(defun sacha/gnus-personalize-signature ()
  "Personalizes signature based on BBDB signature field.
BBDB signature field should be a lambda expression.
First person with a custom signature field gets used."
  (let* ((bbdb-get-addresses-headers
          (list (assoc 'recipients bbdb-get-addresses-headers)))
         (records (bbdb-update-records
                   (bbdb-get-addresses
                    nil
                    gnus-ignored-from-addresses 'gnus-fetch-field)
                   nil
                   nil))
         signature)
    (while (and records (not signature))
      (when (bbdb-record-getprop (car records) 'signature)
        (setq signature
              (eval (read (bbdb-record-getprop (car records)
                                               'signature)))))
      (setq records (cdr records)))
    (or signature t)))
(setq-default message-signature 'sacha/gnus-personalize-signature)

So then all I have to do is add the following field to his record:

      signature: (concat "Sacha Chua - Emacs geek
                 What crazy idea can I help you hack next?
                 Random Emacs symbol: "
                 (sacha/random-tagline
                  "~/.taglines.random-emacs-symbols"))

Emacs. One crazy idea at a time. Now I can use this to select random information, like my favorite networking books or a list of my upcoming events...

On Technorati: emacs, bbdb, elisp, hack

Random Emacs symbol: sort-coding-systems-predicate - Variable: If non-nil, a predicate function to sort coding systems.

Actually. Hmm.

(progn
  (apropos ".")
  (write-file "~/.taglines.random-emacs-symbols")
  (delete-matching-lines "Plist")
  (delete-matching-lines "not documented")
  (replace-regexp "\n  " " - " nil)
  (delete-non-matching-lines " - "))

Et voila! Random Emacs taglines together with the code:

(defun sacha/random-tagline (&optional file)
  "Return a random tagline and put it in the kill ring."
  (interactive)
  (with-current-buffer (find-file-noselect (or file "~/.taglines"))
    (goto-char (random (point-max)))
    (let ((string
           (buffer-substring (line-beginning-position)
                             (line-end-position))))
      (kill-new string)
      string)))

(defadvice remember (after sacha-tagline activate)
  "Add random tagline."
  (save-excursion
  (goto-char (point-max))
  (insert "\n\nRandom Emacs symbol: "
          (sacha/random-tagline "~/.taglines.random-emacs-symbols")
          "\n\n")))))

On Technorati: emacs, pimpmyemacs, elisp

Random Emacs symbol: eshell-remove-entries - Function: From PATH, remove all of the given FILES, perhaps interactively.

(defun sacha/bbdb (string elidep)
  "Display all entries in the BBDB matching the regexp STRING
in either the name(s), company, network address, or notes.
Prioritize non-note matches."
  (interactive
   (list (bbdb-search-prompt "Search records %m regexp: ")
         current-prefix-arg))
  (let* ((bbdb-display-layout (bbdb-grovel-elide-arg elidep))
         (notes (cons '* string))
         (records-top
          (bbdb-search (bbdb-records) string string string nil
                       nil))
         (records
          (bbdb-search (bbdb-records) string string string notes
                       nil))
         temp)
    (setq temp records-top)
    (while temp
      (setq records (delete (car temp) records))
      (setq temp (cdr temp)))
    (if (or records-top records)
        (bbdb-display-records (append
                               records-top
                               records))
      ;; we could use error here, but it's not really an error.
      (message "No records matching '%s'" string))))

(defalias 'bbdb 'sacha/bbdb)

On Technorati: emacs, bbdb, crm, elisp, pimpmyemacs

(defvar sacha/bbdb-rapid-serial-visualization-delay
 1
 "*Number of seconds to wait between records.
Set to 0 to wait for input.")

(defun sacha/bbdb-rapid-serial-visualization ()
  "Breeze through everyone's name and notes."
  (interactive)
  (window-configuration-to-register ?a)
  ;; Copy the currently visible records
  (let ((records bbdb-records)
        (default-size (face-attribute 'default :height))
        (new-size 400)
        (continue t))
    (set-face-attribute 'default nil :height new-size)
    (pop-to-buffer (get-buffer-create "BBDB-Serial"))
    (delete-other-windows)
    (while (and records continue)
      (insert (bbdb-record-name (caar records))
              "\n\n"
              (or (car (bbdb-record-net (caar records))) "No e-mail")
              "\n\n"
              (or (bbdb-record-notes (caar records)) "")
              (make-string 50 ?\n))
      (goto-char (point-min))
      (sit-for sacha/bbdb-rapid-serial-visualization-delay)
      (setq records (cdr records)))
    (set-face-attribute 'default nil :height default-size)
    (when continue
      (jump-to-register ?a))))

On Technorati: emacs, bbdb, crm, elisp, pimpmyemacs

• Emacs: Keep track of messages sent
• BBDB pinging code

I should write a small book about how to build a contact management system with Emacs. ;) It's insanely powerful, you know.

(require 'planner)
(require 'bbdb)
(defun sacha/bbdb-show-only-no-contact-since (date)
  "Show only people who haven't been pinged since DATE or at all."
  (interactive (list (planner-read-date)))
  (let ((records bbdb-records)
        new-records
        last-match
        omit
        notes)
    (while records
      ;; Find the latest date mentioned in the entry
      (setq notes (or (bbdb-record-notes (caar records)) ""))
      (setq last-match nil omit nil)
      (while (string-match
              "[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9]\\.[0-9][0-9]\\.[0-9][0-9]"
              notes
              (or last-match 0))
        (unless (string> date (match-string 0 notes))
          (setq omit t)
          (setq last-match (length notes)))
        (setq last-match (match-end 0)))
      (unless (and last-match omit)
        (add-to-list 'new-records (caar records) t))
      (setq records (cdr records)))
    (bbdb-display-records new-records)))

One of the other things I'd like to smooth over is keeping track of who owes whom e-mail... <laugh>

On Technorati: emacs, bbdb, pimpmyemacs, planner, networking, hack, elisp

(defun sacha/gnus-add-nick-to-message ()
  "Inserts \"Hello, NICK!\" in messages based on the recipient's nick field."
  (interactive)
  (save-excursion
    (let ((bbdb-get-addresses-headers (list (assoc 'recipients bbdb-get-addresses-headers)))
          nicks)
      (setq nicks
            (delq nil
                  (mapcar (lambda (rec) (bbdb-record-getprop rec 'nick))
                          (bbdb-update-records
                           (bbdb-get-addresses nil gnus-ignored-from-addresses 'gnus-fetch-field)
                           nil
                           nil))))
      (goto-char (point-min))
      (when (and nicks
                 (re-search-forward "--text follows this line--" nil t))
        (forward-line 1)
        (insert "Hello, "
                (mapconcat 'identity nicks ", ")
                "!\n\n")))))

(defadvice gnus-post-news (after sacha activate)
  (sacha/gnus-add-nick-to-message))

On Technorati: emacs, gnus, code, elisp

Random Japanese sentence: 虎を大きな猫というなら、同じように猫を小さな虎といってもよい。 You may as well call a cat a small tiger as call a tiger a big cat.