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 In the earliest days, the original Emacs found defuns by moving
185 upward a level of parentheses or braces until there were no more
186 levels to go up. This always required scanning all the way back to
187 the beginning of the buffer, even for a small function. To speed up
188 the operation, we changed Emacs to assume that any opening delimiter
189 at the left margin is the start of a defun. This heuristic is nearly
190 always right, and avoids the need to scan back to the beginning of the
191 buffer. However, it mandates following the convention described
194 @node Moving by Defuns
195 @subsection Moving by Defuns
198 These commands move point or set up the region based on top-level
199 major definitions, also called @dfn{defuns}.
203 Move to beginning of current or preceding defun
204 (@code{beginning-of-defun}).
206 Move to end of current or following defun (@code{end-of-defun}).
208 Put region around whole current or following defun (@code{mark-defun}).
211 @cindex move to beginning or end of function
212 @cindex function, move to beginning or end
216 @findex beginning-of-defun
219 The commands to move to the beginning and end of the current defun
220 are @kbd{C-M-a} (@code{beginning-of-defun}) and @kbd{C-M-e}
221 (@code{end-of-defun}). If you repeat one of these commands, or use a
222 positive numeric argument, each repetition moves to the next defun in
223 the direction of motion.
225 @kbd{C-M-a} with a negative argument @minus{}@var{n} moves forward
226 @var{n} times to the next beginning of a defun. This is not exactly
227 the same place that @kbd{C-M-e} with argument @var{n} would move to;
228 the end of this defun is not usually exactly the same place as the
229 beginning of the following defun. (Whitespace, comments, and perhaps
230 declarations can separate them.) Likewise, @kbd{C-M-e} with a
231 negative argument moves back to an end of a defun, which is not quite
232 the same as @kbd{C-M-a} with a positive argument.
234 @kindex C-M-h @r{(C mode)}
235 @findex c-mark-function
236 To operate on the current defun, use @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun})
237 which puts point at the beginning and mark at the end of the current
238 defun. This is the easiest way to get ready to kill the defun in
239 order to move it to a different place in the file. If you use the
240 command while point is between defuns, it uses the following defun.
242 In C mode, @kbd{C-M-h} runs the function @code{c-mark-function},
243 which is almost the same as @code{mark-defun}; the difference is that
244 it backs up over the argument declarations, function name and returned
245 data type so that the entire C function is inside the region. This is
246 an example of how major modes adjust the standard key bindings so that
247 they do their standard jobs in a way better fitting a particular
248 language. Other major modes may replace any or all of these key
249 bindings for that purpose.
253 @cindex index of buffer definitions
254 @cindex buffer definitions index
257 The Imenu facility offers a way to find the major definitions in
258 a file by name. It is also useful in text formatter major modes,
259 where it treats each chapter, section, etc., as a definition.
260 (@xref{Tags}, for a more powerful feature that handles multiple files
264 If you type @kbd{M-x imenu}, it reads the name of a definition using
265 the minibuffer, then moves point to that definition. You can use
266 completion to specify the name; the command always displays the whole
269 @findex imenu-add-menubar-index
270 Alternatively, you can bind the command @code{imenu} to a mouse
271 click. Then it displays mouse menus for you to select a definition
272 name. You can also add the buffer's index to the menu bar by calling
273 @code{imenu-add-menubar-index}. If you want to have this menu bar
274 item available for all buffers in a certain major mode, you can do
275 this by adding @code{imenu-add-menubar-index} to its mode hook. But
276 if you have done that, you will have to wait each time you visit a
277 file in that mode, while Emacs finds all the definitions in that
280 @vindex imenu-auto-rescan
281 When you change the contents of a buffer, if you add or delete
282 definitions, you can update the buffer's index based on the
283 new contents by invoking the @samp{*Rescan*} item in the menu.
284 Rescanning happens automatically if you set @code{imenu-auto-rescan} to
285 a non-@code{nil} value. There is no need to rescan because of small
288 @vindex imenu-sort-function
289 You can customize the way the menus are sorted by setting the
290 variable @code{imenu-sort-function}. By default, names are ordered as
291 they occur in the buffer; if you want alphabetic sorting, use the
292 symbol @code{imenu--sort-by-name} as the value. You can also
293 define your own comparison function by writing Lisp code.
295 Imenu provides the information to guide Which Function mode
297 (@pxref{Which Function}).
302 The Speedbar can also use it (@pxref{Speedbar}).
305 @subsection Which Function Mode
306 @cindex current function name in mode line
308 Which Function mode is a minor mode that displays the current
309 function name in the mode line, updating it as you move around in a
312 @findex which-function-mode
313 @vindex which-func-modes
314 To enable (or disable) Which Function mode, use the command @kbd{M-x
315 which-function-mode}. This command is global; it applies to all
316 buffers, both existing ones and those yet to be created. However,
317 it only takes effect in certain major modes, those listed in the value of
318 @code{which-func-modes}. If the value is @code{t}, then Which
319 Function mode applies to all major modes that know how to support
320 it---in other words, all the major modes that support Imenu.
323 @section Indentation for Programs
324 @cindex indentation for programs
326 The best way to keep a program properly indented is to use Emacs to
327 reindent it as you change it. Emacs has commands to indent properly
328 either a single line, a specified number of lines, or all of the lines
329 inside a single parenthetical grouping.
332 * Basic Indent:: Indenting a single line.
333 * Multi-line Indent:: Commands to reindent many lines at once.
334 * Lisp Indent:: Specifying how each Lisp function should be indented.
335 * C Indent:: Extra features for indenting C and related modes.
336 * Custom C Indent:: Controlling indentation style for C and related modes.
339 @cindex pretty-printer
340 Emacs also provides a Lisp pretty-printer in the library @code{pp}.
341 This program reformats a Lisp object with indentation chosen to look nice.
344 @subsection Basic Program Indentation Commands
346 The basic indentation commands indent a single line according to the
347 usual conventions of the language you are editing.
351 Adjust indentation of current line.
353 Equivalent to @key{RET} followed by @key{TAB} (@code{newline-and-indent}).
355 This key, if the keyboard has it, is another way to enter @kbd{C-j}.
358 @kindex TAB @r{(programming modes)}
359 @findex c-indent-command
360 @findex indent-line-function
361 @findex indent-for-tab-command
362 The basic indentation command is @key{TAB}, which gives the current line
363 the correct indentation as determined from the previous lines. The
364 function that @key{TAB} runs depends on the major mode; it is
365 @code{indent-for-tab-command}
366 in Lisp mode, @code{c-indent-command} in C mode, etc. These functions
367 understand the syntax and conventions of different languages, but they all do
368 conceptually the same job: @key{TAB} in any programming-language major mode
369 inserts or deletes whitespace at the beginning of the current line,
370 independent of where point is in the line. If point was inside the
371 whitespace at the beginning of the line, @key{TAB} puts it at the end of
372 that whitespace; otherwise, @key{TAB} keeps point fixed with respect to
373 the characters around it.
375 Use @kbd{C-q @key{TAB}} to insert a tab at point.
378 @findex newline-and-indent
379 When entering lines of new code, use @kbd{C-j}
380 (@code{newline-and-indent}), which is equivalent to a @key{RET}
381 followed by a @key{TAB}. @kbd{C-j} at the end of a line creates a
382 blank line and then gives it the appropriate indentation.
384 @key{TAB} indents lines that start within a parenthetical grouping
385 each under the preceding line (or the text after the parenthesis).
386 Therefore, if you manually give one of these lines a nonstandard
387 indentation, the lines below will tend to follow it. This behavior is
388 convenient in cases where you have overridden the standard result of
389 @key{TAB} because you find it unaesthetic for a particular line.
391 Remember that an open-parenthesis, open-brace or other opening delimiter
392 at the left margin is assumed by Emacs (including the indentation routines)
393 to be the start of a function. Therefore, you must never have an opening
394 delimiter in column zero that is not the beginning of a function, not even
395 inside a string. This restriction is vital for making the indentation
396 commands fast; you must simply accept it. @xref{Left Margin Paren},
397 for more information on this.
399 Normally, lines are indented with tabs and spaces. If you want Emacs
400 to use spaces only, see @ref{Just Spaces}.
402 @node Multi-line Indent
403 @subsection Indenting Several Lines
405 When you wish to reindent several lines of code which have been
406 altered or moved to a different level in the parenthesis structure,
407 you have several commands available.
411 Reindent all the lines within one parenthetical grouping(@code{indent-sexp}).
413 Reindent all lines in the region (@code{indent-region}).
415 Shift an entire parenthetical grouping rigidly sideways so that its
416 first line is properly indented.
417 @item M-x indent-code-rigidly
418 Shift all the lines in the region rigidly sideways, but do not alter
419 lines that start inside comments and strings.
424 You can reindent the contents of a single parenthetical grouping by
425 positioning point before the beginning of it and typing @kbd{C-M-q}
426 (@code{indent-sexp} in Lisp mode, @code{c-indent-exp} in C mode; also
427 bound to other suitable commands in other modes). The indentation of
428 the line where the grouping starts is not changed; therefore, this
429 changes only the relative indentation within the grouping, not its
430 overall indentation. To correct that as well, type @key{TAB} first.
432 Another way to specify the range to be reindented is with the
433 region. The command @kbd{C-M-\} (@code{indent-region}) applies
434 @key{TAB} to every line whose first character is between point and
438 If you like the relative indentation within a grouping, but not the
439 indentation of its first line, you can type @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} to
440 reindent the whole grouping as a rigid unit. (This works in Lisp
441 modes and C and related modes.) @key{TAB} with a numeric argument
442 reindents the current line as usual, then reindents by the same amount
443 all the lines in the parenthetical grouping starting on the current
444 line. It is clever, though, and does not alter lines that start
445 inside strings, or C preprocessor lines when in C mode.
447 @findex indent-code-rigidly
448 You can also perform this operation on the region, using the command
449 @kbd{M-x indent-code-rigidly}. It rigidly shifts all the lines in the
450 region sideways, like @code{indent-rigidly} does (@pxref{Indentation
451 Commands}). It doesn't alter the indentation of lines that start
452 inside a comment or a string, unless the region starts inside that
456 @subsection Customizing Lisp Indentation
457 @cindex customizing Lisp indentation
459 The indentation pattern for a Lisp expression can depend on the function
460 called by the expression. For each Lisp function, you can choose among
461 several predefined patterns of indentation, or define an arbitrary one with
464 The standard pattern of indentation is as follows: the second line of the
465 expression is indented under the first argument, if that is on the same
466 line as the beginning of the expression; otherwise, the second line is
467 indented underneath the function name. Each following line is indented
468 under the previous line whose nesting depth is the same.
