12.5 Review

Here is a brief summary of some recently introduced functions.

while

Repeatedly evaluate the body of the expression so long as the first element of the body tests true. Then return nil. (The expression is evaluated only for its side effects.)

For example:

(let ((foo 2))
  (while (> foo 0)
    (insert (format "foo is %d.\n" foo))
    (setq foo (1- foo))))

     ⇒      foo is 2.
             foo is 1.
             nil

(The insert function inserts its arguments at point; the format function returns a string formatted from its arguments the way message formats its arguments; \n produces a new line.)

re-search-forward

Search for a pattern, and if the pattern is found, move point to rest just after it.

Takes four arguments, like search-forward:

1. A regular expression that specifies the pattern to search for. (Remember to put quotation marks around this argument!)
2. Optionally, the limit of the search.
3. Optionally, what to do if the search fails, return nil or an error message.
4. Optionally, how many times to repeat the search; if negative, the search goes backwards.

let*

Bind some variables locally to particular values, and then evaluate the remaining arguments, returning the value of the last one. While binding the local variables, use the local values of variables bound earlier, if any.

For example:

(let* ((foo 7)
       (bar (* 3 foo)))
  (message "`bar' is %d." bar))
     ⇒ ‘bar’ is 21.

match-beginning

Return the position of the start of the text found by the last regular expression search.

looking-at

Return t for true if the text after point matches the argument, which should be a regular expression.

eobp

Return t for true if point is at the end of the accessible part of a buffer. The end of the accessible part is the end of the buffer if the buffer is not narrowed; it is the end of the narrowed part if the buffer is narrowed.