Re: eval-after-load not harmful after all (Was: Re: Why js-2mode?)

[Lennart Borgman <lennart.borgman@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Aug 11, 2009 at 2:43 AM, Stephen J. Turnbull<stephen@xemacs.org> wrote:
> Drew Adams writes:
>  > In Icicles, I sometimes `require' other libraries explicitly. But in a few cases
>  > I use `eval-after-load' instead - for exactly the kind of thing that Carsten
>  > described.
>  >
>  > I agree with Daniel, Carsten, and others that `eval-after-load' should not be
>  > demonized.
>
> I have no objection to use of `eval-after-load' in user or site files
> that are disabled by emacs -q.  But `eval-after-load' in core files is
> like smoking in an elevator next to a pregnant woman.  It's very
> convenient, maybe even "necessary", from the point of view of the
> user of the feature, but he doesn't bear the pain of debugging a
> Heisenbug that appears for the user of random-package-using-e-a-l.
>
> I note that all the advocates of e-a-l are package maintainers and UI
> types; all the deprecators are core.  This is an inherent tension, and
> I think it should be resolved in favor of protecting the core.


It is not only hesienbugs that are the problem. It is also package
cooperation, version info regarding this and platform independence.
All these issues tend to be neglected by less experienced developers.
(Naturally, since this is the most difficult part, perhaps.)

Perhaps better infrastructure for this, including support in Emacs,
might help with this.