@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
@c Copyright (C) 2010--2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
@node Packaging
@chapter Preparing Lisp code for distribution
@cindex package
@cindex Lisp package

  Emacs provides a standard way to distribute Emacs Lisp code to
users.  A @dfn{package} is a collection of one or more files,
formatted and bundled in such a way that users can easily download,
install, uninstall, and upgrade it.

  The following sections describe how to create a package, and how to
put it in a @dfn{package archive} for others to download.
@xref{Packages,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for a description of
user-level features of the packaging system.

  These sections are mostly directed towards package archive
maintainers---much of this information is not relevant for package
authors (i.e., people who write code that will be distributed via
these archives).

@menu
* Packaging Basics::        The basic concepts of Emacs Lisp packages.
* Simple Packages::         How to package a single .el file.
* Multi-file Packages::     How to package multiple files.
* Package Archives::        Maintaining package archives.
* Archive Web Server::      Interfacing to an archive web server.
* Forwards-Compatibility::  Supporting older versions of Emacs.
@end menu

@node Packaging Basics
@section Packaging Basics
@cindex package attributes
@cindex package name
@cindex package version
@cindex dependencies
@cindex package dependencies

  A package is either a @dfn{simple package} or a @dfn{multi-file
package}.  A simple package is stored in a package archive as a single
Emacs Lisp file, while a multi-file package is stored as a tar file
(containing multiple Lisp files, and possibly non-Lisp files such as a
manual).

  In ordinary usage, the difference between simple packages and
multi-file packages is relatively unimportant; the Package Menu
interface makes no distinction between them.  However, the procedure
for creating them differs, as explained in the following sections.

  Each package (whether simple or multi-file) has certain
@dfn{attributes}:

@table @asis
@item Name
A short word (e.g., @samp{auctex}).  This is usually also the symbol
prefix used in the program (@pxref{Coding Conventions}).

@item Version
A version number, in a form that the function @code{version-to-list}
understands (e.g., @samp{11.86}).  Each release of a package should be
accompanied by an increase in the version number so that it will be
recognized as an upgrade by users querying the package archive.

@item Brief description
This is shown when the package is listed in the Package Menu.  It
should occupy a single line, ideally in 36 characters or less.

@item Long description
This is shown in the buffer created by @kbd{C-h P}
(@code{describe-package}), following the package's brief description
and installation status.  It normally spans multiple lines, and should
fully describe the package's capabilities and how to begin using it
once it is installed.

@item Dependencies
A list of other packages (possibly including minimal acceptable
version numbers) on which this package depends.  The list may be
empty, meaning this package has no dependencies.  Otherwise,
installing this package also automatically installs its dependencies,
recursively; if any dependency cannot be found, the package cannot be
installed.
@end table

@cindex content directory, package
  Installing a package, either via the command @code{package-install-file},
or via the Package Menu, creates a subdirectory of
@code{package-user-dir} named @file{@var{name}-@var{version}}, where
@var{name} is the package's name and @var{version} its version
(e.g., @file{~/.emacs.d/elpa/auctex-11.86/}).  We call this the
package's @dfn{content directory}.  It is where Emacs puts the
package's contents (the single Lisp file for a simple package, or the
files extracted from a multi-file package).

@cindex package autoloads
  Emacs then searches every Lisp file in the content directory for
autoload magic comments (@pxref{Autoload}).  These autoload
definitions are saved to a file named @file{@var{name}-autoloads.el}
in the content directory.  They are typically used to autoload the
principal user commands defined in the package, but they can also
perform other tasks, such as adding an element to
@code{auto-mode-alist} (@pxref{Auto Major Mode}).  Note that a package
typically does @emph{not} autoload every function and variable defined
within it---only the handful of commands typically called to begin
using the package.  Emacs then byte-compiles every Lisp file in the
package.

  After installation, the installed package is @dfn{loaded}: Emacs
adds the package's content directory to @code{load-path}, and
evaluates the autoload definitions in @file{@var{name}-autoloads.el}.

