setting text properties for strings (or string variables)?

[Florian von Savigny]

The Elisp manual says:

<quote>
   Like a buffer, a string can contain text properties for the
characters in it, as well as the characters themselves. All the Lisp
primitives that copy text from strings to buffers or other strings
also copy the properties of the characters being copied.
</quote>

That kindles me to ask if there is no function to set the text
properties for a (sub)string. The available functions which set text
properties seem to work only on buffers.

I am asking because I want to insert a string into a buffer and
provide it with '(face underline) on the fly. It seems more cumbersome
to calculate the buffer positions in order to use (set-text-property
beg end '(face underline)).

-- 


Florian v. Savigny

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