RE: "Emacs Lisp Packages" chapter in the Emacs manual

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > I don't quite understand this part of your diff:
> >
> > +The traditional way to install Emacs Lisp code is to either install it
> > +in the Emacs Lisp @dfn{load path} or to add the path to the code to
> > +the load path list.
> >
> > What does it mean to "install" code in `load-path'?
> > And how does that differ from adding the directory or
> > file of the code to `load-path' (IOW, why the "or")?
> 
> I'm just using the wording that's found in other parts of the manual.
> Not trying to be fancy here :)
> 
> Emacs manual:
> "If an Emacs Lisp file is installed in the Emacs Lisp load path
> (defined below), you can load it by typing M-x load-library, instead of
> using M-x load-file."

OK, so my question is for whomever wrote that, I guess.

> My understanding is that "install in the load path" means put the file
> in a path that Emacs already knows vs "add the path to load path" means
> make Emacs know about that new path.

Maybe.  Not for me to say.  But if that's it then I
think your text doesn't really say that, I think.
I don't see anything in your text that suggests a
path that Emacs already knows.

> > Keep in mind that loading a library/file need not be
> > something done systematically (e.g. by `require' in
> > a file that gets loaded), or something done only by
> > autoloading.  `load-library' is a command, to let
> > you load a library interactively.
> 
> Thank you. Reading the manual did not help much here. But that's ok for
> now. I'm not interested in knowing all the subtelties of loading files.
> 
> > Is there some clear definition of "installing" a
> > package in the doc?  Probably, but I haven't checked.
> 
> Not that I can tell.

I didn't see one either.  But I see that the manual
has more or less that same text you cited at least
as far back as Emacs 20.  So my bad.  (I don't think
of that as really "installing", but that's me.)

> > [BTW, for GNU Emacs, "path" means something different.
> > What you mean here is presumably the absolute file
> > name (of the directory or the file itself).]
> 
> I'm pretty sure I don't know the difference.

For Emacs (and GNU, I think), a "path" is the kind of
thing you have as the value of your environment
variable PATH: a list of directories.