Mercurial > emacs
view doc/lispref/package.texi @ 110855:bec49af30c2f
Merge changes from emacs-23 branch.
author | Juanma Barranquero <lekktu@gmail.com> |
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date | Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:14:47 +0200 |
parents | a44dc3503539 |
children | 6378d1b57038 |
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@c -*-texinfo-*- @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. @c Copyright (C) 2010 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. @setfilename ../../info/package @node Packaging, Antinews, System Interface, Top @chapter Preparing Lisp code for distribution @cindex packaging Emacs provides a standard way for Emacs Lisp code to be distributed to users. This approach lets users easily download, install, uninstall, and upgrade Lisp code that they might want to use. A @dfn{package} is simply one or more files, formatted and bundled in a particular way. Typically a package includes primarily Emacs Lisp code, but it is possible to create other kinds of packages as well. @menu * Packaging Basics:: The basic concepts of Emacs Lisp packages. * Simple Packages:: How to package a single .el file. * Multi-file Packages:: How to package multiple files. @end menu @node Packaging Basics @section Packaging Basics @cindex packaging basics A package has a few attributes: @cindex package attributes @table @asis @item Name A string, the name of the package. This attribute is mandatory. If it does not exist, the package cannot be installed by the package manager. @item Version A version number, which is anything that can be parsed by @code{version-to-list}. This attribute is mandatory. If it does not exist, the package cannot be installed by the package manager. @item Brief description This is shown to the user in the package menu buffer. It is just a single line. On a terminal with 80 characters per line, there are only 36 characters available in the package menu mode for showing the brief description, so it is best to keep it very brief. If no brief name is given, an empty string is used. @item Long description This can be a @file{README} file or the like. This is available to the user before the package is installed, via the package menu. It should more fully describe the package and its capabilities, so a user can read it to decide whether he wants to install the package. This attribute is optional. @item Dependencies This is a list of other packages and their minimal acceptable versions. This is used both at download time (to make sure all the needed code is available) and at activation time (to ensure a package is only activated if all its dependencies have been successfully activated). This attribute is optional. @item Manual A package can optionally include an Info manual. @end table Conceptually, a package goes through several state transitions (in reality some of these transitions are grouped together): @table @asis @item Download Fetch the package from somewhere. @item Install Unpack the package, or write a @file{.el} file into the appropriate install directory. This step also includes extracting autoloads and byte-compiling the Emacs Lisp code. @item Activate Update @code{load-path} and @code{Info-directory-list} and evaluate the autoloads, so that the package is ready for the user to use. @end table It is best for users if packages do not do too much work at activation time. The best approach is to have activation consist of some autoloads and little more. @node Simple Packages @section Simple Packages @cindex single file packages The simplest package consists of a single Emacs Lisp source file. In this case, all the attributes of the package (@pxref{Packaging Basics}) are taken from this file. The package system expects this @file{.el} file to conform to the Emacs Lisp library header conventions. @xref{Library Headers}. The name of the package is the same as the base name of the @file{.el} file, as written in the first comment line. For example, given the header line: @smallexample ;;; superfrobnicator.el --- frobnicate and bifurcate flanges @end smallexample the package name will be @samp{superfrobnicator}. The short description of the package is also taken from the first line of the file. If the file has a ``Commentary'' header, then it is used as the long description. The version of the package comes either from the ``Package-Version'' header, if it exists, or from the ``Version'' header. A package is required to have a version number. Each release of a package must be accompanied by an increase in the version number. If the file has a ``Package-Requires'' header, then that is used as the package dependencies. Otherwise, the package is assumed not to have any dependencies. A single-file package cannot have an Info manual. The file will be scanned for autoload cookies at install time. @xref{Autoload}. @node Multi-file Packages @section Multi-file Packages @cindex multi-file packages A multi-file package is just a @file{.tar} file. While less convenient to create than a single-file package, a multi-file package also offers more features: it can include an Info manual, multiple Emacs Lisp files, and also other data files needed by a package. The contents of the @file{.tar} file must all appear beneath a single directory, named after the package and version. Files can appear in subdirectories of this top-most directory, but Emacs Lisp code will only be found (and thus byte-compiled) at the top-most level. Also, the @file{.tar} file is typically also given this same name. For example, if you are distributing version 1.3 of the superfrobnicator, the package file would be named ``superfrobnicator-1.3.tar'' and the contents would all appear in the directory @file{superfrobnicator-1.3} in that @file{.tar}. The package must include a @file{-pkg.el} file, named after the package. In our example above, this file would be called @file{superfrobnicator-pkg.el}. This file must have a single form in it, a call to @code{define-package}. The package dependencies and brief description are taken from this form. @defun define-package name version &optional docstring requirements Define a package. @var{name} is the name of the package, a string. @var{version} is the package's version, a string. It must be in a form that can be understood by @code{version-to-list}. @var{docstring} is the short description of the package. @var{requirements} is a list of required packages and their versions. @end defun If a @file{README} file exists in the content directory, then it is used as the long description. If the package has an Info manual, you should distribute the needed info files, plus a @file{dir} file made with @command{install-info}. @xref{Invoking install-info, Invoking install-info, Invoking install-info, texinfo, Texinfo}. Do not include any @file{.elc} files in the package. Those will be created at install time. Note that there is no way to control the order in which files are byte-compiled; your package must be robust here. The installation process will scan all the @file{.el} files in the package for autoload cookies. @xref{Autoload}. They are extracted into a @file{-autoloads.el} file (e.g., @file{superfrobnicator-autoloads.el}), so do not include a file of that name in your package. Any other files in the @file{.tar} file are simply unpacked when the package is installed. This can be useful if your package needs auxiliary data files --- e.g., icons or sounds. Emacs Lisp code installed via the package manager must take special care to be location-independent. One easy way to do this is to make references to auxiliary data files relative to @var{load-file-name}. For example: @smallexample (defconst superfrobnicator-base (file-name-directory load-file-name)) (defun superfrobnicator-fetch-image (file) (expand-file-name file superfrobnicator-base)) @end smallexample