with-eval-after-load vs use-package
reddit / emacs

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MhvxvLvJrg · 2022-04-22 18:21

After 1 year with Emacs, I think it’s about the time to refactor my
config which consists of multiple elisp files. What are your thoughts
about use-package or eval-after-load? Now I’m using the latter, but it
feels it’s a little messy, with ‘require’ here and there and not much
lazy loaded.

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lebensterben · 2022-04-22 18:51

use-package is a high-level abstraction of packages loading and
configuration.

with-eval-after-load is low level and is not specific to package.

you may combine both.

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SlowValue · 2022-04-22 19:32

Use `use-package` that's why it was "invented".

`use-package` is a DSL (domain specific language) for exactly this
(and some more). This DSL stuff (made out of a feature called [Lisp
Macros](https://gigamonkeys.com/book/macros-defining-your-own.html))
is one thing, why Lisp is cool. `use-package` is hiding the ugly stuff
from you and makes it look pretty.

Go for `use-package`!

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pwnedary · 2022-04-22 19:37

I do not use `use-package` yet I only have a single explicit `(require
...)` in my config, and that is because everything else gets auto-
loaded.

The reason why I would discourage use of `use-package` is because
configuring Emacs is not just enabling a bunch of packages. Rather you
configure features; such as Evil mode, minibuffer completions or IDE
aspects; and for each of those tasks you may need multiple packages
with intertwining configuration/function definitions. Therefore I
think `use-package` stanzas are the wrong grouping and only a local,
not global, maximum in terms of neatness.

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SlowValue · 2022-04-22 19:46

Every package brings it own settings and keymaps, therefore it is
useful to cluster settings which belongs to one package. That makes
packages more easily exangable|removable. Intertwining just makes a
complex mess, which it does not have to be (in most cases).

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pwnedary · 2022-04-22 20:01

> Intertwining just makes a complex mess, which it does not have to be
(in most cases).

I did not say you should intertwine just for the sake of it.

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deaddyfreddy · 2022-04-23 08:33

`:after`