bug#71789: 29.3; Handling of nested directories of ELPA packages

[Xiyue Deng <manphiz@gmail.com>]

Philip Kaludercic <philipk@posteo.net> writes:

> Jeremy Bryant <jb@jeremybryant.net> writes:
>
>> Xiyue Deng <manphiz@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I'm opening a bug to follow up the discussion at [1].  Given an ELPA
>>> package `elpafoo' that contains another directory `elpabar' that also
>>> holds source files, e.g. like the structure below:
>>>
>>> ,----
>>> | ~/.config/emacs/elpa/elpafoo/
>>> | ~/.config/emacs/elpa/elpafoo/elpafoo.el
>>> | ~/.config/emacs/elpa/elpafoo/elpabar
>>> | ~/.config/emacs/elpa/elpafoo/elpabar/elpabar.el
>>> `----
>>>
>>> When installing through package.el, both elpafoo.el and
>>> elpabar/elpabar.el will be byte-compiled, but only the root source path
>>> `~/.config/emacs/elpa/elpafoo' is added to `load-path', without any of
>>> the nested directories.
>>>
>>> I wonder whether this is the intended behavior regarding `load-path'
>>> handling.  If nested directories are added, it has the advantage to
>>> allow more fine-grained source organization; as a downside, it may
>>> unnecessarily add more unneeded stuff and processing overhead (as
>>> Michael pointed out at [2]), and potentially break existing code,
>>> e.g. auctex, which seems to vendor stuff in the `style/' directories but
>>> not loaded so it's not causing any trouble yet.
>>>
>>> So I wonder what is the stance of the Emacs maintainer on this subject,
>>> or whether this is documented anywhere.  Also one more step: whether
>>> there is a recommended layout for source code organization for ELPA
>>> packages.
>
> I think it is intentional, because the approach is simple but functional
> enough in most instances.  If you need to load a sub-directory, you can
> add an autoloaded `add-to-list' expression in elpafoo.el.
>

Thanks Jeremy and Philip!  I had a router issue a few days ago and
didn't got a confirmation about this bug so I filed a similar bug at
bug#71817, where Stefan offered a similar explanation there as well.

Also please feel free to merge this bug with bug#71817 to reduce
duplications.  Thanks!

