Word count in Emacs

Word count in Emacs

[B. T. Raven]

Can anyone give me a clue why the following doesn't print a number in
the mini-buffer or to the *Messages* buffer?:

(defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
    "Print number of words in the region."
    (interactive "r")
    (save-excursion
      (save-restriction
        (narrow-to-region start end)
        (goto-char (point-min))
        (count-matches "\\sw+"))))

an alias is assigned so that I can invoke with

M-x wce (word count emacs)

Thanks,

Ed

Re: Word count in Emacs

[Jambunathan K]

M-x count- TAB

or 

M-= (does exactly what you are trying to do here, I suppose)

"B. T. Raven" <btraven@nihilo.net> writes:

> Can anyone give me a clue why the following doesn't print a number in
> the mini-buffer or to the *Messages* buffer?:
>
> (defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
>     "Print number of words in the region."
>     (interactive "r")
>     (save-excursion
>       (save-restriction
>         (narrow-to-region start end)
>         (goto-char (point-min))
>         (count-matches "\\sw+"))))
>
> an alias is assigned so that I can invoke with
>
> M-x wce (word count emacs)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ed
>

-- 

Re: Word count in Emacs

[Alp Aker]

> Can anyone give me a clue why the following doesn't print a number in
> the mini-buffer or to the *Messages* buffer?:
>
> (defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
>     "Print number of words in the region."
>     (interactive "r")
>     (save-excursion
>       (save-restriction
>         (narrow-to-region start end)
>         (goto-char (point-min))
>         (count-matches "\\sw+"))))

As you've defined it, the function returns a number, but it's not the
case that the return value of an interactive command is automatically
echoed in the mini-buffer.  Compare:

(defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
    "Print number of words in the region."
    (interactive "r")
    (save-excursion
      (save-restriction
        (narrow-to-region start end)
        (goto-char (point-min))
        (message (number-to-string (count-matches "\\sw+"))))))

Re: Word count in Emacs

[B. T. Raven]

Die Fri Sep 14 2012 14:28:55 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) Alp Aker
<alptekin.aker@gmail.com> scripsit:

>> Can anyone give me a clue why the following doesn't print a number in
>> the mini-buffer or to the *Messages* buffer?:
>>
>> (defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
>>     "Print number of words in the region."
>>     (interactive "r")
>>     (save-excursion
>>       (save-restriction
>>         (narrow-to-region start end)
>>         (goto-char (point-min))
>>         (count-matches "\\sw+"))))
> 
> As you've defined it, the function returns a number, but it's not the
> case that the return value of an interactive command is automatically
> echoed in the mini-buffer.  Compare:
> 
> (defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
>     "Print number of words in the region."
>     (interactive "r")
>     (save-excursion
>       (save-restriction
>         (narrow-to-region start end)
>         (goto-char (point-min))
>         (message (number-to-string (count-matches "\\sw+"))))))
> 


Thanks, Alp. That did it.

Ed

Re: Word count in Emacs

[B. T. Raven]

> 
> M-x count- TAB

Using this I just find my own function. I think I looked at C-h f count
tab before defining this. Am I masking an original count-words function
in ver. 23.3?

> 
> or 
> 
> M-= (does exactly what you are trying to do here, I suppose)

That is count-lines-regions, returning no. of lines and chars, not words
unless it's been enhanced in ver. 24

Thanks, anyway

Ed

> 
> "B. T. Raven" <btraven@nihilo.net> writes:
> 
>> Can anyone give me a clue why the following doesn't print a number in
>> the mini-buffer or to the *Messages* buffer?:
>>
>> (defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
>>     "Print number of words in the region."
>>     (interactive "r")
>>     (save-excursion
>>       (save-restriction
>>         (narrow-to-region start end)
>>         (goto-char (point-min))
>>         (count-matches "\\sw+"))))
>>
>> an alias is assigned so that I can invoke with
>>
>> M-x wce (word count emacs)
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Ed
>>
>