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1 | @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 | @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. | |
ab422c4d | 3 | @c Copyright (C) 1990-1995, 1998-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
b8d4c8d0 | 4 | @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. |
ecc6530d | 5 | @node Text |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
6 | @chapter Text |
7 | @cindex text | |
8 | ||
9 | This chapter describes the functions that deal with the text in a | |
10 | buffer. Most examine, insert, or delete text in the current buffer, | |
11 | often operating at point or on text adjacent to point. Many are | |
12 | interactive. All the functions that change the text provide for undoing | |
13 | the changes (@pxref{Undo}). | |
14 | ||
15 | Many text-related functions operate on a region of text defined by two | |
16 | buffer positions passed in arguments named @var{start} and @var{end}. | |
17 | These arguments should be either markers (@pxref{Markers}) or numeric | |
18 | character positions (@pxref{Positions}). The order of these arguments | |
19 | does not matter; it is all right for @var{start} to be the end of the | |
20 | region and @var{end} the beginning. For example, @code{(delete-region 1 | |
21 | 10)} and @code{(delete-region 10 1)} are equivalent. An | |
22 | @code{args-out-of-range} error is signaled if either @var{start} or | |
23 | @var{end} is outside the accessible portion of the buffer. In an | |
24 | interactive call, point and the mark are used for these arguments. | |
25 | ||
26 | @cindex buffer contents | |
27 | Throughout this chapter, ``text'' refers to the characters in the | |
28 | buffer, together with their properties (when relevant). Keep in mind | |
29 | that point is always between two characters, and the cursor appears on | |
30 | the character after point. | |
31 | ||
32 | @menu | |
33 | * Near Point:: Examining text in the vicinity of point. | |
34 | * Buffer Contents:: Examining text in a general fashion. | |
35 | * Comparing Text:: Comparing substrings of buffers. | |
36 | * Insertion:: Adding new text to a buffer. | |
37 | * Commands for Insertion:: User-level commands to insert text. | |
38 | * Deletion:: Removing text from a buffer. | |
39 | * User-Level Deletion:: User-level commands to delete text. | |
40 | * The Kill Ring:: Where removed text sometimes is saved for later use. | |
41 | * Undo:: Undoing changes to the text of a buffer. | |
42 | * Maintaining Undo:: How to enable and disable undo information. | |
d24880de | 43 | How to control how much information is kept. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
44 | * Filling:: Functions for explicit filling. |
45 | * Margins:: How to specify margins for filling commands. | |
46 | * Adaptive Fill:: Adaptive Fill mode chooses a fill prefix from context. | |
47 | * Auto Filling:: How auto-fill mode is implemented to break lines. | |
48 | * Sorting:: Functions for sorting parts of the buffer. | |
49 | * Columns:: Computing horizontal positions, and using them. | |
50 | * Indentation:: Functions to insert or adjust indentation. | |
51 | * Case Changes:: Case conversion of parts of the buffer. | |
52 | * Text Properties:: Assigning Lisp property lists to text characters. | |
53 | * Substitution:: Replacing a given character wherever it appears. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
54 | * Registers:: How registers are implemented. Accessing the text or |
55 | position stored in a register. | |
d4913798 | 56 | * Transposition:: Swapping two portions of a buffer. |
b8d4c8d0 | 57 | * Base 64:: Conversion to or from base 64 encoding. |
483ab230 CY |
58 | * Checksum/Hash:: Computing cryptographic hashes. |
59 | * Parsing HTML/XML:: Parsing HTML and XML. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
60 | * Atomic Changes:: Installing several buffer changes "atomically". |
61 | * Change Hooks:: Supplying functions to be run when text is changed. | |
62 | @end menu | |
63 | ||
64 | @node Near Point | |
65 | @section Examining Text Near Point | |
66 | @cindex text near point | |
67 | ||
68 | Many functions are provided to look at the characters around point. | |
69 | Several simple functions are described here. See also @code{looking-at} | |
70 | in @ref{Regexp Search}. | |
71 | ||
72 | In the following four functions, ``beginning'' or ``end'' of buffer | |
73 | refers to the beginning or end of the accessible portion. | |
74 | ||
75 | @defun char-after &optional position | |
76 | This function returns the character in the current buffer at (i.e., | |
77 | immediately after) position @var{position}. If @var{position} is out of | |
78 | range for this purpose, either before the beginning of the buffer, or at | |
79 | or beyond the end, then the value is @code{nil}. The default for | |
80 | @var{position} is point. | |
81 | ||
82 | In the following example, assume that the first character in the | |
83 | buffer is @samp{@@}: | |
84 | ||
85 | @example | |
86 | @group | |
3e99b825 | 87 | (string (char-after 1)) |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
88 | @result{} "@@" |
89 | @end group | |
90 | @end example | |
91 | @end defun | |
92 | ||
93 | @defun char-before &optional position | |
94 | This function returns the character in the current buffer immediately | |
95 | before position @var{position}. If @var{position} is out of range for | |
96 | this purpose, either at or before the beginning of the buffer, or beyond | |
97 | the end, then the value is @code{nil}. The default for | |
98 | @var{position} is point. | |
99 | @end defun | |
100 | ||
101 | @defun following-char | |
102 | This function returns the character following point in the current | |
103 | buffer. This is similar to @code{(char-after (point))}. However, if | |
104 | point is at the end of the buffer, then @code{following-char} returns 0. | |
105 | ||
106 | Remember that point is always between characters, and the cursor | |
107 | normally appears over the character following point. Therefore, the | |
108 | character returned by @code{following-char} is the character the | |
109 | cursor is over. | |
110 | ||
111 | In this example, point is between the @samp{a} and the @samp{c}. | |
112 | ||
113 | @example | |
114 | @group | |
115 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
116 | Gentlemen may cry ``Pea@point{}ce! Peace!,'' | |
117 | but there is no peace. | |
118 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
119 | @end group | |
120 | ||
121 | @group | |
3e99b825 | 122 | (string (preceding-char)) |
b8d4c8d0 | 123 | @result{} "a" |
3e99b825 | 124 | (string (following-char)) |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
125 | @result{} "c" |
126 | @end group | |
127 | @end example | |
128 | @end defun | |
129 | ||
130 | @defun preceding-char | |
131 | This function returns the character preceding point in the current | |
132 | buffer. See above, under @code{following-char}, for an example. If | |
133 | point is at the beginning of the buffer, @code{preceding-char} returns | |
134 | 0. | |
135 | @end defun | |
136 | ||
137 | @defun bobp | |
138 | This function returns @code{t} if point is at the beginning of the | |
139 | buffer. If narrowing is in effect, this means the beginning of the | |
140 | accessible portion of the text. See also @code{point-min} in | |
141 | @ref{Point}. | |
142 | @end defun | |
143 | ||
144 | @defun eobp | |
145 | This function returns @code{t} if point is at the end of the buffer. | |
146 | If narrowing is in effect, this means the end of accessible portion of | |
147 | the text. See also @code{point-max} in @xref{Point}. | |
148 | @end defun | |
149 | ||
150 | @defun bolp | |
151 | This function returns @code{t} if point is at the beginning of a line. | |
152 | @xref{Text Lines}. The beginning of the buffer (or of its accessible | |
153 | portion) always counts as the beginning of a line. | |
154 | @end defun | |
155 | ||
156 | @defun eolp | |
157 | This function returns @code{t} if point is at the end of a line. The | |
158 | end of the buffer (or of its accessible portion) is always considered | |
159 | the end of a line. | |
160 | @end defun | |
161 | ||
162 | @node Buffer Contents | |
163 | @section Examining Buffer Contents | |
164 | ||
165 | This section describes functions that allow a Lisp program to | |
166 | convert any portion of the text in the buffer into a string. | |
167 | ||
168 | @defun buffer-substring start end | |
169 | This function returns a string containing a copy of the text of the | |
170 | region defined by positions @var{start} and @var{end} in the current | |
67cd45a2 CY |
171 | buffer. If the arguments are not positions in the accessible portion |
172 | of the buffer, @code{buffer-substring} signals an | |
173 | @code{args-out-of-range} error. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
174 | |
175 | Here's an example which assumes Font-Lock mode is not enabled: | |
176 | ||
177 | @example | |
178 | @group | |
179 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
180 | This is the contents of buffer foo | |
181 | ||
182 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
183 | @end group | |
184 | ||
185 | @group | |
186 | (buffer-substring 1 10) | |
187 | @result{} "This is t" | |
188 | @end group | |
189 | @group | |
190 | (buffer-substring (point-max) 10) | |
191 | @result{} "he contents of buffer foo\n" | |
192 | @end group | |
193 | @end example | |
194 | ||
195 | If the text being copied has any text properties, these are copied into | |
196 | the string along with the characters they belong to. @xref{Text | |
197 | Properties}. However, overlays (@pxref{Overlays}) in the buffer and | |
198 | their properties are ignored, not copied. | |
199 | ||
200 | For example, if Font-Lock mode is enabled, you might get results like | |
201 | these: | |
202 | ||
203 | @example | |
204 | @group | |
205 | (buffer-substring 1 10) | |
206 | @result{} #("This is t" 0 1 (fontified t) 1 9 (fontified t)) | |
207 | @end group | |
208 | @end example | |
209 | @end defun | |
210 | ||
211 | @defun buffer-substring-no-properties start end | |
212 | This is like @code{buffer-substring}, except that it does not copy text | |
213 | properties, just the characters themselves. @xref{Text Properties}. | |
214 | @end defun | |
215 | ||
67cd45a2 CY |
216 | @defun buffer-string |
217 | This function returns the contents of the entire accessible portion of | |
84f4a531 | 218 | the current buffer, as a string. |
67cd45a2 CY |
219 | @end defun |
220 | ||
34c99998 | 221 | @defun filter-buffer-substring start end &optional delete |
b8d4c8d0 | 222 | This function passes the buffer text between @var{start} and @var{end} |
34c99998 | 223 | through the filter functions specified by the wrapper hook |
67cd45a2 CY |
224 | @code{filter-buffer-substring-functions}, and returns the result. The |
225 | obsolete variable @code{buffer-substring-filters} is also consulted. | |
226 | If both of these variables are @code{nil}, the value is the unaltered | |
1df7defd | 227 | text from the buffer, i.e., what @code{buffer-substring} would |
67cd45a2 | 228 | return. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
229 | |
230 | If @var{delete} is non-@code{nil}, this function deletes the text | |
231 | between @var{start} and @var{end} after copying it, like | |
232 | @code{delete-and-extract-region}. | |
233 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
234 | Lisp code should use this function instead of @code{buffer-substring}, |
235 | @code{buffer-substring-no-properties}, | |
236 | or @code{delete-and-extract-region} when copying into user-accessible | |
237 | data structures such as the kill-ring, X clipboard, and registers. | |
238 | Major and minor modes can add functions to | |
34c99998 GM |
239 | @code{filter-buffer-substring-functions} to alter such text as it is |
240 | copied out of the buffer. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
241 | @end defun |
242 | ||
2bede2ed | 243 | @c FIXME: `filter-buffer-substring-function' should be documented. |
34c99998 GM |
244 | @defvar filter-buffer-substring-functions |
245 | This variable is a wrapper hook (@pxref{Running Hooks}), whose members | |
246 | should be functions that accept four arguments: @var{fun}, | |
247 | @var{start}, @var{end}, and @var{delete}. @var{fun} is a function | |
248 | that takes three arguments (@var{start}, @var{end}, and @var{delete}), | |
249 | and returns a string. In both cases, the @var{start}, @var{end}, and | |
250 | @var{delete} arguments are the same as those of | |
251 | @code{filter-buffer-substring}. | |
252 | ||
253 | The first hook function is passed a @var{fun} that is equivalent to | |
1df7defd | 254 | the default operation of @code{filter-buffer-substring}, i.e., it |
34c99998 GM |
255 | returns the buffer-substring between @var{start} and @var{end} |
256 | (processed by any @code{buffer-substring-filters}) and optionally | |
257 | deletes the original text from the buffer. In most cases, the hook | |
258 | function will call @var{fun} once, and then do its own processing of | |
259 | the result. The next hook function receives a @var{fun} equivalent to | |
260 | this, and so on. The actual return value is the result of all the | |
261 | hook functions acting in sequence. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
262 | @end defvar |
263 | ||
67cd45a2 CY |
264 | @defvar buffer-substring-filters |
265 | This variable is obsoleted by | |
266 | @code{filter-buffer-substring-functions}, but is still supported for | |
267 | backward compatibility. Its value should should be a list of | |
268 | functions which accept a single string argument and return another | |
269 | string. @code{filter-buffer-substring} passes the buffer substring to | |
270 | the first function in this list, and the return value of each function | |
271 | is passed to the next function. The return value of the last function | |
272 | is passed to @code{filter-buffer-substring-functions}. | |
273 | @end defvar | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
274 | |
275 | @defun current-word &optional strict really-word | |
67cd45a2 CY |
276 | This function returns the symbol (or word) at or near point, as a |
277 | string. The return value includes no text properties. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
278 | |
279 | If the optional argument @var{really-word} is non-@code{nil}, it finds a | |
280 | word; otherwise, it finds a symbol (which includes both word | |
281 | characters and symbol constituent characters). | |
282 | ||
283 | If the optional argument @var{strict} is non-@code{nil}, then point | |
284 | must be in or next to the symbol or word---if no symbol or word is | |
285 | there, the function returns @code{nil}. Otherwise, a nearby symbol or | |
286 | word on the same line is acceptable. | |
287 | @end defun | |
288 | ||
289 | @defun thing-at-point thing | |
290 | Return the @var{thing} around or next to point, as a string. | |
291 | ||
292 | The argument @var{thing} is a symbol which specifies a kind of syntactic | |
293 | entity. Possibilities include @code{symbol}, @code{list}, @code{sexp}, | |
294 | @code{defun}, @code{filename}, @code{url}, @code{word}, @code{sentence}, | |
295 | @code{whitespace}, @code{line}, @code{page}, and others. | |
296 | ||
297 | @example | |
298 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
299 | Gentlemen may cry ``Pea@point{}ce! Peace!,'' | |
300 | but there is no peace. | |
301 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
302 | ||
303 | (thing-at-point 'word) | |
304 | @result{} "Peace" | |
305 | (thing-at-point 'line) | |
306 | @result{} "Gentlemen may cry ``Peace! Peace!,''\n" | |
307 | (thing-at-point 'whitespace) | |
308 | @result{} nil | |
309 | @end example | |
310 | @end defun | |
311 | ||
312 | @node Comparing Text | |
313 | @section Comparing Text | |
314 | @cindex comparing buffer text | |
315 | ||
316 | This function lets you compare portions of the text in a buffer, without | |
317 | copying them into strings first. | |
318 | ||
319 | @defun compare-buffer-substrings buffer1 start1 end1 buffer2 start2 end2 | |
320 | This function lets you compare two substrings of the same buffer or two | |
321 | different buffers. The first three arguments specify one substring, | |
322 | giving a buffer (or a buffer name) and two positions within the | |
323 | buffer. The last three arguments specify the other substring in the | |
324 | same way. You can use @code{nil} for @var{buffer1}, @var{buffer2}, or | |
325 | both to stand for the current buffer. | |
326 | ||
327 | The value is negative if the first substring is less, positive if the | |
328 | first is greater, and zero if they are equal. The absolute value of | |
329 | the result is one plus the index of the first differing characters | |
330 | within the substrings. | |
331 | ||
332 | This function ignores case when comparing characters | |
333 | if @code{case-fold-search} is non-@code{nil}. It always ignores | |
334 | text properties. | |
335 | ||
336 | Suppose the current buffer contains the text @samp{foobarbar | |
337 | haha!rara!}; then in this example the two substrings are @samp{rbar } | |
338 | and @samp{rara!}. The value is 2 because the first substring is greater | |
339 | at the second character. | |
340 | ||
341 | @example | |
342 | (compare-buffer-substrings nil 6 11 nil 16 21) | |
343 | @result{} 2 | |
344 | @end example | |
345 | @end defun | |
346 | ||
347 | @node Insertion | |
348 | @section Inserting Text | |
349 | @cindex insertion of text | |
350 | @cindex text insertion | |
351 | ||
352 | @cindex insertion before point | |
353 | @cindex before point, insertion | |
354 | @dfn{Insertion} means adding new text to a buffer. The inserted text | |
355 | goes at point---between the character before point and the character | |
356 | after point. Some insertion functions leave point before the inserted | |
357 | text, while other functions leave it after. We call the former | |
358 | insertion @dfn{after point} and the latter insertion @dfn{before point}. | |
359 | ||
568f7b79 LMI |
360 | Insertion moves markers located at positions after the insertion |
361 | point, so that they stay with the surrounding text (@pxref{Markers}). | |
362 | When a marker points at the place of insertion, insertion may or may | |
363 | not relocate the marker, depending on the marker's insertion type | |
364 | (@pxref{Marker Insertion Types}). Certain special functions such as | |
365 | @code{insert-before-markers} relocate all such markers to point after | |
366 | the inserted text, regardless of the markers' insertion type. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
367 | |
368 | Insertion functions signal an error if the current buffer is | |
8b8bf4a3 XF |
369 | read-only (@pxref{Read Only Buffers}) or if they insert within |
370 | read-only text (@pxref{Special Properties}). | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
371 | |
372 | These functions copy text characters from strings and buffers along | |
373 | with their properties. The inserted characters have exactly the same | |
374 | properties as the characters they were copied from. By contrast, | |
375 | characters specified as separate arguments, not part of a string or | |
376 | buffer, inherit their text properties from the neighboring text. | |
377 | ||
378 | The insertion functions convert text from unibyte to multibyte in | |
379 | order to insert in a multibyte buffer, and vice versa---if the text | |
380 | comes from a string or from a buffer. However, they do not convert | |
381 | unibyte character codes 128 through 255 to multibyte characters, not | |
382 | even if the current buffer is a multibyte buffer. @xref{Converting | |
383 | Representations}. | |
384 | ||
385 | @defun insert &rest args | |
386 | This function inserts the strings and/or characters @var{args} into the | |
387 | current buffer, at point, moving point forward. In other words, it | |
388 | inserts the text before point. An error is signaled unless all | |
389 | @var{args} are either strings or characters. The value is @code{nil}. | |
390 | @end defun | |
391 | ||
392 | @defun insert-before-markers &rest args | |
393 | This function inserts the strings and/or characters @var{args} into the | |
394 | current buffer, at point, moving point forward. An error is signaled | |
395 | unless all @var{args} are either strings or characters. The value is | |
396 | @code{nil}. | |
397 | ||
398 | This function is unlike the other insertion functions in that it | |
399 | relocates markers initially pointing at the insertion point, to point | |
400 | after the inserted text. If an overlay begins at the insertion point, | |
401 | the inserted text falls outside the overlay; if a nonempty overlay | |
402 | ends at the insertion point, the inserted text falls inside that | |
403 | overlay. | |
404 | @end defun | |
405 | ||
9ea10cc3 CY |
406 | @deffn Command insert-char character &optional count inherit |
407 | This command inserts @var{count} instances of @var{character} into the | |
408 | current buffer before point. The argument @var{count} must be an | |
409 | integer, and @var{character} must be a character. | |
410 | ||
411 | If called interactively, this command prompts for @var{character} | |
412 | using its Unicode name or its code point. @xref{Inserting Text,,, | |
413 | emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
414 | |
415 | This function does not convert unibyte character codes 128 through 255 | |
416 | to multibyte characters, not even if the current buffer is a multibyte | |
417 | buffer. @xref{Converting Representations}. | |
418 | ||
9ea10cc3 | 419 | If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, the inserted characters inherit |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
420 | sticky text properties from the two characters before and after the |
421 | insertion point. @xref{Sticky Properties}. | |
9ea10cc3 | 422 | @end deffn |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
423 | |
424 | @defun insert-buffer-substring from-buffer-or-name &optional start end | |
425 | This function inserts a portion of buffer @var{from-buffer-or-name} | |
c8068af5 XF |
426 | into the current buffer before point. The text inserted is the region |
427 | between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive). (These | |
428 | arguments default to the beginning and end of the accessible portion | |
429 | of that buffer.) This function returns @code{nil}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
430 | |
431 | In this example, the form is executed with buffer @samp{bar} as the | |
432 | current buffer. We assume that buffer @samp{bar} is initially empty. | |
433 | ||
434 | @example | |
435 | @group | |
436 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
437 | We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all | |
438 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
439 | @end group | |
440 | ||
441 | @group | |
442 | (insert-buffer-substring "foo" 1 20) | |
443 | @result{} nil | |
444 | ||
445 | ---------- Buffer: bar ---------- | |
446 | We hold these truth@point{} | |
447 | ---------- Buffer: bar ---------- | |
448 | @end group | |
449 | @end example | |
450 | @end defun | |
451 | ||
452 | @defun insert-buffer-substring-no-properties from-buffer-or-name &optional start end | |
453 | This is like @code{insert-buffer-substring} except that it does not | |
454 | copy any text properties. | |
455 | @end defun | |
456 | ||
457 | @xref{Sticky Properties}, for other insertion functions that inherit | |
458 | text properties from the nearby text in addition to inserting it. | |
459 | Whitespace inserted by indentation functions also inherits text | |
460 | properties. | |
461 | ||
462 | @node Commands for Insertion | |
463 | @section User-Level Insertion Commands | |
464 | ||
465 | This section describes higher-level commands for inserting text, | |
466 | commands intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp | |
467 | programs. | |
468 | ||
469 | @deffn Command insert-buffer from-buffer-or-name | |
470 | This command inserts the entire accessible contents of | |
471 | @var{from-buffer-or-name} (which must exist) into the current buffer | |
472 | after point. It leaves the mark after the inserted text. The value | |
473 | is @code{nil}. | |
474 | @end deffn | |
475 | ||
476 | @deffn Command self-insert-command count | |
477 | @cindex character insertion | |
478 | @cindex self-insertion | |
479 | This command inserts the last character typed; it does so @var{count} | |
480 | times, before point, and returns @code{nil}. Most printing characters | |
481 | are bound to this command. In routine use, @code{self-insert-command} | |
482 | is the most frequently called function in Emacs, but programs rarely use | |
483 | it except to install it on a keymap. | |
484 | ||
485 | In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument. | |
486 | ||
bd805d5b | 487 | @c FIXME: This variable is obsolete since 23.1. |
ab992d66 EZ |
488 | Self-insertion translates the input character through |
489 | @code{translation-table-for-input}. @xref{Translation of Characters}. | |
490 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
491 | This command calls @code{auto-fill-function} whenever that is |
492 | non-@code{nil} and the character inserted is in the table | |
493 | @code{auto-fill-chars} (@pxref{Auto Filling}). | |
494 | ||
495 | @c Cross refs reworded to prevent overfull hbox. --rjc 15mar92 | |
496 | This command performs abbrev expansion if Abbrev mode is enabled and | |
497 | the inserted character does not have word-constituent | |
498 | syntax. (@xref{Abbrevs}, and @ref{Syntax Class Table}.) It is also | |
499 | responsible for calling @code{blink-paren-function} when the inserted | |
500 | character has close parenthesis syntax (@pxref{Blinking}). | |
501 | ||
f58b9822 GM |
502 | @vindex post-self-insert-hook |
503 | The final thing this command does is to run the hook | |
504 | @code{post-self-insert-hook}. You could use this to automatically | |
505 | reindent text as it is typed, for example. | |
506 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
507 | Do not try substituting your own definition of |
508 | @code{self-insert-command} for the standard one. The editor command | |
509 | loop handles this function specially. | |
510 | @end deffn | |
511 | ||
512 | @deffn Command newline &optional number-of-newlines | |
513 | This command inserts newlines into the current buffer before point. | |
514 | If @var{number-of-newlines} is supplied, that many newline characters | |
515 | are inserted. | |
516 | ||
517 | @cindex newline and Auto Fill mode | |