>>> [1] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2024-05/msg00658.html
>>> [2] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2024-05/msg01039.html
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In GNU Emacs 29.3 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.24.38,
>>>  cairo version 1.16.0) of 2024-05-20, modified by Debian built on sbuild
>>> Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.12101007
>>> System Description: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
>>>
>>> Configured using:
>>>  'configure --build x86_64-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr
>>>  --sharedstatedir=/var/lib --libexecdir=/usr/libexec
>>>  --localstatedir=/var/lib --infodir=/usr/share/info
>>>  --mandir=/usr/share/man --with-libsystemd --with-pop=yes
>>>  --enable-locallisppath=/etc/emacs:/usr/local/share/emacs/29.3/site-lisp:/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/29.3/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp
>>>  --with-sound=alsa --without-gconf --with-mailutils
>>>  --with-native-compilation --build x86_64-linux-gnu --prefix=/usr
>>>  --sharedstatedir=/var/lib --libexecdir=/usr/libexec
>>>  --localstatedir=/var/lib --infodir=/usr/share/info
>>>  --mandir=/usr/share/man --with-libsystemd --with-pop=yes
>>>  --enable-locallisppath=/etc/emacs:/usr/local/share/emacs/29.3/site-lisp:/usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/29.3/site-lisp:/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp
>>>  --with-sound=alsa --without-gconf --with-mailutils
>>>  --with-native-compilation --with-cairo --with-x=yes
>>>  --with-x-toolkit=gtk3 --with-toolkit-scroll-bars 'CFLAGS=-g -O2
>>>  -ffile-prefix-map=/build/reproducible-path/emacs-29.3+1=. -fstack-protector-strong
>>>  -Wformat -Werror=format-security -Wall' 'CPPFLAGS=-Wdate-time
>>>  -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2' LDFLAGS=-Wl,-z,relro'
>>>
>>> Configured features:
>>> ACL CAIRO DBUS FREETYPE GIF GLIB GMP GNUTLS GPM GSETTINGS HARFBUZZ JPEG
>>> JSON LCMS2 LIBOTF LIBSELINUX LIBSYSTEMD LIBXML2 M17N_FLT MODULES
>>> NATIVE_COMP NOTIFY INOTIFY PDUMPER PNG RSVG SECCOMP SOUND SQLITE3
>>> THREADS TIFF TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS TREE_SITTER WEBP X11 XDBE XIM XINPUT2
>>> XPM GTK3 ZLIB
>>>
>>> Important settings:
>>>   value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
>>>   value of $XMODIFIERS: @im=ibus
>>>   locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix
>>>
>>> Major mode: Lisp Interaction
>>>
>>> Minor modes in effect:
>>>   global-git-commit-mode: t
>>>   magit-auto-revert-mode: t
>>>   shell-dirtrack-mode: t
>>>   windmove-mode: t
>>>   rcirc-track-minor-mode: t
>>>   server-mode: t
>>>   subword-mode: t
>>>   bug-reference-prog-mode: t
>>>   whitespace-mode: t
>>>   yas-minor-mode: t
>>>   xclip-mode: t
>>>   global-treesit-auto-mode: t
>>>   treemacs-project-follow-mode: t
>>>   treemacs-follow-mode: t
>>>   treemacs-git-mode: t
>>>   treemacs-fringe-indicator-mode: t
>>>   corfu-terminal-mode: t
>>>   corfu-popupinfo-mode: t
>>>   corfu-echo-mode: t
>>>   global-corfu-mode: t
>>>   corfu-mode: t
>>>   activities-tabs-mode: t
>>>   activities-mode: t
>>>   fido-vertical-mode: t
>>>   icomplete-vertical-mode: t
>>>   icomplete-mode: t
>>>   fido-mode: t
>>>   override-global-mode: t
>>>   global-display-line-numbers-mode: t
>>>   display-line-numbers-mode: t
>>>   global-auto-revert-mode: t
>>>   tooltip-mode: t
>>>   global-eldoc-mode: t
>>>   eldoc-mode: t
>>>   show-paren-mode: t
>>>   electric-indent-mode: t
>>>   mouse-wheel-mode: t
>>>   tool-bar-mode: t
>>>   tab-bar-mode: t
>>>   file-name-shadow-mode: t
>>>   global-font-lock-mode: t
>>>   font-lock-mode: t
>>>   blink-cursor-mode: t
>>>   column-number-mode: t
>>>   line-number-mode: t
>>>   transient-mark-mode: t
>>>   auto-composition-mode: t
>>>   auto-encryption-mode: t
>>>   auto-compression-mode: t
>>>
>>> Load-path shadows:
>>> /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/elpa/debian-el-37.13/debian-autoloads hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/elpa/gnuplot-0.8.1/debian-autoloads
>>> /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/elpa/magit-3.3.0/magit-section hides /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/elpa/magit-section-3.3.0/magit-section
>>>
>>> Features:
>>> (shadow emacsbug git-rebase tabify ert-x python etags fileloop generator
>>> java-ts-mode c-ts-common sh-script smie executable debian-copyright
>>> debian-changelog-mode noutline outline shortdoc completion
>>> debian-control-mode cl-print help-fns radix-tree tramp-cmds
>>> gitignore-mode conf-mode tramp-container tramp-sh tramp-cache time-stamp
>>> dockerfile-ts-mode yaml-ts-mode reporter debian-bts-control debian-bug
>>> reveal mailalias goto-addr vterm tramp tramp-loaddefs trampver
>>> tramp-integration files-x tramp-compat term ehelp vterm-module misearch
>>> multi-isearch shr-color flow-fill matlab matlab-scan matlab-syntax
