[comp.emacs] Novice asks about tags

leslee@cadnetix.COM (10/29/88)

I am converting over to emacs from vi.  So far, I really like what I've
found and I'm excited to keep learning more.  One of the main features,
which I constantly used in vi, is the tags functions.  This allowed me
to place the cursor on a function name, press C-], and I would be put in 
the appropriate module where that function was defined.  I could do this
any number of times and pop back to the calling position by pressing C-t.

I have been informed by a local emacs user that tags are available for 
emacs.  From the help feature, it appears that I am supposed to build the 
tags file using etags (for vi, I used ctags).

I ran the visit-tags-table function to set the tag table name, but when
I run the find-tag function I get a message "File <whatever dir>/TAGS not
a valid tag table".

Can anyone give me any help on this?  I am using Emacs version 18.44.16:

	GNU Emacs availability information, 10 April 1987
	  Copyright (C) 1986, 1987 Richard M. Stallman

We don't have a man page on etags, but when I run it with no arguments, I get:

	Usage: ctags [-BFaetuwvx] file ...

(yes, it's really 'c'tags, not 'e'tags, when I asked for 'e'tags).

I would appreciate any help.  You may mail me an answer if this question is 
too novice for this newsgroup.

Thanks.
    Leslee Probasco             Internet: leslee@cadnetix.com
    Cadnetix Corporation        UUCP: cadnetix!leslee
    5775 Flatirons Pkwy.              {uunet,boulder,nbires}!cadnetix!leslee
    Boulder, CO 80301	        LL:   303-444-8075 x240