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 the
490 function name. There are four possibilities for this property:
494 This is the same as no property---use the standard indentation pattern.
496 Handle this function like a @samp{def} construct: treat the second
497 line as the start of a @dfn{body}.
498 @item a number, @var{number}
499 The first @var{number} arguments of the function are
500 @dfn{distinguished} arguments; the rest are considered the body
501 of the expression. A line in the expression is indented according to
502 whether the first argument on it is distinguished or not. If the
503 argument is part of the body, the line is indented @code{lisp-body-indent}
504 more columns than the open-parenthesis starting the containing
505 expression. If the argument is distinguished and is either the first
506 or second argument, it is indented @emph{twice} that many extra columns.
507 If the argument is distinguished and not the first or second argument,
508 the line uses the standard pattern.
509 @item a symbol, @var{symbol}
510 @var{symbol} should be a function name; that function is called to
511 calculate the indentation of a line within this expression. The
512 function receives two arguments:
515 The value returned by @code{parse-partial-sexp} (a Lisp primitive for
516 indentation and nesting computation) when it parses up to the
517 beginning of this line.
519 The position at which the line being indented begins.
522 It should return either a number, which is the number of columns of
523 indentation for that line, or a list whose car is such a number. The
524 difference between returning a number and returning a list is that a
525 number says that all following lines at the same nesting level should
526 be indented just like this one; a list says that following lines might
527 call for different indentations. This makes a difference when the
528 indentation is being computed by @kbd{C-M-q}; if the value is a
529 number, @kbd{C-M-q} need not recalculate indentation for the following
530 lines until the end of the list.
534 @subsection Commands for C Indentation
536 Here are special features for indentation in C mode and related modes:
540 @kindex C-c C-q @r{(C mode)}
541 @findex c-indent-defun
542 Reindent the current top-level function definition or aggregate type
543 declaration (@code{c-indent-defun}).
546 @kindex C-M-q @r{(C mode)}
548 Reindent each line in the balanced expression that follows point
549 (@code{c-indent-exp}). A prefix argument inhibits error checking and
550 warning messages about invalid syntax.
553 @findex c-indent-command
554 Reindent the current line, and/or in some cases insert a tab character
555 (@code{c-indent-command}).
557 If @code{c-tab-always-indent} is @code{t}, this command always reindents
558 the current line and does nothing else. This is the default.
560 If that variable is @code{nil}, this command reindents the current line
561 only if point is at the left margin or in the line's indentation;
562 otherwise, it inserts a tab (or the equivalent number of spaces,
563 if @code{indent-tabs-mode} is @code{nil}).
565 Any other value (not @code{nil} or @code{t}) means always reindent the
566 line, and also insert a tab if within a comment, a string, or a
567 preprocessor directive.
570 To reindent the whole current buffer, type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}. This
571 first selects the whole buffer as the region, then reindents that
574 To reindent the current block, use @kbd{C-M-u C-M-q}. This moves
575 to the front of the block and then reindents it all.
577 @node Custom C Indent
578 @subsection Customizing C Indentation
579 @cindex style (for indentation)
581 C mode and related modes use a simple yet flexible mechanism for
582 customizing indentation. The mechanism works in two steps: first it
583 classifies the line syntactically according to its contents and context;
584 second, it associates each kind of syntactic construct with an
585 indentation offset based on your selected @dfn{style}.
588 @item M-x c-set-style @key{RET} @var{style} @key{RET}
589 Select predefined indentation style @var{style}.
592 A style is a named collection of indentation customizations that can
593 be used in C mode and the related modes. Emacs comes with several
594 predefined styles, including @code{gnu}, @code{k&r}, @code{bsd},
595 @code{stroustrup}, @code{linux}, @code{python}, @code{java},
596 @code{whitesmith}, @code{ellemtel}, @code{cc-mode}, and @code{user}.
597 Some of these styles are primarily intended for one language, but any
598 of them can be used with any of the languages supported by these
599 modes. To find out what a style looks like, select it and reindent
600 some code, e.g., by typing @key{C-M-q} at the start of a function
604 To choose a style for the current buffer, use the command @kbd{M-x
605 c-set-style}. Specify a style name as an argument (case is not
606 significant). This command affects the current buffer only, and it
607 affects only future invocations of the indentation commands; it does
608 not reindent the code in the buffer. To reindent the whole buffer in
609 the new style, you can type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}.
611 @vindex c-default-style
612 You can also set the variable @code{c-default-style} to specify the
613 default style for various major modes. Its value should be an alist,
614 in which each element specifies one major mode and which indentation
615 style to use for it. For example,
618 (setq c-default-style
619 '((java-mode . "java") (other . "gnu")))
623 specifies an explicit choice for Java mode, and the default @samp{gnu}
624 style for the other C-like modes. This variable takes effect when you
625 select one of the C-like major modes; thus, if you specify a new
626 default style for Java mode, you can make it take effect in an
627 existing Java mode buffer by typing @kbd{M-x java-mode} there.
629 The @code{gnu} style specifies the formatting recommended by the GNU
630 Project for C; it is the default, so as to encourage use of our
633 @xref{Customizing Indentation,,, ccmode, the CC Mode Manual}, for
634 more information on customizing indentation for C and related modes,
635 including how to override parts of an existing style and how to define
639 @section Commands for Editing with Parentheses
642 @cindex unbalanced parentheses and quotes
643 This section describes the commands and features that take advantage
644 of the parenthesis structure in a program, or help you keep it
647 When talking about these facilities, the term ``parenthesis'' also
648 includes braces, brackets, or whatever delimiters are defined to match
649 in pairs. The major mode controls which delimiters are significant,
650 through the syntax table (@pxref{Syntax}). In Lisp, only parentheses
651 count; in C, these commands apply to braces and brackets too.
653 You can use @kbd{M-x check-parens} to find any unbalanced
654 parentheses and unbalanced string quotes in the buffer.
657 * Expressions:: Expressions with balanced parentheses.
658 * Moving by Parens:: Commands for moving up, down and across
659 in the structure of parentheses.
660 * Matching:: Insertion of a close-delimiter flashes matching open.
664 @subsection Expressions with Balanced Parentheses
668 @cindex balanced expression
669 These commands deal with balanced expressions, also called
670 @dfn{sexps}@footnote{The word ``sexp'' is used to refer to an
671 expression in Lisp.}.
675 Move forward over a balanced expression (@code{forward-sexp}).
677 Move backward over a balanced expression(@code{backward-sexp}).
679 Kill balanced expression forward (@code{kill-sexp}).
681 Kill balanced expression backward (@code{backward-kill-sexp}).
683 Transpose expressions (@code{transpose-sexps}).
685 Put mark after following expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
688 Each programming language major mode customizes the definition of
689 balanced expressions to suit that language. Balanced expressions
690 typically include symbols, numbers, and string constants, as well as
691 any pair of matching delimiters and their contents. Some languages
692 have obscure forms of expression syntax that nobody has bothered to
696 By convention, the keys for these commands are all Control-Meta
697 characters. They usually act on expressions just as the corresponding
698 Meta characters act on words. For instance, the command @kbd{C-M-b}
699 moves backward over a balanced expression, just as @kbd{M-b} moves
705 @findex backward-sexp
706 To move forward over a balanced expression, use @kbd{C-M-f}
707 (@code{forward-sexp}). If the first significant character after point
708 is an opening delimiter (@samp{(} in Lisp; @samp{(}, @samp{[} or
709 @samp{@{} in C), @kbd{C-M-f} moves past the matching closing
710 delimiter. If the character begins a symbol, string, or number,
711 @kbd{C-M-f} moves over that.
713 The command @kbd{C-M-b} (@code{backward-sexp}) moves backward over a
714 balanced expression. The detailed rules are like those above for
715 @kbd{C-M-f}, but with directions reversed. If there are prefix
716 characters (single-quote, backquote and comma, in Lisp) preceding the
717 expression, @kbd{C-M-b} moves back over them as well. The balanced
718 expression commands move across comments as if they were whitespace,
721 @kbd{C-M-f} or @kbd{C-M-b} with an argument repeats that operation the
722 specified number of times; with a negative argument, it moves in the
725 @cindex killing expressions
729 @findex backward-kill-sexp
730 Killing a whole balanced expression can be done with @kbd{C-M-k}
731 (@code{kill-sexp}) or @kbd{C-M-@key{DEL}} (@code{backward-kill-sexp}).
732 @kbd{C-M-k} kills the characters that @kbd{C-M-f} would move over, and
733 @kbd{C-M-@key{DEL}} kills the characters that @kbd{C-M-b} would move
734 over. On some machines, @kbd{C-M-@key{DEL}} typed on the console is a
735 command to reboot; when that is so, you cannot use it as an Emacs
736 command. This conflict is rare, though: usually the @key{DEL} key for
737 Emacs is really @key{BACKSPACE}, and the reboot command is
738 @kbd{C-M-@key{DELETE}}, so there is no conflict.
