From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail
From: Richard G Riley <rileyrgdev@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help
Subject: Re: how to convert a string to a symbol?
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:19:22 +0200
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID: <gaioha$gqa$2@registered.motzarella.org>
References: <cd62c651-66cc-48a7-8165-5c858386cf33@r15g2000prd.googlegroups.com>
	<003701c9162e$58cfcd50$0200a8c0@us.oracle.com>
	<mailman.19202.1221372658.18990.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1221389605 13044 80.91.229.12 (14 Sep 2008 10:53:25 GMT)
X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org
NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:53:25 +0000 (UTC)
To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sun Sep 14 12:54:21 2008
Return-path: <help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org>
Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org
Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165])
	by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50)
	id 1KepFE-0003nS-JI
	for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:54:20 +0200
Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:38595 helo=lists.gnu.org)
	by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43)
	id 1KepED-00022f-SF
	for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:53:17 -0400
Original-Path: news.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!headwall.stanford.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!feeder.erje.net!news.motzarella.org!motzarella.org!not-for-mail
Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help
Original-Lines: 32
Original-X-Trace: feeder.motzarella.org
	U2FsdGVkX19adQRrM/nYjNNyIMv5/ZGOne+iQQTt+vp65CEbjq8sRy0FSPf8sBDb3U1F3Y7/+5EjbcZndQIJw7Fiqd69lHeP3r+lRdnmuJjZSWkPhYtdjDB5d7w8/aXEoh/s0AXtmM+PDR00ATyQ0g==
Original-X-Complaints-To: Please send complaints to abuse@motzarella.org with full
	headers
Original-NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:20:26 +0000 (UTC)
X-Auth-Sender: U2FsdGVkX1+W9rhGPdC1r6iofAJkAqwQkzEwN8O9yngTjxQmZtVL8w==
Cancel-Lock: sha1:46SEWwC3UNO7806QrZnOlrPnmnA=
User-Agent: Emacs 22.2.1/No Gnus v0.11
Original-Xref: news.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:162223
X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor <help-gnu-emacs.gnu.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-gnu-emacs>,
	<mailto:help-gnu-emacs-request@gnu.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.gnu.org/pipermail/help-gnu-emacs>
List-Post: <mailto:help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
List-Help: <mailto:help-gnu-emacs-request@gnu.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-gnu-emacs>,
	<mailto:help-gnu-emacs-request@gnu.org?subject=subscribe>
Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org
Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:57566
Archived-At: <http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help/57566>

"Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

>> > (setq str "(> 2 1)")
>> > I want something like: (eval (string-to-symbol str))
>> 
>> (intern str)
>
> And if you really want the value of the symbol (per your use of `eval' above):
>
> (symbol-value (intern str))
>
> But you might want to give it a value first ;-) -
>
> (set (intern "(> 2 1)") 42)
>
> (symbol-value '\(>\ 2\ 1\)) ; The answer is 42.
>
> However, as always with questions of this type, one wonders what you are
> _really_ trying to do (not to mention why)...

It seems from the mention of eval quite clear (not being an elisp
programmer myself). He wants the result of the expression held in the
string str.

e.g

(setq str "(> 2 1)")

When str is "Eval"ed however you guys tell him to do it then this
expression will yield the value of the expression (> 2 1) which is, in
this case, 't.