Re: option doc strings and Customize tags

[Lennart Borgman]

On Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 9:25 PM, Drew Adams <address@hidden> wrote:
>> >> >>  >  nil      Case-sensitive
>> >> >>  >  t        Case-insensitive
>> >> >>  >  <other>  Use default
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I'd put the Lisp values in parentheses as
>> >> >>
>> >> >>      Case-sensitive (nil)
>> >> >>      Case-insensitive (t)
>> >> >>      Use default
>> >> >
>> >> > Sure, fine, whatever. It doesn't matter much what format we
>> >> > use. Except that adding parens might confuse things for Lisp
>> >> > values that are lists: ((foo bar)).
>> >> >
>> >> > A more general formatting problem is that the Lisp values
>> >> > might be quite long. Some kind of abbreviation is probably
>> >> > called for.
>> >>
>> >> A link that is opened in *Help* and shows the value with an
>> >> explanation where it came from?
>> >
>> > Possibly. But the point here is to show all of the possible
>> > values *together*. You don't want to click a button/link and
>> > open *Help* for each possible value, to see its Lisp value
>> > separately from the others.
>> >
>> > A single display of all tags and their Lisp values (in
>> > *Help* or elsewhere) is what's needed. See the original
>> > suggestion.
>>
>> I meant that for the long values only. But the buffer that shows the
>> long value can show all the values together.
>
> If it shows all of the values together, then there is no sense in showing it
> "for the long values only". The point is to show all of the values, for
> comparison and comprehension, whenever you try to look at any of them (even a
> short one). For the need to see the values together, it's irrelevant whether a
> value is long or short.
>
> Perhaps you are saying that if all values are short enough then no separate
> display is needed - they can be shown in the menu. But if even one value is 
> long
> (whatever "long" means), then a separate display is needed.

What I tried to say is:

- In the initial display show all values together, but replace the
long values with a link.

- This link should lead to a second display (in *Help*) where also all
values are shown together. Here the long values should of course be
shown. There should also be a short explanation what this display is
about (and a link back, but that is nearly automatic if the first
display is in *Help* too).