740 @cindex transposition of expressions
742 @findex transpose-sexps
743 A somewhat random-sounding command which is nevertheless handy is
744 @kbd{C-M-t} (@code{transpose-sexps}), which drags the previous
745 balanced expression across the next one. An argument serves as a
746 repeat count, and a negative argument drags the previous balanced
747 expression backwards across those before it (thus canceling out the
748 effect of @kbd{C-M-t} with a positive argument). An argument of zero,
749 rather than doing nothing, transposes the balanced expressions ending
750 at or after point and the mark.
754 To set the region around the next balanced expression in the buffer,
755 use @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}), which sets mark at the same place
756 that @kbd{C-M-f} would move to. @kbd{C-M-@@} takes arguments like
757 @kbd{C-M-f}. In particular, a negative argument is useful for putting
758 the mark at the beginning of the previous balanced expression.
760 In languages that use infix operators, such as C, it is not possible
761 to recognize all balanced expressions as such because there can be
762 multiple possibilities at a given position. For example, C mode does
763 not treat @samp{foo + bar} as a single expression, even though it
764 @emph{is} one C expression; instead, it recognizes @samp{foo} as one
765 expression and @samp{bar} as another, with the @samp{+} as punctuation
766 between them. Both @samp{foo + bar} and @samp{foo} are legitimate
767 choices for ``the expression following point'' when point is at the
768 @samp{f}, so the expression commands must perforce choose one or the
769 other to operate on. Note that @samp{(foo + bar)} is recognized as a
770 single expression in C mode, because of the parentheses.
772 @node Moving by Parens
773 @subsection Moving in the Parenthesis Structure
775 @cindex parenthetical groupings
776 @cindex parentheses, moving across
777 @cindex matching parenthesis and braces, moving to
778 @cindex braces, moving across
779 @cindex list commands
780 The Emacs commands for handling parenthetical groupings see nothing
781 except parentheses (or whatever characters must balance in the
782 language you are working with), and the escape characters that might
783 be used to quote those. They are mainly intended for editing
784 programs, but can be useful for editing any text that has parentheses.
785 They are sometimes called ``list'' commands because in Lisp these
790 Move forward over a parenthetical group (@code{forward-list}).
792 Move backward over a parenthetical group(@code{backward-list}).
794 Move up in parenthesis structure (@code{backward-up-list}).
796 Move down in parenthesis structure (@code{down-list}).
802 @findex backward-list
803 The ``list'' commands @kbd{C-M-n} (@code{forward-list}) and
804 @kbd{C-M-p} (@code{backward-list}) move over one (or @var{n})
805 parenthetical groupings, skipping blithely over any amount of text
806 that doesn't include meaningful parentheses (symbols, strings, etc.).
810 @findex backward-up-list
812 @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-p} try to stay at the same level in the
813 parenthesis structure. To move @emph{up} one (or @var{n}) levels, use
814 @kbd{C-M-u} (@code{backward-up-list}). @kbd{C-M-u} moves backward up
815 past one unmatched opening delimiter. A positive argument serves as a
816 repeat count; a negative argument reverses the direction of motion, so
817 that the command moves forward and up one or more levels.
819 To move @emph{down} in the parenthesis structure, use @kbd{C-M-d}
820 (@code{down-list}). In Lisp mode, where @samp{(} is the only opening
821 delimiter, this is nearly the same as searching for a @samp{(}. An
822 argument specifies the number of levels to go down.
825 @subsection Automatic Display Of Matching Parentheses
826 @cindex matching parentheses
827 @cindex parentheses, displaying matches
829 The Emacs parenthesis-matching feature is designed to show
830 automatically how parentheses (and other matching delimiters) match in
831 the text. Whenever you type a self-inserting character that is a
832 closing delimiter, the cursor moves momentarily to the location of the
833 matching opening delimiter, provided that is on the screen. If it is
834 not on the screen, Emacs displays some of the text near it in the echo
835 area. Either way, you can tell which grouping you are closing off.
837 If the opening delimiter and closing delimiter are mismatched---such
838 as in @samp{[x)}---a warning message is displayed in the echo area.
840 @vindex blink-matching-paren
841 @vindex blink-matching-paren-distance
842 @vindex blink-matching-delay
843 Three variables control parenthesis match display.
844 @code{blink-matching-paren} turns the feature on or off: @code{nil}
845 disables it, but the default is @code{t} to enable match display.
847 @code{blink-matching-delay} says how many seconds to leave the
848 cursor on the matching opening delimiter, before bringing it back to
849 the real location of point; the default is 1, but on some systems it
850 is useful to specify a fraction of a second.
852 @code{blink-matching-paren-distance} specifies how many characters
853 back to search to find the matching opening delimiter. If the match
854 is not found in that distance, scanning stops, and nothing is displayed.
855 This is to prevent the scan for the matching delimiter from wasting
856 lots of time when there is no match. The default is 25600.
858 @cindex Show Paren mode
859 @cindex highlighting matching parentheses
860 @findex show-paren-mode
861 Show Paren mode provides a more powerful kind of automatic matching.
862 Whenever point is after a closing delimiter, that delimiter and its
863 matching opening delimiter are both highlighted; otherwise, if point
864 is before an opening delimiter, the matching closing delimiter is
865 highlighted. (There is no need to highlight the opening delimiter in
866 that case, because the cursor appears on top of that character.) Use
867 the command @kbd{M-x show-paren-mode} to enable or disable this mode.
869 By default, @code{show-paren-mode} uses colors to highlight the
870 parentheses. However, if your display doesn't support colors, you can
871 customize the faces @code{show-paren-match-face} and
872 @code{show-paren-mismatch-face} to use other attributes, such as bold or
873 underline. @xref{Face Customization}.
876 @section Manipulating Comments
879 Because comments are such an important part of programming, Emacs
880 provides special commands for editing and inserting comments. It can
881 also do spell checking on comments with Flyspell Prog mode
885 * Comment Commands:: Inserting, killing, and indenting comments.
886 * Multi-Line Comments:: Commands for adding and editing multi-line comments.
887 * Options for Comments::Customizing the comment features.
890 @node Comment Commands
891 @subsection Comment Commands
892 @cindex indentation for comments
894 The comment commands in this table insert, kill and align comments.
895 They are described in this section and following sections.
899 Insert or realign comment on current line; alternatively, comment or
900 uncomment the region (@code{comment-dwim}).
902 Kill comment on current line (@code{comment-kill}).
904 Set comment column (@code{comment-set-column}).
906 Like @key{RET} followed by inserting and aligning a comment
907 (@code{comment-indent-new-line}).
908 @item M-x comment-region
909 Add or remove comment delimiters on all the lines in the region.
914 The command to create or align a comment is @kbd{M-;}
915 (@code{comment-dwim}). The word ``dwim'' is an acronym for ``Do What
916 I Mean''; it indicates that this command can be used for many
917 different jobs relating to comments, depending on the situation where
920 If there is no comment already on the line, @kbd{M-;} inserts a new
921 comment, aligned at a specific column called the @dfn{comment column}.
922 The new comment begins with the string Emacs thinks comments should
923 start with (the value of @code{comment-start}; see below). Point is
924 after that string, so you can insert the text of the comment right
925 away. If the major mode has specified a string to terminate comments,
926 @kbd{M-;} inserts that too, to keep the syntax valid.
928 If the text of the line extends past the comment column, then the
929 comment start string is indented to a suitable boundary (usually, at
930 least one space is inserted).
932 You can also use @kbd{M-;} to align an existing comment. If a line
933 already contains the comment-start string, @kbd{M-;} reindents it to
934 the conventional alignment and moves point after it. (Exception:
935 comments starting in column 0 are not moved.) Even when an existing
936 comment is properly aligned, @kbd{M-;} is still useful for moving
937 directly to the start of the text inside the comment.
941 @kbd{C-u M-;} kills any comment on the current line, along with the
942 whitespace before it. To reinsert the comment on another line, move
943 to the end of that line, do @kbd{C-y}, and then do @kbd{M-;} to
946 Note that @kbd{C-u M-;} is not a distinct key; it is @kbd{M-;}
947 (@code{comment-dwim}) with a prefix argument. That command is
948 programmed so that when it receives a prefix argument it calls
949 @code{comment-kill}. However, @code{comment-kill} is a valid command
950 in its own right, and you can bind it directly to a key if you wish.
952 @kbd{M-;} does two other jobs when used with an active region in
953 Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}). Then it either adds or
954 removes comment delimiters on each line of the region. (If every line
955 is a comment, it removes comment delimiters from each; otherwise, it
956 adds comment delimiters to each.) If you are not using Transient Mark
957 mode, then you should use the commands @code{comment-region} and
958 @code{uncomment-region} to do these jobs (@pxref{Multi-Line Comments}).
959 A prefix argument used in these circumstances specifies how many
960 comment delimiters to add or how many to delete.
962 Some major modes have special rules for indenting certain kinds of
963 comments in certain contexts. For example, in Lisp code, comments which
964 start with two semicolons are indented as if they were lines of code,
965 instead of at the comment column. Comments which start with three
966 semicolons are supposed to start at the left margin. Emacs understands
967 these conventions by indenting a double-semicolon comment using @key{TAB},
968 and by not changing the indentation of a triple-semicolon comment at all.
971 ;; This function is just an example
972 ;;; Here either two or three semicolons are appropriate.
974 ;;; And now, the first part of the function:
975 ;; The following line adds one.
