(Intro Eval): Copyedits. Standardize on "form" instead of "expression" throughout.
[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / lispref / advice.texi
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1@c -*-texinfo-*-
2@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
3@c Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
6ed161e1 4@c 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
b8d4c8d0 5@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
6336d8c3 6@setfilename ../../info/advising
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7@node Advising Functions, Debugging, Byte Compilation, Top
8@chapter Advising Emacs Lisp Functions
9@cindex advising functions
10
11 The @dfn{advice} feature lets you add to the existing definition of
12a function, by @dfn{advising the function}. This is a cleaner method
13for a library to customize functions defined within Emacs---cleaner
14than redefining the whole function.
15
16@cindex piece of advice
17 Each function can have multiple @dfn{pieces of advice}, separately
18defined. Each defined piece of advice can be @dfn{enabled} or
19@dfn{disabled} explicitly. All the enabled pieces of advice for any given
20function actually take effect when you @dfn{activate} advice for that
21function, or when you define or redefine the function. Note that
22enabling a piece of advice and activating advice for a function
23are not the same thing.
24
25 @strong{Usage Note:} Advice is useful for altering the behavior of
26existing calls to an existing function. If you want the new behavior
27for new calls, or for key bindings, you should define a new function
28(or a new command) which uses the existing function.
29
30 @strong{Usage note:} Advising a function can cause confusion in
31debugging, since people who debug calls to the original function may
32not notice that it has been modified with advice. Therefore, if you
33have the possibility to change the code of that function (or ask
34someone to do so) to run a hook, please solve the problem that way.
35Advice should be reserved for the cases where you cannot get the
36function changed.
37
38 In particular, this means that a file in Emacs should not put advice
39on a function in Emacs. There are currently a few exceptions to this
40convention, but we aim to correct them.
41
42@menu
43* Simple Advice:: A simple example to explain the basics of advice.
44* Defining Advice:: Detailed description of @code{defadvice}.
45* Around-Advice:: Wrapping advice around a function's definition.
46* Computed Advice:: ...is to @code{defadvice} as @code{fset} is to @code{defun}.
47* Activation of Advice:: Advice doesn't do anything until you activate it.
48* Enabling Advice:: You can enable or disable each piece of advice.
49* Preactivation:: Preactivation is a way of speeding up the
50 loading of compiled advice.
51* Argument Access in Advice:: How advice can access the function's arguments.
52* Advising Primitives:: Accessing arguments when advising a primitive.
53* Combined Definition:: How advice is implemented.
54@end menu
55
56@node Simple Advice
57@section A Simple Advice Example
58
59 The command @code{next-line} moves point down vertically one or more
60lines; it is the standard binding of @kbd{C-n}. When used on the last
61line of the buffer, this command inserts a newline to create a line to
62move to if @code{next-line-add-newlines} is non-@code{nil} (its default
63is @code{nil}.)
64
65 Suppose you wanted to add a similar feature to @code{previous-line},
66which would insert a new line at the beginning of the buffer for the
67command to move to (when @code{next-line-add-newlines} is
68non-@code{nil}). How could you do this?
69
70 You could do it by redefining the whole function, but that is not
71modular. The advice feature provides a cleaner alternative: you can
72effectively add your code to the existing function definition, without
73actually changing or even seeing that definition. Here is how to do
74this:
75
76@example
77(defadvice previous-line (before next-line-at-end
78 (&optional arg try-vscroll))
79 "Insert an empty line when moving up from the top line."
80 (if (and next-line-add-newlines (= arg 1)
81 (save-excursion (beginning-of-line) (bobp)))
82 (progn
83 (beginning-of-line)
84 (newline))))
85@end example
86
87 This expression defines a @dfn{piece of advice} for the function
88@code{previous-line}. This piece of advice is named
89@code{next-line-at-end}, and the symbol @code{before} says that it is
90@dfn{before-advice} which should run before the regular definition of
91@code{previous-line}. @code{(&optional arg try-vscroll)} specifies
92how the advice code can refer to the function's arguments.
