1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,97,99,00,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
4 @node Programs, Building, Text, Top
5 @chapter Editing Programs
8 @cindex program editing
10 Emacs provides many features to facilitate editing programs. Some
15 Find or move over top-level definitions (@pxref{Defuns}).
17 Apply the usual indentation conventions of the language
18 (@pxref{Program Indent}).
20 Insert, kill or align comments (@pxref{Comments}).
22 Balance parentheses (@pxref{Parentheses}).
24 Highlight program syntax (@pxref{Font Lock}).
27 This chapter describes these features and many more.
30 * Program Modes:: Major modes for editing programs.
31 * Defuns:: Commands to operate on major top-level parts
33 * Program Indent:: Adjusting indentation to show the nesting.
34 * Comments:: Inserting, killing, and aligning comments.
35 * Parentheses:: Commands that operate on parentheses.
36 * Documentation:: Getting documentation of functions you plan to call.
37 * Hideshow:: Displaying blocks selectively.
38 * Symbol Completion:: Completion on symbol names of your program or language.
39 * Glasses:: Making identifiersLikeThis more readable.
40 * Misc for Programs:: Other Emacs features useful for editing programs.
41 * C Modes:: Special commands of C, C++, Objective-C,
43 * Fortran:: Fortran mode and its special features.
44 * Asm Mode:: Asm mode and its special features.
48 @section Major Modes for Programming Languages
49 @cindex modes for programming languages
51 Emacs has specialized major modes for various programming languages.
52 @xref{Major Modes}. A programming language major mode typically
53 specifies the syntax of expressions, the customary rules for
54 indentation, how to do syntax highlighting for the language, and how
55 to find the beginning of a function definition. It often customizes
56 or provides facilities for compiling and debugging programs as well.
58 Ideally, Emacs should provide a major mode for each programming
59 language that you might want to edit; if it doesn't have a mode for
60 your favorite language, you can contribute one. But often the mode
61 for one language can serve for other syntactically similar languages.
62 The major mode for language @var{l} is called @code{@var{l}-mode},
63 and you can select it by typing @kbd{M-x @var{l}-mode @key{RET}}.
64 @xref{Choosing Modes}.
80 @cindex Shell-script mode
82 @cindex PostScript mode
83 The existing programming language major modes include Lisp, Scheme (a
84 variant of Lisp) and the Scheme-based DSSSL expression language, Ada,
85 Awk, C, C++, Delphi (Object Pascal), Fortran (free format and fixed
86 format), Icon, IDL (CORBA), IDLWAVE, Java, Metafont (@TeX{}'s
87 companion for font creation), Modula2, Objective-C, Octave, Pascal,
88 Perl, Pike, PostScript, Prolog, Simula, Tcl, and VHDL. There is
89 also a major mode for makefiles, called Makefile mode. An alternative
90 mode for Perl is called CPerl mode. Modes are available for the
91 scripting languages of the common GNU and Unix shells, VMS DCL, and
92 MS-DOS/MS-Windows @samp{BAT} files. There are also major modes for
93 editing various sorts of configuration files.
95 @kindex DEL @r{(programming modes)}
96 @findex c-electric-backspace
97 In most programming languages, indentation should vary from line to
98 line to illustrate the structure of the program. So the major modes
99 for programming languages arrange for @key{TAB} to update the
100 indentation of the current line. They also rebind @key{DEL} to treat
101 a tab as if it were the equivalent number of spaces; this lets you
102 delete one column of indentation without worrying whether the
103 whitespace consists of spaces or tabs. Use @kbd{C-b C-d} to delete a
104 tab character before point, in these modes.
106 Separate manuals are available for the modes for Ada (@pxref{Top, , Ada
107 Mode, ada-mode, Ada Mode}), C/C++/Objective C/Java/Corba IDL
108 (@pxref{Top, , CC Mode, ccmode, CC Mode}) and the IDLWAVE modes
109 (@pxref{Top, , IDLWAVE, idlwave, IDLWAVE User Manual}).
113 @vindex lisp-mode-hook
114 @vindex emacs-lisp-mode-hook
115 @vindex lisp-interaction-mode-hook
116 @vindex scheme-mode-hook
117 Turning on a major mode runs a normal hook called the @dfn{mode
118 hook}, which is the value of a Lisp variable. Each major mode has a
119 mode hook, and the hook's name is always made from the mode command's
120 name by adding @samp{-hook}. For example, turning on C mode runs the
121 hook @code{c-mode-hook}, while turning on Lisp mode runs the hook
122 @code{lisp-mode-hook}. The purpose of the mode hook is to give you a
123 place to set up customizations for that major mode. @xref{Hooks}.
126 @section Top-Level Definitions, or Defuns
128 In Emacs, a major definition at the top level in the buffer is
129 called a @dfn{defun}. The name comes from Lisp, but in Emacs we use
130 it for all languages.
132 In most programming language modes, Emacs assumes that a defun is
133 any pair of parentheses (or braces, if the language uses braces this
134 way) that starts at the left margin. For example, in C, the body of a
135 function definition is normally a defun, because the open-brace that
136 begins it is normally at the left margin. A variable's initializer
137 can also count as a defun, if the open-brace that begins the
138 initializer is at the left margin.
140 However, some language modes provide their own code for recognizing
141 defuns in a way that suits the language syntax and conventions better.
144 * Left Margin Paren:: An open-paren or similar opening delimiter
145 starts a defun if it is at the left margin.
146 * Moving by Defuns:: Commands to move over or mark a major definition.
147 * Imenu:: Making buffer indexes as menus.
148 * Which Function:: Which Function mode shows which function you are in.
151 @node Left Margin Paren
152 @subsection Left Margin Convention
154 @cindex open-parenthesis in leftmost column
155 @cindex ( in leftmost column
156 In most major modes, Emacs assumes that any opening delimiter found
157 at the left margin is the start of a top-level definition, or defun.
158 Therefore, @strong{never put an opening delimiter at the left margin
159 unless it should have that significance.} For instance, never put an
160 open-parenthesis at the left margin in a Lisp file unless it is the
161 start of a top-level list. Never put an open-brace or other opening
162 delimiter at the beginning of a line of C code unless it is at top
165 If you don't follow this convention, not only will you have trouble
166 when you explicitly use the commands for motion by defuns; other
167 features that use them will also give you trouble. This includes
168 the indentation commands (@pxref{Program Indent}) and Font Lock
169 mode (@pxref{Font Lock}).
171 The most likely problem case is when you want an opening delimiter
172 at the start of a line inside a string. To avoid trouble, put an
173 escape character (@samp{\}, in C and Emacs Lisp, @samp{/} in some
174 other Lisp dialects) before the opening delimiter. This will not
175 affect the contents of the string, but will prevent that opening
176 delimiter from starting a defun. Here's an example:
184 To help you catch violations of this convention, Font Lock mode
185 highlights confusing opening delimiters (those that ought to be
188 In the earliest days, the original Emacs found defuns by moving
189 upward a level of parentheses or braces until there were no more
190 levels to go up. This always required scanning all the way back to
191 the beginning of the buffer, even for a small function. To speed up
192 the operation, we changed Emacs to assume that any opening delimiter
193 at the left margin is the start of a defun. This heuristic is nearly
194 always right, and avoids the need to scan back to the beginning of the
195 buffer. However, it mandates following the convention described
198 @node Moving by Defuns
199 @subsection Moving by Defuns
202 These commands move point or set up the region based on top-level
203 major definitions, also called @dfn{defuns}.
207 Move to beginning of current or preceding defun
208 (@code{beginning-of-defun}).
210 Move to end of current or following defun (@code{end-of-defun}).
212 Put region around whole current or following defun (@code{mark-defun}).
215 @cindex move to beginning or end of function
216 @cindex function, move to beginning or end
220 @findex beginning-of-defun
223 The commands to move to the beginning and end of the current defun
224 are @kbd{C-M-a} (@code{beginning-of-defun}) and @kbd{C-M-e}
225 (@code{end-of-defun}). If you repeat one of these commands, or use a
226 positive numeric argument, each repetition moves to the next defun in
227 the direction of motion.
229 @kbd{C-M-a} with a negative argument @minus{}@var{n} moves forward
230 @var{n} times to the next beginning of a defun. This is not exactly
231 the same place that @kbd{C-M-e} with argument @var{n} would move to;
232 the end of this defun is not usually exactly the same place as the
233 beginning of the following defun. (Whitespace, comments, and perhaps
234 declarations can separate them.) Likewise, @kbd{C-M-e} with a
235 negative argument moves back to an end of a defun, which is not quite
236 the same as @kbd{C-M-a} with a positive argument.
238 @kindex C-M-h @r{(C mode)}
239 @findex c-mark-function
240 To operate on the current defun, use @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun})
241 which puts point at the beginning and mark at the end of the current
242 defun. This is the easiest way to get ready to kill the defun in
243 order to move it to a different place in the file. If you use the
244 command while point is between defuns, it uses the following defun.
246 In C mode, @kbd{C-M-h} runs the function @code{c-mark-function},
247 which is almost the same as @code{mark-defun}; the difference is that
248 it backs up over the argument declarations, function name and returned
249 data type so that the entire C function is inside the region. This is
250 an example of how major modes adjust the standard key bindings so that
251 they do their standard jobs in a way better fitting a particular
252 language. Other major modes may replace any or all of these key
253 bindings for that purpose.
257 @cindex index of buffer definitions
258 @cindex buffer definitions index
261 The Imenu facility offers a way to find the major definitions in
262 a file by name. It is also useful in text formatter major modes,
263 where it treats each chapter, section, etc., as a definition.
264 (@xref{Tags}, for a more powerful feature that handles multiple files
268 If you type @kbd{M-x imenu}, it reads the name of a definition using
269 the minibuffer, then moves point to that definition. You can use
270 completion to specify the name; the command always displays the whole
273 @findex imenu-add-menubar-index
274 Alternatively, you can bind the command @code{imenu} to a mouse
275 click. Then it displays mouse menus for you to select a definition
276 name. You can also add the buffer's index to the menu bar by calling
277 @code{imenu-add-menubar-index}. If you want to have this menu bar
278 item available for all buffers in a certain major mode, you can do
279 this by adding @code{imenu-add-menubar-index} to its mode hook. But
280 if you have done that, you will have to wait each time you visit a
281 file in that mode, while Emacs finds all the definitions in that
284 @vindex imenu-auto-rescan
285 When you change the contents of a buffer, if you add or delete
286 definitions, you can update the buffer's index based on the
287 new contents by invoking the @samp{*Rescan*} item in the menu.
288 Rescanning happens automatically if you set @code{imenu-auto-rescan} to
289 a non-@code{nil} value. There is no need to rescan because of small
292 @vindex imenu-sort-function
293 You can customize the way the menus are sorted by setting the
294 variable @code{imenu-sort-function}. By default, names are ordered as
295 they occur in the buffer; if you want alphabetic sorting, use the
296 symbol @code{imenu--sort-by-name} as the value. You can also
297 define your own comparison function by writing Lisp code.
299 Imenu provides the information to guide Which Function mode
301 (@pxref{Which Function}).
