Oliver Scholz <alkibiades@gmx.de> writes:

Oliver... I must have some language setting that will help me read
your response.  I see quite a lot of unusual chars, back slashes and
three diget number in your text.I'm running a fairly recent cvs emacs:
GNU Emacs 21.3.50.1 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
I've set no language var away from what ever is default.

I've included quite a lot of your answer hoping to show what I see on
this end, but not sure it will come to you as I see it.  Can you
suggest a setting that will allow me to see in english what you've
said?

Afterwards please ignore the hefty inclusion and have a look at my clumsy
attempt at the end

I think I'm getting the gist of what you intend... thanks.

> By “current date” do you mean the current date or the literal text
> “CURRENT_DATE”? If the former: skeletons may contain abitrary Lisp
> expressions as elements, which are then evaluated and the return value
> is inserted into the buffer. You could use this feature together with
> the function `current-time-string'. for example:

I meant actual current time when skeleton is fired.

> (define-skeleton my-test-skel
>   "Insert the current time and date."
>   nil
>   "Date: " (current-time-string) ".")

Yeah, like that..

> If you mean just the literal “CURRENT_DATE”: just add a string to the
> skeleton language.
>
>> 1) How can I make the octothorpe begin to appear only after the
>>    keywords line, so it doesn't appear after `Keywords'.
>
> I don't know what an “octothorpe” is; it's not im my Webster's. I
> assume that you mean the “#”?

Commonly called a pound sign (#).

> If so, I believe, you want something like this:
>
> (define-skeleton my-comment
>   "Insert keywords formatted input."
>   "Keywords: "
>   "# Keywords: " str \n
>   ("Comment: " "# " str "\n"))
>

Yup, again... Thanks

> Basically the difference is, that this uses the combination of
> PROMPT + “str” two times in two different ways: "Keywords: " and the
> first occurence of “str” in the top-skeleton; "Comment: " and the
> second “str” in the sub-skeleton.
>
> [The “str & \n | -15” stuff that I recommended earlier is pointless,
> as I realize now: sub-skeletons are inserted *only*, if the user has
> entered something at the prompt.]

>> 2) Can I arrange the skeleton so that when I press C-g to break out,
>>    it inserts the CURRENT_DATE followed by `# &&' on a separate line?
>>    Or in some other way cause those last two items to be inserted
>>    automatically 
>
> Well, for one you could simply hit RET, when prompted for a
> “descriptive comment”. The skeleton program then leaves the
> sub-skeleton loop and resumes the top skeleton. But if you have (like
> me) the bad habit to type `C-g' all the time to get out of the
> minibuffer, you can use the `resume:' keyword to specify a place where
> the skeleton should resume execution after the user hit `C-g'. For
> example.
>
> (define-skeleton my-repeat-ad-nauseam
>   ""
>   nil
>   ("Type something, please: " str "\n")
>   & "Allright, we finished in a normal way."
>   | resume: & "Aha, you lost temper and hit `C-g'.")
>
> I hope this sets you on the track. :-)

Thank you.  Yes this is what I was after.  Putting all you told me
together I come up with an almost working skeleton. It fails to
handle the <RET> style  of closure unlike your example.  

My code produces a double ending if I choose to close with <RET> but
works if I close with C-g.  I'm pretty sure its got some parens
arranged wrong or not enough `lists withing lists', but since my lisp
skills are non-existent I've resorted to dozens of trials... so far
none have worked like your example. Maybe you can spot the short
comming?


(define-skeleton hp-com_keywords
  "Insert commented keywords formatted input."
  "Keywords: "
  "# Keywords: " str \n
  ("Comment: " "# " str "\n")
  & "# "(format-time-string "%b %d %Y %w %T\n")
  & "# && CLOSED WITH <RET>"
  | resume: & "# "(format-time-string "%b %d %Y %w %T\n")"# && CLOSED WITH C-g")

Using <RET> style closure produces:

  # Keywords: SOME KEY WORDS
  # Commentary ->
  # More commentary ->
  # Apr 29 2003 2 16:08:22
  # && CLOSED WITH <RET>Apr 29 2003 2 16:08:22
  # && CLOSED  WITH C-g

Using C-g produces:

  # Keywords: SOME KEY WORDS
  # Commentary ->
  # More commentary ->
  # Apr 29 2003 2 16:09:02
  # && CLOSED  WITH C-g

I'm missing how to setup the body of the skeleton so it works like
your example.