From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Peter S Galbraith Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: Coding Convections - Enabling a feature by loading a file Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2003 20:58:48 -0400 Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Message-ID: <1565.1055033928@mixed.dyndns.org> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1055034098 28934 80.91.224.249 (8 Jun 2003 01:01:38 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2003 01:01:38 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sun Jun 08 03:01:36 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 19OoYL-0007QD-00 for ; Sun, 08 Jun 2003 03:01:01 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.20) id 19OoaX-00032O-CH for gnu-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sat, 07 Jun 2003 21:03:13 -0400 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.20) id 19OoWU-00028F-QZ for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sat, 07 Jun 2003 20:59:02 -0400 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.20) id 19OoWN-0001kE-NF for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sat, 07 Jun 2003 20:58:56 -0400 Original-Received: from client-207.134.1-120.globetrotter.net ([207.134.1.120] helo=mixed.dyndns.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.20) id 19OoWI-0001RH-L5 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Sat, 07 Jun 2003 20:58:50 -0400 Original-Received: by mixed.dyndns.org (Postfix, from userid 1000) id 60E7F43F02; Sat, 7 Jun 2003 20:58:49 -0400 (EDT) Original-Received: from mixed.dyndns.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mixed.dyndns.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5E97D14CC7 for ; Sat, 7 Jun 2003 20:58:49 -0400 (EDT) Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org In-Reply-To: Message from Lute Kamstra X-Mailer: MH-E 7.3+cvs; nmh 1.1-RC1; GNU Emacs 21.3.2 Face: iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAADAAAAAwBAMAAAClLOS0AAAAGFBMVEXdqJqlZmK9g3wVCxJy T1bk7/pWGBne5vMHXo54AAACXUlEQVR4nF2TQW/bMAyFVS9brqPr9SypQXcOFORcOap7DYYJ us6wx13XIoL+/h7lZG3KxAfrAx8fKVrFmNLJvQt2j7mUpGKK+Qo4t1unUir4dA2mPmUASB2u AbvvyMgxfVBy+8OvRepKiSc8uyoVPygh5sVVBTwHZp72jOJuV2tUMAci6sIgSgCfpUYG2Hlr LbXWmgHnzj2Xs9RoayilDLsFlCrVW7JWK4lOMp6iijlVgNDNf/KUVC5voJ6rBu/PUeW3DHWO wyQANU4fwK1zv2uDPxegL+ABNcRu+nEFrFotIMbj5HqD7lSjbeetXu0v4OD6TQgBjXc8t3qz n77V+zhCqgthmPtm4NkTMT9lGSKAl/nxaLq5JdLD9CeKq7+TC3LOc+c99NSGn8WudNgNs+94 bHoiuFvNuY49b5wNweOvWiO2b3zM4iqf9hbSFFrV1P6bPkVZn5yCJTJdaHVDdTBtWvYqb6xc rEcGSf/anxcur3CtegOgDB61DrnWiOmlpdbAqzampsyljiTF17buyAyzrW3Uar+AkivAtMia FhlfdrJwsJuPZCTDt9p4rfT9trrCOiRo0yAJw4iM+205F48vhgxmZbsRxfXhcZFCi7CFu2D4 whLZeQ1QJCEfe7KE9dUKwMzriE0sOYFRDVhqMBYOOguI+Eg3/gyUAOavF7BaAGaOGgAsQD7r UwgV1LgA/Mqr9LcAcwEYSYlNJxN5n4FtR8opCBA1wuXyeMfSR0nldivnDGTINjzSXZUqJzfS kiEf4g0zQBSzD7z1Fyl7BugiJZ52JEW8OFYAd/wPmIcEShWCTbsAAAAASUVORK5CYII= X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1b5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Archive: List-Unsubscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:10776 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:10776 Lute Kamstra wrote: > Peter S Galbraith writes: > > [...] > > > But what is the rationale behind the loading of a package having no > > visisble effect? If the only purpose of a package is to enable a > > feature (say changing the cursor to a bar), why ask users to do: > > > > (require 'bar-cursor) > > (bar-cursor-mode 1) > > > > instead of only: > > > > (require 'bar-cursor) > > > > ? > > > > I am perfect happy for packages to install themselves correctly once > > loaded without having to go through more hoops. > > I'm not familiar with bar-cursor.el, but in general a library can > implement more than one feature. In such a case, it is usually not > obvious which feature to turn on. It is best to turn nothing on > automatically and let the user choose which of the features to use by > explicitly turning them on. Even if a library contains only one > feature now, features might be added in future versions. Such changes > won't surprise the user if nothing is turned on upon loading the > library. > > Furthermore, some other library could (require 'bar-cursor) to use > some function that is defined in bar-cursor.el. In such a case, you > usually do not want bar-cursor-mode to be turned on. > > Lute. Yeah, those are good reasons. You guys have convinced me that the added steps are worth it in the long run. Thanks for your comments, Peter