470 @vindex lisp-indent-offset
471 If the variable @code{lisp-indent-offset} is non-@code{nil}, it overrides
472 the usual indentation pattern for the second line of an expression, so that
473 such lines are always indented @code{lisp-indent-offset} more columns than
476 @vindex lisp-body-indent
477 Certain functions override the standard pattern. Functions whose
478 names start with @code{def} treat the second lines as the start of
479 a @dfn{body}, by indenting the second line @code{lisp-body-indent}
480 additional columns beyond the open-parenthesis that starts the
483 @cindex @code{lisp-indent-function} property
484 You can override the standard pattern in various ways for individual
485 functions, according to the @code{lisp-indent-function} property of the
486 function name. There are four possibilities for this property:
490 This is the same as no property---use the standard indentation pattern.
492 Handle this function like a @samp{def} construct: treat the second
493 line as the start of a @dfn{body}.
494 @item a number, @var{number}
495 The first @var{number} arguments of the function are
496 @dfn{distinguished} arguments; the rest are considered the body
497 of the expression. A line in the expression is indented according to
498 whether the first argument on it is distinguished or not. If the
499 argument is part of the body, the line is indented @code{lisp-body-indent}
500 more columns than the open-parenthesis starting the containing
501 expression. If the argument is distinguished and is either the first
502 or second argument, it is indented @emph{twice} that many extra columns.
503 If the argument is distinguished and not the first or second argument,
504 the line uses the standard pattern.
505 @item a symbol, @var{symbol}
506 @var{symbol} should be a function name; that function is called to
507 calculate the indentation of a line within this expression. The
508 function receives two arguments:
511 The value returned by @code{parse-partial-sexp} (a Lisp primitive for
512 indentation and nesting computation) when it parses up to the
513 beginning of this line.
515 The position at which the line being indented begins.
518 It should return either a number, which is the number of columns of
519 indentation for that line, or a list whose car is such a number. The
520 difference between returning a number and returning a list is that a
521 number says that all following lines at the same nesting level should
522 be indented just like this one; a list says that following lines might
523 call for different indentations. This makes a difference when the
524 indentation is being computed by @kbd{C-M-q}; if the value is a
525 number, @kbd{C-M-q} need not recalculate indentation for the following
526 lines until the end of the list.
530 @subsection Commands for C Indentation
532 Here are special features for indentation in C mode and related modes:
536 @kindex C-c C-q @r{(C mode)}
537 @findex c-indent-defun
538 Reindent the current top-level function definition or aggregate type
539 declaration (@code{c-indent-defun}).
542 @kindex C-M-q @r{(C mode)}
544 Reindent each line in the balanced expression that follows point
545 (@code{c-indent-exp}). A prefix argument inhibits error checking and
546 warning messages about invalid syntax.
549 @findex c-indent-command
550 Reindent the current line, and/or in some cases insert a tab character
551 (@code{c-indent-command}).
553 If @code{c-tab-always-indent} is @code{t}, this command always reindents
554 the current line and does nothing else. This is the default.
556 If that variable is @code{nil}, this command reindents the current line
557 only if point is at the left margin or in the line's indentation;
558 otherwise, it inserts a tab (or the equivalent number of spaces,
559 if @code{indent-tabs-mode} is @code{nil}).
561 Any other value (not @code{nil} or @code{t}) means always reindent the
562 line, and also insert a tab if within a comment, a string, or a
563 preprocessor directive.
566 To reindent the whole current buffer, type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}. This
567 first selects the whole buffer as the region, then reindents that
570 To reindent the current block, use @kbd{C-M-u C-M-q}. This moves
571 to the front of the block and then reindents it all.
573 @node Custom C Indent
574 @subsection Customizing C Indentation
575 @cindex style (for indentation)
577 C mode and related modes use a simple yet flexible mechanism for
578 customizing indentation. The mechanism works in two steps: first it
579 classifies the line syntactically according to its contents and context;
580 second, it associates each kind of syntactic construct with an
581 indentation offset based on your selected @dfn{style}.
584 @item M-x c-set-style @key{RET} @var{style} @key{RET}
585 Select predefined indentation style @var{style}.
588 A style is a named collection of indentation customizations that can
589 be used in C mode and the related modes. Emacs comes with several
590 predefined styles, including @code{gnu}, @code{k&r}, @code{bsd},
591 @code{stroustrup}, @code{linux}, @code{python}, @code{java},
592 @code{whitesmith}, @code{ellemtel}, @code{cc-mode}, and @code{user}.
593 Some of these styles are primarily intended for one language, but any
594 of them can be used with any of the languages supported by these
595 modes. To find out what a style looks like, select it and reindent
596 some code, e.g., by typing @key{C-M-q} at the start of a function
600 To choose a style for the current buffer, use the command @kbd{M-x
601 c-set-style}. Specify a style name as an argument (case is not
602 significant). This command affects the current buffer only, and it
603 affects only future invocations of the indentation commands; it does
604 not reindent the code in the buffer. To reindent the whole buffer in
605 the new style, you can type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}.
607 @vindex c-default-style
608 You can also set the variable @code{c-default-style} to specify the
609 default style for various major modes. Its value should be an alist,
610 in which each element specifies one major mode and which indentation
611 style to use for it. For example,
614 (setq c-default-style
615 '((java-mode . "java") (other . "gnu")))
619 specifies an explicit choice for Java mode, and the default @samp{gnu}
620 style for the other C-like modes. This variable takes effect when you
621 select one of the C-like major modes; thus, if you specify a new
622 default style for Java mode, you can make it take effect in an
623 existing Java mode buffer by typing @kbd{M-x java-mode} there.
625 The @code{gnu} style specifies the formatting recommended by the GNU
626 Project for C; it is the default, so as to encourage use of our
629 @xref{Customizing Indentation,,, ccmode, the CC Mode Manual}, for
630 more information on customizing indentation for C and related modes,
631 including how to override parts of an existing style and how to define
635 @section Commands for Editing with Parentheses
638 @cindex unbalanced parentheses and quotes
639 This section describes the commands and features that take advantage
640 of the parenthesis structure in a program, or help you keep it
643 When talking about these facilities, the term ``parenthesis'' also
644 includes braces, brackets, or whatever delimiters are defined to match
645 in pairs. The major mode controls which delimiters are significant,
646 through the syntax table (@pxref{Syntax}). In Lisp, only parentheses
647 count; in C, these commands apply to braces and brackets too.
649 You can use @kbd{M-x check-parens} to find any unbalanced
650 parentheses and unbalanced string quotes in the buffer.
653 * Expressions:: Expressions with balanced parentheses.
654 * Moving by Parens:: Commands for moving up, down and across
655 in the structure of parentheses.
656 * Matching:: Insertion of a close-delimiter flashes matching open.
660 @subsection Expressions with Balanced Parentheses
664 @cindex balanced expression
665 These commands deal with balanced expressions, also called
666 @dfn{sexps}@footnote{The word ``sexp'' is used to refer to an
667 expression in Lisp.}.
671 Move forward over a balanced expression (@code{forward-sexp}).
673 Move backward over a balanced expression(@code{backward-sexp}).
675 Kill balanced expression forward (@code{kill-sexp}).
677 Kill balanced expression backward (@code{backward-kill-sexp}).
679 Transpose expressions (@code{transpose-sexps}).
681 Put mark after following expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
684 Each programming language major mode customizes the definition of
685 balanced expressions to suit that language. Balanced expressions
686 typically include symbols, numbers, and string constants, as well as
687 any pair of matching delimiters and their contents. Some languages
688 have obscure forms of expression syntax that nobody has bothered to
692 By convention, the keys for these commands are all Control-Meta
693 characters. They usually act on expressions just as the corresponding
694 Meta characters act on words. For instance, the command @kbd{C-M-b}
695 moves backward over a balanced expression, just as @kbd{M-b} moves
701 @findex backward-sexp
702 To move forward over a balanced expression, use @kbd{C-M-f}
703 (@code{forward-sexp}). If the first significant character after point
704 is an opening delimiter (@samp{(} in Lisp; @samp{(}, @samp{[} or
705 @samp{@{} in C), @kbd{C-M-f} moves past the matching closing
706 delimiter. If the character begins a symbol, string, or number,
707 @kbd{C-M-f} moves over that.
709 The command @kbd{C-M-b} (@code{backward-sexp}) moves backward over a
710 balanced expression. The detailed rules are like those above for
711 @kbd{C-M-f}, but with directions reversed. If there are prefix
712 characters (single-quote, backquote and comma, in Lisp) preceding the
713 expression, @kbd{C-M-b} moves back over them as well. The balanced
714 expression commands move across comments as if they were whitespace,
717 @kbd{C-M-f} or @kbd{C-M-b} with an argument repeats that operation the
718 specified number of times; with a negative argument, it moves in the
721 @cindex killing expressions
725 @findex backward-kill-sexp
726 Killing a whole balanced expression can be done with @kbd{C-M-k}
727 (@code{kill-sexp}) or @kbd{C-M-@key{DEL}} (@code{backward-kill-sexp}).
728 @kbd{C-M-k} kills the characters that @kbd{C-M-f} would move over, and
729 @kbd{C-M-@key{DEL}} kills the characters that @kbd{C-M-b} would move
730 over. On some machines, @kbd{C-M-@key{DEL}} typed on the console is a
731 command to reboot; when that is so, you cannot use it as an Emacs
732 command. This conflict is rare, though: usually the @key{DEL} key for
733 Emacs is really @key{BACKSPACE}, and the reboot command is
734 @kbd{C-M-@key{DELETE}}, so there is no conflict.
736 @cindex transposition of expressions
738 @findex transpose-sexps
739 A somewhat random-sounding command which is nevertheless handy is
740 @kbd{C-M-t} (@code{transpose-sexps}), which drags the previous
741 balanced expression across the next one. An argument serves as a
742 repeat count, and a negative argument drags the previous balanced
743 expression backwards across those before it (thus canceling out the
744 effect of @kbd{C-M-t} with a positive argument). An argument of zero,
745 rather than doing nothing, transposes the balanced expressions ending
746 at or after point and the mark.
750 To set the region around the next balanced expression in the buffer,
751 use @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}), which sets mark at the same place
752 that @kbd{C-M-f} would move to. @kbd{C-M-@@} takes arguments like
753 @kbd{C-M-f}. In particular, a negative argument is useful for putting
754 the mark at the beginning of the previous balanced expression.
