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

[Kevin Rodgers]

Robert Thorpe wrote:
> Sebastian Tennant wrote:
> > 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?
>
> The function "read" will read whatever type it finds.  It will treat
> 586114704 as an integer.
>
> Try the following:-
> Type 586114704 into scratch and do C-x C-e straight afterwards.
> The echo area will display 49243792.  This is because there is a limit
> on integers in Emacs, they are 26-bits long.  This allows you to
> represent -67108865 to 67108864 I think.

,----[ C-h v most-positive-fixnum RET ]
| most-positive-fixnum is a variable defined in `C source code'.
| Its value is 268435455
|
| Documentation:
| The largest value that is representable in a Lisp integer.
|
| [back]
`----

> Emacs doesn't warn you when you exceed the limit unfortunately.
>
> Generally if you want to do numerical things with Lisp you should use
> another lisp such as Common Lisp.

--
Kevin