306 The Speedbar can also use it (@pxref{Speedbar}).
309 @subsection Which Function Mode
310 @cindex current function name in mode line
312 Which Function mode is a minor mode that displays the current
313 function name in the mode line, updating it as you move around in a
316 @findex which-function-mode
317 @vindex which-func-modes
318 To enable (or disable) Which Function mode, use the command @kbd{M-x
319 which-function-mode}. This command is global; it applies to all
320 buffers, both existing ones and those yet to be created. However,
321 it only takes effect in certain major modes, those listed in the value of
322 @code{which-func-modes}. If the value is @code{t}, then Which
323 Function mode applies to all major modes that know how to support
324 it---in other words, all the major modes that support Imenu.
327 @section Indentation for Programs
328 @cindex indentation for programs
330 The best way to keep a program properly indented is to use Emacs to
331 reindent it as you change it. Emacs has commands to indent properly
332 either a single line, a specified number of lines, or all of the lines
333 inside a single parenthetical grouping.
336 * Basic Indent:: Indenting a single line.
337 * Multi-line Indent:: Commands to reindent many lines at once.
338 * Lisp Indent:: Specifying how each Lisp function should be indented.
339 * C Indent:: Extra features for indenting C and related modes.
340 * Custom C Indent:: Controlling indentation style for C and related modes.
343 @cindex pretty-printer
344 Emacs also provides a Lisp pretty-printer in the library @code{pp}.
345 This program reformats a Lisp object with indentation chosen to look nice.
348 @subsection Basic Program Indentation Commands
350 The basic indentation commands indent a single line according to the
351 usual conventions of the language you are editing.
355 Adjust indentation of current line.
357 Equivalent to @key{RET} followed by @key{TAB} (@code{newline-and-indent}).
359 This key, if the keyboard has it, is another way to enter @kbd{C-j}.
362 @kindex TAB @r{(programming modes)}
363 @findex c-indent-command
364 @findex indent-line-function
365 @findex indent-for-tab-command
366 The basic indentation command is @key{TAB}, which gives the current line
367 the correct indentation as determined from the previous lines. The
368 function that @key{TAB} runs depends on the major mode; it is
369 @code{indent-for-tab-command}
370 in Lisp mode, @code{c-indent-command} in C mode, etc. These functions
371 understand the syntax and conventions of different languages, but they all do
372 conceptually the same job: @key{TAB} in any programming-language major mode
373 inserts or deletes whitespace at the beginning of the current line,
374 independent of where point is in the line. If point was inside the
375 whitespace at the beginning of the line, @key{TAB} puts it at the end of
376 that whitespace; otherwise, @key{TAB} keeps point fixed with respect to
377 the characters around it.
379 Use @kbd{C-q @key{TAB}} to insert a tab at point.
382 @findex newline-and-indent
383 When entering lines of new code, use @kbd{C-j}
384 (@code{newline-and-indent}), which is equivalent to a @key{RET}
385 followed by a @key{TAB}. @kbd{C-j} at the end of a line creates a
386 blank line and then gives it the appropriate indentation.
388 @key{TAB} indents lines that start within a parenthetical grouping
389 each under the preceding line (or the text after the parenthesis).
390 Therefore, if you manually give one of these lines a nonstandard
391 indentation, the lines below will tend to follow it. This behavior is
392 convenient in cases where you have overridden the standard result of
393 @key{TAB} because you find it unaesthetic for a particular line.
395 Remember that an open-parenthesis, open-brace or other opening delimiter
396 at the left margin is assumed by Emacs (including the indentation routines)
397 to be the start of a function. Therefore, you must never have an opening
398 delimiter in column zero that is not the beginning of a function, not even
399 inside a string. This restriction is vital for making the indentation
400 commands fast; you must simply accept it. @xref{Left Margin Paren},
401 for more information on this.
403 Normally, lines are indented with tabs and spaces. If you want Emacs
404 to use spaces only, see @ref{Just Spaces}.
406 @node Multi-line Indent
407 @subsection Indenting Several Lines
409 When you wish to reindent several lines of code which have been
410 altered or moved to a different level in the parenthesis structure,
411 you have several commands available.
415 Reindent all the lines within one parenthetical grouping(@code{indent-sexp}).
417 Reindent all lines in the region (@code{indent-region}).
419 Shift an entire parenthetical grouping rigidly sideways so that its
420 first line is properly indented.
421 @item M-x indent-code-rigidly
422 Shift all the lines in the region rigidly sideways, but do not alter
423 lines that start inside comments and strings.
428 You can reindent the contents of a single parenthetical grouping by
429 positioning point before the beginning of it and typing @kbd{C-M-q}
430 (@code{indent-sexp} in Lisp mode, @code{c-indent-exp} in C mode; also
431 bound to other suitable commands in other modes). The indentation of
432 the line where the grouping starts is not changed; therefore, this
433 changes only the relative indentation within the grouping, not its
434 overall indentation. To correct that as well, type @key{TAB} first.
436 Another way to specify the range to be reindented is with the
437 region. The command @kbd{C-M-\} (@code{indent-region}) applies
438 @key{TAB} to every line whose first character is between point and
442 If you like the relative indentation within a grouping, but not the
443 indentation of its first line, you can type @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} to
444 reindent the whole grouping as a rigid unit. (This works in Lisp
445 modes and C and related modes.) @key{TAB} with a numeric argument
446 reindents the current line as usual, then reindents by the same amount
447 all the lines in the parenthetical grouping starting on the current
448 line. It is clever, though, and does not alter lines that start
449 inside strings, or C preprocessor lines when in C mode.
451 @findex indent-code-rigidly
452 You can also perform this operation on the region, using the command
453 @kbd{M-x indent-code-rigidly}. It rigidly shifts all the lines in the
454 region sideways, like @code{indent-rigidly} does (@pxref{Indentation
455 Commands}). It doesn't alter the indentation of lines that start
456 inside a comment or a string, unless the region starts inside that
460 @subsection Customizing Lisp Indentation
461 @cindex customizing Lisp indentation
463 The indentation pattern for a Lisp expression can depend on the function
464 called by the expression. For each Lisp function, you can choose among
465 several predefined patterns of indentation, or define an arbitrary one with
468 The standard pattern of indentation is as follows: the second line of the
469 expression is indented under the first argument, if that is on the same
470 line as the beginning of the expression; otherwise, the second line is
471 indented underneath the function name. Each following line is indented
472 under the previous line whose nesting depth is the same.
474 @vindex lisp-indent-offset
475 If the variable @code{lisp-indent-offset} is non-@code{nil}, it overrides
476 the usual indentation pattern for the second line of an expression, so that
477 such lines are always indented @code{lisp-indent-offset} more columns than
480 @vindex lisp-body-indent
481 Certain functions override the standard pattern. Functions whose
482 names start with @code{def} treat the second lines as the start of
483 a @dfn{body}, by indenting the second line @code{lisp-body-indent}
484 additional columns beyond the open-parenthesis that starts the
487 @cindex @code{lisp-indent-function} property
488 You can override the standard pattern in various ways for individual
489 functions, according to the @code{lisp-indent-function} property of
490 the function name. Normally you would use this for macro definitions
491 and specify it using the @code{declare} construct (@pxref{Defining
492 Macros,,, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).
495 @subsection Commands for C Indentation
497 Here are special features for indentation in C mode and related modes:
501 @kindex C-c C-q @r{(C mode)}
502 @findex c-indent-defun
503 Reindent the current top-level function definition or aggregate type
504 declaration (@code{c-indent-defun}).
507 @kindex C-M-q @r{(C mode)}
509 Reindent each line in the balanced expression that follows point
510 (@code{c-indent-exp}). A prefix argument inhibits error checking and
511 warning messages about invalid syntax.
514 @findex c-indent-command
515 Reindent the current line, and/or in some cases insert a tab character
516 (@code{c-indent-command}).
518 If @code{c-tab-always-indent} is @code{t}, this command always reindents
519 the current line and does nothing else. This is the default.
521 If that variable is @code{nil}, this command reindents the current line
522 only if point is at the left margin or in the line's indentation;
523 otherwise, it inserts a tab (or the equivalent number of spaces,
524 if @code{indent-tabs-mode} is @code{nil}).
526 Any other value (not @code{nil} or @code{t}) means always reindent the
527 line, and also insert a tab if within a comment, a string, or a
528 preprocessor directive.
531 To reindent the whole current buffer, type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}. This
532 first selects the whole buffer as the region, then reindents that
535 To reindent the current block, use @kbd{C-M-u C-M-q}. This moves
536 to the front of the block and then reindents it all.
538 @node Custom C Indent
539 @subsection Customizing C Indentation
540 @cindex style (for indentation)
542 C mode and related modes use a simple yet flexible mechanism for
543 customizing indentation. The mechanism works in two steps: first it
544 classifies the line syntactically according to its contents and context;
545 second, it associates each kind of syntactic construct with an
546 indentation offset based on your selected @dfn{style}.
549 @item M-x c-set-style @key{RET} @var{style} @key{RET}
550 Select predefined indentation style @var{style}.
553 A style is a named collection of indentation customizations that can
554 be used in C mode and the related modes. Emacs comes with several
555 predefined styles, including @code{gnu}, @code{k&r}, @code{bsd},
556 @code{stroustrup}, @code{linux}, @code{python}, @code{java},
557 @code{whitesmith}, @code{ellemtel}, @code{cc-mode}, and @code{user}.
558 Some of these styles are primarily intended for one language, but any
559 of them can be used with any of the languages supported by these
560 modes. To find out what a style looks like, select it and reindent
561 some code, e.g., by typing @key{C-M-q} at the start of a function
565 To choose a style for the current buffer, use the command @kbd{M-x
566 c-set-style}. Specify a style name as an argument (case is not
567 significant). This command affects the current buffer only, and it
568 affects only future invocations of the indentation commands; it does
569 not reindent the code in the buffer. To reindent the whole buffer in
570 the new style, you can type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}.
572 @vindex c-default-style
573 You can also set the variable @code{c-default-style} to specify the
574 default style for various major modes. Its value should be an alist,
575 in which each element specifies one major mode and which indentation
576 style to use for it. For example,
579 (setq c-default-style
580 '((java-mode . "java") (other . "gnu")))
584 specifies an explicit choice for Java mode, and the default @samp{gnu}
585 style for the other C-like modes. This variable takes effect when you
586 select one of the C-like major modes; thus, if you specify a new
587 default style for Java mode, you can make it take effect in an
588 existing Java mode buffer by typing @kbd{M-x java-mode} there.
590 The @code{gnu} style specifies the formatting recommended by the GNU
591 Project for C; it is the default, so as to encourage use of our
594 @xref{Customizing Indentation,,, ccmode, the CC Mode Manual}, for
595 more information on customizing indentation for C and related modes,
596 including how to override parts of an existing style and how to define
600 @section Commands for Editing with Parentheses
603 @cindex unbalanced parentheses and quotes
604 This section describes the commands and features that take advantage
605 of the parenthesis structure in a program, or help you keep it
608 When talking about these facilities, the term ``parenthesis'' also
609 includes braces, brackets, or whatever delimiters are defined to match
610 in pairs. The major mode controls which delimiters are significant,
611 through the syntax table (@pxref{Syntax}). In Lisp, only parentheses
612 count; in C, these commands apply to braces and brackets too.
