Re: (read (current-buffer)) returns an integer in a buffer full of text?

[Sebastian Tennant]

Quoth "Robert Thorpe" <rthorpe@realworldtech.com>:
> Kevin Rodgers wrote:
>> Robert Thorpe wrote:
>> > Sebastian Tennant wrote:
>> >> Hi everyone,
>> >>
>> >> If I execute the following code in *scratch* there's no problem:
>> >>
>> >>   (with-temp-buffer
>> >>     (insert "hello")
>> >>     (backward-word)
>> >>     (read (current-buffer)))
>> >>   => hello
>> >
>> > The function with-temp-buffer creates a temp buffer for the duration of
>> > it's body.  It does _not_ select that buffer as the current buffer.
>>
>> Why would that matter?  The (read (current-buffer)) form is evaluated
>> while the temp buffer is current.  Nothing depends on the temp buffer
>> still being current after that.
>
> You're right, my last sentence is 100% wrong.  With-temp-buffer does
> set the temp buffer to be the current buffer.
>
> I have no idea why this code doesn't work, it works for me under
> similar conditions.
> (The only mistake is that (backward-word) should be (backward-word 1))

My error was in the location of point.  If two words are separated by
a space, and point at the beginning of the second word,
'(backward-word 2)' is required to move point to the beginning of the
first word.

However, why does this happen:

 (with-temp-buffer
   (insert "586114704")
   (backward-word)
   (read (current-buffer)))

 => 49243792

Is there an integer limit relating to symbols somehow?

Sebastian