Re: Managing environments (Python venv, guix environment, etc.)

[Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de>]

sbaugh@catern.com writes:

> Perhaps instead of inserting regular filenames into
> file-name-handler-alist, environment.el should use filenames with a
> custom prefix (like "/?" or something) and add a new handler for
> filenames with that prefix. The prefix can be followed by the name of
> the environment, then some separator character, then a real local
> filename. (Much like TRAMP. Unlike TRAMP, file access will still be done
> directly on the local filesystem.)
>
> Pros:
> - Resolves the issue with canonical file names
> - Allows a file to be accessed from multiple environments freely at the
>   same time
> - Powerful and full-featured way to implement this - just as powerful as
>   TRAMP, which is certainly powerful enough.
> - Maybe the easiest way to get this to actually work, since it reuses
>   all the work done on getting things to use process-file

I doubt that you could reuse much of Tramp's `process-file'
implementations. They use pretty much Tramp internal functions.

Btw, this approach could still be applied to remote files. File name
handler calls can be cascaded.

"/?my-environment?~/.emacs" would work on a local file, and
"/?my-environment?~/sudo::.emacs" would work on a remote file.

Saying this does not mean that I agree with your proposal. Being
undecided.

Best regards, Michael.