518 | This function calls @code{auto-fill-function} if the current column | |
519 | number is greater than the value of @code{fill-column} and | |
520 | @var{number-of-newlines} is @code{nil}. Typically what | |
521 | @code{auto-fill-function} does is insert a newline; thus, the overall | |
522 | result in this case is to insert two newlines at different places: one | |
523 | at point, and another earlier in the line. @code{newline} does not | |
524 | auto-fill if @var{number-of-newlines} is non-@code{nil}. | |
525 | ||
526 | This command indents to the left margin if that is not zero. | |
527 | @xref{Margins}. | |
528 | ||
529 | The value returned is @code{nil}. In an interactive call, @var{count} | |
530 | is the numeric prefix argument. | |
531 | @end deffn | |
532 | ||
533 | @defvar overwrite-mode | |
534 | This variable controls whether overwrite mode is in effect. The value | |
535 | should be @code{overwrite-mode-textual}, @code{overwrite-mode-binary}, | |
536 | or @code{nil}. @code{overwrite-mode-textual} specifies textual | |
537 | overwrite mode (treats newlines and tabs specially), and | |
538 | @code{overwrite-mode-binary} specifies binary overwrite mode (treats | |
539 | newlines and tabs like any other characters). | |
540 | @end defvar | |
541 | ||
542 | @node Deletion | |
543 | @section Deleting Text | |
544 | @cindex text deletion | |
545 | ||
546 | @cindex deleting text vs killing | |
547 | Deletion means removing part of the text in a buffer, without saving | |
548 | it in the kill ring (@pxref{The Kill Ring}). Deleted text can't be | |
549 | yanked, but can be reinserted using the undo mechanism (@pxref{Undo}). | |
550 | Some deletion functions do save text in the kill ring in some special | |
551 | cases. | |
552 | ||
553 | All of the deletion functions operate on the current buffer. | |
554 | ||
555 | @deffn Command erase-buffer | |
556 | This function deletes the entire text of the current buffer | |
557 | (@emph{not} just the accessible portion), leaving it | |
558 | empty. If the buffer is read-only, it signals a @code{buffer-read-only} | |
559 | error; if some of the text in it is read-only, it signals a | |
560 | @code{text-read-only} error. Otherwise, it deletes the text without | |
561 | asking for any confirmation. It returns @code{nil}. | |
562 | ||
563 | Normally, deleting a large amount of text from a buffer inhibits further | |
16152b76 | 564 | auto-saving of that buffer ``because it has shrunk''. However, |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
565 | @code{erase-buffer} does not do this, the idea being that the future |
566 | text is not really related to the former text, and its size should not | |
567 | be compared with that of the former text. | |
568 | @end deffn | |
569 | ||
570 | @deffn Command delete-region start end | |
571 | This command deletes the text between positions @var{start} and | |
572 | @var{end} in the current buffer, and returns @code{nil}. If point was | |
573 | inside the deleted region, its value afterward is @var{start}. | |
574 | Otherwise, point relocates with the surrounding text, as markers do. | |
575 | @end deffn | |
576 | ||
577 | @defun delete-and-extract-region start end | |
578 | This function deletes the text between positions @var{start} and | |
579 | @var{end} in the current buffer, and returns a string containing the | |
580 | text just deleted. | |
581 | ||
582 | If point was inside the deleted region, its value afterward is | |
583 | @var{start}. Otherwise, point relocates with the surrounding text, as | |
584 | markers do. | |
585 | @end defun | |
586 | ||
587 | @deffn Command delete-char count &optional killp | |
588 | This command deletes @var{count} characters directly after point, or | |
589 | before point if @var{count} is negative. If @var{killp} is | |
590 | non-@code{nil}, then it saves the deleted characters in the kill ring. | |
591 | ||
592 | In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and | |
593 | @var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix | |
594 | argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix | |
595 | argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in | |
596 | the kill ring. | |
597 | ||
598 | The value returned is always @code{nil}. | |
599 | @end deffn | |
600 | ||
601 | @deffn Command delete-backward-char count &optional killp | |
602 | @cindex deleting previous char | |
603 | This command deletes @var{count} characters directly before point, or | |
604 | after point if @var{count} is negative. If @var{killp} is | |
605 | non-@code{nil}, then it saves the deleted characters in the kill ring. | |
606 | ||
607 | In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and | |
608 | @var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix | |
609 | argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix | |
610 | argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in | |
611 | the kill ring. | |
612 | ||
613 | The value returned is always @code{nil}. | |
614 | @end deffn | |
615 | ||
616 | @deffn Command backward-delete-char-untabify count &optional killp | |
617 | @cindex tab deletion | |
618 | This command deletes @var{count} characters backward, changing tabs | |
619 | into spaces. When the next character to be deleted is a tab, it is | |
620 | first replaced with the proper number of spaces to preserve alignment | |
621 | and then one of those spaces is deleted instead of the tab. If | |
622 | @var{killp} is non-@code{nil}, then the command saves the deleted | |
623 | characters in the kill ring. | |
624 | ||
625 | Conversion of tabs to spaces happens only if @var{count} is positive. | |
626 | If it is negative, exactly @minus{}@var{count} characters after point | |
627 | are deleted. | |
628 | ||
629 | In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and | |
630 | @var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix | |
631 | argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix | |
632 | argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in | |
633 | the kill ring. | |
634 | ||
635 | The value returned is always @code{nil}. | |
636 | @end deffn | |
637 | ||
638 | @defopt backward-delete-char-untabify-method | |
639 | This option specifies how @code{backward-delete-char-untabify} should | |
640 | deal with whitespace. Possible values include @code{untabify}, the | |
641 | default, meaning convert a tab to many spaces and delete one; | |
642 | @code{hungry}, meaning delete all tabs and spaces before point with | |
643 | one command; @code{all} meaning delete all tabs, spaces and newlines | |
644 | before point, and @code{nil}, meaning do nothing special for | |
645 | whitespace characters. | |
646 | @end defopt | |
647 | ||
648 | @node User-Level Deletion | |
649 | @section User-Level Deletion Commands | |
650 | ||
651 | This section describes higher-level commands for deleting text, | |
652 | commands intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp | |
653 | programs. | |
654 | ||
655 | @deffn Command delete-horizontal-space &optional backward-only | |
656 | @cindex deleting whitespace | |
657 | This function deletes all spaces and tabs around point. It returns | |
658 | @code{nil}. | |
659 | ||
660 | If @var{backward-only} is non-@code{nil}, the function deletes | |
661 | spaces and tabs before point, but not after point. | |
662 | ||
663 | In the following examples, we call @code{delete-horizontal-space} four | |
664 | times, once on each line, with point between the second and third | |
665 | characters on the line each time. | |
666 | ||
667 | @example | |
668 | @group | |
669 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
670 | I @point{}thought | |
671 | I @point{} thought | |
672 | We@point{} thought | |
673 | Yo@point{}u thought | |
674 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
675 | @end group | |
676 | ||
677 | @group | |
678 | (delete-horizontal-space) ; @r{Four times.} | |
679 | @result{} nil | |
680 | ||
681 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
682 | Ithought | |
683 | Ithought | |
684 | Wethought | |
685 | You thought | |
686 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
687 | @end group | |
688 | @end example | |
689 | @end deffn | |
690 | ||
691 | @deffn Command delete-indentation &optional join-following-p | |
692 | This function joins the line point is on to the previous line, deleting | |
693 | any whitespace at the join and in some cases replacing it with one | |
694 | space. If @var{join-following-p} is non-@code{nil}, | |
695 | @code{delete-indentation} joins this line to the following line | |
696 | instead. The function returns @code{nil}. | |
697 | ||
698 | If there is a fill prefix, and the second of the lines being joined | |
699 | starts with the prefix, then @code{delete-indentation} deletes the | |
700 | fill prefix before joining the lines. @xref{Margins}. | |
701 | ||
702 | In the example below, point is located on the line starting | |
703 | @samp{events}, and it makes no difference if there are trailing spaces | |
704 | in the preceding line. | |
705 | ||
706 | @smallexample | |
707 | @group | |
708 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
709 | When in the course of human | |
710 | @point{} events, it becomes necessary | |
711 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
712 | @end group | |
713 | ||
714 | (delete-indentation) | |
715 | @result{} nil | |
716 | ||
717 | @group | |
718 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
719 | When in the course of human@point{} events, it becomes necessary | |
720 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
721 | @end group | |
722 | @end smallexample | |
723 | ||
724 | After the lines are joined, the function @code{fixup-whitespace} is | |
725 | responsible for deciding whether to leave a space at the junction. | |
726 | @end deffn | |
727 | ||
728 | @deffn Command fixup-whitespace | |
729 | This function replaces all the horizontal whitespace surrounding point | |
730 | with either one space or no space, according to the context. It | |
731 | returns @code{nil}. | |
732 | ||
733 | At the beginning or end of a line, the appropriate amount of space is | |
734 | none. Before a character with close parenthesis syntax, or after a | |
735 | character with open parenthesis or expression-prefix syntax, no space is | |
736 | also appropriate. Otherwise, one space is appropriate. @xref{Syntax | |
737 | Class Table}. | |
738 | ||
739 | In the example below, @code{fixup-whitespace} is called the first time | |
740 | with point before the word @samp{spaces} in the first line. For the | |
741 | second invocation, point is directly after the @samp{(}. | |
742 | ||
743 | @smallexample | |
744 | @group | |
745 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
746 | This has too many @point{}spaces | |
747 | This has too many spaces at the start of (@point{} this list) | |
748 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
749 | @end group | |
750 | ||
751 | @group | |
752 | (fixup-whitespace) | |
753 | @result{} nil | |
754 | (fixup-whitespace) | |
755 | @result{} nil | |
756 | @end group | |
757 | ||
758 | @group | |
759 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
760 | This has too many spaces | |
761 | This has too many spaces at the start of (this list) | |
762 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
763 | @end group | |
764 | @end smallexample | |
765 | @end deffn | |
766 | ||
767 | @deffn Command just-one-space &optional n | |
768 | @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
769 | This command replaces any spaces and tabs around point with a single | |
770 | space, or @var{n} spaces if @var{n} is specified. It returns | |
771 | @code{nil}. | |
772 | @end deffn | |
773 | ||
774 | @deffn Command delete-blank-lines | |
775 | This function deletes blank lines surrounding point. If point is on a | |
776 | blank line with one or more blank lines before or after it, then all but | |
777 | one of them are deleted. If point is on an isolated blank line, then it | |
778 | is deleted. If point is on a nonblank line, the command deletes all | |
779 | blank lines immediately following it. | |
780 | ||
781 | A blank line is defined as a line containing only tabs and spaces. | |
7bef426b | 782 | @c and the Newline character? |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
783 | |
784 | @code{delete-blank-lines} returns @code{nil}. | |
785 | @end deffn | |
786 | ||
787 | @node The Kill Ring | |
788 | @section The Kill Ring | |
789 | @cindex kill ring | |
790 | ||
791 | @dfn{Kill functions} delete text like the deletion functions, but save | |
792 | it so that the user can reinsert it by @dfn{yanking}. Most of these | |
793 | functions have @samp{kill-} in their name. By contrast, the functions | |
794 | whose names start with @samp{delete-} normally do not save text for | |
795 | yanking (though they can still be undone); these are ``deletion'' | |
796 | functions. | |
797 | ||
798 | Most of the kill commands are primarily for interactive use, and are | |
799 | not described here. What we do describe are the functions provided for | |
800 | use in writing such commands. You can use these functions to write | |
801 | commands for killing text. When you need to delete text for internal | |
802 | purposes within a Lisp function, you should normally use deletion | |
803 | functions, so as not to disturb the kill ring contents. | |
804 | @xref{Deletion}. | |
805 | ||
806 | Killed text is saved for later yanking in the @dfn{kill ring}. This | |
807 | is a list that holds a number of recent kills, not just the last text | |
808 | kill. We call this a ``ring'' because yanking treats it as having | |
809 | elements in a cyclic order. The list is kept in the variable | |
810 | @code{kill-ring}, and can be operated on with the usual functions for | |
811 | lists; there are also specialized functions, described in this section, | |
812 | that treat it as a ring. | |
813 | ||
814 | Some people think this use of the word ``kill'' is unfortunate, since | |
815 | it refers to operations that specifically @emph{do not} destroy the | |
16152b76 | 816 | entities ``killed''. This is in sharp contrast to ordinary life, in |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
817 | which death is permanent and ``killed'' entities do not come back to |
818 | life. Therefore, other metaphors have been proposed. For example, the | |
819 | term ``cut ring'' makes sense to people who, in pre-computer days, used | |
820 | scissors and paste to cut up and rearrange manuscripts. However, it | |
821 | would be difficult to change the terminology now. | |
822 | ||
823 | @menu | |
824 | * Kill Ring Concepts:: What text looks like in the kill ring. | |
825 | * Kill Functions:: Functions that kill text. | |
826 | * Yanking:: How yanking is done. | |
827 | * Yank Commands:: Commands that access the kill ring. | |
d24880de | 828 | * Low-Level Kill Ring:: Functions and variables for kill ring access. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
829 | * Internals of Kill Ring:: Variables that hold kill ring data. |
830 | @end menu | |
831 | ||
832 | @node Kill Ring Concepts | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
833 | @subsection Kill Ring Concepts |
834 | ||
835 | The kill ring records killed text as strings in a list, most recent | |
836 | first. A short kill ring, for example, might look like this: | |
837 | ||
838 | @example | |
839 | ("some text" "a different piece of text" "even older text") | |
840 | @end example | |
841 | ||
842 | @noindent | |
843 | When the list reaches @code{kill-ring-max} entries in length, adding a | |
844 | new entry automatically deletes the last entry. | |
845 | ||
846 | When kill commands are interwoven with other commands, each kill | |
847 | command makes a new entry in the kill ring. Multiple kill commands in | |
848 | succession build up a single kill ring entry, which would be yanked as a | |
849 | unit; the second and subsequent consecutive kill commands add text to | |
850 | the entry made by the first one. | |
851 | ||
852 | For yanking, one entry in the kill ring is designated the ``front'' of | |
853 | the ring. Some yank commands ``rotate'' the ring by designating a | |
16152b76 | 854 | different element as the ``front''. But this virtual rotation doesn't |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
855 | change the list itself---the most recent entry always comes first in the |
856 | list. | |
857 | ||
858 | @node Kill Functions | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
859 | @subsection Functions for Killing |
860 | ||
861 | @code{kill-region} is the usual subroutine for killing text. Any | |
862 | command that calls this function is a ``kill command'' (and should | |
863 | probably have @samp{kill} in its name). @code{kill-region} puts the | |
864 | newly killed text in a new element at the beginning of the kill ring or | |
865 | adds it to the most recent element. It determines automatically (using | |
866 | @code{last-command}) whether the previous command was a kill command, | |
867 | and if so appends the killed text to the most recent entry. | |
868 | ||
ec8a6295 | 869 | @deffn Command kill-region start end |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
870 | This function kills the text in the region defined by @var{start} and |
871 | @var{end}. The text is deleted but saved in the kill ring, along with | |
872 | its text properties. The value is always @code{nil}. | |
873 | ||
874 | In an interactive call, @var{start} and @var{end} are point and | |
875 | the mark. | |
876 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
877 | If the buffer or text is read-only, @code{kill-region} modifies the kill |
878 | ring just the same, then signals an error without modifying the buffer. | |
879 | This is convenient because it lets the user use a series of kill | |
880 | commands to copy text from a read-only buffer into the kill ring. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
881 | @end deffn |
882 | ||
883 | @defopt kill-read-only-ok | |
884 | If this option is non-@code{nil}, @code{kill-region} does not signal an | |
885 | error if the buffer or text is read-only. Instead, it simply returns, | |
886 | updating the kill ring but not changing the buffer. | |
887 | @end defopt | |
888 | ||
889 | @deffn Command copy-region-as-kill start end | |
890 | This command saves the region defined by @var{start} and @var{end} on | |
891 | the kill ring (including text properties), but does not delete the text | |
892 | from the buffer. It returns @code{nil}. | |
893 | ||
894 | The command does not set @code{this-command} to @code{kill-region}, so a | |
895 | subsequent kill command does not append to the same kill ring entry. | |
896 | ||
cde08ac9 GM |
897 | @c FIXME Why is it better? Why isn't copy-region-as-kill obsolete then? |
898 | @c Why is it used in many places in Emacs? | |
899 | In Lisp programs, it is better to use @code{kill-new} or | |
900 | @code{kill-append} instead of this command. @xref{Low-Level Kill Ring}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
901 | @end deffn |
902 | ||
903 | @node Yanking | |
904 | @subsection Yanking | |
905 | ||
05b621a6 CY |
906 | Yanking means inserting text from the kill ring, but it does not |
907 | insert the text blindly. The @code{yank} command, and related | |
908 | commands, use @code{insert-for-yank} to perform special processing on | |
909 | the text before it is inserted. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
910 | |
911 | @defun insert-for-yank string | |
05b621a6 CY |
912 | This function works like @code{insert}, except that it processes the |
913 | text in @var{string} according to the @code{yank-handler} text | |
914 | property, as well as the variables @code{yank-handled-properties} and | |
915 | @code{yank-excluded-properties} (see below), before inserting the | |
916 | result into the current buffer. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
917 | @end defun |
918 | ||
919 | @defun insert-buffer-substring-as-yank buf &optional start end | |
05b621a6 CY |
920 | This function resembles @code{insert-buffer-substring}, except that it |
921 | processes the text according to @code{yank-handled-properties} and | |
922 | @code{yank-excluded-properties}. (It does not handle the | |
923 | @code{yank-handler} property, which does not normally occur in buffer | |
924 | text anyway.) | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
925 | @end defun |
926 | ||
90769946 | 927 | @c FIXME: Add an index for yank-handler. |
05b621a6 CY |
928 | If you put a @code{yank-handler} text property on all or part of a |
929 | string, that alters how @code{insert-for-yank} inserts the string. If | |
930 | different parts of the string have different @code{yank-handler} | |
931 | values (comparison being done with @code{eq}), each substring is | |
932 | handled separately. The property value must be a list of one to four | |
933 | elements, with the following format (where elements after the first | |
934 | may be omitted): | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
935 | |
936 | @example | |
937 | (@var{function} @var{param} @var{noexclude} @var{undo}) | |
938 | @end example | |
939 | ||
940 | Here is what the elements do: | |
941 | ||
942 | @table @var | |
943 | @item function | |
05b621a6 CY |
944 | When @var{function} is non-@code{nil}, it is called instead of |
945 | @code{insert} to insert the string, with one argument---the string to | |
946 | insert. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
947 | |
948 | @item param | |
949 | If @var{param} is present and non-@code{nil}, it replaces @var{string} | |
05b621a6 CY |
950 | (or the substring of @var{string} being processed) as the object |
951 | passed to @var{function} (or @code{insert}). For example, if | |
952 | @var{function} is @code{yank-rectangle}, @var{param} should be a list | |
953 | of strings to insert as a rectangle. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
954 | |
955 | @item noexclude | |
05b621a6 CY |
956 | If @var{noexclude} is present and non-@code{nil}, that disables the |
957 | normal action of @code{yank-handled-properties} and | |
958 | @code{yank-excluded-properties} on the inserted string. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
959 | |
960 | @item undo | |
961 | If @var{undo} is present and non-@code{nil}, it is a function that will be | |
962 | called by @code{yank-pop} to undo the insertion of the current object. | |
963 | It is called with two arguments, the start and end of the current | |
964 | region. @var{function} can set @code{yank-undo-function} to override | |
965 | the @var{undo} value. | |
966 | @end table | |
967 | ||
50b063c3 | 968 | @cindex yanking and text properties |
05b621a6 CY |
969 | @defopt yank-handled-properties |
970 | This variable specifies special text property handling conditions for | |
971 | yanked text. It takes effect after the text has been inserted (either | |
972 | normally, or via the @code{yank-handler} property), and prior to | |
973 | @code{yank-excluded-properties} taking effect. | |
974 | ||
975 | The value should be an alist of elements @code{(@var{prop} | |
976 | . @var{fun})}. Each alist element is handled in order. The inserted | |
977 | text is scanned for stretches of text having text properties @code{eq} | |
978 | to @var{prop}; for each such stretch, @var{fun} is called with three | |
979 | arguments: the value of the property, and the start and end positions | |
980 | of the text. | |
981 | @end defopt | |
982 | ||
50b063c3 | 983 | @defopt yank-excluded-properties |
05b621a6 CY |
984 | The value of this variable is the list of properties to remove from |
985 | inserted text. Its default value contains properties that might lead | |
986 | to annoying results, such as causing the text to respond to the mouse | |
987 | or specifying key bindings. It takes effect after | |
988 | @code{yank-handled-properties}. | |
50b063c3 CY |
989 | @end defopt |
990 | ||
05b621a6 | 991 | |
b8d4c8d0 | 992 | @node Yank Commands |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
993 | @subsection Functions for Yanking |
994 | ||
995 | This section describes higher-level commands for yanking, which are | |
996 | intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp programs. | |
997 | Both @code{yank} and @code{yank-pop} honor the | |
998 | @code{yank-excluded-properties} variable and @code{yank-handler} text | |
999 | property (@pxref{Yanking}). | |
1000 | ||
1001 | @deffn Command yank &optional arg | |
1002 | @cindex inserting killed text | |
2bad3299 CY |
1003 | This command inserts before point the text at the front of the kill |
1004 | ring. It sets the mark at the beginning of that text, using | |
1005 | @code{push-mark} (@pxref{The Mark}), and puts point at the end. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1006 | |
1007 | If @var{arg} is a non-@code{nil} list (which occurs interactively when | |
1008 | the user types @kbd{C-u} with no digits), then @code{yank} inserts the | |
1009 | text as described above, but puts point before the yanked text and | |
2bad3299 | 1010 | sets the mark after it. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1011 | |
1012 | If @var{arg} is a number, then @code{yank} inserts the @var{arg}th | |
1013 | most recently killed text---the @var{arg}th element of the kill ring | |
1014 | list, counted cyclically from the front, which is considered the | |
1015 | first element for this purpose. | |
1016 | ||
1017 | @code{yank} does not alter the contents of the kill ring, unless it | |
1018 | used text provided by another program, in which case it pushes that text | |
1019 | onto the kill ring. However if @var{arg} is an integer different from | |
1020 | one, it rotates the kill ring to place the yanked string at the front. | |
1021 | ||
1022 | @code{yank} returns @code{nil}. | |
1023 | @end deffn | |
1024 | ||
1025 | @deffn Command yank-pop &optional arg | |
1026 | This command replaces the just-yanked entry from the kill ring with a | |
1027 | different entry from the kill ring. | |
1028 | ||
1029 | This is allowed only immediately after a @code{yank} or another | |
1030 | @code{yank-pop}. At such a time, the region contains text that was just | |
1031 | inserted by yanking. @code{yank-pop} deletes that text and inserts in | |
1032 | its place a different piece of killed text. It does not add the deleted | |
1033 | text to the kill ring, since it is already in the kill ring somewhere. | |
1034 | It does however rotate the kill ring to place the newly yanked string at | |
1035 | the front. | |
1036 | ||
1037 | If @var{arg} is @code{nil}, then the replacement text is the previous | |
1038 | element of the kill ring. If @var{arg} is numeric, the replacement is | |
