RE: user-controlled load-path extension: load-dir

[Ben Key <bkey76@gmail.com>]

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Hello,

I have attached to this message version 2 of user-load-dir.el.  This version
incorporates the recursive load-dir function written by Evans Winner (see <
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2011-03/msg00239.html>).  It
also adds two new defcustom variables,
load-files-in-user-load-dir-recursively and
auto-load-files-in-user-load-dir.

Note that one major new feature introduced by this version is that if the
.el file has been byte compiled, the byte compiled version will be loaded
instead of the source version.  This is a major improvement over my original
version which would only load .el files.

There are two remaining issues with this version.  If one of the files in
the user-load-dir has been byte-compiled, it will be loaded twice.  Also it
has no error handling.

I am more than willing to continue development of this file into an Emacs
package that can be included in ELPA.  This would make it possible for this
useful feature to be made readily available to those who want to use it
without including it in Emacs itself.

I have one question.  What sort of error handling should I incorporate into
this package?

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;;; user-load-dir.el -- A quick and dirty implementation of a user load
;;; directory.  This file is provided as a possible answer to the
;;; "user-controlled load-path extension: load-dir" discussion on the
;;; emacs-devel list found at
;;; <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2011-03/msg00048.html>.

;;; This could eventually be turned into an Emacs package that can be
;;; installed via package.el.  For now, this file can be installed by
;;; placing it somewhere in your load path and add the line
;;; (require 'user-load-dir)
;;; to your .emacs or site-start.el file.

;;; Copyright (c) 2011 Ben Key

;; This file is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
;; under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
;; the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
;; (at your option) any later version.
;;
;; This file is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
;; WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
;; General Public License for more details.
;;
;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
;; along with the bk-emacs-tools package.  If not, see
;; <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

(defcustom user-load-dir
  (format "%s.emacs.d/load" (file-name-directory (expand-file-name user-init-file)))
  "A user defined directory in which the user can place .el files that
will automatically be loaded after Emacs initialization is complete."
  :type 'directory
  :group 'initialization
  :require 'user-load-dir
  )

(defcustom load-files-in-user-load-dir-recursively nil
  "Non-nil causes `load-user-load-dir-files' to load all .el or .elc
files in the `user-load-dir' and in all subdirectories of the
`user-load-dir.'  Nil causes `load-user-load-dir-files' to load only
the files in the `user-load-dir.'

The default value is nil."
  :type 'boolean
  :group 'initialization
  :require 'user-load-dir
  )

(defcustom auto-load-files-in-user-load-dir t
"Non-nil causes `load-user-load-dir-files' to be called automatically
from the `after-init-hook.'  Nil suppresses this automatic loading.
Note that since `load-user-load-dir-files' is an interactive function,
you may call it manually by using 'M-x load-user-load-dir-files' if you
choose to set this variable to nil.

The default value is t."
  :type 'boolean
  :group 'initialization
  :require 'user-load-dir
  )

(defun load-dir (directory &optional recurse)
  "Load all Emacs Lisp files in DIRECTORY.
If RECURSE is non-nil, recursively load all such files in all
subdirectories.

This function was written by Evans Winner.  See the message
<http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2011-03/msg00239.html>"
  (interactive "D")
  (dolist (file
           (directory-files (expand-file-name directory) t
                            directory-files-no-dot-files-regexp) nil)
    (cond
     ((and recurse (file-directory-p file))
      (when recurse (load-dir file)))
     ((string-match "\\.el$\\|\\.elc$" file)
      (load-library (file-name-sans-extension file))))))

(defun load-user-load-dir-files ()
  "Loads all .el files found in the `user-load-dir.'"
  (interactive)
  (load-dir user-load-dir load-files-in-user-load-dir-recursively)
  )

(defun user-load-dir-after-init-hook ()
  "An `after-init-hook' function that is used to conditionally call
`load-user-load-dir-files' depending on the value of
`auto-load-files-in-user-load-dir'."
  (if auto-load-files-in-user-load-dir
	  (load-user-load-dir-files)
	)
  )

(add-hook 'after-init-hook 'load-user-load-dir-files)

(provide 'user-load-dir)