756 In languages that use infix operators, such as C, it is not possible
757 to recognize all balanced expressions as such because there can be
758 multiple possibilities at a given position. For example, C mode does
759 not treat @samp{foo + bar} as a single expression, even though it
760 @emph{is} one C expression; instead, it recognizes @samp{foo} as one
761 expression and @samp{bar} as another, with the @samp{+} as punctuation
762 between them. Both @samp{foo + bar} and @samp{foo} are legitimate
763 choices for ``the expression following point'' when point is at the
764 @samp{f}, so the expression commands must perforce choose one or the
765 other to operate on. Note that @samp{(foo + bar)} is recognized as a
766 single expression in C mode, because of the parentheses.
768 @node Moving by Parens
769 @subsection Moving in the Parenthesis Structure
771 @cindex parenthetical groupings
772 @cindex parentheses, moving across
773 @cindex matching parenthesis and braces, moving to
774 @cindex braces, moving across
775 @cindex list commands
776 The Emacs commands for handling parenthetical groupings see nothing
777 except parentheses (or whatever characters must balance in the
778 language you are working with), and the escape characters that might
779 be used to quote those. They are mainly intended for editing
780 programs, but can be useful for editing any text that has parentheses.
781 They are sometimes called ``list'' commands because in Lisp these
786 Move forward over a parenthetical group (@code{forward-list}).
788 Move backward over a parenthetical group(@code{backward-list}).
790 Move up in parenthesis structure (@code{backward-up-list}).
792 Move down in parenthesis structure (@code{down-list}).
798 @findex backward-list
799 The ``list'' commands @kbd{C-M-n} (@code{forward-list}) and
800 @kbd{C-M-p} (@code{backward-list}) move over one (or @var{n})
801 parenthetical groupings, skipping blithely over any amount of text
802 that doesn't include meaningful parentheses (symbols, strings, etc.).
806 @findex backward-up-list
808 @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-p} try to stay at the same level in the
809 parenthesis structure. To move @emph{up} one (or @var{n}) levels, use
810 @kbd{C-M-u} (@code{backward-up-list}). @kbd{C-M-u} moves backward up
811 past one unmatched opening delimiter. A positive argument serves as a
812 repeat count; a negative argument reverses the direction of motion, so
813 that the command moves forward and up one or more levels.
815 To move @emph{down} in the parenthesis structure, use @kbd{C-M-d}
816 (@code{down-list}). In Lisp mode, where @samp{(} is the only opening
817 delimiter, this is nearly the same as searching for a @samp{(}. An
818 argument specifies the number of levels to go down.
821 @subsection Automatic Display Of Matching Parentheses
822 @cindex matching parentheses
823 @cindex parentheses, displaying matches
825 The Emacs parenthesis-matching feature is designed to show
826 automatically how parentheses (and other matching delimiters) match in
827 the text. Whenever you type a self-inserting character that is a
828 closing delimiter, the cursor moves momentarily to the location of the
829 matching opening delimiter, provided that is on the screen. If it is
830 not on the screen, Emacs displays some of the text near it in the echo
831 area. Either way, you can tell which grouping you are closing off.
833 If the opening delimiter and closing delimiter are mismatched---such
834 as in @samp{[x)}---a warning message is displayed in the echo area.
836 @vindex blink-matching-paren
837 @vindex blink-matching-paren-distance
838 @vindex blink-matching-delay
839 Three variables control parenthesis match display.
840 @code{blink-matching-paren} turns the feature on or off: @code{nil}
841 disables it, but the default is @code{t} to enable match display.
843 @code{blink-matching-delay} says how many seconds to leave the
844 cursor on the matching opening delimiter, before bringing it back to
845 the real location of point; the default is 1, but on some systems it
846 is useful to specify a fraction of a second.
848 @code{blink-matching-paren-distance} specifies how many characters
849 back to search to find the matching opening delimiter. If the match
850 is not found in that distance, scanning stops, and nothing is displayed.
851 This is to prevent the scan for the matching delimiter from wasting
852 lots of time when there is no match. The default is 25600.
854 @cindex Show Paren mode
855 @cindex highlighting matching parentheses
856 @findex show-paren-mode
857 Show Paren mode provides a more powerful kind of automatic matching.
858 Whenever point is after a closing delimiter, that delimiter and its
859 matching opening delimiter are both highlighted; otherwise, if point
860 is before an opening delimiter, the matching closing delimiter is
861 highlighted. (There is no need to highlight the opening delimiter in
862 that case, because the cursor appears on top of that character.) Use
863 the command @kbd{M-x show-paren-mode} to enable or disable this mode.
865 By default, @code{show-paren-mode} uses colors to highlight the
866 parentheses. However, if your display doesn't support colors, you can
867 customize the faces @code{show-paren-match-face} and
868 @code{show-paren-mismatch-face} to use other attributes, such as bold or
869 underline. @xref{Face Customization}.
872 @section Manipulating Comments
875 Because comments are such an important part of programming, Emacs
876 provides special commands for editing and inserting comments.
879 * Comment Commands:: Inserting, killing, and indenting comments.
880 * Multi-Line Comments:: Commands for adding and editing multi-line comments.
881 * Options for Comments::Customizing the comment features.
884 @node Comment Commands
885 @subsection Comment Commands
886 @cindex indentation for comments
888 The comment commands in this table insert, kill and align comments.
889 They are described in this section and following sections.
893 Insert or realign comment on current line; alternatively, comment or
894 uncomment the region (@code{comment-dwim}).
896 Kill comment on current line (@code{comment-kill}).
898 Set comment column (@code{comment-set-column}).
900 Like @key{RET} followed by inserting and aligning a comment
901 (@code{comment-indent-new-line}).
902 @item M-x comment-region
903 Add or remove comment delimiters on all the lines in the region.
908 The command to create or align a comment is @kbd{M-;}
909 (@code{comment-dwim}). The word ``dwim'' is an acronym for ``Do What
910 I Mean''; it indicates that this command can be used for many
911 different jobs relating to comments, depending on the situation where
914 If there is no comment already on the line, @kbd{M-;} inserts a new
915 comment, aligned at a specific column called the @dfn{comment column}.
916 The new comment begins with the string Emacs thinks comments should
917 start with (the value of @code{comment-start}; see below). Point is
918 after that string, so you can insert the text of the comment right
919 away. If the major mode has specified a string to terminate comments,
920 @kbd{M-;} inserts that too, to keep the syntax valid.
922 If the text of the line extends past the comment column, then the
923 comment start string is indented to a suitable boundary (usually, at
924 least one space is inserted).
926 You can also use @kbd{M-;} to align an existing comment. If a line
927 already contains the comment-start string, @kbd{M-;} reindents it to
928 the conventional alignment and moves point after it. (Exception:
929 comments starting in column 0 are not moved.) Even when an existing
930 comment is properly aligned, @kbd{M-;} is still useful for moving
931 directly to the start of the text inside the comment.
935 @kbd{C-u M-;} kills any comment on the current line, along with the
936 whitespace before it. To reinsert the comment on another line, move
937 to the end of that line, do @kbd{C-y}, and then do @kbd{M-;} to
940 Note that @kbd{C-u M-;} is not a distinct key; it is @kbd{M-;}
941 (@code{comment-dwim}) with a prefix argument. That command is
942 programmed so that when it receives a prefix argument it calls
943 @code{comment-kill}. However, @code{comment-kill} is a valid command
944 in its own right, and you can bind it directly to a key if you wish.
946 @kbd{M-;} does two other jobs when used with an active region in
947 Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}). Then it either adds or
948 removes comment delimiters on each line of the region. (If every line
949 is a comment, it removes comment delimiters from each; otherwise, it
950 adds comment delimiters to each.) If you are not using Transient Mark
951 mode, then you should use the commands @code{comment-region} and
952 @code{uncomment-region} to do these jobs (@pxref{Multi-Line Comments}).
953 A prefix argument used in these circumstances specifies how many
954 comment delimiters to add or how many to delete.
956 Some major modes have special rules for indenting certain kinds of
957 comments in certain contexts. For example, in Lisp code, comments which
958 start with two semicolons are indented as if they were lines of code,
959 instead of at the comment column. Comments which start with three
960 semicolons are supposed to start at the left margin. Emacs understands
961 these conventions by indenting a double-semicolon comment using @key{TAB},
962 and by not changing the indentation of a triple-semicolon comment at all.
965 ;; This function is just an example
966 ;;; Here either two or three semicolons are appropriate.
968 ;;; And now, the first part of the function:
969 ;; The following line adds one.
970 (1+ x)) ; This line adds one.
973 In C code, a comment preceded on its line by nothing but whitespace
974 is indented like a line of code.
976 @node Multi-Line Comments
977 @subsection Multiple Lines of Comments
980 @cindex blank lines in programs
981 @findex comment-indent-new-line
982 If you are typing a comment and wish to continue it on another line,
983 you can use the command @kbd{C-M-j} (@code{comment-indent-new-line}).
984 This terminates the comment you are typing, creates a new blank line
985 afterward, and begins a new comment indented under the old one. When
986 Auto Fill mode is on, going past the fill column while typing a comment
987 causes the comment to be continued in just this fashion. If point is
988 not at the end of the line when @kbd{C-M-j} is typed, the text on
989 the rest of the line becomes part of the new comment line.
991 @findex comment-region
992 To turn existing lines into comment lines, use the @kbd{M-x
993 comment-region} command. It adds comment delimiters to the lines that start
994 in the region, thus commenting them out. With a negative argument, it
995 does the opposite---it deletes comment delimiters from the lines in the
998 With a positive argument, @code{comment-region} duplicates the last
999 character of the comment start sequence it adds; the argument specifies
1000 how many copies of the character to insert. Thus, in Lisp mode,
1001 @kbd{C-u 2 M-x comment-region} adds @samp{;;} to each line. Duplicating
1002 the comment delimiter is a way of calling attention to the comment. It
1003 can also affect how the comment is indented. In Lisp, for proper
1004 indentation, you should use an argument of two or three, if between defuns;
1005 if within a defun, it must be three.
1007 @node Options for Comments
1008 @subsection Options Controlling Comments
1010 @vindex comment-column
1012 @findex comment-set-column
1013 The comment column is stored in the variable @code{comment-column}. You
1014 can set it to a number explicitly. Alternatively, the command @kbd{C-x ;}
1015 (@code{comment-set-column}) sets the comment column to the column point is
1016 at. @kbd{C-u C-x ;} sets the comment column to match the last comment
1017 before point in the buffer, and then does a @kbd{M-;} to align the
1018 current line's comment under the previous one.
