Re: [PATCH 2/4] emacs: Add 'guix-devel-download-package-source'.

[Christopher Allan Webber]

Alex Kost writes:

> Ludovic Courtès (2015-10-08 01:10 +0300) wrote:
>
> [...]
>>>>> for example "" (an empty string).  Also I believe people begin to
>>>>> write a new package from some template, so you have a working skeleton
>>>>> of future package with all required fields from the very beginning.
>>>>> Then after filling an origin 'uri', you could "C-c . s" to download
>>>>> the source and get its hash.
>>>>
>>>> Hmm.  I’m skeptical.  :-)
>>>
>>> Sorry, I didn't get it.  Skeptical that people start from a template?
>>
>> Yes, it feels weird to me, the idea that an <origin> object with bogus
>> values would be created just for the sake of satisfying the download
>> tool.
>
> Hm, I have an opposite opinion: for me it is weird to write a package
> from scratch.  I usually start from a package template that has all
> required fields (including <origin>) or even I just copy an existing
> package and then modify the fields I need.
>
> I wonder, do you start to write a package from scratch?

I think helpers to get people started are useful.  I cannot remember
fields from memory, not just in Guix, but in pretty much all code.  Thus
I ususally look at other code examples to remember how things work.
Sometimes I set up yasnippet expansion templates in emacs.

So, just a vote for: helpers are helpful!