RE: how to control isearch for invisible text

[Drew Adams]

    > More importantly, I think the option should be documented - perhaps
    > in the section on invisible text, if there is to be no isearch
    > toggle for it. If you want to remove the user option and make it a
    > plain `defvar', that's your choice; I have no actual example that
    > will dissuade you. End of story.

    The doc string mentions outline.el and hideshow.el.  Both of those
    don't have invisible text as much as hidden text, text that clearly is
    part of the buffer, with the invisibility being a display aspect and
    not a text aspect.  The overlays will also get an
    `isearch-open-invisible' property allowing them to open.  For this
    sort of thing, the default setting of search-invisible, namely `open',
    makes sense.  I don't see where a different setting would make sense
    in connection with those modes which cater with appropriate properties
    for opening in searches. `open' might be less necessary when someone
    uses reveal-mode, but I have not checked it.

    In short: I fail to see where a global setting of search-invisible to
    anything other than `open' would make even remotely sense with the
    mentioned outline.el and hideshow.el.

    For dired-mode, this is not as clearcut in my case.  When I hide
    aspects of the buffer away with an explicit command, it is less likely
    that I actually would want to find them.  And those overlays don't use
    `isearch-open-invisible' seemingly, which again seems to match what is
    useful and likely the intent of the user.

    So in short, I see nothing worth changing here.  If your needs as a
    programmer are sufficiently strange that you'll need to meddle with
    those variables, you'll be reading the source file for searches,
    anyway.

I don't know what you're arguing about. I never asked you to change the
default value of the option. I never argued for special uses in different
modes. I never suggested changing anything about the option's behavior. I
never indicated any "sufficiently strange" "needs as a programmer" or any
interest in "meddling with those variables". We spoke of only one variable,
and I assure you that I have no desire to meddle with it.

I simply said that I'm glad there is such a user option, and I hope it will
remain an option. And I thank you again for pointing it out.

I didn't find such an option when I looked for it in the doc, and I added
that I thought it would help to mention it in the Emacs manual, so people
can be aware of it. You don't agree, so it will remain findable via `M-x
apropos-documentation RET isearch.*invisible RET' or `M-x apropos-variable
RET search.*invisible RET' ("search", not "isearch"). Fair enough.

You also indicated that you think it shouldn't be a user option. If you
change it to a `defvar', I'll still be able to use it, so I don't have a
problem, for my own use. Please leave the doc string, at least, to help
others find the variable using `apropos-*' ;-).

I added that I thought it might be useful to toggle it during `isearch'. You
don't think so. End of story.