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From: merlyn@intelob.intel.com (Randal L. Schwartz @ Stonehenge)
Newsgroups: comp.emacs,gnu.emacs
Subject: intern (was Re: GNU Emacs string-to-symbol function ?)
Summary: it's already there
Keywords: GNU
Message-ID: <4366@omepd.UUCP>
Date: 2 May 89 22:10:05 GMT
References: <1256@novavax.UUCP>
Sender: news@omepd.UUCP
Reply-To: merlyn@intelob.intel.com (Randal L. Schwartz @ Stonehenge)
Organization: Stonehenge; netaccess via BiiN, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
Lines: 30
In-reply-to: weiner@novavax.UUCP (Bob Weiner)

In article <1256@novavax.UUCP>, weiner@novavax (Bob Weiner) writes:
| Anyone know if there is a way to convert a string to a symbol-name in
| GNU Emacs Lisp?

^H d i n t e r n RET

intern:
Return the symbol whose name is STRING.
A second optional argument specifies the obarray to use;
it defaults to the value of  obarray.

^H d i n t e r n - s o f t RET

intern-soft:
Return the symbol whose name is STRING, or nil if none exists yet.
A second optional argument specifies the obarray to use;
it defaults to the value of  obarray.

Try (intern "foo") or (intern-soft "foo")

Side note for elisp gurus: what happens if you (intern-soft "nil")?
How do you tell? :-) :-)

Just another elisp hacker (for a few more weeks...),
-- 
/=Randal L. Schwartz, Stonehenge Consulting Services (503)777-0095===\
{ on contract to BiiN, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, until 30 May 1989     }
{ <merlyn@intelob.intel.com> ...!uunet!tektronix!biin!merlyn         }
{ or try <merlyn@agora.hf.intel.com> after 30 May 1989               }
\=Cute quote: "Welcome to Oregon... home of the California Raisins!"=/