How to conduct common file tests in elisp

How to conduct common file tests in elisp

[Harry Putnam]

I'm attempting to look up in the elisp manual how to conduct a
standard file test.

It is not easy to find.

I've tried index search for `file test' <no hits>

Manual search with the common C-s search of the table of contents in
the info manual for `test'.  None of the hits were about file tests.

And finally `s' search which pours through the whole manual on string 
file.*test.. again none of the hits were about standard file tests
like -f file, -d directory, -r file, -x file etc etc.

How is it done?

Re: How to conduct common file tests in elisp

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
> Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:17:21 -0600
> 
> I'm attempting to look up in the elisp manual how to conduct a
> standard file test.

What is a "standard file test"?

Re: How to conduct common file tests in elisp

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 18.12.2008 um 05:24 schrieb Eli Zaretskii:

>> From: Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
>> Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:17:21 -0600
>>
>> I'm attempting to look up in the elisp manual how to conduct a
>> standard file test.
>
> What is a "standard file test"?
>


The Bourne shell test command, I presume. Exists, is file or  
directory or symbolic link, is readable or writable or executable,  
has zero size ...

--
Greetings

   Pete

Windows, c'est un peu comme le beaujolais nouveau: à chaque nouvelle  
cuvée on sait que ce sera dégueulasse, mais on en prend quand même,  
par masochisme.

Re: How to conduct common file tests in elisp

[Harry Putnam]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
>> Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:17:21 -0600
>> 
>> I'm attempting to look up in the elisp manual how to conduct a
>> standard file test.
>
> What is a "standard file test"?

The few languages or almost languages like shell scripting, awk, perl
and python have some way to test the properties of files.

I gave several examples of what I was after:

> like -f file, -d directory, -r file, -x file etc etc.

Standard shell, perl, python tests all based on bourne shell I guess.

Re: How to conduct common file tests in elisp

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
> Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:59:56 -0600
> 
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:
> 
> >> From: Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
> >> Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:17:21 -0600
> >> 
> >> I'm attempting to look up in the elisp manual how to conduct a
> >> standard file test.
> >
> > What is a "standard file test"?
> 
> The few languages or almost languages like shell scripting, awk, perl
> and python have some way to test the properties of files.
> 
> I gave several examples of what I was after:
> 
> > like -f file, -d directory, -r file, -x file etc etc.

Then using "test" as the main keyword to look in the manual was not a
good idea.  Something like "i file TAB" would bring you a list of
topics, one of which is "file, information about", which is what you
want.

Re: How to conduct common file tests in elisp

[Andreas Politz]

Harry Putnam wrote:
> I'm attempting to look up in the elisp manual how to conduct a
> standard file test.
> 
> It is not easy to find.
> 
> I've tried index search for `file test' <no hits>
> 
> Manual search with the common C-s search of the table of contents in
> the info manual for `test'.  None of the hits were about file tests.
> 
> And finally `s' search which pours through the whole manual on string 
> file.*test.. again none of the hits were about standard file tests
> like -f file, -d directory, -r file, -x file etc etc.
> 
> How is it done?
> 
> 
> 

It's in here :

(info "(elisp)Information about Files")

Widening your search and starting in the menu could
probably get you there.

-ap