actual mode-line string

[D. Goel]

hi

As i write this message, i see something on my mode-line.. precisely,
i see:

--=:**-F1  *news on gnu.emacs.bug*      (Message RC MML CFS Abbrev Fill)--L10


But, it seems that there is no command currently that can give this
information (which is so easily available to the eye) to a lisp-program. 


In other words there is no lisp-command that will fetch, for a
programmer, the *actual* (not the format) mode-line string that the
user is currently seeing, or that is present in a given buffer.

(PS: i did search for this on archives, and then posted a
help-request, with no replies---apparently this is indeed not
possible).


IMHO, it would be nice if there was a command like 

(actual-mode-line-string &optional buffername)

which would return a string, and that string would be the actual
current string displayed in the given buffername. 


D                                  <http://www.glue.umd.edu/~deego>
-- 
One Editor to rule them all, one Editor to C-x C-f them,
One Editor to bring them all and to their keymaps bind them
In the land of Emacs where the Sexprs lie. -- James A. Crippen on g.e.gnus