Re: Combining two short lisp routines

[Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu>]

In article <hNSdnWZJ_JJSIFnQnZ2dnUVZ_oWdnZ2d@sysmatrix.net>,
 "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net> wrote:

> Barry Margolin wrote:
> > In article <wMqdnfEhReeUaV7QnZ2dnUVZ_rmdnZ2d@sysmatrix.net>,
> >  "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net> wrote:
> > 
> >> Barry Margolin wrote:
> >>> In article <LbCdnUvW4ImHql7QnZ2dnUVZ_r6dnZ2d@sysmatrix.net>,
> >>>  "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Can these two routines be combined, maybe by not even visiting dict.txt,
> >>>> but transferring everything to end of line from that buffer?
> >>>>
> >>>> (defun sld (word);; run from rcirc channel
> >>>>     "Regex Search dictionary for Eng Word at line beginning"
> >>>>      (interactive"sWord:")
> >>>>      (switch-to-buffer "dict.txt")
> >>>>      (re-search-forward (concat  "^" word))
> >>>> )
> >>>>
> >>>> (defun ttb (beg end);; run from dict.txt buffer
> >>>>   "Transfer text to other buffer\n"
> >>>>   (interactive "r")
> >>>>
> >>>> ;; in dict.txt buffer mark stretch of text here interactively for
> >>>>  ;;;copying back to channel buffer
> >>>>
> >>>>   (switch-to-buffer (other-buffer))
> >>>>   (yank)
> >>>> )
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks,
> >>>>
> >>>> Ed
> >>> (defun insert-definition (word)
> >>>   "Search for WORD in dictionary, insert definition here."
> >>>   (interactive "sWord:")
> >>>   (switch-to-buffer "dict.txt")
> >>>   (re-search-forward (concat "^" word)
> >>>   (let ((text (buffer-substring (point) ;; let isn't in re-search-forward 
> >>>   is it?
> >>>                                 (progn (end-of-line)
> >>>                                        (point)))))
> >>>      (other-buffer)
> >>>      (insert text)))
> >>>
> >>
> >> Thanks, Barry. Am I right to assume that it's not possible somewhere in
> >> that (let.. form to do interactive highlighting of just the part of the
> >> definition that is of interest? There are usually many different foreign
> >> language words associated with the English one at the beginning of the
> >> line in dict.txt.
> > 
> > Sure you can.  I didn't see anything like that in the functions you 
> > asked to combine.
> > 
> 
> 
> Okay, how would that be done? Also, what was Stefan complaining about
> where he wanted to use set-buffer? The only thing suspicious I saw was
> that the re-search-forward needed a close paren. My wish for interactive
> selection in dict.txt was expressed in the comment:
> 
> ;; in dict.txt buffer, mark stretch of text here interactively for
> ;;;copying back to channel buffer

You could start a recursive edit, during which you could mark the text 
you care about.  Then exit the recursive edit and the function can copy 
the region and insert it into the other buffer.

> 
> Now I think other-buffer needs two more arguments in case it's visible
> 
> (other-buffer nil t)
> 
> Is that right or does the first argument have to be a string?

What Stefan was saying is that you should do something like:

(let ((first-buffer (current-buffer)))
  (set-buffer "dict.txt")
  ....
  (set-buffer first-buffer))

switch-to-buffer and other-buffer are intended for interactive use, not 
use from programs.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
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