Use 'mapcar' to build a hooks list; "wrong-type-argument listp lambda"

Question

How can I write a mapping (e.g. a mapcar expression) to build the list for a use-package :hook clause?

I'm attempting to build the list in this :hook expression:

(use-package eglot
  :hook (
         (lorem-mode . eglot-ensure)
         (ipsum-mode . eglot-ensure)
         (dolor-mode . eglot-ensure)
         )
  )

by replacing the literal list with a mapcar expression:

(use-package eglot
  :hook
  (mapcar
   (lambda (lang-mode)
     (cons lang-mode '(. eglot-ensure)))
   '(
     lorem-mode
     ipsum-mode
     dolor-mode
     ))
  )

When I try evaluating the mapcar expression, it returns the list as expected.

((lorem-mode . eglot-ensure) (ipsum-mode . eglot-ensure) (dolor-mode . eglot-ensure))

When I try evaluating the entire use-package expression, it throws a Lisp error:

(wrong-type-argument listp lambda) […]

(If it's useful to show the entire traceback here I can; though hopefully the mistake I've made is obvious without that?)

How can I map (using mapcar or something more appropriate) a literal list of only the mode names, to generate the list-of-lists needed in :hook?

Answer 1

Look at the error message: (wrong-type-argument listp lambda). This means that it wanted a list, and it found a compiled lambda function. The reason for this is that use-package is a macro, and macros do not evaluate their arguments. This means that you cannot run any code here; you can only supply a literal list.

If you want to reduce the amount of typing that you need to do, you could write it like this instead:

(use-package eglot
  :hook ((lorem-mode ipsum-mode dolor-mode) . eglot-ensure))

For more information, see chapter 4.3 Hooks of the use-package manual.