GNU bug report logs - #36826
26.1; request: add variable value editing feature to the *Help* buffer

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From: "Basil L. Contovounesios" <contovob <at> tcd.ie>
To: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
Cc: ndame <emacsuser <at> freemail.hu>, 36826 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#36826: 26.1; request: add variable value editing feature to the *Help* buffer
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2019 05:00:07 +0100

Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org> writes:

> ndame <emacsuser <at> freemail.hu> writes:
>
>> Bind the currently unused key 'e' to edit the variable's value, maybe
>> in a separate popup buffer if the value is complex. E.g. the user
>> presses e, the value pops up rendered in editable lisp format, the
>> user edits it in place, presses C-c C-c and the variable is set to the
>> new value.
>
> I think this sounds useful.  I'm often rooting around not quite sure
> what variable I'm looking for in the help buffers, and trying different
> values, and having a command to make this faster would be nice.  There's
> `customize-variable', but I...  just don't like it.  (And besides, not
> all variables are customisable...)

There's also M-x set-variable, which inserts the current value of the
variable when you type M-n.  Perhaps all that's needed is for
set-variable to also detect the variable described in the current *Help*
buffer, and offer it as one of the default variables to set, following
the value of variable-at-point (which is the current default).

-- 
Basil

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