Re: please change default value of truncate-partial-width-windows to nil

[Stefan Monnier]

>> I think this would make a lot of sense.
>> I.e. first extend truncate-lines so it can take an integer value, then
>> mark truncate-partial-width-windows as obsolete.

> Eh, why is that better?

This way it also applies in the case where your narrow windows are the
result of your tiling window manager creating narrow frames rather than
a wide frame split into narrow windows.

> `truncate-partial-width-windows' has always[*] been essentially an
> "exception for a funny situation", and wedging its functionality into
> `truncate-lines' merely complicates things for typical code which really
> only cares about the normal case, not the exceptional one.

I can't see which complication you're referring to.

> Currently a mode only needs to worry about setting truncate-lines to t
> (or toggling between nil and t in the case of Gnus, etc), if truncating
> lines is somehow better for that mode.  I your suggestion is followed,

I only know of modes that set it to t, and for those there's
no difference.  Which code ever sets it to nil?

> [*] and of course `truncate-partial-width-windows' has been around for
> decades, with a non-nil default; I dunno why Drew is freaking out about
> it _now_...

Yes, I'm not worried about that indeed, I just feel like using 2 vars,
the second of which is only used in some cases but not all is
rather odd.

Maybe another option is to make truncate-partial-width-windows apply to
full-width windows as well when its value is an integer (so it also
applies when your window-manager makes your frames narrow).


        Stefan