Re: Emacs inserts hardwired org-agenda-files variable, overwriting user options

[daniela-spit]

> Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2020 at 9:15 PM
> From: "Jean Louis" <bugs@gnu.support>
> To: daniela-spit@gmx.it
> Cc: "Org-Mode mailing list" <emacs-orgmode@gnu.org>
> Subject: Re: Emacs inserts hardwired org-agenda-files variable, overwriting 
> user options
>
> * daniela-spit@gmx.it <daniela-spit@gmx.it> [2020-11-29 21:54]:
> > I have identified a problem. Let a user set the files to be used for
> > Org Agenda in .emacs as follows, and consider the situation when the
> > file writing.rcl.org does not exist.
> > 
> > (setq org-agenda-files
> >    '("~/02histr/gadmin/writing.rcl.org"
> >      "~/02histr/gadmin/meeting.rcl.org"
> >      "~/02histr/gadmin/household.rcl.org"))
> > 
> > Emacs demands that the file writing.rcl.org be removed from 
> > org-agenda-files.
> > Then Emacs sabotages the user's settings by hardwiring org-agenda-files at 
> > the
> > end of the file .emacs by inserting:
> 
> I know that nugging. Look what I have found for variable
> `org-agenda-files' by using inspection with
> {C-h v RET org-agenda-files RET}
> 
> ,----
> | Documentation:
> | The files to be used for agenda display.
> | 
> | If an entry is a directory, all files in that directory that are matched
> | by ‘org-agenda-file-regexp’ will be part of the file list.
> | 
> | If the value of the variable is not a list but a single file name, then
> | the list of agenda files is actually stored and maintained in that file,
> | one agenda file per line.  In this file paths can be given relative to
> | ‘org-directory’.  Tilde expansion and environment variable substitution
> | are also made.
> | 
> | Entries may be added to this list with ‘M-x org-agenda-file-to-front’
> | and removed with ‘M-x org-remove-file’.
> `----
> 
> Maybe you could try the approach to customize it not to be a list by
> single file name. Then in that file name you put files one by one.
 
Yes, but initially people and going to take my dani.el file and if they
happen to delete their file, the whole setup will break down.  

Org should stop trying to delete the file from the list.

One can use 
(file-expand-wildcards "~/02histr/gadmin/*.org")

Not everyone wants agenda to simply use all the files.
For instance I usually want agenda on just a few projects in the
directory.  I have all the files exist now so do not get problems.
 
But, for those coping the file and trying to get it to work is fraught
with difficulties, with emacs trying to do weird things behind your
back.