1020 The variable @code{comment-column} is per-buffer: setting the variable
1021 in the normal fashion affects only the current buffer, but there is a
1022 default value which you can change with @code{setq-default}.
1023 @xref{Locals}. Many major modes initialize this variable for the
1026 @vindex comment-start-skip
1027 The comment commands recognize comments based on the regular
1028 expression that is the value of the variable @code{comment-start-skip}.
1029 Make sure this regexp does not match the null string. It may match more
1030 than the comment starting delimiter in the strictest sense of the word;
1031 for example, in C mode the value of the variable is
1032 @c This stops M-q from breaking the line inside that @code.
1033 @code{@w{"/\\*+ *\\|//+ *""}}, which matches extra stars and spaces
1034 after the @samp{/*} itself, and accepts C++ style comments also.
1035 (Note that @samp{\\} is needed in Lisp syntax to include a @samp{\} in
1036 the string, which is needed to deny the first star its special meaning
1037 in regexp syntax. @xref{Regexps}.)
1039 @vindex comment-start
1041 When a comment command makes a new comment, it inserts the value of
1042 @code{comment-start} to begin it. The value of @code{comment-end} is
1043 inserted after point, so that it will follow the text that you will insert
1044 into the comment. In C mode, @code{comment-start} has the value
1045 @w{@code{"/* "}} and @code{comment-end} has the value @w{@code{" */"}}.
1047 @vindex comment-padding
1048 The variable @code{comment-padding} specifies how many spaces
1049 @code{comment-region} should insert on each line between the
1050 comment delimiter and the line's original text. The default is 1,
1051 to insert one space.
1053 @vindex comment-multi-line
1054 The variable @code{comment-multi-line} controls how @kbd{C-M-j}
1055 (@code{indent-new-comment-line}) behaves when used inside a comment. If
1056 @code{comment-multi-line} is @code{nil}, as it normally is, then the
1057 comment on the starting line is terminated and a new comment is started
1058 on the new following line. If @code{comment-multi-line} is not
1059 @code{nil}, then the new following line is set up as part of the same
1060 comment that was found on the starting line. This is done by not
1061 inserting a terminator on the old line, and not inserting a starter on
1062 the new line. In languages where multi-line comments work, the choice
1063 of value for this variable is a matter of taste.
1065 @vindex comment-indent-function
1066 The variable @code{comment-indent-function} should contain a function
1067 that will be called to compute the indentation for a newly inserted
1068 comment or for aligning an existing comment. It is set differently by
1069 various major modes. The function is called with no arguments, but with
1070 point at the beginning of the comment, or at the end of a line if a new
1071 comment is to be inserted. It should return the column in which the
1072 comment ought to start. For example, in Lisp mode, the indent hook
1073 function bases its decision on how many semicolons begin an existing
1074 comment, and on the code in the preceding lines.
1077 @section Documentation Lookup
1079 Emacs provides several features you can use to look up the
1080 documentation of functions, variables and commands that you plan to
1081 use in your program.
1084 * Info Lookup:: Looking up library functions and commands
1086 * Man Page:: Looking up man pages of library functions and commands.
1087 * Lisp Doc:: Looking up Emacs Lisp functions, etc.
1091 @subsection Info Documentation Lookup
1093 @findex info-lookup-symbol
1094 @findex info-lookup-file
1096 For C, Lisp, and other languages that have documentation in Info,
1097 you can use @kbd{C-h C-i} (@code{info-lookup-symbol}) to view the Info
1098 documentation for a symbol. You specify the symbol with the
1099 minibuffer; the default is the symbol appearing in the buffer at
1102 The major mode determines where to look for documentation for the
1103 symbol---which Info files to look in, and which indices to search.
1104 You can also use @kbd{M-x info-lookup-file} to look for documentation
1107 This feature currently supports the modes Awk, Autoconf, Bison, C,
1108 Emacs Lisp, LaTeX, M4, Makefile, Octave, Perl, Scheme, and Texinfo,
1109 provided you have installed the relevant Info files, which are
1110 typically available with the appropriate GNU package.
1113 @subsection Man Page Lookup
1116 On Unix, the main form of on-line documentation was the @dfn{manual
1117 page} or @dfn{man page}. In the GNU operating system, we hope to
1118 replace man pages with better-organized manuals that you can browse
1119 with Info (@pxref{Misc Help}). This process is not finished, so it is
1120 still useful to read manual pages.
1122 @findex manual-entry
1123 You can read the man page for an operating system command, library
1124 function, or system call, with the @kbd{M-x manual-entry} command. It
1125 runs the @code{man} program to format the man page; if the system
1126 permits, it runs @code{man} asynchronously, so that you can keep on
1127 editing while the page is being formatted. (On MS-DOS and MS-Windows
1128 3, you cannot edit while Emacs waits for @code{man} to finish.) The
1129 result goes in a buffer named @samp{*Man @var{topic}*}. These buffers
1130 use a special major mode, Man mode, that facilitates scrolling and
1131 jumping to other manual pages. For details, type @kbd{C-h m} while in
1134 @cindex sections of manual pages
1135 Each man page belongs to one of ten or more @dfn{sections}, each
1136 named by a digit or by a digit and a letter. Sometimes there are
1137 multiple man pages with the same name in different sections. To read
1138 a man page from a specific section, type
1139 @samp{@var{topic}(@var{section})} or @samp{@var{section} @var{topic}}
1140 when @kbd{M-x manual-entry} prompts for the topic. For example, to
1141 read the man page for the C library function @code{chmod} (as opposed
1142 to a command of the same name), type @kbd{M-x manual-entry @key{RET}
1143 chmod(2) @key{RET}} (@code{chmod} is a system call, so it is in
1146 @vindex Man-switches
1147 If you do not specify a section, the results depend on how the
1148 @code{man} program works on your system. Some of them display only
1149 the first man page they find. Others display all man pages that have
1150 the specified name, so you can move between them with the @kbd{M-n}
1151 and @kbd{M-p} keys@footnote{On some systems, the @code{man} program
1152 accepts a @samp{-a} command-line option which tells it to display all
1153 the man pages for the specified topic. If you want this behavior, you
1154 can add this option to the value of the variable @code{Man-switches}.}.
1155 The mode line shows how many manual pages are present in the Man buffer.
1157 @vindex Man-fontify-manpage-flag
1158 By default, Emacs highlights the text in man pages. For a long man
1159 page, highlighting can take substantial time. You can turn off
1160 highlighting of man pages by setting the variable
1161 @code{Man-fontify-manpage-flag} to @code{nil}.
1163 @findex Man-fontify-manpage
1164 If you insert the text of a man page into an Emacs buffer in some
1165 other fashion, you can use the command @kbd{M-x Man-fontify-manpage} to
1166 perform the same conversions that @kbd{M-x manual-entry} does.
1169 @cindex manual pages, on MS-DOS/MS-Windows
1170 An alternative way of reading manual pages is the @kbd{M-x woman}
1171 command@footnote{The name of the command, @code{woman}, is an acronym
1172 for ``w/o (without) man,'' since it doesn't use the @code{man}
1173 program.}. Unlike @kbd{M-x man}, it does not run any external
1174 programs to format and display the man pages; instead it does the job
1175 in Emacs Lisp, so it works on systems such as MS-Windows, where the
1176 @code{man} program (and the other programs it uses) are not generally
1179 @kbd{M-x woman} prompts for a name of a manual page, and provides
1180 completion based on the list of manual pages that are installed on
1181 your machine; the list of available manual pages is computed
1182 automatically the first time you invoke @code{woman}. The word at
1183 point in the current buffer is used to suggest the default for the
1184 name the manual page.
1186 With a numeric argument, @kbd{M-x woman} recomputes the list of the
1187 manual pages used for completion. This is useful if you add or delete
1190 If you type a name of a manual page and @kbd{M-x woman} finds that
1191 several manual pages by the same name exist in different sections, it
1192 pops up a window with possible candidates asking you to choose one of
1195 @vindex woman-manpath
1196 By default, @kbd{M-x woman} looks for manual pages in the
1197 directories specified in the @code{MANPATH} environment variable. (If
1198 @code{MANPATH} is not set, @code{woman} uses a suitable default value,
1199 which can be customized.) More precisely, @code{woman} looks for
1200 subdirectories that match the shell wildcard pattern @file{man*} in each one
1201 of these directories, and tries to find the manual pages in those
1202 subdirectories. When first invoked, @kbd{M-x woman} converts the
1203 value of @code{MANPATH} to a list of directory names and stores that
1204 list in the @code{woman-manpath} variable. Changing the value of this
1205 variable is another way to control the list of directories used.
1208 You can also augment the list of directories searched by
1209 @code{woman} by setting the value of the @code{woman-path} variable.
1210 This variable should hold a list of specific directories which
1211 @code{woman} should search, in addition to those in
1212 @code{woman-manpath}. Unlike @code{woman-manpath}, the directories in
1213 @code{woman-path} are searched for the manual pages, not for
1214 @file{man*} subdirectories.
1216 @findex woman-find-file
1217 Occasionally, you might need to display manual pages that are not in
1218 any of the directories listed by @code{woman-manpath} and
1219 @code{woman-path}. The @kbd{M-x woman-find-file} command prompts for a
1220 name of a manual page file, with completion, and then formats and
1221 displays that file like @kbd{M-x woman} does.
1223 @vindex woman-dired-keys
1224 The first time you invoke @kbd{M-x woman}, it defines the Dired
1225 @kbd{W} key to run the @code{woman-find-file} command on the current
1226 line's file. You can disable this by setting the variable
1227 @code{woman-dired-keys} to @code{nil}. @xref{Dired}. In addition,
1228 the Tar-mode @kbd{w} key is define to invoke @code{woman-find-file} on
1229 the current line's archive member.
1231 For more information about setting up and using @kbd{M-x woman}, see
1232 @ref{Top, WoMan, Browse UN*X Manual Pages WithOut Man, woman, The WoMan
1236 @subsection Emacs Lisp Documentation Lookup
1238 As you edit Lisp code to be run in Emacs, you can use the commands
1239 @kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-h v}
1240 (@code{describe-variable}) to view documentation of functions and
1241 variables that you want to use. These commands use the minibuffer to
1242 read the name of a function or variable to document, and display the
1243 documentation in a window. Their default arguments are based on the
1244 code in the neighborhood of point. For @kbd{C-h f}, the default is
1245 the function called in the innermost list containing point. @kbd{C-h
1246 v} uses the symbol name around or adjacent to point as its default.
