Re: [PATCH] Re: package.el changes before the feature freeze

[Daniel Hackney <dan@haxney.org>]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:
>> the associated test cases). Updating packages cleanly is currently
>> bugged; Emacs still expects the docstrings to be at the old location,
>> but if it is deleted (which is what `package-menu-mark-upgrades' offers
>> to do), you will get "could not find docstring" errors which break
>> certain commands.
>
> The general rule is that failure to find the docstring should not
> break commands.  I've fixed a few such cases recently, but if you find
> more, please report them.  Even without package.el the file might
> disappear or be replaced and that's usually no justification to break the
> whole command (e.g. describe-function/variable is still useful even if the
> docstring is not found).

The only case in which I have experienced problems from an updated
package is with the package "helm" which is not in the Emacs core. I
could try to track down the problem and solve it within the helm
library. I'll report back here if I find anything which looks like a
core Emacs bug.

I also remember having some trouble with installing or resuming an
aborted install and getting "file exists" errors. I'd have to dig a
little to remember what exactly was happening; if I find anything I'll
start a new thread about it.

But the main point is: I think we would be well-served by pulling these
changes into 24.3 because it does not affect the user interface at all
and is therefore not going against the idea of a feature freeze, cleans
up the namespace by removing `define-package', and will make debugging
package.el for the release of 24.3 easier by using consistent variable
names and types throughout the library.

--
Daniel Hackney