1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
12 @set voltitle Volume 2
16 @settitle GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual: @value{voltitle}
19 @settitle GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual
24 @c See two-volume-cross-refs.txt.
27 \message{Formatting for two volume edition...Volume 1...}
29 % Read special toc file, set up in two-volume.make.
30 \gdef\tocreadfilename{elisp1-toc-ready.toc}
32 % Don't make outlines, they're not needed and \readdatafile can't pay
33 % attention to the special definition above.
34 \global\let\pdfmakeoutlines=\relax
36 % Start volume 1 chapter numbering at 1; this must be listed as chapno0.
40 \message{Formatting for two volume edition...Volume 2...}
42 % Read special toc file, set up in two-volume.make.
43 \gdef\tocreadfilename{elisp2-toc-ready.toc}
45 % Don't make outlines, they're not needed and \readdatafile can't pay
46 % attention to the special definition above.
47 \global\let\pdfmakeoutlines=\relax
49 % Start volume 2 chapter numbering at 27; this must be listed as chapno26
55 @c Version of the manual and of Emacs.
56 @c (See comments for EDITION in emacs.texi)
58 @include emacsver.texi
61 @c in general, keep the following line commented out, unless doing a
62 @c copy of this manual that will be published. The manual should go
63 @c onto the distribution in the full, 8.5 x 11" size.
74 @c per rms and peterb, use 10pt fonts for the main text, mostly to
75 @c save on paper cost.
76 @c Do this inside @tex for now, so current makeinfo does not complain.
81 \global\hbadness=6666 % don't worry about not-too-underfull boxes
89 @c We use the "type index" to index new functions and variables.
90 @c @syncodeindex tp fn
94 This is edition @value{VERSION} of the @cite{GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual},@*
97 This is the @cite{GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}
99 corresponding to Emacs version @value{EMACSVER}.
101 Copyright @copyright{} 1990-1996, 1998-2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
104 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
105 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
106 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
107 Invariant Sections being ``GNU General Public License,'' with the
108 Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual,'' and with the Back-Cover
109 Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the
110 section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License.''
112 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and
113 modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in
114 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
118 @documentencoding ISO-8859-1
120 @dircategory GNU Emacs Lisp
122 * Elisp: (elisp). The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
126 @title GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual
128 @subtitle @value{voltitle}
130 @subtitle For Emacs Version @value{EMACSVER}
131 @subtitle Revision @value{VERSION}, @value{DATE}
133 @author by Bil Lewis, Dan LaLiberte, Richard Stallman,
134 @author the GNU Manual Group, et al.
136 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
140 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
141 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor @*
142 Boston, MA 02110-1301 @*
147 Cover art by Etienne Suvasa.
151 @c Print the tables of contents
164 * Introduction:: Introduction and conventions used.
166 * Lisp Data Types:: Data types of objects in Emacs Lisp.
167 * Numbers:: Numbers and arithmetic functions.
168 * Strings and Characters:: Strings, and functions that work on them.
169 * Lists:: Lists, cons cells, and related functions.
170 * Sequences Arrays Vectors:: Lists, strings and vectors are called sequences.
171 Certain functions act on any kind of sequence.
172 The description of vectors is here as well.
173 * Hash Tables:: Very fast lookup-tables.
174 * Symbols:: Symbols represent names, uniquely.
176 * Evaluation:: How Lisp expressions are evaluated.
177 * Control Structures:: Conditionals, loops, nonlocal exits.
178 * Variables:: Using symbols in programs to stand for values.
179 * Functions:: A function is a Lisp program
180 that can be invoked from other functions.
181 * Macros:: Macros are a way to extend the Lisp language.
182 * Customization:: Making variables and faces customizable.
184 * Loading:: Reading files of Lisp code into Lisp.
185 * Byte Compilation:: Compilation makes programs run faster.
186 * Advising Functions:: Adding to the definition of a function.
187 * Debugging:: Tools and tips for debugging Lisp programs.
189 * Read and Print:: Converting Lisp objects to text and back.
190 * Minibuffers:: Using the minibuffer to read input.
191 * Command Loop:: How the editor command loop works,
192 and how you can call its subroutines.
193 * Keymaps:: Defining the bindings from keys to commands.
194 * Modes:: Defining major and minor modes.
195 * Documentation:: Writing and using documentation strings.
197 * Files:: Accessing files.
198 * Backups and Auto-Saving:: Controlling how backups and auto-save
200 * Buffers:: Creating and using buffer objects.
201 * Windows:: Manipulating windows and displaying buffers.
202 * Frames:: Making multiple system-level windows.
203 * Positions:: Buffer positions and motion functions.
204 * Markers:: Markers represent positions and update
205 automatically when the text is changed.
207 * Text:: Examining and changing text in buffers.
208 * Non-ASCII Characters:: Non-ASCII text in buffers and strings.
209 * Searching and Matching:: Searching buffers for strings or regexps.
210 * Syntax Tables:: The syntax table controls word and list parsing.
211 * Abbrevs:: How Abbrev mode works, and its data structures.
213 * Processes:: Running and communicating with subprocesses.
214 * Display:: Features for controlling the screen display.
215 * System Interface:: Getting the user id, system type, environment
216 variables, and other such things.
218 * Packaging:: Preparing Lisp code for distribution.
222 * Antinews:: Info for users downgrading to Emacs 23.
223 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
224 * GPL:: Conditions for copying and changing GNU Emacs.
225 * Tips:: Advice and coding conventions for Emacs Lisp.
226 * GNU Emacs Internals:: Building and dumping Emacs;
227 internal data structures.
228 * Standard Errors:: List of some standard error symbols.
229 * Standard Keymaps:: List of some standard keymaps.
230 * Standard Hooks:: List of some standard hook variables.
232 * Index:: Index including concepts, functions, variables,
236 * New Symbols:: New functions and variables in Emacs @value{EMACSVER}.
239 @c Do NOT modify the following 3 lines! They must have this form to
240 @c be correctly identified by `texinfo-multiple-files-update'. In
241 @c particular, the detailed menu header line MUST be identical to the
242 @c value of `texinfo-master-menu-header'. See texnfo-upd.el.
245 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
246 ---------------------------------
248 Here are other nodes that are subnodes of those already listed,
249 mentioned here so you can get to them in one step:
253 * Caveats:: Flaws and a request for help.
254 * Lisp History:: Emacs Lisp is descended from Maclisp.
255 * Conventions:: How the manual is formatted.
256 * Version Info:: Which Emacs version is running?
257 * Acknowledgments:: The authors, editors, and sponsors of this manual.
261 * Some Terms:: Explanation of terms we use in this manual.
262 * nil and t:: How the symbols @code{nil} and @code{t} are used.
263 * Evaluation Notation:: The format we use for examples of evaluation.
264 * Printing Notation:: The format we use when examples print text.
265 * Error Messages:: The format we use for examples of errors.
266 * Buffer Text Notation:: The format we use for buffer contents in examples.
267 * Format of Descriptions:: Notation for describing functions, variables, etc.
269 Format of Descriptions
271 * A Sample Function Description:: A description of an imaginary
272 function, @code{foo}.
273 * A Sample Variable Description:: A description of an imaginary
274 variable, @code{electric-future-map}.
278 * Printed Representation:: How Lisp objects are represented as text.
279 * Comments:: Comments and their formatting conventions.
280 * Programming Types:: Types found in all Lisp systems.
281 * Editing Types:: Types specific to Emacs.
282 * Circular Objects:: Read syntax for circular structure.
283 * Type Predicates:: Tests related to types.
284 * Equality Predicates:: Tests of equality between any two objects.
288 * Integer Type:: Numbers without fractional parts.
289 * Floating Point Type:: Numbers with fractional parts and with a large range.
290 * Character Type:: The representation of letters, numbers and
292 * Symbol Type:: A multi-use object that refers to a function,
293 variable, or property list, and has a unique identity.