1250 A more automatic but less powerful method is Eldoc mode. This minor
1251 mode constantly displays in the echo area the argument list for the
1252 function being called at point. (In other words, it finds the
1253 function call that point is contained in, and displays the argument
1254 list of that function.) Eldoc mode applies in Emacs Lisp and Lisp
1255 Interaction modes only. Use the command @kbd{M-x eldoc-mode} to
1256 enable or disable this feature.
1259 @section Hideshow minor mode
1261 @findex hs-minor-mode
1262 Hideshow minor mode provides selective display of portions of a
1263 program, known as @dfn{blocks}. You can use @kbd{M-x hs-minor-mode}
1264 to enable or disable this mode, or add @code{hs-minor-mode} to the
1265 mode hook for certain major modes in order to enable it automatically
1268 Just what constitutes a block depends on the major mode. In C mode
1269 or C++ mode, they are delimited by braces, while in Lisp mode and
1270 similar modes they are delimited by parentheses. Multi-line comments
1271 also count as blocks.
1274 @findex hs-hide-block
1276 @findex hs-show-block
1277 @findex hs-show-region
1278 @findex hs-hide-level
1279 @findex hs-minor-mode
1282 @kindex C-c @@ C-M-h
1283 @kindex C-c @@ C-M-s
1289 Hide the current block (@code{hs-hide-block}).
1291 Show the current block (@code{hs-show-block}).
1293 Either hide or show the current block (@code{hs-toggle-hiding})
1295 Either hide or show the block you click on (@code{hs-mouse-toggle-hiding})
1297 Hide all top-level blocks (@code{hs-hide-all}).
1299 Show everything in the buffer (@code{hs-show-all}).
1301 Hide all blocks @var{n} levels below this block
1302 (@code{hs-hide-level}).
1305 @vindex hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
1306 @vindex hs-isearch-open
1307 @vindex hs-special-modes-alist
1308 These user options exist for customizing Hideshow mode.
1311 @item hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
1312 Non-@code{nil} says that @kbd{hs-hide-all} should hide comments too.
1314 @item hs-isearch-open
1315 Specifies what kind of hidden blocks to open in Isearch mode.
1316 The value should be one of these four symbols.
1320 Open only code blocks.
1324 Open both code blocks and comments.
1326 Open neither code blocks nor comments.
1329 @item hs-special-modes-alist
1330 A list of elements, each specifying how to initialize Hideshow
1331 variables for one major mode. See the variable's documentation string
1332 for more information.
1335 @node Symbol Completion
1336 @section Completion for Symbol Names
1337 @cindex completion (symbol names)
1339 In Emacs, completion is something you normally do in the minibuffer.
1340 But one kind of completion is available in all buffers: completion for
1344 The character @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs a command to complete the
1345 partial symbol before point against the set of meaningful symbol
1346 names. This command inserts at point any additional characters that
1347 it can determine from the partial name.
1349 If the partial name in the buffer has multiple possible completions
1350 that differ in the very next character, so that it is impossible to
1351 complete even one more character, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} displays a list of
1352 all possible completions in another window.
1354 @cindex tags-based completion
1355 @cindex Info index completion
1356 @findex complete-symbol
1357 In most programming language major modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs the
1358 command @code{complete-symbol}, which provides two kinds of completion.
1359 Normally it does completion based on a tags table (@pxref{Tags}); with a
1360 numeric argument (regardless of the value), it does completion based on
1361 the names listed in the Info file indexes for your language. Thus, to
1362 complete the name of a symbol defined in your own program, use
1363 @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} with no argument; to complete the name of a standard
1364 library function, use @kbd{C-u M-@key{TAB}}. Of course, Info-based
1365 completion works only if there is an Info file for the standard library
1366 functions of your language, and only if it is installed at your site.
1368 @cindex Lisp symbol completion
1369 @cindex completion (Lisp symbols)
1370 @findex lisp-complete-symbol
1371 In Emacs-Lisp mode, the name space for completion normally consists of
1372 nontrivial symbols present in Emacs---those that have function
1373 definitions, values or properties. However, if there is an
1374 open-parenthesis immediately before the beginning of the partial symbol,
1375 only symbols with function definitions are considered as completions.
1376 The command which implements this is @code{lisp-complete-symbol}.
1378 In Text mode and related modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completes words
1379 based on the spell-checker's dictionary. @xref{Spelling}.
1382 @section Glasses minor mode
1383 @cindex Glasses mode
1384 @cindex identifiers, making long ones readable
1385 @cindex StudlyCaps, making them readable
1386 @findex glasses-mode
1388 Glasses minor mode makes @samp{unreadableIdentifiersLikeThis}
1389 readable by altering the way they display. It knows two different
1390 ways to do this: by displaying underscores between a lower-case letter
1391 and the following capital letter, and by emboldening the capital
1392 letters. It does not alter the buffer text, only the way they
1393 display, so you can use it even on read-only buffers. You can use the
1394 command @kbd{M-x glasses-mode} to enable or disable the mode in the
1395 current buffer; you can also add @code{glasses-mode} to the mode hook
1396 of the programming language major modes in which you normally want
1397 to use Glasses mode.
1399 @node Misc for Programs
1400 @section Other Features Useful for Editing Programs
1402 A number of Emacs commands that aren't designed specifically for
1403 editing programs are useful for that nonetheless.
1405 The Emacs commands that operate on words, sentences and paragraphs
1406 are useful for editing code. Most symbols names contain words
1407 (@pxref{Words}); sentences can be found in strings and comments
1408 (@pxref{Sentences}). Paragraphs in the strict sense can be found in
1409 program code (in long comments), but the paragraph commands are useful
1410 in other places too, because programming language major modes define
1411 paragraphs to begin and end at blank lines (@pxref{Paragraphs}).
1412 Judicious use of blank lines to make the program clearer will also
1413 provide useful chunks of text for the paragraph commands to work on.
1414 Auto Fill mode, if enabled in a programming language major mode,
1415 indents the new lines which it creates.
1417 The selective display feature is useful for looking at the overall
1418 structure of a function (@pxref{Selective Display}). This feature
1419 hides the lines that are indented more than a specified amount.
1420 Programming modes often support Outline minor mode (@pxref{Outline
1421 Mode}). The Foldout package provides folding-editor features
1424 The ``automatic typing'' features may be useful for writing programs.
1425 @xref{Top,,Autotyping, autotype, Autotyping}.
1428 @section C and Related Modes
1433 @cindex CORBA IDL mode
1434 @cindex Objective C mode
1438 @cindex mode, Objective C
1439 @cindex mode, CORBA IDL
1442 This section gives a brief description of the special features
1443 available in C, C++, Objective-C, Java, CORBA IDL, and Pike modes.
1444 (These are called ``C mode and related modes.'') @xref{Top, CC Mode,
1445 ccmode, , CC Mode}, for a more extensive description of these modes
1446 and their special features.
1449 * Motion in C:: Commands to move by C statements, etc.
1450 * Electric C:: Colon and other chars can automatically reindent.
1451 * Hungry Delete:: A more powerful DEL command.
1452 * Other C Commands:: Filling comments, viewing expansion of macros,
1453 and other neat features.
1454 * Comments in C:: Options for customizing comment style.
1458 @subsection C Mode Motion Commands
1460 This section describes commands for moving point, in C mode and
1465 @kindex C-c C-u @r{(C mode)}
1466 @findex c-up-conditional
1467 Move point back to the containing preprocessor conditional, leaving the
1468 mark behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1469 argument, move point forward to the end of the containing
1470 preprocessor conditional. When going backwards, @code{#elif} is treated
1471 like @code{#else} followed by @code{#if}. When going forwards,
1472 @code{#elif} is ignored.@refill
1475 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(C mode)}
1476 @findex c-backward-conditional
1477 Move point back over a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
1478 behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1479 argument, move forward.
1482 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(C mode)}
1483 @findex c-forward-conditional
1484 Move point forward across a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
1485 behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
1486 argument, move backward.
1490 @findex c-beginning-of-statement
1491 Move point to the beginning of the innermost C statement
1492 (@code{c-beginning-of-statement}). If point is already at the beginning
1493 of a statement, move to the beginning of the preceding statement. With
1494 prefix argument @var{n}, move back @var{n} @minus{} 1 statements.
1496 If point is within a string or comment, or next to a comment (only
1497 whitespace between them), this command moves by sentences instead of
1500 When called from a program, this function takes three optional
1501 arguments: the numeric prefix argument, a buffer position limit
1502 (don't move back before that place), and a flag that controls whether
1503 to do sentence motion when inside of a comment.
1507 @findex c-end-of-statement
1508 Move point to the end of the innermost C statement; like @kbd{M-a}
1509 except that it moves in the other direction (@code{c-end-of-statement}).
1511 @item M-x c-backward-into-nomenclature
1512 @findex c-backward-into-nomenclature
1513 Move point backward to beginning of a C++ nomenclature section or word.
1514 With prefix argument @var{n}, move @var{n} times. If @var{n} is
1515 negative, move forward. C++ nomenclature means a symbol name in the
1516 style of NamingSymbolsWithMixedCaseAndNoUnderlines; each capital letter
1517 begins a section or word.
1519 In the GNU project, we recommend using underscores to separate words
1520 within an identifier in C or C++, rather than using case distinctions.
1522 @item M-x c-forward-into-nomenclature
1523 @findex c-forward-into-nomenclature
1524 Move point forward to end of a C++ nomenclature section or word.
1525 With prefix argument @var{n}, move @var{n} times.
1529 @subsection Electric C Characters
1531 In C mode and related modes, certain printing characters are
1532 ``electric''---in addition to inserting themselves, they also reindent
1533 the current line and may insert newlines. This feature is controlled by
1534 the variable @code{c-auto-newline}. The ``electric'' characters are
1535 @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, @kbd{:}, @kbd{#}, @kbd{;}, @kbd{,}, @kbd{<},
1536 @kbd{>}, @kbd{/}, @kbd{*}, @kbd{(}, and @kbd{)}.
