Hi. In most of my Emacs files, I set any file local variables using a local variables list near the end of the file. However I just realized a pitfall. Emacs, according to its manual, only recognizes this local variables list if its location fulfills two criteria: 1. It starts no more than 3000 characters from the end of the file. 2. It is on the last page if the file is divided into pages.
This means that if I refile some Org subtree to another Org file, and the refile target is below the local variables list (e. g. if I refile to the top level, so that Org chooses the end of the file) then the local variables list may start failing one of the criteria and thus silently stop working. There may be other problematic scenarios. Therefore it seems that, for Org files, it is good practice to avoid this pitfall by specifying any file local variables via the other method, i.e. on the first line. I ask for confirmation that this is a general Org Mode good practice before I adopt it for all my existing Org files and any future ones. And if this is in fact a general Org Mode good practice, I propose documenting it in both manuals: the Emacs manual at [[info:emacs#Specifying File Variables]] and the Org manual somewhere. Regards -- • I am Brazilian. I hope my English is correct and I welcome corrections. • Please adopt free formats like PDF, ODF, Org, LaTeX, Opus, WebM and 7z. • Free (as in free speech) software for Android: https://f-droid.org/
