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From: Omar Polo <op@omarpolo.com>
To: Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com>
Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
Subject: Re: The convenient method to check/inspect/retrieve the definition/usage of any commands/symbols/operators used in elisp code.
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:48:56 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <8735t96mxj.fsf@omarpolo.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CAGP6POJFb10S4uM=sh+72-tpqDvjc1943JWRJgaDFWioQwYBbw@mail.gmail.com>

(sorry for the delay)

Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com> writes:

> On Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 11:57 PM Omar Polo <op@omarpolo.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>> > On Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 10:48 PM Omar Polo <op@omarpolo.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Hongyi Zhao <hongyi.zhao@gmail.com> writes:
>> >>
>> >> > Dear all,
>> >> >
>> >> > Are there any built-in method of Emacs which can let me conveniently
>> >> > check/inspect/retrieve the definition/usage of any
>> >> > commands/symbols/operators used in elisp code at-the-point/in-situ?
>> >> > Say, for the following code snippets:
>> >> >
>> >> > ;;;
>> >> >   (defun fk/company-wordfreq-toggle-language (&optional language)
>> >> >     (interactive)
>> >> >     (setq ispell-local-dictionary (or language
>> >> >                                       (if (string=
>> >> > ispell-local-dictionary "english")
>> >> >                                           "turkish"
>> >> >                                         "english")))
>> >> > [...]
>> >> >   `(progn
>> >> >     ,@(mapcar (lambda (p) `(use-package ,p))
>> >> >               packages)))
>> >> >
>> >> > (use-multiple-packages flycheck
>> >> >                        dash
>> >> >                        )
>> >> >
>> >> > [...]
>> >> > (mapcar #'straight-use-package '(flycheck lsp-mode dash ...))
>> >> >
>> >> > ;or equivalently
>> >> >
>> >> > (defvar my-package-list '(flycheck lsp-mode dash ...))
>> >> > (mapcar #'straight-use-package my-package-list)
>> >> > ;;;
>> >> >
>> >> > I want to find some convenient methods built in Emacs itself with an
>> >> > in-situ manner - by moving the point to the interest position - to
>> >> > check any commands/symbols/operators used in them.
>> >> >
>> >> > Regards
>> >>
>> >> there is M-. (xref-find-definitions) that will jump to the definition of
>> >> the symbol at point (at least in emacs lisp buffers),
>> >
>> > Thank you very much. But still there are some symbols can't find with
>> > this method, say, #'  ,@  ' and so on.
>>
>> #' ' ` , and ,@ aren't symbols, they are reader macros, i.e. special
>> character sequences that the lisp reader expands into some special
>> constructs.  For instance, #'foo is the same as (function 'foo) and 'foo
>> the same as (quote foo).
>>
>> If you M-. with the point over quote (in an elisp buffer) it should jump
>> to eval.c (assuming you have the C source files available).
>>
>> >> and M-, (xref-pop-marker-stack) to jump back.
>> >
>> > I use scratch buffer to test, and it can't jump back there.
>>
>> M-, is meant to be used after one or more M-.
>>
>> For instance:
>>
>> 1. in *scratch* type describe-function
>> 2. press M-. -- it'll jump to help-fns.el.gz
>> 3. move the point over with-help-window (something like ~10 lines below)
>> 4. M-. again -- it'll jump to a different place in the same file
>> 5. go back with M-, -- now you're back in the definition of
>>    describe-function
>> 6. M-, again -- now you're back in the *scratch* buffer
>
> Wonderful explanations. But I still failed to reproduce the M-, , as
> for the other steps you told above except the last two, I can
> reproduce them exactly the same as you described.
>
> See the attachment for the info I saw on the bottom mini-buffer when
> hitting M-, (M- comma).

don't want to sound rude, but could you please refrain from attaching a
whole screenshot just for an error message?  Copying the error, like:

"it says that: buffer is read-only"

it's enough IMHO.  (you'll find a copy of the error message in the
*Messages* buffer if you don't want to type it by hand.)

