Two questions:
Where does the result of eval-buffer get stored? How do I access it?
For example:
(+ 2 2)
Functions like (forward-word) are executed by eval-buffer, but do not move the cursor? Why is that?
eval-buffer is usually used for side-effects, rather than return value. For example, in your .emacs file, eval-buffer will re-load all our config settings. By default, and when used interactively, it will always return nil. If you want to get the return value of code in a buffer, this is the wrong way to do it. eval-last-sexp, bound to C-x C-e, is one way to do so. Calling it with a prefix, C-u C-x C-e will insert the return value into the current buffer.
eval-buffer preserves the value of point. So functions like forward-word will have no visible effect.
Related
Say I want to create a file. Then I was asked to enter the name. I want to use the date as the name of file. I want to use M-x insert date (I define myself) . How can I do that?
Set (or bind, depending on the context) variable enable-recursive-minibuffers to non-nil (e.g. t), before the first entry into the minibuffer.
That lets you use actions, such as M-x which themselves activate the minibuffer, from within a minibuffer. The second activation takes place in a recursive minibuffer. When it ends (e.g. you hit RET after replying to the M-x prompt), things continue as they were, with the initial minibuffer still active.
Very simple question but confuse me for some time:
(setq visible-bell t)
and
(visible-bell t)
both seem work.
But
(desktop-save-mode 1)
works, while
(setq desktop-save-mode 1)
not.
May I ask why is this?
They're different because they're different :)
(setq visible-bell t)
is assigning the value t to a variable named visible-bell.
(visible-bell t)
is calling a function1 named visible-bell (and passing the value t as a parameter).
(Although FYI there is no visible-bell function by default in current versions of Emacs, so it's not obvious to me that this is actually working the way you think? However, assuming for the moment that you do indeed have such a function...)
Emacs Lisp is a 'Lisp-2' meaning it has separate name spaces for variables and functions, and therefore you can -- and commonly do -- have a variable and a function with the same name. Which one is being referred to is always implicit in the context of the code (e.g. setq always refers to a variable).
In short, the two pieces of code are doing very different things. This doesn't mean they couldn't have an equivalent effect (e.g. the function might simply set the value of the variable); but whether or not that's actually the case is entirely up to the definition of the function.
1 In fact the first line of code is also calling a function2: it's calling setq and passing it two parameters visible-bell and t, and setq then sets the value in accordance with its parameters. Hopefully you're now starting to see how lisp syntax works?
2 Strictly speaking, setq is actually a "special form" rather than a function, and special forms are closer to macros than to functions; but these distinctions are not important for this Q&A.
Others have told you the basic points about what setq does and about variables versus functions.
Wrt visible-bell itself:
There is no function visible-bell delivered with Emacs, in any Emacs version I know of, and there never has been. (I've checked back through Emacs 20, and by memory I believe the same was true from the beginning. There is only the variable visible-bell.
So as #phils suggested, is not clear that what you said is true: "both seem to work". Unless some extra code you are loading defines a function of that name (and then there is no way for us to comment on it, not having it to see), evaluating (visible-bell t) raises an undefined (void) function error.
Variable visible-bell is not just a variable. It is a user option, and it has been, again, since at least Emacs 20.
You should not, in general, just use setq to change the value of a user option. In many cases you won't get into trouble if you do that, but sometimes you will, and it is not a good habit to get into.
setq does not perform any special initialization or updating actions that might be appropriate for a given user option. It is not intended for user options. Or rather, user options are not intended for setq - they can be more complex than what setq can offer.
What you should use instead of setq is Customize. Either interactively (M-x customize-option RET visible-bell RET, or C-h v RET visible-bell RET followed by clicking the customize link) or using Lisp code in your init file.
If you use Lisp code then use one of these functions (not setq):
customize-set-variable
customize-set-value
custom-set-variables
Use C-h f followed by each of those function names, to see what (minor) differences there are.
There are 3 issues here.
In Emacs Lisp, the same symbol can be both variable and function.
in the case of desktop-save-mode, it's a function but also a variable.
Because it's a function, so you can call
(desktop-save-mode 1)
Because it's a variable, so you set value to it
(setq desktop-save-mode t)
You can define your own function and also a variable of the same name to test it.
Note: exactly what a function's arguments should be or what the value of a variable makes sense depends on the function or variable.
Now, a second issue. In general, for function (commands) to activate a minor mode, the convention is that a positive integer should mean to turn it on, and otherwise turn off.
Also, for command to activate a minor mode, typically there's a variable of the same name, with value of t or nil, to indicate if the mode is on.
Now, there's third issue. For command to activate the mode, before emacs 24 or so, by convention, if no arg is given, the command toggle current state.
Because all of the above, the issue is confusing. You might see in init things like this:
(desktop-save-mode 1) ; correct. To turn on.
(desktop-save-mode) ; Confusing. Should take value 1 to turn on. Usually works because by default it's off.
(desktop-save-mode t) ; wrong. Take value of positive integer to turn on.
(desktop-save-mode nil) ; Confusing. Value should be integer
(setq desktop-save-mode t) ; wrong. Shoud call function instead
(setq desktop-save-mode nil) ; wrong. Shoud call function instead
(setq desktop-save-mode 1) ; wrong. Shoud call function instead. Besides, only t and nil make sense
So, there's a lot confusion. In emacs 24 (or 23.x), the convention changed so that, if it receives no value, it will turn on, if called in elisp code. (when called interactively as command, it toggles.)
In the end, always call describe-function or describe-variable to read the doc.
Well setq (which is "set" with an auto-quoting feature) is used in assigning a value to a variable. In this example, it's obviously not required because as you mentioned, omitting it works for the first set of examples.