  Whenever Emacs starts up, it automatically calls the function
@code{package-activate-all} to make installed packages available to the
current session.  This is done after loading the early init file, but
before loading the regular init file (@pxref{Startup Summary}).
Packages are not automatically made available if the user option
@code{package-enable-at-startup} is set to @code{nil} in the early
init file.

@defun package-activate-all
This function makes the packages available to the current session.
The user option @code{package-load-list} specifies which packages to
make available; by default, all installed packages are made available.
@xref{Package Installation,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.

In most cases, you should not need to call @code{package-activate-all},
as this is done automatically during startup.  Simply make sure to put
any code that should run before @code{package-activate-all} in the early
init file, and any code that should run after it in the primary init
file (@pxref{Init File,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
@end defun

@deffn Command package-initialize &optional no-activate
This function initializes Emacs's internal record of which packages are
installed, and then calls @code{package-activate-all}.

The optional argument @var{no-activate}, if non-@code{nil}, causes
Emacs to update its record of installed packages without actually
making them available.
@end deffn

@node Simple Packages
@section Simple Packages
@cindex single file package
@cindex simple package

  A simple package consists of a single Emacs Lisp source file.  The
file must conform to the Emacs Lisp library header conventions
(@pxref{Library Headers}).  The package's attributes are taken from
the various headers, as illustrated by the following example:

@example
@group
;;; superfrobnicator.el --- Frobnicate and bifurcate flanges  -*- lexical-binding:t -*-

;; Copyright (C) 2022, 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@end group

;; Author: J. R. Hacker <jrh@@example.com>
;; Version: 1.3
;; Package-Requires: ((flange "1.0"))
;; Keywords: multimedia, hypermedia
;; URL: https://example.com/jrhacker/superfrobnicate

@dots{}

;;; Commentary:

;; This package provides a minor mode to frobnicate and/or
;; bifurcate any flanges you desire.  To activate it, just type
@dots{}

;;;###autoload
(define-minor-mode superfrobnicator-mode
@dots{}
@end example

  The name of the package is the same as the base name of the file, as
written on the first line.  Here, it is @samp{superfrobnicator}.

  The brief description is also taken from the first line.  Here, it
is @samp{Frobnicate and bifurcate flanges}.

  The version number comes from the @samp{Package-Version} header, if
it exists, or from the @samp{Version} header otherwise.  One or the
other @emph{must} be present.  Here, the version number is 1.3.

  If the file has a @samp{;;; Commentary:} section, this section is
used as the long description.  (When displaying the description, Emacs
omits the @samp{;;; Commentary:} line, as well as the leading comment
characters in the commentary itself.)

  If the file has a @samp{Package-Requires} header, that is used as the
package dependencies.  In the above example, the package depends on the
@samp{flange} package, version 1.0 or higher.  @xref{Library Headers},
for a description of the @samp{Package-Requires} header.  To depend on a
specific version of Emacs, specify @samp{emacs} as the package name.  If
the header is omitted, the package has no dependencies.

  The @samp{Keywords} and @samp{URL} headers are optional, but recommended.
The command @code{describe-package} uses these to add links to its
output.  The @samp{Keywords} header should contain at least one
standard keyword from the @code{finder-known-keywords} list.

  The file ought to also contain one or more autoload magic comments,
as explained in @ref{Packaging Basics}.  In the above example, a magic
comment autoloads @code{superfrobnicator-mode}.

  @xref{Package Archives}, for an explanation of how to add a
single-file package to a package archive.

@node Multi-file Packages
@section Multi-file Packages
@cindex multi-file package

  A multi-file package is less convenient to create than a single-file
package, but it offers more features: it can include multiple Emacs
Lisp files, an Info manual, and other file types (such as images).

