GNU bug report logs - #3615
23.0.94; (elisp)Local Variables: xrefs to nodes for buffer-local and frame-local vars

Previous Next

Full log

View this message in rfc822 format

From: Juanma Barranquero <lekktu <at> gmail.com>
To: rms <at> gnu.org
Cc: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>, 3615 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#3615: 23.0.94; (elisp)Local Variables: xrefs to nodes for buffer-local and frame-local vars
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:57:54 +0200

> Why deprecate frame-local variables?

There's a long thread in emacs-devel, titled "frame-local variables
weirdness", started on 2006-12-05. After many exchanges, you said:

"When frame-local variables were first implemented, there was no other
way to put frame-specific data in the mode line.  But now there is,
with :eval.

Since they are hardly used, and the original motive for them
no longer applies, we may as well delete the feature.

Would you like to do that?"

and Stefan answered:

"Sure.  I currently just marked it obsolete in the 22 branch (with a note in
NEWS), see patch below.  I'll change the pieces of code which make use of
that feature on the trunk.  If anybody wants to help out: feel free."

and then you said:

"I will delete them from the Lisp manual."

Basically, they are a source of subtle, obscure bugs; they do not
provide (almost) anything that cannot be done with
(set-)?frame-parameter, and after ten years or so of its
implementation they had all of four uses in the sources, all of them
trivial and trivially changed.

    Juanma

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.