976 (1+ x)) ; This line adds one.
979 In C code, a comment preceded on its line by nothing but whitespace
980 is indented like a line of code.
982 @node Multi-Line Comments
983 @subsection Multiple Lines of Comments
986 @cindex blank lines in programs
987 @findex comment-indent-new-line
988 If you are typing a comment and wish to continue it on another line,
989 you can use the command @kbd{C-M-j} (@code{comment-indent-new-line}).
990 This terminates the comment you are typing, creates a new blank line
991 afterward, and begins a new comment indented under the old one. When
992 Auto Fill mode is on, going past the fill column while typing a comment
993 causes the comment to be continued in just this fashion. If point is
994 not at the end of the line when @kbd{C-M-j} is typed, the text on
995 the rest of the line becomes part of the new comment line.
997 @findex comment-region
998 To turn existing lines into comment lines, use the @kbd{M-x
999 comment-region} command. It adds comment delimiters to the lines that start
1000 in the region, thus commenting them out. With a negative argument, it
1001 does the opposite---it deletes comment delimiters from the lines in the
1004 With a positive argument, @code{comment-region} duplicates the last
1005 character of the comment start sequence it adds; the argument specifies
1006 how many copies of the character to insert. Thus, in Lisp mode,
1007 @kbd{C-u 2 M-x comment-region} adds @samp{;;} to each line. Duplicating
1008 the comment delimiter is a way of calling attention to the comment. It
1009 can also affect how the comment is indented. In Lisp, for proper
1010 indentation, you should use an argument of two or three, if between defuns;
1011 if within a defun, it must be three.
1013 @node Options for Comments
1014 @subsection Options Controlling Comments
1016 @vindex comment-column
1018 @findex comment-set-column
1019 The comment column is stored in the variable @code{comment-column}. You
1020 can set it to a number explicitly. Alternatively, the command @kbd{C-x ;}
1021 (@code{comment-set-column}) sets the comment column to the column point is
1022 at. @kbd{C-u C-x ;} sets the comment column to match the last comment
1023 before point in the buffer, and then does a @kbd{M-;} to align the
1024 current line's comment under the previous one.
1026 The variable @code{comment-column} is per-buffer: setting the variable
1027 in the normal fashion affects only the current buffer, but there is a
1028 default value which you can change with @code{setq-default}.
1029 @xref{Locals}. Many major modes initialize this variable for the
1032 @vindex comment-start-skip
1033 The comment commands recognize comments based on the regular
1034 expression that is the value of the variable @code{comment-start-skip}.
1035 Make sure this regexp does not match the null string. It may match more
1036 than the comment starting delimiter in the strictest sense of the word;
1037 for example, in C mode the value of the variable is
1038 @c This stops M-q from breaking the line inside that @code.
1039 @code{@w{"/\\*+ *\\|//+ *""}}, which matches extra stars and spaces
1040 after the @samp{/*} itself, and accepts C++ style comments also.
1041 (Note that @samp{\\} is needed in Lisp syntax to include a @samp{\} in
1042 the string, which is needed to deny the first star its special meaning
1043 in regexp syntax. @xref{Regexps}.)
1045 @vindex comment-start
1047 When a comment command makes a new comment, it inserts the value of
1048 @code{comment-start} to begin it. The value of @code{comment-end} is
1049 inserted after point, so that it will follow the text that you will insert
1050 into the comment. In C mode, @code{comment-start} has the value
1051 @w{@code{"/* "}} and @code{comment-end} has the value @w{@code{" */"}}.
1053 @vindex comment-padding
1054 The variable @code{comment-padding} specifies how many spaces
1055 @code{comment-region} should insert on each line between the
1056 comment delimiter and the line's original text. The default is 1,
1057 to insert one space.
1059 @vindex comment-multi-line
1060 The variable @code{comment-multi-line} controls how @kbd{C-M-j}
1061 (@code{indent-new-comment-line}) behaves when used inside a comment. If
1062 @code{comment-multi-line} is @code{nil}, as it normally is, then the
1063 comment on the starting line is terminated and a new comment is started
1064 on the new following line. If @code{comment-multi-line} is not
1065 @code{nil}, then the new following line is set up as part of the same
1066 comment that was found on the starting line. This is done by not
1067 inserting a terminator on the old line, and not inserting a starter on
1068 the new line. In languages where multi-line comments work, the choice
1069 of value for this variable is a matter of taste.
1071 @vindex comment-indent-function
1072 The variable @code{comment-indent-function} should contain a function
1073 that will be called to compute the indentation for a newly inserted
1074 comment or for aligning an existing comment. It is set differently by
1075 various major modes. The function is called with no arguments, but with
1076 point at the beginning of the comment, or at the end of a line if a new
1077 comment is to be inserted. It should return the column in which the
1078 comment ought to start. For example, in Lisp mode, the indent hook
1079 function bases its decision on how many semicolons begin an existing
1080 comment, and on the code in the preceding lines.
1083 @section Documentation Lookup
1085 Emacs provides several features you can use to look up the
1086 documentation of functions, variables and commands that you plan to
1087 use in your program.
1090 * Info Lookup:: Looking up library functions and commands
1092 * Man Page:: Looking up man pages of library functions and commands.
1093 * Lisp Doc:: Looking up Emacs Lisp functions, etc.
1097 @subsection Info Documentation Lookup
1099 @findex info-lookup-symbol
1100 @findex info-lookup-file
1102 For C, Lisp, and other languages that have documentation in Info,
1103 you can use @kbd{C-h C-i} (@code{info-lookup-symbol}) to view the Info
1104 documentation for a symbol. You specify the symbol with the
1105 minibuffer; the default is the symbol appearing in the buffer at
1108 The major mode determines where to look for documentation for the
1109 symbol---which Info files to look in, and which indices to search.
1110 You can also use @kbd{M-x info-lookup-file} to look for documentation
1113 This feature currently supports the modes Awk, Autoconf, Bison, C,
1114 Emacs Lisp, LaTeX, M4, Makefile, Octave, Perl, Scheme, and Texinfo,
1115 provided you have installed the relevant Info files, which are
1116 typically available with the appropriate GNU package.
1119 @subsection Man Page Lookup
1122 On Unix, the main form of on-line documentation was the @dfn{manual
1123 page} or @dfn{man page}. In the GNU operating system, we hope to
1124 replace man pages with better-organized manuals that you can browse
1125 with Info (@pxref{Misc Help}). This process is not finished, so it is
1126 still useful to read manual pages.
1128 @findex manual-entry
1129 You can read the man page for an operating system command, library
1130 function, or system call, with the @kbd{M-x manual-entry} command. It
1131 runs the @code{man} program to format the man page; if the system
1132 permits, it runs @code{man} asynchronously, so that you can keep on
1133 editing while the page is being formatted. (On MS-DOS and MS-Windows
1134 3, you cannot edit while Emacs waits for @code{man} to finish.) The
1135 result goes in a buffer named @samp{*Man @var{topic}*}. These buffers
1136 use a special major mode, Man mode, that facilitates scrolling and
1137 jumping to other manual pages. For details, type @kbd{C-h m} while in
1140 @cindex sections of manual pages
1141 Each man page belongs to one of ten or more @dfn{sections}, each
1142 named by a digit or by a digit and a letter. Sometimes there are
1143 multiple man pages with the same name in different sections. To read
1144 a man page from a specific section, type
1145 @samp{@var{topic}(@var{section})} or @samp{@var{section} @var{topic}}
1146 when @kbd{M-x manual-entry} prompts for the topic. For example, to
1147 read the man page for the C library function @code{chmod} (as opposed
1148 to a command of the same name), type @kbd{M-x manual-entry @key{RET}
1149 chmod(2) @key{RET}} (@code{chmod} is a system call, so it is in
1152 @vindex Man-switches
1153 If you do not specify a section, the results depend on how the
1154 @code{man} program works on your system. Some of them display only
1155 the first man page they find. Others display all man pages that have
1156 the specified name, so you can move between them with the @kbd{M-n}
1157 and @kbd{M-p} keys@footnote{On some systems, the @code{man} program
1158 accepts a @samp{-a} command-line option which tells it to display all
1159 the man pages for the specified topic. If you want this behavior, you
1160 can add this option to the value of the variable @code{Man-switches}.}.
1161 The mode line shows how many manual pages are present in the Man buffer.
1163 @vindex Man-fontify-manpage-flag
1164 By default, Emacs highlights the text in man pages. For a long man
1165 page, highlighting can take substantial time. You can turn off
1166 highlighting of man pages by setting the variable
1167 @code{Man-fontify-manpage-flag} to @code{nil}.
1169 @findex Man-fontify-manpage
1170 If you insert the text of a man page into an Emacs buffer in some
1171 other fashion, you can use the command @kbd{M-x Man-fontify-manpage} to
1172 perform the same conversions that @kbd{M-x manual-entry} does.
