Word count in Emacs

[B. T. Raven]

Can anyone give me a clue why the following doesn't print a number in
the mini-buffer or to the *Messages* buffer?:

(defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
"Print number of words in the region."
(interactive "r")
(save-excursion
(save-restriction
(narrow-to-region start end)
(goto-char (point-min))
(count-matches "\\sw+"))))

an alias is assigned so that I can invoke with

M-x wce (word count emacs)

Thanks,

Ed

[Jambunathan K]

M-x count- TAB

or

M-= (does exactly what you are trying to do here, I suppose)

--

[Alp Aker]

> Can anyone give me a clue why the following doesn't print a number in
> the mini-buffer or to the *Messages* buffer?:
>
> (defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
> "Print number of words in the region."
> (interactive "r")
> (save-excursion
> (save-restriction
> (narrow-to-region start end)
> (goto-char (point-min))
> (count-matches "\\sw+"))))

As you've defined it, the function returns a number, but it's not the
case that the return value of an interactive command is automatically
echoed in the mini-buffer. Compare:

(defun count-words (start end) ;; alias wce
"Print number of words in the region."
(interactive "r")
(save-excursion
(save-restriction
(narrow-to-region start end)
(goto-char (point-min))

(message (number-to-string (count-matches "\\sw+"))))))

[B. T. Raven]

Die Fri Sep 14 2012 14:28:55 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time) Alp Aker
<alptek...@gmail.com> scripsit:

Thanks, Alp. That did it.

Ed

[B. T. Raven]

>
> M-x count- TAB

Using this I just find my own function. I think I looked at C-h f count
tab before defining this. Am I masking an original count-words function
in ver. 23.3?

>
> or
>
> M-= (does exactly what you are trying to do here, I suppose)

That is count-lines-regions, returning no. of lines and chars, not words
unless it's been enhanced in ver. 24

Thanks, anyway

Ed