[OS X Emacs] Re: How to call "call-process"

[David Reitter]

On May 5, 2010, at 11:54 AM, <siemsen at ucar.edu> <siemsen at ucar.edu> wrote:

> Thanks!  Here's what I'm using now:
> 
> ; bind Command-Shift-7 to execute PetesLookup and feed it the highlighted string
> (define-key osx-key-mode-map (kbd "A-&")
>   (defun execute-PetesLookup ()
>     "Execute PetesLookup, feeding it the current selected region as a command-line argument."
>     (interactive)
>     (call-process "/Users/siemsen/Applications/PetesLookup.app/Contents/MacOS/PetesLookup" nil nil nil
>                   (buffer-substring (point) (mark)))
>     )
>   )
> 
> This works and is clearly better, but it smells funny to define a named function when the name is never referenced.  Is there a way to just invoke call-process, without a defun?

Of course.  You would use a lambda expression:

(lambda () "..." (interactive) ...)

instead of the defun.

As I said, it is more flexible to have a named function in things like keymaps or hooks.  One reason is that users can do M-x execute-PetesLookup RET, if you have a named command.

By the way, you can add point and mark as optional arguments to the function, and use (interactive "something") to set them automatically.  See the DOC string for `interactive'.  I don't know what the advantages are beyond being able to call it as a function with arguments.

- D

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