294 * Sequence Type:: Both lists and arrays are classified as sequences.
295 * Cons Cell Type:: Cons cells, and lists (which are made from cons cells).
296 * Array Type:: Arrays include strings and vectors.
297 * String Type:: An (efficient) array of characters.
298 * Vector Type:: One-dimensional arrays.
299 * Char-Table Type:: One-dimensional sparse arrays indexed by characters.
300 * Bool-Vector Type:: One-dimensional arrays of @code{t} or @code{nil}.
301 * Hash Table Type:: Super-fast lookup tables.
302 * Function Type:: A piece of executable code you can call from elsewhere.
303 * Macro Type:: A method of expanding an expression into another
304 expression, more fundamental but less pretty.
305 * Primitive Function Type:: A function written in C, callable from Lisp.
306 * Byte-Code Type:: A function written in Lisp, then compiled.
307 * Autoload Type:: A type used for automatically loading seldom-used
312 * Basic Char Syntax:: Syntax for regular characters.
313 * General Escape Syntax:: How to specify characters by their codes.
314 * Ctl-Char Syntax:: Syntax for control characters.
315 * Meta-Char Syntax:: Syntax for meta-characters.
316 * Other Char Bits:: Syntax for hyper-, super-, and alt-characters.
318 Cons Cell and List Types
320 * Box Diagrams:: Drawing pictures of lists.
321 * Dotted Pair Notation:: A general syntax for cons cells.
322 * Association List Type:: A specially constructed list.
326 * Syntax for Strings:: How to specify Lisp strings.
327 * Non-ASCII in Strings:: International characters in strings.
328 * Nonprinting Characters:: Literal unprintable characters in strings.
329 * Text Props and Strings:: Strings with text properties.
333 * Buffer Type:: The basic object of editing.
334 * Marker Type:: A position in a buffer.
335 * Window Type:: Buffers are displayed in windows.
336 * Frame Type:: Windows subdivide frames.
337 * Terminal Type:: A terminal device displays frames.
338 * Window Configuration Type:: Recording the way a frame is subdivided.
339 * Frame Configuration Type:: Recording the status of all frames.
340 * Process Type:: A subprocess of Emacs running on the underlying OS.
341 * Stream Type:: Receive or send characters.
342 * Keymap Type:: What function a keystroke invokes.
343 * Overlay Type:: How an overlay is represented.
344 * Font Type:: Fonts for displaying text.
348 * Integer Basics:: Representation and range of integers.
349 * Float Basics:: Representation and range of floating point.
350 * Predicates on Numbers:: Testing for numbers.
351 * Comparison of Numbers:: Equality and inequality predicates.
352 * Numeric Conversions:: Converting float to integer and vice versa.
353 * Arithmetic Operations:: How to add, subtract, multiply and divide.
354 * Rounding Operations:: Explicitly rounding floating point numbers.
355 * Bitwise Operations:: Logical and, or, not, shifting.
356 * Math Functions:: Trig, exponential and logarithmic functions.
357 * Random Numbers:: Obtaining random integers, predictable or not.
359 Strings and Characters
361 * String Basics:: Basic properties of strings and characters.
362 * Predicates for Strings:: Testing whether an object is a string or char.
363 * Creating Strings:: Functions to allocate new strings.
364 * Modifying Strings:: Altering the contents of an existing string.
365 * Text Comparison:: Comparing characters or strings.
366 * String Conversion:: Converting to and from characters and strings.
367 * Formatting Strings:: @code{format}: Emacs's analogue of @code{printf}.
368 * Case Conversion:: Case conversion functions.
369 * Case Tables:: Customizing case conversion.
373 * Cons Cells:: How lists are made out of cons cells.
374 * List-related Predicates:: Is this object a list? Comparing two lists.
375 * List Elements:: Extracting the pieces of a list.
376 * Building Lists:: Creating list structure.
377 * List Variables:: Modifying lists stored in variables.
378 * Modifying Lists:: Storing new pieces into an existing list.
379 * Sets And Lists:: A list can represent a finite mathematical set.
380 * Association Lists:: A list can represent a finite relation or mapping.
382 Modifying Existing List Structure
384 * Setcar:: Replacing an element in a list.
385 * Setcdr:: Replacing part of the list backbone.
386 This can be used to remove or add elements.
387 * Rearrangement:: Reordering the elements in a list; combining lists.
389 Sequences, Arrays, and Vectors
391 * Sequence Functions:: Functions that accept any kind of sequence.
392 * Arrays:: Characteristics of arrays in Emacs Lisp.
393 * Array Functions:: Functions specifically for arrays.
394 * Vectors:: Special characteristics of Emacs Lisp vectors.
395 * Vector Functions:: Functions specifically for vectors.
396 * Char-Tables:: How to work with char-tables.
397 * Bool-Vectors:: How to work with bool-vectors.
398 * Rings:: Managing a fixed-size ring of objects.
402 * Creating Hash:: Functions to create hash tables.
403 * Hash Access:: Reading and writing the hash table contents.
404 * Defining Hash:: Defining new comparison methods.
405 * Other Hash:: Miscellaneous.
409 * Symbol Components:: Symbols have names, values, function definitions
411 * Definitions:: A definition says how a symbol will be used.
412 * Creating Symbols:: How symbols are kept unique.
413 * Property Lists:: Each symbol has a property list
414 for recording miscellaneous information.
418 * Plists and Alists:: Comparison of the advantages of property
419 lists and association lists.
420 * Symbol Plists:: Functions to access symbols' property lists.
421 * Other Plists:: Accessing property lists stored elsewhere.
425 * Intro Eval:: Evaluation in the scheme of things.
426 * Forms:: How various sorts of objects are evaluated.
427 * Quoting:: Avoiding evaluation (to put constants in
429 * Backquote:: Easier construction of list structure.
430 * Eval:: How to invoke the Lisp interpreter explicitly.
434 * Self-Evaluating Forms:: Forms that evaluate to themselves.
435 * Symbol Forms:: Symbols evaluate as variables.
436 * Classifying Lists:: How to distinguish various sorts of list forms.
437 * Function Indirection:: When a symbol appears as the car of a list,
438 we find the real function via the symbol.
439 * Function Forms:: Forms that call functions.
440 * Macro Forms:: Forms that call macros.
441 * Special Forms:: "Special forms" are idiosyncratic primitives,
442 most of them extremely important.
443 * Autoloading:: Functions set up to load files
444 containing their real definitions.
448 * Sequencing:: Evaluation in textual order.
449 * Conditionals:: @code{if}, @code{cond}, @code{when}, @code{unless}.
450 * Combining Conditions:: @code{and}, @code{or}, @code{not}.
451 * Iteration:: @code{while} loops.
452 * Nonlocal Exits:: Jumping out of a sequence.
456 * Catch and Throw:: Nonlocal exits for the program's own purposes.
457 * Examples of Catch:: Showing how such nonlocal exits can be written.
458 * Errors:: How errors are signaled and handled.
459 * Cleanups:: Arranging to run a cleanup form if an
464 * Signaling Errors:: How to report an error.
465 * Processing of Errors:: What Emacs does when you report an error.
466 * Handling Errors:: How you can trap errors and continue execution.
467 * Error Symbols:: How errors are classified for trapping them.
471 * Global Variables:: Variable values that exist permanently, everywhere.
472 * Constant Variables:: Certain "variables" have values that never change.
473 * Local Variables:: Variable values that exist only temporarily.
474 * Void Variables:: Symbols that lack values.
475 * Defining Variables:: A definition says a symbol is used as a variable.
476 * Tips for Defining:: Things you should think about when you
478 * Accessing Variables:: Examining values of variables whose names
479 are known only at run time.
480 * Setting Variables:: Storing new values in variables.