1175 @cindex manual pages, on MS-DOS/MS-Windows
1176 An alternative way of reading manual pages is the @kbd{M-x woman}
1177 command@footnote{The name of the command, @code{woman}, is an acronym
1178 for ``w/o (without) man,'' since it doesn't use the @code{man}
1179 program.}. Unlike @kbd{M-x man}, it does not run any external
1180 programs to format and display the man pages; instead it does the job
1181 in Emacs Lisp, so it works on systems such as MS-Windows, where the
1182 @code{man} program (and the other programs it uses) are not generally
1185 @kbd{M-x woman} prompts for a name of a manual page, and provides
1186 completion based on the list of manual pages that are installed on
1187 your machine; the list of available manual pages is computed
1188 automatically the first time you invoke @code{woman}. The word at
1189 point in the current buffer is used to suggest the default for the
1190 name the manual page.
1192 With a numeric argument, @kbd{M-x woman} recomputes the list of the
1193 manual pages used for completion. This is useful if you add or delete
1196 If you type a name of a manual page and @kbd{M-x woman} finds that
1197 several manual pages by the same name exist in different sections, it
1198 pops up a window with possible candidates asking you to choose one of
1201 @vindex woman-manpath
1202 By default, @kbd{M-x woman} looks for manual pages in the
1203 directories specified in the @code{MANPATH} environment variable. (If
1204 @code{MANPATH} is not set, @code{woman} uses a suitable default value,
1205 which can be customized.) More precisely, @code{woman} looks for
1206 subdirectories that match the shell wildcard pattern @file{man*} in each one
1207 of these directories, and tries to find the manual pages in those
1208 subdirectories. When first invoked, @kbd{M-x woman} converts the
1209 value of @code{MANPATH} to a list of directory names and stores that
1210 list in the @code{woman-manpath} variable. Changing the value of this
1211 variable is another way to control the list of directories used.
1214 You can also augment the list of directories searched by
1215 @code{woman} by setting the value of the @code{woman-path} variable.
1216 This variable should hold a list of specific directories which
1217 @code{woman} should search, in addition to those in
1218 @code{woman-manpath}. Unlike @code{woman-manpath}, the directories in
1219 @code{woman-path} are searched for the manual pages, not for
1220 @file{man*} subdirectories.
1222 @findex woman-find-file
1223 Occasionally, you might need to display manual pages that are not in
1224 any of the directories listed by @code{woman-manpath} and
1225 @code{woman-path}. The @kbd{M-x woman-find-file} command prompts for a
1226 name of a manual page file, with completion, and then formats and
1227 displays that file like @kbd{M-x woman} does.
1229 @vindex woman-dired-keys
1230 The first time you invoke @kbd{M-x woman}, it defines the Dired
1231 @kbd{W} key to run the @code{woman-find-file} command on the current
1232 line's file. You can disable this by setting the variable
1233 @code{woman-dired-keys} to @code{nil}. @xref{Dired}. In addition,
1234 the Tar-mode @kbd{w} key is define to invoke @code{woman-find-file} on
1235 the current line's archive member.
1237 For more information about setting up and using @kbd{M-x woman}, see
1238 @ref{Top, WoMan, Browse UN*X Manual Pages WithOut Man, woman, The WoMan
1242 @subsection Emacs Lisp Documentation Lookup
1244 As you edit Lisp code to be run in Emacs, you can use the commands
1245 @kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-h v}
1246 (@code{describe-variable}) to view documentation of functions and
1247 variables that you want to use. These commands use the minibuffer to
1248 read the name of a function or variable to document, and display the
1249 documentation in a window. Their default arguments are based on the
1250 code in the neighborhood of point. For @kbd{C-h f}, the default is
1251 the function called in the innermost list containing point. @kbd{C-h
1252 v} uses the symbol name around or adjacent to point as its default.
1256 A more automatic but less powerful method is Eldoc mode. This minor
1257 mode constantly displays in the echo area the argument list for the
1258 function being called at point. (In other words, it finds the
1259 function call that point is contained in, and displays the argument
1260 list of that function.) Eldoc mode applies in Emacs Lisp and Lisp
1261 Interaction modes only. Use the command @kbd{M-x eldoc-mode} to
1262 enable or disable this feature.
1265 @section Hideshow minor mode
1267 @findex hs-minor-mode
1268 Hideshow minor mode provides selective display of portions of a
1269 program, known as @dfn{blocks}. You can use @kbd{M-x hs-minor-mode}
1270 to enable or disable this mode, or add @code{hs-minor-mode} to the
1271 mode hook for certain major modes in order to enable it automatically
1274 Just what constitutes a block depends on the major mode. In C mode
1275 or C++ mode, they are delimited by braces, while in Lisp mode and
1276 similar modes they are delimited by parentheses. Multi-line comments
1277 also count as blocks.
1280 @findex hs-hide-block
1282 @findex hs-show-block
1283 @findex hs-show-region
1284 @findex hs-hide-level
1285 @findex hs-minor-mode
1288 @kindex C-c @@ C-M-h
1289 @kindex C-c @@ C-M-s
1295 Hide the current block (@code{hs-hide-block}).
1297 Show the current block (@code{hs-show-block}).
1299 Either hide or show the current block (@code{hs-toggle-hiding})
1301 Either hide or show the block you click on (@code{hs-mouse-toggle-hiding})
1303 Hide all top-level blocks (@code{hs-hide-all}).
1305 Show everything in the buffer (@code{hs-show-all}).
1307 Hide all blocks @var{n} levels below this block
1308 (@code{hs-hide-level}).
1311 @vindex hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
1312 @vindex hs-isearch-open
1313 @vindex hs-special-modes-alist
1314 These user options exist for customizing Hideshow mode.
1317 @item hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
1318 Non-@code{nil} says that @kbd{hs-hide-all} should hide comments too.
1320 @item hs-isearch-open
1321 Specifies what kind of hidden blocks to open in Isearch mode.
1322 The value should be one of these four symbols.
1326 Open only code blocks.
1330 Open both code blocks and comments.
1332 Open neither code blocks nor comments.
1335 @item hs-special-modes-alist
1336 A list of elements, each specifying how to initialize Hideshow
1337 variables for one major mode. See the variable's documentation string
1338 for more information.
1341 @node Symbol Completion
1342 @section Completion for Symbol Names
1343 @cindex completion (symbol names)
1345 In Emacs, completion is something you normally do in the minibuffer.
1346 But one kind of completion is available in all buffers: completion for
1350 The character @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs a command to complete the
1351 partial symbol before point against the set of meaningful symbol
1352 names. This command inserts at point any additional characters that
1353 it can determine from the partial name.
1355 If the partial name in the buffer has multiple possible completions
1356 that differ in the very next character, so that it is impossible to
1357 complete even one more character, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} displays a list of
1358 all possible completions in another window.
1360 @cindex tags-based completion
1361 @cindex Info index completion
1362 @findex complete-symbol
1363 In most programming language major modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs the
1364 command @code{complete-symbol}, which provides two kinds of completion.
1365 Normally it does completion based on a tags table (@pxref{Tags}); with a
1366 numeric argument (regardless of the value), it does completion based on
1367 the names listed in the Info file indexes for your language. Thus, to
1368 complete the name of a symbol defined in your own program, use
1369 @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} with no argument; to complete the name of a standard
1370 library function, use @kbd{C-u M-@key{TAB}}. Of course, Info-based
1371 completion works only if there is an Info file for the standard library
1372 functions of your language, and only if it is installed at your site.
1374 @cindex Lisp symbol completion
1375 @cindex completion (Lisp symbols)
1376 @findex lisp-complete-symbol
1377 In Emacs-Lisp mode, the name space for completion normally consists of
1378 nontrivial symbols present in Emacs---those that have function
1379 definitions, values or properties. However, if there is an
1380 open-parenthesis immediately before the beginning of the partial symbol,
1381 only symbols with function definitions are considered as completions.
1382 The command which implements this is @code{lisp-complete-symbol}.
1384 In Text mode and related modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completes words
1385 based on the spell-checker's dictionary. @xref{Spelling}.
1388 @section Glasses minor mode
1389 @cindex Glasses mode
1390 @cindex identifiers, making long ones readable
1391 @cindex StudlyCaps, making them readable
1392 @findex glasses-mode
1394 Glasses minor mode makes @samp{unreadableIdentifiersLikeThis}
1395 readable by altering the way they display. It knows two different
1396 ways to do this: by displaying underscores between a lower-case letter
1397 and the following capital letter, and by emboldening the capital
1398 letters. It does not alter the buffer text, only the way they
1399 display, so you can use it even on read-only buffers. You can use the
1400 command @kbd{M-x glasses-mode} to enable or disable the mode in the
1401 current buffer; you can also add @code{glasses-mode} to the mode hook
1402 of the programming language major modes in which you normally want
1403 to use Glasses mode.
1405 @node Misc for Programs
1406 @section Other Features Useful for Editing Programs
1408 A number of Emacs commands that aren't designed specifically for
1409 editing programs are useful for that nonetheless.
1411 The Emacs commands that operate on words, sentences and paragraphs
1412 are useful for editing code. Most symbols names contain words
1413 (@pxref{Words}); sentences can be found in strings and comments
1414 (@pxref{Sentences}). Paragraphs in the strict sense can be found in
1415 program code (in long comments), but the paragraph commands are useful
1416 in other places too, because programming language major modes define
1417 paragraphs to begin and end at blank lines (@pxref{Paragraphs}).