1039 | the @var{arg}th previous kill. If @var{arg} is negative, a more recent | |
1040 | kill is the replacement. | |
1041 | ||
1042 | The sequence of kills in the kill ring wraps around, so that after the | |
1043 | oldest one comes the newest one, and before the newest one goes the | |
1044 | oldest. | |
1045 | ||
1046 | The return value is always @code{nil}. | |
1047 | @end deffn | |
1048 | ||
1049 | @defvar yank-undo-function | |
1050 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, the function @code{yank-pop} uses | |
1051 | its value instead of @code{delete-region} to delete the text | |
1052 | inserted by the previous @code{yank} or | |
1053 | @code{yank-pop} command. The value must be a function of two | |
1054 | arguments, the start and end of the current region. | |
1055 | ||
1056 | The function @code{insert-for-yank} automatically sets this variable | |
1057 | according to the @var{undo} element of the @code{yank-handler} | |
1058 | text property, if there is one. | |
1059 | @end defvar | |
1060 | ||
1061 | @node Low-Level Kill Ring | |
1062 | @subsection Low-Level Kill Ring | |
1063 | ||
1064 | These functions and variables provide access to the kill ring at a | |
cde08ac9 GM |
1065 | lower level, but are still convenient for use in Lisp programs, |
1066 | because they take care of interaction with window system selections | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1067 | (@pxref{Window System Selections}). |
1068 | ||
1069 | @defun current-kill n &optional do-not-move | |
1070 | The function @code{current-kill} rotates the yanking pointer, which | |
1071 | designates the ``front'' of the kill ring, by @var{n} places (from newer | |
1072 | kills to older ones), and returns the text at that place in the ring. | |
1073 | ||
1074 | If the optional second argument @var{do-not-move} is non-@code{nil}, | |
1075 | then @code{current-kill} doesn't alter the yanking pointer; it just | |
1076 | returns the @var{n}th kill, counting from the current yanking pointer. | |
1077 | ||
1078 | If @var{n} is zero, indicating a request for the latest kill, | |
1079 | @code{current-kill} calls the value of | |
1080 | @code{interprogram-paste-function} (documented below) before | |
1081 | consulting the kill ring. If that value is a function and calling it | |
8e8c1a72 EZ |
1082 | returns a string or a list of several string, @code{current-kill} |
1083 | pushes the strings onto the kill ring and returns the first string. | |
a053dae0 EZ |
1084 | It also sets the yanking pointer to point to the kill-ring entry of |
1085 | the first string returned by @code{interprogram-paste-function}, | |
8e8c1a72 EZ |
1086 | regardless of the value of @var{do-not-move}. Otherwise, |
1087 | @code{current-kill} does not treat a zero value for @var{n} specially: | |
1088 | it returns the entry pointed at by the yanking pointer and does not | |
1089 | move the yanking pointer. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1090 | @end defun |
1091 | ||
ec8a6295 | 1092 | @defun kill-new string &optional replace |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1093 | This function pushes the text @var{string} onto the kill ring and |
1094 | makes the yanking pointer point to it. It discards the oldest entry | |
1095 | if appropriate. It also invokes the value of | |
1096 | @code{interprogram-cut-function} (see below). | |
1097 | ||
1098 | If @var{replace} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{kill-new} replaces the | |
1099 | first element of the kill ring with @var{string}, rather than pushing | |
1100 | @var{string} onto the kill ring. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1101 | @end defun |
1102 | ||
ec8a6295 | 1103 | @defun kill-append string before-p |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1104 | This function appends the text @var{string} to the first entry in the |
1105 | kill ring and makes the yanking pointer point to the combined entry. | |
1106 | Normally @var{string} goes at the end of the entry, but if | |
1107 | @var{before-p} is non-@code{nil}, it goes at the beginning. This | |
1108 | function also invokes the value of @code{interprogram-cut-function} | |
ec8a6295 | 1109 | (see below). |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1110 | @end defun |
1111 | ||
1112 | @defvar interprogram-paste-function | |
1113 | This variable provides a way of transferring killed text from other | |
1114 | programs, when you are using a window system. Its value should be | |
1115 | @code{nil} or a function of no arguments. | |
1116 | ||
1117 | If the value is a function, @code{current-kill} calls it to get the | |
16152b76 GM |
1118 | ``most recent kill''. If the function returns a non-@code{nil} value, |
1119 | then that value is used as the ``most recent kill''. If it returns | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1120 | @code{nil}, then the front of the kill ring is used. |
1121 | ||
8e8c1a72 EZ |
1122 | To facilitate support for window systems that support multiple |
1123 | selections, this function may also return a list of strings. In that | |
1124 | case, the first string is used as the ``most recent kill'', and all | |
1125 | the other strings are pushed onto the kill ring, for easy access by | |
1126 | @code{yank-pop}. | |
1127 | ||
67cd45a2 CY |
1128 | The normal use of this function is to get the window system's |
1129 | clipboard as the most recent kill, even if the selection belongs to | |
8e8c1a72 | 1130 | another application. @xref{Window System Selections}. However, if |
67cd45a2 CY |
1131 | the clipboard contents come from the current Emacs session, this |
1132 | function should return @code{nil}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1133 | @end defvar |
1134 | ||
1135 | @defvar interprogram-cut-function | |
1136 | This variable provides a way of communicating killed text to other | |
1137 | programs, when you are using a window system. Its value should be | |
45240125 | 1138 | @code{nil} or a function of one required argument. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1139 | |
1140 | If the value is a function, @code{kill-new} and @code{kill-append} call | |
45240125 | 1141 | it with the new first element of the kill ring as the argument. |
b8d4c8d0 | 1142 | |
67cd45a2 CY |
1143 | The normal use of this function is to put newly killed text in the |
1144 | window system's clipboard. @xref{Window System Selections}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1145 | @end defvar |
1146 | ||
1147 | @node Internals of Kill Ring | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1148 | @subsection Internals of the Kill Ring |
1149 | ||
1150 | The variable @code{kill-ring} holds the kill ring contents, in the | |
1151 | form of a list of strings. The most recent kill is always at the front | |
1152 | of the list. | |
1153 | ||
1154 | The @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} variable points to a link in the | |
1155 | kill ring list, whose @sc{car} is the text to yank next. We say it | |
1156 | identifies the ``front'' of the ring. Moving | |
1157 | @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} to a different link is called | |
1158 | @dfn{rotating the kill ring}. We call the kill ring a ``ring'' because | |
1159 | the functions that move the yank pointer wrap around from the end of the | |
1160 | list to the beginning, or vice-versa. Rotation of the kill ring is | |
1161 | virtual; it does not change the value of @code{kill-ring}. | |
1162 | ||
1163 | Both @code{kill-ring} and @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} are Lisp | |
1164 | variables whose values are normally lists. The word ``pointer'' in the | |
1165 | name of the @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} indicates that the variable's | |
1166 | purpose is to identify one element of the list for use by the next yank | |
1167 | command. | |
1168 | ||
1169 | The value of @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} is always @code{eq} to one | |
1170 | of the links in the kill ring list. The element it identifies is the | |
1171 | @sc{car} of that link. Kill commands, which change the kill ring, also | |
1172 | set this variable to the value of @code{kill-ring}. The effect is to | |
1173 | rotate the ring so that the newly killed text is at the front. | |
1174 | ||
1175 | Here is a diagram that shows the variable @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} | |
1176 | pointing to the second entry in the kill ring @code{("some text" "a | |
1177 | different piece of text" "yet older text")}. | |
1178 | ||
1179 | @example | |
1180 | @group | |
1181 | kill-ring ---- kill-ring-yank-pointer | |
1182 | | | | |
1183 | | v | |
1184 | | --- --- --- --- --- --- | |
1185 | --> | | |------> | | |--> | | |--> nil | |
1186 | --- --- --- --- --- --- | |
1187 | | | | | |
1188 | | | | | |
1189 | | | -->"yet older text" | |
1190 | | | | |
1191 | | --> "a different piece of text" | |
1192 | | | |
1193 | --> "some text" | |
1194 | @end group | |
1195 | @end example | |
1196 | ||
1197 | @noindent | |
1198 | This state of affairs might occur after @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) | |
1199 | immediately followed by @kbd{M-y} (@code{yank-pop}). | |
1200 | ||
1201 | @defvar kill-ring | |
1202 | This variable holds the list of killed text sequences, most recently | |
1203 | killed first. | |
1204 | @end defvar | |
1205 | ||
1206 | @defvar kill-ring-yank-pointer | |
1207 | This variable's value indicates which element of the kill ring is at the | |
1208 | ``front'' of the ring for yanking. More precisely, the value is a tail | |
1209 | of the value of @code{kill-ring}, and its @sc{car} is the kill string | |
1210 | that @kbd{C-y} should yank. | |
1211 | @end defvar | |
1212 | ||
1213 | @defopt kill-ring-max | |
1214 | The value of this variable is the maximum length to which the kill | |
1215 | ring can grow, before elements are thrown away at the end. The default | |
1216 | value for @code{kill-ring-max} is 60. | |
1217 | @end defopt | |
1218 | ||
1219 | @node Undo | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1220 | @section Undo |
1221 | @cindex redo | |
1222 | ||
1223 | Most buffers have an @dfn{undo list}, which records all changes made | |
1224 | to the buffer's text so that they can be undone. (The buffers that | |
1225 | don't have one are usually special-purpose buffers for which Emacs | |
1226 | assumes that undoing is not useful. In particular, any buffer whose | |
1227 | name begins with a space has its undo recording off by default; | |
1228 | see @ref{Buffer Names}.) All the primitives that modify the | |
1229 | text in the buffer automatically add elements to the front of the undo | |
1230 | list, which is in the variable @code{buffer-undo-list}. | |
1231 | ||
1232 | @defvar buffer-undo-list | |
1233 | This buffer-local variable's value is the undo list of the current | |
254408ca | 1234 | buffer. A value of @code{t} disables the recording of undo information. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1235 | @end defvar |
1236 | ||
1237 | Here are the kinds of elements an undo list can have: | |
1238 | ||
1239 | @table @code | |
1240 | @item @var{position} | |
1241 | This kind of element records a previous value of point; undoing this | |
1242 | element moves point to @var{position}. Ordinary cursor motion does not | |
1243 | make any sort of undo record, but deletion operations use these entries | |
1244 | to record where point was before the command. | |
1245 | ||
1246 | @item (@var{beg} . @var{end}) | |
1247 | This kind of element indicates how to delete text that was inserted. | |
1248 | Upon insertion, the text occupied the range @var{beg}--@var{end} in the | |
1249 | buffer. | |
1250 | ||
1251 | @item (@var{text} . @var{position}) | |
1252 | This kind of element indicates how to reinsert text that was deleted. | |
1253 | The deleted text itself is the string @var{text}. The place to | |
1254 | reinsert it is @code{(abs @var{position})}. If @var{position} is | |
1255 | positive, point was at the beginning of the deleted text, otherwise it | |
1256 | was at the end. | |
1257 | ||
954b166e | 1258 | @item (t . @var{time-flag}) |
b8d4c8d0 | 1259 | This kind of element indicates that an unmodified buffer became |
954b166e PE |
1260 | modified. A @var{time-flag} of the form |
1261 | @code{(@var{sec-high} @var{sec-low} @var{microsec} | |
c4132fd4 PE |
1262 | @var{picosec})} represents the visited file's modification time as of |
1263 | when it was previously visited or saved, using the same format as | |
954b166e PE |
1264 | @code{current-time}; see @ref{Time of Day}. |
1265 | A @var{time-flag} of 0 means the buffer does not correspond to any file; | |
1266 | @minus{}1 means the visited file previously did not exist. | |
1267 | @code{primitive-undo} uses these | |
b8d4c8d0 | 1268 | values to determine whether to mark the buffer as unmodified once again; |
954b166e | 1269 | it does so only if the file's status matches that of @var{time-flag}. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1270 | |
1271 | @item (nil @var{property} @var{value} @var{beg} . @var{end}) | |
1272 | This kind of element records a change in a text property. | |
1273 | Here's how you might undo the change: | |
1274 | ||
1275 | @example | |
1276 | (put-text-property @var{beg} @var{end} @var{property} @var{value}) | |
1277 | @end example | |
1278 | ||
1279 | @item (@var{marker} . @var{adjustment}) | |
1280 | This kind of element records the fact that the marker @var{marker} was | |
1281 | relocated due to deletion of surrounding text, and that it moved | |
1282 | @var{adjustment} character positions. Undoing this element moves | |
1283 | @var{marker} @minus{} @var{adjustment} characters. | |
1284 | ||
1285 | @item (apply @var{funname} . @var{args}) | |
1286 | This is an extensible undo item, which is undone by calling | |
1287 | @var{funname} with arguments @var{args}. | |
1288 | ||
1289 | @item (apply @var{delta} @var{beg} @var{end} @var{funname} . @var{args}) | |
1290 | This is an extensible undo item, which records a change limited to the | |
1291 | range @var{beg} to @var{end}, which increased the size of the buffer | |
70ff8240 | 1292 | by @var{delta} characters. It is undone by calling @var{funname} with |
e4043ba0 | 1293 | arguments @var{args}. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1294 | |
1295 | This kind of element enables undo limited to a region to determine | |
1296 | whether the element pertains to that region. | |
1297 | ||
1298 | @item nil | |
1299 | This element is a boundary. The elements between two boundaries are | |
1300 | called a @dfn{change group}; normally, each change group corresponds to | |
1301 | one keyboard command, and undo commands normally undo an entire group as | |
1302 | a unit. | |
1303 | @end table | |
1304 | ||
1305 | @defun undo-boundary | |
1306 | This function places a boundary element in the undo list. The undo | |
1307 | command stops at such a boundary, and successive undo commands undo | |
1308 | to earlier and earlier boundaries. This function returns @code{nil}. | |
1309 | ||
51422d6d CY |
1310 | The editor command loop automatically calls @code{undo-boundary} just |
1311 | before executing each key sequence, so that each undo normally undoes | |
1312 | the effects of one command. As an exception, the command | |
1313 | @code{self-insert-command}, which produces self-inserting input | |
1314 | characters (@pxref{Commands for Insertion}), may remove the boundary | |
1315 | inserted by the command loop: a boundary is accepted for the first | |
1316 | such character, the next 19 consecutive self-inserting input | |
1317 | characters do not have boundaries, and then the 20th does; and so on | |
1318 | as long as the self-inserting characters continue. Hence, sequences | |
1319 | of consecutive character insertions can be undone as a group. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1320 | |
1321 | All buffer modifications add a boundary whenever the previous undoable | |
1322 | change was made in some other buffer. This is to ensure that | |
1323 | each command makes a boundary in each buffer where it makes changes. | |
1324 | ||
1325 | Calling this function explicitly is useful for splitting the effects of | |
1326 | a command into more than one unit. For example, @code{query-replace} | |
1327 | calls @code{undo-boundary} after each replacement, so that the user can | |
1328 | undo individual replacements one by one. | |
1329 | @end defun | |
1330 | ||
1331 | @defvar undo-in-progress | |
1332 | This variable is normally @code{nil}, but the undo commands bind it to | |
1333 | @code{t}. This is so that various kinds of change hooks can tell when | |
1334 | they're being called for the sake of undoing. | |
1335 | @end defvar | |
1336 | ||
1337 | @defun primitive-undo count list | |
1338 | This is the basic function for undoing elements of an undo list. | |
1339 | It undoes the first @var{count} elements of @var{list}, returning | |
1340 | the rest of @var{list}. | |
1341 | ||
1342 | @code{primitive-undo} adds elements to the buffer's undo list when it | |
1343 | changes the buffer. Undo commands avoid confusion by saving the undo | |
1344 | list value at the beginning of a sequence of undo operations. Then the | |
1345 | undo operations use and update the saved value. The new elements added | |
1346 | by undoing are not part of this saved value, so they don't interfere with | |
1347 | continuing to undo. | |
1348 | ||
1349 | This function does not bind @code{undo-in-progress}. | |
1350 | @end defun | |
1351 | ||
1352 | @node Maintaining Undo | |
1353 | @section Maintaining Undo Lists | |
1354 | ||
1355 | This section describes how to enable and disable undo information for | |
1356 | a given buffer. It also explains how the undo list is truncated | |
1357 | automatically so it doesn't get too big. | |
1358 | ||
1359 | Recording of undo information in a newly created buffer is normally | |
1360 | enabled to start with; but if the buffer name starts with a space, the | |
1361 | undo recording is initially disabled. You can explicitly enable or | |
1362 | disable undo recording with the following two functions, or by setting | |
1363 | @code{buffer-undo-list} yourself. | |
1364 | ||
1365 | @deffn Command buffer-enable-undo &optional buffer-or-name | |
1366 | This command enables recording undo information for buffer | |
1367 | @var{buffer-or-name}, so that subsequent changes can be undone. If no | |
1368 | argument is supplied, then the current buffer is used. This function | |
1369 | does nothing if undo recording is already enabled in the buffer. It | |
1370 | returns @code{nil}. | |
1371 | ||
1372 | In an interactive call, @var{buffer-or-name} is the current buffer. | |
1373 | You cannot specify any other buffer. | |
1374 | @end deffn | |
1375 | ||
1376 | @deffn Command buffer-disable-undo &optional buffer-or-name | |
1377 | @cindex disabling undo | |
1378 | This function discards the undo list of @var{buffer-or-name}, and disables | |
1379 | further recording of undo information. As a result, it is no longer | |
1380 | possible to undo either previous changes or any subsequent changes. If | |
1381 | the undo list of @var{buffer-or-name} is already disabled, this function | |
1382 | has no effect. | |
1383 | ||
278d6dd0 XF |
1384 | In an interactive call, BUFFER-OR-NAME is the current buffer. You |
1385 | cannot specify any other buffer. This function returns @code{nil}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1386 | @end deffn |
1387 | ||
1388 | As editing continues, undo lists get longer and longer. To prevent | |
1389 | them from using up all available memory space, garbage collection trims | |
1390 | them back to size limits you can set. (For this purpose, the ``size'' | |
1391 | of an undo list measures the cons cells that make up the list, plus the | |
1392 | strings of deleted text.) Three variables control the range of acceptable | |
1393 | sizes: @code{undo-limit}, @code{undo-strong-limit} and | |
1394 | @code{undo-outer-limit}. In these variables, size is counted as the | |
1395 | number of bytes occupied, which includes both saved text and other | |
1396 | data. | |
1397 | ||
1398 | @defopt undo-limit | |
1399 | This is the soft limit for the acceptable size of an undo list. The | |
1400 | change group at which this size is exceeded is the last one kept. | |
1401 | @end defopt | |
1402 | ||
1403 | @defopt undo-strong-limit | |
1404 | This is the upper limit for the acceptable size of an undo list. The | |
1405 | change group at which this size is exceeded is discarded itself (along | |
1406 | with all older change groups). There is one exception: the very latest | |
1407 | change group is only discarded if it exceeds @code{undo-outer-limit}. | |
1408 | @end defopt | |
1409 | ||
1410 | @defopt undo-outer-limit | |
1411 | If at garbage collection time the undo info for the current command | |
1412 | exceeds this limit, Emacs discards the info and displays a warning. | |
1413 | This is a last ditch limit to prevent memory overflow. | |
1414 | @end defopt | |
1415 | ||
1416 | @defopt undo-ask-before-discard | |
1417 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, when the undo info exceeds | |
1418 | @code{undo-outer-limit}, Emacs asks in the echo area whether to | |
1419 | discard the info. The default value is @code{nil}, which means to | |
1420 | discard it automatically. | |
1421 | ||
1422 | This option is mainly intended for debugging. Garbage collection is | |
1423 | inhibited while the question is asked, which means that Emacs might | |
1424 | leak memory if the user waits too long before answering the question. | |
1425 | @end defopt | |
1426 | ||
1427 | @node Filling | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1428 | @section Filling |
1429 | @cindex filling text | |
1430 | ||
1431 | @dfn{Filling} means adjusting the lengths of lines (by moving the line | |
1432 | breaks) so that they are nearly (but no greater than) a specified | |
1433 | maximum width. Additionally, lines can be @dfn{justified}, which means | |
1434 | inserting spaces to make the left and/or right margins line up | |
1435 | precisely. The width is controlled by the variable @code{fill-column}. | |
1436 | For ease of reading, lines should be no longer than 70 or so columns. | |
1437 | ||
1438 | You can use Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Auto Filling}) to fill text | |
1439 | automatically as you insert it, but changes to existing text may leave | |
1440 | it improperly filled. Then you must fill the text explicitly. | |
1441 | ||
1442 | Most of the commands in this section return values that are not | |
1443 | meaningful. All the functions that do filling take note of the current | |
1444 | left margin, current right margin, and current justification style | |
1445 | (@pxref{Margins}). If the current justification style is | |
1446 | @code{none}, the filling functions don't actually do anything. | |
1447 | ||
1448 | Several of the filling functions have an argument @var{justify}. | |
1449 | If it is non-@code{nil}, that requests some kind of justification. It | |
1450 | can be @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, or @code{center}, to | |
1451 | request a specific style of justification. If it is @code{t}, that | |
1452 | means to use the current justification style for this part of the text | |
1453 | (see @code{current-justification}, below). Any other value is treated | |
1454 | as @code{full}. | |
1455 | ||
1456 | When you call the filling functions interactively, using a prefix | |
1457 | argument implies the value @code{full} for @var{justify}. | |
1458 | ||
65ced25f | 1459 | @deffn Command fill-paragraph &optional justify region |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1460 | This command fills the paragraph at or after point. If |
1461 | @var{justify} is non-@code{nil}, each line is justified as well. | |
1462 | It uses the ordinary paragraph motion commands to find paragraph | |
1463 | boundaries. @xref{Paragraphs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
2bad3299 CY |
1464 | |
1465 | When @var{region} is non-@code{nil}, then if Transient Mark mode is | |
1466 | enabled and the mark is active, this command calls @code{fill-region} | |
1467 | to fill all the paragraphs in the region, instead of filling only the | |
1468 | current paragraph. When this command is called interactively, | |
1469 | @var{region} is @code{t}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1470 | @end deffn |
1471 | ||
1472 | @deffn Command fill-region start end &optional justify nosqueeze to-eop | |
1473 | This command fills each of the paragraphs in the region from @var{start} | |
1474 | to @var{end}. It justifies as well if @var{justify} is | |
1475 | non-@code{nil}. | |
1476 | ||
1477 | If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means to leave whitespace | |
1478 | other than line breaks untouched. If @var{to-eop} is non-@code{nil}, | |
1479 | that means to keep filling to the end of the paragraph---or the next hard | |
1480 | newline, if @code{use-hard-newlines} is enabled (see below). | |
1481 | ||
1482 | The variable @code{paragraph-separate} controls how to distinguish | |
1483 | paragraphs. @xref{Standard Regexps}. | |
1484 | @end deffn | |
1485 | ||
1486 | @deffn Command fill-individual-paragraphs start end &optional justify citation-regexp | |
1487 | This command fills each paragraph in the region according to its | |
1488 | individual fill prefix. Thus, if the lines of a paragraph were indented | |
1489 | with spaces, the filled paragraph will remain indented in the same | |
1490 | fashion. | |
1491 | ||
1492 | The first two arguments, @var{start} and @var{end}, are the beginning | |
1493 | and end of the region to be filled. The third and fourth arguments, | |
1494 | @var{justify} and @var{citation-regexp}, are optional. If | |
1495 | @var{justify} is non-@code{nil}, the paragraphs are justified as | |
1496 | well as filled. If @var{citation-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, it means the | |
1497 | function is operating on a mail message and therefore should not fill | |
1498 | the header lines. If @var{citation-regexp} is a string, it is used as | |
1499 | a regular expression; if it matches the beginning of a line, that line | |
1500 | is treated as a citation marker. | |
1501 | ||
f33650d8 | 1502 | @c FIXME: "That mode" is confusing. It isn't a major/minor mode. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1503 | Ordinarily, @code{fill-individual-paragraphs} regards each change in |
1504 | indentation as starting a new paragraph. If | |
1505 | @code{fill-individual-varying-indent} is non-@code{nil}, then only | |
