Re: Help with simple function

[Kalle Olavi Niemitalo]

Peter Davis <pd@world.std.com> writes:

> I don't even know how to create the pop-servers variable so it
> will accept this list format.

If you assign a value to a variable (with setq), you implicitly
create it.  Variables thus created accept all types of values.
Only some built-in variables have type restrictions.

Of course, there is plenty of code that assumes that the value of
compile-command is a string, for example; but if you choose a
name that is not already in use, there is no conflict.

> 2) Have emacs/XEmacs prompt for the password the first time this is
>    used, and store it in there (so I don't have to keep it in my .gnus
>    file)

(defun pd-server-password (server)
  "Return the password for SERVER.
If it is empty, prompt for it and save the value."
  (let ((password (plist-get server :password)))
    (when (equal password "")
      (setq password (read-passwd (format "Password for %s@%s: "
                                          (plist-get server :username)
                                          (plist-get server :server))))
      ;; The docstring of plist-put says you should save the value it
      ;; returns.  However, we know that :password is already a key
      ;; in the plist, so plist-put will destructively change the value.
      (plist-put server :password password))
    password))

> 3) Call the Perl script once for each server, passing the arguments,
>    password, etc.

(with-output-to-temp-buffer "*popfetch*"
  (dolist (server pop-servers)
    (call-process "perl" nil standard-output nil
                  "c:/home/popfetch.pl"
                  (plist-get server :server)
                  (plist-get server :username)
                  (pd-server-password server))))

One should probably display the buffer earlier.