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I'd like to segment Lisp source code into a list of code segments. Each segment is either a top level S-expression, or whatever text between those S-expressions.

Initially I thought that I could use regular expression pattern to match top level S-expression, but I found that it's not as trivial to handle the matching parenthesis to at the top level only.

(I feel that it might be possible to work out a regular expression to match top level S-exp) by following example of this Using regular expressions to extract functions and function headers from source code

Next, I figure that I may scan the text to observe the first left parenthesis '(', and the last right parenthesis ')', and do the segmentation accordingly.

Before I do that I feel that given the ubiquitous nature of S-expression in emacs Lisp, there should have already existing solution to my requirements.

So I ask if you could teach me any solution?

Thanks,

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Regexps are absolutely wrong for the job. You cannot match an arbitrarily-nested balanced form with a regular expression, so forget that idea.

Moving over a s-expression with elisp is as simple as (forward-sexp)

I don't actually understand what it is you're trying to achieve, though. Could you please update the question with more details?

edit: Seeing as you've accepted this answer, I'll just point you to these for further reading:

  • C-hig (elisp) Parsing Expressions RET
  • C-hig (elisp) List Motion RET
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Thanks! I was looking for the existing support like forward-sexp. My goal is to transform Lisp source code file into emacs org-babel supported literate programming org file where I would like to have each function or top sexp to be a org code block.

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