Re: a function more than interactive..

[jdx2172]

On May 11, 6:57 pm, Tim X <t...@nospam.dev.null> wrote:
> jdx2172 <dj9...@gmail.com> writes:
> > [Dont know what to call this functionality in emacs.. hence the
> > subject "more than interactive..."]
>
> > How do I write a function that when executed prompts the user to enter
> > a value at a prompt, asks another value and so on.. until all the
> > arguments are provided returns a result.
>
> Just use multiple argument specifiers in your call to interactive
>
> ,----[ C-h f interactive RET ]
> | interactive is a special form in `C source code'.
> |
> | (interactive &optional ARGS)
> |
> | Specify a way of parsing arguments for interactive use of a function.
> | For example, write
> |  (defun foo (arg buf) "Doc string" (interactive "P\nbbuffer: ") .... )
> |  to make ARG be the raw prefix argument, and set BUF to an existing buffer,
> |  when `foo' is called as a command.
> | The "call" to `interactive' is actually a declaration rather than a 
> function;
> |  it tells `call-interactively' how to read arguments
> |  to pass to the function.
> | When actually called, `interactive' just returns nil.
> |
> | Usually the argument of `interactive' is a string containing a code letter
> |  followed optionally by a prompt.  (Some code letters do not use I/O to get
> |  the argument and do not use prompts.)  To get several arguments, 
> concatenate
> |  the individual strings, separating them by newline characters.
> | Prompts are passed to format, and may use % escapes to print the
> |  arguments that have already been read.
> | If the argument is not a string, it is evaluated to get a list of
> |  arguments to pass to the function.
> | Just `(interactive)' means pass no args when calling interactively.
> |
> | Code letters available are:
> | a -- Function name: symbol with a function definition.
> | b -- Name of existing buffer.
> | B -- Name of buffer, possibly nonexistent.
> | c -- Character (no input method is used).
> | C -- Command name: symbol with interactive function definition.
> | d -- Value of point as number.  Does not do I/O.
> | D -- Directory name.
> | e -- Parametrized event (i.e., one that's a list) that invoked this command.
> |      If used more than once, the Nth `e' returns the Nth parameterized 
> event.
> |      This skips events that are integers or symbols.
> | f -- Existing file name.
> | F -- Possibly nonexistent file name.
> | G -- Possibly nonexistent file name, defaulting to just directory name.
> | i -- Ignored, i.e. always nil.  Does not do I/O.
> | k -- Key sequence (downcase the last event if needed to get a definition).
> | K -- Key sequence to be redefined (do not downcase the last event).
> | m -- Value of mark as number.  Does not do I/O.
> | M -- Any string.  Inherits the current input method.
> | n -- Number read using minibuffer.
> | N -- Numeric prefix arg, or if none, do like code `n'.
> | p -- Prefix arg converted to number.  Does not do I/O.
> | P -- Prefix arg in raw form.  Does not do I/O.
> | r -- Region: point and mark as 2 numeric args, smallest first.  Does no I/O.
> | s -- Any string.  Does not inherit the current input method.
> | S -- Any symbol.
> | U -- Mouse up event discarded by a previous k or K argument.
> | v -- Variable name: symbol that is user-variable-p.
> | x -- Lisp expression read but not evaluated.
> | X -- Lisp expression read and evaluated.
> | z -- Coding system.
> | Z -- Coding system, nil if no prefix arg.
> |
> | In addition, if the string begins with `*', an error is signaled if
> |   the buffer is read-only.
> | If the string begins with `@', Emacs searches the key sequence which
> |  invoked the command for its first mouse click (or any other event
> |  which specifies a window).
> | If the string begins with `^' and `shift-select-mode' is non-nil,
> |  Emacs first calls the function `handle-shift-selection'.
> | You may use `@', `*', and `^' together.  They are processed in the
> |  order that they appear, before reading any arguments.
> `----
>
> --
> tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au

thanks everyone for all the help.
read-from-minibuffer was the exactly the interactivity I was looking
for.