Re: install.el

[Stefan Monnier]

> > From: "Stefan Monnier" <monnier+gnu/address@hidden>
> > Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2003 16:45:50 -0400
> > 
> > So I started to write install.el which is a package that offer the function
> > `install-file'.   It takes a file (a ginel elisp file or a tarball) and
> > somehow installs it at a useful place, compiles the elisp file(s)
> > and activates the package by adding some relevant commands in your .emacs.
> > 
> > Its current status is closer to proof-of-concept than to fool-proof,
> > but I'd like to install it in CVS.
> 
> Please allow me a few minor comments:

I'd love to hear comments about the "big picture" as well, but coding
nitpicks are very welcome.

> > (defcustom install-home-file (or user-init-file "~/.emacs")
>                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^
> This should be ``(convert-standard-filename "~/.emacs")'', for those
> platforms where .emacs is an invalid file name.

Actually, I'm not even sure if it shouldn't just be user-init-file.

> >     (or (car (install-glob (concat "**/" install-autoload-file)))
> >     (car (install-glob "**/auto-autoloads.el"))
> >     (car (install-glob "**/*-site.el")))))
> 
> I think these (and a few other similar) expansions might fail if file
> names are truncated to 8+3.  That is,
> 
>    (install-glob "auto-autoloads.el")
> 
> will not find "auto-aut.el", right?

Should we worry about this case ?
`auto-autoloads.el' is the name of a file used by XEmacs packages.

I think the problem is more serious for install-autoload-file which
is 9 letters long with no extension.  We may need to use some other name.

> > (defconst install-info-dir "-*- Text -*-\n\n\
> > File: dir   Node: Top       This is the top of the INFO tree\
> > \n\n* Menu:\n\n"
> >   "Text content of a barebones empty `info/dir' file.")
> 
> I think this text should follow the recommendations in the Texinfo
> package docs.

Feel free to send a patch.  I didn't look at the docs, but just took
a sample file and trimmed it down.


        Stefan