Re: Proposal: emacs -Q option

[Alan Mackenzie]

On 5 Feb 2004, Eli Zaretskii wrote:

>> From: address@hidden (Kim F. Storm)
>> Date: 05 Feb 2004 02:42:44 +0100

>>         emacs -q --no-site-file --no-splash 
>>               --eval '(blink-cursor-mode -1)' 
>>               --eval '(tool-bar-mode -1)'
>>               --eval '(scroll-bar-mode -1)'
>>               --eval '(tooltip-mode -1)'
>>               --eval '(setq visible-bell t)'

>> (the last line is because the audible bell drives me crazy).

>> I propose to add a -Q option which is equivalent to this, i.e.

>>         emacs -Q

>> does the same thing as the above call.

>IMHO, using -Q for "-q --no-site-file" is fine, but adding all the other
>turn-offs makes this switch too heavily loaded.  Why does it make sense
>to combine  "-q --no-site-file", which basically means ``defeat all
>local deviations from the defaults'' with the rest, which disable fancy
>features?  And what does visible-bell setting have to do with turning
>off features?

>I'd say let's make two options, one for "-q --no-site-file", the other
>for --no-splash and the --eval options mentioned above, excluding the
>visible-bell one.

I'd say, make a command-line "user option" instead or as well.  After
all, Emacs is supposed to be user configurable.  Say, -U or -U"string".
This would set a variable `option-U' to the string (or t) before running
.emacs (or, possibly site-start.el?).

So, starting emacs with `emacs -U"v"' could partner up with this in one's
.emacs:

(when option-U
  (blink-cursor-mode -1)
  (tool-bar-mode -1)
  (scroll-bar-mode -1)
  (tooltip-mode -1))
(if (equal option-U "v")
    (setq visible-bell t))

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Munich, Germany)