Re: [ELPA] New package: plz

[Adam Porter <adam@alphapapa.net>]

On 5/11/22 16:36, Stefan Monnier wrote:
>> I'd like to submit plz.el [0] to GNU ELPA.
> 
> Thanks, added.

Thanks, Stefan.

>> It's an HTTP library that uses Curl as a backend.
> 
> I hope we can consolidate this with `request.el` and `url.el` sooner 
> rather than later.

I'm not sure what that would entail.  Each library is very different
from the others, both in terms of API and--especially--internally.

plz.el was inspired by Chris Wellons's elfeed-curl.el library: after
consulting with him extensively, he recommended writing a new,
curl-based library as an alternative to url.el and request.el.  He had
had unsolvable problems with both (as had I), leading him to write his
own, simple library just for Elfeed.  He didn't have the time to factor
it out and maintain it separately, so he suggested that I do so.
Perhaps foolishly, I decided to try.  :)

> As others mentioned, adding a backend to plz which uses url.el (or at
> least doesn't require `curl` to be installed) would be great.

Using url.el internally would inherit its problems, defeating the
purpose of plz.el.  But it could develop its own, non-curl-based backend...

> The way HTTP is evolving, I suspect we're going to need to rely on C
> libraries (as opposed to url.el's "it's all ELisp" approach) in the 
> not too distant future, tho.

Yes, I'm afraid you're right about that.