bug#30978: 25.3; Suggestion: define-minor-mode should define mode-lighter variable

[Lars Ingebrigtsen]

Phil Sainty <psainty@orcon.net.nz> writes:

>> Does anybody else have an opinion here?  The suggestion is to make
>> define-minor-mode define a `foo-mode-lighter' variable that users can
>> then change to easily change the lighters.
>
> It sounds like a good change.

I just can't make up my mind here.  On the one hand, a
`foo-mode-lighter' variable would make things easy and regular.  On the
other hand, it means creating a new user option for each minor mode
(i.e., a defcustom), and it means having these in `minor-mode-alist',
which means one additional variable lookup (per minor mode) when
creating the mode line.

>> Or do we have a separate mechanism for this somewhere?
>
> We do in GNU ELPA (see https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/DelightedModes
> regarding the one I wrote, delight.el), but that and similar libraries
> mostly exist because there wasn't something as trivial as a variable
> to set.
>
> Delight also takes care of synchronising the label in `mode-line-menu'
> (down-mouse-3 on `mode-line-modes'), as well as allowing custom names
> for major modes via the same UI -- but providing an easy way to set
> minor mode lighters was the actual reason for writing it.

It sounds like delight is the right solution here -- it's a more
complete solution, and people who want this can just install your
package...

So...  on the whole...  I think we shouldn't add the -lighter
variables.  So I'm closing this bug report.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no