1418 Judicious use of blank lines to make the program clearer will also
1419 provide useful chunks of text for the paragraph commands to work on.
1420 Auto Fill mode, if enabled in a programming language major mode,
1421 indents the new lines which it creates.
1423 The selective display feature is useful for looking at the overall
1424 structure of a function (@pxref{Selective Display}). This feature
1425 hides the lines that are indented more than a specified amount.
1426 Programming modes often support Outline minor mode (@pxref{Outline
1427 Mode}). The Foldout package provides folding-editor features
1430 The ``automatic typing'' features may be useful for writing programs.
1431 @xref{Top,,Autotyping, autotype, Autotyping}.
1434 @section C and Related Modes
1439 @cindex CORBA IDL mode
1440 @cindex Objective C mode
1444 @cindex mode, Objective C
1445 @cindex mode, CORBA IDL
1448 This section gives a brief description of the special features
1449 available in C, C++, Objective-C, Java, CORBA IDL, and Pike modes.
1450 (These are called ``C mode and related modes.'') @xref{Top, CC Mode,
1451 ccmode, , CC Mode}, for a more extensive description of these modes
1452 and their special features.
1455 * Motion in C:: Commands to move by C statements, etc.
1456 * Electric C:: Colon and other chars can automatically reindent.
1457 * Hungry Delete:: A more powerful DEL command.
1458 * Other C Commands:: Filling comments, viewing expansion of macros,
1459 and other neat features.
1460 * Comments in C:: Options for customizing comment style.
1464 @subsection C Mode Motion Commands
1466 This section describes commands for moving point, in C mode and
1471 @kindex C-c C-u @r{(C mode)}
1472 @findex c-up-conditional
1473 Move point back to the containing preprocessor conditional, leaving the
1474 mark behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1475 argument, move point forward to the end of the containing
1476 preprocessor conditional. When going backwards, @code{#elif} is treated
1477 like @code{#else} followed by @code{#if}. When going forwards,
1478 @code{#elif} is ignored.@refill
1481 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(C mode)}
1482 @findex c-backward-conditional
1483 Move point back over a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
1484 behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1485 argument, move forward.
1488 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(C mode)}
1489 @findex c-forward-conditional
1490 Move point forward across a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
1491 behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1492 argument, move backward.
1496 @findex c-beginning-of-statement
1497 Move point to the beginning of the innermost C statement
1498 (@code{c-beginning-of-statement}). If point is already at the beginning
1499 of a statement, move to the beginning of the preceding statement. With
1500 prefix argument @var{n}, move back @var{n} @minus{} 1 statements.
1502 If point is within a string or comment, or next to a comment (only
1503 whitespace between them), this command moves by sentences instead of
1506 When called from a program, this function takes three optional
1507 arguments: the numeric prefix argument, a buffer position limit
1508 (don't move back before that place), and a flag that controls whether
1509 to do sentence motion when inside of a comment.
1513 @findex c-end-of-statement
1514 Move point to the end of the innermost C statement; like @kbd{M-a}
1515 except that it moves in the other direction (@code{c-end-of-statement}).
1517 @item M-x c-backward-into-nomenclature
1518 @findex c-backward-into-nomenclature
1519 Move point backward to beginning of a C++ nomenclature section or word.
1520 With prefix argument @var{n}, move @var{n} times. If @var{n} is
1521 negative, move forward. C++ nomenclature means a symbol name in the
1522 style of NamingSymbolsWithMixedCaseAndNoUnderlines; each capital letter
1523 begins a section or word.
1525 In the GNU project, we recommend using underscores to separate words
1526 within an identifier in C or C++, rather than using case distinctions.
1528 @item M-x c-forward-into-nomenclature
1529 @findex c-forward-into-nomenclature
1530 Move point forward to end of a C++ nomenclature section or word.
1531 With prefix argument @var{n}, move @var{n} times.
1535 @subsection Electric C Characters
1537 In C mode and related modes, certain printing characters are
1538 ``electric''---in addition to inserting themselves, they also reindent
1539 the current line and may insert newlines. This feature is controlled by
1540 the variable @code{c-auto-newline}. The ``electric'' characters are
1541 @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, @kbd{:}, @kbd{#}, @kbd{;}, @kbd{,}, @kbd{<},
1542 @kbd{>}, @kbd{/}, @kbd{*}, @kbd{(}, and @kbd{)}.
1544 Electric characters insert newlines only when the @dfn{auto-newline}
1545 feature is enabled (indicated by @samp{/a} in the mode line after the
1546 mode name). This feature is controlled by the variable
1547 @code{c-auto-newline}. You can turn this feature on or off with the
1548 command @kbd{C-c C-a}:
1552 @kindex C-c C-a @r{(C mode)}
1553 @findex c-toggle-auto-state
1554 Toggle the auto-newline feature (@code{c-toggle-auto-state}). With a
1555 prefix argument, this command turns the auto-newline feature on if the
1556 argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
1559 The colon character is electric because that is appropriate for a
1560 single colon. But when you want to insert a double colon in C++, the
1561 electric behavior of colon is inconvenient. You can insert a double
1562 colon with no reindentation or newlines by typing @kbd{C-c :}:
1567 @c This uses ``colon'' instead of a literal `:' because Info cannot
1568 @c cope with a `:' in a menu
1569 @kindex C-c @key{colon} @r{(C mode)}
1572 @kindex C-c : @r{(C mode)}
1574 @findex c-scope-operator
1575 Insert a double colon scope operator at point, without reindenting the
1576 line or adding any newlines (@code{c-scope-operator}).
1579 The electric @kbd{#} key reindents the line if it appears to be the
1580 beginning of a preprocessor directive. This happens when the value of
1581 @code{c-electric-pound-behavior} is @code{(alignleft)}. You can turn
1582 this feature off by setting @code{c-electric-pound-behavior} to
1585 The variable @code{c-hanging-braces-alist} controls the insertion of
1586 newlines before and after inserted braces. It is an association list
1587 with elements of the following form: @code{(@var{syntactic-symbol}
1588 . @var{nl-list})}. Most of the syntactic symbols that appear in
1589 @code{c-offsets-alist} are meaningful here as well.
1591 The list @var{nl-list} may contain either of the symbols
1592 @code{before} or @code{after}, or both; or it may be @code{nil}. When a
1593 brace is inserted, the syntactic context it defines is looked up in
1594 @code{c-hanging-braces-alist}; if it is found, the @var{nl-list} is used
1595 to determine where newlines are inserted: either before the brace,
1596 after, or both. If not found, the default is to insert a newline both
1597 before and after braces.
1599 The variable @code{c-hanging-colons-alist} controls the insertion of
1600 newlines before and after inserted colons. It is an association list
1601 with elements of the following form: @code{(@var{syntactic-symbol}
1602 . @var{nl-list})}. The list @var{nl-list} may contain either of the
1603 symbols @code{before} or @code{after}, or both; or it may be @code{nil}.
1605 When a colon is inserted, the syntactic symbol it defines is looked
1606 up in this list, and if found, the @var{nl-list} is used to determine
1607 where newlines are inserted: either before the brace, after, or both.
1608 If the syntactic symbol is not found in this list, no newlines are
1611 Electric characters can also delete newlines automatically when the
1612 auto-newline feature is enabled. This feature makes auto-newline more
1613 acceptable, by deleting the newlines in the most common cases where you
1614 do not want them. Emacs can recognize several cases in which deleting a
1615 newline might be desirable; by setting the variable
1616 @code{c-cleanup-list}, you can specify @emph{which} of these cases that
1617 should happen. The variable's value is a list of symbols, each
1618 describing one case for possible deletion of a newline. Here are the
1619 meaningful symbols, and their meanings:
1622 @item brace-catch-brace
1623 Clean up @samp{@} catch (@var{condition}) @{} constructs by placing the
1624 entire construct on a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type
1625 the @samp{@{}, if there is nothing between the braces aside from
1626 @code{catch} and @var{condition}.
1628 @item brace-else-brace
1629 Clean up @samp{@} else @{} constructs by placing the entire construct on
1630 a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type the @samp{@{} after
1631 the @code{else}, but only if there is nothing but white space between
1632 the braces and the @code{else}.
1634 @item brace-elseif-brace
1635 Clean up @samp{@} else if (@dots{}) @{} constructs by placing the entire
1636 construct on a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type the
1637 @samp{@{}, if there is nothing but white space between the @samp{@}} and
1638 @samp{@{} aside from the keywords and the @code{if}-condition.
1640 @item empty-defun-braces
1641 Clean up empty defun braces by placing the braces on the same
1642 line. Clean-up occurs when you type the closing brace.
1644 @item defun-close-semi
1645 Clean up the semicolon after a @code{struct} or similar type
1646 declaration, by placing the semicolon on the same line as the closing
1647 brace. Clean-up occurs when you type the semicolon.
1649 @item list-close-comma
1650 Clean up commas following braces in array and aggregate
1651 initializers. Clean-up occurs when you type the comma.