93
94 When this piece of advice runs, it creates an additional line, in the
95situation where that is appropriate, but does not move point to that
96line. This is the correct way to write the advice, because the normal
97definition will run afterward and will move back to the newly inserted
98line.
99
100 Defining the advice doesn't immediately change the function
101@code{previous-line}. That happens when you @dfn{activate} the advice,
102like this:
103
104@example
105(ad-activate 'previous-line)
106@end example
107
108@noindent
109This is what actually begins to use the advice that has been defined so
110far for the function @code{previous-line}. Henceforth, whenever that
111function is run, whether invoked by the user with @kbd{C-p} or
112@kbd{M-x}, or called from Lisp, it runs the advice first, and its
113regular definition second.
114
115 This example illustrates before-advice, which is one @dfn{class} of
116advice: it runs before the function's base definition. There are two
117other advice classes: @dfn{after-advice}, which runs after the base
118definition, and @dfn{around-advice}, which lets you specify an
119expression to wrap around the invocation of the base definition.
120
121@node Defining Advice
122@section Defining Advice
123@cindex defining advice
124@cindex advice, defining
125
126 To define a piece of advice, use the macro @code{defadvice}. A call
127to @code{defadvice} has the following syntax, which is based on the
128syntax of @code{defun} and @code{defmacro}, but adds more:
129
130@findex defadvice
131@example
132(defadvice @var{function} (@var{class} @var{name}
133 @r{[}@var{position}@r{]} @r{[}@var{arglist}@r{]}
134 @var{flags}...)
135 @r{[}@var{documentation-string}@r{]}
136 @r{[}@var{interactive-form}@r{]}
137 @var{body-forms}...)
138@end example
139
140@noindent
141Here, @var{function} is the name of the function (or macro or special
142form) to be advised. From now on, we will write just ``function'' when
143describing the entity being advised, but this always includes macros and
144special forms.
145
146 In place of the argument list in an ordinary definition, an advice
147definition calls for several different pieces of information.
148
149@cindex class of advice
150@cindex before-advice
151@cindex after-advice
152@cindex around-advice
153@var{class} specifies the @dfn{class} of the advice---one of @code{before},
154@code{after}, or @code{around}. Before-advice runs before the function
155itself; after-advice runs after the function itself; around-advice is
156wrapped around the execution of the function itself. After-advice and
157around-advice can override the return value by setting
158@code{ad-return-value}.
159
160@defvar ad-return-value
161While advice is executing, after the function's original definition has
162been executed, this variable holds its return value, which will
163ultimately be returned to the caller after finishing all the advice.
164After-advice and around-advice can arrange to return some other value
165by storing it in this variable.
166@end defvar
167
168The argument @var{name} is the name of the advice, a non-@code{nil}
169symbol. The advice name uniquely identifies one piece of advice, within all
170the pieces of advice in a particular class for a particular
171@var{function}. The name allows you to refer to the piece of
172advice---to redefine it, or to enable or disable it.
173
174The optional @var{position} specifies where, in the current list of
175advice of the specified @var{class}, this new advice should be placed.
176It should be either @code{first}, @code{last} or a number that specifies
177a zero-based position (@code{first} is equivalent to 0). If no position
178is specified, the default is @code{first}. Position values outside the
179range of existing positions in this class are mapped to the beginning or
180the end of the range, whichever is closer. The @var{position} value is
181ignored when redefining an existing piece of advice.
182
183The optional @var{arglist} can be used to define the argument list for
184the sake of advice. This becomes the argument list of the combined
185definition that is generated in order to run the advice (@pxref{Combined
186Definition}). Therefore, the advice expressions can use the argument
187variables in this list to access argument values.
188
189The argument list used in advice need not be the same as the argument
190list used in the original function, but must be compatible with it, so
191that it can handle the ways the function is actually called. If two
192pieces of advice for a function both specify an argument list, they must
193specify the same argument list.
194
195@xref{Argument Access in Advice}, for more information about argument
196lists and advice, and a more flexible way for advice to access the
197arguments.
198
199The remaining elements, @var{flags}, are symbols that specify further
200information about how to use this piece of advice. Here are the valid
201symbols and their meanings:
202
203@table @code
204@item activate
205Activate the advice for @var{function} now. Changes in a function's
206advice always take effect the next time you activate advice for the
207function; this flag says to do so, for @var{function}, immediately after
208defining this piece of advice.