>>> matlab-compat qp url-http url-gw url-auth url-queue url-cache mm-archive
>>> sort gnus-cite mail-extr textsec uni-scripts idna-mapping ucs-normalize
>>> uni-confusable textsec-check gnus-async gnus-bcklg gnus-ml magit-extras
>>> eglot external-completion array jsonrpc ert ewoc debug backtrace
>>> find-func xref pcase perl-mode face-remap magit-bookmark magit-submodule
>>> magit-obsolete magit-blame magit-stash magit-reflog magit-bisect
>>> magit-push magit-pull magit-fetch magit-clone magit-remote magit-commit
>>> magit-sequence magit-notes magit-worktree magit-tag magit-merge
>>> magit-branch magit-reset magit-files magit-refs magit-status magit
>>> magit-repos magit-apply magit-wip magit-log which-func imenu magit-diff
>>> smerge-mode diff git-commit log-edit add-log magit-core magit-autorevert
>>> magit-margin magit-transient magit-process with-editor shell pcomplete
>>> magit-mode transient format-spec magit-git magit-section magit-utils crm
>>> dired-aux mule-util jka-compr gnus-topic cursor-sensor utf-7 nnfolder
>>> gnus-demon nnml ezgnus gnus-delay gnus-draft gnus-agent gnus-srvr
>>> gnus-score score-mode nnvirtual nntp gnus-cache gnus-msg gnus-art mm-uu
>>> mml2015 mm-view mml-smime smime dig gnus-sum shr pixel-fill kinsoku
>>> url-file svg dom nndraft nnmh gnus-group gnus-undo smtpmail gnus-start
>>> gnus-dbus dbus xml gnus-cloud nnimap nnmail mail-source utf7 nnoo
>>> gnus-spec gnus-int gnus-range message sendmail yank-media rfc822 mml
>>> mml-sec mm-decode mm-bodies mm-encode mail-parse rfc2231 rfc2047 rfc2045
>>> ietf-drums mailabbrev gmm-utils mailheader gnus-win gnus nnheader
>>> gnus-util mail-utils range mm-util mail-prsvr windmove flyspell ispell
>>> gnutls network-stream puny nsm epa-file epa derived epg rfc6068
>>> epg-config rcirc parse-time iso8601 time-date term/xterm xterm comp
>>> comp-cstr server cap-words superword subword vc-hg vc-git diff-mode
>>> vc-bzr vc-src vc-sccs vc-svn vc-cvs vc-rcs log-view pcvs-util vc
>>> vc-dispatcher bug-reference disp-table whitespace yasnippet-snippets
>>> yasnippet cus-edit cus-start wid-edit init zenburn-theme xclip
>>> treesit-auto treesit treemacs-project-follow-mode treemacs-follow-mode
>>> treemacs-rendering treemacs-annotations treemacs-async treemacs-visuals
>>> treemacs-fringe-indicator pulse color treemacs-workspaces treemacs-dom
>>> treemacs-icons treemacs-themes treemacs-scope treemacs-core-utils
>>> treemacs-logging treemacs-customization pfuture inline ht s hl-line dash
>>> keychain-environment exec-path-from-shell corfu-terminal popon
>>> corfu-popupinfo corfu-echo corfu compat activities-tabs activities
>>> persist bookmark pp edmacro kmacro advice icomplete cus-load
>>> flymake-proc flymake project compile text-property-search comint
>>> ansi-osc ansi-color ring warnings icons thingatpt cl-extra help-mode
>>> use-package use-package-ensure use-package-delight use-package-diminish
>>> use-package-bind-key bind-key easy-mmode use-package-core
>>> display-line-numbers autorevert filenotify
>>> keychain-environment-autoloads treesit-auto-autoloads xclip-autoloads rx
>>> info debian-el dired dired-loaddefs finder-inf package browse-url url
>>> url-proxy url-privacy url-expand url-methods url-history url-cookie
>>> generate-lisp-file url-domsuf url-util mailcap url-handlers url-parse
>>> auth-source cl-seq eieio eieio-core cl-macs password-cache json subr-x
>>> map byte-opt gv bytecomp byte-compile url-vars cl-loaddefs cl-lib rmc
>>> iso-transl tooltip cconv eldoc paren electric uniquify ediff-hook
>>> vc-hooks lisp-float-type elisp-mode mwheel term/x-win x-win
>>> term/common-win x-dnd tool-bar dnd fontset image regexp-opt fringe
>>> tabulated-list replace newcomment text-mode lisp-mode prog-mode register
>>> page tab-bar menu-bar rfn-eshadow isearch easymenu timer select
>>> scroll-bar mouse jit-lock font-lock syntax font-core term/tty-colors
>>> frame minibuffer nadvice seq simple cl-generic indonesian philippine
>>> cham georgian utf-8-lang misc-lang vietnamese tibetan thai tai-viet lao
>>> korean japanese eucjp-ms cp51932 hebrew greek romanian slovak czech
>>> european ethiopic indian cyrillic chinese composite emoji-zwj charscript
>>> charprop case-table epa-hook jka-cmpr-hook help abbrev obarray oclosure
>>> cl-preloaded button loaddefs theme-loaddefs faces cus-face macroexp
>>> files window text-properties overlay sha1 md5 base64 format env
>>> code-pages mule custom widget keymap hashtable-print-readable backquote
>>> threads dbusbind inotify lcms2 dynamic-setting system-font-setting
>>> font-render-setting cairo move-toolbar gtk x-toolkit xinput2 x multi-tty
>>> make-network-process native-compile emacs)
>>>
>>> Memory information:
>>> ((conses 16 4151836 235820)
>>>  (symbols 48 38894 35)
>>>  (strings 32 186143 40188)
>>>  (string-bytes 1 6165556)
>>>  (vectors 16 121009)
>>>  (vector-slots 8 3140568 287319)
>>>  (floats 8 1184 5120)
>>>  (intervals 56 274782 3076)
>>>  (buffers 984 145))
>>
>> Adding Philip who may have thoughts regarding ELPA structure.
>>
>>
>>
>>

-- 
Xiyue Deng