From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Nicolas Goaziou Subject: Re: [RFC] Change some defcustoms into defcont Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 17:15:27 +0200 Message-ID: <874n8avenk.fsf@gmail.com> References: <871u3g5nwx.fsf@gmail.com> <87mwm33sv1.fsf@gmail.com> <87a9i2522c.fsf@gmail.com> <7839A647-8D17-47A9-A65D-5FD7110ED082@gmail.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:49686) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1VYHCS-0000dH-NK for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:15:29 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1VYHCK-0003kV-AB for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:15:20 -0400 Received: from mail-we0-x229.google.com ([2a00:1450:400c:c03::229]:61201) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1VYHCK-0003kM-2t for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:15:12 -0400 Received: by mail-we0-f169.google.com with SMTP id q58so6819816wes.0 for ; Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:15:11 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <7839A647-8D17-47A9-A65D-5FD7110ED082@gmail.com> (Carsten Dominik's message of "Mon, 21 Oct 2013 13:56:10 +0200") List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: Carsten Dominik Cc: Org Mode List Carsten Dominik writes: > The documentation of defconst says: > >> Define SYMBOL as a constant variable. >> This declares that neither programs nor users should ever change the >> value. This constancy is not actually enforced by Emacs Lisp, but >> SYMBOL is marked as a special variable so that it is never lexically >> bound. > > So it is pretty clear about the intent of such a definition, which is > to never change it - even though it does not enforce it. I must have been clear as mud, because that's exactly what I'm suggesting since the beginning of this thread: set "DEADLINE" and al. in stone, and never change them again. I have been pointing out, though, that it would not break previous changes if they were done with `setq', according to how defconst are handled. But I never intended to make it a feature, nor did I suggest that was desirable. > As you have said, we still want to allow users in principle to change > these variables. No, I haven't said such a thing. I said, verbatim, "In principle, they mustn't be changed", which means quite the contrary. > They have been defcustoms in the past, some people will have changed > them. Their setup will break when they switch to a new version. Indeed. But that's easy to fix programmatically. > That is why I object to changing their status. I think it causes > unnecessary breakage, and we can prevent this by keeping them > defcustom. Nothing is really gained by changing their status. It fixes at least a bug, prevents headaches by simplifying maintenance, makes Org syntax more portable and more cache friendly. I wouldn't call that "nothing". Anyway, I have well understood that you don't want to change their status. So be it. Regards, -- Nicolas Goaziou