481 * Variable Scoping:: How Lisp chooses among local and global values.
482 * Buffer-Local Variables:: Variable values in effect only in one buffer.
483 * File Local Variables:: Handling local variable lists in files.
484 * Directory Local Variables:: Local variables common to all files in a
486 * Variable Aliases:: Variables that are aliases for other variables.
487 * Variables with Restricted Values:: Non-constant variables whose value can
488 @emph{not} be an arbitrary Lisp object.
489 * Generalized Variables:: Extending the concept of variables.
491 Scoping Rules for Variable Bindings
493 * Dynamic Binding:: The default for binding local variables in Emacs.
494 * Dynamic Binding Tips:: Avoiding problems with dynamic binding.
495 * Lexical Binding:: A different type of local variable binding.
496 * Using Lexical Binding:: How to enable lexical binding.
498 Buffer-Local Variables
500 * Intro to Buffer-Local:: Introduction and concepts.
501 * Creating Buffer-Local:: Creating and destroying buffer-local bindings.
502 * Default Value:: The default value is seen in buffers
503 that don't have their own buffer-local values.
505 Generalized Variables
507 * Setting Generalized Variables:: The @code{setf} macro.
508 * Adding Generalized Variables:: Defining new @code{setf} forms.
512 * What Is a Function:: Lisp functions vs. primitives; terminology.
513 * Lambda Expressions:: How functions are expressed as Lisp objects.
514 * Function Names:: A symbol can serve as the name of a function.
515 * Defining Functions:: Lisp expressions for defining functions.
516 * Calling Functions:: How to use an existing function.
517 * Mapping Functions:: Applying a function to each element of a list, etc.
518 * Anonymous Functions:: Lambda expressions are functions with no names.
519 * Function Cells:: Accessing or setting the function definition
521 * Closures:: Functions that enclose a lexical environment.
522 * Obsolete Functions:: Declaring functions obsolete.
523 * Inline Functions:: Defining functions that the compiler
525 * Declare Form:: Adding additional information about a function.
526 * Declaring Functions:: Telling the compiler that a function is defined.
527 * Function Safety:: Determining whether a function is safe to call.
528 * Related Topics:: Cross-references to specific Lisp primitives
529 that have a special bearing on how
534 * Lambda Components:: The parts of a lambda expression.
535 * Simple Lambda:: A simple example.
536 * Argument List:: Details and special features of argument lists.
537 * Function Documentation:: How to put documentation in a function.
541 * Simple Macro:: A basic example.
542 * Expansion:: How, when and why macros are expanded.
543 * Compiling Macros:: How macros are expanded by the compiler.
544 * Defining Macros:: How to write a macro definition.
545 * Problems with Macros:: Don't evaluate the macro arguments too many times.
546 Don't hide the user's variables.
547 * Indenting Macros:: Specifying how to indent macro calls.
549 Common Problems Using Macros
551 * Wrong Time:: Do the work in the expansion, not in the macro.
552 * Argument Evaluation:: The expansion should evaluate each macro arg once.
553 * Surprising Local Vars:: Local variable bindings in the expansion
554 require special care.
555 * Eval During Expansion:: Don't evaluate them; put them in the expansion.
556 * Repeated Expansion:: Avoid depending on how many times expansion is done.
558 Customization Settings
560 * Common Keywords:: Common keyword arguments for all kinds of
561 customization declarations.
562 * Group Definitions:: Writing customization group definitions.
563 * Variable Definitions:: Declaring user options.
564 * Customization Types:: Specifying the type of a user option.
565 * Applying Customizations:: Functions to apply customization settings.
566 * Custom Themes:: Writing Custom themes.
570 * Simple Types:: Simple customization types: sexp, integer, etc.
571 * Composite Types:: Build new types from other types or data.
572 * Splicing into Lists:: Splice elements into list with @code{:inline}.
573 * Type Keywords:: Keyword-argument pairs in a customization type.
574 * Defining New Types:: Give your type a name.
578 * How Programs Do Loading:: The @code{load} function and others.
579 * Load Suffixes:: Details about the suffixes that @code{load} tries.
580 * Library Search:: Finding a library to load.
581 * Loading Non-ASCII:: Non-@acronym{ASCII} characters in Emacs Lisp files.
582 * Autoload:: Setting up a function to autoload.
583 * Repeated Loading:: Precautions about loading a file twice.
584 * Named Features:: Loading a library if it isn't already loaded.
585 * Where Defined:: Finding which file defined a certain symbol.
586 * Unloading:: How to "unload" a library that was loaded.
587 * Hooks for Loading:: Providing code to be run when
588 particular libraries are loaded.
592 * Speed of Byte-Code:: An example of speedup from byte compilation.
593 * Compilation Functions:: Byte compilation functions.
594 * Docs and Compilation:: Dynamic loading of documentation strings.
595 * Dynamic Loading:: Dynamic loading of individual functions.
596 * Eval During Compile:: Code to be evaluated when you compile.
597 * Compiler Errors:: Handling compiler error messages.
598 * Byte-Code Objects:: The data type used for byte-compiled functions.
599 * Disassembly:: Disassembling byte-code; how to read byte-code.
601 Advising Emacs Lisp Functions
603 * Simple Advice:: A simple example to explain the basics of advice.
604 * Defining Advice:: Detailed description of @code{defadvice}.
605 * Around-Advice:: Wrapping advice around a function's definition.
606 * Computed Advice:: ...is to @code{defadvice} as @code{fset} is to @code{defun}.
607 * Activation of Advice:: Advice doesn't do anything until you activate it.
608 * Enabling Advice:: You can enable or disable each piece of advice.
609 * Preactivation:: Preactivation is a way of speeding up the
610 loading of compiled advice.
611 * Argument Access in Advice:: How advice can access the function's arguments.
612 * Combined Definition:: How advice is implemented.
614 Debugging Lisp Programs
616 * Debugger:: A debugger for the Emacs Lisp evaluator.
617 * Edebug:: A source-level Emacs Lisp debugger.
618 * Syntax Errors:: How to find syntax errors.
619 * Test Coverage:: Ensuring you have tested all branches in your code.
623 * Error Debugging:: Entering the debugger when an error happens.
624 * Infinite Loops:: Stopping and debugging a program that doesn't exit.
625 * Function Debugging:: Entering it when a certain function is called.
626 * Explicit Debug:: Entering it at a certain point in the program.
627 * Using Debugger:: What the debugger does; what you see while in it.
628 * Debugger Commands:: Commands used while in the debugger.
629 * Invoking the Debugger:: How to call the function @code{debug}.
630 * Internals of Debugger:: Subroutines of the debugger, and global variables.
634 * Using Edebug:: Introduction to use of Edebug.
635 * Instrumenting:: You must instrument your code
636 in order to debug it with Edebug.
637 * Edebug Execution Modes:: Execution modes, stopping more or less often.
638 * Jumping:: Commands to jump to a specified place.
639 * Edebug Misc:: Miscellaneous commands.
640 * Breaks:: Setting breakpoints to make the program stop.
641 * Trapping Errors:: Trapping errors with Edebug.
642 * Edebug Views:: Views inside and outside of Edebug.
643 * Edebug Eval:: Evaluating expressions within Edebug.
644 * Eval List:: Expressions whose values are displayed
645 each time you enter Edebug.
646 * Printing in Edebug:: Customization of printing.
647 * Trace Buffer:: How to produce trace output in a buffer.
648 * Coverage Testing:: How to test evaluation coverage.
649 * The Outside Context:: Data that Edebug saves and restores.
650 * Edebug and Macros:: Specifying how to handle macro calls.
651 * Edebug Options:: Option variables for customizing Edebug.
655 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints at stop points.
656 * Global Break Condition:: Breaking on an event.
657 * Source Breakpoints:: Embedding breakpoints in source code.
661 * Checking Whether to Stop::When Edebug decides what to do.