1653 @item scope-operator
1654 Clean up double colons which may designate a C++ scope operator, by
1655 placing the colons together. Clean-up occurs when you type the second
1656 colon, but only when the two colons are separated by nothing but
1661 @subsection Hungry Delete Feature in C
1663 When the @dfn{hungry-delete} feature is enabled (indicated by
1664 @samp{/h} or @samp{/ah} in the mode line after the mode name), a single
1665 @key{DEL} command deletes all preceding whitespace, not just one space.
1666 To turn this feature on or off, use @kbd{C-c C-d}:
1670 @kindex C-c C-d @r{(C mode)}
1671 @findex c-toggle-hungry-state
1672 Toggle the hungry-delete feature (@code{c-toggle-hungry-state}). With a
1673 prefix argument, this command turns the hungry-delete feature on if the
1674 argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
1677 @kindex C-c C-t @r{(C mode)}
1678 @findex c-toggle-auto-hungry-state
1679 Toggle the auto-newline and hungry-delete features, both at once
1680 (@code{c-toggle-auto-hungry-state}).
1683 @vindex c-hungry-delete-key
1684 The variable @code{c-hungry-delete-key} controls whether the
1685 hungry-delete feature is enabled.
1687 @node Other C Commands
1688 @subsection Other Commands for C Mode
1692 Put mark at the end of a function definition, and put point at the
1693 beginning (@code{c-mark-function}).
1696 @kindex M-q @r{(C mode)}
1697 @findex c-fill-paragraph
1698 Fill a paragraph, handling C and C++ comments (@code{c-fill-paragraph}).
1699 If any part of the current line is a comment or within a comment, this
1700 command fills the comment or the paragraph of it that point is in,
1701 preserving the comment indentation and comment delimiters.
1704 @cindex macro expansion in C
1705 @cindex expansion of C macros
1706 @findex c-macro-expand
1707 @kindex C-c C-e @r{(C mode)}
1708 Run the C preprocessor on the text in the region, and show the result,
1709 which includes the expansion of all the macro calls
1710 (@code{c-macro-expand}). The buffer text before the region is also
1711 included in preprocessing, for the sake of macros defined there, but the
1712 output from this part isn't shown.
1714 When you are debugging C code that uses macros, sometimes it is hard to
1715 figure out precisely how the macros expand. With this command, you
1716 don't have to figure it out; you can see the expansions.
1719 @findex c-backslash-region
1720 @kindex C-c C-\ @r{(C mode)}
1721 Insert or align @samp{\} characters at the ends of the lines of the
1722 region (@code{c-backslash-region}). This is useful after writing or
1723 editing a C macro definition.
1725 If a line already ends in @samp{\}, this command adjusts the amount of
1726 whitespace before it. Otherwise, it inserts a new @samp{\}. However,
1727 the last line in the region is treated specially; no @samp{\} is
1728 inserted on that line, and any @samp{\} there is deleted.
1730 @item M-x cpp-highlight-buffer
1731 @cindex preprocessor highlighting
1732 @findex cpp-highlight-buffer
1733 Highlight parts of the text according to its preprocessor conditionals.
1734 This command displays another buffer named @samp{*CPP Edit*}, which
1735 serves as a graphic menu for selecting how to display particular kinds
1736 of conditionals and their contents. After changing various settings,
1737 click on @samp{[A]pply these settings} (or go to that buffer and type
1738 @kbd{a}) to rehighlight the C mode buffer accordingly.
1741 @findex c-show-syntactic-information
1742 @kindex C-c C-s @r{(C mode)}
1743 Display the syntactic information about the current source line
1744 (@code{c-show-syntactic-information}). This is the information that
1745 directs how the line is indented.
1747 @item M-x cwarn-mode
1748 @itemx M-x global-cwarn-mode
1750 @findex global-cwarn-mode
1752 @cindex suspicious constructions in C, C++
1753 CWarn minor mode highlights certain suspicious C and C++ constructions:
1757 Assignments inside expressions.
1759 Semicolon following immediately after @samp{if}, @samp{for}, and @samp{while}
1760 (except after a @samp{do @dots{} while} statement);
1762 C++ functions with reference parameters.
1766 You can enable the mode for one buffer with the command @kbd{M-x
1767 cwarn-mode}, or for all suitable buffers with the command @kbd{M-x
1768 global-cwarn-mode} or by customizing the variable
1769 @code{global-cwarn-mode}. You must also enable Font Lock mode to make
1772 @item M-x hide-ifdef-mode
1773 @findex hide-ifdef-mode
1774 @cindex Hide-ifdef mode
1775 Hide-ifdef minor mode hides selected code within @samp{#if} and
1776 @samp{#ifdef} preprocessor blocks. See the documentation string of
1777 @code{hide-ifdef-mode} for more information.
1779 @item M-x ff-find-related-file
1780 @cindex related files
1781 @findex ff-find-related-file
1782 @vindex ff-related-file-alist
1783 Find a file ``related'' in a special way to the file visited by the
1784 current buffer. Typically this will be the header file corresponding
1785 to a C/C++ source file, or vice versa. The variable
1786 @code{ff-related-file-alist} specifies how to compute related file
1791 @subsection Comments in C Modes
1793 C mode and related modes use a number of variables for controlling
1797 @item c-comment-only-line-offset
1798 @vindex c-comment-only-line-offset
1799 Extra offset for line which contains only the start of a comment. It
1800 can be either an integer or a cons cell of the form
1801 @code{(@var{non-anchored-offset} . @var{anchored-offset})}, where
1802 @var{non-anchored-offset} is the amount of offset given to
1803 non-column-zero anchored comment-only lines, and @var{anchored-offset}
1804 is the amount of offset to give column-zero anchored comment-only lines.
1805 Just an integer as value is equivalent to @code{(@var{val} . 0)}.
1807 @item c-comment-start-regexp
1808 @vindex c-comment-start-regexp
1809 This buffer-local variable specifies how to recognize the start of a comment.
1811 @item c-hanging-comment-ender-p
1812 @vindex c-hanging-comment-ender-p
1813 If this variable is @code{nil}, @code{c-fill-paragraph} leaves the
1814 comment terminator of a block comment on a line by itself. The default
1815 value is @code{t}, which puts the comment-end delimiter @samp{*/} at the
1816 end of the last line of the comment text.
1818 @item c-hanging-comment-starter-p
1819 @vindex c-hanging-comment-starter-p
1820 If this variable is @code{nil}, @code{c-fill-paragraph} leaves the
1821 starting delimiter of a block comment on a line by itself. The default
1822 value is @code{t}, which puts the comment-start delimiter @samp{/*} at
1823 the beginning of the first line of the comment text.
1827 @section Fortran Mode
1828 @cindex Fortran mode
1829 @cindex mode, Fortran
1831 Fortran mode provides special motion commands for Fortran statements and
1832 subprograms, and indentation commands that understand Fortran conventions
1833 of nesting, line numbers and continuation statements. Fortran mode has
1834 its own Auto Fill mode that breaks long lines into proper Fortran
1837 Special commands for comments are provided because Fortran comments
1838 are unlike those of other languages. Built-in abbrevs optionally save
1839 typing when you insert Fortran keywords.
1841 Use @kbd{M-x fortran-mode} to switch to this major mode. This command
1842 runs the hook @code{fortran-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
1844 @cindex Fortran77 and Fortran90
1846 @findex fortran-mode
1847 Fortran mode is meant for editing Fortran77 ``fixed format'' source
1848 code. For editing the modern Fortran90 ``free format'' source code,
1849 use F90 mode (@code{f90-mode}). Emacs normally uses Fortran mode for
1850 files with extension @samp{.f}, @samp{.F} or @samp{.for}, and F90 mode
1851 for the extension @samp{.f90}. GNU Fortran supports both kinds of
1855 * Motion: Fortran Motion. Moving point by statements or subprograms.
1856 * Indent: Fortran Indent. Indentation commands for Fortran.
1857 * Comments: Fortran Comments. Inserting and aligning comments.
1858 * Autofill: Fortran Autofill. Auto fill minor mode for Fortran.
1859 * Columns: Fortran Columns. Measuring columns for valid Fortran.
1860 * Abbrev: Fortran Abbrev. Built-in abbrevs for Fortran keywords.
1863 @node Fortran Motion
1864 @subsection Motion Commands
1866 In addition to the normal commands for moving by and operating on
1867 ``defuns'' (Fortran subprograms---functions and subroutines), Fortran
1868 mode provides special commands to move by statements.
1871 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(Fortran mode)}
1872 @findex fortran-next-statement
1874 Move to beginning of current or next statement
1875 (@code{fortran-next-statement}).
1877 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(Fortran mode)}
1878 @findex fortran-previous-statement
1880 Move to beginning of current or previous statement
1881 (@code{fortran-previous-statement}).
1884 @node Fortran Indent
1885 @subsection Fortran Indentation
1887 Special commands and features are needed for indenting Fortran code in
1888 order to make sure various syntactic entities (line numbers, comment line
1889 indicators and continuation line flags) appear in the columns that are
1890 required for standard Fortran.
1893 * Commands: ForIndent Commands. Commands for indenting and filling Fortran.
1894 * Contline: ForIndent Cont. How continuation lines indent.
1895 * Numbers: ForIndent Num. How line numbers auto-indent.
1896 * Conv: ForIndent Conv. Conventions you must obey to avoid trouble.
