[comp.emacs] mode for Lisp structure editing/bro

notes@nixpbe.UUCP (12/02/88)

/* Written  4:09 pm  Nov 29, 1988 by sboisen@bbn.com.UUCP in nixpbe:comp.emacs */
/* ---------- "mode for Lisp structure editing/bro" ---------- */
Here's yet another mode/code request: at present i spend a lot of time
looking at data in Lisp syntax, and i'm not always concerned about all
the lower-level details. Does anyone possess code or have helpful advice on
how to do something like "abbreviating" the display in a Lisp-smart
way? For example, taking something like

(this
 (is
  (a long and boring example
     (of what i mean))))

and turning it into, say

(this
 (is
  (a long and boring example
     #)))

or

(this
 (is
  #))

By "turning it into", of course, i mean temporarily: i don't want to
actually mangle the data, just ignore some of it (although mangling is
okay if i can automatically unmangle it). selective-display -type
solutions don't cut it because the syntax isn't right (i.e. for it to
really be helpful it needs to know Lisp syntax and behave
accordingly, so i could abbreviate the display of a particular long
and ugly sexp). Any suggestions? Off the top of my head i thought
about some scheme using markers and copying the original sexp
someplace associated with that marker...


........................................
Sean Boisen -- sboisen@bbn.com
BBN Systems and Technologies Corporation, Cambridge MA
Disclaimer: these opinions void where prohibited by lawyers.



Sean
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