Now, usually that error is signaled when you try to insert something
into a buffer that read-only.  There can be multiple reasons for that,
but unfortunately I thinks it's something on your end, since I cannot
reproduce with `emacs -Q'.  Make sure that you are hitting M-, and not
the comma alone, or ensure that M-, is bound to xref-pop-marker-stack
and not to something else (C-h k M-,)

As en extreme solution, try to enable the debug-on-error (M-x
toggle-debug-on-error RET) and look at the stacktrace when that error
happens.  (You can use toggle-debug-on-error again to disable it later)

>>
>> >>
>> >> Or you can C-h f or C-h v (describe-function/variable) and then M-n
>> >> (next-history-element) to bring in the symbol at point.
>> >
>> > I meet the following message: M-n is undefined, as shown in the
>> > attached screenshot file.
>>
>> M-n should be defined in some minibuffer maps; with `emacs -Q' I can
>>
>>         C-h v C-h k M-n
>>
>> and it tells me that.
>
> I got the following with your above command sequence:
>
> M-n runs the command next-history-element (found in
> minibuffer-local-must-match-map), which is an interactive compiled
> Lisp function in ‘simple.el’.
>
> It is bound to <XF86Forward>, <next>, M-n, <menu-bar> <minibuf>
> <next>.
>
> (next-history-element N)
>
> Puts next element of the minibuffer history in the minibuffer.
> With argument N, it uses the Nth following element.  The position
> in the history can go beyond the current position and invoke "future
> history."

Yep.  Sorry for giving a long command sequence without any explanation.
`C-h v' is describe-variable, it should enter the minibuffer asking for
a variable to be described.  Then `C-h k' is describe-key, that works in
the minibuffer too.  M-n is bound to next-history-element there too, so
it should work.  When you are over (or at the beginning) of a symbol,
M-n should pull that symbol into the minibuffer.  So with the cursor
over

	toggle-debug-on-error

if I type `C-h f' (describe-function) and then M-n, Emacs automatically
inserts "toggle-debug-on-error" as input in the minibuffer.  Then I can
simply RET to read the documentation of the function :)

> HY
>
>>
>> > M-n runs the command next-history-element (found in
>> > minibuffer-local-must-match-map), which is an interactive compiled
>> > Lisp function in ‘simple.el’.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> > HY
>>




  reply	other threads:[~2021-06-23  7:48 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 62+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2021-06-19 13:57 The convenient method to check/inspect/retrieve the definition/usage of any commands/symbols/operators used in elisp code Hongyi Zhao
2021-06-19 14:48 ` Omar Polo
2021-06-19 15:40   ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-06-19 15:57     ` Omar Polo
2021-06-19 17:09       ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-06-23  7:48         ` Omar Polo [this message]
2021-06-23  8:56           ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-06-23  9:17             ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-06-23  9:31               ` Screenshots, frame shots straight from Emacs Jean Louis
2021-06-25 22:04                 ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-06-25 22:34                   ` Jean Louis
2021-06-25 23:55                     ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-06-28  6:47                       ` Jean Louis
2021-07-01 21:01                         ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-02 12:50                           ` Jean Louis
2021-07-02 15:34                             ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-20 11:36                   ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-07-20 17:42                     ` Leo Butler
2021-07-20 19:44                       ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-07-20 20:21                         ` Leo Butler
2021-07-20 20:50                           ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-07-31 23:25                             ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-08-01  2:16                               ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-08-01  6:40                                 ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-08-01  7:16                                   ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-08-01  7:42                                     ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-08-02 13:57                                       ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-08-02 19:57                                         ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-08-03  0:56                                           ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-08-01  2:59                               ` Eduardo Ochs
2021-07-20 21:51                           ` Stefan Monnier via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-20 21:48                         ` Stefan Monnier via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-21 19:17                           ` Leo Butler
2021-07-21 20:05                             ` Stefan Monnier
2021-07-21 21:44                               ` cl-lib questions (was: Re: Screenshots, frame shots straight from Emacs) Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-21 21:59                                 ` cl-lib questions Stefan Monnier via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-21 22:09                                   ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-22  8:37                           ` Screenshots, frame shots straight from Emacs Tomas Hlavaty
2021-07-22 13:21                             ` Stefan Monnier
2021-07-22 18:19                               ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-23 11:38                                 ` Jean Louis
2021-08-01  1:38                                   ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-31 23:32                               ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-07-23  1:30                             ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-31 23:31                           ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-08-01 14:19                             ` Stefan Monnier
2021-07-21  3:34                     ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-21 17:21                       ` Leo Butler
2021-07-21 17:52                         ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-22  8:26                         ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-07-22  8:16                       ` Tomas Hlavaty
2021-07-23  0:52                 ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-07-23  1:35                   ` Emanuel Berg via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor
2021-07-23  1:55                     ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-07-23  5:51                   ` Jean Louis
2021-07-23  8:56                     ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-07-23 10:28                       ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-07-23 10:32                         ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-07-23 11:04                       ` Jean Louis
2021-07-23 11:41                         ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-07-24 15:22                           ` Hongyi Zhao
2021-07-23  9:16                     ` Hongyi Zhao

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