Emacs Lisp Function Frequency (Emacs 27. Year 2020)

By Xah Lee. Date: 2020-12-17.

Emacs 27 Lisp Function Frequency

This page shows a table of emacs lisp functions in order of their usage frequency.

for Emacs 27 (date 2020)

If you are a emacs lisp beginner, you want to master the these functions by order. Go down the list and see which is the first one you don't recognize. A fun way to judge your lisp expertise and challenge friends.

setq 55211
if 51253
defun 40229
let 31698
and 27604
or 21195
car 21092
when 20185
not 18504
eq 18458
point 16003
cdr 15510
list 13548
nth 13472
defvar 12640
goto-char 12370
while 11145
interactive 11034
concat 10123
define-key 9906
cons 9388
cond 8918
defcustom 7990
progn 7987
let* 7965
unless 7881
insert 7683
t 7422
save-excursion 7302
lambda 7279
format 7279
autoload 6694
error 6591
point-min 6178
const 5667
length 5480
- 5378
= 5344
memq 5091
message 4964
1+ 4840
fn 4833
string-match 4821
> 4792
&optional 4752
< 4708
looking-at 4594
+ 4568
point-max 4360
equal 4282
put 4267
funcall 4128
require 4076
push 4072
1- 4025
aref 3813
fboundp 3710
with-current-buffer 3576
match-string 3553
match-end 3465
re-search-forward 3400
dolist 3393
null 3369
match-beginning 3260
current-buffer 3010
mapcar 2933
stringp 2865
substring 2816
defconst 2747
assq 2740
forward-line 2665
declare-function 2489
register-definition-prefixes 2485
choice 2422
assoc 2324
append 2277
string= 2246
string 2223
cadr 2126
* 2113
apply 2035
set 1926
make-local-variable 1894
forward-char 1861
expand-file-name 1853
plist-get 1820
member 1799
>= 1798
beginning-of-line 1796
car-safe 1778
x 1775
consp 1769
<= 1756
file 1629
name 1607
throw 1600
princ 1598
nreverse 1587
delete-region 1586
condition-case 1580
defsubst 1527
pop 1502
zerop 1481
repeat 1462
arg 1444
a 1440
provide 1439
aset 1421
symbol-name 1390
org-element-property 1342
start 1332
add-hook 1325
/ 1306
setf 1294
listp 1279
buffer-substring 1270
defmacro 1247
string-to-number 1242
intern 1229
type 1208
function 1206
set-buffer 1205
get 1193
get-text-property 1182
class 1178
mapconcat 1175
file-exists-p 1148
skip-chars-forward 1137
replace-match 1134
setcdr 1119
regexp-quote 1103
symbolp 1085
eobp 1085
modify-syntax-entry 1085
menu-item 1080
char-after 1073
max 1064
boundp 1061
oref 1056
defalias 1053
delq 1019
current-column 1016
save-restriction 1015
case-fold-search 1014
search-forward 992
1 969
defgroup 967
cl-defmethod 958
numberp 953
end-of-line 949
s 948
setcar 931
setq-local 923
end 916
n 915
erase-buffer 906
default 897
beg 890
buffer 884
catch 881
purecopy 875
var 867
defface 865
min 858
math-mul 853
prog1 851
i 850
make-sparse-keymap 850
&rest 849
background 846
regexp 842
put-text-property 839
symbol-value 835
pos 831
buffer-name 827
with-temp-buffer 817
mapc 805
integerp 804
string-equal 802
group 789
re-search-backward 787
skip-chars-backward 785
line-beginning-position 776
nil 774
downcase 772
elt 760
file-name-directory 759
file-name-nondirectory 758
map 753
nconc 752
/= 746
symbol 746
declare 740
narrow-to-region 739
make-variable-buffer-local 736
eval 735
get-buffer-create 727
[0-9]+\\ 725
bolp 721
kill-buffer 712
user-error 711
run-hooks 704
buffer-substring-no-properties 701
inhibit-read-only 686
unwind-protect 684
nthcdr 681
pcase 678
eval-when-compile 676
c-lang-const 671
widget-get 664
vector 661
delete-char 659
caar 657
\\ 653
buf 651
widen 651
replace-regexp-in-string 644
make-string 642
save-match-data 639
line-end-position 637
dir 634
math-div 623
see 622
tag 622
overlay-put 619
call-interactively 617
.*\\ 614
set-marker 611
ignore-errors 609
p 609
backward-char 596
buffer-file-name 593
key 587
split-string 586
following-char 581
signal 576
char-before 574
filename 572
remove-hook 562
get-buffer 558
select-window 556
kbd 555
selected-window 554
sort 554
entry 554
file-directory-p 549
gethash 545
add-to-list 542
string-match-p 542
value 536
str 534
define-obsolete-function-alias 532
` 530
_ 528
prefix-numeric-value 528
math-add 526
result 525
y-or-n-p 523
featurep 522
point-marker 515
bindings--define-key 513
mark 512
read-string 509
, 502
read 502
0 497
cl-incf 496
bobp 488
propertize 487
functionp 484
cddr 483
float 478
table 478
sit-for 474
match-string-no-properties 473
buffer-string 468
dotimes 468
copy-sequence 467
completing-read 465
c 462
f 459
custom-autoload 459
val 456
cl-loop 451
org-defkey 448
get-buffer-window 438
switch-to-buffer 438
:foreground 434
2 432
number-to-string 431
b 429
math-reject-arg 422
from 420
forward-sexp 418
char-to-string 418
form 411
item 411
reverse 409
indent 405
[^ 402
range 400
% 399
min-colors 397
math-sub 397
derived-mode-p 394
preceding-char 393
widget 393
buffer-live-p 389
delete-file 388
last 388
logand 384
which 377
gnus-message 377
debug 376
cl-assert 375
count 368
integer 362
insert-file-contents 361
event 360
alist 358
indent-to 355
marker-position 353
args 353
the 352
regexp-opt 351
[ 349
delete 348
custom-put-if-not 346
window 345
eolp 344
cdar 343
called-interactively-p 341
this 341
format-message 339
files 339
set-buffer-modified-p 338
file-name-as-directory 337
data 334
substitute-command-keys 334
puthash 334
face 334
count-lines 332
%s 332
sym 330
save-window-excursion 330
prefix 328
window-buffer 327
find-file-noselect 325
marker-buffer 325
url 324
copy-marker 323
make-symbol 322
point-at-eol 320
add-text-properties 319
proc 316
buffer-modified-p 314
prompt 314
math-neg 312
define-derived-mode 311
file-attributes 311
current-indentation 310
load 306
char 305
e 305
date 304
len 303
process 302
abs 301
expr 300
deffoo 299
4 297
org-element-type 297
upcase 296
c-lang-defconst 295
res 294
insert-buffer-substring 292
control 291
make-vector 290
num 287
info 287
file-readable-p 286
mod 285
pop-to-buffer 284
article 283
body 281
l 280
obj 280
format-time-string 279
global-set-key 277
selected-frame 275
gnus 274
vec 271
context 270
defvar-local 269
custom-manual 269
defvoo 269
doctor-put-meaning 269
func 267
buffer-size 266
point-at-bol 266
number 265
search-backward 264
process-buffer 263
line 262
move-to-column 261
region-beginning 261
node 261
frame 260
define-minor-mode 258
semantic-tag-name 258
in 257
calc-wrapper 256
directory-file-name 255
limit 255
text 253
ash 253
get-buffer-process 252
sexp 252
move-marker 251
m 250
widget-put 249
command 247
Org 246
semantic-lambda 246
math-normalize 244
dun-mprincl 243
pred 242
v 240
mode 239
region-end 239
cmd 238
make-hash-table 236
make-overlay 233
write-region 232
next-single-property-change 231
window-height 231
push-mark 231
oset 230
directory-files 229
element 229
overlay-get 229
int-to-string 229
make-marker 226
back-to-indentation 226
cdr-safe 225
read-from-minibuffer 224
make-obsolete-variable 224
vhdl-insert-keyword 224
plist-put 223
to 223
overlay-start 222
process-status 221
for 221
ding 220
getenv 220
header 220
vectorp 219
symbol-function 219
obsolete 219
org-string-nw-p 219
state 218
delete-overlay 217
e.g. 216
prin1-to-string 215
msg 214
function-item 214
define-obsolete-variable-alias 213
id 212
file-truename 211
status 211
"" 211
buffer-read-only 209
buffer-list 209
with-output-to-temp-buffer 209
default-directory 208
executable-find 207
register-input-method 207
newline 206
intern-soft 206
recenter 206
month 205
3 204
save-buffer 203
path 202
quail-define-package 202
read-file-name 200
begin 200
defclass 200
category 200
message-fetch-field 199
handle 198
select 197
lookup-key 196
ediff-with-current-buffer 196
.+\\ 195
fset 195
host 195
event-start 194
posn-window 194
window-frame 194

