Re: org-assert-version considered harmful

[Ihor Radchenko]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>>> Yup.  But there's no option to automatically find those dependencies in
>>> ELisp, and (IIRC from last time I looked at it, in many packages obeying
>>> such dependencies would end up introducing circular dependencies in
>>> the Makefile), so we'd have to depend on the package's author to provide
>>> a working set of file dependencies.
>>
>> It would be nice to have such an option.
>
> Agreed.  The "last time" mentioned above, I looked at changing the
> byte-compiler to keep track of the macros that were expanded so we can
> auto-generate the dependencies.

Then, I am inclined towards easing the version check to (org-version)
instead of (org-git-version). It will be no worse than the existing
situation with re-compiling updated .el files.

>> For reference, one simple way to trigger "mixed" state of Org is doing
>> something like:
>>
>> 1. emacs -Q
>> 2. (require 'org)
>> 3. Add the newer Org version to load-path
>> 4. (require 'ob-python)
>>
>> When and which version of org-autoloads.el will be loaded in
>> such scenario?
>
> None :-(
>
> In my book step 3 above is a mistake (even if moved to step 2).

I am confused.
AFAIK, changing the load-path is a common way for users to install
packages manually.

We do recommend setting the load-path in
https://orgmode.org/org.html#Installation and
https://orgmode.org/manual/Feedback.html

Moreover, it is also the recommendation from Emacs manual section
"28.8 Libraries of Lisp Code for Emacs":

>>>    The default value of ‘load-path’ is a list of directories where the
>>> Lisp code for Emacs itself is stored.  If you have libraries of your own
>>> in another directory, you can add that directory to the load path.
>>> Unlike most other variables described in this manual, ‘load-path’ cannot
>>> be changed via the Customize interface (*note Easy Customization::), but
>>> you can add a directory to it by putting a line like this in your init
>>> file (*note Init File::):
>>> 
>>>      (add-to-list 'load-path "/path/to/my/lisp/library")

-- 
Ihor Radchenko,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at https://orgmode.org/.
Support Org development at https://liberapay.com/org-mode,
or support my work at https://liberapay.com/yantar92