Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!decvax!ucbvax!ANDREW.CMU.EDU!jk3k+
From: jk3k+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU ("Joseph G. Keane")
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: Re: alist help for an elisp beginner
Message-ID: <MW4rYsy00WAIyc00P7@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 12 Feb 88 21:59:20 GMT
References: <276@ho7cad.ATT.COM>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 9

Use:
(defvar file-name-abbreviation-alist
  (list
    (cons (format "^%s" (getenv "HOME")) "~")
    (cons (format "^%s" (getenv "TOOLS")) "<TOOLS>")))

(I bet this looks pretty random if you don't know Lisp.)

--Joe