Re: file-name-shadow-mode

[Luc Teirlinck]

>From my previous message:

    I personally very much believe it is a bad idea.  _However_ it is the
    _general_ default :initialize function (`custom-initialize-reset')
    that has this problem and _not_ `custom-initialize-set' (note the
    missing `re').

Actually, I was confused here: `custom-initialize-set' does have a
side effect when loading the file, but, unlike the very problematic
default `custom-initialize-reset' it will not override user
customizations.  (These are the two problems I confused.)

Setting :init-value non-nil for a minor-mode already has a side effect
and a pretty confusing one, since the variable and the function are
now out of sync.  Unless the minor mode requires no :set function, in
which case the minor mode is enabled and thus there is a side effect.
It seems only appropriate for pre-loaded files and I propose to make
the file in question pre-loaded.

   I think it's better to keep the :init-value at nil,

If the real default value is t, then the :init-value _needs_ to be t,
for reasons discussed earlier.

Sincerely,

Luc.