Basically, visible-bell is a variable, and you assign it the value "t" to enable visible bells.
However, desktop-save-mode is an interactive function, so you don't use setq to assign it a value, you call it with parameters.
One good thing to do when you're not sure what something is, is to use the built-in help function:
C-h v visible-bell RET
This will return the information for visible bell -- notice the "v" in the command is because it's a variable. If you wanted to search for information on a function, you would do this:
C-h f desktop-save-mode RET
Incidentally in this case, desktop-save-mode is also a variable, but it's a read-only variable to determine whether or not desktop-save-mode is enabled, so trying to alter it will not work.
The usual behavior in vim is for C-o in insert-mode to allow the user to use one normal-mode command and then return to insert-mode.
Following the suggestions in this comment, I've set
(vimpulse-imap "\C-o" 'viper-escape-to-vi)
But when I press C-o in insert-mode, the characters "^O" are inserted in the buffer and I am unable to switch to normal-mode for one command as I expect. I understand viper-escape-to-vi is bound to C-z by default but I am also unable to switch to normal-mode using this key combination either ("^Z" is printed in the buffer instead). What am I doing wrong?
Also, second question: I would like for C-z to not be bound by viper-mode (or vimpulse) as I use it for elscreen. How can I tell it to leave C-z alone?
Edit: Found this bit of code in vimpulse-misc-keybindings.el:
;; temporarily escape to vi state
(define-key viper-insert-basic-map "\C-o" 'viper-escape-to-vi)
So should be defined already? Not sure why it doesn't work.
Ad 1) It works for me, maybe something went wrong with your config?
But the output is strange: The only way to get it is a quoted-insert (or similar).
viper-escape-to-vi in insert state is bound to viper-toggle-key (but well that defaults to C-z), so see below. Again your output is strange.
Ad 2) You have to set viper-toggle-key to a sexp before viper is loaded, alternatively customize it.
For the former (using the Pause key for it)
(setq viper-toggle-key [pause])
(require 'viper)
You should try evil, being the successor to vimpulse. It's coming along well and gets rid of viper.
Setting the toggle key there (to pause again) is a (evil-set-toggle-key "<pause>") away, it's a kbd sequence not a sexp.
C-o works fine, too.
M-x < TAB > prints all the defined functions.
To check a variable is defined or not evaluating the following expression,
(boundp 'variable-name) C-x C-e will print t if the variable-name is defined else nill.
How to print all the defined variables in emacs.
It's unclear exactly what you want to do with a full list of symbols, since the way in which M-x displays function names is somewhat specialized.
Assuming that you want to programmatically obtain a list of all defined symbols, here's how auto-complete.el does it:
(loop for x being the symbols
if (boundp x)
collect (symbol-name x))
Note that you can also enter M-x describe-var RET, and then press TAB to get a sorted completion list of all symbols.
I presume (apropos-variable "." t) would show you all the variables defined at that point in time.
edit: I presumed wrongly, it would seem.
Interestingly, this actually shows me significantly fewer results than the auto-completions from describe-var.
Can anyone shed light on that?
e.g. the differences between these, when winner-mode has been enabled:
C-uM-x apropos-variable RET winner- RET
C-hv winner- TAB
edit 2: Ah... it looks like apropos may ignore any symbol which lacks a documentation string.
If it's possible, I suggest reassigning the accepted answer.
Extrapolating (heavily!) what is being asked for, here is a way to get a pretty-printed alist of all buffer-local variables with their values. This is very convenient for finding out why for instance a mode isn't behaving the way one expects.
To get this listing, do:
M-x pp-eval-expression RET (buffer-local-variables) RET
Relevant portions from this list can be added almost verbatim to a .dir-locals.el file for use with multiple files.
This happens to me all the time:
I have a file open in emacs,
I save it ('save-buffer),
the file changes on disk (or get's deleted, moved, etc.)
but I want it back, so I try to save again in emacs ('save-buffer) and instead of saving it says "(no changes need to be saved)" and does nothing.
Is there a different function, or a setting, that I can use to force emacs to save?
Wrap a function around save-buffer that marks the buffer modified first:
(defun save-buffer-always ()
"Save the buffer even if it is not modified."
(interactive)
(set-buffer-modified-p t)
(save-buffer))
You can save as, with C-x C-w. That should save unconditionally. You can also just type a space then backspace over it. Emacs is smart enough to realize that if you undo everything you've done so far the buffer has no changes, but if you make changes and then manually reverse them it will consider the buffer to have been changed.
You can mark the current buffer as modified using the Emacs-Lisp function not-modified with a prefix arg, bound to:
C-u M-~
The answer above won't work if you don't call the new function directly.
If you want to seamlessly change emacs saving behavior. The best solution is to create an advice:
(defadvice save-buffer (before save-buffer-always activate)
"always save buffer"
(set-buffer-modified-p t))
As a slight alternative to scottfrazer's answer:
(defun my-save-buffer-always-sometimes (prefix)
"Save the buffer even if it is not modified."
(interactive "P")
(when prefix
(set-buffer-modified-p t))
(save-buffer))
This was you can force it when you want to with a prefix (C-u C-x C-s) but not unnecessarily change a file otherwise. The last modified timestamp is very useful (e.g. source code control) that it seems a shame to change it arbitrarily. YMMV, of course.
A similar problem brought me online to look for a solution. Then it hits me that all I have to do is type a space (or any character) and delete it, which marks the buffer as changed. Then I can type C-x C-s as normal. Maybe not sophisticated or advanced, but it works.
Like Tagore Smith said, you can force Emacs to save the buffer with C-x C-w.
If you're using Evil mode, you can also achieve this behavior by typing :w! in normal state. Unlike C-x C-w, :w! will not prompt you for the filename to save to.