1506 | separator lines separate paragraphs. That mode can handle indented | |
1507 | paragraphs with additional indentation on the first line. | |
1508 | @end deffn | |
1509 | ||
1510 | @defopt fill-individual-varying-indent | |
1511 | This variable alters the action of @code{fill-individual-paragraphs} as | |
1512 | described above. | |
1513 | @end defopt | |
1514 | ||
1515 | @deffn Command fill-region-as-paragraph start end &optional justify nosqueeze squeeze-after | |
1516 | This command considers a region of text as a single paragraph and fills | |
1517 | it. If the region was made up of many paragraphs, the blank lines | |
1518 | between paragraphs are removed. This function justifies as well as | |
1519 | filling when @var{justify} is non-@code{nil}. | |
1520 | ||
1521 | If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means to leave whitespace | |
1522 | other than line breaks untouched. If @var{squeeze-after} is | |
1523 | non-@code{nil}, it specifies a position in the region, and means don't | |
1524 | canonicalize spaces before that position. | |
1525 | ||
1526 | In Adaptive Fill mode, this command calls @code{fill-context-prefix} to | |
1527 | choose a fill prefix by default. @xref{Adaptive Fill}. | |
1528 | @end deffn | |
1529 | ||
1530 | @deffn Command justify-current-line &optional how eop nosqueeze | |
1531 | This command inserts spaces between the words of the current line so | |
1532 | that the line ends exactly at @code{fill-column}. It returns | |
1533 | @code{nil}. | |
1534 | ||
1535 | The argument @var{how}, if non-@code{nil} specifies explicitly the style | |
1536 | of justification. It can be @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, | |
1537 | @code{center}, or @code{none}. If it is @code{t}, that means to do | |
1538 | follow specified justification style (see @code{current-justification}, | |
1539 | below). @code{nil} means to do full justification. | |
1540 | ||
1541 | If @var{eop} is non-@code{nil}, that means do only left-justification | |
1542 | if @code{current-justification} specifies full justification. This is | |
1543 | used for the last line of a paragraph; even if the paragraph as a | |
1544 | whole is fully justified, the last line should not be. | |
1545 | ||
1546 | If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means do not change interior | |
1547 | whitespace. | |
1548 | @end deffn | |
1549 | ||
1550 | @defopt default-justification | |
1551 | This variable's value specifies the style of justification to use for | |
1552 | text that doesn't specify a style with a text property. The possible | |
1553 | values are @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, @code{center}, or | |
1554 | @code{none}. The default value is @code{left}. | |
1555 | @end defopt | |
1556 | ||
1557 | @defun current-justification | |
1558 | This function returns the proper justification style to use for filling | |
1559 | the text around point. | |
1560 | ||
1561 | This returns the value of the @code{justification} text property at | |
1562 | point, or the variable @var{default-justification} if there is no such | |
1563 | text property. However, it returns @code{nil} rather than @code{none} | |
1564 | to mean ``don't justify''. | |
1565 | @end defun | |
1566 | ||
1567 | @defopt sentence-end-double-space | |
1568 | @anchor{Definition of sentence-end-double-space} | |
1569 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, a period followed by just one space | |
1570 | does not count as the end of a sentence, and the filling functions | |
1571 | avoid breaking the line at such a place. | |
1572 | @end defopt | |
1573 | ||
1574 | @defopt sentence-end-without-period | |
1575 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, a sentence can end without a | |
1576 | period. This is used for languages like Thai, where sentences end | |
1577 | with a double space but without a period. | |
1578 | @end defopt | |
1579 | ||
1580 | @defopt sentence-end-without-space | |
1581 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a string of | |
1582 | characters that can end a sentence without following spaces. | |
1583 | @end defopt | |
1584 | ||
1585 | @defvar fill-paragraph-function | |
2bad3299 CY |
1586 | This variable provides a way to override the filling of paragraphs. |
1587 | If its value is non-@code{nil}, @code{fill-paragraph} calls this | |
1588 | function to do the work. If the function returns a non-@code{nil} | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1589 | value, @code{fill-paragraph} assumes the job is done, and immediately |
1590 | returns that value. | |
1591 | ||
1592 | The usual use of this feature is to fill comments in programming | |
1593 | language modes. If the function needs to fill a paragraph in the usual | |
1594 | way, it can do so as follows: | |
1595 | ||
1596 | @example | |
1597 | (let ((fill-paragraph-function nil)) | |
1598 | (fill-paragraph arg)) | |
1599 | @end example | |
1600 | @end defvar | |
1601 | ||
2bad3299 CY |
1602 | @defvar fill-forward-paragraph-function |
1603 | This variable provides a way to override how the filling functions, | |
1604 | such as @code{fill-region} and @code{fill-paragraph}, move forward to | |
1605 | the next paragraph. Its value should be a function, which is called | |
1606 | with a single argument @var{n}, the number of paragraphs to move, and | |
1607 | should return the difference between @var{n} and the number of | |
1608 | paragraphs actually moved. The default value of this variable is | |
1609 | @code{forward-paragraph}. @xref{Paragraphs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs | |
1610 | Manual}. | |
1611 | @end defvar | |
1612 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1613 | @defvar use-hard-newlines |
1614 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, the filling functions do not delete | |
1615 | newlines that have the @code{hard} text property. These ``hard | |
c9b39934 XF |
1616 | newlines'' act as paragraph separators. @xref{Hard and Soft |
1617 | Newlines,, Hard and Soft Newlines, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1618 | @end defvar |
1619 | ||
1620 | @node Margins | |
1621 | @section Margins for Filling | |
bd805d5b | 1622 | @cindex margins, filling |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1623 | |
1624 | @defopt fill-prefix | |
1625 | This buffer-local variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies a string of | |
1626 | text that appears at the beginning of normal text lines and should be | |
1627 | disregarded when filling them. Any line that fails to start with the | |
1628 | fill prefix is considered the start of a paragraph; so is any line | |
1629 | that starts with the fill prefix followed by additional whitespace. | |
1630 | Lines that start with the fill prefix but no additional whitespace are | |
1631 | ordinary text lines that can be filled together. The resulting filled | |
1632 | lines also start with the fill prefix. | |
1633 | ||
1634 | The fill prefix follows the left margin whitespace, if any. | |
1635 | @end defopt | |
1636 | ||
1637 | @defopt fill-column | |
1638 | This buffer-local variable specifies the maximum width of filled lines. | |
1639 | Its value should be an integer, which is a number of columns. All the | |
1640 | filling, justification, and centering commands are affected by this | |
1641 | variable, including Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Auto Filling}). | |
1642 | ||
1643 | As a practical matter, if you are writing text for other people to | |
1644 | read, you should set @code{fill-column} to no more than 70. Otherwise | |
1645 | the line will be too long for people to read comfortably, and this can | |
1646 | make the text seem clumsy. | |
b8d4c8d0 | 1647 | |
4e3b4528 SM |
1648 | The default value for @code{fill-column} is 70. |
1649 | @end defopt | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1650 | |
1651 | @deffn Command set-left-margin from to margin | |
1652 | This sets the @code{left-margin} property on the text from @var{from} to | |
1653 | @var{to} to the value @var{margin}. If Auto Fill mode is enabled, this | |
1654 | command also refills the region to fit the new margin. | |
1655 | @end deffn | |
1656 | ||
1657 | @deffn Command set-right-margin from to margin | |
1658 | This sets the @code{right-margin} property on the text from @var{from} | |
1659 | to @var{to} to the value @var{margin}. If Auto Fill mode is enabled, | |
1660 | this command also refills the region to fit the new margin. | |
1661 | @end deffn | |
1662 | ||
1663 | @defun current-left-margin | |
1664 | This function returns the proper left margin value to use for filling | |
1665 | the text around point. The value is the sum of the @code{left-margin} | |
1666 | property of the character at the start of the current line (or zero if | |
1667 | none), and the value of the variable @code{left-margin}. | |
1668 | @end defun | |
1669 | ||
1670 | @defun current-fill-column | |
1671 | This function returns the proper fill column value to use for filling | |
1672 | the text around point. The value is the value of the @code{fill-column} | |
1673 | variable, minus the value of the @code{right-margin} property of the | |
1674 | character after point. | |
1675 | @end defun | |
1676 | ||
1677 | @deffn Command move-to-left-margin &optional n force | |
1678 | This function moves point to the left margin of the current line. The | |
1679 | column moved to is determined by calling the function | |
1680 | @code{current-left-margin}. If the argument @var{n} is non-@code{nil}, | |
1681 | @code{move-to-left-margin} moves forward @var{n}@minus{}1 lines first. | |
1682 | ||
1683 | If @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, that says to fix the line's | |
1684 | indentation if that doesn't match the left margin value. | |
1685 | @end deffn | |
1686 | ||
1687 | @defun delete-to-left-margin &optional from to | |
1688 | This function removes left margin indentation from the text between | |
1689 | @var{from} and @var{to}. The amount of indentation to delete is | |
1690 | determined by calling @code{current-left-margin}. In no case does this | |
1691 | function delete non-whitespace. If @var{from} and @var{to} are omitted, | |
1692 | they default to the whole buffer. | |
1693 | @end defun | |
1694 | ||
1695 | @defun indent-to-left-margin | |
1696 | This function adjusts the indentation at the beginning of the current | |
1697 | line to the value specified by the variable @code{left-margin}. (That | |
1698 | may involve either inserting or deleting whitespace.) This function | |
1699 | is value of @code{indent-line-function} in Paragraph-Indent Text mode. | |
1700 | @end defun | |
1701 | ||
01f17ae2 | 1702 | @defopt left-margin |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1703 | This variable specifies the base left margin column. In Fundamental |
1704 | mode, @kbd{C-j} indents to this column. This variable automatically | |
1705 | becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion. | |
01f17ae2 | 1706 | @end defopt |
b8d4c8d0 | 1707 | |
01f17ae2 | 1708 | @defopt fill-nobreak-predicate |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1709 | This variable gives major modes a way to specify not to break a line |
1710 | at certain places. Its value should be a list of functions. Whenever | |
1711 | filling considers breaking the line at a certain place in the buffer, | |
1712 | it calls each of these functions with no arguments and with point | |
1713 | located at that place. If any of the functions returns | |
1714 | non-@code{nil}, then the line won't be broken there. | |
01f17ae2 | 1715 | @end defopt |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1716 | |
1717 | @node Adaptive Fill | |
1718 | @section Adaptive Fill Mode | |
1719 | @c @cindex Adaptive Fill mode "adaptive-fill-mode" is adjacent. | |
1720 | ||
1721 | When @dfn{Adaptive Fill Mode} is enabled, Emacs determines the fill | |
1722 | prefix automatically from the text in each paragraph being filled | |
1723 | rather than using a predetermined value. During filling, this fill | |
1724 | prefix gets inserted at the start of the second and subsequent lines | |
1725 | of the paragraph as described in @ref{Filling}, and in @ref{Auto | |
1726 | Filling}. | |
1727 | ||
1728 | @defopt adaptive-fill-mode | |
1729 | Adaptive Fill mode is enabled when this variable is non-@code{nil}. | |
1730 | It is @code{t} by default. | |
1731 | @end defopt | |
1732 | ||
1733 | @defun fill-context-prefix from to | |
1734 | This function implements the heart of Adaptive Fill mode; it chooses a | |
1735 | fill prefix based on the text between @var{from} and @var{to}, | |
1736 | typically the start and end of a paragraph. It does this by looking | |
1737 | at the first two lines of the paragraph, based on the variables | |
1738 | described below. | |
1739 | @c The optional argument first-line-regexp is not documented | |
1740 | @c because it exists for internal purposes and might be eliminated | |
1741 | @c in the future. | |
1742 | ||
1743 | Usually, this function returns the fill prefix, a string. However, | |
1744 | before doing this, the function makes a final check (not specially | |
1745 | mentioned in the following) that a line starting with this prefix | |
1746 | wouldn't look like the start of a paragraph. Should this happen, the | |
1747 | function signals the anomaly by returning @code{nil} instead. | |
1748 | ||
1749 | In detail, @code{fill-context-prefix} does this: | |
1750 | ||
1751 | @enumerate | |
1752 | @item | |
1753 | It takes a candidate for the fill prefix from the first line---it | |
1754 | tries first the function in @code{adaptive-fill-function} (if any), | |
1755 | then the regular expression @code{adaptive-fill-regexp} (see below). | |
1756 | The first non-@code{nil} result of these, or the empty string if | |
1757 | they're both @code{nil}, becomes the first line's candidate. | |
1758 | @item | |
1759 | If the paragraph has as yet only one line, the function tests the | |
1760 | validity of the prefix candidate just found. The function then | |
1761 | returns the candidate if it's valid, or a string of spaces otherwise. | |
1762 | (see the description of @code{adaptive-fill-first-line-regexp} below). | |
1763 | @item | |
1764 | When the paragraph already has two lines, the function next looks for | |
1765 | a prefix candidate on the second line, in just the same way it did for | |
1766 | the first line. If it doesn't find one, it returns @code{nil}. | |
1767 | @item | |
1768 | The function now compares the two candidate prefixes heuristically: if | |
1769 | the non-whitespace characters in the line 2 candidate occur in the | |
1770 | same order in the line 1 candidate, the function returns the line 2 | |
1771 | candidate. Otherwise, it returns the largest initial substring which | |
1772 | is common to both candidates (which might be the empty string). | |
1773 | @end enumerate | |
1774 | @end defun | |
1775 | ||
1776 | @defopt adaptive-fill-regexp | |
1777 | Adaptive Fill mode matches this regular expression against the text | |
1778 | starting after the left margin whitespace (if any) on a line; the | |
1779 | characters it matches are that line's candidate for the fill prefix. | |
1780 | ||
1781 | The default value matches whitespace with certain punctuation | |
1782 | characters intermingled. | |
1783 | @end defopt | |
1784 | ||
1785 | @defopt adaptive-fill-first-line-regexp | |
1786 | Used only in one-line paragraphs, this regular expression acts as an | |
1787 | additional check of the validity of the one available candidate fill | |
1788 | prefix: the candidate must match this regular expression, or match | |
1789 | @code{comment-start-skip}. If it doesn't, @code{fill-context-prefix} | |
1790 | replaces the candidate with a string of spaces ``of the same width'' | |
1791 | as it. | |
1792 | ||
1793 | The default value of this variable is @w{@code{"\\`[ \t]*\\'"}}, which | |
1794 | matches only a string of whitespace. The effect of this default is to | |
1795 | force the fill prefixes found in one-line paragraphs always to be pure | |
1796 | whitespace. | |
1797 | @end defopt | |
1798 | ||
1799 | @defopt adaptive-fill-function | |
1800 | You can specify more complex ways of choosing a fill prefix | |
1801 | automatically by setting this variable to a function. The function is | |
1802 | called with point after the left margin (if any) of a line, and it | |
1803 | must preserve point. It should return either ``that line's'' fill | |
1804 | prefix or @code{nil}, meaning it has failed to determine a prefix. | |
1805 | @end defopt | |
1806 | ||
1807 | @node Auto Filling | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1808 | @section Auto Filling |
1809 | @cindex filling, automatic | |
1810 | @cindex Auto Fill mode | |
1811 | ||
d3110177 | 1812 | @c FIXME: I don't think any of the variables below is a/an normal/abnormal hook. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1813 | Auto Fill mode is a minor mode that fills lines automatically as text |
1814 | is inserted. This section describes the hook used by Auto Fill mode. | |
1815 | For a description of functions that you can call explicitly to fill and | |
1816 | justify existing text, see @ref{Filling}. | |
1817 | ||
1818 | Auto Fill mode also enables the functions that change the margins and | |
1819 | justification style to refill portions of the text. @xref{Margins}. | |
1820 | ||
1821 | @defvar auto-fill-function | |
1822 | The value of this buffer-local variable should be a function (of no | |
1823 | arguments) to be called after self-inserting a character from the table | |
1824 | @code{auto-fill-chars}. It may be @code{nil}, in which case nothing | |
1825 | special is done in that case. | |
1826 | ||
1827 | The value of @code{auto-fill-function} is @code{do-auto-fill} when | |
1828 | Auto-Fill mode is enabled. That is a function whose sole purpose is to | |
1829 | implement the usual strategy for breaking a line. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1830 | @end defvar |
1831 | ||
1832 | @defvar normal-auto-fill-function | |
1833 | This variable specifies the function to use for | |
1834 | @code{auto-fill-function}, if and when Auto Fill is turned on. Major | |
1835 | modes can set buffer-local values for this variable to alter how Auto | |
1836 | Fill works. | |
1837 | @end defvar | |
1838 | ||
1839 | @defvar auto-fill-chars | |
1840 | A char table of characters which invoke @code{auto-fill-function} when | |
1841 | self-inserted---space and newline in most language environments. They | |
1842 | have an entry @code{t} in the table. | |
1843 | @end defvar | |
1844 | ||
1845 | @node Sorting | |
1846 | @section Sorting Text | |
1847 | @cindex sorting text | |
1848 | ||
1849 | The sorting functions described in this section all rearrange text in | |
1850 | a buffer. This is in contrast to the function @code{sort}, which | |
1851 | rearranges the order of the elements of a list (@pxref{Rearrangement}). | |
1852 | The values returned by these functions are not meaningful. | |
1853 | ||
1854 | @defun sort-subr reverse nextrecfun endrecfun &optional startkeyfun endkeyfun predicate | |
1855 | This function is the general text-sorting routine that subdivides a | |
1856 | buffer into records and then sorts them. Most of the commands in this | |
1857 | section use this function. | |
1858 | ||
1859 | To understand how @code{sort-subr} works, consider the whole accessible | |
1860 | portion of the buffer as being divided into disjoint pieces called | |
1861 | @dfn{sort records}. The records may or may not be contiguous, but they | |
1862 | must not overlap. A portion of each sort record (perhaps all of it) is | |
1863 | designated as the sort key. Sorting rearranges the records in order by | |
1864 | their sort keys. | |
1865 | ||
1866 | Usually, the records are rearranged in order of ascending sort key. | |
1867 | If the first argument to the @code{sort-subr} function, @var{reverse}, | |
1868 | is non-@code{nil}, the sort records are rearranged in order of | |
1869 | descending sort key. | |
1870 | ||
1871 | The next four arguments to @code{sort-subr} are functions that are | |
1872 | called to move point across a sort record. They are called many times | |
1873 | from within @code{sort-subr}. | |
1874 | ||
1875 | @enumerate | |
1876 | @item | |
1877 | @var{nextrecfun} is called with point at the end of a record. This | |
1878 | function moves point to the start of the next record. The first record | |
1879 | is assumed to start at the position of point when @code{sort-subr} is | |
1880 | called. Therefore, you should usually move point to the beginning of | |
1881 | the buffer before calling @code{sort-subr}. | |
1882 | ||
1883 | This function can indicate there are no more sort records by leaving | |
1884 | point at the end of the buffer. | |
1885 | ||
1886 | @item | |
1887 | @var{endrecfun} is called with point within a record. It moves point to | |
1888 | the end of the record. | |
1889 | ||
1890 | @item | |
1891 | @var{startkeyfun} is called to move point from the start of a record to | |
1892 | the start of the sort key. This argument is optional; if it is omitted, | |
1893 | the whole record is the sort key. If supplied, the function should | |
1894 | either return a non-@code{nil} value to be used as the sort key, or | |
1895 | return @code{nil} to indicate that the sort key is in the buffer | |
1896 | starting at point. In the latter case, @var{endkeyfun} is called to | |
1897 | find the end of the sort key. | |
1898 | ||
1899 | @item | |
1900 | @var{endkeyfun} is called to move point from the start of the sort key | |
1901 | to the end of the sort key. This argument is optional. If | |
1902 | @var{startkeyfun} returns @code{nil} and this argument is omitted (or | |
1903 | @code{nil}), then the sort key extends to the end of the record. There | |
1904 | is no need for @var{endkeyfun} if @var{startkeyfun} returns a | |
1905 | non-@code{nil} value. | |
1906 | @end enumerate | |
1907 | ||
1908 | The argument @var{predicate} is the function to use to compare keys. | |
1909 | If keys are numbers, it defaults to @code{<}; otherwise it defaults to | |
1910 | @code{string<}. | |
1911 | ||
1912 | As an example of @code{sort-subr}, here is the complete function | |
1913 | definition for @code{sort-lines}: | |
1914 | ||
1915 | @example | |
1916 | @group | |
1917 | ;; @r{Note that the first two lines of doc string} | |
1918 | ;; @r{are effectively one line when viewed by a user.} | |
1919 | (defun sort-lines (reverse beg end) | |
1920 | "Sort lines in region alphabetically;\ | |
1921 | argument means descending order. | |
1922 | Called from a program, there are three arguments: | |
1923 | @end group | |
1924 | @group | |
1925 | REVERSE (non-nil means reverse order),\ | |
1926 | BEG and END (region to sort). | |
1927 | The variable `sort-fold-case' determines\ | |
1928 | whether alphabetic case affects | |
1929 | the sort order." | |
1930 | @end group | |
1931 | @group | |
1932 | (interactive "P\nr") | |
1933 | (save-excursion | |
1934 | (save-restriction | |
1935 | (narrow-to-region beg end) | |
1936 | (goto-char (point-min)) | |
1937 | (let ((inhibit-field-text-motion t)) | |
1938 | (sort-subr reverse 'forward-line 'end-of-line))))) | |
1939 | @end group | |
1940 | @end example | |
1941 | ||
1942 | Here @code{forward-line} moves point to the start of the next record, | |
1943 | and @code{end-of-line} moves point to the end of record. We do not pass | |
1944 | the arguments @var{startkeyfun} and @var{endkeyfun}, because the entire | |
1945 | record is used as the sort key. | |
1946 | ||
1947 | The @code{sort-paragraphs} function is very much the same, except that | |
1948 | its @code{sort-subr} call looks like this: | |
1949 | ||
1950 | @example | |
1951 | @group | |
1952 | (sort-subr reverse | |
1953 | (function | |
d3110177 XF |
1954 | (lambda () |
1955 | (while (and (not (eobp)) | |
1956 | (looking-at paragraph-separate)) | |
1957 | (forward-line 1)))) | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
1958 | 'forward-paragraph) |
1959 | @end group | |
1960 | @end example | |
1961 | ||
1962 | Markers pointing into any sort records are left with no useful | |
1963 | position after @code{sort-subr} returns. | |
1964 | @end defun | |
1965 | ||
1966 | @defopt sort-fold-case | |
1967 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{sort-subr} and the other | |
1968 | buffer sorting functions ignore case when comparing strings. | |
1969 | @end defopt | |
1970 | ||
1971 | @deffn Command sort-regexp-fields reverse record-regexp key-regexp start end | |
1972 | This command sorts the region between @var{start} and @var{end} | |
1973 | alphabetically as specified by @var{record-regexp} and @var{key-regexp}. | |
1974 | If @var{reverse} is a negative integer, then sorting is in reverse | |
1975 | order. | |
1976 | ||
1977 | Alphabetical sorting means that two sort keys are compared by | |
1978 | comparing the first characters of each, the second characters of each, | |
1979 | and so on. If a mismatch is found, it means that the sort keys are | |
1980 | unequal; the sort key whose character is less at the point of first | |
1981 | mismatch is the lesser sort key. The individual characters are compared | |
1982 | according to their numerical character codes in the Emacs character set. | |
1983 | ||
1984 | The value of the @var{record-regexp} argument specifies how to divide | |
1985 | the buffer into sort records. At the end of each record, a search is | |
1986 | done for this regular expression, and the text that matches it is taken | |
1987 | as the next record. For example, the regular expression @samp{^.+$}, | |
1988 | which matches lines with at least one character besides a newline, would | |
1989 | make each such line into a sort record. @xref{Regular Expressions}, for | |
1990 | a description of the syntax and meaning of regular expressions. | |
1991 | ||
1992 | The value of the @var{key-regexp} argument specifies what part of each | |
1993 | record is the sort key. The @var{key-regexp} could match the whole | |
1994 | record, or only a part. In the latter case, the rest of the record has | |
1995 | no effect on the sorted order of records, but it is carried along when | |
1996 | the record moves to its new position. | |
1997 | ||
1998 | The @var{key-regexp} argument can refer to the text matched by a | |
1999 | subexpression of @var{record-regexp}, or it can be a regular expression | |
2000 | on its own. | |
2001 | ||
2002 | If @var{key-regexp} is: | |
2003 | ||
2004 | @table @asis | |
2005 | @item @samp{\@var{digit}} | |
2006 | then the text matched by the @var{digit}th @samp{\(...\)} parenthesis | |
2007 | grouping in @var{record-regexp} is the sort key. | |
