Is it generally better practice to specify local variables at the first line for Org files?

[Jorge Morais Neto <jorge13515@gmail.com>]

Hi.  In most of my Emacs files, I set any file local variables using a local
variables list near the end of the file.  However I just realized a pitfall.
Emacs, according to its manual, only recognizes this local variables list if
its location fulfills two criteria:
1. It starts no more than 3000 characters from the end of the file.
2. It is on the last page if the file is divided into pages.

This means that if I refile some Org subtree to another Org file, and the
refile target is below the local variables list (e. g. if I refile to the top
level, so that Org chooses the end of the file) then the local variables list
may start failing one of the criteria and thus silently stop working.  There
may be other problematic scenarios.

Therefore it seems that, for Org files, it is good practice to avoid this
pitfall by specifying any file local variables via the other method, i.e. on
the first line.  I ask for confirmation that this is a general Org Mode good
practice before I adopt it for all my existing Org files and any future ones.

And if this is in fact a general Org Mode good practice, I propose documenting
it in both manuals: the Emacs manual at [[info:emacs#Specifying File Variables]]
and the Org manual somewhere.

Regards

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