Re: What if sometimes want auto-filling and sometimes don't? Necessary tokeep manually turning on/off?

[Bob Proulx]

Chris Seberino wrote:
> Drew Adams wrote:
> > 2. You can use `C-x f N', where N is a large number (e.g. 999).  This, in
> > effect, turn it off.  Then `C-x f M', where M is your usual value of
> > `fill-column' (e.g. 70).
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> I like things to be 80 col wide.  The default fill-column is 70 for some
> reason.  THAT is why it was so annoying to me.  I didn't reset it. 
> Hopefully now that I've set it to 79 it will be nicer.

Actually 72 has been a typically recommended value for fill column for
use on 80 column wide terminals.  Any setting between 64 and 72 has
typically been considered reasonable.  The RFC 1855 Netiquette
Guidelines says fewer than 65 which I think is too extreme.  Emacs has
defaulted to 70 which seems fine to me and I am using throughout this
message.  Setting to 79 I think is too large.

The emacs manual says:

     The maximum line width for filling is specified by the buffer-local
  variable `fill-column'.  The default value (*note Locals::) is 70.  The
  easiest way to set `fill-column' in the current buffer is to use the
  command `C-x f' (`set-fill-column').  With a numeric argument, it uses
  that as the new fill column.  With just `C-u' as argument, it sets
  `fill-column' to the current horizontal position of point.

The reason for a wrap setting that causes words to break and fill
before column 80 is so that replies to messages like the above will
have a little bit extra space to insert quoting marks.  The longest
line in Drew's message was 71 and it becomes the longest in Chris'
message at 74 and in mine at 77.  It is almost to the point where it
doesn't fit on an 80 column terminal and would need re-wrapping.

Bob