662 * Edebug Display Update:: When Edebug updates the display.
663 * Edebug Recursive Edit:: When Edebug stops execution.
667 * Instrumenting Macro Calls::The basic problem.
668 * Specification List:: How to specify complex patterns of evaluation.
669 * Backtracking:: What Edebug does when matching fails.
670 * Specification Examples:: To help understand specifications.
672 Debugging Invalid Lisp Syntax
674 * Excess Open:: How to find a spurious open paren or missing close.
675 * Excess Close:: How to find a spurious close paren or missing open.
677 Reading and Printing Lisp Objects
679 * Streams Intro:: Overview of streams, reading and printing.
680 * Input Streams:: Various data types that can be used as
682 * Input Functions:: Functions to read Lisp objects from text.
683 * Output Streams:: Various data types that can be used as
685 * Output Functions:: Functions to print Lisp objects as text.
686 * Output Variables:: Variables that control what the printing
691 * Intro to Minibuffers:: Basic information about minibuffers.
692 * Text from Minibuffer:: How to read a straight text string.
693 * Object from Minibuffer:: How to read a Lisp object or expression.
694 * Minibuffer History:: Recording previous minibuffer inputs
695 so the user can reuse them.
696 * Initial Input:: Specifying initial contents for the minibuffer.
697 * Completion:: How to invoke and customize completion.
698 * Yes-or-No Queries:: Asking a question with a simple answer.
699 * Multiple Queries:: Asking a series of similar questions.
700 * Reading a Password:: Reading a password from the terminal.
701 * Minibuffer Commands:: Commands used as key bindings in minibuffers.
702 * Minibuffer Windows:: Operating on the special minibuffer windows.
703 * Minibuffer Contents:: How such commands access the minibuffer text.
704 * Recursive Mini:: Whether recursive entry to minibuffer is allowed.
705 * Minibuffer Misc:: Various customization hooks and variables.
709 * Basic Completion:: Low-level functions for completing strings.
710 * Minibuffer Completion:: Invoking the minibuffer with completion.
711 * Completion Commands:: Minibuffer commands that do completion.
712 * High-Level Completion:: Convenient special cases of completion
713 (reading buffer names, variable names, etc.).
714 * Reading File Names:: Using completion to read file names and
716 * Completion Variables:: Variables controlling completion behavior.
717 * Programmed Completion:: Writing your own completion function.
718 * Completion in Buffers:: Completing text in ordinary buffers.
722 * Command Overview:: How the command loop reads commands.
723 * Defining Commands:: Specifying how a function should read arguments.
724 * Interactive Call:: Calling a command, so that it will read arguments.
725 * Distinguish Interactive:: Making a command distinguish interactive calls.
726 * Command Loop Info:: Variables set by the command loop for you to examine.
727 * Adjusting Point:: Adjustment of point after a command.
728 * Input Events:: What input looks like when you read it.
729 * Reading Input:: How to read input events from the keyboard or mouse.
730 * Special Events:: Events processed immediately and individually.
731 * Waiting:: Waiting for user input or elapsed time.
732 * Quitting:: How @kbd{C-g} works. How to catch or defer quitting.
733 * Prefix Command Arguments:: How the commands to set prefix args work.
734 * Recursive Editing:: Entering a recursive edit,
735 and why you usually shouldn't.
736 * Disabling Commands:: How the command loop handles disabled commands.
737 * Command History:: How the command history is set up, and how accessed.
738 * Keyboard Macros:: How keyboard macros are implemented.
742 * Using Interactive:: General rules for @code{interactive}.
743 * Interactive Codes:: The standard letter-codes for reading arguments
745 * Interactive Examples:: Examples of how to read interactive arguments.
749 * Keyboard Events:: Ordinary characters--keys with symbols on them.
750 * Function Keys:: Function keys--keys with names, not symbols.
751 * Mouse Events:: Overview of mouse events.
752 * Click Events:: Pushing and releasing a mouse button.
753 * Drag Events:: Moving the mouse before releasing the button.
754 * Button-Down Events:: A button was pushed and not yet released.
755 * Repeat Events:: Double and triple click (or drag, or down).
756 * Motion Events:: Just moving the mouse, not pushing a button.
757 * Focus Events:: Moving the mouse between frames.
758 * Misc Events:: Other events the system can generate.
759 * Event Examples:: Examples of the lists for mouse events.
760 * Classifying Events:: Finding the modifier keys in an event symbol.
762 * Accessing Mouse:: Functions to extract info from mouse events.
763 * Accessing Scroll:: Functions to get info from scroll bar events.
764 * Strings of Events:: Special considerations for putting
765 keyboard character events in a string.
769 * Key Sequence Input:: How to read one key sequence.
770 * Reading One Event:: How to read just one event.
771 * Event Mod:: How Emacs modifies events as they are read.
772 * Invoking the Input Method:: How reading an event uses the input method.
773 * Quoted Character Input:: Asking the user to specify a character.
774 * Event Input Misc:: How to reread or throw away input events.
778 * Key Sequences:: Key sequences as Lisp objects.
779 * Keymap Basics:: Basic concepts of keymaps.
780 * Format of Keymaps:: What a keymap looks like as a Lisp object.
781 * Creating Keymaps:: Functions to create and copy keymaps.
782 * Inheritance and Keymaps:: How one keymap can inherit the bindings
784 * Prefix Keys:: Defining a key with a keymap as its definition.
785 * Active Keymaps:: How Emacs searches the active keymaps
787 * Searching Keymaps:: A pseudo-Lisp summary of searching active maps.
788 * Controlling Active Maps:: Each buffer has a local keymap
789 to override the standard (global) bindings.
790 A minor mode can also override them.
791 * Key Lookup:: Finding a key's binding in one keymap.
792 * Functions for Key Lookup:: How to request key lookup.
793 * Changing Key Bindings:: Redefining a key in a keymap.
794 * Remapping Commands:: A keymap can translate one command to another.
795 * Translation Keymaps:: Keymaps for translating sequences of events.
796 * Key Binding Commands:: Interactive interfaces for redefining keys.
797 * Scanning Keymaps:: Looking through all keymaps, for printing help.
798 * Menu Keymaps:: Defining a menu as a keymap.
802 * Defining Menus:: How to make a keymap that defines a menu.
803 * Mouse Menus:: How users actuate the menu with the mouse.
804 * Keyboard Menus:: How users actuate the menu with the keyboard.
805 * Menu Example:: Making a simple menu.
806 * Menu Bar:: How to customize the menu bar.
807 * Tool Bar:: A tool bar is a row of images.
808 * Modifying Menus:: How to add new items to a menu.
809 * Easy Menu:: A convenience macro for defining menus.
813 * Simple Menu Items:: A simple kind of menu key binding.
814 * Extended Menu Items:: More complex menu item definitions.
815 * Menu Separators:: Drawing a horizontal line through a menu.
816 * Alias Menu Items:: Using command aliases in menu items.
818 Major and Minor Modes
820 * Hooks:: How to use hooks; how to write code that provides hooks.
821 * Major Modes:: Defining major modes.
822 * Minor Modes:: Defining minor modes.
823 * Mode Line Format:: Customizing the text that appears in the mode line.
824 * Imenu:: Providing a menu of definitions made in a buffer.
825 * Font Lock Mode:: How modes can highlight text according to syntax.
826 * Auto-Indentation:: How to teach Emacs to indent for a major mode.
827 * Desktop Save Mode:: How modes can have buffer state saved between
832 * Running Hooks:: How to run a hook.
833 * Setting Hooks:: How to put functions on a hook, or remove them.
837 * Major Mode Conventions:: Coding conventions for keymaps, etc.
838 * Auto Major Mode:: How Emacs chooses the major mode automatically.
839 * Mode Help:: Finding out how to use a mode.
