Easier way to port packages to older Emacsen

Easier way to port packages to older Emacsen

[Radon Rosborough]

I maintain some Emacs packages that work on Emacs 25. It's been
requested that I adjust them so that they will also work on Emacs 24.
One way to do this is to install Emacs 24, try to use the packages,
and see what errors I get.

Is there a better way than this? For example, some package that scans
my code and checks if I use any variables or functions that were only
added in recent versions of Emacs.

Thanks,
Radon Rosborough

Re: Easier way to port packages to older Emacsen

[João Távora]

Radon Rosborough <radon.neon@gmail.com> writes:

> Is there a better way than this? For example, some package that scans
> my code and checks if I use any variables or functions that were only
> added in recent versions of Emacs.

How about emacs-24's byte compiler?

João

Re: Easier way to port packages to older Emacsen

[Phillip Lord]

Well, I use EVM and Cask to test the packages on old versions. Strictly
this is still "install them and use them", but it's easier than doing it
manually.

Phil


On Sun, October 22, 2017 6:28 am, Radon Rosborough wrote:
> I maintain some Emacs packages that work on Emacs 25. It's been
> requested that I adjust them so that they will also work on Emacs 24. One
> way to do this is to install Emacs 24, try to use the packages, and see
> what errors I get.
>
> Is there a better way than this? For example, some package that scans
> my code and checks if I use any variables or functions that were only added
> in recent versions of Emacs.
>
> Thanks,
> Radon Rosborough
>
>
>

Re: Easier way to port packages to older Emacsen

[Basil L. Contovounesios]

On Sat, Oct 21 2017, at 23:28, Radon Rosborough <radon.neon@gmail.com> wrote:

> Is there [...] some package that scans my code and checks
> if I use any variables or functions that were only added
> in recent versions of Emacs

FWIW, I saw a comment[1] on the use-package project page
which makes it look like the package-lint[2] package may be
helpful. I have not used it, so I cannot comment any
further.

Footnotes: 
[1]  https://github.com/jwiegley/use-package/issues/457#issuecomment-304185824

[2]  https://github.com/purcell/package-lint

HTH,

-- 
Basil