Another alternative is to use John Wiegley's use-package. This provides a programmatic way to configure packages that plays nicely with emacs 24+ package initialization process. Here is an example of use from the readme:

(use-package color-moccur :commands (isearch-moccur isearch-all) :bind (("M-s O" . moccur) :map isearch-mode-map ("M-o" . isearch-moccur) ("M-O" . isearch-moccur-all)) :init  (setq isearch-lazy-highlight t) :config  (use-package moccur-edit)) 

The point is that use package is a macro and does not evaluate its arguments immediately. The :init and :config parameters are evaluated at different stages of the initialization process, making it possible to have the configuration of each package in one place, but have each part execute at the appropriate stage of initialization.

Without something like use-package some packages require part of their initialization code to go before (package-initialize) and another part to go after. If you have many packegas like that then theire initializations would have to be interleaved.

Another benefit of use-package is that it can automatically install missing packages from using package.el if you take you .emacs to a new machine or if you share your configuration with another user and all initialization can be deferred until a package actually need to be loaded.

There are also additional keyword arguments that allow more control over the initialization process.

All that said, one big advantage of customize is that it shows you what there is to be configured in any given package. That is one reason I still use it for many of my packages.

Another alternative is to use John Wiegley's use-package. This provides a programmatic way to configure packages that plays nicely with emacs 24+ package initialization process. Here is an example of use from the readme:

(use-package color-moccur :commands (isearch-moccur isearch-all) :bind (("M-s O" . moccur) :map isearch-mode-map ("M-o" . isearch-moccur) ("M-O" . isearch-moccur-all)) :custom (isearch-lazy-highlight t) :config (use-package moccur-edit)) 

The point is that use package is a macro and does not evaluate its arguments immediately. The :init and :config parameters are evaluated at different stages of the initialization process, making it possible to have the configuration of each package in one place, but have each part execute at the appropriate stage of initialization.

Without something like use-package some packages require part of their initialization code to go before (package-initialize) and another part to go after. If you have many packegas like that then theire initializations would have to be interleaved.

Another benefit of use-package is that it can automatically install missing packages from using package.el if you take you .emacs to a new machine or if you share your configuration with another user and all initialization can be deferred until a package actually need to be loaded.

There are also additional keyword arguments that allow more control over the initialization process.

All that said, one big advantage of customize is that it shows you what there is to be configured in any given package. That is one reason I still use it for many of my packages.

Another alternative is to use John Wiegley's use-package. This provides a programmatic way to configure packages that plays nicely with emacs 24+ package initialization process. Here is an example of use from the readme:

(use-package color-moccur :commands (isearch-moccur isearch-all) :bind (("M-s O" . moccur) :map isearch-mode-map ("M-o" . isearch-moccur) ("M-O" . isearch-moccur-all)) :init (setq isearch-lazy-highlight t) :config (use-package moccur-edit)) 

Another alternative is to use John Wiegley's use-package. This provides a programmatic way to configure packages that plays nicely with emacs 24+ package initialization process. Here is an example of use from the readme:

(use-package color-moccur :commands (isearch-moccur isearch-all) :bind (("M-s O" . moccur) :map isearch-mode-map ("M-o" . isearch-moccur) ("M-O" . isearch-moccur-all)) :init (setq isearch-lazy-highlight t) :config (use-package moccur-edit)) 

The point is that use package is a macro and does not evaluate its arguments immediately. The :init and :config parameters are evaluated at different stages of the initialization process, making it possible to have the configuration of each package in one place, but have each part execute at the appropriate stage of initialization.

Without something like use-package some packages require part of their initialization code to go before (package-initialize) and another part to go after. If you have many packegas like that then theire initializations would have to be interleaved.

Another benefit of use-package is that it can automatically install missing packages from using package.el if you take you .emacs to a new machine or if you share your configuration with another user and all initialization can be deferred until a package actually need to be loaded.

There are also additional keyword arguments that allow more control over the initialization process.

All that said, one big advantage of customize is that it shows you what there is to be configured in any given package. That is one reason I still use it for many of my packages.