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(emacs-lisp-intro.info)On Reading this Text

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On Reading this Text
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   All through this document, you will see little sample programs you
can run inside of Emacs.  If you read this document in Info inside of
GNU Emacs, you can run the programs as they appear.  (This is easy to
do and is explained when the examples are presented.)  Alternatively,
you can read this introduction as a printed book while sitting beside a
computer running Emacs.  (This is what I like to do; I like printed
books.)  If you don't have a running Emacs beside you, you can still
read this book, but in this case, it is best to treat it as a novel or
as a travel guide to a country not yet visited: interesting, but not
the same as being there.

   Much of this introduction is dedicated to walk-throughs or guided
tours of code used in GNU Emacs.  These tours are designed for two
purposes: first, to give you familiarity with real, working code (code
you use every day); and, second, to give you familiarity with the way
Emacs works.  It is interesting to see how a working environment is
implemented.  Also, I hope that you will pick up the habit of browsing
through source code.  You can learn from it and mine it for ideas.
Having GNU Emacs is like having a dragon's cave of treasures.

   In addition to learning about Emacs as an editor and Emacs Lisp as a
programming language, the examples and guided tours will give you an
opportunity to get acquainted with Emacs as a Lisp programming
environment.  GNU Emacs supports programming and provides tools that
you will want to become comfortable using, such as `M-.' (the key which
invokes the `find-tag' command).  You will also learn about buffers and
other objects that are part of the environment.  Learning about these
features of Emacs is like learning new routes around your home town.

   Finally, I hope to convey some of the skills for using Emacs to
learn aspects of programming that you don't know.  You can often use
Emacs to help you understand what puzzles you or to find out how to do
something new.  This self-reliance is not only a pleasure, but an
advantage.