RE: always put Customizations in `custom-file', never in `user-init-file'

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

> > Our experience says that automatic "after" loading is fine for 99% of
> > users (that's all we actually provide in a released version), and that
> > "before" is satisfactory for the rest.  (There may be users we haven't
> > encountered who *need* finer control, but the fact that in the 7 years
> > since December 2000 we haven't encountered *one* suggests there are
> > very few.)  The reason I suggest providing the "before" option is that
> > I know there are use cases for it.  I have never heard of anybody who
> > *needed* it loaded in the middle of the init file.  I *have* helped
> > debug problems that happened because customizations were loaded in the
> > middle of the init file rather than at the appropriate end, though.
>
> Ah, now I think I remember. A good way to handle the load
> sequence could be:
>
>    1) load .emacs
>    2) if .emacs did not load custom-file then do that
>       immediately after .emacs.

Yes, I mentioned that also. I agree that that is workable. (After loading
.emacs includes, of course, after loading any files .emacs might load.)

> That solves the problem with the loading sequence with very little
> trouble (I believe). Those users which want to use the values from
> custom-set-variables in their .emacs will have to learn to insert
>
>    (load custom-file)
>
> in their .emacs but I would expect that to be easy for those users.

Yes, that is what I would suggest too. If loading the custom file "is fine
for 99% of users", then the rest (which, according to Stephen, is nearly the
other 1%) can add (load custom-file) where they want it.