Re: using use-package

[phillip.lord@newcastle.ac.uk (Phillip Lord)]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>>>> Stefan is saying that many packages do things _wrong_.
>>> Actually, no.  What I was saying is that several use-package features
>>> are only useful if a package is poorly packaged.
>> Yes, or not packaged at all, or in development to be packaged in the
>> future or where the developer of a package which is well-packaged wants
>> to provide an option configuration for development time on his machine.
>> And this is some features, not but all of them.
>
> The core part of "Packaging" in the elpa.git world basically means:
> - Start the package's main file with ";;; <name> --- <description>"
> - Sprinkle a few ";;;###autoload"s.
> - Add a "Package-Requires:" (when needed).
>
> This is very straightforward and can be done from the very beginning
> of development.

I use use-package to load the modules in my personal configuration,
which I don't intend to ever release or install as ELPA packages. Still,
this is a minor use.


> After that, something needs to create the *-pkg.el and *-autoloads.el
> files, but we know how to do it mechanically ("make" in elpa.git takes
> care of it, for example).
>
> So what's missing here I think is just some extra support to
> transparently do this "make" step (probably not with "make", of course)
> for those packages not installed via package.el.

Yes. I use cask (normally via the python wrapper), but elpakit is also
an option here.


>> In the case of this form, can you tell me how the package is poorly
>> packaged, or how this is overlapping with ELPA?
>
> I said "partly overlaps".  So it doesn't all overlap (and in those parts
> that don't overlap, the correct/incorrect packaging is not relevant).
>
>> (use-package org-mode)
>> is useful since it gives performance data on start up that
>
> If I didn't consider use-package useful/interesting I wouldn't
> participate in this discussion.


True.

I'm still trying to scope what you are after, though. Are you interested
only in those features which can never overlap with ELPA? Or only in
those features will necessarily overlap with ELPA.

Phil