1538 Electric characters insert newlines only when the @dfn{auto-newline}
1539 feature is enabled (indicated by @samp{/a} in the mode line after the
1540 mode name). This feature is controlled by the variable
1541 @code{c-auto-newline}. You can turn this feature on or off with the
1542 command @kbd{C-c C-a}:
1546 @kindex C-c C-a @r{(C mode)}
1547 @findex c-toggle-auto-state
1548 Toggle the auto-newline feature (@code{c-toggle-auto-state}). With a
1549 prefix argument, this command turns the auto-newline feature on if the
1550 argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
1553 The colon character is electric because that is appropriate for a
1554 single colon. But when you want to insert a double colon in C++, the
1555 electric behavior of colon is inconvenient. You can insert a double
1556 colon with no reindentation or newlines by typing @kbd{C-c :}:
1561 @c This uses ``colon'' instead of a literal `:' because Info cannot
1562 @c cope with a `:' in a menu
1563 @kindex C-c @key{colon} @r{(C mode)}
1566 @kindex C-c : @r{(C mode)}
1568 @findex c-scope-operator
1569 Insert a double colon scope operator at point, without reindenting the
1570 line or adding any newlines (@code{c-scope-operator}).
1573 The electric @kbd{#} key reindents the line if it appears to be the
1574 beginning of a preprocessor directive. This happens when the value of
1575 @code{c-electric-pound-behavior} is @code{(alignleft)}. You can turn
1576 this feature off by setting @code{c-electric-pound-behavior} to
1579 The variable @code{c-hanging-braces-alist} controls the insertion of
1580 newlines before and after inserted braces. It is an association list
1581 with elements of the following form: @code{(@var{syntactic-symbol}
1582 . @var{nl-list})}. Most of the syntactic symbols that appear in
1583 @code{c-offsets-alist} are meaningful here as well.
1585 The list @var{nl-list} may contain either of the symbols
1586 @code{before} or @code{after}, or both; or it may be @code{nil}. When a
1587 brace is inserted, the syntactic context it defines is looked up in
1588 @code{c-hanging-braces-alist}; if it is found, the @var{nl-list} is used
1589 to determine where newlines are inserted: either before the brace,
1590 after, or both. If not found, the default is to insert a newline both
1591 before and after braces.
1593 The variable @code{c-hanging-colons-alist} controls the insertion of
1594 newlines before and after inserted colons. It is an association list
1595 with elements of the following form: @code{(@var{syntactic-symbol}
1596 . @var{nl-list})}. The list @var{nl-list} may contain either of the
1597 symbols @code{before} or @code{after}, or both; or it may be @code{nil}.
1599 When a colon is inserted, the syntactic symbol it defines is looked
1600 up in this list, and if found, the @var{nl-list} is used to determine
1601 where newlines are inserted: either before the brace, after, or both.
1602 If the syntactic symbol is not found in this list, no newlines are
1605 Electric characters can also delete newlines automatically when the
1606 auto-newline feature is enabled. This feature makes auto-newline more
1607 acceptable, by deleting the newlines in the most common cases where you
1608 do not want them. Emacs can recognize several cases in which deleting a
1609 newline might be desirable; by setting the variable
1610 @code{c-cleanup-list}, you can specify @emph{which} of these cases that
1611 should happen. The variable's value is a list of symbols, each
1612 describing one case for possible deletion of a newline. Here are the
1613 meaningful symbols, and their meanings:
1616 @item brace-catch-brace
1617 Clean up @samp{@} catch (@var{condition}) @{} constructs by placing the
1618 entire construct on a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type
1619 the @samp{@{}, if there is nothing between the braces aside from
1620 @code{catch} and @var{condition}.
1622 @item brace-else-brace
1623 Clean up @samp{@} else @{} constructs by placing the entire construct on
1624 a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type the @samp{@{} after
1625 the @code{else}, but only if there is nothing but white space between
1626 the braces and the @code{else}.
1628 @item brace-elseif-brace
1629 Clean up @samp{@} else if (@dots{}) @{} constructs by placing the entire
1630 construct on a single line. The clean-up occurs when you type the
1631 @samp{@{}, if there is nothing but white space between the @samp{@}} and
1632 @samp{@{} aside from the keywords and the @code{if}-condition.
1634 @item empty-defun-braces
1635 Clean up empty defun braces by placing the braces on the same
1636 line. Clean-up occurs when you type the closing brace.
1638 @item defun-close-semi
1639 Clean up the semicolon after a @code{struct} or similar type
1640 declaration, by placing the semicolon on the same line as the closing
1641 brace. Clean-up occurs when you type the semicolon.
1643 @item list-close-comma
1644 Clean up commas following braces in array and aggregate
1645 initializers. Clean-up occurs when you type the comma.
1647 @item scope-operator
1648 Clean up double colons which may designate a C++ scope operator, by
1649 placing the colons together. Clean-up occurs when you type the second
1650 colon, but only when the two colons are separated by nothing but
1655 @subsection Hungry Delete Feature in C
1657 When the @dfn{hungry-delete} feature is enabled (indicated by
1658 @samp{/h} or @samp{/ah} in the mode line after the mode name), a single
1659 @key{DEL} command deletes all preceding whitespace, not just one space.
1660 To turn this feature on or off, use @kbd{C-c C-d}:
1664 @kindex C-c C-d @r{(C mode)}
1665 @findex c-toggle-hungry-state
1666 Toggle the hungry-delete feature (@code{c-toggle-hungry-state}). With a
1667 prefix argument, this command turns the hungry-delete feature on if the
1668 argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
1671 @kindex C-c C-t @r{(C mode)}
1672 @findex c-toggle-auto-hungry-state
1673 Toggle the auto-newline and hungry-delete features, both at once
1674 (@code{c-toggle-auto-hungry-state}).
1677 @vindex c-hungry-delete-key
1678 The variable @code{c-hungry-delete-key} controls whether the
1679 hungry-delete feature is enabled.
1681 @node Other C Commands
1682 @subsection Other Commands for C Mode
1686 Put mark at the end of a function definition, and put point at the
1687 beginning (@code{c-mark-function}).
1690 @kindex M-q @r{(C mode)}
1691 @findex c-fill-paragraph
1692 Fill a paragraph, handling C and C++ comments (@code{c-fill-paragraph}).
1693 If any part of the current line is a comment or within a comment, this
1694 command fills the comment or the paragraph of it that point is in,
1695 preserving the comment indentation and comment delimiters.
1698 @cindex macro expansion in C
1699 @cindex expansion of C macros
1700 @findex c-macro-expand
1701 @kindex C-c C-e @r{(C mode)}
1702 Run the C preprocessor on the text in the region, and show the result,
1703 which includes the expansion of all the macro calls
1704 (@code{c-macro-expand}). The buffer text before the region is also
1705 included in preprocessing, for the sake of macros defined there, but the
1706 output from this part isn't shown.
1708 When you are debugging C code that uses macros, sometimes it is hard to
1709 figure out precisely how the macros expand. With this command, you
1710 don't have to figure it out; you can see the expansions.
1713 @findex c-backslash-region
1714 @kindex C-c C-\ @r{(C mode)}
1715 Insert or align @samp{\} characters at the ends of the lines of the
1716 region (@code{c-backslash-region}). This is useful after writing or
1717 editing a C macro definition.
1719 If a line already ends in @samp{\}, this command adjusts the amount of
1720 whitespace before it. Otherwise, it inserts a new @samp{\}. However,
1721 the last line in the region is treated specially; no @samp{\} is
1722 inserted on that line, and any @samp{\} there is deleted.
1724 @item M-x cpp-highlight-buffer
1725 @cindex preprocessor highlighting
1726 @findex cpp-highlight-buffer
1727 Highlight parts of the text according to its preprocessor conditionals.
1728 This command displays another buffer named @samp{*CPP Edit*}, which
1729 serves as a graphic menu for selecting how to display particular kinds
1730 of conditionals and their contents. After changing various settings,
1731 click on @samp{[A]pply these settings} (or go to that buffer and type
1732 @kbd{a}) to rehighlight the C mode buffer accordingly.
1735 @findex c-show-syntactic-information
1736 @kindex C-c C-s @r{(C mode)}
1737 Display the syntactic information about the current source line
1738 (@code{c-show-syntactic-information}). This is the information that
1739 directs how the line is indented.
1741 @item M-x cwarn-mode
1742 @itemx M-x global-cwarn-mode
1744 @findex global-cwarn-mode
1746 @cindex suspicious constructions in C, C++
1747 CWarn minor mode highlights certain suspicious C and C++ constructions:
1751 Assignments inside expressions.
1753 Semicolon following immediately after @samp{if}, @samp{for}, and @samp{while}
1754 (except after a @samp{do @dots{} while} statement);
1756 C++ functions with reference parameters.
1760 You can enable the mode for one buffer with the command @kbd{M-x
1761 cwarn-mode}, or for all suitable buffers with the command @kbd{M-x
1762 global-cwarn-mode} or by customizing the variable
1763 @code{global-cwarn-mode}. You must also enable Font Lock mode to make
1766 @item M-x hide-ifdef-mode
1767 @findex hide-ifdef-mode
1768 @cindex Hide-ifdef mode
1769 Hide-ifdef minor mode hides selected code within @samp{#if} and
1770 @samp{#ifdef} preprocessor blocks. See the documentation string of
1771 @code{hide-ifdef-mode} for more information.
1773 @item M-x ff-find-related-file
1774 @cindex related files
1775 @findex ff-find-related-file
1776 @vindex ff-related-file-alist
1777 Find a file ``related'' in a special way to the file visited by the
1778 current buffer. Typically this will be the header file corresponding
1779 to a C/C++ source file, or vice versa. The variable
1780 @code{ff-related-file-alist} specifies how to compute related file
1785 @subsection Comments in C Modes
1787 C mode and related modes use a number of variables for controlling
1791 @item c-comment-only-line-offset
1792 @vindex c-comment-only-line-offset
1793 Extra offset for line which contains only the start of a comment. It
1794 can be either an integer or a cons cell of the form
1795 @code{(@var{non-anchored-offset} . @var{anchored-offset})}, where
1796 @var{non-anchored-offset} is the amount of offset given to
1797 non-column-zero anchored comment-only lines, and @var{anchored-offset}
1798 is the amount of offset to give column-zero anchored comment-only lines.
1799 Just an integer as value is equivalent to @code{(@var{val} . 0)}.
1801 @item c-comment-start-regexp
1802 @vindex c-comment-start-regexp
1803 This buffer-local variable specifies how to recognize the start of a comment.
1805 @item c-hanging-comment-ender-p
1806 @vindex c-hanging-comment-ender-p
1807 If this variable is @code{nil}, @code{c-fill-paragraph} leaves the
1808 comment terminator of a block comment on a line by itself. The default
1809 value is @code{t}, which puts the comment-end delimiter @samp{*/} at the
1810 end of the last line of the comment text.
