Re: using variable names as args to interactive functions

[Kevin Rodgers]

Stuart wrote:
> I have some variables which I set at startup with setq. There are a
> bunch of variables that get set. Each is a string representing a
> directory path. I want a function which I can just type the variable
> name and it opens dired with that directory.
>
> However, this doesn't work because the interactive option "v" doesn't
> include the variables set with setq because this requires that: "A
> variable declared to be a user option (i.e., satisfying the predicate
> user-variable-p)."
>
> Any ideas? Thanks.
>
> (defun find-my-special-dir (dir)
>         (interactive "vSpecial dir: ")
>         (find-file dir))
>
>
> Example
> --------------
> startup:
>      (setq my-special-dir-a "/path/to/my/special/dir")
>
> minibuffer:
>      Special dir: my-special-dir-a

,----[ C-h f user-variable-p RET ]
| user-variable-p is a built-in function in `C source code'.
| (user-variable-p variable)
|
| Return t if variable is intended to be set and modified by users.
| (The alternative is a variable used internally in a Lisp program.)
| A variable is a user variable if
| (1) the first character of its documentation is `*', or
| (2) it is customizable (its property list contains a non-nil value
|     of `standard-value' or `custom-autoload'), or
| (3) it is an alias for another user variable.
| Return nil if variable is an alias and there is a loop in the
| chain of symbols.
|
| [back]
`----

So:

(defvar my-special-dir-a "/path/to/my/special/dir"
  "*Special directory `a'.")

--
Kevin Rodgers
Denver, Colorado, USA