Re: Simplify code for tooltips in menus

[Reiner Steib <4.uce.03.r.s@nurfuerspam.de>]

On Fri, Jan 02 2004, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen wrote:

> Reiner Steib <4.uce.03.r.s@nurfuerspam.de> writes:

>> This would also be useful for `message.el'.  Can (should) we use stuff
>> from `gnus-util.el' there?
>
> Preferably not.
>
> But I've sometimes wished that there was a file in the Gnus
> distribution that just had self-contained little helper functions and
> macros (like this one).  misc.el or something.  h4x0r.el.

I think we should do this.  Could you suggest a name and kick-start it
(add to CVS, write something about its purpose [1])?

What about the name-space (package prefix)?  Should the helper
functions start with "gnus-"?  If not, it would be easier to find real
dependencies packages or libraries that are supposed to be independent
from Gnus, like `message.el', `mm-*.el', `mml-*.el', what-else?  But
OTOH, a different name-space would need a lot of renaming in the Gnus
code.

> A collection of functions that could be included anywhere without
> worrying about requiring half the world...

I'd like to add the proposed `gnus-help' and some (self-contained)
functions/macro from `gnus-utils' to that new file.

Is there a reason why there are no ";;;###autoload" statements in
`gnus-util.el'?  Wouldn't it be useful for the new proposed file?

Bye, Reiner.

[1] Similar to this:

,----
| ;;; gnus-util.el --- utility functions for Gnus
| [...]
| ;;; Commentary:
| 
| ;; Nothing in this file depends on any other parts of Gnus -- all
| ;; functions and macros in this file are utility functions that are
| ;; used by Gnus and may be used by any other package without loading
| ;; Gnus first.
| 
| ;; [Unfortunately, it does depend on other parts of Gnus, e.g. the
| ;; autoloads below...]
`----
-- 
       ,,,
      (o o)
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