RE: `read-file-name' with history?

[Drew Adams]

> unlike `read-string', `read-file-name' lacks an history parameter.  Is
> there a way to achieve such behavior?

Correct, there is no history parameter.  But it does use a history list:
`file-name-history'.

To achieve a file-name reading behavior with an arbitrary history list, you
would need to write your own file-name reading function and bind it to the
variable `read-file-name-function'.  Then let-bind that var around a call to
`read-file-name.

> Since `read-string' is a built-in function in C source code, I can't
> examine it (well, I could examine the C sources, but I think it would
> be a little difficult).

What is the question here?  What is the relation to your question about
`read-file-name''s history parameter?