Subject: bug#57003: 28.1.90; Can local variables be loaded before loading major mode?

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 07 Aug 2022 14:44:49 +0200

Ihor Radchenko <[email-masked]> writes:

> We have a variable org-startup-folded:
>
>    Non-nil means entering Org mode will switch to OVERVIEW.
>
> This variable controls the initial state of the Org buffer.
> When, non-nil, headings will be folded at the end of Org initialization.
> This folding happens inside org-mode specification and hence setting the
> variable after Org mode is loaded makes no difference.

I see.  In that case, it does seem attractive to allow file-local
variables to set the variables before running the mode.  However, as
Visuwesh points out, a major mode clears buffer-local variables, so just
setting them before running the mode won't do anything.

So I think the interface here is just a bit confused and confusing.  It
would make more sense to allow users to do these things via mode
hooks/interface functions instead of variables.