Simple stringification

Simple stringification

[Sean McAfee]

I recently needed a function that stringifies its argument.  I wrote my
own:

(defun stringify (arg)
  (format "%s" arg))

But then I thought that Emacs probably ought to offer a standalone
function for this.  I can't find one, though.  The docs for the format
function state that the "%s" format sequence uses princ to print any
object.  However, (princ my-object) also prints the stringification of
my-object to the echo area, unless called with an additional argument,
eg. (princ my-object 'identity).

Is there in fact a function that stringifies its single argument, and
does nothing else?

Re: Simple stringification

[Andreas Röhler]

Sean McAfee wrote:
> I recently needed a function that stringifies its argument.  I wrote my
> own:
> 
> (defun stringify (arg)
>   (format "%s" arg))
> 
> But then I thought that Emacs probably ought to offer a standalone
> function for this.  I can't find one, though.  The docs for the format
> function state that the "%s" format sequence uses princ to print any
> object.  However, (princ my-object) also prints the stringification of
> my-object to the echo area, unless called with an additional argument,
> eg. (princ my-object 'identity).
> 
> Is there in fact a function that stringifies its single argument, and
> does nothing else?
> 

(string 88 99 ) --> "Xc"
(number-to-string 34)"34"

BTW I'm living well with format meanwhile, inserted via abbrev.

Andreas

Re: Simple stringification

[Stefan Monnier]

>> Is there in fact a function that stringifies its single argument, and
>> does nothing else?
> Well, not in emacs lisp.  Here you have to implement these standard(*)
> functions yourself:

> (defun princ-to-string (x) (format "%s" x))
> (defun prin1-to-string (x) (format "%S" x))

Actually prin1-to-string seems to be predefined in my version of Emacs.


        Stefan