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Coding Convections - Enabling a feature by loading a file
From: |
Peter S Galbraith |
Subject: |
Coding Convections - Enabling a feature by loading a file |
Date: |
Wed, 04 Jun 2003 14:51:46 -0400 |
Hi all,
The coding conventions say:
* When a package provides a modification of ordinary Emacs behavior,
it is good to include a command to enable and disable the feature,
Provide a command named `WHATEVER-mode' which turns the feature on
or off, and make it autoload (*note Autoload::). Design the
package so that simply loading it has no visible effect--that
should not enable the feature.(2) Users will request the feature
by invoking the command.
The first part is fine (`include a command to enable and disable the
feature'). But what is the rationale behind the loading of a package
having no visisble effect? If the only purpose of a package is to
enable a feature (say changing the cursor to a bar), why ask users to
do:
(require 'bar-cursor)
(bar-cursor-mode 1)
instead of only:
(require 'bar-cursor)
?
I am perfect happy for packages to install themselves correctly once
loaded without having to go through more hoops.
Thanks,
Peter