  Prior to installation, a multi-file package is stored in a package
archive as a tar file.  The tar file must be named
@file{@var{name}-@var{version}.tar}, where @var{name} is the package
name and @var{version} is the version number.  Its contents, once
extracted, must all appear in a directory named
@file{@var{name}-@var{version}}, the @dfn{content directory}
(@pxref{Packaging Basics}).  Files may also extract into
subdirectories of the content directory.

  One of the files in the content directory must be named
@file{@var{name}-pkg.el}.  It must contain a single Lisp form,
consisting of a call to the function @code{define-package}, described
below.  This defines the package's attributes: version, brief
description, and requirements.

  For example, if we distribute version 1.3 of the superfrobnicator as
a multi-file package, the tar file would be
@file{superfrobnicator-1.3.tar}.  Its contents would extract into the
directory @file{superfrobnicator-1.3}, and one of these would be the
file @file{superfrobnicator-pkg.el}.

@defun define-package name version &optional docstring requirements
This function defines a package.  @var{name} is the package name, a
string.  @var{version} is the version, as a string of a form that can
be understood by the function @code{version-to-list}.  @var{docstring}
is the brief description.

@var{requirements} is a list of required packages and their versions.
Each element in this list should have the form @code{(@var{dep-name}
@var{dep-version})}, where @var{dep-name} is a symbol whose name is the
dependency's package name, and @var{dep-version} is the dependency's
version (a string).  The special value @samp{emacs} means that the
package depends on the given version of Emacs.
@end defun

  If the content directory contains a file named @file{README}, this
file is used as the long description (overriding any @samp{;;;
Commentary:} section).

  If the content directory contains a file named @file{dir}, this is
assumed to be an Info directory file made with @command{install-info}.
@xref{Invoking install-info, Invoking install-info, Invoking
install-info, texinfo, Texinfo}.  The relevant Info files should also
be present in the content directory.  In this case, Emacs will
automatically add the content directory to @code{Info-directory-list}
when the package is activated.

  Do not include any @file{.elc} files in the package.  Those are
created when the package is installed.  Note that there is no way to
control the order in which files are byte-compiled.

  Do not include any file named @file{@var{name}-autoloads.el}.  This
file is reserved for the package's autoload definitions
(@pxref{Packaging Basics}).  It is created automatically when the
package is installed, by searching all the Lisp files in the package
for autoload magic comments.

  If the multi-file package contains auxiliary data files (such as
images), the package's Lisp code can refer to these files via the
variable @code{load-file-name} (@pxref{Loading}).  Here is an example:

@smallexample
(defconst superfrobnicator-base (file-name-directory load-file-name))

(defun superfrobnicator-fetch-image (file)
  (expand-file-name file superfrobnicator-base))
@end smallexample

@cindex @file{.elpaignore} file
  If your package contains files that you don't wish to distribute to
users (e.g.@: regression tests), you can add them to an
@file{.elpaignore} file.  In this file, each line lists a file or a
wildcard matching files; those files should be ignored when producing
your package's tarball on ELPA (@pxref{Package Archives}).  (ELPA
will pass this file to the @command{tar} command via the @option{-X}
command-line option, when it prepares the package for download.)

@node Package Archives
@section Creating and Maintaining Package Archives
@cindex package archive

@cindex GNU ELPA
@cindex NonGNU ELPA
  Via the Package Menu, users may download packages from @dfn{package
archives}.  Such archives are specified by the variable
@code{package-archives}, whose default value lists the archives
hosted on @url{https://elpa.gnu.org, GNU ELPA} and
@url{https://elpa.nongnu.org, NonGNU ELPA}.  This section describes
how to set up and maintain a package archive.

  A package archive is simply a directory in which the package files,
and associated files, are stored.  If you want the archive to be
reachable via HTTP, this directory must be accessible to a web server;
@xref{Archive Web Server}.

  A convenient way to set up and update a package archive is via the
@code{package-x} library.  This is included with Emacs, but not loaded
by default; type @kbd{M-x load-library @key{RET} package-x @key{RET}} to
load it, or add @code{(require 'package-x)} to your init file.
@xref{Lisp Libraries,, Lisp Libraries, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.

