What construct can be used to group a number of commands for execution without, like eval-region but acting on a sexp?

Say I have a group of commands I want to execute, but not use in an `eval region`. I want to place them in a their own brackets and execute them, with C-x C-e`? eg say I have these commands (a b c) (d e f) (g h i) What construct `z` do I have to place them in so I can place the cursor at the end and do a `C-x C-e`? (z (a b c) (d e f) (g h i))

[progn](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Sequencing.html)

I know of `progn` but if `progn` appears in a required file it is executed automatically, unlike a `defun` which is just compiled.

Sounds like an XY problem.

Yes, that's what you asked for. progn (and friends) is the perfect answer to your question. How bout: (defun name () (progn (a b c) (d e f) (g h i))) Since you want to be able to do `C-x C-e` on it, if you don't want it to be executed when required, it cannot be at the top level of the file, unless you do something silly like: (message "This gets evaluated") (with-current-buffer (current-buffer) (goto-char (point-max))) (message "This does not") (progn (a b c) (d e f) (g h i)) So, like the commenter below suggested, this seems like a case of the [XY Problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_problem). What are you *actually* trying to achieve?

I have described exactly what I want, a construct with allows me to execute a sequence of commands encapsulated in a list interactively, without using `eval-region`. Is there any such construct at all, something meant for interactive use?

> I have described exactly what I want, a construct with allows me to execute a sequence of commands encapsulated in a list interactively, without using eval-region. Okay, well you got your answer: progn. But we're obviously still missing information here, because you didn't like that answer.

Okay, you keep taking about interactivity, do you mean you want a `progn` that only runs the code when it's run interactively as opposed to by sourcing a file?

You can put the expressions that you don't want automatically executed in a different file, which is not loaded. You can comment them out. You can even use something like this: (when nil (progn ...)) Or maybe something else, depending on what you're trying to acheive.

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Exactly

I think your first solution with defun is almost what the OP wants but with the function declared as interactive.

Ok, then I think you must resolve to use a `defun` with `(interactive)`. I am not aware of any other way to execute code as a command. Note also that, inside a defun, code is not EVALUATED at load time, it is INSTALLED, meaning it is saved for future use. So I think your best go is still ``` (defun () (interactive) (progn (a b c) (d e f))) ``` Btw, since this case is so common, you can actually avoid the `prog` altogether, and Emacs will group the commands for you

I sometimes use quote to have a scratch pad that does not evaluate unless I move my cursor into a child sexp, and evaluate that manually: '( (progn ...) ) If you just want some code that does not run when the file is loaded, you could probably use (unless load-file-name ...) this takes advantage of the fact that `load-file-name` is only populated when emacs is in the process of loading and executing a file. When visiting the file, it is not populated.