1812 @item c-hanging-comment-starter-p
1813 @vindex c-hanging-comment-starter-p
1814 If this variable is @code{nil}, @code{c-fill-paragraph} leaves the
1815 starting delimiter of a block comment on a line by itself. The default
1816 value is @code{t}, which puts the comment-start delimiter @samp{/*} at
1817 the beginning of the first line of the comment text.
1821 @section Fortran Mode
1822 @cindex Fortran mode
1823 @cindex mode, Fortran
1825 Fortran mode provides special motion commands for Fortran statements and
1826 subprograms, and indentation commands that understand Fortran conventions
1827 of nesting, line numbers and continuation statements. Fortran mode has
1828 its own Auto Fill mode that breaks long lines into proper Fortran
1831 Special commands for comments are provided because Fortran comments
1832 are unlike those of other languages. Built-in abbrevs optionally save
1833 typing when you insert Fortran keywords.
1835 Use @kbd{M-x fortran-mode} to switch to this major mode. This command
1836 runs the hook @code{fortran-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
1838 @cindex Fortran77 and Fortran90
1840 @findex fortran-mode
1841 Fortan mode is meant for editing Fortran77 ``fixed format'' source
1842 code. For editing the modern Fortran90 ``free format'' source code,
1843 use F90 mode (@code{f90-mode}). Emacs normally uses Fortran mode for
1844 files with extension @samp{.f}, @samp{.F} or @samp{.for}, and F90 mode
1845 for the extension @samp{.f90}. GNU Fortran supports both kinds of
1849 * Motion: Fortran Motion. Moving point by statements or subprograms.
1850 * Indent: Fortran Indent. Indentation commands for Fortran.
1851 * Comments: Fortran Comments. Inserting and aligning comments.
1852 * Autofill: Fortran Autofill. Auto fill minor mode for Fortran.
1853 * Columns: Fortran Columns. Measuring columns for valid Fortran.
1854 * Abbrev: Fortran Abbrev. Built-in abbrevs for Fortran keywords.
1857 @node Fortran Motion
1858 @subsection Motion Commands
1860 In addition to the normal commands for moving by and operating on
1861 ``defuns'' (Fortran subprograms---functions and subroutines), Fortran
1862 mode provides special commands to move by statements.
1865 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(Fortran mode)}
1866 @findex fortran-next-statement
1868 Move to beginning of current or next statement
1869 (@code{fortran-next-statement}).
1871 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(Fortran mode)}
1872 @findex fortran-previous-statement
1874 Move to beginning of current or previous statement
1875 (@code{fortran-previous-statement}).
1878 @node Fortran Indent
1879 @subsection Fortran Indentation
1881 Special commands and features are needed for indenting Fortran code in
1882 order to make sure various syntactic entities (line numbers, comment line
1883 indicators and continuation line flags) appear in the columns that are
1884 required for standard Fortran.
1887 * Commands: ForIndent Commands. Commands for indenting and filling Fortran.
1888 * Contline: ForIndent Cont. How continuation lines indent.
1889 * Numbers: ForIndent Num. How line numbers auto-indent.
1890 * Conv: ForIndent Conv. Conventions you must obey to avoid trouble.
1891 * Vars: ForIndent Vars. Variables controlling Fortran indent style.
1894 @node ForIndent Commands
1895 @subsubsection Fortran Indentation and Filling Commands
1899 Break the current line and set up a continuation line
1900 (@code{fortran-split-line}).
1902 Join this line to the previous line (@code{fortran-join-line}).
1904 Indent all the lines of the subprogram point is in
1905 (@code{fortran-indent-subprogram}).
1907 Fill a comment block or statement.
1910 @kindex C-M-q @r{(Fortran mode)}
1911 @findex fortran-indent-subprogram
1912 The key @kbd{C-M-q} runs @code{fortran-indent-subprogram}, a command
1913 to reindent all the lines of the Fortran subprogram (function or
1914 subroutine) containing point.
1916 @kindex C-M-j @r{(Fortran mode)}
1917 @findex fortran-split-line
1918 The key @kbd{C-M-j} runs @code{fortran-split-line}, which splits
1919 a line in the appropriate fashion for Fortran. In a non-comment line,
1920 the second half becomes a continuation line and is indented
1921 accordingly. In a comment line, both halves become separate comment
1924 @kindex M-^ @r{(Fortran mode)}
1925 @kindex C-c C-d @r{(Fortran mode)}
1926 @findex fortran-join-line
1927 @kbd{M-^} or @kbd{C-c C-d} runs the command @code{fortran-join-line},
1928 which joins a continuation line back to the previous line, roughly as
1929 the inverse of @code{fortran-split-line}. The point must be on a
1930 continuation line when this command is invoked.
1932 @kindex M-q @r{(Fortran mode)}
1933 @kbd{M-q} in Fortran mode fills the comment block or statement that
1934 point is in. This removes any excess statement continuations.
1936 @node ForIndent Cont
1937 @subsubsection Continuation Lines
1938 @cindex Fortran continuation lines
1940 @vindex fortran-continuation-string
1941 Most modern Fortran compilers allow two ways of writing continuation
1942 lines. If the first non-space character on a line is in column 5, then
1943 that line is a continuation of the previous line. We call this
1944 @dfn{fixed format}. (In GNU Emacs we always count columns from 0.) The
1945 variable @code{fortran-continuation-string} specifies what character to
1946 put on column 5. A line that starts with a tab character followed by
1947 any digit except @samp{0} is also a continuation line. We call this
1948 style of continuation @dfn{tab format}.
1950 @vindex indent-tabs-mode @r{(Fortran mode)}
1951 Fortran mode can make either style of continuation line, but you
1952 must specify which one you prefer. The value of the variable
1953 @code{indent-tabs-mode} controls the choice: @code{nil} for fixed
1954 format, and non-@code{nil} for tab format. You can tell which style
1955 is presently in effect by the presence or absence of the string
1956 @samp{Tab} in the mode line.
1958 If the text on a line starts with the conventional Fortran
1959 continuation marker @samp{$}, or if it begins with any non-whitespace
1960 character in column 5, Fortran mode treats it as a continuation line.
1961 When you indent a continuation line with @key{TAB}, it converts the line
1962 to the current continuation style. When you split a Fortran statement
1963 with @kbd{C-M-j}, the continuation marker on the newline is created
1964 according to the continuation style.
1966 The setting of continuation style affects several other aspects of
1967 editing in Fortran mode. In fixed format mode, the minimum column
1968 number for the body of a statement is 6. Lines inside of Fortran
1969 blocks that are indented to larger column numbers always use only the
1970 space character for whitespace. In tab format mode, the minimum
1971 column number for the statement body is 8, and the whitespace before
1972 column 8 must always consist of one tab character.
1974 @vindex fortran-tab-mode-default
1975 @vindex fortran-analyze-depth
1976 When you enter Fortran mode for an existing file, it tries to deduce the
1977 proper continuation style automatically from the file contents. The first
1978 line that begins with either a tab character or six spaces determines the
1979 choice. The variable @code{fortran-analyze-depth} specifies how many lines
1980 to consider (at the beginning of the file); if none of those lines
1981 indicates a style, then the variable @code{fortran-tab-mode-default}
1982 specifies the style. If it is @code{nil}, that specifies fixed format, and
1983 non-@code{nil} specifies tab format.
1986 @subsubsection Line Numbers
1988 If a number is the first non-whitespace in the line, Fortran
1989 indentation assumes it is a line number and moves it to columns 0
1990 through 4. (Columns always count from 0 in GNU Emacs.)
1992 @vindex fortran-line-number-indent
1993 Line numbers of four digits or less are normally indented one space.
1994 The variable @code{fortran-line-number-indent} controls this; it
1995 specifies the maximum indentation a line number can have. Line numbers
1996 are indented to right-justify them to end in column 4 unless that would
1997 require more than this maximum indentation. The default value of the
2000 @vindex fortran-electric-line-number
2001 Simply inserting a line number is enough to indent it according to
2002 these rules. As each digit is inserted, the indentation is recomputed.
2003 To turn off this feature, set the variable
2004 @code{fortran-electric-line-number} to @code{nil}. Then inserting line
2005 numbers is like inserting anything else.
2007 @node ForIndent Conv
2008 @subsubsection Syntactic Conventions
2010 Fortran mode assumes that you follow certain conventions that simplify
2011 the task of understanding a Fortran program well enough to indent it
2016 Two nested @samp{do} loops never share a @samp{continue} statement.
2019 Fortran keywords such as @samp{if}, @samp{else}, @samp{then}, @samp{do}
2020 and others are written without embedded whitespace or line breaks.
2022 Fortran compilers generally ignore whitespace outside of string
2023 constants, but Fortran mode does not recognize these keywords if they
2024 are not contiguous. Constructs such as @samp{else if} or @samp{end do}
2025 are acceptable, but the second word should be on the same line as the
2026 first and not on a continuation line.
2030 If you fail to follow these conventions, the indentation commands may
2031 indent some lines unaesthetically. However, a correct Fortran program
2032 retains its meaning when reindented even if the conventions are not
2035 @node ForIndent Vars
2036 @subsubsection Variables for Fortran Indentation
2038 @vindex fortran-do-indent
2039 @vindex fortran-if-indent
2040 @vindex fortran-structure-indent
2041 @vindex fortran-continuation-indent
2042 @vindex fortran-check-all-num@dots{}
2043 @vindex fortran-minimum-statement-indent@dots{}
2044 Several additional variables control how Fortran indentation works:
2047 @item fortran-do-indent
2048 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{do} statement (default 3).
2050 @item fortran-if-indent
2051 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{if} statement (default 3).
2052 This value is also used for extra indentation within each level of the
2053 Fortran 90 @samp{where} statement.
2055 @item fortran-structure-indent
2056 Extra indentation within each level of @samp{structure}, @samp{union}, or
2057 @samp{map} statements (default 3).
2059 @item fortran-continuation-indent
2060 Extra indentation for bodies of continuation lines (default 5).
2062 @item fortran-check-all-num-for-matching-do
2063 If this is @code{nil}, indentation assumes that each @samp{do} statement
2064 ends on a @samp{continue} statement. Therefore, when computing
2065 indentation for a statement other than @samp{continue}, it can save time
2066 by not checking for a @samp{do} statement ending there. If this is
2067 non-@code{nil}, indenting any numbered statement must check for a
2068 @samp{do} that ends there. The default is @code{nil}.