2008 | ||
2009 | @item @samp{\&} | |
2010 | then the whole record is the sort key. | |
2011 | ||
2012 | @item a regular expression | |
2013 | then @code{sort-regexp-fields} searches for a match for the regular | |
2014 | expression within the record. If such a match is found, it is the sort | |
2015 | key. If there is no match for @var{key-regexp} within a record then | |
2016 | that record is ignored, which means its position in the buffer is not | |
2017 | changed. (The other records may move around it.) | |
2018 | @end table | |
2019 | ||
2020 | For example, if you plan to sort all the lines in the region by the | |
2021 | first word on each line starting with the letter @samp{f}, you should | |
2022 | set @var{record-regexp} to @samp{^.*$} and set @var{key-regexp} to | |
2023 | @samp{\<f\w*\>}. The resulting expression looks like this: | |
2024 | ||
2025 | @example | |
2026 | @group | |
2027 | (sort-regexp-fields nil "^.*$" "\\<f\\w*\\>" | |
2028 | (region-beginning) | |
2029 | (region-end)) | |
2030 | @end group | |
2031 | @end example | |
2032 | ||
2033 | If you call @code{sort-regexp-fields} interactively, it prompts for | |
2034 | @var{record-regexp} and @var{key-regexp} in the minibuffer. | |
2035 | @end deffn | |
2036 | ||
2037 | @deffn Command sort-lines reverse start end | |
2038 | This command alphabetically sorts lines in the region between | |
2039 | @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort | |
2040 | is in reverse order. | |
2041 | @end deffn | |
2042 | ||
2043 | @deffn Command sort-paragraphs reverse start end | |
2044 | This command alphabetically sorts paragraphs in the region between | |
2045 | @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort | |
2046 | is in reverse order. | |
2047 | @end deffn | |
2048 | ||
2049 | @deffn Command sort-pages reverse start end | |
2050 | This command alphabetically sorts pages in the region between | |
2051 | @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort | |
2052 | is in reverse order. | |
2053 | @end deffn | |
2054 | ||
2055 | @deffn Command sort-fields field start end | |
2056 | This command sorts lines in the region between @var{start} and | |
2057 | @var{end}, comparing them alphabetically by the @var{field}th field | |
2058 | of each line. Fields are separated by whitespace and numbered starting | |
2059 | from 1. If @var{field} is negative, sorting is by the | |
2060 | @w{@minus{}@var{field}th} field from the end of the line. This command | |
2061 | is useful for sorting tables. | |
2062 | @end deffn | |
2063 | ||
2064 | @deffn Command sort-numeric-fields field start end | |
2065 | This command sorts lines in the region between @var{start} and | |
2066 | @var{end}, comparing them numerically by the @var{field}th field of | |
2067 | each line. Fields are separated by whitespace and numbered starting | |
2068 | from 1. The specified field must contain a number in each line of the | |
2069 | region. Numbers starting with 0 are treated as octal, and numbers | |
2070 | starting with @samp{0x} are treated as hexadecimal. | |
2071 | ||
2072 | If @var{field} is negative, sorting is by the | |
2073 | @w{@minus{}@var{field}th} field from the end of the line. This | |
2074 | command is useful for sorting tables. | |
2075 | @end deffn | |
2076 | ||
2077 | @defopt sort-numeric-base | |
2078 | This variable specifies the default radix for | |
2079 | @code{sort-numeric-fields} to parse numbers. | |
2080 | @end defopt | |
2081 | ||
2082 | @deffn Command sort-columns reverse &optional beg end | |
2083 | This command sorts the lines in the region between @var{beg} and | |
2084 | @var{end}, comparing them alphabetically by a certain range of | |
2085 | columns. The column positions of @var{beg} and @var{end} bound the | |
2086 | range of columns to sort on. | |
2087 | ||
2088 | If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort is in reverse order. | |
2089 | ||
2090 | One unusual thing about this command is that the entire line | |
2091 | containing position @var{beg}, and the entire line containing position | |
2092 | @var{end}, are included in the region sorted. | |
2093 | ||
2094 | Note that @code{sort-columns} rejects text that contains tabs, because | |
2095 | tabs could be split across the specified columns. Use @kbd{M-x | |
2096 | untabify} to convert tabs to spaces before sorting. | |
2097 | ||
2098 | When possible, this command actually works by calling the @code{sort} | |
2099 | utility program. | |
2100 | @end deffn | |
2101 | ||
2102 | @node Columns | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2103 | @section Counting Columns |
2104 | @cindex columns | |
2105 | @cindex counting columns | |
2106 | @cindex horizontal position | |
2107 | ||
2108 | The column functions convert between a character position (counting | |
2109 | characters from the beginning of the buffer) and a column position | |
2110 | (counting screen characters from the beginning of a line). | |
2111 | ||
2112 | These functions count each character according to the number of | |
2113 | columns it occupies on the screen. This means control characters count | |
2114 | as occupying 2 or 4 columns, depending upon the value of | |
2115 | @code{ctl-arrow}, and tabs count as occupying a number of columns that | |
2116 | depends on the value of @code{tab-width} and on the column where the tab | |
2117 | begins. @xref{Usual Display}. | |
2118 | ||
2119 | Column number computations ignore the width of the window and the | |
2120 | amount of horizontal scrolling. Consequently, a column value can be | |
2121 | arbitrarily high. The first (or leftmost) column is numbered 0. They | |
2122 | also ignore overlays and text properties, aside from invisibility. | |
2123 | ||
2124 | @defun current-column | |
2125 | This function returns the horizontal position of point, measured in | |
2126 | columns, counting from 0 at the left margin. The column position is the | |
2127 | sum of the widths of all the displayed representations of the characters | |
2128 | between the start of the current line and point. | |
2129 | ||
2130 | For an example of using @code{current-column}, see the description of | |
2131 | @code{count-lines} in @ref{Text Lines}. | |
2132 | @end defun | |
2133 | ||
106e6894 | 2134 | @deffn Command move-to-column column &optional force |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2135 | This function moves point to @var{column} in the current line. The |
2136 | calculation of @var{column} takes into account the widths of the | |
2137 | displayed representations of the characters between the start of the | |
2138 | line and point. | |
2139 | ||
106e6894 CY |
2140 | When called interactively, @var{column} is the value of prefix numeric |
2141 | argument. If @var{column} is not an integer, an error is signaled. | |
2142 | ||
38b4c7f8 XF |
2143 | @c This behavior used to be documented until 2013/08. |
2144 | @ignore | |
106e6894 CY |
2145 | If column @var{column} is beyond the end of the line, point moves to |
2146 | the end of the line. If @var{column} is negative, point moves to the | |
b8d4c8d0 | 2147 | beginning of the line. |
38b4c7f8 | 2148 | @end ignore |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2149 | |
2150 | If it is impossible to move to column @var{column} because that is in | |
2151 | the middle of a multicolumn character such as a tab, point moves to the | |
2152 | end of that character. However, if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, and | |
2153 | @var{column} is in the middle of a tab, then @code{move-to-column} | |
2154 | converts the tab into spaces so that it can move precisely to column | |
2155 | @var{column}. Other multicolumn characters can cause anomalies despite | |
2156 | @var{force}, since there is no way to split them. | |
2157 | ||
2158 | The argument @var{force} also has an effect if the line isn't long | |
2159 | enough to reach column @var{column}; if it is @code{t}, that means to | |
2160 | add whitespace at the end of the line to reach that column. | |
2161 | ||
b8d4c8d0 | 2162 | The return value is the column number actually moved to. |
106e6894 | 2163 | @end deffn |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2164 | |
2165 | @node Indentation | |
2166 | @section Indentation | |
2167 | @cindex indentation | |
2168 | ||
2169 | The indentation functions are used to examine, move to, and change | |
2170 | whitespace that is at the beginning of a line. Some of the functions | |
2171 | can also change whitespace elsewhere on a line. Columns and indentation | |
2172 | count from zero at the left margin. | |
2173 | ||
2174 | @menu | |
2175 | * Primitive Indent:: Functions used to count and insert indentation. | |
2176 | * Mode-Specific Indent:: Customize indentation for different modes. | |
2177 | * Region Indent:: Indent all the lines in a region. | |
2178 | * Relative Indent:: Indent the current line based on previous lines. | |
2179 | * Indent Tabs:: Adjustable, typewriter-like tab stops. | |
2180 | * Motion by Indent:: Move to first non-blank character. | |
2181 | @end menu | |
2182 | ||
2183 | @node Primitive Indent | |
2184 | @subsection Indentation Primitives | |
2185 | ||
2186 | This section describes the primitive functions used to count and | |
2187 | insert indentation. The functions in the following sections use these | |
2188 | primitives. @xref{Width}, for related functions. | |
2189 | ||
2190 | @defun current-indentation | |
2191 | @comment !!Type Primitive Function | |
2192 | @comment !!SourceFile indent.c | |
2193 | This function returns the indentation of the current line, which is | |
2194 | the horizontal position of the first nonblank character. If the | |
2195 | contents are entirely blank, then this is the horizontal position of the | |
2196 | end of the line. | |
2197 | @end defun | |
2198 | ||
2199 | @deffn Command indent-to column &optional minimum | |
2200 | @comment !!Type Primitive Function | |
2201 | @comment !!SourceFile indent.c | |
2202 | This function indents from point with tabs and spaces until @var{column} | |
2203 | is reached. If @var{minimum} is specified and non-@code{nil}, then at | |
2204 | least that many spaces are inserted even if this requires going beyond | |
2205 | @var{column}. Otherwise the function does nothing if point is already | |
2206 | beyond @var{column}. The value is the column at which the inserted | |
2207 | indentation ends. | |
2208 | ||
2209 | The inserted whitespace characters inherit text properties from the | |
2210 | surrounding text (usually, from the preceding text only). @xref{Sticky | |
2211 | Properties}. | |
2212 | @end deffn | |
2213 | ||
2214 | @defopt indent-tabs-mode | |
2215 | @comment !!SourceFile indent.c | |
2216 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, indentation functions can insert | |
2217 | tabs as well as spaces. Otherwise, they insert only spaces. Setting | |
2218 | this variable automatically makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2219 | @end defopt | |
2220 | ||
2221 | @node Mode-Specific Indent | |
2222 | @subsection Indentation Controlled by Major Mode | |
2223 | ||
2224 | An important function of each major mode is to customize the @key{TAB} | |
2225 | key to indent properly for the language being edited. This section | |
2226 | describes the mechanism of the @key{TAB} key and how to control it. | |
2227 | The functions in this section return unpredictable values. | |
2228 | ||
483ab230 CY |
2229 | @deffn Command indent-for-tab-command &optional rigid |
2230 | This is the command bound to @key{TAB} in most editing modes. Its | |
2231 | usual action is to indent the current line, but it can alternatively | |
2232 | insert a tab character or indent a region. | |
2233 | ||
2234 | Here is what it does: | |
b8d4c8d0 | 2235 | |
483ab230 CY |
2236 | @itemize |
2237 | @item | |
2238 | First, it checks whether Transient Mark mode is enabled and the region | |
2239 | is active. If so, it called @code{indent-region} to indent all the | |
2240 | text in the region (@pxref{Region Indent}). | |
2241 | ||
2242 | @item | |
2243 | Otherwise, if the indentation function in @code{indent-line-function} | |
2244 | is @code{indent-to-left-margin} (a trivial command that inserts a tab | |
2245 | character), or if the variable @code{tab-always-indent} specifies that | |
2246 | a tab character ought to be inserted (see below), then it inserts a | |
2247 | tab character. | |
2248 | ||
2249 | @item | |
2250 | Otherwise, it indents the current line; this is done by calling the | |
2251 | function in @code{indent-line-function}. If the line is already | |
2252 | indented, and the value of @code{tab-always-indent} is @code{complete} | |
2253 | (see below), it tries completing the text at point. | |
2254 | @end itemize | |
2255 | ||
2256 | If @var{rigid} is non-@code{nil} (interactively, with a prefix | |
2257 | argument), then after this command indents a line or inserts a tab, it | |
2258 | also rigidly indents the entire balanced expression which starts at | |
2259 | the beginning of the current line, in order to reflect the new | |
2260 | indentation. This argument is ignored if the command indents the | |
2261 | region. | |
2262 | @end deffn | |
2263 | ||
2264 | @defvar indent-line-function | |
2265 | This variable's value is the function to be used by | |
2266 | @code{indent-for-tab-command}, and various other indentation commands, | |
2267 | to indent the current line. It is usually assigned by the major mode; | |
2268 | for instance, Lisp mode sets it to @code{lisp-indent-line}, C mode | |
2269 | sets it to @code{c-indent-line}, and so on. The default value is | |
2270 | @code{indent-relative}. @xref{Auto-Indentation}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2271 | @end defvar |
2272 | ||
2273 | @deffn Command indent-according-to-mode | |
2274 | This command calls the function in @code{indent-line-function} to | |
2275 | indent the current line in a way appropriate for the current major mode. | |
2276 | @end deffn | |
2277 | ||
b8d4c8d0 | 2278 | @deffn Command newline-and-indent |
b8d4c8d0 | 2279 | This function inserts a newline, then indents the new line (the one |
483ab230 CY |
2280 | following the newline just inserted) according to the major mode. It |
2281 | does indentation by calling @code{indent-according-to-mode}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2282 | @end deffn |
2283 | ||
2284 | @deffn Command reindent-then-newline-and-indent | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2285 | This command reindents the current line, inserts a newline at point, |
2286 | and then indents the new line (the one following the newline just | |
483ab230 CY |
2287 | inserted). It does indentation on both lines by calling |
2288 | @code{indent-according-to-mode}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2289 | @end deffn |
2290 | ||
483ab230 CY |
2291 | @defopt tab-always-indent |
2292 | This variable can be used to customize the behavior of the @key{TAB} | |
2293 | (@code{indent-for-tab-command}) command. If the value is @code{t} | |
2294 | (the default), the command normally just indents the current line. If | |
2295 | the value is @code{nil}, the command indents the current line only if | |
2296 | point is at the left margin or in the line's indentation; otherwise, | |
2297 | it inserts a tab character. If the value is @code{complete}, the | |
2298 | command first tries to indent the current line, and if the line was | |
2299 | already indented, it calls @code{completion-at-point} to complete the | |
2300 | text at point (@pxref{Completion in Buffers}). | |
2301 | @end defopt | |
2302 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2303 | @node Region Indent |
2304 | @subsection Indenting an Entire Region | |
2305 | ||
2306 | This section describes commands that indent all the lines in the | |
2307 | region. They return unpredictable values. | |
2308 | ||
106e6894 | 2309 | @deffn Command indent-region start end &optional to-column |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2310 | This command indents each nonblank line starting between @var{start} |
2311 | (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive). If @var{to-column} is | |
2312 | @code{nil}, @code{indent-region} indents each nonblank line by calling | |
2313 | the current mode's indentation function, the value of | |
2314 | @code{indent-line-function}. | |
2315 | ||
2316 | If @var{to-column} is non-@code{nil}, it should be an integer | |
2317 | specifying the number of columns of indentation; then this function | |
2318 | gives each line exactly that much indentation, by either adding or | |
2319 | deleting whitespace. | |
2320 | ||
2321 | If there is a fill prefix, @code{indent-region} indents each line | |
2322 | by making it start with the fill prefix. | |
2323 | @end deffn | |
2324 | ||
2325 | @defvar indent-region-function | |
2326 | The value of this variable is a function that can be used by | |
2327 | @code{indent-region} as a short cut. It should take two arguments, the | |
2328 | start and end of the region. You should design the function so | |
2329 | that it will produce the same results as indenting the lines of the | |
2330 | region one by one, but presumably faster. | |
2331 | ||
2332 | If the value is @code{nil}, there is no short cut, and | |
2333 | @code{indent-region} actually works line by line. | |
2334 | ||
2335 | A short-cut function is useful in modes such as C mode and Lisp mode, | |
2336 | where the @code{indent-line-function} must scan from the beginning of | |
2337 | the function definition: applying it to each line would be quadratic in | |
2338 | time. The short cut can update the scan information as it moves through | |
2339 | the lines indenting them; this takes linear time. In a mode where | |
2340 | indenting a line individually is fast, there is no need for a short cut. | |
2341 | ||
2342 | @code{indent-region} with a non-@code{nil} argument @var{to-column} has | |
2343 | a different meaning and does not use this variable. | |
2344 | @end defvar | |
2345 | ||
2346 | @deffn Command indent-rigidly start end count | |
77221051 | 2347 | This function indents all lines starting between @var{start} |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2348 | (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive) sideways by @var{count} columns. |
2349 | This ``preserves the shape'' of the affected region, moving it as a | |
77221051 CY |
2350 | rigid unit. |
2351 | ||
2352 | This is useful not only for indenting regions of unindented text, but | |
2353 | also for indenting regions of formatted code. For example, if | |
2354 | @var{count} is 3, this command adds 3 columns of indentation to every | |
2355 | line that begins in the specified region. | |
2356 | ||
2357 | If called interactively with no prefix argument, this command invokes | |
2358 | a transient mode for adjusting indentation rigidly. @xref{Indentation | |
2359 | Commands,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2360 | @end deffn |
2361 | ||
106e6894 | 2362 | @deffn Command indent-code-rigidly start end columns &optional nochange-regexp |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2363 | This is like @code{indent-rigidly}, except that it doesn't alter lines |
2364 | that start within strings or comments. | |
2365 | ||
2366 | In addition, it doesn't alter a line if @var{nochange-regexp} matches at | |
2367 | the beginning of the line (if @var{nochange-regexp} is non-@code{nil}). | |
106e6894 | 2368 | @end deffn |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2369 | |
2370 | @node Relative Indent | |
2371 | @subsection Indentation Relative to Previous Lines | |
2372 | ||
2373 | This section describes two commands that indent the current line | |
2374 | based on the contents of previous lines. | |
2375 | ||
2376 | @deffn Command indent-relative &optional unindented-ok | |
2377 | This command inserts whitespace at point, extending to the same | |
2378 | column as the next @dfn{indent point} of the previous nonblank line. An | |
2379 | indent point is a non-whitespace character following whitespace. The | |
2380 | next indent point is the first one at a column greater than the current | |
2381 | column of point. For example, if point is underneath and to the left of | |
2382 | the first non-blank character of a line of text, it moves to that column | |
2383 | by inserting whitespace. | |
2384 | ||
2385 | If the previous nonblank line has no next indent point (i.e., none at a | |
2386 | great enough column position), @code{indent-relative} either does | |
2387 | nothing (if @var{unindented-ok} is non-@code{nil}) or calls | |
2388 | @code{tab-to-tab-stop}. Thus, if point is underneath and to the right | |
2389 | of the last column of a short line of text, this command ordinarily | |
2390 | moves point to the next tab stop by inserting whitespace. | |
2391 | ||
2392 | The return value of @code{indent-relative} is unpredictable. | |
2393 | ||
2394 | In the following example, point is at the beginning of the second | |
2395 | line: | |
2396 | ||
2397 | @example | |
2398 | @group | |
2399 | This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2400 | @point{}The quick brown fox jumped. | |
2401 | @end group | |
2402 | @end example | |
2403 | ||
2404 | @noindent | |
2405 | Evaluation of the expression @code{(indent-relative nil)} produces the | |
2406 | following: | |
2407 | ||
2408 | @example | |
2409 | @group | |
2410 | This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2411 | @point{}The quick brown fox jumped. | |
2412 | @end group | |
2413 | @end example | |
2414 | ||
2415 | In this next example, point is between the @samp{m} and @samp{p} of | |
2416 | @samp{jumped}: | |
2417 | ||
2418 | @example | |
2419 | @group | |
2420 | This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2421 | The quick brown fox jum@point{}ped. | |
2422 | @end group | |
2423 | @end example | |
2424 | ||
2425 | @noindent | |
2426 | Evaluation of the expression @code{(indent-relative nil)} produces the | |
2427 | following: | |
2428 | ||
2429 | @example | |
2430 | @group | |
2431 | This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2432 | The quick brown fox jum @point{}ped. | |
2433 | @end group | |
2434 | @end example | |
2435 | @end deffn | |
2436 | ||
2437 | @deffn Command indent-relative-maybe | |
2438 | @comment !!SourceFile indent.el | |
2439 | This command indents the current line like the previous nonblank line, | |
2440 | by calling @code{indent-relative} with @code{t} as the | |
2441 | @var{unindented-ok} argument. The return value is unpredictable. | |
2442 | ||
2443 | If the previous nonblank line has no indent points beyond the current | |
2444 | column, this command does nothing. | |
2445 | @end deffn | |
2446 | ||
2447 | @node Indent Tabs | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2448 | @subsection Adjustable ``Tab Stops'' |
2449 | @cindex tabs stops for indentation | |
2450 | ||
2451 | This section explains the mechanism for user-specified ``tab stops'' | |
2452 | and the mechanisms that use and set them. The name ``tab stops'' is | |
2453 | used because the feature is similar to that of the tab stops on a | |
2454 | typewriter. The feature works by inserting an appropriate number of | |
2455 | spaces and tab characters to reach the next tab stop column; it does not | |
2456 | affect the display of tab characters in the buffer (@pxref{Usual | |
2457 | Display}). Note that the @key{TAB} character as input uses this tab | |
2458 | stop feature only in a few major modes, such as Text mode. | |
2459 | @xref{Tab Stops,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
2460 | ||
2461 | @deffn Command tab-to-tab-stop | |
2462 | This command inserts spaces or tabs before point, up to the next tab | |
2463 | stop column defined by @code{tab-stop-list}. It searches the list for | |
2464 | an element greater than the current column number, and uses that element | |
2465 | as the column to indent to. It does nothing if no such element is | |
2466 | found. | |
2467 | @end deffn | |
2468 | ||
2469 | @defopt tab-stop-list | |
2470 | This variable is the list of tab stop columns used by | |
2471 | @code{tab-to-tab-stops}. The elements should be integers in increasing | |
2472 | order. The tab stop columns need not be evenly spaced. | |
2473 | ||
2474 | Use @kbd{M-x edit-tab-stops} to edit the location of tab stops | |
2475 | interactively. | |
2476 | @end defopt | |
2477 | ||
2478 | @node Motion by Indent | |
2479 | @subsection Indentation-Based Motion Commands | |
2480 | ||
2481 | These commands, primarily for interactive use, act based on the | |
2482 | indentation in the text. | |
2483 | ||
2484 | @deffn Command back-to-indentation | |
2485 | @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2486 | This command moves point to the first non-whitespace character in the | |
2487 | current line (which is the line in which point is located). It returns | |
2488 | @code{nil}. | |
2489 | @end deffn | |
2490 | ||
2491 | @deffn Command backward-to-indentation &optional arg | |
2492 | @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2493 | This command moves point backward @var{arg} lines and then to the | |
2494 | first nonblank character on that line. It returns @code{nil}. | |
2495 | If @var{arg} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to 1. | |
2496 | @end deffn | |
2497 | ||
2498 | @deffn Command forward-to-indentation &optional arg | |
2499 | @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2500 | This command moves point forward @var{arg} lines and then to the first | |
2501 | nonblank character on that line. It returns @code{nil}. | |
2502 | If @var{arg} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to 1. | |
2503 | @end deffn | |
2504 | ||
2505 | @node Case Changes | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2506 | @section Case Changes |
2507 | @cindex case conversion in buffers | |
2508 | ||
2509 | The case change commands described here work on text in the current | |
2510 | buffer. @xref{Case Conversion}, for case conversion functions that work | |
2511 | on strings and characters. @xref{Case Tables}, for how to customize | |
2512 | which characters are upper or lower case and how to convert them. | |
2513 | ||
2514 | @deffn Command capitalize-region start end | |
2515 | This function capitalizes all words in the region defined by | |
2516 | @var{start} and @var{end}. To capitalize means to convert each word's | |
2517 | first character to upper case and convert the rest of each word to lower | |
2518 | case. The function returns @code{nil}. | |
2519 | ||
2520 | If one end of the region is in the middle of a word, the part of the | |
2521 | word within the region is treated as an entire word. | |
2522 | ||
