Re: simple useful functions

[Tak Ota]

Fri, 3 Dec 2010 18:36:31 -0800: Stefan Monnier <address@hidden> wrote:

> > (defun source (script &optional shell keep-current-directory)
> >   "Source the specified shell script.
> > Source the shell SCRIPT and import the environment into this
> > emacs.  The optional SHELL specifies the shell other than the
> > default `shell-file-name'.  When KEEP-CURRENT-DIRECTORY is nil,
> > which is the default, the current directory is temporarily
> > changed to the directory where the script resides while sourcing
> > the script."
> >   (interactive "fscript file: ")
> >   (if (null shell)
> >       (setq shell shell-file-name))
> >   (with-temp-buffer
> >     (unless keep-current-directory
> >       (setq default-directory (file-name-directory script)))
> >     (call-process shell nil t nil "-c" (concat "source " script "; 
> > printenv"))
> >     (while (re-search-backward "^\\([^=]+\\)=\\(.*\\)$" nil t)
> >       (setenv (match-string 1) (match-string 2)))))
> 
> Some problems I see with it, by order of decreasing importance:
> - I fail to see in which circumstance(s) this is useful.

OK, I see this may not be useful for everybody.  The reason I wrote
this command was to support embedded software development.  In
embedded development work we are usually required to use some cross
compilation tools.  Such tools often come with a setup script which
includes setting up necessary environment variables for command paths
and library paths.  In order to compile software in this environment
from emacs I need to start emacs from the shell that has run the
script.  But to me emacs is not a text editor but a working
environment.  I don't want to kill the current emacs or start another
emacs for this purpose.  My emacs has been running before running the
script.  I take care of shell needs from inferior shell.  But running
the setup script from an inferior shell doesn't help.  Therefore this
command became handy.

After writing this up I now realize it is useful for minority groups.
Thanks for the comments anyway.

-Tak

> - What if the user uses scsh/emacs for his shell.
> - Most scripts don't setup much of environment.
> - AFAIC things like ~/.cshrc are not a scripts but a config files.
> - The call-process needs to quote `script' (and should probably be
>   replaced by process-file).
> - The prompt should start with a capital.
> 
> 
>         Stefan
>