From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: D. Goel Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: Emacs internals + lisp guru question Date: 29 Sep 2002 02:47:34 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Sender: help-gnu-emacs-admin@gnu.org Message-ID: <87elbd9trt.fsf@computer.localdomain> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: localhost.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1033282575 6521 127.0.0.1 (29 Sep 2002 06:56:15 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 06:56:15 +0000 (UTC) Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 17vXzy-0001h2-00 for ; Sun, 29 Sep 2002 08:56:14 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.10) id 17vY0A-0004j1-00; Sun, 29 Sep 2002 02:56:26 -0400 Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!nntp.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-xit-06!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!corp.supernews.com!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help User-Agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.2 Original-X-Complaints-To: abuse@supernews.com Original-Lines: 77 Original-Xref: nntp.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:105473 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-admin@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.11 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:2018 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:2018 It is pleasing to see someone post under the name gnuist :=) Please do note, however, that posting to multiple newsgroups is not considered polite. Also, a more descriptive subject will get more people to actually open your mail and you will get more reply. (Also, i am copying you on this one, but read follow-ups in the same newsgroup in general). > There are some functions that take a list as argument. > Text can be read from the buffer as a string. > There are some functions that take a "symbol" as an argument. > A string can be converted to a symbol. > However, when symbol is provided to the function by converting a string > it is not working. > > For example: > > (describe-function quoted-SYMBOL) works > (make-symbol "describe-function") works Do a C-h f make-symbol, to see that: make-symbol is a built-in function. (make-symbol NAME) Return a newly allocated uninterned symbol whose name is NAME. Its value and function definition are void, and its property list is nil. viz. To repeat: Its value and function definitions are void. Perhaps what you are looking for is "intern". (describe-function (intern "describe-function")). Again, see manual. and use C-h f, and use M-x find-function. > > How can we get the code of describe-function? M-x find-function. > > What is the meaning of the gibberish from (insert (format "%s" > (symbol-function 'describe-function) )) See manual and use C-h f. > > What is out there to learn more about emacs/emacs_lisp and become > more sophisticated? Emacs, by itself, has the most extensive self-documentation than probably any other software. Make sure you do have the elisp manual, intro to emacs-lisp programming, emacs FAQ installed. (On debian gnulinux, this means: apt-get install emacs-lisp-intro elisp-manual, in addition to the regular apt-get install emacs21). Now, here's one possible order in which to go through all the documentation. (mix and match as you please :=) --> C-h t (tutorial) C-h i and read tutorial on Info. C-h i and go to the Emacs FAQ node. C-h i and EMACS FAQ C-h i and EMACS manual C-h i and Elisp intro (an awesome tutorial written by Robert Chassell) C-h i and Emacs lisp manual browse the english and lisp in source-files. (use M-x find-function, M-x finder-commentary etc. etc.) Browse the Emacs's core C files for more internals! :-) DG http://24.197.159.102/~deego/ --