RE: eval-after-load not harmful after all (Was: Re: Why js-2mode?)

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Drew Adams writes:
 > In Icicles, I sometimes `require' other libraries explicitly. But in a few 
 > cases
 > I use `eval-after-load' instead - for exactly the kind of thing that Carsten
 > described.
 > 
 > I agree with Daniel, Carsten, and others that `eval-after-load' should not be
 > demonized.

I have no objection to use of `eval-after-load' in user or site files
that are disabled by emacs -q.  But `eval-after-load' in core files is
like smoking in an elevator next to a pregnant woman.  It's very
convenient, maybe even "necessary", from the point of view of the
user of the feature, but he doesn't bear the pain of debugging a
Heisenbug that appears for the user of random-package-using-e-a-l.

I note that all the advocates of e-a-l are package maintainers and UI
types; all the deprecators are core.  This is an inherent tension, and
I think it should be resolved in favor of protecting the core.