2523 | When @code{capitalize-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and | |
2524 | @var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. | |
2525 | ||
2526 | @example | |
2527 | @group | |
2528 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2529 | This is the contents of the 5th foo. | |
2530 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2531 | @end group | |
2532 | ||
2533 | @group | |
ad6643fe | 2534 | (capitalize-region 1 37) |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2535 | @result{} nil |
2536 | ||
2537 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2538 | This Is The Contents Of The 5th Foo. | |
2539 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2540 | @end group | |
2541 | @end example | |
2542 | @end deffn | |
2543 | ||
2544 | @deffn Command downcase-region start end | |
2545 | This function converts all of the letters in the region defined by | |
2546 | @var{start} and @var{end} to lower case. The function returns | |
2547 | @code{nil}. | |
2548 | ||
2549 | When @code{downcase-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and | |
2550 | @var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. | |
2551 | @end deffn | |
2552 | ||
2553 | @deffn Command upcase-region start end | |
2554 | This function converts all of the letters in the region defined by | |
2555 | @var{start} and @var{end} to upper case. The function returns | |
2556 | @code{nil}. | |
2557 | ||
2558 | When @code{upcase-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and | |
2559 | @var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. | |
2560 | @end deffn | |
2561 | ||
2562 | @deffn Command capitalize-word count | |
2563 | This function capitalizes @var{count} words after point, moving point | |
2564 | over as it does. To capitalize means to convert each word's first | |
2565 | character to upper case and convert the rest of each word to lower case. | |
2566 | If @var{count} is negative, the function capitalizes the | |
2567 | @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. The value | |
2568 | is @code{nil}. | |
2569 | ||
2570 | If point is in the middle of a word, the part of the word before point | |
2571 | is ignored when moving forward. The rest is treated as an entire word. | |
2572 | ||
2573 | When @code{capitalize-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is | |
2574 | set to the numeric prefix argument. | |
2575 | @end deffn | |
2576 | ||
2577 | @deffn Command downcase-word count | |
2578 | This function converts the @var{count} words after point to all lower | |
2579 | case, moving point over as it does. If @var{count} is negative, it | |
2580 | converts the @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. | |
2581 | The value is @code{nil}. | |
2582 | ||
2583 | When @code{downcase-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is set | |
2584 | to the numeric prefix argument. | |
2585 | @end deffn | |
2586 | ||
2587 | @deffn Command upcase-word count | |
2588 | This function converts the @var{count} words after point to all upper | |
2589 | case, moving point over as it does. If @var{count} is negative, it | |
2590 | converts the @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. | |
2591 | The value is @code{nil}. | |
2592 | ||
2593 | When @code{upcase-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is set to | |
2594 | the numeric prefix argument. | |
2595 | @end deffn | |
2596 | ||
2597 | @node Text Properties | |
2598 | @section Text Properties | |
2599 | @cindex text properties | |
2600 | @cindex attributes of text | |
2601 | @cindex properties of text | |
2602 | ||
2603 | Each character position in a buffer or a string can have a @dfn{text | |
2604 | property list}, much like the property list of a symbol (@pxref{Property | |
2605 | Lists}). The properties belong to a particular character at a | |
2606 | particular place, such as, the letter @samp{T} at the beginning of this | |
2607 | sentence or the first @samp{o} in @samp{foo}---if the same character | |
2608 | occurs in two different places, the two occurrences in general have | |
2609 | different properties. | |
2610 | ||
2611 | Each property has a name and a value. Both of these can be any Lisp | |
2612 | object, but the name is normally a symbol. Typically each property | |
2613 | name symbol is used for a particular purpose; for instance, the text | |
2614 | property @code{face} specifies the faces for displaying the character | |
2615 | (@pxref{Special Properties}). The usual way to access the property | |
2616 | list is to specify a name and ask what value corresponds to it. | |
2617 | ||
2618 | If a character has a @code{category} property, we call it the | |
2619 | @dfn{property category} of the character. It should be a symbol. The | |
2620 | properties of the symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the | |
2621 | character. | |
2622 | ||
2623 | Copying text between strings and buffers preserves the properties | |
2624 | along with the characters; this includes such diverse functions as | |
2625 | @code{substring}, @code{insert}, and @code{buffer-substring}. | |
2626 | ||
2627 | @menu | |
2628 | * Examining Properties:: Looking at the properties of one character. | |
d24880de GM |
2629 | * Changing Properties:: Setting the properties of a range of text. |
2630 | * Property Search:: Searching for where a property changes value. | |
2631 | * Special Properties:: Particular properties with special meanings. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2632 | * Format Properties:: Properties for representing formatting of text. |
2633 | * Sticky Properties:: How inserted text gets properties from | |
2634 | neighboring text. | |
2635 | * Lazy Properties:: Computing text properties in a lazy fashion | |
2636 | only when text is examined. | |
2637 | * Clickable Text:: Using text properties to make regions of text | |
2638 | do something when you click on them. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2639 | * Fields:: The @code{field} property defines |
2640 | fields within the buffer. | |
d24880de GM |
2641 | * Not Intervals:: Why text properties do not use |
2642 | Lisp-visible text intervals. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2643 | @end menu |
2644 | ||
2645 | @node Examining Properties | |
2646 | @subsection Examining Text Properties | |
2647 | ||
2648 | The simplest way to examine text properties is to ask for the value of | |
2649 | a particular property of a particular character. For that, use | |
2650 | @code{get-text-property}. Use @code{text-properties-at} to get the | |
2651 | entire property list of a character. @xref{Property Search}, for | |
2652 | functions to examine the properties of a number of characters at once. | |
2653 | ||
2654 | These functions handle both strings and buffers. Keep in mind that | |
2655 | positions in a string start from 0, whereas positions in a buffer start | |
2656 | from 1. | |
2657 | ||
2658 | @defun get-text-property pos prop &optional object | |
2659 | This function returns the value of the @var{prop} property of the | |
2660 | character after position @var{pos} in @var{object} (a buffer or | |
2661 | string). The argument @var{object} is optional and defaults to the | |
2662 | current buffer. | |
2663 | ||
2664 | If there is no @var{prop} property strictly speaking, but the character | |
2665 | has a property category that is a symbol, then @code{get-text-property} returns | |
2666 | the @var{prop} property of that symbol. | |
2667 | @end defun | |
2668 | ||
2669 | @defun get-char-property position prop &optional object | |
2670 | This function is like @code{get-text-property}, except that it checks | |
2671 | overlays first and then text properties. @xref{Overlays}. | |
2672 | ||
af23e1e8 RS |
2673 | The argument @var{object} may be a string, a buffer, or a window. If |
2674 | it is a window, then the buffer displayed in that window is used for | |
2675 | text properties and overlays, but only the overlays active for that | |
2676 | window are considered. If @var{object} is a buffer, then overlays in | |
2677 | that buffer are considered first, in order of decreasing priority, | |
2678 | followed by the text properties. If @var{object} is a string, only | |
2679 | text properties are considered, since strings never have overlays. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2680 | @end defun |
2681 | ||
05e8f1ae XF |
2682 | @defun get-pos-property position prop &optional object |
2683 | This function is like @code{get-char-property}, except that it pays | |
2684 | attention to properties' stickiness and overlays' advancement settings | |
2685 | instead of the property of the character at (i.e. right after) | |
2686 | @var{position}. | |
2687 | @end defun | |
2688 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2689 | @defun get-char-property-and-overlay position prop &optional object |
2690 | This is like @code{get-char-property}, but gives extra information | |
2691 | about the overlay that the property value comes from. | |
2692 | ||
2693 | Its value is a cons cell whose @sc{car} is the property value, the | |
2694 | same value @code{get-char-property} would return with the same | |
2695 | arguments. Its @sc{cdr} is the overlay in which the property was | |
2696 | found, or @code{nil}, if it was found as a text property or not found | |
2697 | at all. | |
2698 | ||
2699 | If @var{position} is at the end of @var{object}, both the @sc{car} and | |
2700 | the @sc{cdr} of the value are @code{nil}. | |
2701 | @end defun | |
2702 | ||
2703 | @defvar char-property-alias-alist | |
2704 | This variable holds an alist which maps property names to a list of | |
2705 | alternative property names. If a character does not specify a direct | |
2706 | value for a property, the alternative property names are consulted in | |
2707 | order; the first non-@code{nil} value is used. This variable takes | |
2708 | precedence over @code{default-text-properties}, and @code{category} | |
2709 | properties take precedence over this variable. | |
2710 | @end defvar | |
2711 | ||
2712 | @defun text-properties-at position &optional object | |
2713 | This function returns the entire property list of the character at | |
2714 | @var{position} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If @var{object} is | |
2715 | @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2716 | @end defun | |
2717 | ||
2718 | @defvar default-text-properties | |
2719 | This variable holds a property list giving default values for text | |
2720 | properties. Whenever a character does not specify a value for a | |
2721 | property, neither directly, through a category symbol, or through | |
2722 | @code{char-property-alias-alist}, the value stored in this list is | |
2723 | used instead. Here is an example: | |
2724 | ||
2725 | @example | |
2726 | (setq default-text-properties '(foo 69) | |
2727 | char-property-alias-alist nil) | |
2728 | ;; @r{Make sure character 1 has no properties of its own.} | |
2729 | (set-text-properties 1 2 nil) | |
2730 | ;; @r{What we get, when we ask, is the default value.} | |
2731 | (get-text-property 1 'foo) | |
2732 | @result{} 69 | |
2733 | @end example | |
2734 | @end defvar | |
2735 | ||
2736 | @node Changing Properties | |
2737 | @subsection Changing Text Properties | |
2738 | ||
2739 | The primitives for changing properties apply to a specified range of | |
2740 | text in a buffer or string. The function @code{set-text-properties} | |
2741 | (see end of section) sets the entire property list of the text in that | |
2742 | range; more often, it is useful to add, change, or delete just certain | |
2743 | properties specified by name. | |
2744 | ||
2745 | Since text properties are considered part of the contents of the | |
2746 | buffer (or string), and can affect how a buffer looks on the screen, | |
2747 | any change in buffer text properties marks the buffer as modified. | |
2748 | Buffer text property changes are undoable also (@pxref{Undo}). | |
2749 | Positions in a string start from 0, whereas positions in a buffer | |
2750 | start from 1. | |
2751 | ||
2752 | @defun put-text-property start end prop value &optional object | |
2753 | This function sets the @var{prop} property to @var{value} for the text | |
2754 | between @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. | |
2755 | If @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2756 | @end defun | |
2757 | ||
2758 | @defun add-text-properties start end props &optional object | |
2759 | This function adds or overrides text properties for the text between | |
2760 | @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If | |
2761 | @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2762 | ||
2763 | The argument @var{props} specifies which properties to add. It should | |
2764 | have the form of a property list (@pxref{Property Lists}): a list whose | |
2765 | elements include the property names followed alternately by the | |
2766 | corresponding values. | |
2767 | ||
2768 | The return value is @code{t} if the function actually changed some | |
2769 | property's value; @code{nil} otherwise (if @var{props} is @code{nil} or | |
2770 | its values agree with those in the text). | |
2771 | ||
2772 | For example, here is how to set the @code{comment} and @code{face} | |
2773 | properties of a range of text: | |
2774 | ||
2775 | @example | |
2776 | (add-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} | |
2777 | '(comment t face highlight)) | |
2778 | @end example | |
2779 | @end defun | |
2780 | ||
2781 | @defun remove-text-properties start end props &optional object | |
2782 | This function deletes specified text properties from the text between | |
2783 | @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If | |
2784 | @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2785 | ||
2786 | The argument @var{props} specifies which properties to delete. It | |
2787 | should have the form of a property list (@pxref{Property Lists}): a list | |
2788 | whose elements are property names alternating with corresponding values. | |
2789 | But only the names matter---the values that accompany them are ignored. | |
2790 | For example, here's how to remove the @code{face} property. | |
2791 | ||
2792 | @example | |
2793 | (remove-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} '(face nil)) | |
2794 | @end example | |
2795 | ||
2796 | The return value is @code{t} if the function actually changed some | |
2797 | property's value; @code{nil} otherwise (if @var{props} is @code{nil} or | |
2798 | if no character in the specified text had any of those properties). | |
2799 | ||
2800 | To remove all text properties from certain text, use | |
2801 | @code{set-text-properties} and specify @code{nil} for the new property | |
2802 | list. | |
2803 | @end defun | |
2804 | ||
2805 | @defun remove-list-of-text-properties start end list-of-properties &optional object | |
2806 | Like @code{remove-text-properties} except that | |
2807 | @var{list-of-properties} is a list of property names only, not an | |
2808 | alternating list of property names and values. | |
2809 | @end defun | |
2810 | ||
2811 | @defun set-text-properties start end props &optional object | |
2812 | This function completely replaces the text property list for the text | |
2813 | between @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. | |
2814 | If @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2815 | ||
2816 | The argument @var{props} is the new property list. It should be a list | |
2817 | whose elements are property names alternating with corresponding values. | |
2818 | ||
2819 | After @code{set-text-properties} returns, all the characters in the | |
2820 | specified range have identical properties. | |
2821 | ||
2822 | If @var{props} is @code{nil}, the effect is to get rid of all properties | |
2823 | from the specified range of text. Here's an example: | |
2824 | ||
2825 | @example | |
2826 | (set-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} nil) | |
2827 | @end example | |
2828 | ||
2829 | Do not rely on the return value of this function. | |
708e05f6 LMI |
2830 | @end defun |
2831 | ||
2832 | @defun add-face-text-property start end face &optional appendp object | |
f5df4ceb CY |
2833 | This function acts on the text between @var{start} and @var{end}, |
2834 | adding the face @var{face} to the @code{face} text property. | |
2835 | @var{face} should be a valid value for the @code{face} property | |
2836 | (@pxref{Special Properties}), such as a face name or an anonymous face | |
2837 | (@pxref{Faces}). | |
2838 | ||
2839 | If any text in the region already has a non-nil @code{face} property, | |
2840 | those face(s) are retained. This function sets the @code{face} | |
2841 | property to a list of faces, with @var{face} as the first element (by | |
2842 | default) and the pre-existing faces as the remaining elements. If the | |
2843 | optional argument @var{append} is non-@code{nil}, @var{face} is | |
2844 | appended to the end of the list instead. Note that in a face list, | |
2845 | the first occurring value for each attribute takes precedence. | |
2846 | ||
2847 | For example, the following code would assign a italicized green face | |
2848 | to the text between @var{start} and @var{end}: | |
708e05f6 LMI |
2849 | |
2850 | @example | |
2851 | (add-face-text-property @var{start} @var{end} 'italic) | |
f5df4ceb CY |
2852 | (add-face-text-property @var{start} @var{end} '(:foreground "red")) |
2853 | (add-face-text-property @var{start} @var{end} '(:foreground "green")) | |
708e05f6 LMI |
2854 | @end example |
2855 | ||
f5df4ceb CY |
2856 | The optional argument @var{object}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies a |
2857 | buffer or string to act on, rather than the current buffer. If | |
2858 | @var{object} is a string, then @var{start} and @var{end} are | |
2859 | zero-based indices into the string. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2860 | @end defun |
2861 | ||
f5df4ceb CY |
2862 | The easiest way to make a string with text properties is with |
2863 | @code{propertize}: | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2864 | |
2865 | @defun propertize string &rest properties | |
2866 | This function returns a copy of @var{string} which has the text | |
2867 | properties @var{properties}. These properties apply to all the | |
2868 | characters in the string that is returned. Here is an example that | |
2869 | constructs a string with a @code{face} property and a @code{mouse-face} | |
2870 | property: | |
2871 | ||
2872 | @smallexample | |
2873 | (propertize "foo" 'face 'italic | |
2874 | 'mouse-face 'bold-italic) | |
2875 | @result{} #("foo" 0 3 (mouse-face bold-italic face italic)) | |
2876 | @end smallexample | |
2877 | ||
2878 | To put different properties on various parts of a string, you can | |
2879 | construct each part with @code{propertize} and then combine them with | |
2880 | @code{concat}: | |
2881 | ||
2882 | @smallexample | |
2883 | (concat | |
2884 | (propertize "foo" 'face 'italic | |
2885 | 'mouse-face 'bold-italic) | |
2886 | " and " | |
2887 | (propertize "bar" 'face 'italic | |
2888 | 'mouse-face 'bold-italic)) | |
2889 | @result{} #("foo and bar" | |
2890 | 0 3 (face italic mouse-face bold-italic) | |
2891 | 3 8 nil | |
2892 | 8 11 (face italic mouse-face bold-italic)) | |
2893 | @end smallexample | |
2894 | @end defun | |
2895 | ||
049bcbcb CY |
2896 | @xref{Buffer Contents}, for the function |
2897 | @code{buffer-substring-no-properties}, which copies text from the | |
2898 | buffer but does not copy its properties. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2899 | |
2900 | @node Property Search | |
2901 | @subsection Text Property Search Functions | |
2902 | ||
2903 | In typical use of text properties, most of the time several or many | |
2904 | consecutive characters have the same value for a property. Rather than | |
2905 | writing your programs to examine characters one by one, it is much | |
2906 | faster to process chunks of text that have the same property value. | |
2907 | ||
2908 | Here are functions you can use to do this. They use @code{eq} for | |
2909 | comparing property values. In all cases, @var{object} defaults to the | |
2910 | current buffer. | |
2911 | ||
483ab230 | 2912 | For good performance, it's very important to use the @var{limit} |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2913 | argument to these functions, especially the ones that search for a |
2914 | single property---otherwise, they may spend a long time scanning to the | |
2915 | end of the buffer, if the property you are interested in does not change. | |
2916 | ||
2917 | These functions do not move point; instead, they return a position (or | |
2918 | @code{nil}). Remember that a position is always between two characters; | |
2919 | the position returned by these functions is between two characters with | |
2920 | different properties. | |
2921 | ||
2922 | @defun next-property-change pos &optional object limit | |
2923 | The function scans the text forward from position @var{pos} in the | |
483ab230 | 2924 | string or buffer @var{object} until it finds a change in some text |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2925 | property, then returns the position of the change. In other words, it |
2926 | returns the position of the first character beyond @var{pos} whose | |
2927 | properties are not identical to those of the character just after | |
2928 | @var{pos}. | |
2929 | ||
2930 | If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, then the scan ends at position | |
483ab230 CY |
2931 | @var{limit}. If there is no property change before that point, this |
2932 | function returns @var{limit}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
2933 | |
2934 | The value is @code{nil} if the properties remain unchanged all the way | |
2935 | to the end of @var{object} and @var{limit} is @code{nil}. If the value | |
2936 | is non-@code{nil}, it is a position greater than or equal to @var{pos}. | |
2937 | The value equals @var{pos} only when @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. | |
2938 | ||
2939 | Here is an example of how to scan the buffer by chunks of text within | |
2940 | which all properties are constant: | |
2941 | ||
2942 | @smallexample | |
2943 | (while (not (eobp)) | |
2944 | (let ((plist (text-properties-at (point))) | |
2945 | (next-change | |
2946 | (or (next-property-change (point) (current-buffer)) | |
2947 | (point-max)))) | |
2948 | @r{Process text from point to @var{next-change}@dots{}} | |
2949 | (goto-char next-change))) | |
2950 | @end smallexample | |
2951 | @end defun | |
2952 | ||
2953 | @defun previous-property-change pos &optional object limit | |
2954 | This is like @code{next-property-change}, but scans back from @var{pos} | |
2955 | instead of forward. If the value is non-@code{nil}, it is a position | |
2956 | less than or equal to @var{pos}; it equals @var{pos} only if @var{limit} | |
2957 | equals @var{pos}. | |
2958 | @end defun | |
2959 | ||
2960 | @defun next-single-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
2961 | The function scans text for a change in the @var{prop} property, then | |
2962 | returns the position of the change. The scan goes forward from | |
2963 | position @var{pos} in the string or buffer @var{object}. In other | |
2964 | words, this function returns the position of the first character | |
2965 | beyond @var{pos} whose @var{prop} property differs from that of the | |
2966 | character just after @var{pos}. | |
2967 | ||
2968 | If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, then the scan ends at position | |
2969 | @var{limit}. If there is no property change before that point, | |
2970 | @code{next-single-property-change} returns @var{limit}. | |
2971 | ||
2972 | The value is @code{nil} if the property remains unchanged all the way to | |
2973 | the end of @var{object} and @var{limit} is @code{nil}. If the value is | |
2974 | non-@code{nil}, it is a position greater than or equal to @var{pos}; it | |
2975 | equals @var{pos} only if @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. | |
2976 | @end defun | |
2977 | ||
2978 | @defun previous-single-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
2979 | This is like @code{next-single-property-change}, but scans back from | |
2980 | @var{pos} instead of forward. If the value is non-@code{nil}, it is a | |
2981 | position less than or equal to @var{pos}; it equals @var{pos} only if | |
2982 | @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. | |
2983 | @end defun | |
2984 | ||
2985 | @defun next-char-property-change pos &optional limit | |
2986 | This is like @code{next-property-change} except that it considers | |
2987 | overlay properties as well as text properties, and if no change is | |
2988 | found before the end of the buffer, it returns the maximum buffer | |
2989 | position rather than @code{nil} (in this sense, it resembles the | |
2990 | corresponding overlay function @code{next-overlay-change}, rather than | |
2991 | @code{next-property-change}). There is no @var{object} operand | |
2992 | because this function operates only on the current buffer. It returns | |
2993 | the next address at which either kind of property changes. | |
2994 | @end defun | |
2995 | ||
2996 | @defun previous-char-property-change pos &optional limit | |
2997 | This is like @code{next-char-property-change}, but scans back from | |
2998 | @var{pos} instead of forward, and returns the minimum buffer | |
2999 | position if no change is found. | |
3000 | @end defun | |
3001 | ||
3002 | @defun next-single-char-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
3003 | This is like @code{next-single-property-change} except that it | |
3004 | considers overlay properties as well as text properties, and if no | |
3005 | change is found before the end of the @var{object}, it returns the | |
3006 | maximum valid position in @var{object} rather than @code{nil}. Unlike | |
3007 | @code{next-char-property-change}, this function @emph{does} have an | |
3008 | @var{object} operand; if @var{object} is not a buffer, only | |
3009 | text-properties are considered. | |
3010 | @end defun | |
3011 | ||
3012 | @defun previous-single-char-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
3013 | This is like @code{next-single-char-property-change}, but scans back | |
3014 | from @var{pos} instead of forward, and returns the minimum valid | |
3015 | position in @var{object} if no change is found. | |
3016 | @end defun | |
3017 | ||
3018 | @defun text-property-any start end prop value &optional object | |
3019 | This function returns non-@code{nil} if at least one character between | |
3020 | @var{start} and @var{end} has a property @var{prop} whose value is | |
