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Documentation on EMACS's C

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Blair Vidakovich

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Jan 20, 2021, 7:04:27 PM1/20/21
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Hello!

I am looking to try and understand more about how EMACS works at the
lower level. I have been reading the Intro to EMACS LISP, as well as the
EMACS LISP Reference Manual, and I feel like I have a good grasp of how
EMACS LISP works, but I'd like to understand more about how the C that
runs underneath the LISP works.

I have downloaded the EMACS source code, and I have tried to do a bit of
a deep dive into the C code, but I find it quite confusing.

The EMACS LISP Reference manual talks about how the system boots up when
it is running LISP, but not so much is said about how the system's C
LISP interpreter works.

Could anyone link me to any cool resources I could read to better
understand how EMACS's C works?

Thanks in advance

--

~vidak

gemini://tanelorn.city/~vidak
https://bootlicker.party
https://awkward.company/vidak

Wayne Harris

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Apr 16, 2021, 5:08:58 PM4/16/21
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On Thu, 21 Jan 2021 08:04:18 +0800
Blair Vidakovich <vi...@riseup.net> wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I am looking to try and understand more about how EMACS works at the
> lower level. I have been reading the Intro to EMACS LISP, as well as the
> EMACS LISP Reference Manual, and I feel like I have a good grasp of how
> EMACS LISP works, but I'd like to understand more about how the C that
> runs underneath the LISP works.
>
> I have downloaded the EMACS source code, and I have tried to do a bit of
> a deep dive into the C code, but I find it quite confusing.
>
> The EMACS LISP Reference manual talks about how the system boots up when
> it is running LISP, but not so much is said about how the system's C
> LISP interpreter works.
>
> Could anyone link me to any cool resources I could read to better
> understand how EMACS's C works?

This is the USENET gnu.emacs.help. The mail list is a lot more active.
You could find better help joining

https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-devel

You can use it through Gmane at

https://gmane.io/


Steve

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Sep 28, 2021, 10:27:01 PM9/28/21
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Blair Vidakovich <vi...@riseup.net> writes:

> Hello!

> I am looking to try and understand more about how EMACS works at the
> lower level.


join the club :)

I would recommend reading the sources. compiling and adding the
--enable-bootstrap option with --local-lisp-path=/usr/share/site-lisp can help.


> I have been reading the Intro to EMACS LISP, as well as the
> EMACS LISP Reference Manual, and I feel like I have a good grasp of how
> EMACS LISP works, but I'd like to understand more about how the C that
> runs underneath the LISP works.

There used to be a way to squeeze some C code into the image. I'd have
to check on that...

> I have downloaded the EMACS source code, and I have tried to do a bit of
> a deep dive into the C code, but I find it quite confusing.

yes the code has gotten drastically complicated. Especially with this
multibyte character stuff. The initial attempt was mule.

> The EMACS LISP Reference manual talks about how the system boots up when
> it is running LISP, but not so much is said about how the system's C
> LISP interpreter works.

I wish I had the electricity...

> Could anyone link me to any cool resources I could read to better
> understand how EMACS's C works?

Hopefully one day. Errt!

I just found it! I believe it may still be proprietary. The code is from
the 1990s. Let me know I'll check...
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