1897 * Vars: ForIndent Vars. Variables controlling Fortran indent style.
1900 @node ForIndent Commands
1901 @subsubsection Fortran Indentation and Filling Commands
1905 Break the current line and set up a continuation line
1906 (@code{fortran-split-line}).
1908 Join this line to the previous line (@code{fortran-join-line}).
1910 Indent all the lines of the subprogram point is in
1911 (@code{fortran-indent-subprogram}).
1913 Fill a comment block or statement.
1916 @kindex C-M-q @r{(Fortran mode)}
1917 @findex fortran-indent-subprogram
1918 The key @kbd{C-M-q} runs @code{fortran-indent-subprogram}, a command
1919 to reindent all the lines of the Fortran subprogram (function or
1920 subroutine) containing point.
1922 @kindex C-M-j @r{(Fortran mode)}
1923 @findex fortran-split-line
1924 The key @kbd{C-M-j} runs @code{fortran-split-line}, which splits
1925 a line in the appropriate fashion for Fortran. In a non-comment line,
1926 the second half becomes a continuation line and is indented
1927 accordingly. In a comment line, both halves become separate comment
1930 @kindex M-^ @r{(Fortran mode)}
1931 @kindex C-c C-d @r{(Fortran mode)}
1932 @findex fortran-join-line
1933 @kbd{M-^} or @kbd{C-c C-d} runs the command @code{fortran-join-line},
1934 which joins a continuation line back to the previous line, roughly as
1935 the inverse of @code{fortran-split-line}. The point must be on a
1936 continuation line when this command is invoked.
1938 @kindex M-q @r{(Fortran mode)}
1939 @kbd{M-q} in Fortran mode fills the comment block or statement that
1940 point is in. This removes any excess statement continuations.
1942 @node ForIndent Cont
1943 @subsubsection Continuation Lines
1944 @cindex Fortran continuation lines
1946 @vindex fortran-continuation-string
1947 Most modern Fortran compilers allow two ways of writing continuation
1948 lines. If the first non-space character on a line is in column 5, then
1949 that line is a continuation of the previous line. We call this
1950 @dfn{fixed format}. (In GNU Emacs we always count columns from 0.) The
1951 variable @code{fortran-continuation-string} specifies what character to
1952 put on column 5. A line that starts with a tab character followed by
1953 any digit except @samp{0} is also a continuation line. We call this
1954 style of continuation @dfn{tab format}.
1956 @vindex indent-tabs-mode @r{(Fortran mode)}
1957 Fortran mode can make either style of continuation line, but you
1958 must specify which one you prefer. The value of the variable
1959 @code{indent-tabs-mode} controls the choice: @code{nil} for fixed
1960 format, and non-@code{nil} for tab format. You can tell which style
1961 is presently in effect by the presence or absence of the string
1962 @samp{Tab} in the mode line.
1964 If the text on a line starts with the conventional Fortran
1965 continuation marker @samp{$}, or if it begins with any non-whitespace
1966 character in column 5, Fortran mode treats it as a continuation line.
1967 When you indent a continuation line with @key{TAB}, it converts the line
1968 to the current continuation style. When you split a Fortran statement
1969 with @kbd{C-M-j}, the continuation marker on the newline is created
1970 according to the continuation style.
1972 The setting of continuation style affects several other aspects of
1973 editing in Fortran mode. In fixed format mode, the minimum column
1974 number for the body of a statement is 6. Lines inside of Fortran
1975 blocks that are indented to larger column numbers always use only the
1976 space character for whitespace. In tab format mode, the minimum
1977 column number for the statement body is 8, and the whitespace before
1978 column 8 must always consist of one tab character.
1980 @vindex fortran-tab-mode-default
1981 @vindex fortran-analyze-depth
1982 When you enter Fortran mode for an existing file, it tries to deduce the
1983 proper continuation style automatically from the file contents. The first
1984 line that begins with either a tab character or six spaces determines the
1985 choice. The variable @code{fortran-analyze-depth} specifies how many lines
1986 to consider (at the beginning of the file); if none of those lines
1987 indicates a style, then the variable @code{fortran-tab-mode-default}
1988 specifies the style. If it is @code{nil}, that specifies fixed format, and
1989 non-@code{nil} specifies tab format.
1992 @subsubsection Line Numbers
1994 If a number is the first non-whitespace in the line, Fortran
1995 indentation assumes it is a line number and moves it to columns 0
1996 through 4. (Columns always count from 0 in GNU Emacs.)
1998 @vindex fortran-line-number-indent
1999 Line numbers of four digits or less are normally indented one space.
2000 The variable @code{fortran-line-number-indent} controls this; it
2001 specifies the maximum indentation a line number can have. Line numbers
2002 are indented to right-justify them to end in column 4 unless that would
2003 require more than this maximum indentation. The default value of the
2006 @vindex fortran-electric-line-number
2007 Simply inserting a line number is enough to indent it according to
2008 these rules. As each digit is inserted, the indentation is recomputed.
2009 To turn off this feature, set the variable
2010 @code{fortran-electric-line-number} to @code{nil}. Then inserting line
2011 numbers is like inserting anything else.
2013 @node ForIndent Conv
2014 @subsubsection Syntactic Conventions
2016 Fortran mode assumes that you follow certain conventions that simplify
2017 the task of understanding a Fortran program well enough to indent it
2022 Two nested @samp{do} loops never share a @samp{continue} statement.
2025 Fortran keywords such as @samp{if}, @samp{else}, @samp{then}, @samp{do}
2026 and others are written without embedded whitespace or line breaks.
2028 Fortran compilers generally ignore whitespace outside of string
2029 constants, but Fortran mode does not recognize these keywords if they
2030 are not contiguous. Constructs such as @samp{else if} or @samp{end do}
2031 are acceptable, but the second word should be on the same line as the
2032 first and not on a continuation line.
2036 If you fail to follow these conventions, the indentation commands may
2037 indent some lines unaesthetically. However, a correct Fortran program
2038 retains its meaning when reindented even if the conventions are not
2041 @node ForIndent Vars
2042 @subsubsection Variables for Fortran Indentation
2044 @vindex fortran-do-indent
2045 @vindex fortran-if-indent
2046 @vindex fortran-structure-indent
2047 @vindex fortran-continuation-indent
2048 @vindex fortran-check-all-num@dots{}
2049 @vindex fortran-minimum-statement-indent@dots{}
2050 Several additional variables control how Fortran indentation works:
2053 @item fortran-do-indent
2054 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{do} statement (default 3).
2056 @item fortran-if-indent
2057 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{if} statement (default 3).
2058 This value is also used for extra indentation within each level of the
2059 Fortran 90 @samp{where} statement.
2061 @item fortran-structure-indent
2062 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{structure}, @samp{union}, or
2063 @samp{map} statements (default 3).
2065 @item fortran-continuation-indent
2066 Extra indentation for bodies of continuation lines (default 5).
2068 @item fortran-check-all-num-for-matching-do
2069 If this is @code{nil}, indentation assumes that each @samp{do} statement
2070 ends on a @samp{continue} statement. Therefore, when computing
2071 indentation for a statement other than @samp{continue}, it can save time
2072 by not checking for a @samp{do} statement ending there. If this is
2073 non-@code{nil}, indenting any numbered statement must check for a
2074 @samp{do} that ends there. The default is @code{nil}.
2076 @item fortran-blink-matching-if
2077 If this is @code{t}, indenting an @samp{endif} statement moves the
2078 cursor momentarily to the matching @samp{if} statement to show where it
2079 is. The default is @code{nil}.
2081 @item fortran-minimum-statement-indent-fixed
2082 Minimum indentation for fortran statements when using fixed format
2083 continuation line style. Statement bodies are never indented less than
2084 this much. The default is 6.
2086 @item fortran-minimum-statement-indent-tab
2087 Minimum indentation for fortran statements for tab format continuation line
2088 style. Statement bodies are never indented less than this much. The
2092 @node Fortran Comments
2093 @subsection Fortran Comments
2095 The usual Emacs comment commands assume that a comment can follow a line
2096 of code. In Fortran, the standard comment syntax requires an entire line
2097 to be just a comment. Therefore, Fortran mode replaces the standard Emacs
2098 comment commands and defines some new variables.
2100 Fortran mode can also handle the Fortran90 comment syntax where comments
2101 start with @samp{!} and can follow other text. Because only some Fortran77
2102 compilers accept this syntax, Fortran mode will not insert such comments
2103 unless you have said in advance to do so. To do this, set the variable
2104 @code{comment-start} to @samp{"!"} (@pxref{Variables}).
2108 Align comment or insert new comment (@code{fortran-comment-indent}).
2111 Applies to nonstandard @samp{!} comments only.
2114 Turn all lines of the region into comments, or (with argument) turn them back
2115 into real code (@code{fortran-comment-region}).
2118 @kbd{M-;} in Fortran mode is redefined as the command
2119 @code{fortran-comment-indent}. Like the usual @kbd{M-;} command, this
2120 recognizes any kind of existing comment and aligns its text appropriately;
2121 if there is no existing comment, a comment is inserted and aligned. But
2122 inserting and aligning comments are not the same in Fortran mode as in
2125 When a new comment must be inserted, if the current line is blank, a
2126 full-line comment is inserted. On a non-blank line, a nonstandard @samp{!}
2127 comment is inserted if you have said you want to use them. Otherwise a
2128 full-line comment is inserted on a new line before the current line.