2070 @item fortran-blink-matching-if
2071 If this is @code{t}, indenting an @samp{endif} statement moves the
2072 cursor momentarily to the matching @samp{if} statement to show where it
2073 is. The default is @code{nil}.
2075 @item fortran-minimum-statement-indent-fixed
2076 Minimum indentation for fortran statements when using fixed format
2077 continuation line style. Statement bodies are never indented less than
2078 this much. The default is 6.
2080 @item fortran-minimum-statement-indent-tab
2081 Minimum indentation for fortran statements for tab format continuation line
2082 style. Statement bodies are never indented less than this much. The
2086 @node Fortran Comments
2087 @subsection Fortran Comments
2089 The usual Emacs comment commands assume that a comment can follow a line
2090 of code. In Fortran, the standard comment syntax requires an entire line
2091 to be just a comment. Therefore, Fortran mode replaces the standard Emacs
2092 comment commands and defines some new variables.
2094 Fortran mode can also handle the Fortran90 comment syntax where comments
2095 start with @samp{!} and can follow other text. Because only some Fortran77
2096 compilers accept this syntax, Fortran mode will not insert such comments
2097 unless you have said in advance to do so. To do this, set the variable
2098 @code{comment-start} to @samp{"!"} (@pxref{Variables}).
2102 Align comment or insert new comment (@code{fortran-comment-indent}).
2105 Applies to nonstandard @samp{!} comments only.
2108 Turn all lines of the region into comments, or (with argument) turn them back
2109 into real code (@code{fortran-comment-region}).
2112 @kbd{M-;} in Fortran mode is redefined as the command
2113 @code{fortran-comment-indent}. Like the usual @kbd{M-;} command, this
2114 recognizes any kind of existing comment and aligns its text appropriately;
2115 if there is no existing comment, a comment is inserted and aligned. But
2116 inserting and aligning comments are not the same in Fortran mode as in
2119 When a new comment must be inserted, if the current line is blank, a
2120 full-line comment is inserted. On a non-blank line, a nonstandard @samp{!}
2121 comment is inserted if you have said you want to use them. Otherwise a
2122 full-line comment is inserted on a new line before the current line.
2124 Nonstandard @samp{!} comments are aligned like comments in other
2125 languages, but full-line comments are different. In a standard full-line
2126 comment, the comment delimiter itself must always appear in column zero.
2127 What can be aligned is the text within the comment. You can choose from
2128 three styles of alignment by setting the variable
2129 @code{fortran-comment-indent-style} to one of these values:
2131 @vindex fortran-comment-indent-style
2132 @vindex fortran-comment-line-extra-indent
2135 Align the text at a fixed column, which is the sum of
2136 @code{fortran-comment-line-extra-indent} and the minimum statement
2137 indentation. This is the default.
2139 The minimum statement indentation is
2140 @code{fortran-minimum-statement-indent-fixed} for fixed format
2141 continuation line style and @code{fortran-minimum-statement-indent-tab}
2142 for tab format style.
2145 Align the text as if it were a line of code, but with an additional
2146 @code{fortran-comment-line-extra-indent} columns of indentation.
2149 Don't move text in full-line comments automatically at all.
2152 @vindex fortran-comment-indent-char
2153 In addition, you can specify the character to be used to indent within
2154 full-line comments by setting the variable
2155 @code{fortran-comment-indent-char} to the single-character string you want
2158 @vindex comment-line-start
2159 @vindex comment-line-start-skip
2160 Fortran mode introduces two variables @code{comment-line-start} and
2161 @code{comment-line-start-skip}, which play for full-line comments the same
2162 roles played by @code{comment-start} and @code{comment-start-skip} for
2163 ordinary text-following comments. Normally these are set properly by
2164 Fortran mode, so you do not need to change them.
2166 The normal Emacs comment command @kbd{C-x ;} has not been redefined. If
2167 you use @samp{!} comments, this command can be used with them. Otherwise
2168 it is useless in Fortran mode.
2170 @kindex C-c ; @r{(Fortran mode)}
2171 @findex fortran-comment-region
2172 @vindex fortran-comment-region
2173 The command @kbd{C-c ;} (@code{fortran-comment-region}) turns all the
2174 lines of the region into comments by inserting the string @samp{C$$$} at
2175 the front of each one. With a numeric argument, it turns the region
2176 back into live code by deleting @samp{C$$$} from the front of each line
2177 in it. The string used for these comments can be controlled by setting
2178 the variable @code{fortran-comment-region}. Note that here we have an
2179 example of a command and a variable with the same name; these two uses
2180 of the name never conflict because in Lisp and in Emacs it is always
2181 clear from the context which one is meant.
2183 @node Fortran Autofill
2184 @subsection Fortran Auto Fill Mode
2186 Fortran Auto Fill mode is a minor mode which automatically splits
2187 Fortran statements as you insert them when they become too wide.
2188 Splitting a statement involves making continuation lines using
2189 @code{fortran-continuation-string} (@pxref{ForIndent Cont}). This
2190 splitting happens when you type @key{SPC}, @key{RET}, or @key{TAB}, and
2191 also in the Fortran indentation commands.
2193 @findex fortran-auto-fill-mode
2194 @kbd{M-x fortran-auto-fill-mode} turns Fortran Auto Fill mode on if it
2195 was off, or off if it was on. This command works the same as @kbd{M-x
2196 auto-fill-mode} does for normal Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Filling}). A
2197 positive numeric argument turns Fortran Auto Fill mode on, and a
2198 negative argument turns it off. You can see when Fortran Auto Fill mode
2199 is in effect by the presence of the word @samp{Fill} in the mode line,
2200 inside the parentheses. Fortran Auto Fill mode is a minor mode, turned
2201 on or off for each buffer individually. @xref{Minor Modes}.
2203 @vindex fortran-break-before-delimiters
2204 Fortran Auto Fill mode breaks lines at spaces or delimiters when the
2205 lines get longer than the desired width (the value of @code{fill-column}).
2206 The delimiters that Fortran Auto Fill mode may break at are @samp{,},
2207 @samp{'}, @samp{+}, @samp{-}, @samp{/}, @samp{*}, @samp{=}, and @samp{)}.
2208 The line break comes after the delimiter if the variable
2209 @code{fortran-break-before-delimiters} is @code{nil}. Otherwise (and by
2210 default), the break comes before the delimiter.
2212 By default, Fortran Auto Fill mode is not enabled. If you want this
2213 feature turned on permanently, add a hook function to
2214 @code{fortran-mode-hook} to execute @code{(fortran-auto-fill-mode 1)}.
2217 @node Fortran Columns
2218 @subsection Checking Columns in Fortran
2222 Display a ``column ruler'' momentarily above the current line
2223 (@code{fortran-column-ruler}).
2225 Split the current window horizontally temporarily so that it is 72
2226 columns wide (@code{fortran-window-create-momentarily}). This may
2227 help you avoid making lines longer than the 72-character limit that
2228 some Fortran compilers impose.
2230 Split the current window horizontally so that it is 72 columns wide
2231 (@code{fortran-window-create}). You can then continue editing.
2232 @item M-x fortran-strip-sequence-nos
2233 Delete all text in column 72 and beyond.
2236 @kindex C-c C-r @r{(Fortran mode)}
2237 @findex fortran-column-ruler
2238 The command @kbd{C-c C-r} (@code{fortran-column-ruler}) shows a column
2239 ruler momentarily above the current line. The comment ruler is two lines
2240 of text that show you the locations of columns with special significance in
2241 Fortran programs. Square brackets show the limits of the columns for line
2242 numbers, and curly brackets show the limits of the columns for the
2243 statement body. Column numbers appear above them.
2245 Note that the column numbers count from zero, as always in GNU Emacs.
2246 As a result, the numbers may be one less than those you are familiar
2247 with; but the positions they indicate in the line are standard for
2250 @vindex fortran-column-ruler-fixed
2251 @vindex fortran-column-ruler-tabs
2252 The text used to display the column ruler depends on the value of
2253 the variable @code{indent-tabs-mode}. If @code{indent-tabs-mode} is
2254 @code{nil}, then the value of the variable
2255 @code{fortran-column-ruler-fixed} is used as the column ruler.
2256 Otherwise, the variable @code{fortran-column-ruler-tab} is displayed.
2257 By changing these variables, you can change the column ruler display.
2259 @kindex C-c C-w @r{(Fortran mode)}
2260 @findex fortran-window-create-momentarily
2261 @kbd{C-c C-w} (@code{fortran-window-create-momentarily}) temporarily
2262 splits the current window horizontally, making a window 72 columns
2263 wide, so you can see which lines that is too long. Type a space to
2264 restore the normal width.
2266 @kindex C-u C-c C-w @r{(Fortran mode)}
2267 @findex fortran-window-create
2268 You can also split the window horizontally and continue editing with
2269 the split in place. To do this, use @kbd{C-u C-c C-w} (@code{M-x
2270 fortran-window-create}). By editing in this window you can
2271 immediately see when you make a line too wide to be correct Fortran.
2273 @findex fortran-strip-sequence-nos
2274 The command @kbd{M-x fortran-strip-sequence-nos} deletes all text in
2275 column 72 and beyond, on all lines in the current buffer. This is the
2276 easiest way to get rid of old sequence numbers.
2278 @node Fortran Abbrev
2279 @subsection Fortran Keyword Abbrevs
2281 Fortran mode provides many built-in abbrevs for common keywords and
2282 declarations. These are the same sort of abbrev that you can define
2283 yourself. To use them, you must turn on Abbrev mode. @xref{Abbrevs}.
2285 The built-in abbrevs are unusual in one way: they all start with a
2286 semicolon. You cannot normally use semicolon in an abbrev, but Fortran
2287 mode makes this possible by changing the syntax of semicolon to ``word
2290 For example, one built-in Fortran abbrev is @samp{;c} for
2291 @samp{continue}. If you insert @samp{;c} and then insert a punctuation
2292 character such as a space or a newline, the @samp{;c} expands automatically
2293 to @samp{continue}, provided Abbrev mode is enabled.@refill
2295 Type @samp{;?} or @samp{;C-h} to display a list of all the built-in
2296 Fortran abbrevs and what they stand for.
2302 @cindex assembler mode
2303 Asm mode is a major mode for editing files of assembler code. It
2304 defines these commands:
2308 @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2310 Insert a newline and then indent using @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2312 Insert a colon and then remove the indentation from before the label
2313 preceding colon. Then do @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
2315 Insert or align a comment.
2318 The variable @code{asm-comment-char} specifies which character
2319 starts comments in assembler syntax.