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

From: Ihor Radchenko <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2022 20:30:41 +0800

Lars Ingebrigtsen <[email-masked]> writes:

>> 3. org-startup-folded is just an example. We have numerous variables
>>    like this. I can recall at least several dozens without looking into
>>    source code. Creating a minor mode for each and every single possible
>>    variable like this is not maintainable. We will certainly forget
>>    creating dedicated modes when adding similar variables in future.
>
> There's dozens of variables that have to be set before `org-mode' is
> called?  That sounds like an fragile design.

This is not strictly necessary to set them before the whole Org is
loaded. In some cases, only part of Org has to be reloaded: font-locking
setup; parser; folding state; etc (which is a normal scenario when done
interactively). However, such reloading adds up to file opening time. It
is much faster to set everything once and load Org compared to (1) load
org; (2) load variable and reload org; (3) load another variable and
reload org; and so on.

+ creating a dedicated minor mode for every variable is not maintainable.

Having Emacs support early setting would be much easier.

Best,
Ihor