2130 Nonstandard @samp{!} comments are aligned like comments in other
2131 languages, but full-line comments are different. In a standard full-line
2132 comment, the comment delimiter itself must always appear in column zero.
2133 What can be aligned is the text within the comment. You can choose from
2134 three styles of alignment by setting the variable
2135 @code{fortran-comment-indent-style} to one of these values:
2137 @vindex fortran-comment-indent-style
2138 @vindex fortran-comment-line-extra-indent
2141 Align the text at a fixed column, which is the sum of
2142 @code{fortran-comment-line-extra-indent} and the minimum statement
2143 indentation. This is the default.
2145 The minimum statement indentation is
2146 @code{fortran-minimum-statement-indent-fixed} for fixed format
2147 continuation line style and @code{fortran-minimum-statement-indent-tab}
2148 for tab format style.
2151 Align the text as if it were a line of code, but with an additional
2152 @code{fortran-comment-line-extra-indent} columns of indentation.
2155 Don't move text in full-line comments automatically at all.
2158 @vindex fortran-comment-indent-char
2159 In addition, you can specify the character to be used to indent within
2160 full-line comments by setting the variable
2161 @code{fortran-comment-indent-char} to the single-character string you want
2164 @vindex fortran-directive-re
2165 Compiler directive lines, or preprocessor lines, have much the same
2166 appearance as comment lines. It is important, though, that such lines
2167 never be indented at all, no matter what the value of
2168 @code{fortran-comment-indent-style}. The variable
2169 @code{fortran-directive-re} is a regular expression that specifies which
2170 lines are directives. Matching lines are never indented, and receive
2171 distinctive font-locking.
2173 @vindex comment-line-start
2174 @vindex comment-line-start-skip
2175 Fortran mode introduces two variables @code{comment-line-start} and
2176 @code{comment-line-start-skip}, which play for full-line comments the same
2177 roles played by @code{comment-start} and @code{comment-start-skip} for
2178 ordinary text-following comments. Normally these are set properly by
2179 Fortran mode, so you do not need to change them.
2181 The normal Emacs comment command @kbd{C-x ;} has not been redefined. If
2182 you use @samp{!} comments, this command can be used with them. Otherwise
2183 it is useless in Fortran mode.
2185 @kindex C-c ; @r{(Fortran mode)}
2186 @findex fortran-comment-region
2187 @vindex fortran-comment-region
2188 The command @kbd{C-c ;} (@code{fortran-comment-region}) turns all the
2189 lines of the region into comments by inserting the string @samp{C$$$} at
2190 the front of each one. With a numeric argument, it turns the region
2191 back into live code by deleting @samp{C$$$} from the front of each line
2192 in it. The string used for these comments can be controlled by setting
2193 the variable @code{fortran-comment-region}. Note that here we have an
2194 example of a command and a variable with the same name; these two uses
2195 of the name never conflict because in Lisp and in Emacs it is always
2196 clear from the context which one is meant.
2198 @node Fortran Autofill
2199 @subsection Fortran Auto Fill Mode
2201 Fortran Auto Fill mode is a minor mode which automatically splits
2202 Fortran statements as you insert them when they become too wide.
2203 Splitting a statement involves making continuation lines using
2204 @code{fortran-continuation-string} (@pxref{ForIndent Cont}). This
2205 splitting happens when you type @key{SPC}, @key{RET}, or @key{TAB}, and
2206 also in the Fortran indentation commands.
2208 @findex fortran-auto-fill-mode
2209 @kbd{M-x fortran-auto-fill-mode} turns Fortran Auto Fill mode on if it
2210 was off, or off if it was on. This command works the same as @kbd{M-x
2211 auto-fill-mode} does for normal Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Filling}). A
2212 positive numeric argument turns Fortran Auto Fill mode on, and a
2213 negative argument turns it off. You can see when Fortran Auto Fill mode
2214 is in effect by the presence of the word @samp{Fill} in the mode line,
2215 inside the parentheses. Fortran Auto Fill mode is a minor mode, turned
2216 on or off for each buffer individually. @xref{Minor Modes}.
2218 @vindex fortran-break-before-delimiters
2219 Fortran Auto Fill mode breaks lines at spaces or delimiters when the
2220 lines get longer than the desired width (the value of @code{fill-column}).
2221 The delimiters that Fortran Auto Fill mode may break at are @samp{,},
2222 @samp{'}, @samp{+}, @samp{-}, @samp{/}, @samp{*}, @samp{=}, and @samp{)}.
2223 The line break comes after the delimiter if the variable
2224 @code{fortran-break-before-delimiters} is @code{nil}. Otherwise (and by
2225 default), the break comes before the delimiter.
2227 By default, Fortran Auto Fill mode is not enabled. If you want this
2228 feature turned on permanently, add a hook function to
2229 @code{fortran-mode-hook} to execute @code{(fortran-auto-fill-mode 1)}.
2232 @node Fortran Columns
2233 @subsection Checking Columns in Fortran
2237 Display a ``column ruler'' momentarily above the current line
2238 (@code{fortran-column-ruler}).
2240 Split the current window horizontally temporarily so that it is 72
2241 columns wide (@code{fortran-window-create-momentarily}). This may
2242 help you avoid making lines longer than the 72-character limit that
2243 some Fortran compilers impose.
2245 Split the current window horizontally so that it is 72 columns wide
2246 (@code{fortran-window-create}). You can then continue editing.
2247 @item M-x fortran-strip-sequence-nos
2248 Delete all text in column 72 and beyond.
2251 @kindex C-c C-r @r{(Fortran mode)}
2252 @findex fortran-column-ruler
2253 The command @kbd{C-c C-r} (@code{fortran-column-ruler}) shows a column
2254 ruler momentarily above the current line. The comment ruler is two lines
2255 of text that show you the locations of columns with special significance in
2256 Fortran programs. Square brackets show the limits of the columns for line
2257 numbers, and curly brackets show the limits of the columns for the
2258 statement body. Column numbers appear above them.
2260 Note that the column numbers count from zero, as always in GNU Emacs.
2261 As a result, the numbers may be one less than those you are familiar
2262 with; but the positions they indicate in the line are standard for
2265 @vindex fortran-column-ruler-fixed
2266 @vindex fortran-column-ruler-tabs
2267 The text used to display the column ruler depends on the value of
2268 the variable @code{indent-tabs-mode}. If @code{indent-tabs-mode} is
2269 @code{nil}, then the value of the variable
2270 @code{fortran-column-ruler-fixed} is used as the column ruler.
2271 Otherwise, the variable @code{fortran-column-ruler-tab} is displayed.
2272 By changing these variables, you can change the column ruler display.
2274 @kindex C-c C-w @r{(Fortran mode)}
2275 @findex fortran-window-create-momentarily
2276 @kbd{C-c C-w} (@code{fortran-window-create-momentarily}) temporarily
2277 splits the current window horizontally, making a window 72 columns
2278 wide, so you can see which lines that is too long. Type a space to
2279 restore the normal width.
2281 @kindex C-u C-c C-w @r{(Fortran mode)}
2282 @findex fortran-window-create
2283 You can also split the window horizontally and continue editing with
2284 the split in place. To do this, use @kbd{C-u C-c C-w} (@code{M-x
2285 fortran-window-create}). By editing in this window you can
2286 immediately see when you make a line too wide to be correct Fortran.
2288 @findex fortran-strip-sequence-nos
2289 The command @kbd{M-x fortran-strip-sequence-nos} deletes all text in
2290 column 72 and beyond, on all lines in the current buffer. This is the
2291 easiest way to get rid of old sequence numbers.
2293 @node Fortran Abbrev
2294 @subsection Fortran Keyword Abbrevs
2296 Fortran mode provides many built-in abbrevs for common keywords and
2297 declarations. These are the same sort of abbrev that you can define
2298 yourself. To use them, you must turn on Abbrev mode. @xref{Abbrevs}.
2300 The built-in abbrevs are unusual in one way: they all start with a
2301 semicolon. You cannot normally use semicolon in an abbrev, but Fortran
2302 mode makes this possible by changing the syntax of semicolon to ``word
2305 For example, one built-in Fortran abbrev is @samp{;c} for
2306 @samp{continue}. If you insert @samp{;c} and then insert a punctuation
2307 character such as a space or a newline, the @samp{;c} expands automatically
2308 to @samp{continue}, provided Abbrev mode is enabled.@refill
2310 Type @samp{;?} or @samp{;C-h} to display a list of all the built-in
2311 Fortran abbrevs and what they stand for.
2317 @cindex assembler mode
2318 Asm mode is a major mode for editing files of assembler code. It
2319 defines these commands:
2323 @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2325 Insert a newline and then indent using @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2327 Insert a colon and then remove the indentation from before the label
2328 preceding colon. Then do @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2330 Insert or align a comment.
2333 The variable @code{asm-comment-char} specifies which character
2334 starts comments in assembler syntax.