Re: Function to retrieve package version

[Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net>]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>> (defvar my-great-package-version
>>  (package-get-version))
>
> C-h o package-get-version RET says:
>
>     package-get-version is an autoloaded compiled Lisp function in ‘package.el’.
>     
>     (package-get-version)
>     
>       This function does not change global state, including the match data.
>     
>     Return the version number of the package in which this is used.
>     Assumes it is used from an Elisp file placed inside the top-level directory
>     of an installed ELPA package.
>     The return value is a string (or nil in case we can’t find it).

Aren't there a set of functions that start from a package name string,
rather than the current file? I thought there were functions that would
first retrieve a struct from your installed files, then extract a
name/version from that?