Re: Is it better to use eLISP or Common LISP?

[Phillip Lord <p.lord@russet.org.uk>]

>>>>> "Dan" == Dan Anderson <dan@mathjunkies.com> writes:

  >> >> I know that I can either use Emacs LISP or the eLISP file that
  >> >> interfaces with common LISP.
  >>
  >> I don't know what this means. What "elisp file that interfaces
  >> with common lisp". If you want emacs to do things, then you can
  >> use emacs lisp, or emacs lisp.

  Dan> I think I found an emacs lisp file that allows you to extend
  Dan> emacs using common lisp.  Perhaps I was reading the manifest
  Dan> wrong.


There is the "CL" packages within Emacs. This is written in Emacs
Lisp, but provides a set of functions which are found in Common Lisp
as well. 

If you want to use the CL packages, then there is no problem with
this. Many people do use these packages. But they are an
implementation of some of CL. They are not CL. If you read a book on
CL, and then try is on Emacs, even using the CL code, its not going to
work. 

Likewise you can look at EIEIO, which is Eric Ludlum's implementation
of a CLOS-u-like object system for emacs lisp. But its not CLOS.

If you want to write Emacs lisp add on's, then its Emacs Lisp you
should learn. I would suggest that you start off with this...

http://www.gnu.org/manual/emacs-lisp-intro/emacs-lisp-intro.html

If you get the .info files, you can read it as hypertext within Emacs,
and it has the advantage that the example source code in the book, is
actually directly runnable within Emacs. It's a good
introduction. Next I'd start to read the Emacs Lisp Manual. Its a bit
heavier weight, and you want to be familiar with Emacs Lisp, and Emacs
usage before you read it. The CL stuff is good to read, at about the
same time, as there are lots of useful utility functions. 

Phil