Re: How to configure Emacs to autoload modes?

[David Masterson]

>>>>> Kai Großjohann writes:
> David Masterson <David.Masterson@synopsys.com> writes:
>>>>>>> Kai Großjohann writes:

>>> (You could add the code to site-start.el if you want to avoid
>>> every user having to put it in their .emacs file.)

>> In the case of auto-mode-alist, don't you think it's preferrable to
>> put the code in default.el so that users can choose to not load it
>> via inhibit-default-init?

> Well.  People could still put (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist ...)
> statements into their ~/.emacs.

> The problem that I, personally, see with inhibit-default-init is
> that it's an all-or-nothing thing.  There is no way to say "I like
> most of what default.el does, but please skip this setting here".

> That's why I my site-start.el contains a lot of functions, each
> setting up a specific package.  Then my users can pick and choose.
> (Or choose and pick?)

Ah, yes.  The old "chicken and egg" problem with Emacs configuration.
If you put everything in site-start.el, then potentially more things
get defined than the user really wants and the user has to undo it in
.emacs.  If you put everything in default.el, then the user may lose
control over what get's defined unless he sets inhibit-default-init.

Back in the day when I did this, I think I solved it the same way you
are.  I also put a default set of choices into default.el and just
made sure that the functions "do the right thing" if the user chooses
to set something up himself.

-- 
David Masterson                David DOT Masterson AT synopsys DOT com
Sr. R&D Engineer               Synopsys, Inc.
Software Engineering           Sunnyvale, CA