Re: use-package.el -> Emacs core

[João Távora]

John Wiegley <address@hidden> writes:
>>> (use-package python-mode :load-path "site-lisp/python-mode" :mode "\\.py$")
>
>> But, if using package.el (or el-get), I don't need to write this, right?
>> It's already setup by python.el and by whatever method I used to install it.
>
> Correct. In fact, I'd _prefer_ it if the user didn't have to touch use-package
> at all, and could get by with package.el and customize. use-package is the
> "next step", after those two.

Righto. So after having agreed that `python.el' is not an ideal
demonstration of the potential of use-package, in fact it's useless in
that one, can you give some better examples?

> The only alternatives we need to consider right now is with and without
> use-package.el -- for details not taken care of by package.el. el-get is
> neither in core nor ELPA, so that knowledge doesn't help this
> discussion.

But aren't we discussing the potential installation in Emacs of *a* new
tool to ease the installation and the configuration of package? If
el-get is such a tool, why shouldn't it be included in this discussion?

Here's a very simple example: here's a way to configure markdown-mode

   (package-install 'markdown-mode)
   (with-eval-after-load 'markdown-mode
     (modify-syntax-entry ?` "\"" markdown-mode-syntax-table))

Here's a completely different way using el-get (actually, untested and I
suspect there's a simpler way, but I think it does what I want)

   (add-to-list 'el-get-sources
                '(:name 'markdown-mode
                  :after (modify-syntax-entry ?` "\"" 
markdown-mode-syntax-table)))
   (el-get 'sync 'markdown-mode)

And, for completeness, here's the package.el-less way for people who
downloaded it separately?

   (add-to-list 'load-path "path/to/markdown-mode")
   (require 'markdown-mode-autoloads)
   (with-eval-after-load 'markdown-mode
     (modify-syntax-entry ?` "\"" markdown-mode-syntax-table))

How would use-package handle this simple example? 

>> Then by all means use it :). But should I have to learn it too?
> Not necessarily. There are plenty of areas of Emacs that you don't have to
> learn, but that doesn't prohibit them from being in Emacs. If you see a bug
> dealing with use-package and don't want to handle it, don't.

I don't think you understood. I don't mean bugs in `use-package', I mean
bug reports in my extensions that are reported in terms of
`use-package'. Should I not handle those bugs?

> It's not a "new way" of configuring packages. It's a WAY period. The

I don't understand. It's a "new way", at least for me.

João