840 * Derived Modes:: Defining a new major mode based on another major
842 * Basic Major Modes:: Modes that other modes are often derived from.
843 * Mode Hooks:: Hooks run at the end of major mode functions.
844 * Tabulated List Mode:: Parent mode for buffers containing tabulated data.
845 * Generic Modes:: Defining a simple major mode that supports
846 comment syntax and Font Lock mode.
847 * Example Major Modes:: Text mode and Lisp modes.
851 * Minor Mode Conventions:: Tips for writing a minor mode.
852 * Keymaps and Minor Modes:: How a minor mode can have its own keymap.
853 * Defining Minor Modes:: A convenient facility for defining minor modes.
857 * Mode Line Basics:: Basic ideas of mode line control.
858 * Mode Line Data:: The data structure that controls the mode line.
859 * Mode Line Top:: The top level variable, mode-line-format.
860 * Mode Line Variables:: Variables used in that data structure.
861 * %-Constructs:: Putting information into a mode line.
862 * Properties in Mode:: Using text properties in the mode line.
863 * Header Lines:: Like a mode line, but at the top.
864 * Emulating Mode Line:: Formatting text as the mode line would.
868 * Font Lock Basics:: Overview of customizing Font Lock.
869 * Search-based Fontification:: Fontification based on regexps.
870 * Customizing Keywords:: Customizing search-based fontification.
871 * Other Font Lock Variables:: Additional customization facilities.
872 * Levels of Font Lock:: Each mode can define alternative levels
873 so that the user can select more or less.
874 * Precalculated Fontification:: How Lisp programs that produce the buffer
875 contents can also specify how to fontify it.
876 * Faces for Font Lock:: Special faces specifically for Font Lock.
877 * Syntactic Font Lock:: Fontification based on syntax tables.
878 * Multiline Font Lock:: How to coerce Font Lock into properly
879 highlighting multiline constructs.
881 Multiline Font Lock Constructs
883 * Font Lock Multiline:: Marking multiline chunks with a text property.
884 * Region to Refontify:: Controlling which region gets refontified
885 after a buffer change.
887 Automatic Indentation of code
889 * SMIE:: A simple minded indentation engine.
891 Simple Minded Indentation Engine
893 * SMIE setup:: SMIE setup and features.
894 * Operator Precedence Grammars:: A very simple parsing technique.
895 * SMIE Grammar:: Defining the grammar of a language.
896 * SMIE Lexer:: Defining tokens.
897 * SMIE Tricks:: Working around the parser's limitations.
898 * SMIE Indentation:: Specifying indentation rules.
899 * SMIE Indentation Helpers:: Helper functions for indentation rules.
900 * SMIE Indentation Example:: Sample indentation rules.
904 * Documentation Basics:: Where doc strings are defined and stored.
905 * Accessing Documentation:: How Lisp programs can access doc strings.
906 * Keys in Documentation:: Substituting current key bindings.
907 * Describing Characters:: Making printable descriptions of
908 non-printing characters and key sequences.
909 * Help Functions:: Subroutines used by Emacs help facilities.
913 * Visiting Files:: Reading files into Emacs buffers for editing.
914 * Saving Buffers:: Writing changed buffers back into files.
915 * Reading from Files:: Reading files into buffers without visiting.
916 * Writing to Files:: Writing new files from parts of buffers.
917 * File Locks:: Locking and unlocking files, to prevent
918 simultaneous editing by two people.
919 * Information about Files:: Testing existence, accessibility, size of files.
920 * Changing Files:: Renaming files, changing permissions, etc.
921 * File Names:: Decomposing and expanding file names.
922 * Contents of Directories:: Getting a list of the files in a directory.
923 * Create/Delete Dirs:: Creating and Deleting Directories.
924 * Magic File Names:: Special handling for certain file names.
925 * Format Conversion:: Conversion to and from various file formats.
929 * Visiting Functions:: The usual interface functions for visiting.
930 * Subroutines of Visiting:: Lower-level subroutines that they use.
932 Information about Files
934 * Testing Accessibility:: Is a given file readable? Writable?
935 * Kinds of Files:: Is it a directory? A symbolic link?
936 * Truenames:: Eliminating symbolic links from a file name.
937 * File Attributes:: How large is it? Any other names? Etc.
938 * Locating Files:: How to find a file in standard places.
942 * File Name Components:: The directory part of a file name, and the rest.
943 * Relative File Names:: Some file names are relative to a current directory.
944 * Directory Names:: A directory's name as a directory
945 is different from its name as a file.
946 * File Name Expansion:: Converting relative file names to absolute ones.
947 * Unique File Names:: Generating names for temporary files.
948 * File Name Completion:: Finding the completions for a given file name.
949 * Standard File Names:: If your package uses a fixed file name,
950 how to handle various operating systems simply.
952 File Format Conversion
954 * Format Conversion Overview:: @code{insert-file-contents} and @code{write-region}.
955 * Format Conversion Round-Trip:: Using @code{format-alist}.
956 * Format Conversion Piecemeal:: Specifying non-paired conversion.
958 Backups and Auto-Saving
960 * Backup Files:: How backup files are made; how their names
962 * Auto-Saving:: How auto-save files are made; how their
964 * Reverting:: @code{revert-buffer}, and how to customize
969 * Making Backups:: How Emacs makes backup files, and when.
970 * Rename or Copy:: Two alternatives: renaming the old file
972 * Numbered Backups:: Keeping multiple backups for each source file.
973 * Backup Names:: How backup file names are computed; customization.
977 * Buffer Basics:: What is a buffer?
978 * Current Buffer:: Designating a buffer as current
979 so that primitives will access its contents.
980 * Buffer Names:: Accessing and changing buffer names.
981 * Buffer File Name:: The buffer file name indicates which file
983 * Buffer Modification:: A buffer is @dfn{modified} if it needs to be saved.
984 * Modification Time:: Determining whether the visited file was changed
985 "behind Emacs's back".
986 * Read Only Buffers:: Modifying text is not allowed in a
988 * The Buffer List:: How to look at all the existing buffers.
989 * Creating Buffers:: Functions that create buffers.
990 * Killing Buffers:: Buffers exist until explicitly killed.
991 * Indirect Buffers:: An indirect buffer shares text with some
993 * Swapping Text:: Swapping text between two buffers.
994 * Buffer Gap:: The gap in the buffer.
998 * Basic Windows:: Basic information on using windows.
999 * Windows and Frames:: Relating windows to the frame they appear on.
1000 * Window Sizes:: Accessing a window's size.
1001 * Resizing Windows:: Changing the sizes of windows.
1002 * Splitting Windows:: Splitting one window into two windows.
1003 * Deleting Windows:: Deleting a window gives its space to other windows.
1004 * Recombining Windows:: Preserving the frame layout when splitting and
1006 * Selecting Windows:: The selected window is the one that you edit in.
1007 * Cyclic Window Ordering:: Moving around the existing windows.
1008 * Buffers and Windows:: Each window displays the contents of a buffer.
1009 * Switching Buffers:: Higher-level functions for switching to a buffer.
1010 * Choosing Window:: How to choose a window for displaying a buffer.
1011 * Display Action Functions:: Subroutines for @code{display-buffer}.
1012 * Choosing Window Options:: Extra options affecting how buffers are displayed.
1013 * Window History:: Each window remembers the buffers displayed in it.
1014 * Dedicated Windows:: How to avoid displaying another buffer in
1016 * Quitting Windows:: How to restore the state prior to displaying a
1018 * Window Point:: Each window has its own location of point.
1019 * Window Start and End:: Buffer positions indicating which text is
1020 on-screen in a window.
1021 * Textual Scrolling:: Moving text up and down through the window.
1022 * Vertical Scrolling:: Moving the contents up and down on the window.
1023 * Horizontal Scrolling:: Moving the contents sideways on the window.
1024 * Coordinates and Windows:: Converting coordinates to windows.
