Re: (goto-char ...) error

[Deniz Dogan]

2011/2/22 ken <gebser@mousecar.com>:
>
> On 02/22/2011 01:45 PM Deniz Dogan wrote:
>> 2011/2/22 ken <gebser@mousecar.com>:
>>> On 02/22/2011 12:31 PM Deniz Dogan wrote:
>>>> 2011/2/22 ken <gebser@mousecar.com>:
>>>>> ....
>>>>
>>> My understanding is that the 4th arg to re-search-forward is to repeat
>>> the search, so I set that to nil.
>>>
>>> I get the same error whether the 3rd arg is t or nil (!?):
>>>
>>> (setq ptname (re-search-forward "REGEXP" endpt t nil))
>>>      (if ptname
>>>          ((goto-char (- ptname 1))
>>>           ....
>>>
>>> The error line in *Messages* says:
>>>
>>> if: Invalid function: (goto-char (- begin-name-value 1))
>>>
>>>
>>
>> You have one pair of parentheses too many.
>>
>> Change:
>>
>> ((goto-char (- ptname 1))
>>
>> to:
>>
>> (goto-char (- ptname 1))
>>
>> The error is telling you that "(goto-char (- ptname 1))" is an invalid
>> function, which could potentially be confusing, but it really makes
>> sense.  You call a function named `foo' like (foo ...), but if you do
>> "((foo ...))" you're trying to call a function named "(foo ...)" which
>> is not a valid function.
>>
>> From the documentation of `if':
>>
>> (if COND THEN ELSE...)
>> If COND yields non-nil, do THEN, else do ELSE...
>>
>> This means that your THEN clause must be a single expression.
>> Everything starting with the third argument to `if' is considered part
>> of the ELSE clause.
>>
>> If you want to multiple expressions in the THEN clause, use `progn' as
>> such:
>>
>> (if (= x y)
>>     (progn
>>       (message "They're equal")
>>       (message "Hooray!"))
>>   (message "They're not equal.")
>>   (message "Too bad, bro."))
>>
>> I hope that helps!
>
> Yeah, I think it should.  Thanks.
>
> Just to be clear about one more thing I'll be addressing subsequently,
> i.e., another "if" nested inside the first:
>
> (if (= x y)
>   (progn
>     (message "They're equal")
>     (message "Hooray!")
>     (if (= x z)
>          (progn
>            (message "The next one's equal too.")
>            (message "Hooray++!")))) ; enuf )s to match up to 1st progn
>  (message "They're not equal.")
>  (message "Too bad, bro."))
>

This is fine, but when you don't need the ELSE clause, it's usually
better to use `when', which is like `if', except it doesn't have an
ELSE and you don't need to use `progn'.

(if (= x y)
    (progn
      (message "They're equal")
      (message "Hooray!")
      (when (= x z)
        (message "The next one's equal too.")
        (message "Hooray++!")))
  (message "They're not equal.")
  (message "Too bad, bro."))

There is also `unless' which you can use when you find yourself doing
"when (not (whatever))".

(unless (= x y)
  (message "OMG they differ!")
  (if (> x y)
      (message "OMG X BEATS Y!!!")
    (message "OMG Y BEATS X")))

I encourage you to read the Elisp manual which should come with your
Emacs.  Hit "C-h i d m Elisp RET" in Emacs.  What I told you just now
is covered in chapter 10 "(elisp) Control Structures".

-- 
Deniz Dogan