Re: (require ...) and file dependencies.

[Stefan Monnier]

> They may fixed by:
>
>   (eval-when-compile
>     (defvar ...))

No, it's fixed with

    (defvar <foo>)

Siuch (defvar <foo>) declarations (i.e. without an initial value) are
annotations for the *compiler*, so you don't want to pas them to the
`eval'uator (hence you don't want to wrap them in `eval-when-compile').
The fact that they also work when wrapped in `eval-when-compile' is an
accident which might get fixed at any point.

>   Warning: the function `...' is not known to be defined.

For these you have (declare-function ...)

> Is that right to use (this is used in CEDET):
>
>   (eval-when-compile
>     (require 'xxx-mode))

In general, no, this will just change the warnings from "not known to be
defined" to "not known to be defined at run-time".  But if you need it
because the problematic function is actually a macro, then yes, this can
be the right thing to do (tho it won't necessarily fix your recursive
load).

> Seems that proper way to fix issue is by rearranging dependency hierarchy by
> breaking dependency cycles, isn't?

That's would be The Right Thing to do, yes.

> I think that I need to move shared definitions from xxx-mode.el into
> xxx-core.el:

That's one way, yes.  Another is to move the shared definitions to one
of the two files (presumably to xxx-update since xxx-mode is the one
that should require the other).


        Stefan