1025 * Window Configurations:: Saving and restoring the state of the screen.
1026 * Window Parameters:: Associating additional information with windows.
1027 * Window Hooks:: Hooks for scrolling, window size changes,
1028 redisplay going past a certain point,
1029 or window configuration changes.
1033 * Creating Frames:: Creating additional frames.
1034 * Multiple Terminals:: Displaying on several different devices.
1035 * Frame Parameters:: Controlling frame size, position, font, etc.
1036 * Terminal Parameters:: Parameters common for all frames on terminal.
1037 * Frame Titles:: Automatic updating of frame titles.
1038 * Deleting Frames:: Frames last until explicitly deleted.
1039 * Finding All Frames:: How to examine all existing frames.
1040 * Minibuffers and Frames:: How a frame finds the minibuffer to use.
1041 * Input Focus:: Specifying the selected frame.
1042 * Visibility of Frames:: Frames may be visible or invisible, or icons.
1043 * Raising and Lowering:: Raising a frame makes it hide other windows;
1044 lowering it makes the others hide it.
1045 * Frame Configurations:: Saving the state of all frames.
1046 * Mouse Tracking:: Getting events that say when the mouse moves.
1047 * Mouse Position:: Asking where the mouse is, or moving it.
1048 * Pop-Up Menus:: Displaying a menu for the user to select from.
1049 * Dialog Boxes:: Displaying a box to ask yes or no.
1050 * Pointer Shape:: Specifying the shape of the mouse pointer.
1051 * Window System Selections::Transferring text to and from other X clients.
1052 * Drag and Drop:: Internals of Drag-and-Drop implementation.
1053 * Color Names:: Getting the definitions of color names.
1054 * Text Terminal Colors:: Defining colors for text terminals.
1055 * Resources:: Getting resource values from the server.
1056 * Display Feature Testing:: Determining the features of a terminal.
1060 * Parameter Access:: How to change a frame's parameters.
1061 * Initial Parameters:: Specifying frame parameters when you make a frame.
1062 * Window Frame Parameters:: List of frame parameters for window systems.
1063 * Size and Position:: Changing the size and position of a frame.
1064 * Geometry:: Parsing geometry specifications.
1066 Window Frame Parameters
1068 * Basic Parameters:: Parameters that are fundamental.
1069 * Position Parameters:: The position of the frame on the screen.
1070 * Size Parameters:: Frame's size.
1071 * Layout Parameters:: Size of parts of the frame, and
1072 enabling or disabling some parts.
1073 * Buffer Parameters:: Which buffers have been or should be shown.
1074 * Management Parameters:: Communicating with the window manager.
1075 * Cursor Parameters:: Controlling the cursor appearance.
1076 * Font and Color Parameters:: Fonts and colors for the frame text.
1080 * Point:: The special position where editing takes place.
1081 * Motion:: Changing point.
1082 * Excursions:: Temporary motion and buffer changes.
1083 * Narrowing:: Restricting editing to a portion of the buffer.
1087 * Character Motion:: Moving in terms of characters.
1088 * Word Motion:: Moving in terms of words.
1089 * Buffer End Motion:: Moving to the beginning or end of the buffer.
1090 * Text Lines:: Moving in terms of lines of text.
1091 * Screen Lines:: Moving in terms of lines as displayed.
1092 * List Motion:: Moving by parsing lists and sexps.
1093 * Skipping Characters:: Skipping characters belonging to a certain set.
1097 * Overview of Markers:: The components of a marker, and how it relocates.
1098 * Predicates on Markers:: Testing whether an object is a marker.
1099 * Creating Markers:: Making empty markers or markers at certain places.
1100 * Information from Markers::Finding the marker's buffer or character position.
1101 * Marker Insertion Types:: Two ways a marker can relocate when you
1102 insert where it points.
1103 * Moving Markers:: Moving the marker to a new buffer or position.
1104 * The Mark:: How "the mark" is implemented with a marker.
1105 * The Region:: How to access "the region".
1109 * Near Point:: Examining text in the vicinity of point.
1110 * Buffer Contents:: Examining text in a general fashion.
1111 * Comparing Text:: Comparing substrings of buffers.
1112 * Insertion:: Adding new text to a buffer.
1113 * Commands for Insertion:: User-level commands to insert text.
1114 * Deletion:: Removing text from a buffer.
1115 * User-Level Deletion:: User-level commands to delete text.
1116 * The Kill Ring:: Where removed text sometimes is saved for
1118 * Undo:: Undoing changes to the text of a buffer.
1119 * Maintaining Undo:: How to enable and disable undo information.
1120 How to control how much information is kept.
1121 * Filling:: Functions for explicit filling.
1122 * Margins:: How to specify margins for filling commands.
1123 * Adaptive Fill:: Adaptive Fill mode chooses a fill prefix
1125 * Auto Filling:: How auto-fill mode is implemented to break lines.
1126 * Sorting:: Functions for sorting parts of the buffer.
1127 * Columns:: Computing horizontal positions, and using them.
1128 * Indentation:: Functions to insert or adjust indentation.
1129 * Case Changes:: Case conversion of parts of the buffer.
1130 * Text Properties:: Assigning Lisp property lists to text characters.
1131 * Substitution:: Replacing a given character wherever it appears.
1132 * Registers:: How registers are implemented. Accessing
1133 the text or position stored in a register.
1134 * Transposition:: Swapping two portions of a buffer.
1135 * Base 64:: Conversion to or from base 64 encoding.
1136 * Checksum/Hash:: Computing cryptographic hashes.
1137 * Parsing HTML/XML:: Parsing HTML and XML.
1138 * Atomic Changes:: Installing several buffer changes "atomically".
1139 * Change Hooks:: Supplying functions to be run when text is changed.
1143 * Kill Ring Concepts:: What text looks like in the kill ring.
1144 * Kill Functions:: Functions that kill text.
1145 * Yanking:: How yanking is done.
1146 * Yank Commands:: Commands that access the kill ring.
1147 * Low-Level Kill Ring:: Functions and variables for kill ring access.
1148 * Internals of Kill Ring:: Variables that hold kill ring data.
1152 * Primitive Indent:: Functions used to count and insert indentation.
1153 * Mode-Specific Indent:: Customize indentation for different modes.
1154 * Region Indent:: Indent all the lines in a region.
1155 * Relative Indent:: Indent the current line based on previous lines.
1156 * Indent Tabs:: Adjustable, typewriter-like tab stops.
1157 * Motion by Indent:: Move to first non-blank character.
1161 * Examining Properties:: Looking at the properties of one character.
1162 * Changing Properties:: Setting the properties of a range of text.
1163 * Property Search:: Searching for where a property changes value.
1164 * Special Properties:: Particular properties with special meanings.
1165 * Format Properties:: Properties for representing formatting of text.
1166 * Sticky Properties:: How inserted text gets properties from
1168 * Lazy Properties:: Computing text properties in a lazy fashion
1169 only when text is examined.
1170 * Clickable Text:: Using text properties to make regions of text
1171 do something when you click on them.
1172 * Fields:: The @code{field} property defines
1173 fields within the buffer.
1174 * Not Intervals:: Why text properties do not use
1175 Lisp-visible text intervals.
1177 Non-@acronym{ASCII} Characters
1179 * Text Representations:: How Emacs represents text.
1180 * Converting Representations:: Converting unibyte to multibyte and vice versa.
1181 * Selecting a Representation:: Treating a byte sequence as unibyte or multi.
1182 * Character Codes:: How unibyte and multibyte relate to
1183 codes of individual characters.
1184 * Character Properties:: Character attributes that define their
1185 behavior and handling.
1186 * Character Sets:: The space of possible character codes
1187 is divided into various character sets.
1188 * Scanning Charsets:: Which character sets are used in a buffer?
1189 * Translation of Characters:: Translation tables are used for conversion.
