— Function: read-minibuffer prompt &optional initial

This function reads a Lisp object using the minibuffer, and returns it without evaluating it. The arguments prompt and initial are used as in read-from-minibuffer.

This is a simplified interface to the read-from-minibuffer function:

          (read-minibuffer prompt initial)
          ==
          (let (minibuffer-allow-text-properties)
            (read-from-minibuffer prompt initial nil t))

Here is an example in which we supply the string "(testing)" as initial input:

          (read-minibuffer
           "Enter an expression: " (format "%s" '(testing)))
          
          ;; Here is how the minibuffer is displayed:
          
          ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ----------
          Enter an expression: (testing)-!-
          ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ----------

The user can type <RET> immediately to use the initial input as a default, or can edit the input.

— Function: eval-minibuffer prompt &optional initial

This function reads a Lisp expression using the minibuffer, evaluates it, then returns the result. The arguments prompt and initial are used as in read-from-minibuffer.

This function simply evaluates the result of a call to read-minibuffer:

          (eval-minibuffer prompt initial)
          ==
          (eval (read-minibuffer prompt initial))

— Function: edit-and-eval-command prompt form

This function reads a Lisp expression in the minibuffer, evaluates it, then returns the result. The difference between this command and eval-minibuffer is that here the initial form is not optional and it is treated as a Lisp object to be converted to printed representation rather than as a string of text. It is printed with prin1, so if it is a string, double-quote characters (‘"’) appear in the initial text. See Output Functions.

In the following example, we offer the user an expression with initial text that is already a valid form:

          (edit-and-eval-command "Please edit: " '(forward-word 1))
          
          ;; After evaluation of the preceding expression,
          ;;   the following appears in the minibuffer:
          
          ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ----------
          Please edit: (forward-word 1)-!-
          ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ----------

Typing <RET> right away would exit the minibuffer and evaluate the expression, thus moving point forward one word.