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Info Node: (efaq)Finding a package with particular functionality

(efaq)Finding a package with particular functionality


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How do I find a Emacs Lisp package that does XXX?
=================================================

   First of all, you should check to make sure that the package isn't
already available.  For example, typing `M-x apropos <RET> wordstar
<RET>' lists all functions and variables containing the string
`wordstar'.

   It is also possible that the package is on your system, but has not
been loaded.  To see which packages are available for loading, look
through your computer's lisp directory (Note: File-name conventions).
The Lisp source to most packages contains a short description of how
they should be loaded, invoked, and configured--so before you use or
modify a Lisp package, see if the author has provided any hints in the
source code.

   If a package does not come with Emacs, check the Lisp Code Directory.
The LCD was originally maintained by Dave Brennan <brennan@hal.com>,
but was recently taken over by toby knudsen <toby@world.std.com>, who
maintains `http://www.emacs.org'.  The LCD is currently being
reorganized and updated, but you can meanwhile find many packages at
`ftp://ftp.emacs.org/pub'.

   For now, you can search through the LCD with `lispdir.el', which is
in the process of being updated.  Download it from the LCD, in the
`emacs-lisp-attic/misc' directory, and then evaluate the following Lisp
form (Note: Evaluating Emacs Lisp code):

     (setq lisp-code-directory
      "/anonymous@ftp.emacs.org:pub/emacs-lisp-attic/emacs-lisp/LCD-datafile.gz"
       elisp-archive-host "ftp.emacs.org"
       elisp-archive-directory "/pub/emacs-lisp-attic/emacs-lisp/")

   Once you have installed `lispdir.el', you can use `M-x
lisp-dir-apropos' to search the listing.  For example, `M-x
lisp-dir-apropos <RET> ange-ftp <RET>' produces this output:

              GNU Emacs Lisp Code Directory Apropos --- "ange-ftp"
     "~/" refers to archive.cis.ohio-state.edu:pub/elisp-archive/
     
          ange-ftp (4.18)       15-Jul-1992
               Andy Norman, <ange@hplb.hpl.hp.com>
               ~/packages/ange-ftp.tar.Z
               transparent FTP Support for GNU Emacs
          auto-save (1.19)      01-May-1992
               Sebastian Kremer, <sk@thp.uni-koeln.de>
               ~/misc/auto-save.el.Z
               Safer autosaving with support for ange-ftp and /tmp
          ftp-quik (1.0)        28-Jul-1993
               Terrence Brannon, <tb06@pl122f.eecs.lehigh.edu>
               ~/modes/ftp-quik.el.Z
               Quik access to dired'ing of ange-ftp and normal paths


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