Subject: Re: bug#67955: [PATCH] Add use-package-vc-prefer-newest user option

From: Tony Zorman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2024 21:16:19 +0100

On Mon, Jan 15 2024 07:09, Philip Kaludercic wrote:
> Tony Zorman <[email-masked]> writes:
>
>> On Fri, Jan 12 2024 16:32, Philip Kaludercic wrote:
>>> Tony Zorman <[email-masked]> writes:
>>>> ++++
>>>> +*** New user option 'use-package-vc-prefer-newest'.
>>>> +This allows the user to always install the newest commit of a package
>>>> +when using the ':vc' keyword.
>>>
>>> I wonder if this should be merged into the previous point, or if it is
>>> even worth mentioning, since it is part of a few feature that has been
>>> added in Emacs 30.
>>
>> No strong opinions here, I can change this to whatever people prefer.
>
> Let us leave it then, because I don't know what would be better either.
>
>>>> +(defcustom use-package-vc-prefer-newest nil
>>>> +  "Prefer the newest commit over the latest release.
>>>> +If non-nil, the `:vc' keyword will prefer the latest commit of a
>>>> +package instead of the latest stable release.  This has the same
>>>> +effect as specifying `:rev :newest' in every invocation of `:vc'."
>>>> +  :type 'boolean
>>>> +  :version "30.1"
>>>> +  :group 'use-package)
>>>
>>> I would briefly mention what the issue could be when setting this option
>>> to non-nil, just to give some context as to why it is disabled by default.
>>
>> Do you mean something like how this goes against what [Non]GNU ELPA do,
>> and could lead to increased instability (as we are, by definition,
>> tracking a moving target)? I guess a lot of users will be familiar with
>> this style of development from MELPA, so I'm not sure any additional
>> warning here is necessary. Again, I don't feel very strongly about this,
>> so if you want this changed I'll think of something.
>
> Yes, that was what I meant.  I don't want to assume that users are
> familiar with MELPA, so a brief comment to that effect should suffice.
> Thanks!

Okay, I've attached a new version of the patch.

Thanks for the review!
T

>From 8f207a132f669cf2486ecf0e12ade864a9a6912c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Tony Zorman <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:51:09 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Add use-package-vc-prefer-newest user option

* lisp/use-package/use-package-core.el (use-package-vc-prefer-newest):
User option to prefer the latest commit (as opposed to the latest
release) of a package.
(use-package-normalize--vc-arg): Check for
use-package-vc-prefer-newest.

* doc/misc/use-package.texi (Install package): Document
use-package-vc-prefer-newest.

* etc/NEWS: Document use-package-vc-prefer-newest.
---
 doc/misc/use-package.texi            |  8 ++++++--
 etc/NEWS                             |  5 +++++
 lisp/use-package/use-package-core.el | 22 +++++++++++++++++++---
 3 files changed, 30 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/misc/use-package.texi b/doc/misc/use-package.texi
index d834e1be754..c2b6404b68b 100644
--- a/doc/misc/use-package.texi
+++ b/doc/misc/use-package.texi
@@ -1639,8 +1639,12 @@ Install package
 would try -- by invoking @code{package-vc-install} -- to install the
 latest commit of the package @code{foo} from the specified remote.
 
-This can also be used for local packages, by combining it with the
-@code{:load-path} (@pxref{Load path}) keyword:
+@vindex use-package-vc-prefer-newest
+Alternatively, the @code{use-package-vc-prefer-newest} user option
+exists to always prefer the latest commit.
+
+The @code{:vc} keyword can also be used for local packages, by
+combining it with @code{:load-path} (@pxref{Load path}):
 
 @example
 @group
diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index 03b8c3b517a..f9e01b14f92 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -1035,6 +1035,11 @@ interactive Python interpreter specified by 'python-interpreter'.
 *** New ':vc' keyword.
 This keyword enables the user to install packages using 'package-vc'.
 
++++
+*** New user option 'use-package-vc-prefer-newest'.
+This allows the user to always install the newest commit of a package
+when using the ':vc' keyword.
+
 ** Gnus
 
 *** The 'nnweb-type' option 'gmane' has been removed.
diff --git a/lisp/use-package/use-package-core.el b/lisp/use-package/use-package-core.el
index d9343e14839..ba2e93c97e9 100644
--- a/lisp/use-package/use-package-core.el
+++ b/lisp/use-package/use-package-core.el
@@ -346,6 +346,20 @@ use-package-compute-statistics
   :type 'boolean
   :group 'use-package)
 
+(defcustom use-package-vc-prefer-newest nil
+  "Prefer the newest commit over the latest release.
+By default, much like GNU ELPA and NonGNU ELPA, the `:vc' keyword
+tracks the latest stable release of a package.  If this option is
+non-nil, the latest commit is preferred instead.  This has the
+same effect as specifying `:rev :newest' in every invocation of
+`:vc'.
+
+Note that always tracking a package's latest commit might lead to
+stability issues."
+  :type 'boolean
+  :version "30.1"
+  :group 'use-package)
+
 (defvar use-package-statistics (make-hash-table))
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
@@ -1649,9 +1663,11 @@ use-package-normalize--vc-arg
                (if (and s (stringp s)) (intern s) s))
              (normalize (k v)
                (pcase k
-                 (:rev (cond ((or (eq v :last-release) (not v)) :last-release)
-                             ((eq v :newest) nil)
-                             (t (ensure-string v))))
+                 (:rev (pcase v
+                         ('nil (if use-package-vc-prefer-newest nil :last-release))
+                         (:last-release :last-release)
+                         (:newest nil)
+                         (_ (ensure-string v))))
                  (:vc-backend (ensure-symbol v))
                  (_ (ensure-string v)))))
     (pcase-let ((valid-kws '(:url :branch :lisp-dir :main-file :vc-backend :rev))
-- 
2.43.0

-- 
Tony Zorman | https://tony-zorman.com/