209
210@cindex forward advice
211This flag has no immediate effect if @var{function} itself is not defined yet (a
212situation known as @dfn{forward advice}), because it is impossible to
213activate an undefined function's advice. However, defining
214@var{function} will automatically activate its advice.
215
216@item protect
217Protect this piece of advice against non-local exits and errors in
218preceding code and advice. Protecting advice places it as a cleanup in
219an @code{unwind-protect} form, so that it will execute even if the
220previous code gets an error or uses @code{throw}. @xref{Cleanups}.
221
222@item compile
223Compile the combined definition that is used to run the advice. This
224flag is ignored unless @code{activate} is also specified.
225@xref{Combined Definition}.
226
227@item disable
228Initially disable this piece of advice, so that it will not be used
229unless subsequently explicitly enabled. @xref{Enabling Advice}.
230
231@item preactivate
232Activate advice for @var{function} when this @code{defadvice} is
233compiled or macroexpanded. This generates a compiled advised definition
234according to the current advice state, which will be used during
235activation if appropriate. @xref{Preactivation}.
236
237This is useful only if this @code{defadvice} is byte-compiled.
238@end table
239
240The optional @var{documentation-string} serves to document this piece of
241advice. When advice is active for @var{function}, the documentation for
242@var{function} (as returned by @code{documentation}) combines the
243documentation strings of all the advice for @var{function} with the
244documentation string of its original function definition.
245
246The optional @var{interactive-form} form can be supplied to change the
247interactive behavior of the original function. If more than one piece
248of advice has an @var{interactive-form}, then the first one (the one
249with the smallest position) found among all the advice takes precedence.
250
251The possibly empty list of @var{body-forms} specifies the body of the
252advice. The body of an advice can access or change the arguments, the
253return value, the binding environment, and perform any other kind of
254side effect.
255
256@strong{Warning:} When you advise a macro, keep in mind that macros are
257expanded when a program is compiled, not when a compiled program is run.
258All subroutines used by the advice need to be available when the byte
259compiler expands the macro.
260
261@deffn Command ad-unadvise function
262This command deletes the advice from @var{function}.
263@end deffn
264
265@deffn Command ad-unadvise-all
266This command deletes all pieces of advice from all functions.
267@end deffn
268
269@node Around-Advice
270@section Around-Advice
271
272 Around-advice lets you ``wrap'' a Lisp expression ``around'' the
273original function definition. You specify where the original function
274definition should go by means of the special symbol @code{ad-do-it}.
275Where this symbol occurs inside the around-advice body, it is replaced
276with a @code{progn} containing the forms of the surrounded code. Here
277is an example:
278
279@example
280(defadvice foo (around foo-around)
281 "Ignore case in `foo'."
282 (let ((case-fold-search t))
283 ad-do-it))
284@end example
285
286@noindent
287Its effect is to make sure that case is ignored in
288searches when the original definition of @code{foo} is run.
289
290@defvar ad-do-it
291This is not really a variable, rather a place-holder that looks like a
292variable. You use it in around-advice to specify the place to run the
293function's original definition and other ``earlier'' around-advice.
294@end defvar
295
296If the around-advice does not use @code{ad-do-it}, then it does not run
297the original function definition. This provides a way to override the
298original definition completely. (It also overrides lower-positioned
299pieces of around-advice).
300
301If the around-advice uses @code{ad-do-it} more than once, the original
302definition is run at each place. In this way, around-advice can execute
303the original definition (and lower-positioned pieces of around-advice)
304several times. Another way to do that is by using @code{ad-do-it}
305inside of a loop.
306
307@node Computed Advice
308@section Computed Advice
309
310The macro @code{defadvice} resembles @code{defun} in that the code for
311the advice, and all other information about it, are explicitly stated in
312the source code. You can also create advice whose details are computed,
313using the function @code{ad-add-advice}.
