devel that minor modes
are intended to be set by the user, not by the file.

    Juanma