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Re: Loading a package applies automatically to future sessions?


From: Radon Rosborough
Subject: Re: Loading a package applies automatically to future sessions?
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 11:24:32 -0800

> Suppose the user loads a package to try it out.  Will that cause it to
> be loaded again in every session?  It appears that way.

I think the confusion here is because the Emacs manual currently uses
the term "load" in two incompatible ways. Loading a package means
evaluating its autoloads, while loading a Lisp file means evaluating
the file's Lisp code. The problem is complicated by the fact that the
word "package" is sometimes used to refer to a package in the package
manager sense, and sometimes used to refer to a Lisp file.

Perhaps some better terminology would be in order? I would suggest
that we never refer to "loading" a package, and instead say:

* "activating a package" means evaluating its autoloads
* "loading a file/feature" means evaluating some particular file of
  Lisp code, which is possibly part of a package

I don't have strong opinions, except that the current terminology is
bad.

-- Radon



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