614 You can use @kbd{M-x check-parens} to find any unbalanced
615 parentheses and unbalanced string quotes in the buffer.
618 * Expressions:: Expressions with balanced parentheses.
619 * Moving by Parens:: Commands for moving up, down and across
620 in the structure of parentheses.
621 * Matching:: Insertion of a close-delimiter flashes matching open.
625 @subsection Expressions with Balanced Parentheses
629 @cindex balanced expression
630 These commands deal with balanced expressions, also called
631 @dfn{sexps}@footnote{The word ``sexp'' is used to refer to an
632 expression in Lisp.}.
636 Move forward over a balanced expression (@code{forward-sexp}).
638 Move backward over a balanced expression(@code{backward-sexp}).
640 Kill balanced expression forward (@code{kill-sexp}).
642 Transpose expressions (@code{transpose-sexps}).
645 Put mark after following expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
648 Each programming language major mode customizes the definition of
649 balanced expressions to suit that language. Balanced expressions
650 typically include symbols, numbers, and string constants, as well as
651 any pair of matching delimiters and their contents. Some languages
652 have obscure forms of expression syntax that nobody has bothered to
656 By convention, the keys for these commands are all Control-Meta
657 characters. They usually act on expressions just as the corresponding
658 Meta characters act on words. For instance, the command @kbd{C-M-b}
659 moves backward over a balanced expression, just as @kbd{M-b} moves
665 @findex backward-sexp
666 To move forward over a balanced expression, use @kbd{C-M-f}
667 (@code{forward-sexp}). If the first significant character after point
668 is an opening delimiter (@samp{(} in Lisp; @samp{(}, @samp{[} or
669 @samp{@{} in C), @kbd{C-M-f} moves past the matching closing
670 delimiter. If the character begins a symbol, string, or number,
671 @kbd{C-M-f} moves over that.
673 The command @kbd{C-M-b} (@code{backward-sexp}) moves backward over a
674 balanced expression. The detailed rules are like those above for
675 @kbd{C-M-f}, but with directions reversed. If there are prefix
676 characters (single-quote, backquote and comma, in Lisp) preceding the
677 expression, @kbd{C-M-b} moves back over them as well. The balanced
678 expression commands move across comments as if they were whitespace,
681 @kbd{C-M-f} or @kbd{C-M-b} with an argument repeats that operation the
682 specified number of times; with a negative argument, it moves in the
685 @cindex killing expressions
688 Killing a whole balanced expression can be done with @kbd{C-M-k}
689 (@code{kill-sexp}). @kbd{C-M-k} kills the characters that @kbd{C-M-f}
692 @cindex transposition of expressions
694 @findex transpose-sexps
695 A somewhat random-sounding command which is nevertheless handy is
696 @kbd{C-M-t} (@code{transpose-sexps}), which drags the previous
697 balanced expression across the next one. An argument serves as a
698 repeat count, and a negative argument drags the previous balanced
699 expression backwards across those before it (thus canceling out the
700 effect of @kbd{C-M-t} with a positive argument). An argument of zero,
701 rather than doing nothing, transposes the balanced expressions ending
702 at or after point and the mark.
705 @kindex C-M-@key{SPC}
707 To set the region around the next balanced expression in the buffer,
708 use @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}), which sets mark at the same place
709 that @kbd{C-M-f} would move to. @kbd{C-M-@@} takes arguments like
710 @kbd{C-M-f}. In particular, a negative argument is useful for putting
711 the mark at the beginning of the previous balanced expression.
712 The alias @kbd{C-M-@key{SPC}} is equivalent to @kbd{C-M-@@}.
714 In languages that use infix operators, such as C, it is not possible
715 to recognize all balanced expressions as such because there can be
716 multiple possibilities at a given position. For example, C mode does
717 not treat @samp{foo + bar} as a single expression, even though it
718 @emph{is} one C expression; instead, it recognizes @samp{foo} as one
719 expression and @samp{bar} as another, with the @samp{+} as punctuation
720 between them. Both @samp{foo + bar} and @samp{foo} are legitimate
721 choices for ``the expression following point'' when point is at the
722 @samp{f}, so the expression commands must perforce choose one or the
723 other to operate on. Note that @samp{(foo + bar)} is recognized as a
724 single expression in C mode, because of the parentheses.
726 @node Moving by Parens
727 @subsection Moving in the Parenthesis Structure
729 @cindex parenthetical groupings
730 @cindex parentheses, moving across
731 @cindex matching parenthesis and braces, moving to
732 @cindex braces, moving across
733 @cindex list commands
734 The Emacs commands for handling parenthetical groupings see nothing
735 except parentheses (or whatever characters must balance in the
736 language you are working with), and the escape characters that might
737 be used to quote those. They are mainly intended for editing
738 programs, but can be useful for editing any text that has parentheses.
739 They are sometimes called ``list'' commands because in Lisp these
744 Move forward over a parenthetical group (@code{forward-list}).
746 Move backward over a parenthetical group(@code{backward-list}).
748 Move up in parenthesis structure (@code{backward-up-list}).
750 Move down in parenthesis structure (@code{down-list}).
756 @findex backward-list
757 The ``list'' commands @kbd{C-M-n} (@code{forward-list}) and
758 @kbd{C-M-p} (@code{backward-list}) move over one (or @var{n})
759 parenthetical groupings, skipping blithely over any amount of text
760 that doesn't include meaningful parentheses (symbols, strings, etc.).
764 @findex backward-up-list
766 @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-p} try to stay at the same level in the
767 parenthesis structure. To move @emph{up} one (or @var{n}) levels, use
768 @kbd{C-M-u} (@code{backward-up-list}). @kbd{C-M-u} moves backward up
769 past one unmatched opening delimiter. A positive argument serves as a
770 repeat count; a negative argument reverses the direction of motion, so
771 that the command moves forward and up one or more levels.
773 To move @emph{down} in the parenthesis structure, use @kbd{C-M-d}
774 (@code{down-list}). In Lisp mode, where @samp{(} is the only opening
775 delimiter, this is nearly the same as searching for a @samp{(}. An
776 argument specifies the number of levels to go down.
779 @subsection Automatic Display Of Matching Parentheses
780 @cindex matching parentheses
781 @cindex parentheses, displaying matches
783 The Emacs parenthesis-matching feature is designed to show
784 automatically how parentheses (and other matching delimiters) match in
785 the text. Whenever you type a self-inserting character that is a
786 closing delimiter, the cursor moves momentarily to the location of the
787 matching opening delimiter, provided that is on the screen. If it is
788 not on the screen, Emacs displays some of the text near it in the echo
789 area. Either way, you can tell which grouping you are closing off.
791 If the opening delimiter and closing delimiter are mismatched---such
792 as in @samp{[x)}---a warning message is displayed in the echo area.
794 @vindex blink-matching-paren
795 @vindex blink-matching-paren-distance
796 @vindex blink-matching-delay
797 Three variables control parenthesis match display.
798 @code{blink-matching-paren} turns the feature on or off: @code{nil}
799 disables it, but the default is @code{t} to enable match display.
801 @code{blink-matching-delay} says how many seconds to leave the
802 cursor on the matching opening delimiter, before bringing it back to
803 the real location of point; the default is 1, but on some systems it
804 is useful to specify a fraction of a second.
806 @code{blink-matching-paren-distance} specifies how many characters
807 back to search to find the matching opening delimiter. If the match
808 is not found in that distance, scanning stops, and nothing is displayed.
809 This is to prevent the scan for the matching delimiter from wasting
810 lots of time when there is no match. The default is 25600.
812 @cindex Show Paren mode
813 @cindex highlighting matching parentheses
814 @findex show-paren-mode
815 Show Paren mode provides a more powerful kind of automatic matching.
816 Whenever point is after a closing delimiter, that delimiter and its
817 matching opening delimiter are both highlighted; otherwise, if point
818 is before an opening delimiter, the matching closing delimiter is
819 highlighted. (There is no need to highlight the opening delimiter in
820 that case, because the cursor appears on top of that character.) Use
821 the command @kbd{M-x show-paren-mode} to enable or disable this mode.
823 By default, @code{show-paren-mode} uses colors to highlight the
824 parentheses. However, if your display doesn't support colors, you can
825 customize the faces @code{show-paren-match-face} and
826 @code{show-paren-mismatch-face} to use other attributes, such as bold or
827 underline. @xref{Face Customization}.
830 @section Manipulating Comments
833 Because comments are such an important part of programming, Emacs
834 provides special commands for editing and inserting comments. It can
835 also do spell checking on comments with Flyspell Prog mode
839 * Comment Commands:: Inserting, killing, and indenting comments.
840 * Multi-Line Comments:: Commands for adding and editing multi-line comments.
841 * Options for Comments::Customizing the comment features.
844 @node Comment Commands
845 @subsection Comment Commands
846 @cindex indentation for comments
848 The comment commands in this table insert, kill and align comments.
849 They are described in this section and following sections.
853 Insert or realign comment on current line; alternatively, comment or
854 uncomment the region (@code{comment-dwim}).
856 Kill comment on current line (@code{comment-kill}).
858 Set comment column (@code{comment-set-column}).
860 Like @key{RET} followed by inserting and aligning a comment
861 (@code{comment-indent-new-line}).
862 @item M-x comment-region
863 Add or remove comment delimiters on all the lines in the region.
868 The command to create or align a comment is @kbd{M-;}
869 (@code{comment-dwim}). The word ``dwim'' is an acronym for ``Do What
870 I Mean''; it indicates that this command can be used for many
871 different jobs relating to comments, depending on the situation where
874 If there is no comment already on the line, @kbd{M-;} inserts a new
875 comment, aligned at a specific column called the @dfn{comment column}.
876 The new comment begins with the string Emacs thinks comments should
877 start with (the value of @code{comment-start}; see below). Point is
878 after that string, so you can insert the text of the comment right
879 away. If the major mode has specified a string to terminate comments,
880 @kbd{M-;} inserts that too, to keep the syntax valid.
882 If the text of the line extends past the comment column, then the
883 comment start string is indented to a suitable boundary (usually, at
884 least one space is inserted).
886 You can also use @kbd{M-;} to align an existing comment. If a line
887 already contains the comment-start string, @kbd{M-;} reindents it to
888 the conventional alignment and moves point after it. (Exception:
889 comments starting in column 0 are not moved.) Even when an existing
890 comment is properly aligned, @kbd{M-;} is still useful for moving
891 directly to the start of the text inside the comment.
895 @kbd{C-u M-;} kills any comment on the current line, along with the
896 whitespace before it. To reinsert the comment on another line, move
897 to the end of that line, do @kbd{C-y}, and then do @kbd{M-;} to
900 Note that @kbd{C-u M-;} is not a distinct key; it is @kbd{M-;}
901 (@code{comment-dwim}) with a prefix argument. That command is
902 programmed so that when it receives a prefix argument it calls
903 @code{comment-kill}. However, @code{comment-kill} is a valid command
904 in its own right, and you can bind it directly to a key if you wish.
