help with add-to-list syntax

help with add-to-list syntax

[BP25]

Hello! Could any of you be so kind as to help me understand this,
please? I have

(custom-set-variables
'(warning-suppress-types '((undo\ discard-info))))

in my .emacs. If I start emacs, do load-file .emacs, then evaluate
(add-to-list 'warning-suppress-types '(undo\ discard-info)) I get an
error saying the variable warning-suppress-types is void. However if I
start emacs, do load-file .emacs, then do C-h v warning-suppress-types
then I see the value being ((undo\ discard-info)) and if I evaluate
(add-to-list 'warning-suppress-types '(undo\ discard-info)) then
everything goes through without error. Why?!

Please, let me know! (and please, CC: my email address in your reply
because I'm not subscribed to this list)

Re: help with add-to-list syntax

[Michael Heerdegen via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor]

BP25 <bp25@riseup.net> writes:

> Hello! Could any of you be so kind as to help me understand this,
> please? I have
>
> (custom-set-variables
> '(warning-suppress-types '((undo\ discard-info))))
>
> in my .emacs.

Why is the space character escaped?

> If I start emacs, do load-file .emacs, then evaluate
> (add-to-list 'warning-suppress-types '(undo\ discard-info)) I get an
> error saying the variable warning-suppress-types is void.

You are sure there was no typo involved?

Apart from that I dunno, that makes no sense unless your .emacs messes
up emacs in a crazy way.


Michael.

Re: help with add-to-list syntax

[Joel Reicher]

BP25 <bp25@riseup.net> writes:

> Hello! Could any of you be so kind as to help me understand 
> this, please? I have
>
> (custom-set-variables
> '(warning-suppress-types '((undo\ discard-info))))
>
> in my .emacs. If I start emacs, do load-file .emacs, then 
> evaluate (add-to-list 'warning-suppress-types '(undo\ 
> discard-info)) I get an error saying the variable 
> warning-suppress-types is void.

Instead of doing add-to-list, can you do C-h v and confirm the 
variable setting that you expected didn't work?

That would give a simpler thing to investigate.

Cheers,

        - Joel