Subject: bug#36826: 26.1; request: add variable value editing feature to the *Help* buffer

From: Drew Adams <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 19:43:45 -0700 (PDT)

In addition to what Michael said, I'll add this, for
those who think Customize is not for Lispers or is
otherwise beneath them.

If you customize a list-valued option, such as
`default-frame-alist', and you use `M-x customize-option'
on it, menu `State' lets you choose `Show Saved Lisp
expression', which does what it says: replaces the `INS'
and `DEL' entries of `Parameter' and `Value' with, well
the alist as a Lisp sexp.  Edit that there, or edit it
elsewhere.

IOW, `customize-option' gives you more along the lines
of what was requested than does `customize-set-variable'.
But yes, `customize-set-variable' should at least give
you the current value using `M-n'.  Given that value,
even a complex one, you could edit it in the minibuffer.

(`set-variable' does make the current value available
as the default (`M-n') for editing.  In other respects
`customize-set-variable' is preferable to `set-variable'.)