906 @kbd{M-;} does two other jobs when used with an active region in
907 Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}). Then it either adds or
908 removes comment delimiters on each line of the region. (If every line
909 is a comment, it removes comment delimiters from each; otherwise, it
910 adds comment delimiters to each.) If you are not using Transient Mark
911 mode, then you should use the commands @code{comment-region} and
912 @code{uncomment-region} to do these jobs (@pxref{Multi-Line Comments}).
913 A prefix argument used in these circumstances specifies how many
914 comment delimiters to add or how many to delete.
916 Some major modes have special rules for indenting certain kinds of
917 comments in certain contexts. For example, in Lisp code, comments which
918 start with two semicolons are indented as if they were lines of code,
919 instead of at the comment column. Comments which start with three
920 semicolons are supposed to start at the left margin. Emacs understands
921 these conventions by indenting a double-semicolon comment using @key{TAB},
922 and by not changing the indentation of a triple-semicolon comment at all.
925 ;; This function is just an example
926 ;;; Here either two or three semicolons are appropriate.
928 ;;; And now, the first part of the function:
929 ;; The following line adds one.
930 (1+ x)) ; This line adds one.
933 In C code, a comment preceded on its line by nothing but whitespace
934 is indented like a line of code.
936 @node Multi-Line Comments
937 @subsection Multiple Lines of Comments
940 @cindex blank lines in programs
941 @findex comment-indent-new-line
942 If you are typing a comment and wish to continue it on another line,
943 you can use the command @kbd{C-M-j} (@code{comment-indent-new-line}).
944 This terminates the comment you are typing, creates a new blank line
945 afterward, and begins a new comment indented under the old one. When
946 Auto Fill mode is on, going past the fill column while typing a comment
947 causes the comment to be continued in just this fashion. If point is
948 not at the end of the line when @kbd{C-M-j} is typed, the text on
949 the rest of the line becomes part of the new comment line.
951 @findex comment-region
952 To turn existing lines into comment lines, use the @kbd{M-x
953 comment-region} command. It adds comment delimiters to the lines that start
954 in the region, thus commenting them out. With a negative argument, it
955 does the opposite---it deletes comment delimiters from the lines in the
958 With a positive argument, @code{comment-region} duplicates the last
959 character of the comment start sequence it adds; the argument specifies
960 how many copies of the character to insert. Thus, in Lisp mode,
961 @kbd{C-u 2 M-x comment-region} adds @samp{;;} to each line. Duplicating
962 the comment delimiter is a way of calling attention to the comment. It
963 can also affect how the comment is indented. In Lisp, for proper
964 indentation, you should use an argument of two or three, if between defuns;
965 if within a defun, it must be three.
967 @node Options for Comments
968 @subsection Options Controlling Comments
970 @vindex comment-column
972 @findex comment-set-column
973 The comment column is stored in the variable @code{comment-column}. You
974 can set it to a number explicitly. Alternatively, the command @kbd{C-x ;}
975 (@code{comment-set-column}) sets the comment column to the column point is
976 at. @kbd{C-u C-x ;} sets the comment column to match the last comment
977 before point in the buffer, and then does a @kbd{M-;} to align the
978 current line's comment under the previous one.
980 The variable @code{comment-column} is per-buffer: setting the variable
981 in the normal fashion affects only the current buffer, but there is a
982 default value which you can change with @code{setq-default}.
983 @xref{Locals}. Many major modes initialize this variable for the
986 @vindex comment-start-skip
987 The comment commands recognize comments based on the regular
988 expression that is the value of the variable @code{comment-start-skip}.
989 Make sure this regexp does not match the null string. It may match more
990 than the comment starting delimiter in the strictest sense of the word;
991 for example, in C mode the value of the variable is
992 @c This stops M-q from breaking the line inside that @code.
993 @code{@w{"/\\*+ *\\|//+ *""}}, which matches extra stars and spaces
994 after the @samp{/*} itself, and accepts C++ style comments also.
995 (Note that @samp{\\} is needed in Lisp syntax to include a @samp{\} in
996 the string, which is needed to deny the first star its special meaning
997 in regexp syntax. @xref{Regexps}.)
999 @vindex comment-start
1001 When a comment command makes a new comment, it inserts the value of
1002 @code{comment-start} to begin it. The value of @code{comment-end} is
1003 inserted after point, so that it will follow the text that you will insert
1004 into the comment. In C mode, @code{comment-start} has the value
1005 @w{@code{"/* "}} and @code{comment-end} has the value @w{@code{" */"}}.
1007 @vindex comment-padding
1008 The variable @code{comment-padding} specifies how many spaces
1009 @code{comment-region} should insert on each line between the
1010 comment delimiter and the line's original text. The default is 1,
1011 to insert one space.
1013 @vindex comment-multi-line
1014 The variable @code{comment-multi-line} controls how @kbd{C-M-j}
1015 (@code{indent-new-comment-line}) behaves when used inside a comment. If
1016 @code{comment-multi-line} is @code{nil}, as it normally is, then the
1017 comment on the starting line is terminated and a new comment is started
1018 on the new following line. If @code{comment-multi-line} is not
1019 @code{nil}, then the new following line is set up as part of the same
1020 comment that was found on the starting line. This is done by not
1021 inserting a terminator on the old line, and not inserting a starter on
1022 the new line. In languages where multi-line comments work, the choice
1023 of value for this variable is a matter of taste.
1025 @vindex comment-indent-function
1026 The variable @code{comment-indent-function} should contain a function
1027 that will be called to compute the indentation for a newly inserted
1028 comment or for aligning an existing comment. It is set differently by
1029 various major modes. The function is called with no arguments, but with
1030 point at the beginning of the comment, or at the end of a line if a new
1031 comment is to be inserted. It should return the column in which the
1032 comment ought to start. For example, in Lisp mode, the indent hook
1033 function bases its decision on how many semicolons begin an existing
1034 comment, and on the code in the preceding lines.
1037 @section Documentation Lookup
1039 Emacs provides several features you can use to look up the
1040 documentation of functions, variables and commands that you plan to
1041 use in your program.
1044 * Info Lookup:: Looking up library functions and commands
1046 * Man Page:: Looking up man pages of library functions and commands.
1047 * Lisp Doc:: Looking up Emacs Lisp functions, etc.
1051 @subsection Info Documentation Lookup
1053 @findex info-lookup-symbol
1054 @findex info-lookup-file
1056 For C, Lisp, and other languages that have documentation in Info,
1057 you can use @kbd{C-h C-i} (@code{info-lookup-symbol}) to view the Info
1058 documentation for a symbol. You specify the symbol with the
1059 minibuffer; the default is the symbol appearing in the buffer at
1062 The major mode determines where to look for documentation for the
1063 symbol---which Info files to look in, and which indices to search.
1064 You can also use @kbd{M-x info-lookup-file} to look for documentation
1067 This feature currently supports the modes Awk, Autoconf, Bison, C,
1068 Emacs Lisp, LaTeX, M4, Makefile, Octave, Perl, Scheme, and Texinfo,
1069 provided you have installed the relevant Info files, which are
1070 typically available with the appropriate GNU package.
1073 @subsection Man Page Lookup
1076 On Unix, the main form of on-line documentation was the @dfn{manual
1077 page} or @dfn{man page}. In the GNU operating system, we hope to
1078 replace man pages with better-organized manuals that you can browse
1079 with Info (@pxref{Misc Help}). This process is not finished, so it is
1080 still useful to read manual pages.
1082 @findex manual-entry
1083 You can read the man page for an operating system command, library
1084 function, or system call, with the @kbd{M-x manual-entry} command. It
1085 runs the @code{man} program to format the man page; if the system
1086 permits, it runs @code{man} asynchronously, so that you can keep on
1087 editing while the page is being formatted. (On MS-DOS and MS-Windows
1088 3, you cannot edit while Emacs waits for @code{man} to finish.) The
1089 result goes in a buffer named @samp{*Man @var{topic}*}. These buffers
1090 use a special major mode, Man mode, that facilitates scrolling and
1091 jumping to other manual pages. For details, type @kbd{C-h m} while in
1094 @cindex sections of manual pages
1095 Each man page belongs to one of ten or more @dfn{sections}, each
1096 named by a digit or by a digit and a letter. Sometimes there are
1097 multiple man pages with the same name in different sections. To read
1098 a man page from a specific section, type
1099 @samp{@var{topic}(@var{section})} or @samp{@var{section} @var{topic}}
1100 when @kbd{M-x manual-entry} prompts for the topic. For example, to
1101 read the man page for the C library function @code{chmod} (as opposed
1102 to a command of the same name), type @kbd{M-x manual-entry @key{RET}
1103 chmod(2) @key{RET}} (@code{chmod} is a system call, so it is in
1106 @vindex Man-switches
1107 If you do not specify a section, the results depend on how the
1108 @code{man} program works on your system. Some of them display only
1109 the first man page they find. Others display all man pages that have
1110 the specified name, so you can move between them with the @kbd{M-n}
1111 and @kbd{M-p} keys@footnote{On some systems, the @code{man} program
1112 accepts a @samp{-a} command-line option which tells it to display all
1113 the man pages for the specified topic. If you want this behavior, you
1114 can add this option to the value of the variable @code{Man-switches}.}.
1115 The mode line shows how many manual pages are present in the Man buffer.
1117 @vindex Man-fontify-manpage-flag
1118 By default, Emacs highlights the text in man pages. For a long man
1119 page, highlighting can take substantial time. You can turn off
1120 highlighting of man pages by setting the variable
1121 @code{Man-fontify-manpage-flag} to @code{nil}.
1123 @findex Man-fontify-manpage
1124 If you insert the text of a man page into an Emacs buffer in some
1125 other fashion, you can use the command @kbd{M-x Man-fontify-manpage} to
1126 perform the same conversions that @kbd{M-x manual-entry} does.
1129 @cindex manual pages, on MS-DOS/MS-Windows
1130 An alternative way of reading manual pages is the @kbd{M-x woman}
1131 command@footnote{The name of the command, @code{woman}, is an acronym
1132 for ``w/o (without) man,'' since it doesn't use the @code{man}
1133 program.}. Unlike @kbd{M-x man}, it does not run any external
1134 programs to format and display the man pages; instead it does the job
1135 in Emacs Lisp, so it works on systems such as MS-Windows, where the
1136 @code{man} program (and the other programs it uses) are not generally
1139 @kbd{M-x woman} prompts for a name of a manual page, and provides
1140 completion based on the list of manual pages that are installed on
1141 your machine; the list of available manual pages is computed
1142 automatically the first time you invoke @code{woman}. The word at
1143 point in the current buffer is used to suggest the default for the
1144 name the manual page.
1146 With a numeric argument, @kbd{M-x woman} recomputes the list of the
1147 manual pages used for completion. This is useful if you add or delete
1150 If you type a name of a manual page and @kbd{M-x woman} finds that
1151 several manual pages by the same name exist in different sections, it
1152 pops up a window with possible candidates asking you to choose one of
1155 @vindex woman-manpath
1156 By default, @kbd{M-x woman} looks for manual pages in the
1157 directories specified in the @code{MANPATH} environment variable. (If
1158 @code{MANPATH} is not set, @code{woman} uses a suitable default value,
1159 which can be customized.) More precisely, @code{woman} looks for
1160 subdirectories that match the shell wildcard pattern @file{man*} in each one
1161 of these directories, and tries to find the manual pages in those
1162 subdirectories. When first invoked, @kbd{M-x woman} converts the
1163 value of @code{MANPATH} to a list of directory names and stores that
1164 list in the @code{woman-manpath} variable. Changing the value of this
1165 variable is another way to control the list of directories used.
