I'm rejecting the patch, for the following reasons:
- I agree with ronaldoussoren that this deferred loading already happens in the 2.5 version (specifically, it happens inside read)
- I also agree that making it an optional parameter is unnecessary, it just complicates the interface. I also think the proposed parameter name ('differed') is mis-spelled, and should have been 'deferred' (unless I'm missing a meaning of 'differed')
- the implementation of the patch is unacceptable because it duplicates code.

As for why this patch is "put on hold": it was not because a rewrite was planned. The patch was contributed in 2003, and jafo's (first) comment was in 2006. The patch was "on hold" because nobody found the time to review it (just like these other 400 or so patches).