Re: dash.el [was: Re: Imports / inclusion of s.el into Emacs]

[Phillip Lord]

Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:

> [[[ To any NSA and FBI agents reading my email: please consider    ]]]
> [[[ whether defending the US Constitution against all enemies,     ]]]
> [[[ foreign or domestic, requires you to follow Snowden's example. ]]]
>
>   > We can simply refuse to incorporate `s.el` into core and then any
>   > package which wants to be in core will first have to sop using `s.el`.
>
>   > Accepting `s.el` into GNU ELPA does not mean we will accept it
>   > into core.  Emacs and GNU ELP are both under our control, but we don't
>   > need to (and we don't) apply the same rules to the two.
>
> Keeping s.el out of the core would not avoid the problem that s.el causes.
> Simply having it in GNU ELPA causes the problems.
>
> The problems are that (1) we have two incogruent series of string
> functions, and (2) we are compelled to cede control of the s-... name
> space to people who con't coordinate with us.
>
> Even in the core, we would have to treat the s-... name space as
> reserved simply because "many packages" use s.el.
>
> The only way I can see to fix this problem is with symbol renamings.
> If we fix it that way, we could have s.el in GNU ELPA and even in the core.
> At least I think so.

1) Incongruent functions: A situation we already have with deprecated
functions, function aliases, and things like seq which overlaps with
other emacs functions (albeit somewhat differently).

2) The s- namespace: This has already happened. If we put a function
called `s-starts-with' or `-map' into core, we will break quite a lot of
MELPA. This would look poor and potentially like bad will.

3) "who don't coordinate with us". Magnar will respond if emailed. Is
reading this mailing list really a criteria that makes sense.


And you have missed the advantages: having libraries like s and dash
available, will bring to Emacs a set of functionality that many people
like, as well as bringing in a lot of developers who have already
contributed to s.el, dash and the rest.

Phil