weiner@novavax.UUCP (Bob Weiner) (04/30/89)
Anyone know if there is a way to convert a string to a symbol-name in GNU Emacs Lisp? If some VERY nice soul could mail me a multi-part shar archive of a recent version of the GNU Emacs Lisp Programmers' Manual (go ahead and compress it and uuencode it), I would be deeply indebted. I know its large, but I understand it may take a while before printed copies are available. Thanks. -- Bob Weiner, Motorola, Inc., USENET: ...!gatech!uflorida!novavax!weiner (407) 738-2087
Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu (Ashwin Ram) (04/30/89)
In article <1256@novavax.UUCP>, weiner@novavax.UUCP (Bob Weiner) writes: > Anyone know if there is a way to convert a string to a symbol-name in > GNU Emacs Lisp? I don't know if this a "clean" way to do this, but here goes anyway: (car (read-from-string "foo")) --> foo (symbolp (car (read-from-string "foo"))) --> t -- Ashwin.
kgk@cs.brown.edu (05/01/89)
In article <1256@novavax.UUCP> weiner@novavax.UUCP (Bob Weiner) writes:
Anyone know if there is a way to convert a string to a symbol-name in
GNU Emacs Lisp?
What is the distinction between a string and a symbol-name? I don't
think that it is easy or a good idea to access to the name cell of
symbols; if you mean a function that given a string creates a symbol
whose symbol-name is equal to the string, then
(intern "foo") -> symbol named foo
Keiji Kanazawa
kgk@cs.brown.edu
rbj@dsys.icst.nbs.GOV (Root Boy Jim) (05/03/89)
? From: brunix!doorknob!kgk@uunet.uu.net
? In article <1256@novavax.UUCP> weiner@novavax.UUCP (Bob Weiner) writes:
? Anyone know if there is a way to convert a string to a symbol-name in
? GNU Emacs Lisp?
? What is the distinction between a string and a symbol-name?
None.
? I don't
? think that it is easy or a good idea to access to the name cell of
? symbols;
Why not? Well, maybe not modify it...
?if you mean a function that given a string creates a symbol
? whose symbol-name is equal to the string, then
? (intern "foo") -> symbol named foo
Correct. I used to think intern was broken, but that was because I never
did anything with the symbol intern returned.
On the other hand, make-symbol is supposed to create an uninterned symbol.
Consider:
qwerty
Symbol's value as variable is void: qwerty
(set (intern "qwerty") 5)
5
qwerty
5
poiuyt
Symbol's value as variable is void: poiuyt
(set (make-symbol "poiuyt") 6)
6
poiuyt
Symbol's value as variable is void: poiuyt
? Keiji Kanazawa
? kgk@cs.brown.edu
Root Boy Jim is what I am
Are you what you are or what?