Re: Better startup error handling

[Stefan Monnier]

>> > Downsides: loads the byte-compiler even in sessions that 
>> > don't need it, and notably inefficient.
>> Exactly: in theory it's straightforward, but doing it well 
>> will require more work.  IIRC there are some other issues such as
>> the fact that .emacs code tends to be very different from typical
>> code in Elisp packages, and the kinds of things we want to flag
>> aren't all the same (some things are acceptable/normal/unavoidable
>> in one but not in the other).
> No flames please, but I have a different objection to this idea.
> Perhaps you hinted at in in your last sentence - not sure.  Anyhooo...

I largely agree, and that's indeed some of the issues I was hinting at.
Rather than try to detect errors (such as wrong-number of args) which
will/would be detected at run-time anyway, the purpose would be to
detect use of obsolete/deprecated vars/functions/functionality.

But as you mention, such warnings should be kept sufficiently discreet
since a user may elect to keep "old" code if she uses the same .emacs
with various versions/flavors of emacs.


        Stefan