@documentencoding ISO-8859-1
@copying
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
-2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
+2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@quotation
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
@code{eval}ed there.
-Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
+Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
+if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
+only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
+variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
+form needs to be set to it.
+
But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
-@code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
-@code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
-@code{(ding)} form.
+@code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
+@code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
+(meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the