314
315@defun ad-add-advice function advice class position
316Calling @code{ad-add-advice} adds @var{advice} as a piece of advice to
794f204b 317@var{function} in class @var{class}. The argument @var{advice} has
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318this form:
319
320@example
321(@var{name} @var{protected} @var{enabled} @var{definition})
322@end example
323
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324@noindent
325Here, @var{protected} and @var{enabled} are flags; if @var{protected}
326is non-@code{nil}, the advice is protected against non-local exits
327(@pxref{Defining Advice}), and if @var{enabled} is @code{nil} the
328advice is initially disabled (@pxref{Enabling Advice}).
329@var{definition} should have the form
330
331@example
8b4ef1fc 332(advice . @var{lambda})
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333@end example
334
335@noindent
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336where @var{lambda} is a lambda expression; this lambda expression is
337called in order to perform the advice. @xref{Lambda Expressions}.
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338
339If the @var{function} argument to @code{ad-add-advice} already has one
340or more pieces of advice in the specified @var{class}, then
341@var{position} specifies where in the list to put the new piece of
342advice. The value of @var{position} can either be @code{first},
343@code{last}, or a number (counting from 0 at the beginning of the
344list). Numbers outside the range are mapped to the beginning or the
345end of the range, whichever is closer. The @var{position} value is
346ignored when redefining an existing piece of advice.
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347
348If @var{function} already has a piece of @var{advice} with the same
349name, then the position argument is ignored and the old advice is
350replaced with the new one.
351@end defun
352
353@node Activation of Advice
354@section Activation of Advice
355@cindex activating advice
356@cindex advice, activating
357
358By default, advice does not take effect when you define it---only when
359you @dfn{activate} advice for the function that was advised. However,
360the advice will be activated automatically if you define or redefine
361the function later. You can request the activation of advice for a
362function when you define the advice, by specifying the @code{activate}
363flag in the @code{defadvice}. But normally you activate the advice
364for a function by calling the function @code{ad-activate} or one of
365the other activation commands listed below.
366
367Separating the activation of advice from the act of defining it permits
368you to add several pieces of advice to one function efficiently, without
369redefining the function over and over as each advice is added. More
370importantly, it permits defining advice for a function before that
371function is actually defined.
372
373When a function's advice is first activated, the function's original
374definition is saved, and all enabled pieces of advice for that function
375are combined with the original definition to make a new definition.
376(Pieces of advice that are currently disabled are not used; see
377@ref{Enabling Advice}.) This definition is installed, and optionally
378byte-compiled as well, depending on conditions described below.
379
380In all of the commands to activate advice, if @var{compile} is
381@code{t} (or anything but @code{nil} or a negative number), the
382command also compiles the combined definition which implements the
383advice. If it is @code{nil} or a negative number, what happens
384depends on @code{ad-default-compilation-action} as described below.
385
386@deffn Command ad-activate function &optional compile
387This command activates all the advice defined for @var{function}.
388@end deffn
389
390 Activating advice does nothing if @var{function}'s advice is already
391active. But if there is new advice, added since the previous time you
392activated advice for @var{function}, it activates the new advice.
393
394@deffn Command ad-deactivate function
395This command deactivates the advice for @var{function}.
396@cindex deactivating advice
397@c @cindex advice, deactivating "advice, activating" is just above
398@end deffn
399
400@deffn Command ad-update function &optional compile
401This command activates the advice for @var{function}
402if its advice is already activated. This is useful
403if you change the advice.
404@end deffn
405
406@deffn Command ad-activate-all &optional compile
407This command activates the advice for all functions.
408@end deffn
409
410@deffn Command ad-deactivate-all
411This command deactivates the advice for all functions.
412@end deffn
413
414@deffn Command ad-update-all &optional compile
415This command activates the advice for all functions
416whose advice is already activated. This is useful
417if you change the advice of some functions.
418@end deffn
419
420@deffn Command ad-activate-regexp regexp &optional compile
421This command activates all pieces of advice whose names match
422@var{regexp}. More precisely, it activates all advice for any function
423which has at least one piece of advice that matches @var{regexp}.
424@end deffn
425
426@deffn Command ad-deactivate-regexp regexp
427This command deactivates all pieces of advice whose names match
428@var{regexp}. More precisely, it deactivates all advice for any
429function which has at least one piece of advice that matches
430@var{regexp}.