1168 You can also augment the list of directories searched by
1169 @code{woman} by setting the value of the @code{woman-path} variable.
1170 This variable should hold a list of specific directories which
1171 @code{woman} should search, in addition to those in
1172 @code{woman-manpath}. Unlike @code{woman-manpath}, the directories in
1173 @code{woman-path} are searched for the manual pages, not for
1174 @file{man*} subdirectories.
1176 @findex woman-find-file
1177 Occasionally, you might need to display manual pages that are not in
1178 any of the directories listed by @code{woman-manpath} and
1179 @code{woman-path}. The @kbd{M-x woman-find-file} command prompts for a
1180 name of a manual page file, with completion, and then formats and
1181 displays that file like @kbd{M-x woman} does.
1183 @vindex woman-dired-keys
1184 The first time you invoke @kbd{M-x woman}, it defines the Dired
1185 @kbd{W} key to run the @code{woman-find-file} command on the current
1186 line's file. You can disable this by setting the variable
1187 @code{woman-dired-keys} to @code{nil}. @xref{Dired}. In addition,
1188 the Tar-mode @kbd{w} key is define to invoke @code{woman-find-file} on
1189 the current line's archive member.
1191 For more information about setting up and using @kbd{M-x woman}, see
1192 @ref{Top, WoMan, Browse UN*X Manual Pages WithOut Man, woman, The WoMan
1196 @subsection Emacs Lisp Documentation Lookup
1198 As you edit Lisp code to be run in Emacs, you can use the commands
1199 @kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-h v}
1200 (@code{describe-variable}) to view documentation of functions and
1201 variables that you want to use. These commands use the minibuffer to
1202 read the name of a function or variable to document, and display the
1203 documentation in a window. Their default arguments are based on the
1204 code in the neighborhood of point. For @kbd{C-h f}, the default is
1205 the function called in the innermost list containing point. @kbd{C-h
1206 v} uses the symbol name around or adjacent to point as its default.
1210 A more automatic but less powerful method is Eldoc mode. This minor
1211 mode constantly displays in the echo area the argument list for the
1212 function being called at point. (In other words, it finds the
1213 function call that point is contained in, and displays the argument
1214 list of that function.) Eldoc mode applies in Emacs Lisp and Lisp
1215 Interaction modes only. Use the command @kbd{M-x eldoc-mode} to
1216 enable or disable this feature.
1219 @section Hideshow minor mode
1221 @findex hs-minor-mode
1222 Hideshow minor mode provides selective display of portions of a
1223 program, known as @dfn{blocks}. You can use @kbd{M-x hs-minor-mode}
1224 to enable or disable this mode, or add @code{hs-minor-mode} to the
1225 mode hook for certain major modes in order to enable it automatically
1228 Just what constitutes a block depends on the major mode. In C mode
1229 or C++ mode, they are delimited by braces, while in Lisp mode and
1230 similar modes they are delimited by parentheses. Multi-line comments
1231 also count as blocks.
1234 @findex hs-hide-block
1236 @findex hs-show-block
1237 @findex hs-show-region
1238 @findex hs-hide-level
1239 @findex hs-minor-mode
1242 @kindex C-c @@ C-M-h
1243 @kindex C-c @@ C-M-s
1249 Hide the current block (@code{hs-hide-block}).
1251 Show the current block (@code{hs-show-block}).
1253 Either hide or show the current block (@code{hs-toggle-hiding})
1255 Either hide or show the block you click on (@code{hs-mouse-toggle-hiding})
1257 Hide all top-level blocks (@code{hs-hide-all}).
1259 Show everything in the buffer (@code{hs-show-all}).
1261 Hide all blocks @var{n} levels below this block
1262 (@code{hs-hide-level}).
1265 @vindex hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
1266 @vindex hs-isearch-open
1267 @vindex hs-special-modes-alist
1268 These user options exist for customizing Hideshow mode.
1271 @item hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
1272 Non-@code{nil} says that @kbd{hs-hide-all} should hide comments too.
1274 @item hs-isearch-open
1275 Specifies what kind of hidden blocks to open in Isearch mode.
1276 The value should be one of these four symbols.
1280 Open only code blocks.
1284 Open both code blocks and comments.
1286 Open neither code blocks nor comments.
1289 @item hs-special-modes-alist
1290 A list of elements, each specifying how to initialize Hideshow
1291 variables for one major mode. See the variable's documentation string
1292 for more information.
1295 @node Symbol Completion
1296 @section Completion for Symbol Names
1297 @cindex completion (symbol names)
1299 In Emacs, completion is something you normally do in the minibuffer.
1300 But one kind of completion is available in all buffers: completion for
1304 The character @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs a command to complete the
1305 partial symbol before point against the set of meaningful symbol
1306 names. This command inserts at point any additional characters that
1307 it can determine from the partial name.
1309 If the partial name in the buffer has multiple possible completions
1310 that differ in the very next character, so that it is impossible to
1311 complete even one more character, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} displays a list of
1312 all possible completions in another window.
1314 @cindex tags-based completion
1315 @cindex Info index completion
1316 @findex complete-symbol
1317 In most programming language major modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs the
1318 command @code{complete-symbol}, which provides two kinds of completion.
1319 Normally it does completion based on a tags table (@pxref{Tags}); with a
1320 numeric argument (regardless of the value), it does completion based on
1321 the names listed in the Info file indexes for your language. Thus, to
1322 complete the name of a symbol defined in your own program, use
1323 @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} with no argument; to complete the name of a standard
1324 library function, use @kbd{C-u M-@key{TAB}}. Of course, Info-based
1325 completion works only if there is an Info file for the standard library
1326 functions of your language, and only if it is installed at your site.
1328 @cindex Lisp symbol completion
1329 @cindex completion (Lisp symbols)
1330 @findex lisp-complete-symbol
1331 In Emacs-Lisp mode, the name space for completion normally consists of
1332 nontrivial symbols present in Emacs---those that have function
1333 definitions, values or properties. However, if there is an
1334 open-parenthesis immediately before the beginning of the partial symbol,
1335 only symbols with function definitions are considered as completions.
1336 The command which implements this is @code{lisp-complete-symbol}.
1338 In Text mode and related modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completes words
1339 based on the spell-checker's dictionary. @xref{Spelling}.
1342 @section Glasses minor mode
1343 @cindex Glasses mode
1344 @cindex identifiers, making long ones readable
1345 @cindex StudlyCaps, making them readable
1346 @findex glasses-mode
1348 Glasses minor mode makes @samp{unreadableIdentifiersLikeThis}
1349 readable by altering the way they display. It knows two different
1350 ways to do this: by displaying underscores between a lower-case letter
1351 and the following capital letter, and by emboldening the capital
1352 letters. It does not alter the buffer text, only the way they
1353 display, so you can use it even on read-only buffers. You can use the
1354 command @kbd{M-x glasses-mode} to enable or disable the mode in the
1355 current buffer; you can also add @code{glasses-mode} to the mode hook
1356 of the programming language major modes in which you normally want
1357 to use Glasses mode.
1359 @node Misc for Programs
1360 @section Other Features Useful for Editing Programs
1362 A number of Emacs commands that aren't designed specifically for
1363 editing programs are useful for that nonetheless.
1365 The Emacs commands that operate on words, sentences and paragraphs
1366 are useful for editing code. Most symbols names contain words
1367 (@pxref{Words}); sentences can be found in strings and comments
1368 (@pxref{Sentences}). Paragraphs in the strict sense can be found in
1369 program code (in long comments), but the paragraph commands are useful
1370 in other places too, because programming language major modes define
1371 paragraphs to begin and end at blank lines (@pxref{Paragraphs}).
1372 Judicious use of blank lines to make the program clearer will also
1373 provide useful chunks of text for the paragraph commands to work on.
1374 Auto Fill mode, if enabled in a programming language major mode,
1375 indents the new lines which it creates.
1377 The selective display feature is useful for looking at the overall
1378 structure of a function (@pxref{Selective Display}). This feature
1379 hides the lines that are indented more than a specified amount.
1380 Programming modes often support Outline minor mode (@pxref{Outline
1381 Mode}). The Foldout package provides folding-editor features
1384 The ``automatic typing'' features may be useful for writing programs.
1385 @xref{Top,,Autotyping, autotype, Autotyping}.
1388 @section C and Related Modes
1393 @cindex CORBA IDL mode
1394 @cindex Objective C mode
1398 @cindex mode, Objective C
1399 @cindex mode, CORBA IDL
1402 This section gives a brief description of the special features
1403 available in C, C++, Objective-C, Java, CORBA IDL, and Pike modes.
1404 (These are called ``C mode and related modes.'') @xref{Top, , CC Mode,
1405 ccmode, CC Mode}, for a more extensive description of these modes
1406 and their special features.
1409 * Motion in C:: Commands to move by C statements, etc.
1410 * Electric C:: Colon and other chars can automatically reindent.
1411 * Hungry Delete:: A more powerful DEL command.
1412 * Other C Commands:: Filling comments, viewing expansion of macros,
1413 and other neat features.
1414 * Comments in C:: Options for customizing comment style.
1418 @subsection C Mode Motion Commands
1420 This section describes commands for moving point, in C mode and
1425 @kindex C-c C-u @r{(C mode)}
1426 @findex c-up-conditional
1427 Move point back to the containing preprocessor conditional, leaving the
1428 mark behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1429 argument, move point forward to the end of the containing
1430 preprocessor conditional. When going backwards, @code{#elif} is treated
1431 like @code{#else} followed by @code{#if}. When going forwards,
1432 @code{#elif} is ignored.@refill
1435 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(C mode)}
1436 @findex c-backward-conditional
1437 Move point back over a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
1438 behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1439 argument, move forward.
1442 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(C mode)}
1443 @findex c-forward-conditional
1444 Move point forward across a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
1445 behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1446 argument, move backward.
1450 @findex c-beginning-of-statement
1451 Move point to the beginning of the innermost C statement
1452 (@code{c-beginning-of-statement}). If point is already at the beginning
1453 of a statement, move to the beginning of the preceding statement. With
1454 prefix argument @var{n}, move back @var{n} @minus{} 1 statements.
1456 If point is within a string or comment, or next to a comment (only
1457 whitespace between them), this command moves by sentences instead of
1460 When called from a program, this function takes three optional
1461 arguments: the numeric prefix argument, a buffer position limit
1462 (don't move back before that place), and a flag that controls whether
1463 to do sentence motion when inside of a comment.
1467 @findex c-end-of-statement
1468 Move point to the end of the innermost C statement; like @kbd{M-a}
1469 except that it moves in the other direction (@code{c-end-of-statement}).