3021 | @var{value}. More precisely, it returns the position of the first such | |
3022 | character. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. | |
3023 | ||
3024 | The optional fifth argument, @var{object}, specifies the string or | |
3025 | buffer to scan. Positions are relative to @var{object}. The default | |
3026 | for @var{object} is the current buffer. | |
3027 | @end defun | |
3028 | ||
3029 | @defun text-property-not-all start end prop value &optional object | |
3030 | This function returns non-@code{nil} if at least one character between | |
3031 | @var{start} and @var{end} does not have a property @var{prop} with value | |
3032 | @var{value}. More precisely, it returns the position of the first such | |
3033 | character. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. | |
3034 | ||
3035 | The optional fifth argument, @var{object}, specifies the string or | |
3036 | buffer to scan. Positions are relative to @var{object}. The default | |
3037 | for @var{object} is the current buffer. | |
3038 | @end defun | |
3039 | ||
3040 | @node Special Properties | |
3041 | @subsection Properties with Special Meanings | |
3042 | ||
3043 | Here is a table of text property names that have special built-in | |
3044 | meanings. The following sections list a few additional special property | |
3045 | names that control filling and property inheritance. All other names | |
3046 | have no standard meaning, and you can use them as you like. | |
3047 | ||
3048 | Note: the properties @code{composition}, @code{display}, | |
3049 | @code{invisible} and @code{intangible} can also cause point to move to | |
3050 | an acceptable place, after each Emacs command. @xref{Adjusting | |
3051 | Point}. | |
3052 | ||
3053 | @table @code | |
3054 | @cindex property category of text character | |
e4043ba0 | 3055 | @c FIXME: Isn't @kindex for keyboard commands? |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3056 | @kindex category @r{(text property)} |
3057 | @item category | |
3058 | If a character has a @code{category} property, we call it the | |
3059 | @dfn{property category} of the character. It should be a symbol. The | |
3060 | properties of this symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the | |
3061 | character. | |
3062 | ||
3063 | @item face | |
3064 | @cindex face codes of text | |
3065 | @kindex face @r{(text property)} | |
cd542620 CY |
3066 | The @code{face} property controls the appearance of the character |
3067 | (@pxref{Faces}). The value of the property can be the following: | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3068 | |
3069 | @itemize @bullet | |
3070 | @item | |
3071 | A face name (a symbol or string). | |
3072 | ||
3073 | @item | |
cd542620 CY |
3074 | An anonymous face: a property list of the form @code{(@var{keyword} |
3075 | @var{value} @dots{})}, where each @var{keyword} is a face attribute | |
3076 | name and @var{value} is a value for that attribute. | |
b8d4c8d0 | 3077 | |
483ab230 | 3078 | @item |
cd542620 CY |
3079 | A list of faces. Each list element should be either a face name or an |
3080 | anonymous face. This specifies a face which is an aggregate of the | |
6175e34b | 3081 | attributes of each of the listed faces. Faces occurring earlier in |
cd542620 CY |
3082 | the list have higher priority. |
3083 | ||
3084 | @item | |
3085 | A cons cell of the form @code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})} | |
3086 | or @code{(background-color . @var{color-name})}. This specifies the | |
3087 | foreground or background color, similar to @code{(:foreground | |
3088 | @var{color-name})} or @code{(:background @var{color-name})}. This | |
3089 | form is supported for backward compatibility only, and should be | |
3090 | avoided. | |
483ab230 | 3091 | @end itemize |
db3625ba RS |
3092 | |
3093 | Font Lock mode (@pxref{Font Lock Mode}) works in most buffers by | |
3094 | dynamically updating the @code{face} property of characters based on | |
3095 | the context. | |
b8d4c8d0 | 3096 | |
f5df4ceb CY |
3097 | The @code{add-face-text-property} function provides a convenient way |
3098 | to set this text property. @xref{Changing Properties}. | |
3099 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3100 | @item font-lock-face |
3101 | @kindex font-lock-face @r{(text property)} | |
eeafcea7 CY |
3102 | This property specifies a value for the @code{face} property that Font |
3103 | Lock mode should apply to the underlying text. It is one of the | |
3104 | fontification methods used by Font Lock mode, and is useful for | |
3105 | special modes that implement their own highlighting. | |
3106 | @xref{Precalculated Fontification}. When Font Lock mode is disabled, | |
db3625ba | 3107 | @code{font-lock-face} has no effect. |
b8d4c8d0 | 3108 | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3109 | @item mouse-face |
3110 | @kindex mouse-face @r{(text property)} | |
eeafcea7 CY |
3111 | This property is used instead of @code{face} when the mouse is on or |
3112 | near the character. For this purpose, ``near'' means that all text | |
3113 | between the character and where the mouse is have the same | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3114 | @code{mouse-face} property value. |
3115 | ||
ebb552ed | 3116 | Emacs ignores all face attributes from the @code{mouse-face} property |
1df7defd | 3117 | that alter the text size (e.g., @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and |
ebb552ed CY |
3118 | @code{:slant}). Those attributes are always the same as for the |
3119 | unhighlighted text. | |
3120 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3121 | @item fontified |
3122 | @kindex fontified @r{(text property)} | |
3123 | This property says whether the text is ready for display. If | |
3124 | @code{nil}, Emacs's redisplay routine calls the functions in | |
3125 | @code{fontification-functions} (@pxref{Auto Faces}) to prepare this | |
3126 | part of the buffer before it is displayed. It is used internally by | |
3127 | the ``just in time'' font locking code. | |
3128 | ||
3129 | @item display | |
3130 | This property activates various features that change the | |
3131 | way text is displayed. For example, it can make text appear taller | |
3132 | or shorter, higher or lower, wider or narrow, or replaced with an image. | |
3133 | @xref{Display Property}. | |
3134 | ||
3135 | @item help-echo | |
3136 | @kindex help-echo @r{(text property)} | |
3137 | @cindex tooltip | |
3138 | @anchor{Text help-echo} | |
3139 | If text has a string as its @code{help-echo} property, then when you | |
3140 | move the mouse onto that text, Emacs displays that string in the echo | |
3141 | area, or in the tooltip window (@pxref{Tooltips,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs | |
3142 | Manual}). | |
3143 | ||
3144 | If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is a function, that | |
3145 | function is called with three arguments, @var{window}, @var{object} and | |
3146 | @var{pos} and should return a help string or @code{nil} for | |
3147 | none. The first argument, @var{window} is the window in which | |
3148 | the help was found. The second, @var{object}, is the buffer, overlay or | |
3149 | string which had the @code{help-echo} property. The @var{pos} | |
3150 | argument is as follows: | |
3151 | ||
3152 | @itemize @bullet{} | |
3153 | @item | |
3154 | If @var{object} is a buffer, @var{pos} is the position in the buffer. | |
3155 | @item | |
3156 | If @var{object} is an overlay, that overlay has a @code{help-echo} | |
3157 | property, and @var{pos} is the position in the overlay's buffer. | |
3158 | @item | |
3159 | If @var{object} is a string (an overlay string or a string displayed | |
3160 | with the @code{display} property), @var{pos} is the position in that | |
3161 | string. | |
3162 | @end itemize | |
3163 | ||
3164 | If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is neither a function nor | |
3165 | a string, it is evaluated to obtain a help string. | |
3166 | ||
3167 | You can alter the way help text is displayed by setting the variable | |
3168 | @code{show-help-function} (@pxref{Help display}). | |
3169 | ||
3170 | This feature is used in the mode line and for other active text. | |
3171 | ||
3172 | @item keymap | |
3173 | @cindex keymap of character | |
3174 | @kindex keymap @r{(text property)} | |
3175 | The @code{keymap} property specifies an additional keymap for | |
3176 | commands. When this keymap applies, it is used for key lookup before | |
3177 | the minor mode keymaps and before the buffer's local map. | |
3178 | @xref{Active Keymaps}. If the property value is a symbol, the | |
3179 | symbol's function definition is used as the keymap. | |
3180 | ||
3181 | The property's value for the character before point applies if it is | |
3182 | non-@code{nil} and rear-sticky, and the property's value for the | |
3183 | character after point applies if it is non-@code{nil} and | |
3184 | front-sticky. (For mouse clicks, the position of the click is used | |
3185 | instead of the position of point.) | |
3186 | ||
3187 | @item local-map | |
3188 | @kindex local-map @r{(text property)} | |
3189 | This property works like @code{keymap} except that it specifies a | |
3190 | keymap to use @emph{instead of} the buffer's local map. For most | |
3191 | purposes (perhaps all purposes), it is better to use the @code{keymap} | |
3192 | property. | |
3193 | ||
3194 | @item syntax-table | |
3195 | The @code{syntax-table} property overrides what the syntax table says | |
3196 | about this particular character. @xref{Syntax Properties}. | |
3197 | ||
3198 | @item read-only | |
3199 | @cindex read-only character | |
3200 | @kindex read-only @r{(text property)} | |
3201 | If a character has the property @code{read-only}, then modifying that | |
3202 | character is not allowed. Any command that would do so gets an error, | |
3203 | @code{text-read-only}. If the property value is a string, that string | |
3204 | is used as the error message. | |
3205 | ||
3206 | Insertion next to a read-only character is an error if inserting | |
3207 | ordinary text there would inherit the @code{read-only} property due to | |
3208 | stickiness. Thus, you can control permission to insert next to | |
3209 | read-only text by controlling the stickiness. @xref{Sticky Properties}. | |
3210 | ||
3211 | Since changing properties counts as modifying the buffer, it is not | |
3212 | possible to remove a @code{read-only} property unless you know the | |
3213 | special trick: bind @code{inhibit-read-only} to a non-@code{nil} value | |
3214 | and then remove the property. @xref{Read Only Buffers}. | |
3215 | ||
3216 | @item invisible | |
3217 | @kindex invisible @r{(text property)} | |
3218 | A non-@code{nil} @code{invisible} property can make a character invisible | |
3219 | on the screen. @xref{Invisible Text}, for details. | |
3220 | ||
3221 | @item intangible | |
3222 | @kindex intangible @r{(text property)} | |
3223 | If a group of consecutive characters have equal and non-@code{nil} | |
3224 | @code{intangible} properties, then you cannot place point between them. | |
3225 | If you try to move point forward into the group, point actually moves to | |
3226 | the end of the group. If you try to move point backward into the group, | |
3227 | point actually moves to the start of the group. | |
3228 | ||
3229 | If consecutive characters have unequal non-@code{nil} | |
3230 | @code{intangible} properties, they belong to separate groups; each | |
3231 | group is separately treated as described above. | |
3232 | ||
3233 | When the variable @code{inhibit-point-motion-hooks} is non-@code{nil}, | |
3234 | the @code{intangible} property is ignored. | |
3235 | ||
a7cdbfce SM |
3236 | Beware: this property operates at a very low level, and affects a lot of code |
3237 | in unexpected ways. So use it with extreme caution. A common misuse is to put | |
3238 | an intangible property on invisible text, which is actually unnecessary since | |
3239 | the command loop will move point outside of the invisible text at the end of | |
3240 | each command anyway. @xref{Adjusting Point}. | |
3241 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3242 | @item field |
3243 | @kindex field @r{(text property)} | |
3244 | Consecutive characters with the same @code{field} property constitute a | |
3245 | @dfn{field}. Some motion functions including @code{forward-word} and | |
3246 | @code{beginning-of-line} stop moving at a field boundary. | |
3247 | @xref{Fields}. | |
3248 | ||
3249 | @item cursor | |
3250 | @kindex cursor @r{(text property)} | |
50fe197c EZ |
3251 | Normally, the cursor is displayed at the beginning or the end of any |
3252 | overlay and text property strings present at the current buffer | |
3253 | position. You can place the cursor on any desired character of these | |
3254 | strings by giving that character a non-@code{nil} @code{cursor} text | |
3255 | property. In addition, if the value of the @code{cursor} property is | |
3256 | an integer number, it specifies the number of buffer's character | |
3257 | positions, starting with the position where the overlay or the | |
3258 | @code{display} property begins, for which the cursor should be | |
3259 | displayed on that character. Specifically, if the value of the | |
3260 | @code{cursor} property of a character is the number @var{n}, the | |
3261 | cursor will be displayed on this character for any buffer position in | |
3262 | the range @code{[@var{ovpos}..@var{ovpos}+@var{n})}, where @var{ovpos} | |
3263 | is the overlay's starting position given by @code{overlay-start} | |
3264 | (@pxref{Managing Overlays}), or the position where the @code{display} | |
3265 | text property begins in the buffer. | |
3266 | ||
3267 | In other words, the string character with the @code{cursor} property | |
3268 | of any non-@code{nil} value is the character where to display the | |
3269 | cursor. The value of the property says for which buffer positions to | |
3270 | display the cursor there. If the value is an integer number @var{n}, | |
3271 | the cursor is displayed there when point is anywhere between the | |
3272 | beginning of the overlay or @code{display} property and @var{n} | |
3273 | positions after that. If the value is anything else and | |
3274 | non-@code{nil}, the cursor is displayed there only when point is at | |
3275 | the beginning of the @code{display} property or at | |
3276 | @code{overlay-start}. | |
3277 | ||
3278 | @cindex cursor position for @code{display} properties and overlays | |
3279 | When the buffer has many overlay strings (e.g., @pxref{Overlay | |
3280 | Properties, before-string}) or @code{display} properties that are | |
3281 | strings, it is a good idea to use the @code{cursor} property on these | |
3282 | strings to cue the Emacs display about the places where to put the | |
3283 | cursor while traversing these strings. This directly communicates to | |
3284 | the display engine where the Lisp program wants to put the cursor, or | |
3285 | where the user would expect the cursor. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3286 | |
3287 | @item pointer | |
3288 | @kindex pointer @r{(text property)} | |
3289 | This specifies a specific pointer shape when the mouse pointer is over | |
3290 | this text or image. @xref{Pointer Shape}, for possible pointer | |
3291 | shapes. | |
3292 | ||
3293 | @item line-spacing | |
3294 | @kindex line-spacing @r{(text property)} | |
3295 | A newline can have a @code{line-spacing} text or overlay property that | |
3296 | controls the height of the display line ending with that newline. The | |
3297 | property value overrides the default frame line spacing and the buffer | |
3298 | local @code{line-spacing} variable. @xref{Line Height}. | |
3299 | ||
3300 | @item line-height | |
3301 | @kindex line-height @r{(text property)} | |
3302 | A newline can have a @code{line-height} text or overlay property that | |
3303 | controls the total height of the display line ending in that newline. | |
3304 | @xref{Line Height}. | |
3305 | ||
c4f4682b MB |
3306 | @item wrap-prefix |
3307 | If text has a @code{wrap-prefix} property, the prefix it defines will | |
579ebf8f | 3308 | be added at display time to the beginning of every continuation line |
c4f4682b | 3309 | due to text wrapping (so if lines are truncated, the wrap-prefix is |
579ebf8f EZ |
3310 | never used). It may be a string or an image (@pxref{Other Display |
3311 | Specs}), or a stretch of whitespace such as specified by the | |
3312 | @code{:width} or @code{:align-to} display properties (@pxref{Specified | |
3313 | Space}). | |
c4f4682b MB |
3314 | |
3315 | A wrap-prefix may also be specified for an entire buffer using the | |
3316 | @code{wrap-prefix} buffer-local variable (however, a | |
3317 | @code{wrap-prefix} text-property takes precedence over the value of | |
3318 | the @code{wrap-prefix} variable). @xref{Truncation}. | |
3319 | ||
3320 | @item line-prefix | |
3321 | If text has a @code{line-prefix} property, the prefix it defines will | |
579ebf8f EZ |
3322 | be added at display time to the beginning of every non-continuation |
3323 | line. It may be a string or an image (@pxref{Other Display | |
3324 | Specs}), or a stretch of whitespace such as specified by the | |
3325 | @code{:width} or @code{:align-to} display properties (@pxref{Specified | |
3326 | Space}). | |
c4f4682b MB |
3327 | |
3328 | A line-prefix may also be specified for an entire buffer using the | |
3329 | @code{line-prefix} buffer-local variable (however, a | |
3330 | @code{line-prefix} text-property takes precedence over the value of | |
3331 | the @code{line-prefix} variable). @xref{Truncation}. | |
3332 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3333 | @item modification-hooks |
3334 | @cindex change hooks for a character | |
3335 | @cindex hooks for changing a character | |
3336 | @kindex modification-hooks @r{(text property)} | |
3337 | If a character has the property @code{modification-hooks}, then its | |
f816790b SM |
3338 | value should be a list of functions; modifying that character calls |
3339 | all of those functions before the actual modification. Each function | |
3340 | receives two arguments: the beginning and end of the part of the | |
3341 | buffer being modified. Note that if a particular modification hook | |
3342 | function appears on several characters being modified by a single | |
3343 | primitive, you can't predict how many times the function will | |
3344 | be called. | |
3345 | Furthermore, insertion will not modify any existing character, so this | |
3346 | hook will only be run when removing some characters, replacing them | |
3347 | with others, or changing their text-properties. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3348 | |
3349 | If these functions modify the buffer, they should bind | |
3350 | @code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{t} around doing so, to | |
3351 | avoid confusing the internal mechanism that calls these hooks. | |
3352 | ||
3353 | Overlays also support the @code{modification-hooks} property, but the | |
3354 | details are somewhat different (@pxref{Overlay Properties}). | |
3355 | ||
3356 | @item insert-in-front-hooks | |
3357 | @itemx insert-behind-hooks | |
3358 | @kindex insert-in-front-hooks @r{(text property)} | |
3359 | @kindex insert-behind-hooks @r{(text property)} | |
3360 | The operation of inserting text in a buffer also calls the functions | |
3361 | listed in the @code{insert-in-front-hooks} property of the following | |
3362 | character and in the @code{insert-behind-hooks} property of the | |
3363 | preceding character. These functions receive two arguments, the | |
3364 | beginning and end of the inserted text. The functions are called | |
3365 | @emph{after} the actual insertion takes place. | |
3366 | ||
3367 | See also @ref{Change Hooks}, for other hooks that are called | |
3368 | when you change text in a buffer. | |
3369 | ||
3370 | @item point-entered | |
3371 | @itemx point-left | |
3372 | @cindex hooks for motion of point | |
3373 | @kindex point-entered @r{(text property)} | |
3374 | @kindex point-left @r{(text property)} | |
3375 | The special properties @code{point-entered} and @code{point-left} | |
3376 | record hook functions that report motion of point. Each time point | |
3377 | moves, Emacs compares these two property values: | |
3378 | ||
3379 | @itemize @bullet | |
3380 | @item | |
3381 | the @code{point-left} property of the character after the old location, | |
3382 | and | |
3383 | @item | |
3384 | the @code{point-entered} property of the character after the new | |
3385 | location. | |
3386 | @end itemize | |
3387 | ||
3388 | @noindent | |
3389 | If these two values differ, each of them is called (if not @code{nil}) | |
3390 | with two arguments: the old value of point, and the new one. | |
3391 | ||
3392 | The same comparison is made for the characters before the old and new | |
3393 | locations. The result may be to execute two @code{point-left} functions | |
3394 | (which may be the same function) and/or two @code{point-entered} | |
3395 | functions (which may be the same function). In any case, all the | |
3396 | @code{point-left} functions are called first, followed by all the | |
3397 | @code{point-entered} functions. | |
3398 | ||
e3934a8a | 3399 | It is possible to use @code{char-after} to examine characters at various |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3400 | buffer positions without moving point to those positions. Only an |
3401 | actual change in the value of point runs these hook functions. | |
3402 | ||
e3934a8a EZ |
3403 | The variable @code{inhibit-point-motion-hooks} can inhibit running the |
3404 | @code{point-left} and @code{point-entered} hooks, see @ref{Inhibit | |
3405 | point motion hooks}. | |
3406 | ||
3407 | @item composition | |
3408 | @kindex composition @r{(text property)} | |
3409 | This text property is used to display a sequence of characters as a | |
3410 | single glyph composed from components. But the value of the property | |
3411 | itself is completely internal to Emacs and should not be manipulated | |
3412 | directly by, for instance, @code{put-text-property}. | |
3413 | ||
3414 | @end table | |
3415 | ||
b8d4c8d0 | 3416 | @defvar inhibit-point-motion-hooks |
e3934a8a EZ |
3417 | @anchor{Inhibit point motion hooks} When this variable is |
3418 | non-@code{nil}, @code{point-left} and @code{point-entered} hooks are | |
3419 | not run, and the @code{intangible} property has no effect. Do not set | |
3420 | this variable globally; bind it with @code{let}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3421 | @end defvar |
3422 | ||
3423 | @defvar show-help-function | |
3424 | @anchor{Help display} If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a | |
3425 | function called to display help strings. These may be @code{help-echo} | |
3426 | properties, menu help strings (@pxref{Simple Menu Items}, | |
3427 | @pxref{Extended Menu Items}), or tool bar help strings (@pxref{Tool | |
3428 | Bar}). The specified function is called with one argument, the help | |
3429 | string to display. Tooltip mode (@pxref{Tooltips,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs | |
3430 | Manual}) provides an example. | |
3431 | @end defvar | |
3432 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3433 | @node Format Properties |
3434 | @subsection Formatted Text Properties | |
3435 | ||
3436 | These text properties affect the behavior of the fill commands. They | |
3437 | are used for representing formatted text. @xref{Filling}, and | |
3438 | @ref{Margins}. | |
3439 | ||
3440 | @table @code | |
3441 | @item hard | |
3442 | If a newline character has this property, it is a ``hard'' newline. | |
3443 | The fill commands do not alter hard newlines and do not move words | |
3444 | across them. However, this property takes effect only if the | |
3445 | @code{use-hard-newlines} minor mode is enabled. @xref{Hard and Soft | |
3446 | Newlines,, Hard and Soft Newlines, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
3447 | ||
3448 | @item right-margin | |
3449 | This property specifies an extra right margin for filling this part of the | |
3450 | text. | |
3451 | ||
3452 | @item left-margin | |
3453 | This property specifies an extra left margin for filling this part of the | |
3454 | text. | |
3455 | ||
3456 | @item justification | |
3457 | This property specifies the style of justification for filling this part | |
3458 | of the text. | |
3459 | @end table | |
3460 | ||
3461 | @node Sticky Properties | |
3462 | @subsection Stickiness of Text Properties | |
3463 | @cindex sticky text properties | |
02676e5d | 3464 | @cindex inheritance, text property |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3465 | |
3466 | Self-inserting characters normally take on the same properties as the | |
3467 | preceding character. This is called @dfn{inheritance} of properties. | |
3468 | ||
483ab230 CY |
3469 | A Lisp program can do insertion with inheritance or without, |
3470 | depending on the choice of insertion primitive. The ordinary text | |
3471 | insertion functions, such as @code{insert}, do not inherit any | |
3472 | properties. They insert text with precisely the properties of the | |
3473 | string being inserted, and no others. This is correct for programs | |
3474 | that copy text from one context to another---for example, into or out | |
3475 | of the kill ring. To insert with inheritance, use the special | |
3476 | primitives described in this section. Self-inserting characters | |
3477 | inherit properties because they work using these primitives. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3478 | |
3479 | When you do insertion with inheritance, @emph{which} properties are | |
3480 | inherited, and from where, depends on which properties are @dfn{sticky}. | |
3481 | Insertion after a character inherits those of its properties that are | |
3482 | @dfn{rear-sticky}. Insertion before a character inherits those of its | |
3483 | properties that are @dfn{front-sticky}. When both sides offer different | |
3484 | sticky values for the same property, the previous character's value | |
3485 | takes precedence. | |
3486 | ||
3487 | By default, a text property is rear-sticky but not front-sticky; thus, | |
3488 | the default is to inherit all the properties of the preceding character, | |
3489 | and nothing from the following character. | |
3490 | ||
3491 | You can control the stickiness of various text properties with two | |
3492 | specific text properties, @code{front-sticky} and @code{rear-nonsticky}, | |
3493 | and with the variable @code{text-property-default-nonsticky}. You can | |
3494 | use the variable to specify a different default for a given property. | |