431@end deffn
432
433@deffn Command ad-update-regexp regexp &optional compile
434This command activates pieces of advice whose names match @var{regexp},
435but only those for functions whose advice is already activated.
436@cindex reactivating advice
437
438Reactivating a function's advice is useful for putting into effect all
439the changes that have been made in its advice (including enabling and
440disabling specific pieces of advice; @pxref{Enabling Advice}) since the
441last time it was activated.
442@end deffn
443
444@deffn Command ad-start-advice
445Turn on automatic advice activation when a function is defined or
446redefined. This is the default mode.
447@end deffn
448
449@deffn Command ad-stop-advice
450Turn off automatic advice activation when a function is defined or
451redefined.
452@end deffn
453
454@defopt ad-default-compilation-action
455This variable controls whether to compile the combined definition
456that results from activating advice for a function.
457
458A value of @code{always} specifies to compile unconditionally.
459A value of @code{never} specifies never compile the advice.
460
b1baed0b 461A value of @code{maybe} specifies to compile if the byte compiler is
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462already loaded. A value of @code{like-original} specifies to compile
463the advice if the original definition of the advised function is
464compiled or a built-in function.
465
466This variable takes effect only if the @var{compile} argument of
467@code{ad-activate} (or any of the above functions) did not force
468compilation.
469@end defopt
470
471 If the advised definition was constructed during ``preactivation''
472(@pxref{Preactivation}), then that definition must already be compiled,
473because it was constructed during byte-compilation of the file that
474contained the @code{defadvice} with the @code{preactivate} flag.
475
476@node Enabling Advice
477@section Enabling and Disabling Advice
478@cindex enabling advice
479@cindex advice, enabling and disabling
480@cindex disabling advice
481
482 Each piece of advice has a flag that says whether it is enabled or
483not. By enabling or disabling a piece of advice, you can turn it on
484and off without having to undefine and redefine it. For example, here is
485how to disable a particular piece of advice named @code{my-advice} for
486the function @code{foo}:
487
488@example
489(ad-disable-advice 'foo 'before 'my-advice)
490@end example
491
492 This function by itself only changes the enable flag for a piece of
493advice. To make the change take effect in the advised definition, you
494must activate the advice for @code{foo} again:
495
496@example
497(ad-activate 'foo)
498@end example
499
500@deffn Command ad-disable-advice function class name
501This command disables the piece of advice named @var{name} in class
502@var{class} on @var{function}.
503@end deffn
504
505@deffn Command ad-enable-advice function class name
506This command enables the piece of advice named @var{name} in class
507@var{class} on @var{function}.
508@end deffn
509
510 You can also disable many pieces of advice at once, for various
511functions, using a regular expression. As always, the changes take real
512effect only when you next reactivate advice for the functions in
513question.
514
515@deffn Command ad-disable-regexp regexp
516This command disables all pieces of advice whose names match
517@var{regexp}, in all classes, on all functions.
518@end deffn
519
520@deffn Command ad-enable-regexp regexp
521This command enables all pieces of advice whose names match
522@var{regexp}, in all classes, on all functions.
523@end deffn
524
525@node Preactivation
526@section Preactivation
527@cindex preactivating advice
528@cindex advice, preactivating
529
530 Constructing a combined definition to execute advice is moderately
531expensive. When a library advises many functions, this can make loading
532the library slow. In that case, you can use @dfn{preactivation} to
533construct suitable combined definitions in advance.
534
535 To use preactivation, specify the @code{preactivate} flag when you
536define the advice with @code{defadvice}. This @code{defadvice} call
537creates a combined definition which embodies this piece of advice
538(whether enabled or not) plus any other currently enabled advice for the
539same function, and the function's own definition. If the
540@code{defadvice} is compiled, that compiles the combined definition
541also.
542
543 When the function's advice is subsequently activated, if the enabled
544advice for the function matches what was used to make this combined
545definition, then the existing combined definition is used, thus avoiding
546the need to construct one. Thus, preactivation never causes wrong
547results---but it may fail to do any good, if the enabled advice at the
548time of activation doesn't match what was used for preactivation.