1471 @item M-x c-backward-into-nomenclature
1472 @findex c-backward-into-nomenclature
1473 Move point backward to beginning of a C++ nomenclature section or word.
1474 With prefix argument @var{n}, move @var{n} times. If @var{n} is
1475 negative, move forward. C++ nomenclature means a symbol name in the
1476 style of NamingSymbolsWithMixedCaseAndNoUnderlines; each capital letter
1477 begins a section or word.
1479 In the GNU project, we recommend using underscores to separate words
1480 within an identifier in C or C++, rather than using case distinctions.
1482 @item M-x c-forward-into-nomenclature
1483 @findex c-forward-into-nomenclature
1484 Move point forward to end of a C++ nomenclature section or word.
1485 With prefix argument @var{n}, move @var{n} times.
1489 @subsection Electric C Characters
1491 In C mode and related modes, certain printing characters are
1492 ``electric''---in addition to inserting themselves, they also reindent
1493 the current line and may insert newlines. This feature is controlled by
1494 the variable @code{c-auto-newline}. The ``electric'' characters are
1495 @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, @kbd{:}, @kbd{#}, @kbd{;}, @kbd{,}, @kbd{<},
1496 @kbd{>}, @kbd{/}, @kbd{*}, @kbd{(}, and @kbd{)}.
1498 Electric characters insert newlines only when the @dfn{auto-newline}
1499 feature is enabled (indicated by @samp{/a} in the mode line after the
1500 mode name). This feature is controlled by the variable
1501 @code{c-auto-newline}. You can turn this feature on or off with the
1502 command @kbd{C-c C-a}:
1506 @kindex C-c C-a @r{(C mode)}
1507 @findex c-toggle-auto-state
1508 Toggle the auto-newline feature (@code{c-toggle-auto-state}). With a
1509 prefix argument, this command turns the auto-newline feature on if the
1510 argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
1513 The colon character is electric because that is appropriate for a
1514 single colon. But when you want to insert a double colon in C++, the
1515 electric behavior of colon is inconvenient. You can insert a double
1516 colon with no reindentation or newlines by typing @kbd{C-c :}:
1521 @c This uses ``colon'' instead of a literal `:' because Info cannot
1522 @c cope with a `:' in a menu
1523 @kindex C-c @key{colon} @r{(C mode)}
1526 @kindex C-c : @r{(C mode)}
1528 @findex c-scope-operator
1529 Insert a double colon scope operator at point, without reindenting the
1530 line or adding any newlines (@code{c-scope-operator}).
1533 The electric @kbd{#} key reindents the line if it appears to be the
1534 beginning of a preprocessor directive. This happens when the value of
1535 @code{c-electric-pound-behavior} is @code{(alignleft)}. You can turn
1536 this feature off by setting @code{c-electric-pound-behavior} to
1539 The variable @code{c-hanging-braces-alist} controls the insertion of
1540 newlines before and after inserted braces. It is an association list
1541 with elements of the following form: @code{(@var{syntactic-symbol}
1542 . @var{nl-list})}. Most of the syntactic symbols that appear in
1543 @code{c-offsets-alist} are meaningful here as well.
1545 The list @var{nl-list} may contain either of the symbols
1546 @code{before} or @code{after}, or both; or it may be @code{nil}. When a
1547 brace is inserted, the syntactic context it defines is looked up in
1548 @code{c-hanging-braces-alist}; if it is found, the @var{nl-list} is used
1549 to determine where newlines are inserted: either before the brace,
1550 after, or both. If not found, the default is to insert a newline both
1551 before and after braces.
1553 The variable @code{c-hanging-colons-alist} controls the insertion of
1554 newlines before and after inserted colons. It is an association list
1555 with elements of the following form: @code{(@var{syntactic-symbol}
1556 . @var{nl-list})}. The list @var{nl-list} may contain either of the
1557 symbols @code{before} or @code{after}, or both; or it may be @code{nil}.
1559 When a colon is inserted, the syntactic symbol it defines is looked
1560 up in this list, and if found, the @var{nl-list} is used to determine
1561 where newlines are inserted: either before the brace, after, or both.
1562 If the syntactic symbol is not found in this list, no newlines are
1565 Electric characters can also delete newlines automatically when the
1566 auto-newline feature is enabled. This feature makes auto-newline more
1567 acceptable, by deleting the newlines in the most common cases where you
1568 do not want them. Emacs can recognize several cases in which deleting a
1569 newline might be desirable; by setting the variable
1570 @code{c-cleanup-list}, you can specify @emph{which} of these cases that
1571 should happen. The variable's value is a list of symbols, each
1572 describing one case for possible deletion of a newline. Here are the
1573 meaningful symbols, and their meanings:
1576 @item brace-catch-brace
1577 Clean up @samp{@} catch (@var{condition}) @{} constructs by placing the
1578 entire construct on a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type
1579 the @samp{@{}, if there is nothing between the braces aside from
1580 @code{catch} and @var{condition}.
1582 @item brace-else-brace
1583 Clean up @samp{@} else @{} constructs by placing the entire construct on
1584 a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type the @samp{@{} after
1585 the @code{else}, but only if there is nothing but white space between
1586 the braces and the @code{else}.
1588 @item brace-elseif-brace
1589 Clean up @samp{@} else if (@dots{}) @{} constructs by placing the entire
1590 construct on a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type the
1591 @samp{@{}, if there is nothing but white space between the @samp{@}} and
1592 @samp{@{} aside from the keywords and the @code{if}-condition.
1594 @item empty-defun-braces
1595 Clean up empty defun braces by placing the braces on the same
1596 line. Clean-up occurs when you type the closing brace.
1598 @item defun-close-semi
1599 Clean up the semicolon after a @code{struct} or similar type
1600 declaration, by placing the semicolon on the same line as the closing
1601 brace. Clean-up occurs when you type the semicolon.
1603 @item list-close-comma
1604 Clean up commas following braces in array and aggregate
1605 initializers. Clean-up occurs when you type the comma.
1607 @item scope-operator
1608 Clean up double colons which may designate a C++ scope operator, by
1609 placing the colons together. Clean-up occurs when you type the second
1610 colon, but only when the two colons are separated by nothing but
1615 @subsection Hungry Delete Feature in C
1617 When the @dfn{hungry-delete} feature is enabled (indicated by
1618 @samp{/h} or @samp{/ah} in the mode line after the mode name), a single
1619 @key{DEL} command deletes all preceding whitespace, not just one space.
1620 To turn this feature on or off, use @kbd{C-c C-d}:
1624 @kindex C-c C-d @r{(C mode)}
1625 @findex c-toggle-hungry-state
1626 Toggle the hungry-delete feature (@code{c-toggle-hungry-state}). With a
1627 prefix argument, this command turns the hungry-delete feature on if the
1628 argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
1631 @kindex C-c C-t @r{(C mode)}
1632 @findex c-toggle-auto-hungry-state
1633 Toggle the auto-newline and hungry-delete features, both at once
1634 (@code{c-toggle-auto-hungry-state}).
1637 @vindex c-hungry-delete-key
1638 The variable @code{c-hungry-delete-key} controls whether the
1639 hungry-delete feature is enabled.
1641 @node Other C Commands
1642 @subsection Other Commands for C Mode
1646 Put mark at the end of a function definition, and put point at the
1647 beginning (@code{c-mark-function}).
1650 @kindex M-q @r{(C mode)}
1651 @findex c-fill-paragraph
1652 Fill a paragraph, handling C and C++ comments (@code{c-fill-paragraph}).
1653 If any part of the current line is a comment or within a comment, this
1654 command fills the comment or the paragraph of it that point is in,
1655 preserving the comment indentation and comment delimiters.
1658 @cindex macro expansion in C
1659 @cindex expansion of C macros
1660 @findex c-macro-expand
1661 @kindex C-c C-e @r{(C mode)}
1662 Run the C preprocessor on the text in the region, and show the result,
1663 which includes the expansion of all the macro calls
1664 (@code{c-macro-expand}). The buffer text before the region is also
1665 included in preprocessing, for the sake of macros defined there, but the
1666 output from this part isn't shown.
1668 When you are debugging C code that uses macros, sometimes it is hard to
1669 figure out precisely how the macros expand. With this command, you
1670 don't have to figure it out; you can see the expansions.
1673 @findex c-backslash-region
1674 @kindex C-c C-\ @r{(C mode)}
1675 Insert or align @samp{\} characters at the ends of the lines of the
1676 region (@code{c-backslash-region}). This is useful after writing or
1677 editing a C macro definition.
1679 If a line already ends in @samp{\}, this command adjusts the amount of
1680 whitespace before it. Otherwise, it inserts a new @samp{\}. However,
1681 the last line in the region is treated specially; no @samp{\} is
1682 inserted on that line, and any @samp{\} there is deleted.
1684 @item M-x cpp-highlight-buffer
1685 @cindex preprocessor highlighting
1686 @findex cpp-highlight-buffer
1687 Highlight parts of the text according to its preprocessor conditionals.
1688 This command displays another buffer named @samp{*CPP Edit*}, which
1689 serves as a graphic menu for selecting how to display particular kinds
1690 of conditionals and their contents. After changing various settings,
1691 click on @samp{[A]pply these settings} (or go to that buffer and type
1692 @kbd{a}) to rehighlight the C mode buffer accordingly.
1695 @findex c-show-syntactic-information
1696 @kindex C-c C-s @r{(C mode)}
1697 Display the syntactic information about the current source line
1698 (@code{c-show-syntactic-information}). This is the information that
1699 directs how the line is indented.
1701 @item M-x cwarn-mode
1702 @itemx M-x global-cwarn-mode
1704 @findex global-cwarn-mode
1706 @cindex suspicious constructions in C, C++
1707 CWarn minor mode highlights certain suspicious C and C++ constructions:
1711 Assignments inside expressions.
1713 Semicolon following immediately after @samp{if}, @samp{for}, and @samp{while}
1714 (except after a @samp{do @dots{} while} statement);
1716 C++ functions with reference parameters.
1720 You can enable the mode for one buffer with the command @kbd{M-x
1721 cwarn-mode}, or for all suitable buffers with the command @kbd{M-x
1722 global-cwarn-mode} or by customizing the variable
1723 @code{global-cwarn-mode}. You must also enable Font Lock mode to make
1726 @item M-x hide-ifdef-mode
1727 @findex hide-ifdef-mode
1728 @cindex Hide-ifdef mode
1729 Hide-ifdef minor mode hides selected code within @samp{#if} and
1730 @samp{#ifdef} preprocessor blocks. See the documentation string of
1731 @code{hide-ifdef-mode} for more information.
1733 @item M-x ff-find-related-file
1734 @cindex related files
1735 @findex ff-find-related-file
1736 @vindex ff-related-file-alist
1737 Find a file ``related'' in a special way to the file visited by the
1738 current buffer. Typically this will be the header file corresponding
1739 to a C/C++ source file, or vice versa. The variable
1740 @code{ff-related-file-alist} specifies how to compute related file
1745 @subsection Comments in C Modes
1747 C mode and related modes use a number of variables for controlling
1751 @item c-comment-only-line-offset
1752 @vindex c-comment-only-line-offset
1753 Extra offset for line which contains only the start of a comment. It
1754 can be either an integer or a cons cell of the form
1755 @code{(@var{non-anchored-offset} . @var{anchored-offset})}, where
1756 @var{non-anchored-offset} is the amount of offset given to
1757 non-column-zero anchored comment-only lines, and @var{anchored-offset}
1758 is the amount of offset to give column-zero anchored comment-only lines.
