RE: always put Customizations in `custom-file', never in `user-init-file'

[Drew Adams]

>  > What happens in XEmacs for saving customizations when the
>  > `custom-file' value is a symbol (so no custom file was
>  > loaded)? Are settings nevertheless saved to the default
>  > custom file?
>
> I don't know; I imagine you get an invalid-state or invalid-argument
> error.  The XEmacs design assumes you want to load and save
> customizations, and assumes that `custom-file' will be a string;
> AFAICS it does not deal gracefully with anything else.  I'm not
> advocating the XEmacs design here; I'm just saying it works for us.
>
>  > If so, I think (until I understand better ;-)) that it would be better
>  > to prevent saving customizations until the user redefines
>  > `custom-file' to a file name (possibly the default file).
>
> Well, an error wil do that.  ;-)

Yes, that's what I was suggesting.

>  > if the user's custom file is in a different location and s?he decides
>  > not to load it, and then forgets that, then settings get saved to a
>  > different custom file (the default), so s?he now has two custom files.
>
> Seems like a YAGNI to me.

Worse than a YAGNI. I wasn't promoting it; I was pointing it out as a
potential problem if you can bypass loading your custom file but then saving
saves silently to the default custom file.

If an error is raised when `custom-file' is a non-nil symbol and you try to
save customizations, then there is no problem.

At any rate, the discussion is moot, now that RMS has decided for the status
quo.