549
550 Here are some symptoms that can indicate that a preactivation did not
551work properly, because of a mismatch.
552
553@itemize @bullet
554@item
555Activation of the advised
556function takes longer than usual.
557@item
b1baed0b 558The byte compiler gets
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559loaded while an advised function gets activated.
560@item
561@code{byte-compile} is included in the value of @code{features} even
b1baed0b 562though you did not ever explicitly use the byte compiler.
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563@end itemize
564
565Compiled preactivated advice works properly even if the function itself
566is not defined until later; however, the function needs to be defined
567when you @emph{compile} the preactivated advice.
568
569There is no elegant way to find out why preactivated advice is not being
570used. What you can do is to trace the function
571@code{ad-cache-id-verification-code} (with the function
572@code{trace-function-background}) before the advised function's advice
573is activated. After activation, check the value returned by
574@code{ad-cache-id-verification-code} for that function: @code{verified}
575means that the preactivated advice was used, while other values give
576some information about why they were considered inappropriate.
577
578 @strong{Warning:} There is one known case that can make preactivation
579fail, in that a preconstructed combined definition is used even though
580it fails to match the current state of advice. This can happen when two
581packages define different pieces of advice with the same name, in the
582same class, for the same function. But you should avoid that anyway.
583
584@node Argument Access in Advice
585@section Argument Access in Advice
586
587 The simplest way to access the arguments of an advised function in the
588body of a piece of advice is to use the same names that the function
589definition uses. To do this, you need to know the names of the argument
590variables of the original function.
591
592 While this simple method is sufficient in many cases, it has a
593disadvantage: it is not robust, because it hard-codes the argument names
594into the advice. If the definition of the original function changes,
595the advice might break.
596
597 Another method is to specify an argument list in the advice itself.
598This avoids the need to know the original function definition's argument
599names, but it has a limitation: all the advice on any particular
600function must use the same argument list, because the argument list
601actually used for all the advice comes from the first piece of advice
602for that function.
603
604 A more robust method is to use macros that are translated into the
605proper access forms at activation time, i.e., when constructing the
606advised definition. Access macros access actual arguments by position
607regardless of how these actual arguments get distributed onto the
608argument variables of a function. This is robust because in Emacs Lisp
609the meaning of an argument is strictly determined by its position in the
610argument list.
611
612@defmac ad-get-arg position
613This returns the actual argument that was supplied at @var{position}.
614@end defmac
615
616@defmac ad-get-args position
617This returns the list of actual arguments supplied starting at
618@var{position}.
619@end defmac
620
621@defmac ad-set-arg position value
622This sets the value of the actual argument at @var{position} to
623@var{value}
624@end defmac
625
626@defmac ad-set-args position value-list
627This sets the list of actual arguments starting at @var{position} to
628@var{value-list}.
629@end defmac
630
631 Now an example. Suppose the function @code{foo} is defined as
632
633@example
634(defun foo (x y &optional z &rest r) ...)
635@end example
636
637@noindent
638and is then called with
639
640@example
641(foo 0 1 2 3 4 5 6)
642@end example
643
644@noindent
645which means that @var{x} is 0, @var{y} is 1, @var{z} is 2 and @var{r} is
646@code{(3 4 5 6)} within the body of @code{foo}. Here is what
647@code{ad-get-arg} and @code{ad-get-args} return in this case:
648
649@example
650(ad-get-arg 0) @result{} 0
651(ad-get-arg 1) @result{} 1
652(ad-get-arg 2) @result{} 2
653(ad-get-arg 3) @result{} 3
654(ad-get-args 2) @result{} (2 3 4 5 6)
655(ad-get-args 4) @result{} (4 5 6)
656@end example
657
658 Setting arguments also makes sense in this example:
659
660@example
661(ad-set-arg 5 "five")
662@end example
663
664@noindent
665has the effect of changing the sixth argument to @code{"five"}. If this
666happens in advice executed before the body of @code{foo} is run, then
667@var{r} will be @code{(3 4 "five" 6)} within that body.