1759 Just an integer as value is equivalent to @code{(@var{val} . 0)}.
1761 @item c-comment-start-regexp
1762 @vindex c-comment-start-regexp
1763 This buffer-local variable specifies how to recognize the start of a comment.
1765 @item c-hanging-comment-ender-p
1766 @vindex c-hanging-comment-ender-p
1767 If this variable is @code{nil}, @code{c-fill-paragraph} leaves the
1768 comment terminator of a block comment on a line by itself. The default
1769 value is @code{t}, which puts the comment-end delimiter @samp{*/} at the
1770 end of the last line of the comment text.
1772 @item c-hanging-comment-starter-p
1773 @vindex c-hanging-comment-starter-p
1774 If this variable is @code{nil}, @code{c-fill-paragraph} leaves the
1775 starting delimiter of a block comment on a line by itself. The default
1776 value is @code{t}, which puts the comment-start delimiter @samp{/*} at
1777 the beginning of the first line of the comment text.
1781 @section Fortran Mode
1782 @cindex Fortran mode
1783 @cindex mode, Fortran
1785 Fortran mode provides special motion commands for Fortran statements and
1786 subprograms, and indentation commands that understand Fortran conventions
1787 of nesting, line numbers and continuation statements. Fortran mode has
1788 its own Auto Fill mode that breaks long lines into proper Fortran
1791 Special commands for comments are provided because Fortran comments
1792 are unlike those of other languages. Built-in abbrevs optionally save
1793 typing when you insert Fortran keywords.
1795 Use @kbd{M-x fortran-mode} to switch to this major mode. This command
1796 runs the hook @code{fortran-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
1798 @cindex Fortran77 and Fortran90
1800 @findex fortran-mode
1801 Fortran mode is meant for editing Fortran77 ``fixed format'' source
1802 code. For editing the modern Fortran90 ``free format'' source code,
1803 use F90 mode (@code{f90-mode}). Emacs normally uses Fortran mode for
1804 files with extension @samp{.f}, @samp{.F} or @samp{.for}, and F90 mode
1805 for the extension @samp{.f90}. GNU Fortran supports both kinds of
1809 * Motion: Fortran Motion. Moving point by statements or subprograms.
1810 * Indent: Fortran Indent. Indentation commands for Fortran.
1811 * Comments: Fortran Comments. Inserting and aligning comments.
1812 * Autofill: Fortran Autofill. Auto fill minor mode for Fortran.
1813 * Columns: Fortran Columns. Measuring columns for valid Fortran.
1814 * Abbrev: Fortran Abbrev. Built-in abbrevs for Fortran keywords.
1817 @node Fortran Motion
1818 @subsection Motion Commands
1820 In addition to the normal commands for moving by and operating on
1821 ``defuns'' (Fortran subprograms---functions and subroutines), Fortran
1822 mode provides special commands to move by statements.
1825 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(Fortran mode)}
1826 @findex fortran-next-statement
1828 Move to beginning of current or next statement
1829 (@code{fortran-next-statement}).
1831 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(Fortran mode)}
1832 @findex fortran-previous-statement
1834 Move to beginning of current or previous statement
1835 (@code{fortran-previous-statement}).
1838 @node Fortran Indent
1839 @subsection Fortran Indentation
1841 Special commands and features are needed for indenting Fortran code in
1842 order to make sure various syntactic entities (line numbers, comment line
1843 indicators and continuation line flags) appear in the columns that are
1844 required for standard Fortran.
1847 * Commands: ForIndent Commands. Commands for indenting and filling Fortran.
1848 * Contline: ForIndent Cont. How continuation lines indent.
1849 * Numbers: ForIndent Num. How line numbers auto-indent.
1850 * Conv: ForIndent Conv. Conventions you must obey to avoid trouble.
1851 * Vars: ForIndent Vars. Variables controlling Fortran indent style.
1854 @node ForIndent Commands
1855 @subsubsection Fortran Indentation and Filling Commands
1859 Break the current line and set up a continuation line
1860 (@code{fortran-split-line}).
1862 Join this line to the previous line (@code{fortran-join-line}).
1864 Indent all the lines of the subprogram point is in
1865 (@code{fortran-indent-subprogram}).
1867 Fill a comment block or statement.
1870 @kindex C-M-q @r{(Fortran mode)}
1871 @findex fortran-indent-subprogram
1872 The key @kbd{C-M-q} runs @code{fortran-indent-subprogram}, a command
1873 to reindent all the lines of the Fortran subprogram (function or
1874 subroutine) containing point.
1876 @kindex C-M-j @r{(Fortran mode)}
1877 @findex fortran-split-line
1878 The key @kbd{C-M-j} runs @code{fortran-split-line}, which splits
1879 a line in the appropriate fashion for Fortran. In a non-comment line,
1880 the second half becomes a continuation line and is indented
1881 accordingly. In a comment line, both halves become separate comment
1884 @kindex M-^ @r{(Fortran mode)}
1885 @kindex C-c C-d @r{(Fortran mode)}
1886 @findex fortran-join-line
1887 @kbd{M-^} or @kbd{C-c C-d} runs the command @code{fortran-join-line},
1888 which joins a continuation line back to the previous line, roughly as
1889 the inverse of @code{fortran-split-line}. The point must be on a
1890 continuation line when this command is invoked.
1892 @kindex M-q @r{(Fortran mode)}
1893 @kbd{M-q} in Fortran mode fills the comment block or statement that
1894 point is in. This removes any excess statement continuations.
1896 @node ForIndent Cont
1897 @subsubsection Continuation Lines
1898 @cindex Fortran continuation lines
1900 @vindex fortran-continuation-string
1901 Most modern Fortran compilers allow two ways of writing continuation
1902 lines. If the first non-space character on a line is in column 5, then
1903 that line is a continuation of the previous line. We call this
1904 @dfn{fixed format}. (In GNU Emacs we always count columns from 0.) The
1905 variable @code{fortran-continuation-string} specifies what character to
1906 put on column 5. A line that starts with a tab character followed by
1907 any digit except @samp{0} is also a continuation line. We call this
1908 style of continuation @dfn{tab format}.
1910 @vindex indent-tabs-mode @r{(Fortran mode)}
1911 Fortran mode can make either style of continuation line, but you
1912 must specify which one you prefer. The value of the variable
1913 @code{indent-tabs-mode} controls the choice: @code{nil} for fixed
1914 format, and non-@code{nil} for tab format. You can tell which style
1915 is presently in effect by the presence or absence of the string
1916 @samp{Tab} in the mode line.
1918 If the text on a line starts with the conventional Fortran
1919 continuation marker @samp{$}, or if it begins with any non-whitespace
1920 character in column 5, Fortran mode treats it as a continuation line.
1921 When you indent a continuation line with @key{TAB}, it converts the line
1922 to the current continuation style. When you split a Fortran statement
1923 with @kbd{C-M-j}, the continuation marker on the newline is created
1924 according to the continuation style.
1926 The setting of continuation style affects several other aspects of
1927 editing in Fortran mode. In fixed format mode, the minimum column
1928 number for the body of a statement is 6. Lines inside of Fortran
1929 blocks that are indented to larger column numbers always use only the
1930 space character for whitespace. In tab format mode, the minimum
1931 column number for the statement body is 8, and the whitespace before
1932 column 8 must always consist of one tab character.
1934 @vindex fortran-tab-mode-default
1935 @vindex fortran-analyze-depth
1936 When you enter Fortran mode for an existing file, it tries to deduce the
1937 proper continuation style automatically from the file contents. The first
1938 line that begins with either a tab character or six spaces determines the
1939 choice. The variable @code{fortran-analyze-depth} specifies how many lines
1940 to consider (at the beginning of the file); if none of those lines
1941 indicates a style, then the variable @code{fortran-tab-mode-default}
1942 specifies the style. If it is @code{nil}, that specifies fixed format, and
1943 non-@code{nil} specifies tab format.
1946 @subsubsection Line Numbers
1948 If a number is the first non-whitespace in the line, Fortran
1949 indentation assumes it is a line number and moves it to columns 0
1950 through 4. (Columns always count from 0 in GNU Emacs.)
1952 @vindex fortran-line-number-indent
1953 Line numbers of four digits or less are normally indented one space.
1954 The variable @code{fortran-line-number-indent} controls this; it
1955 specifies the maximum indentation a line number can have. Line numbers
1956 are indented to right-justify them to end in column 4 unless that would
1957 require more than this maximum indentation. The default value of the
1960 @vindex fortran-electric-line-number
1961 Simply inserting a line number is enough to indent it according to
1962 these rules. As each digit is inserted, the indentation is recomputed.
1963 To turn off this feature, set the variable
1964 @code{fortran-electric-line-number} to @code{nil}. Then inserting line
1965 numbers is like inserting anything else.
1967 @node ForIndent Conv
1968 @subsubsection Syntactic Conventions
1970 Fortran mode assumes that you follow certain conventions that simplify
1971 the task of understanding a Fortran program well enough to indent it
1976 Two nested @samp{do} loops never share a @samp{continue} statement.
1979 Fortran keywords such as @samp{if}, @samp{else}, @samp{then}, @samp{do}
1980 and others are written without embedded whitespace or line breaks.
1982 Fortran compilers generally ignore whitespace outside of string
1983 constants, but Fortran mode does not recognize these keywords if they
1984 are not contiguous. Constructs such as @samp{else if} or @samp{end do}
1985 are acceptable, but the second word should be on the same line as the
1986 first and not on a continuation line.
1990 If you fail to follow these conventions, the indentation commands may
1991 indent some lines unaesthetically. However, a correct Fortran program
1992 retains its meaning when reindented even if the conventions are not
1995 @node ForIndent Vars
1996 @subsubsection Variables for Fortran Indentation
1998 @vindex fortran-do-indent
1999 @vindex fortran-if-indent
2000 @vindex fortran-structure-indent
2001 @vindex fortran-continuation-indent
2002 @vindex fortran-check-all-num@dots{}
2003 @vindex fortran-minimum-statement-indent@dots{}
2004 Several additional variables control how Fortran indentation works:
2007 @item fortran-do-indent
2008 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{do} statement (default 3).
2010 @item fortran-if-indent
2011 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{if} statement (default 3).
2012 This value is also used for extra indentation within each level of the
2013 Fortran 90 @samp{where} statement.
2015 @item fortran-structure-indent
2016 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{structure}, @samp{union}, or
2017 @samp{map} statements (default 3).
2019 @item fortran-continuation-indent
2020 Extra indentation for bodies of continuation lines (default 5).
2022 @item fortran-check-all-num-for-matching-do
2023 If this is @code{nil}, indentation assumes that each @samp{do} statement
2024 ends on a @samp{continue} statement. Therefore, when computing
2025 indentation for a statement other than @samp{continue}, it can save time
2026 by not checking for a @samp{do} statement ending there. If this is
2027 non-@code{nil}, indenting any numbered statement must check for a
2028 @samp{do} that ends there. The default is @code{nil}.
