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copied!<p>The short answer to you question is:</p> <ul> <li><p>use <code>setq</code> or <code>setq-default</code> for variables defined by <code>defvar</code>.</p></li> <li><p>use <code>setq</code>, <code>setq-default</code>, or the <code>Customize</code> mechanism for variables defined by <code>defcustom</code></p></li> </ul> <p>Below is the long answer.</p> <p>The functions that you are going to use are the following:</p> <ul> <li><p><code>set</code> is the main function to set the value of a variable.</p></li> <li><p><code>setq</code> is another version that automatically quotes its first argument. This is useful since quoting the first argument is what you want to do almost all the time.</p></li> <li><p>Some variables cannot be set globally. Whenever you set the variable it is only set for the current buffer. If you want to simulate setting this variable globally you use <code>set-default</code> or <code>setq-default</code>.</p></li> </ul> <p>The functions that a package writer uses are:</p> <ul> <li><p><code>defvar</code> which allows the package writer to define a variable and to give some documentation. This function is not required but makes the life of users easier.</p></li> <li><p><code>defcustom</code> builds on <code>defvar</code>. It tells emacs that it is a variable, and it allows the developer to create a <code>custom</code> interface to set the value. The developer can say, things like "this variable can contain only the value 'foo or 'bar".</p></li> </ul> <p>Setting variables can be done two ways:</p> <ol> <li><p>if <code>defvar</code> was used, the values can only be set by the user in its <code>.emacs</code> by using the <code>set</code> function (or variants)</p></li> <li><p>if <code>defcustom</code> was used, the values can be set using <code>set</code> (see 1.) OR by using <code>Customize</code>. When using the customize mechanism, emacs will generate some code that it will place in <code>custom-set-variables</code>. The user should not use this function.</p></li> </ol>

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