Re: Supporting multiline Package-Requires header

[Phillip Lord]

Thierry Volpiatto <address@hidden> writes:

> Artur Malabarba <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> I'd like to add support for multiline Package-Requires headers in
>> package.el. Does anyone have any preference over the following 2
>> possible formats?
>
> I suggest keeping what we have actually for backward compatibility and
> generalize the use of a *-pkg.el file with a define-package form even
> for single file packages.

I think actually, you have hit the nail on the head here.

As others have pointed out, while this change is backward compatible
(for package.el) actually using the format in a package is not backward
compatible with older Emacs'.

The package author can specify the minimal Emacs version, of course, but
unfortunately this happens in the "Package-Requires:", which will be
parsed incorrectly in older Emacs'.

Instead of making Package-* headers more capable, deprecating them in
favour of *-pkg.el files (which really is a sexp, has to balance, but is
easy to check for balance) makes quite a lot of sense. Probably easier
when you get right down to it.

Phil