Question about quotes on emacs lisp

Question about quotes on emacs lisp

[grocery_stocker]

Why can't I do something like this:

(global-set-key "\C-x\n" "other-window")

Aren't I still using quotes when calling the function other-window?

RE: Question about quotes on emacs lisp

[Drew Adams]

    Why can't I do something like this:
    (global-set-key "\C-x\n" "other-window")
    Aren't I still using quotes when calling the function other-window?

Neither "other-window" nor 'other-window calls the function other-window.
The former evaluates to a string; the latter evaluates to the symbol whose
name is other-window. You want the latter here, because you are binding a
key sequence to the command represented by the symbol other-window.

Double quotes (") delimit strings. A single quote (') in front of a Lisp
S-expression (sexp) tells the interpreter to treat the sexp literally, that
is, to return the sexp. The sexp 'other-window is syntactic sugar for (quote
other-window), and quote returns its argument unevaluated. So, the sexp
'other-window returns the sexpr other-window, which is a symbol - it is not
a string.

For this to become more clear and familiar, read up on evaluation, quote,
symbols, and perhaps strings in the Emacs-Lisp manual, and practice
evaluating sexps that include ' and "...".

Re: Question about quotes on emacs lisp

[Pascal Bourguignon]

"grocery_stocker" <cdalten@gmail.com> writes:

> Why can't I do something like this:
>
> (global-set-key "\C-x\n" "other-window")
>
> Aren't I still using quotes when calling the function other-window?

LISP = List & Intelligent Symbolic Programming language.

There are lists and symbols in lisp.

Symbols are not strings.  (But the name of a symbol is a string).


Quoting of symbols becomes necessary when you want to consider the
symbol as data from code.  In code, symbols are normally interpreted
as function or variable identifiers.  If you want to have a symbol
interpreted as literal data, you must quote it with the special
operator quote:

         (quote example)   --> example


(global-set-key "\C-x\n" (quote other-window))


Now, some consider that writting (quote ...) is fastidiuous, and
prefer to use some shorter syntax.  You can use a single prefix quote
instead:

          'example  == (quote example)

(global-set-key "\C-x\n" 'other-window)



-- 
__Pascal Bourguignon__                     http://www.informatimago.com/

"I have challenged the entire quality assurance team to a Bat-Leth
contest.  They will not concern us again."