Subject: Re: bug#53981: 28.0.91; shortdoc: Add support for outline-minor-mode

From: Stefan Monnier <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2022 15:14:43 -0500

>> - is it likely that this one autoload will let other packages use this
>>   library without a `require` at all (e.g. `define-inline`), or will we
>>   end up needing N autoloads anyway?
> I don't understand this.

If the library defines N functions and we'd end up needing to autoload
almost all of them because none of them is more of an "entry point" to
the library than any other, then `require` is usually preferable.

In contrast, if most of the functions in the library are only used
internally, or only after some other function in the library has been
called, then we just need a small number of autoloads for the rare few
entry points, making it more worthwhile.

>> - how commonly is this library used (i.e. is it worth carrying the
>>   N autoloads in every Emacs session, compared to having to write
>>   `require` in a handful of files).
>
> The answer to this one is that we currently have just 2 packages that
> require this library.

Then I'd go with `require`.

        Stefan