Re: Combining two short lisp routines

["B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>]

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

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?