Re: You can set this variable in your initialization file.

[Robert J. Chassell]

    >    Many variables cannot usefully be set in the .emacs file and yet C-h v
    >    keeps telling me "You can set this variable in your initialization
    >    file".
    >
    >  I don't know of any.

For example, in my .emacs file I can set `noninteractive'

    noninteractive is a variable defined in `C source code'.
    Its value is t

although I set it back since I am running in an interactive terminal.

I can also set `minibuffer-completion-predicate'

    minibuffer-completion-predicate is a variable defined in `C source code'.
    Its value is t

(Setting seems crazy to me -- but I can set.  Perhaps `usefully'
is the appropriate word.  What other variables should not be
customized, although they can be?)

    Maybe we should put these links only on variables
    where the first character of the documentation string
    is `*'?

I don't know; I think not:  the documentation says the `*' may
disappear and I don't know how often it is still used.  Indeed,
(info "(emacs)Examining")     calls `*' an "obsolete indicator".

    Also I expected that at least part of this text
    (e.g. "set this variable") would lead to visiting
    the initialization file using `(find-file user-init-file)'.

Most often an init file is your .emacs file, so it seemed better to
direct novices to its documention, "The Init File, `~/.emacs'" in
(info "(emacs)Init File")

However, you are right to see the advantage of
    (when user-init-file (find-file user-init-file))
for `set' in the phrase `You can set this variable in your
initialization file.'  (That way, we still direct novices to
documention by focusing them on `initialization file'.)  I would find
the file when there is a user-init-file but display a plain `set' when
there is not one.  How would you do that with minimal change to
lisp/help-fns.el?

--
    Robert J. Chassell                          GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
    address@hidden                         address@hidden
    http://www.rattlesnake.com                  http://www.teak.cc