Re: M-x compile for different file extensions

[Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>]

    I have enhanced the Emacs `compile' package with some commands.

    1. Automatic selection of compile commands according to the file
       extension and DEBUG state. (defuns: `compile-main', `compile-sub',
       `compile-debug-toggle')

The debugging feature could make sense, but why isn't `make -k' a good
default regardless of the kind of file?  In other words, why isn't
"You should write a proper makefile" a good solution for this?

    4. An easy way to interact (send input to) with the compilation process
       (`compile-send-to-process').

This indeed is something important.

It is sort of unfortunate that we have the conflict between two
meanings we would like RET to have in the compilation buffer: "visit
the source code for a particular error message", and "send a line of
input".  We have used it for the former ever since that convention
existed in Emacs (several years ago), but would it be better to use
it for the latter instead?

Sometimes I think that compile.el should use comint and you should
be able to send input to the compiler just by typing a line ending
in RET.

    5. Run some commands with interactive input to them (when needed) in a
       compilation window, with an option to kill the compilation buffer.
       (`compile-commands', read the help carefully).

Why is this better than using a single shell command string, with `;'
and `sleep N' used as needed between the individual shell commands?