using string variable with file name

using string variable with file name

[saneman]

In my .emacs file I have made:

;; Directories
(setq mylisp "~/work/mylisp/")

;; Line numbers
(load-file mylisp cons "setnu.el")
(global-set-key "\C-cl" 'setnu-mode)

But this gives an error. How do I "cons" the variable mylisp with a 
filename?

Re: using string variable with file name

[Joost Kremers]

saneman wrote:
> In my .emacs file I have made:
>
> ;; Directories
> (setq mylisp "~/work/mylisp/")
>
> ;; Line numbers
> (load-file mylisp cons "setnu.el")
> (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'setnu-mode)
>
> But this gives an error. How do I "cons" the variable mylisp with a 
> filename?

(cons mylisp "setnu.el")

however, that gives you a cons, which (i think) is not what you want. in
order to concatenate strings, you need concat:

(concat mylisp "setnu.el")

but even that is probably not the best way to do what you want. it's
probably better to add "~/work/mylisp" to your load path:

(setq load-path (cons "~/work/mylisp" load-path))

then you can load the file without explicitly naming its path:

(load-file "setnu.el")


-- 
Joost Kremers                                      joostkremers@yahoo.com
Selbst in die Unterwelt dringt durch Spalten Licht
EN:SiS(9)

Re: using string variable with file name

[saneman]

Joost Kremers wrote:
> saneman wrote:
>> In my .emacs file I have made:
>>
>> ;; Directories
>> (setq mylisp "~/work/mylisp/")
>>
>> ;; Line numbers
>> (load-file mylisp cons "setnu.el")
>> (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'setnu-mode)
>>
>> But this gives an error. How do I "cons" the variable mylisp with a 
>> filename?
> 
> (cons mylisp "setnu.el")
> 
> however, that gives you a cons, which (i think) is not what you want. in
> order to concatenate strings, you need concat:
> 
> (concat mylisp "setnu.el")
> 
> but even that is probably not the best way to do what you want. it's
> probably better to add "~/work/mylisp" to your load path:
> 
> (setq load-path (cons "~/work/mylisp" load-path))
> 
> then you can load the file without explicitly naming its path:
> 
> (load-file "setnu.el")
> 
> 

When using you last advice:
(setq load-path (cons "~/work/mylisp" load-path))
(load-file "setnu.el")

I get the error:
File error: "Cannot open load file", "/home/saneman/setnu.el"


Seems that the load-path is not updated.


The fist solution:
(setq mylisp "~/work/mylisp/")
(load-file (concat mylisp "setnu.el" ))

works. Are there any rules that say that .el files will not be found in 
the load-path?

Re: using string variable with file name

[Johan Bockgård]

saneman <asdfsdf@asd.com> writes:

> When using you last advice:
> (setq load-path (cons "~/work/mylisp" load-path))
> (load-file "setnu.el")
>
> I get the error:
> File error: "Cannot open load file", "/home/saneman/setnu.el"

Use `load', not `load-file'.

Or (require 'setnu).

-- 
Johan Bockgård

Re: using string variable with file name

[Joost Kremers]

saneman wrote:
> When using you last advice:
> (setq load-path (cons "~/work/mylisp" load-path))
> (load-file "setnu.el")
>
> I get the error:
> File error: "Cannot open load file", "/home/saneman/setnu.el"

my bad, i should have used load instead of load-file:

(load "setnu.el")

> Seems that the load-path is not updated.

it is. the problem is that load-file expands the file name you pass to it
to an absolute path before it calls load. IOW it doesn't search the
load-path at all.


-- 
Joost Kremers                                      joostkremers@yahoo.com
Selbst in die Unterwelt dringt durch Spalten Licht
EN:SiS(9)

Re: using string variable with file name

[Thierry Volpiatto]

saneman <asdfsdf@asd.com> writes:

> Joost Kremers wrote:
>> saneman wrote:
>>> In my .emacs file I have made:
>>>
>>> ;; Directories
>>> (setq mylisp "~/work/mylisp/")
>>>
>>> ;; Line numbers
>>> (load-file mylisp cons "setnu.el")
>>> (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'setnu-mode)
>>>
>>> But this gives an error. How do I "cons" the variable mylisp with a
>>> filename?
>>
>> (cons mylisp "setnu.el")
>>
>> however, that gives you a cons, which (i think) is not what you want. in
>> order to concatenate strings, you need concat:
>>
>> (concat mylisp "setnu.el")
>>
>> but even that is probably not the best way to do what you want. it's
>> probably better to add "~/work/mylisp" to your load path:
>>
>> (setq load-path (cons "~/work/mylisp" load-path))
>>
>> then you can load the file without explicitly naming its path:
>>
>> (load-file "setnu.el")
>>
>>
>
> When using you last advice:
> (setq load-path (cons "~/work/mylisp" load-path))
> (load-file "setnu.el")
>
> I get the error:
> File error: "Cannot open load file", "/home/saneman/setnu.el"
>
>
> Seems that the load-path is not updated.
>
>
> The fist solution:
> (setq mylisp "~/work/mylisp/")
> (load-file (concat mylisp "setnu.el" ))
>
> works. Are there any rules that say that .el files will not be found
> in the load-path?
>
Try that:(if setnu.el is in the directory mylisp)

(add-to-list 'load-path "~/work/mylisp")
(load "setnu.el")
-- 
A + Thierry
Pub key: http://pgp.mit.edu

Re: using string variable with file name

[Daniel Pittman]

saneman <asdfsdf@asd.com> writes:

> In my .emacs file I have made:
>
> ;; Directories
> (setq mylisp "~/work/mylisp/")

This is the wrong approach.  See the help for the `load-path' variable
instead.

> ;; Line numbers
> (load-file mylisp cons "setnu.el")

This is utterly incorrect syntax, unrelated to Lisp.  You would do well
to invest time in the Emacs Lisp tutorial, or any other Lisp tutorial,
until you understand the basic syntax of the language.

> (global-set-key "\C-cl" 'setnu-mode)
>
> But this gives an error. How do I "cons" the variable mylisp with a filename?

You use the `cons' function; if you succeed you will then have another
error to deal with because what you *want* to do is create a single
string from both parts -- not a cons cell, which will not work as an
argument to `load-file'.

The correct function is `concat', rather than `cons', but that will also
fail until you actually use the correct syntax for the language.

HTH. HAND.
        Daniel