668
669 Here is an example of setting a tail of the argument list:
670
671@example
672(ad-set-args 0 '(5 4 3 2 1 0))
673@end example
674
675@noindent
676If this happens in advice executed before the body of @code{foo} is run,
677then within that body, @var{x} will be 5, @var{y} will be 4, @var{z}
678will be 3, and @var{r} will be @code{(2 1 0)} inside the body of
679@code{foo}.
680
681 These argument constructs are not really implemented as Lisp macros.
682Instead they are implemented specially by the advice mechanism.
683
684@node Advising Primitives
685@section Advising Primitives
686@cindex advising primitives
687
688 Advising a primitive function (also called a ``subr'') is risky.
689Some primitive functions are used by the advice mechanism; advising
690them could cause an infinite recursion. Also, many primitive
691functions are called directly from C code. Calls to the primitive
692from Lisp code will take note of the advice, but calls from C code
693will ignore the advice.
694
695When the advice facility constructs the combined definition, it needs
696to know the argument list of the original function. This is not
697always possible for primitive functions. When advice cannot determine
698the argument list, it uses @code{(&rest ad-subr-args)}, which always
699works but is inefficient because it constructs a list of the argument
700values. You can use @code{ad-define-subr-args} to declare the proper
701argument names for a primitive function:
702
703@defun ad-define-subr-args function arglist
704This function specifies that @var{arglist} should be used as the
705argument list for function @var{function}.
706@end defun
707
708For example,
709
710@example
711(ad-define-subr-args 'fset '(sym newdef))
712@end example
713
714@noindent
715specifies the argument list for the function @code{fset}.
716
717@node Combined Definition
718@section The Combined Definition
719
720 Suppose that a function has @var{n} pieces of before-advice
721(numbered from 0 through @var{n}@minus{}1), @var{m} pieces of
722around-advice and @var{k} pieces of after-advice. Assuming no piece
723of advice is protected, the combined definition produced to implement
724the advice for a function looks like this:
725
726@example
727(lambda @var{arglist}
728 @r{[} @r{[}@var{advised-docstring}@r{]} @r{[}(interactive ...)@r{]} @r{]}
729 (let (ad-return-value)
730 @r{before-0-body-form}...
731 ....
732 @r{before-@var{n}@minus{}1-body-form}...
733 @r{around-0-body-form}...
734 @r{around-1-body-form}...
735 ....
736 @r{around-@var{m}@minus{}1-body-form}...
737 (setq ad-return-value
738 @r{apply original definition to @var{arglist}})
739 @r{end-of-around-@var{m}@minus{}1-body-form}...
740 ....
741 @r{end-of-around-1-body-form}...
742 @r{end-of-around-0-body-form}...
743 @r{after-0-body-form}...
744 ....
745 @r{after-@var{k}@minus{}1-body-form}...
746 ad-return-value))
747@end example
748
749Macros are redefined as macros, which means adding @code{macro} to
750the beginning of the combined definition.
751
752The interactive form is present if the original function or some piece
753of advice specifies one. When an interactive primitive function is
754advised, advice uses a special method: it calls the primitive with
755@code{call-interactively} so that it will read its own arguments.
756In this case, the advice cannot access the arguments.
757
758The body forms of the various advice in each class are assembled
759according to their specified order. The forms of around-advice @var{l}
760are included in one of the forms of around-advice @var{l} @minus{} 1.
761
762The innermost part of the around advice onion is
763
764@display
765apply original definition to @var{arglist}
766@end display
767
768@noindent
769whose form depends on the type of the original function. The variable
770@code{ad-return-value} is set to whatever this returns. The variable is
771visible to all pieces of advice, which can access and modify it before
772it is actually returned from the advised function.
773
774The semantic structure of advised functions that contain protected
775pieces of advice is the same. The only difference is that
776@code{unwind-protect} forms ensure that the protected advice gets
777executed even if some previous piece of advice had an error or a
778non-local exit. If any around-advice is protected, then the whole
779around-advice onion is protected as a result.
780
781@ignore
782 arch-tag: 80c135c2-f1c3-4f8d-aa85-f8d8770d307f
783@end ignore