@noindent
After you create an archive, remember that it is not accessible in the
Package Menu interface unless it is in @code{package-archives}.

@cindex package archive security
@cindex package signing
Maintaining a public package archive entails a degree of responsibility.
When Emacs users install packages from your archive, those packages
can cause Emacs to run arbitrary code with the permissions of the
installing user.  (This is true for Emacs code in general, not just
for packages.)  So you should ensure that your archive is
well-maintained and keep the hosting system secure.

  One way to increase the security of your packages is to @dfn{sign}
them using a cryptographic key.  If you have generated a
private/public gpg key pair, you can use gpg to sign the package like
this:

@c FIXME EasyPG / package-x way to do this.
@example
gpg -ba -o @var{file}.sig @var{file}
@end example

@noindent
For a single-file package, @var{file} is the package Lisp file;
for a multi-file package, it is the package tar file.
You can also sign the archive's contents file in the same way.
Make the @file{.sig} files available in the same location as the packages.
You should also make your public key available for people to download;
e.g., by uploading it to a key server such as @url{https://pgp.mit.edu/}.
When people install packages from your archive, they can use
your public key to verify the signatures.

A full explanation of these matters is outside the scope of this
manual.  For more information on cryptographic keys and signing,
@pxref{Top,, GnuPG, gnupg, The GNU Privacy Guard Manual}.  Emacs comes
with an interface to GNU Privacy Guard, @pxref{Top,, EasyPG, epa,
Emacs EasyPG Assistant Manual}.

@node Archive Web Server
@section Interfacing to an archive web server
@cindex archive web server

A web server providing access to a package archive must support the
following queries:

@table @asis
@item archive-contents
Return a lisp form describing the archive contents.  The form is a list
of 'package-desc' structures (see @file{package.el}), except the first
element of the list is the archive version.

@item <package name>-readme.txt
Return the long description of the package.

@item <file name>.sig
Return the signature for the file.

@item <file name>
Return the file.  This will be the tarball for a multi-file
package, or the single file for a simple package.

@end table

@node Forwards-Compatibility
@section Supporting older versions of Emacs
@cindex compatibility compat

Packages that wish to support older releases of Emacs, without giving
up on newer functionality from recent Emacs releases, one can make use
of the Compat package on GNU ELPA.  By depending on the package, Emacs
can provide compatibility definitions for missing functionality.

The versioning of Compat follows that of Emacs, so next to the oldest
version that a package relies on (via the @code{emacs}-package), one
can also indicate what the newest version of Emacs is, that a package
wishes to use definitions from:

@example
;; Package-Requires: ((emacs "27.2") (compat "29.1"))
@end example

Note that Compat provides replacement functions with extended
functionality for functions that are already defined (@code{sort},
@code{assoc}, @dots{}).  These functions may have changed their
calling convention (additional optional arguments) or may have changed
their behavior.  These functions must be looked up explicitly with
@code{compat-function} or called explicitly with @code{compat-call}.
We call them @dfn{Extended Definitions}.  In contrast, newly @dfn{Added
Definitions} can be called as usual.

@defmac compat-call fun &rest args
This macro calls the compatibility function @var{fun} with @var{args}.
Many functions provided by Compat can be called directly without this
macro.  However in the case where Compat provides an alternative
version of an existing function, the function call has to go through
@code{compat-call}.
@end defmac

@defmac compat-function fun
This macro returns the compatibility function symbol for @var{fun}.
See @code{compat-call} for a more convenient macro to directly call
compatibility functions.
@end defmac

For further details on how to make use of the package, see
@ref{Usage,, Usage, compat, "Compat" Manual}.  In case you don't have
the manual installed, you can also read the
@url{https://elpa.gnu.org/packages/doc/compat.html#Usage, Online
Compat manual}.