1190 * Coding Systems:: Coding systems are conversions for saving files.
1191 * Input Methods:: Input methods allow users to enter various
1192 non-ASCII characters without special keyboards.
1193 * Locales:: Interacting with the POSIX locale.
1197 * Coding System Basics:: Basic concepts.
1198 * Encoding and I/O:: How file I/O functions handle coding systems.
1199 * Lisp and Coding Systems:: Functions to operate on coding system names.
1200 * User-Chosen Coding Systems:: Asking the user to choose a coding system.
1201 * Default Coding Systems:: Controlling the default choices.
1202 * Specifying Coding Systems:: Requesting a particular coding system
1203 for a single file operation.
1204 * Explicit Encoding:: Encoding or decoding text without doing I/O.
1205 * Terminal I/O Encoding:: Use of encoding for terminal I/O.
1206 * MS-DOS File Types:: How DOS "text" and "binary" files
1207 relate to coding systems.
1209 Searching and Matching
1211 * String Search:: Search for an exact match.
1212 * Searching and Case:: Case-independent or case-significant searching.
1213 * Regular Expressions:: Describing classes of strings.
1214 * Regexp Search:: Searching for a match for a regexp.
1215 * POSIX Regexps:: Searching POSIX-style for the longest match.
1216 * Match Data:: Finding out which part of the text matched,
1217 after a string or regexp search.
1218 * Search and Replace:: Commands that loop, searching and replacing.
1219 * Standard Regexps:: Useful regexps for finding sentences, pages,...
1223 * Syntax of Regexps:: Rules for writing regular expressions.
1224 * Regexp Example:: Illustrates regular expression syntax.
1225 * Regexp Functions:: Functions for operating on regular expressions.
1227 Syntax of Regular Expressions
1229 * Regexp Special:: Special characters in regular expressions.
1230 * Char Classes:: Character classes used in regular expressions.
1231 * Regexp Backslash:: Backslash-sequences in regular expressions.
1235 * Replacing Match:: Replacing a substring that was matched.
1236 * Simple Match Data:: Accessing single items of match data,
1237 such as where a particular subexpression started.
1238 * Entire Match Data:: Accessing the entire match data at once, as a list.
1239 * Saving Match Data:: Saving and restoring the match data.
1243 * Syntax Basics:: Basic concepts of syntax tables.
1244 * Syntax Descriptors:: How characters are classified.
1245 * Syntax Table Functions:: How to create, examine and alter syntax tables.
1246 * Syntax Properties:: Overriding syntax with text properties.
1247 * Motion and Syntax:: Moving over characters with certain syntaxes.
1248 * Parsing Expressions:: Parsing balanced expressions
1249 using the syntax table.
1250 * Syntax Table Internals:: How syntax table information is stored.
1251 * Categories:: Another way of classifying character syntax.
1255 * Syntax Class Table:: Table of syntax classes.
1256 * Syntax Flags:: Additional flags each character can have.
1260 * Motion via Parsing:: Motion functions that work by parsing.
1261 * Position Parse:: Determining the syntactic state of a position.
1262 * Parser State:: How Emacs represents a syntactic state.
1263 * Low-Level Parsing:: Parsing across a specified region.
1264 * Control Parsing:: Parameters that affect parsing.
1266 Abbrevs and Abbrev Expansion
1268 * Abbrev Tables:: Creating and working with abbrev tables.
1269 * Defining Abbrevs:: Specifying abbreviations and their expansions.
1270 * Abbrev Files:: Saving abbrevs in files.
1271 * Abbrev Expansion:: Controlling expansion; expansion subroutines.
1272 * Standard Abbrev Tables:: Abbrev tables used by various major modes.
1273 * Abbrev Properties:: How to read and set abbrev properties.
1274 Which properties have which effect.
1275 * Abbrev Table Properties:: How to read and set abbrev table properties.
1276 Which properties have which effect.
1280 * Subprocess Creation:: Functions that start subprocesses.
1281 * Shell Arguments:: Quoting an argument to pass it to a shell.
1282 * Synchronous Processes:: Details of using synchronous subprocesses.
1283 * Asynchronous Processes:: Starting up an asynchronous subprocess.
1284 * Deleting Processes:: Eliminating an asynchronous subprocess.
1285 * Process Information:: Accessing run-status and other attributes.
1286 * Input to Processes:: Sending input to an asynchronous subprocess.
1287 * Signals to Processes:: Stopping, continuing or interrupting
1288 an asynchronous subprocess.
1289 * Output from Processes:: Collecting output from an asynchronous subprocess.
1290 * Sentinels:: Sentinels run when process run-status changes.
1291 * Query Before Exit:: Whether to query if exiting will kill a process.
1292 * System Processes:: Accessing other processes running on your system.
1293 * Transaction Queues:: Transaction-based communication with subprocesses.
1294 * Network:: Opening network connections.
1295 * Network Servers:: Network servers let Emacs accept net connections.
1296 * Datagrams:: UDP network connections.
1297 * Low-Level Network:: Lower-level but more general function
1298 to create connections and servers.
1299 * Misc Network:: Additional relevant functions for net connections.
1300 * Serial Ports:: Communicating with serial ports.
1301 * Byte Packing:: Using bindat to pack and unpack binary data.
1303 Receiving Output from Processes
1305 * Process Buffers:: If no filter, output is put in a buffer.
1306 * Filter Functions:: Filter functions accept output from the process.
1307 * Decoding Output:: Filters can get unibyte or multibyte strings.
1308 * Accepting Output:: How to wait until process output arrives.
1310 Low-Level Network Access
1312 * Network Processes:: Using @code{make-network-process}.
1313 * Network Options:: Further control over network connections.
1314 * Network Feature Testing:: Determining which network features work on
1315 the machine you are using.
1317 Packing and Unpacking Byte Arrays
1319 * Bindat Spec:: Describing data layout.
1320 * Bindat Functions:: Doing the unpacking and packing.
1321 * Bindat Examples:: Samples of what bindat.el can do for you!
1325 * Refresh Screen:: Clearing the screen and redrawing everything on it.
1326 * Forcing Redisplay:: Forcing redisplay.
1327 * Truncation:: Folding or wrapping long text lines.
1328 * The Echo Area:: Displaying messages at the bottom of the screen.
1329 * Warnings:: Displaying warning messages for the user.
1330 * Invisible Text:: Hiding part of the buffer text.
1331 * Selective Display:: Hiding part of the buffer text (the old way).
1332 * Temporary Displays:: Displays that go away automatically.
1333 * Overlays:: Use overlays to highlight parts of the buffer.
1334 * Width:: How wide a character or string is on the screen.
1335 * Line Height:: Controlling the height of lines.
1336 * Faces:: A face defines a graphics style
1337 for text characters: font, colors, etc.
1338 * Fringes:: Controlling window fringes.
1339 * Scroll Bars:: Controlling vertical scroll bars.
1340 * Display Property:: Enabling special display features.
1341 * Images:: Displaying images in Emacs buffers.
1342 * Buttons:: Adding clickable buttons to Emacs buffers.
1343 * Abstract Display:: Emacs's Widget for Object Collections.
1344 * Blinking:: How Emacs shows the matching open parenthesis.
1345 * Character Display:: How Emacs displays individual characters.
1346 * Beeping:: Audible signal to the user.
1347 * Window Systems:: Which window system is being used.
1348 * Bidirectional Display:: Display of bidirectional scripts, such as
1353 * Displaying Messages:: Explicitly displaying text in the echo area.
1354 * Progress:: Informing user about progress of a long operation.
1355 * Logging Messages:: Echo area messages are logged for the user.
1356 * Echo Area Customization:: Controlling the echo area.
1360 * Warning Basics:: Warnings concepts and functions to report them.
1361 * Warning Variables:: Variables programs bind to customize
1363 * Warning Options:: Variables users set to control display of warnings.