2030 @item fortran-blink-matching-if
2031 If this is @code{t}, indenting an @samp{endif} statement moves the
2032 cursor momentarily to the matching @samp{if} statement to show where it
2033 is. The default is @code{nil}.
2035 @item fortran-minimum-statement-indent-fixed
2036 Minimum indentation for fortran statements when using fixed format
2037 continuation line style. Statement bodies are never indented less than
2038 this much. The default is 6.
2040 @item fortran-minimum-statement-indent-tab
2041 Minimum indentation for fortran statements for tab format continuation line
2042 style. Statement bodies are never indented less than this much. The
2046 @node Fortran Comments
2047 @subsection Fortran Comments
2049 The usual Emacs comment commands assume that a comment can follow a line
2050 of code. In Fortran, the standard comment syntax requires an entire line
2051 to be just a comment. Therefore, Fortran mode replaces the standard Emacs
2052 comment commands and defines some new variables.
2054 Fortran mode can also handle the Fortran90 comment syntax where comments
2055 start with @samp{!} and can follow other text. Because only some Fortran77
2056 compilers accept this syntax, Fortran mode will not insert such comments
2057 unless you have said in advance to do so. To do this, set the variable
2058 @code{comment-start} to @samp{"!"} (@pxref{Variables}).
2062 Align comment or insert new comment (@code{fortran-comment-indent}).
2065 Applies to nonstandard @samp{!} comments only.
2068 Turn all lines of the region into comments, or (with argument) turn them back
2069 into real code (@code{fortran-comment-region}).
2072 @kbd{M-;} in Fortran mode is redefined as the command
2073 @code{fortran-comment-indent}. Like the usual @kbd{M-;} command, this
2074 recognizes any kind of existing comment and aligns its text appropriately;
2075 if there is no existing comment, a comment is inserted and aligned. But
2076 inserting and aligning comments are not the same in Fortran mode as in
2079 When a new comment must be inserted, if the current line is blank, a
2080 full-line comment is inserted. On a non-blank line, a nonstandard @samp{!}
2081 comment is inserted if you have said you want to use them. Otherwise a
2082 full-line comment is inserted on a new line before the current line.
2084 Nonstandard @samp{!} comments are aligned like comments in other
2085 languages, but full-line comments are different. In a standard full-line
2086 comment, the comment delimiter itself must always appear in column zero.
2087 What can be aligned is the text within the comment. You can choose from
2088 three styles of alignment by setting the variable
2089 @code{fortran-comment-indent-style} to one of these values:
2091 @vindex fortran-comment-indent-style
2092 @vindex fortran-comment-line-extra-indent
2095 Align the text at a fixed column, which is the sum of
2096 @code{fortran-comment-line-extra-indent} and the minimum statement
2097 indentation. This is the default.
2099 The minimum statement indentation is
2100 @code{fortran-minimum-statement-indent-fixed} for fixed format
2101 continuation line style and @code{fortran-minimum-statement-indent-tab}
2102 for tab format style.
2105 Align the text as if it were a line of code, but with an additional
2106 @code{fortran-comment-line-extra-indent} columns of indentation.
2109 Don't move text in full-line comments automatically at all.
2112 @vindex fortran-comment-indent-char
2113 In addition, you can specify the character to be used to indent within
2114 full-line comments by setting the variable
2115 @code{fortran-comment-indent-char} to the single-character string you want
2118 @vindex fortran-directive-re
2119 Compiler directive lines, or preprocessor lines, have much the same
2120 appearance as comment lines. It is important, though, that such lines
2121 never be indented at all, no matter what the value of
2122 @code{fortran-comment-indent-style}. The variable
2123 @code{fortran-directive-re} is a regular expression that specifies which
2124 lines are directives. Matching lines are never indented, and receive
2125 distinctive font-locking.
2127 @vindex comment-line-start
2128 @vindex comment-line-start-skip
2129 Fortran mode introduces two variables @code{comment-line-start} and
2130 @code{comment-line-start-skip}, which play for full-line comments the same
2131 roles played by @code{comment-start} and @code{comment-start-skip} for
2132 ordinary text-following comments. Normally these are set properly by
2133 Fortran mode, so you do not need to change them.
2135 The normal Emacs comment command @kbd{C-x ;} has not been redefined. If
2136 you use @samp{!} comments, this command can be used with them. Otherwise
2137 it is useless in Fortran mode.
2139 @kindex C-c ; @r{(Fortran mode)}
2140 @findex fortran-comment-region
2141 @vindex fortran-comment-region
2142 The command @kbd{C-c ;} (@code{fortran-comment-region}) turns all the
2143 lines of the region into comments by inserting the string @samp{C$$$} at
2144 the front of each one. With a numeric argument, it turns the region
2145 back into live code by deleting @samp{C$$$} from the front of each line
2146 in it. The string used for these comments can be controlled by setting
2147 the variable @code{fortran-comment-region}. Note that here we have an
2148 example of a command and a variable with the same name; these two uses
2149 of the name never conflict because in Lisp and in Emacs it is always
2150 clear from the context which one is meant.
2152 @node Fortran Autofill
2153 @subsection Fortran Auto Fill Mode
2155 Fortran Auto Fill mode is a minor mode which automatically splits
2156 Fortran statements as you insert them when they become too wide.
2157 Splitting a statement involves making continuation lines using
2158 @code{fortran-continuation-string} (@pxref{ForIndent Cont}). This
2159 splitting happens when you type @key{SPC}, @key{RET}, or @key{TAB}, and
2160 also in the Fortran indentation commands.
2162 @findex fortran-auto-fill-mode
2163 @kbd{M-x fortran-auto-fill-mode} turns Fortran Auto Fill mode on if it
2164 was off, or off if it was on. This command works the same as @kbd{M-x
2165 auto-fill-mode} does for normal Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Filling}). A
2166 positive numeric argument turns Fortran Auto Fill mode on, and a
2167 negative argument turns it off. You can see when Fortran Auto Fill mode
2168 is in effect by the presence of the word @samp{Fill} in the mode line,
2169 inside the parentheses. Fortran Auto Fill mode is a minor mode, turned
2170 on or off for each buffer individually. @xref{Minor Modes}.
2172 @vindex fortran-break-before-delimiters
2173 Fortran Auto Fill mode breaks lines at spaces or delimiters when the
2174 lines get longer than the desired width (the value of @code{fill-column}).
2175 The delimiters that Fortran Auto Fill mode may break at are @samp{,},
2176 @samp{'}, @samp{+}, @samp{-}, @samp{/}, @samp{*}, @samp{=}, and @samp{)}.
2177 The line break comes after the delimiter if the variable
2178 @code{fortran-break-before-delimiters} is @code{nil}. Otherwise (and by
2179 default), the break comes before the delimiter.
2181 By default, Fortran Auto Fill mode is not enabled. If you want this
2182 feature turned on permanently, add a hook function to
2183 @code{fortran-mode-hook} to execute @code{(fortran-auto-fill-mode 1)}.
2186 @node Fortran Columns
2187 @subsection Checking Columns in Fortran
2191 Display a ``column ruler'' momentarily above the current line
2192 (@code{fortran-column-ruler}).
2194 Split the current window horizontally temporarily so that it is 72
2195 columns wide (@code{fortran-window-create-momentarily}). This may
2196 help you avoid making lines longer than the 72-character limit that
2197 some Fortran compilers impose.
2199 Split the current window horizontally so that it is 72 columns wide
2200 (@code{fortran-window-create}). You can then continue editing.
2201 @item M-x fortran-strip-sequence-nos
2202 Delete all text in column 72 and beyond.
2205 @kindex C-c C-r @r{(Fortran mode)}
2206 @findex fortran-column-ruler
2207 The command @kbd{C-c C-r} (@code{fortran-column-ruler}) shows a column
2208 ruler momentarily above the current line. The comment ruler is two lines
2209 of text that show you the locations of columns with special significance in
2210 Fortran programs. Square brackets show the limits of the columns for line
2211 numbers, and curly brackets show the limits of the columns for the
2212 statement body. Column numbers appear above them.
2214 Note that the column numbers count from zero, as always in GNU Emacs.
2215 As a result, the numbers may be one less than those you are familiar
2216 with; but the positions they indicate in the line are standard for
2219 @vindex fortran-column-ruler-fixed
2220 @vindex fortran-column-ruler-tabs
2221 The text used to display the column ruler depends on the value of
2222 the variable @code{indent-tabs-mode}. If @code{indent-tabs-mode} is
2223 @code{nil}, then the value of the variable
2224 @code{fortran-column-ruler-fixed} is used as the column ruler.
2225 Otherwise, the variable @code{fortran-column-ruler-tab} is displayed.
2226 By changing these variables, you can change the column ruler display.
2228 @kindex C-c C-w @r{(Fortran mode)}
2229 @findex fortran-window-create-momentarily
2230 @kbd{C-c C-w} (@code{fortran-window-create-momentarily}) temporarily
2231 splits the current window horizontally, making a window 72 columns
2232 wide, so you can see which lines that is too long. Type a space to
2233 restore the normal width.
2235 @kindex C-u C-c C-w @r{(Fortran mode)}
2236 @findex fortran-window-create
2237 You can also split the window horizontally and continue editing with
2238 the split in place. To do this, use @kbd{C-u C-c C-w} (@code{M-x
2239 fortran-window-create}). By editing in this window you can
2240 immediately see when you make a line too wide to be correct Fortran.
2242 @findex fortran-strip-sequence-nos
2243 The command @kbd{M-x fortran-strip-sequence-nos} deletes all text in
2244 column 72 and beyond, on all lines in the current buffer. This is the
2245 easiest way to get rid of old sequence numbers.
2247 @node Fortran Abbrev
2248 @subsection Fortran Keyword Abbrevs
2250 Fortran mode provides many built-in abbrevs for common keywords and
2251 declarations. These are the same sort of abbrev that you can define
2252 yourself. To use them, you must turn on Abbrev mode. @xref{Abbrevs}.
2254 The built-in abbrevs are unusual in one way: they all start with a
2255 semicolon. You cannot normally use semicolon in an abbrev, but Fortran
2256 mode makes this possible by changing the syntax of semicolon to ``word
2259 For example, one built-in Fortran abbrev is @samp{;c} for
2260 @samp{continue}. If you insert @samp{;c} and then insert a punctuation
2261 character such as a space or a newline, the @samp{;c} expands automatically
2262 to @samp{continue}, provided Abbrev mode is enabled.@refill
2264 Type @samp{;?} or @samp{;C-h} to display a list of all the built-in
2265 Fortran abbrevs and what they stand for.
2271 @cindex assembler mode
2272 Asm mode is a major mode for editing files of assembler code. It
2273 defines these commands:
2277 @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2279 Insert a newline and then indent using @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2281 Insert a colon and then remove the indentation from before the label
2282 preceding colon. Then do @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2284 Insert or align a comment.
2287 The variable @code{asm-comment-char} specifies which character
2288 starts comments in assembler syntax.
2291 arch-tag: c7ee7409-40a4-45c7-bfb7-ae7f2c74d0c0