Add support for byte-compiling dot-emacs for package.el users

README.md

@@ -320,6 +320,69 @@ such cases, use the `:no-require` keyword, which implies `:defer`:
   (message "This is evaluated when `foo' is loaded"))
 ```
 
+### Byte-compiling with `package.el`
+
+For general discussion on `package.el`, please first read the "For
+package.el users" section.
+
+If you would like to byte-compile your init file, and in the
+byte-compiled version would like to avoid the `package-initialize`
+call (which is quite expensive), then you can use the
+`use-package-with-elpa` helper function.
+
+A fully working `.emacs` example:
+```elisp
+(setq package-user-dir "~/my-new-elpa-dir"
+      package-archives '(("melpa" . "http://melpa.milkbox.net/packages/")
+                         ("gnu" . "http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/")))
+
+;; Install use-package if not yet installed.
+(eval-when-compile
+  (package-initialize)
+  (unless (package-installed-p 'use-package)
+    (package-refresh-contents)
+    (package-install 'use-package)))
+
+(use-package-with-elpa)
+
+(use-package bind-key)
+(use-package diminish)
+
+(use-package magit
+  :bind ("C-c s" . magit-status))
+
+(use-package yaml-mode
+  :mode ("\\.yaml\\'"))
+```
+
+The `use-package-with-elpa` call provides the following functionality
+in case of an interpreted init file:
+
+  - `use-package-always-ensure` is set to `t`,
+  - `use-package-verbose` logging is enabled.
+
+These settings together with the `eval-when-compile` initialization
+block mean that you can just start Emacs with the init file above.
+Even if your elpa directory is completely empty, everything will be
+installed automatically with dependencies.
+
+Byte compilation of your init file can be done with a command like this:
+```
+rm -f ~/.emacs.elc; emacs -Q --batch -l ~/.emacs -f batch-byte-compile ~/.emacs
+```
+
+Once your init file is byte-compiled, this configuration provides the
+following functionality:
+
+  - `package.el` initialization is completely disabled,
+  - the `load-path` variable is set the same way as it was in the
+    interpreted init file,
+  - `use-package-verbose` is set to nil.
+
+Using `use-package` this way together with `package.el` provides very
+quick startup times even with a lot of packages, once your init file
+is byte-compiled.
+
 ## Extending the load-path
 
 If your package needs a directory added to the `load-path` in order to load,

use-package.el

@@ -478,6 +478,42 @@ This is in contrast to merely setting it to 0."
 
 (font-lock-add-keywords 'emacs-lisp-mode use-package-font-lock-keywords)
 
+;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
+;;
+;;; Little bit opinionated helper function for package.el users
+;;
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defmacro use-package-with-elpa ()
+  "Set up use-package to optimal usage with package.el.
+
+For full documentation on the meaning and usage of this, please
+consult the README file that came with this file at the section
+called `Byte-compiling with Package.el'."
+  '(progn
+     ;; Disable package initialize after us.  We either initialize it
+     ;; anyway in case of interpreted .emacs, or we don't want slow
+     ;; initizlization in case of byte-compiled .emacs.elc.
+     (setq package-enable-at-startup nil)
+     ;; Set use-package-verbose to t for interpreted .emacs,
+     ;; and to nil for byte-compiled .emacs.elc.
+     (eval-and-compile
+       (setq use-package-verbose (not (bound-and-true-p byte-compile-current-file))))
+     ;; Add the macro generated list of package.el loadpaths to load-path.
+     (mapc (lambda (add) (add-to-list 'load-path add))
+           (eval-when-compile
+             (setq use-package-always-ensure t)
+             (let ((package-user-dir-real (file-truename package-user-dir)))
+               ;; The reverse is necessary, because outside we mapc
+               ;; add-to-list element-by-element, which reverses.
+               (nreverse (apply #'nconc
+                                ;; Only keep package.el provided loadpaths.
+                                (mapcar (lambda (path)
+                                          (if (string-prefix-p package-user-dir-real path)
+                                              (list path)
+                                            nil))
+                                        load-path))))))))
+
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