1364 * Delayed Warnings:: Deferring a warning until the end of a command.
1368 * Managing Overlays:: Creating and moving overlays.
1369 * Overlay Properties:: How to read and set properties.
1370 What properties do to the screen display.
1371 * Finding Overlays:: Searching for overlays.
1375 * Face Attributes:: What is in a face?
1376 * Defining Faces:: How to define a face.
1377 * Attribute Functions:: Functions to examine and set face attributes.
1378 * Displaying Faces:: How Emacs combines the faces specified for
1380 * Face Remapping:: Remapping faces to alternative definitions.
1381 * Face Functions:: How to define and examine faces.
1382 * Auto Faces:: Hook for automatic face assignment.
1383 * Basic Faces:: Faces that are defined by default.
1384 * Font Selection:: Finding the best available font for a face.
1385 * Font Lookup:: Looking up the names of available fonts
1386 and information about them.
1387 * Fontsets:: A fontset is a collection of fonts
1388 that handle a range of character sets.
1389 * Low-Level Font:: Lisp representation for character display fonts.
1393 * Fringe Size/Pos:: Specifying where to put the window fringes.
1394 * Fringe Indicators:: Displaying indicator icons in the window fringes.
1395 * Fringe Cursors:: Displaying cursors in the right fringe.
1396 * Fringe Bitmaps:: Specifying bitmaps for fringe indicators.
1397 * Customizing Bitmaps:: Specifying your own bitmaps to use in the fringes.
1398 * Overlay Arrow:: Display of an arrow to indicate position.
1400 The @code{display} Property
1402 * Replacing Specs:: Display specs that replace the text.
1403 * Specified Space:: Displaying one space with a specified width.
1404 * Pixel Specification:: Specifying space width or height in pixels.
1405 * Other Display Specs:: Displaying an image; adjusting the height,
1406 spacing, and other properties of text.
1407 * Display Margins:: Displaying text or images to the side of
1412 * Image Formats:: Supported image formats.
1413 * Image Descriptors:: How to specify an image for use in @code{:display}.
1414 * XBM Images:: Special features for XBM format.
1415 * XPM Images:: Special features for XPM format.
1416 * GIF Images:: Special features for GIF format.
1417 * TIFF Images:: Special features for TIFF format.
1418 * PostScript Images:: Special features for PostScript format.
1419 * ImageMagick Images:: Special features available through ImageMagick.
1420 * Other Image Types:: Various other formats are supported.
1421 * Defining Images:: Convenient ways to define an image for later use.
1422 * Showing Images:: Convenient ways to display an image once
1424 * Animated Images:: Some image formats can be animated.
1425 * Image Cache:: Internal mechanisms of image display.
1429 * Button Properties:: Button properties with special meanings.
1430 * Button Types:: Defining common properties for classes of buttons.
1431 * Making Buttons:: Adding buttons to Emacs buffers.
1432 * Manipulating Buttons:: Getting and setting properties of buttons.
1433 * Button Buffer Commands:: Buffer-wide commands and bindings for buttons.
1437 * Abstract Display Functions:: Functions in the Ewoc package.
1438 * Abstract Display Example:: Example of using Ewoc.
1442 * Usual Display:: The usual conventions for displaying characters.
1443 * Display Tables:: What a display table consists of.
1444 * Active Display Table:: How Emacs selects a display table to use.
1445 * Glyphs:: How to define a glyph, and what glyphs mean.
1446 * Glyphless Chars:: How glyphless characters are drawn.
1448 Operating System Interface
1450 * Starting Up:: Customizing Emacs startup processing.
1451 * Getting Out:: How exiting works (permanent or temporary).
1452 * System Environment:: Distinguish the name and kind of system.
1453 * User Identification:: Finding the name and user id of the user.
1454 * Time of Day:: Getting the current time.
1455 * Time Conversion:: Converting a time from numeric form to
1456 calendrical data and vice versa.
1457 * Time Parsing:: Converting a time from numeric form to text
1459 * Processor Run Time:: Getting the run time used by Emacs.
1460 * Time Calculations:: Adding, subtracting, comparing times, etc.
1461 * Timers:: Setting a timer to call a function at a
1463 * Idle Timers:: Setting a timer to call a function when Emacs has
1464 been idle for a certain length of time.
1465 * Terminal Input:: Accessing and recording terminal input.
1466 * Terminal Output:: Controlling and recording terminal output.
1467 * Sound Output:: Playing sounds on the computer's speaker.
1468 * X11 Keysyms:: Operating on key symbols for X Windows.
1469 * Batch Mode:: Running Emacs without terminal interaction.
1470 * Session Management:: Saving and restoring state with
1471 X Session Management.
1472 * Notifications:: Desktop notifications.
1473 * Dynamic Libraries:: On-demand loading of support libraries.
1477 * Startup Summary:: Sequence of actions Emacs performs at startup.
1478 * Init File:: Details on reading the init file.
1479 * Terminal-Specific:: How the terminal-specific Lisp file is read.
1480 * Command-Line Arguments:: How command-line arguments are processed,
1481 and how you can customize them.
1483 Getting Out of Emacs
1485 * Killing Emacs:: Exiting Emacs irreversibly.
1486 * Suspending Emacs:: Exiting Emacs reversibly.
1490 * Input Modes:: Options for how input is processed.
1491 * Recording Input:: Saving histories of recent or all input events.
1493 Preparing Lisp code for distribution
1495 * Packaging Basics:: The basic concepts of Emacs Lisp packages.
1496 * Simple Packages:: How to package a single .el file.
1497 * Multi-file Packages:: How to package multiple files.
1498 * Package Archives:: Maintaining package archives.
1500 Tips and Conventions
1502 * Coding Conventions:: Conventions for clean and robust programs.
1503 * Key Binding Conventions:: Which keys should be bound by which programs.
1504 * Programming Tips:: Making Emacs code fit smoothly in Emacs.
1505 * Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast.
1506 * Warning Tips:: Turning off compiler warnings.
1507 * Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings.
1508 * Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments.
1509 * Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages.
1513 * Building Emacs:: How the dumped Emacs is made.
1514 * Pure Storage:: Kludge to make preloaded Lisp functions shareable.
1515 * Garbage Collection:: Reclaiming space for Lisp objects no longer used.
1516 * Memory Usage:: Info about total size of Lisp objects made so far.
1517 * Writing Emacs Primitives:: Writing C code for Emacs.
1518 * Object Internals:: Data formats of buffers, windows, processes.
1522 * Buffer Internals:: Components of a buffer structure.
1523 * Window Internals:: Components of a window structure.
1524 * Process Internals:: Components of a process structure.
1530 @include objects.texi
1531 @include numbers.texi
1532 @include strings.texi
1535 @include sequences.texi
1537 @include symbols.texi
1540 @include control.texi
1541 @include variables.texi
1542 @include functions.texi
1543 @include macros.texi
1545 @include customize.texi
1546 @include loading.texi
1547 @include compile.texi
1548 @include advice.texi
1550 @c This includes edebug.texi.
1551 @include debugging.texi
1552 @include streams.texi
1553 @include minibuf.texi
1554 @include commands.texi
1556 @include keymaps.texi
1561 @include backups.texi
1565 @c ================ Beginning of Volume 2 ================
1568 @include buffers.texi
1569 @include windows.texi
1570 @include frames.texi
1572 @include positions.texi
1573 @include markers.texi
1575 @include nonascii.texi
1577 @include searching.texi
1578 @include syntax.texi
1579 @include abbrevs.texi
1580 @include processes.texi
1582 @include display.texi
1585 @include package.texi
1590 @include doclicense.texi
1593 @include internals.texi
1594 @include errors.texi
1604 @unnumbered New Symbols Since the Previous Edition
1612 These words prevent "local variables" above from confusing Emacs.