Re: image-load-path/load-path function

[Bill Wohler <wohler@newt.com>]

Reiner Steib <reinersteib+gmane@imap.cc> wrote:

> On Thu, Feb 23 2006, Katsumi Yamaoka wrote:
> 
> > By the way, how about making Gnus be able to start even if icon
> > files have not been installed?  I'm not sure whether it is
> > applicable to MH-E, though.
> 
> In Gnus, `gmm-image-load-path' is used only if `tool-bar-mode' is
> bound and non-nil.  But maybe a warning is sufficient.  I recall some
> discussion about the rational for this on the MH-E list, but I can't
> find right now.  Bill, Peter?

We used to create the tool bar icons at load time, but now we create
them in our various modes. We create them unconditionally at the moment,
but that can be changed easily.

I think it is reasonable to proceed if the icons can't be found if
tool-bar-mode is nil (since the user might not have any icons installed
to save space and run with the tool bar turned off).

My first choice would be to throw an error if the icons can't be found
and tool-bar-mode is non-nil (or if initially it is nil and later the
user turns on the tool bar). My rationale is based upon a philosophy of
throwing errors early. The user will get a specific message about the
problem rather than later wondering why the tool bar looks strange (and
missing a message in the *Messages* buffer which has since scrolled off
the top of the buffer).

-- 
Bill Wohler <wohler@newt.com>  http://www.newt.com/wohler/  GnuPG ID:610BD9AD
Maintainer of comp.mail.mh FAQ and MH-E. Vote Libertarian!
If you're passed on the right, you're in the wrong lane.