Python Script to Count Emacs Lisp Function Frequency

This list is generated by reading all lisp files bundled with GNU Emacs 27.1 of 2020-08-11. Total of 1583 emacs lisp files. Then count the occurrences of the first word after the left parenthesis.

This list is generated by the following Python script.

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
# python 3

# purpose: count emacs lisp function frequency list of emacs lisp programs
# see
# http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/function-frequency.html
# 2006-10-27, 2020-12-17

# algorithm sketch:
# for each file in a given dir,
# read in the file
# delete comment lines
# break it into a list of temp lines, seperated by (
# for each such line, grab the first word
# put this into a wordlist
# for each in wordlist, add it into a hash key, and if already exist, increase by 1

import os, sys, shutil, re, operator

# /Applications/Emacs27.1.app/Contents/Resources/lisp/
# copy it to a temp directory, ungzip the files
inputDir = "/Users/xah/xx/lisp"

# keys are words, vals are count of occurrences
wordFreq = {}

def countMe(filePath):
    "add words frequency into wordFreq"
    print("reading:", filePath)
    inF = open(filePath, "rb")
    s = str(inF.read(), "iso-8859-1")
    inF.close()

    # ; rid of some comments (on a line by themselves)
    s = s.splitlines()
    s = [x for x in s if not re.search(r"\s*;", x)]
    s = " ".join(s)

    s = s.split("(")

    wordlist = []
    for li in s:
        if li:
            s2 = re.split(r"\s+|\)", li)
            if s2:
                if s2[0]:
                    wordlist.append(s2[0])

    # add to dict
    for wd in wordlist:
        if wd in wordFreq:
            wordFreq[wd] = wordFreq[wd] + 1
        else:
            wordFreq[wd] = 1

for dir_path, subdir_list, file_list in os.walk(inputDir):
    for fname in file_list:
        if re.search(r"\.el$", fname, re.U):
            countMe(os.path.join(dir_path, fname))

print()

# print(wordFreq)

for k, v in sorted(iter(wordFreq.items()), key=operator.itemgetter(1), reverse=True):
    print(k, v)

Emacs Lisp Function Frequency (Emacs 27. Year 2020)

Emacs 27 Lisp Function Frequency

Python Script to Count Emacs Lisp Function Frequency

Elisp function frequency