3495 | You can use those two text properties to make any specific properties | |
3496 | sticky or nonsticky in any particular part of the text. | |
3497 | ||
3498 | If a character's @code{front-sticky} property is @code{t}, then all | |
3499 | its properties are front-sticky. If the @code{front-sticky} property is | |
3500 | a list, then the sticky properties of the character are those whose | |
3501 | names are in the list. For example, if a character has a | |
3502 | @code{front-sticky} property whose value is @code{(face read-only)}, | |
3503 | then insertion before the character can inherit its @code{face} property | |
3504 | and its @code{read-only} property, but no others. | |
3505 | ||
3506 | The @code{rear-nonsticky} property works the opposite way. Most | |
3507 | properties are rear-sticky by default, so the @code{rear-nonsticky} | |
3508 | property says which properties are @emph{not} rear-sticky. If a | |
3509 | character's @code{rear-nonsticky} property is @code{t}, then none of its | |
3510 | properties are rear-sticky. If the @code{rear-nonsticky} property is a | |
3511 | list, properties are rear-sticky @emph{unless} their names are in the | |
3512 | list. | |
3513 | ||
3514 | @defvar text-property-default-nonsticky | |
3515 | This variable holds an alist which defines the default rear-stickiness | |
3516 | of various text properties. Each element has the form | |
3517 | @code{(@var{property} . @var{nonstickiness})}, and it defines the | |
3518 | stickiness of a particular text property, @var{property}. | |
3519 | ||
3520 | If @var{nonstickiness} is non-@code{nil}, this means that the property | |
3521 | @var{property} is rear-nonsticky by default. Since all properties are | |
3522 | front-nonsticky by default, this makes @var{property} nonsticky in both | |
3523 | directions by default. | |
3524 | ||
3525 | The text properties @code{front-sticky} and @code{rear-nonsticky}, when | |
3526 | used, take precedence over the default @var{nonstickiness} specified in | |
3527 | @code{text-property-default-nonsticky}. | |
3528 | @end defvar | |
3529 | ||
3530 | Here are the functions that insert text with inheritance of properties: | |
3531 | ||
3532 | @defun insert-and-inherit &rest strings | |
3533 | Insert the strings @var{strings}, just like the function @code{insert}, | |
3534 | but inherit any sticky properties from the adjoining text. | |
3535 | @end defun | |
3536 | ||
3537 | @defun insert-before-markers-and-inherit &rest strings | |
3538 | Insert the strings @var{strings}, just like the function | |
3539 | @code{insert-before-markers}, but inherit any sticky properties from the | |
3540 | adjoining text. | |
3541 | @end defun | |
3542 | ||
3543 | @xref{Insertion}, for the ordinary insertion functions which do not | |
3544 | inherit. | |
3545 | ||
3546 | @node Lazy Properties | |
3547 | @subsection Lazy Computation of Text Properties | |
3548 | ||
3549 | Instead of computing text properties for all the text in the buffer, | |
3550 | you can arrange to compute the text properties for parts of the text | |
3551 | when and if something depends on them. | |
3552 | ||
3553 | The primitive that extracts text from the buffer along with its | |
3554 | properties is @code{buffer-substring}. Before examining the properties, | |
3555 | this function runs the abnormal hook @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions}. | |
3556 | ||
3557 | @defvar buffer-access-fontify-functions | |
3558 | This variable holds a list of functions for computing text properties. | |
3559 | Before @code{buffer-substring} copies the text and text properties for a | |
3560 | portion of the buffer, it calls all the functions in this list. Each of | |
3561 | the functions receives two arguments that specify the range of the | |
3562 | buffer being accessed. (The buffer itself is always the current | |
3563 | buffer.) | |
3564 | @end defvar | |
3565 | ||
3566 | The function @code{buffer-substring-no-properties} does not call these | |
3567 | functions, since it ignores text properties anyway. | |
3568 | ||
3569 | In order to prevent the hook functions from being called more than | |
3570 | once for the same part of the buffer, you can use the variable | |
3571 | @code{buffer-access-fontified-property}. | |
3572 | ||
3573 | @defvar buffer-access-fontified-property | |
3574 | If this variable's value is non-@code{nil}, it is a symbol which is used | |
3575 | as a text property name. A non-@code{nil} value for that text property | |
3576 | means, ``the other text properties for this character have already been | |
16152b76 | 3577 | computed''. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3578 | |
3579 | If all the characters in the range specified for @code{buffer-substring} | |
3580 | have a non-@code{nil} value for this property, @code{buffer-substring} | |
3581 | does not call the @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions. It | |
3582 | assumes these characters already have the right text properties, and | |
3583 | just copies the properties they already have. | |
3584 | ||
3585 | The normal way to use this feature is that the | |
3586 | @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions add this property, as | |
3587 | well as others, to the characters they operate on. That way, they avoid | |
3588 | being called over and over for the same text. | |
3589 | @end defvar | |
3590 | ||
3591 | @node Clickable Text | |
3592 | @subsection Defining Clickable Text | |
3593 | @cindex clickable text | |
2bad3299 CY |
3594 | @cindex follow links |
3595 | @cindex mouse-1 | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3596 | |
3597 | @dfn{Clickable text} is text that can be clicked, with either the | |
2bad3299 CY |
3598 | mouse or via a keyboard command, to produce some result. Many major |
3599 | modes use clickable text to implement textual hyper-links, or | |
3600 | @dfn{links} for short. | |
3601 | ||
3602 | The easiest way to insert and manipulate links is to use the | |
3603 | @code{button} package. @xref{Buttons}. In this section, we will | |
3604 | explain how to manually set up clickable text in a buffer, using text | |
3605 | properties. For simplicity, we will refer to the clickable text as a | |
3606 | @dfn{link}. | |
3607 | ||
3608 | Implementing a link involves three separate steps: (1) indicating | |
0b128ac4 | 3609 | clickability when the mouse moves over the link; (2) making @key{RET} |
2bad3299 CY |
3610 | or @kbd{Mouse-2} on that link do something; and (3) setting up a |
3611 | @code{follow-link} condition so that the link obeys | |
3612 | @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link}. | |
3613 | ||
3614 | To indicate clickability, add the @code{mouse-face} text property to | |
3615 | the text of the link; then Emacs will highlight the link when the | |
3616 | mouse moves over it. In addition, you should define a tooltip or echo | |
3617 | area message, using the @code{help-echo} text property. @xref{Special | |
3618 | Properties}. For instance, here is how Dired indicates that file | |
3619 | names are clickable: | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3620 | |
3621 | @smallexample | |
2bad3299 CY |
3622 | (if (dired-move-to-filename) |
3623 | (add-text-properties | |
3624 | (point) | |
3625 | (save-excursion | |
3626 | (dired-move-to-end-of-filename) | |
3627 | (point)) | |
3628 | '(mouse-face highlight | |
3629 | help-echo "mouse-2: visit this file in other window"))) | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3630 | @end smallexample |
3631 | ||
2bad3299 CY |
3632 | To make the link clickable, bind @key{RET} and @kbd{Mouse-2} to |
3633 | commands that perform the desired action. Each command should check | |
3634 | to see whether it was called on a link, and act accordingly. For | |
3635 | instance, Dired's major mode keymap binds @kbd{Mouse-2} to the | |
3636 | following command: | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3637 | |
3638 | @smallexample | |
3639 | (defun dired-mouse-find-file-other-window (event) | |
3640 | "In Dired, visit the file or directory name you click on." | |
3641 | (interactive "e") | |
c57008f6 SM |
3642 | (let ((window (posn-window (event-end event))) |
3643 | (pos (posn-point (event-end event))) | |
3644 | file) | |
3645 | (if (not (windowp window)) | |
3646 | (error "No file chosen")) | |
3647 | (with-current-buffer (window-buffer window) | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3648 | (goto-char pos) |
3649 | (setq file (dired-get-file-for-visit))) | |
3650 | (if (file-directory-p file) | |
3651 | (or (and (cdr dired-subdir-alist) | |
3652 | (dired-goto-subdir file)) | |
3653 | (progn | |
3654 | (select-window window) | |
3655 | (dired-other-window file))) | |
3656 | (select-window window) | |
3657 | (find-file-other-window (file-name-sans-versions file t))))) | |
3658 | @end smallexample | |
3659 | ||
3660 | @noindent | |
2bad3299 CY |
3661 | This command uses the functions @code{posn-window} and |
3662 | @code{posn-point} to determine where the click occurred, and | |
3663 | @code{dired-get-file-for-visit} to determine which file to visit. | |
b8d4c8d0 | 3664 | |
2bad3299 CY |
3665 | Instead of binding the mouse command in a major mode keymap, you can |
3666 | bind it within the link text, using the @code{keymap} text property | |
3667 | (@pxref{Special Properties}). For instance: | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3668 | |
3669 | @example | |
3670 | (let ((map (make-sparse-keymap))) | |
3671 | (define-key map [mouse-2] 'operate-this-button) | |
2bad3299 | 3672 | (put-text-property link-start link-end 'keymap map)) |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3673 | @end example |
3674 | ||
3675 | @noindent | |
2bad3299 CY |
3676 | With this method, you can easily define different commands for |
3677 | different links. Furthermore, the global definition of @key{RET} and | |
3678 | @kbd{Mouse-2} remain available for the rest of the text in the buffer. | |
3679 | ||
3680 | @vindex mouse-1-click-follows-link | |
3681 | The basic Emacs command for clicking on links is @kbd{Mouse-2}. | |
3682 | However, for compatibility with other graphical applications, Emacs | |
3683 | also recognizes @kbd{Mouse-1} clicks on links, provided the user | |
3684 | clicks on the link quickly without moving the mouse. This behavior is | |
3685 | controlled by the user option @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link}. | |
3686 | @xref{Mouse References,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
3687 | ||
3688 | To set up the link so that it obeys | |
3689 | @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link}, you must either (1) apply a | |
3690 | @code{follow-link} text or overlay property to the link text, or (2) | |
3691 | bind the @code{follow-link} event to a keymap (which can be a major | |
3692 | mode keymap or a local keymap specified via the @code{keymap} text | |
3693 | property). The value of the @code{follow-link} property, or the | |
3694 | binding for the @code{follow-link} event, acts as a ``condition'' for | |
3695 | the link action. This condition tells Emacs two things: the | |
3696 | circumstances under which a @kbd{Mouse-1} click should be regarded as | |
3697 | occurring ``inside'' the link, and how to compute an ``action code'' | |
3698 | that says what to translate the @kbd{Mouse-1} click into. The link | |
3699 | action condition can be one of the following: | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3700 | |
3701 | @table @asis | |
3702 | @item @code{mouse-face} | |
2bad3299 CY |
3703 | If the condition is the symbol @code{mouse-face}, a position is inside |
3704 | a link if there is a non-@code{nil} @code{mouse-face} property at that | |
3705 | position. The action code is always @code{t}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3706 | |
3707 | For example, here is how Info mode handles @key{Mouse-1}: | |
3708 | ||
3709 | @smallexample | |
3710 | (define-key Info-mode-map [follow-link] 'mouse-face) | |
3711 | @end smallexample | |
3712 | ||
3713 | @item a function | |
2bad3299 CY |
3714 | If the condition is a function, @var{func}, then a position @var{pos} |
3715 | is inside a link if @code{(@var{func} @var{pos})} evaluates to | |
3716 | non-@code{nil}. The value returned by @var{func} serves as the action | |
3717 | code. | |
b8d4c8d0 | 3718 | |
2bad3299 | 3719 | For example, here is how pcvs enables @kbd{Mouse-1} to follow links on |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3720 | file names only: |
3721 | ||
3722 | @smallexample | |
3723 | (define-key map [follow-link] | |
3724 | (lambda (pos) | |
3725 | (eq (get-char-property pos 'face) 'cvs-filename-face))) | |
3726 | @end smallexample | |
3727 | ||
3728 | @item anything else | |
3729 | If the condition value is anything else, then the position is inside a | |
2bad3299 CY |
3730 | link and the condition itself is the action code. Clearly, you should |
3731 | specify this kind of condition only when applying the condition via a | |
3732 | text or property overlay on the link text (so that it does not apply | |
3733 | to the entire buffer). | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3734 | @end table |
3735 | ||
3736 | @noindent | |
2bad3299 | 3737 | The action code tells @kbd{Mouse-1} how to follow the link: |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3738 | |
3739 | @table @asis | |
3740 | @item a string or vector | |
2bad3299 | 3741 | If the action code is a string or vector, the @kbd{Mouse-1} event is |
b8d4c8d0 | 3742 | translated into the first element of the string or vector; i.e., the |
2bad3299 | 3743 | action of the @kbd{Mouse-1} click is the local or global binding of |
b8d4c8d0 | 3744 | that character or symbol. Thus, if the action code is @code{"foo"}, |
2bad3299 CY |
3745 | @kbd{Mouse-1} translates into @kbd{f}. If it is @code{[foo]}, |
3746 | @kbd{Mouse-1} translates into @key{foo}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3747 | |
3748 | @item anything else | |
2bad3299 CY |
3749 | For any other non-@code{nil} action code, the @kbd{Mouse-1} event is |
3750 | translated into a @kbd{Mouse-2} event at the same position. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3751 | @end table |
3752 | ||
2bad3299 | 3753 | To define @kbd{Mouse-1} to activate a button defined with |
b8d4c8d0 | 3754 | @code{define-button-type}, give the button a @code{follow-link} |
2bad3299 CY |
3755 | property. The property value should be a link action condition, as |
3756 | described above. @xref{Buttons}. For example, here is how Help mode | |
3757 | handles @kbd{Mouse-1}: | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3758 | |
3759 | @smallexample | |
3760 | (define-button-type 'help-xref | |
3761 | 'follow-link t | |
3762 | 'action #'help-button-action) | |
3763 | @end smallexample | |
3764 | ||
2bad3299 CY |
3765 | To define @kbd{Mouse-1} on a widget defined with |
3766 | @code{define-widget}, give the widget a @code{:follow-link} property. | |
3767 | The property value should be a link action condition, as described | |
3768 | above. For example, here is how the @code{link} widget specifies that | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3769 | a @key{Mouse-1} click shall be translated to @key{RET}: |
3770 | ||
3771 | @smallexample | |
3772 | (define-widget 'link 'item | |
3773 | "An embedded link." | |
3774 | :button-prefix 'widget-link-prefix | |
3775 | :button-suffix 'widget-link-suffix | |
3776 | :follow-link "\C-m" | |
3777 | :help-echo "Follow the link." | |
3778 | :format "%[%t%]") | |
3779 | @end smallexample | |
3780 | ||
3781 | @defun mouse-on-link-p pos | |
3782 | This function returns non-@code{nil} if position @var{pos} in the | |
3783 | current buffer is on a link. @var{pos} can also be a mouse event | |
db3625ba | 3784 | location, as returned by @code{event-start} (@pxref{Accessing Mouse}). |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3785 | @end defun |
3786 | ||
3787 | @node Fields | |
3788 | @subsection Defining and Using Fields | |
3789 | @cindex fields | |
3790 | ||
3791 | A field is a range of consecutive characters in the buffer that are | |
3792 | identified by having the same value (comparing with @code{eq}) of the | |
3793 | @code{field} property (either a text-property or an overlay property). | |
3794 | This section describes special functions that are available for | |
3795 | operating on fields. | |
3796 | ||
3797 | You specify a field with a buffer position, @var{pos}. We think of | |
3798 | each field as containing a range of buffer positions, so the position | |
3799 | you specify stands for the field containing that position. | |
3800 | ||
3801 | When the characters before and after @var{pos} are part of the same | |
3802 | field, there is no doubt which field contains @var{pos}: the one those | |
3803 | characters both belong to. When @var{pos} is at a boundary between | |
3804 | fields, which field it belongs to depends on the stickiness of the | |
3805 | @code{field} properties of the two surrounding characters (@pxref{Sticky | |
3806 | Properties}). The field whose property would be inherited by text | |
3807 | inserted at @var{pos} is the field that contains @var{pos}. | |
3808 | ||
3809 | There is an anomalous case where newly inserted text at @var{pos} | |
3810 | would not inherit the @code{field} property from either side. This | |
3811 | happens if the previous character's @code{field} property is not | |
3812 | rear-sticky, and the following character's @code{field} property is not | |
3813 | front-sticky. In this case, @var{pos} belongs to neither the preceding | |
3814 | field nor the following field; the field functions treat it as belonging | |
3815 | to an empty field whose beginning and end are both at @var{pos}. | |
3816 | ||
3817 | In all of these functions, if @var{pos} is omitted or @code{nil}, the | |
3818 | value of point is used by default. If narrowing is in effect, then | |
3819 | @var{pos} should fall within the accessible portion. @xref{Narrowing}. | |
3820 | ||
3821 | @defun field-beginning &optional pos escape-from-edge limit | |
3822 | This function returns the beginning of the field specified by @var{pos}. | |
3823 | ||
3824 | If @var{pos} is at the beginning of its field, and | |
3825 | @var{escape-from-edge} is non-@code{nil}, then the return value is | |
3826 | always the beginning of the preceding field that @emph{ends} at @var{pos}, | |
3827 | regardless of the stickiness of the @code{field} properties around | |
3828 | @var{pos}. | |
3829 | ||
3830 | If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it is a buffer position; if the | |
3831 | beginning of the field is before @var{limit}, then @var{limit} will be | |
3832 | returned instead. | |
3833 | @end defun | |
3834 | ||
3835 | @defun field-end &optional pos escape-from-edge limit | |
3836 | This function returns the end of the field specified by @var{pos}. | |
3837 | ||
3838 | If @var{pos} is at the end of its field, and @var{escape-from-edge} is | |
3839 | non-@code{nil}, then the return value is always the end of the following | |
3840 | field that @emph{begins} at @var{pos}, regardless of the stickiness of | |
3841 | the @code{field} properties around @var{pos}. | |
3842 | ||
3843 | If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it is a buffer position; if the end | |
3844 | of the field is after @var{limit}, then @var{limit} will be returned | |
3845 | instead. | |
3846 | @end defun | |
3847 | ||
3848 | @defun field-string &optional pos | |
3849 | This function returns the contents of the field specified by @var{pos}, | |
3850 | as a string. | |
3851 | @end defun | |
3852 | ||
3853 | @defun field-string-no-properties &optional pos | |
3854 | This function returns the contents of the field specified by @var{pos}, | |
3855 | as a string, discarding text properties. | |
3856 | @end defun | |
3857 | ||
3858 | @defun delete-field &optional pos | |
3859 | This function deletes the text of the field specified by @var{pos}. | |
3860 | @end defun | |
3861 | ||
3862 | @defun constrain-to-field new-pos old-pos &optional escape-from-edge only-in-line inhibit-capture-property | |
3863 | This function ``constrains'' @var{new-pos} to the field that | |
3864 | @var{old-pos} belongs to---in other words, it returns the position | |
3865 | closest to @var{new-pos} that is in the same field as @var{old-pos}. | |
3866 | ||
3867 | If @var{new-pos} is @code{nil}, then @code{constrain-to-field} uses | |
3868 | the value of point instead, and moves point to the resulting position | |
66c5eebd | 3869 | in addition to returning that position. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3870 | |
3871 | If @var{old-pos} is at the boundary of two fields, then the acceptable | |
3872 | final positions depend on the argument @var{escape-from-edge}. If | |
3873 | @var{escape-from-edge} is @code{nil}, then @var{new-pos} must be in | |
3874 | the field whose @code{field} property equals what new characters | |
3875 | inserted at @var{old-pos} would inherit. (This depends on the | |
3876 | stickiness of the @code{field} property for the characters before and | |
3877 | after @var{old-pos}.) If @var{escape-from-edge} is non-@code{nil}, | |
3878 | @var{new-pos} can be anywhere in the two adjacent fields. | |
3879 | Additionally, if two fields are separated by another field with the | |
3880 | special value @code{boundary}, then any point within this special | |
16152b76 | 3881 | field is also considered to be ``on the boundary''. |
b8d4c8d0 | 3882 | |
e4920bc9 | 3883 | Commands like @kbd{C-a} with no argument, that normally move backward |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3884 | to a specific kind of location and stay there once there, probably |
3885 | should specify @code{nil} for @var{escape-from-edge}. Other motion | |
3886 | commands that check fields should probably pass @code{t}. | |
3887 | ||
3888 | If the optional argument @var{only-in-line} is non-@code{nil}, and | |
3889 | constraining @var{new-pos} in the usual way would move it to a different | |
3890 | line, @var{new-pos} is returned unconstrained. This used in commands | |
3891 | that move by line, such as @code{next-line} and | |
3892 | @code{beginning-of-line}, so that they respect field boundaries only in | |
3893 | the case where they can still move to the right line. | |
3894 | ||
3895 | If the optional argument @var{inhibit-capture-property} is | |
3896 | non-@code{nil}, and @var{old-pos} has a non-@code{nil} property of that | |
3897 | name, then any field boundaries are ignored. | |
3898 | ||
3899 | You can cause @code{constrain-to-field} to ignore all field boundaries | |
3900 | (and so never constrain anything) by binding the variable | |
3901 | @code{inhibit-field-text-motion} to a non-@code{nil} value. | |
3902 | @end defun | |
3903 | ||
3904 | @node Not Intervals | |
3905 | @subsection Why Text Properties are not Intervals | |
3906 | @cindex intervals | |
3907 | ||
3908 | Some editors that support adding attributes to text in the buffer do | |
3909 | so by letting the user specify ``intervals'' within the text, and adding | |
3910 | the properties to the intervals. Those editors permit the user or the | |
3911 | programmer to determine where individual intervals start and end. We | |
3912 | deliberately provided a different sort of interface in Emacs Lisp to | |
3913 | avoid certain paradoxical behavior associated with text modification. | |
3914 | ||
3915 | If the actual subdivision into intervals is meaningful, that means you | |
3916 | can distinguish between a buffer that is just one interval with a | |
3917 | certain property, and a buffer containing the same text subdivided into | |
3918 | two intervals, both of which have that property. | |
3919 | ||
3920 | Suppose you take the buffer with just one interval and kill part of | |
3921 | the text. The text remaining in the buffer is one interval, and the | |
3922 | copy in the kill ring (and the undo list) becomes a separate interval. | |
3923 | Then if you yank back the killed text, you get two intervals with the | |
3924 | same properties. Thus, editing does not preserve the distinction | |
3925 | between one interval and two. | |
3926 | ||
3927 | Suppose we ``fix'' this problem by coalescing the two intervals when | |
3928 | the text is inserted. That works fine if the buffer originally was a | |
3929 | single interval. But suppose instead that we have two adjacent | |
3930 | intervals with the same properties, and we kill the text of one interval | |
3931 | and yank it back. The same interval-coalescence feature that rescues | |
3932 | the other case causes trouble in this one: after yanking, we have just | |
3933 | one interval. One again, editing does not preserve the distinction | |
3934 | between one interval and two. | |
3935 | ||
3936 | Insertion of text at the border between intervals also raises | |
3937 | questions that have no satisfactory answer. | |
3938 | ||
3509fb40 EZ |
3939 | However, it is easy to arrange for editing to behave consistently |
3940 | for questions of the form, ``What are the properties of text at this | |
3941 | buffer or string position?'' So we have decided these are the only | |
3942 | questions that make sense; we have not implemented asking questions | |
3943 | about where intervals start or end. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3944 | |
3945 | In practice, you can usually use the text property search functions in | |
3946 | place of explicit interval boundaries. You can think of them as finding | |
3947 | the boundaries of intervals, assuming that intervals are always | |
3948 | coalesced whenever possible. @xref{Property Search}. | |
3949 | ||
3950 | Emacs also provides explicit intervals as a presentation feature; see | |
3951 | @ref{Overlays}. | |
3952 | ||
3953 | @node Substitution | |
3954 | @section Substituting for a Character Code | |
3955 | ||
3956 | The following functions replace characters within a specified region | |
3957 | based on their character codes. | |
3958 | ||
3959 | @defun subst-char-in-region start end old-char new-char &optional noundo | |
3960 | @cindex replace characters | |
3961 | This function replaces all occurrences of the character @var{old-char} | |
3962 | with the character @var{new-char} in the region of the current buffer | |
3963 | defined by @var{start} and @var{end}. | |
3964 | ||
3965 | @cindex undo avoidance | |
3966 | If @var{noundo} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{subst-char-in-region} does | |
3967 | not record the change for undo and does not mark the buffer as modified. | |
3968 | This was useful for controlling the old selective display feature | |
3969 | (@pxref{Selective Display}). | |
3970 | ||
3971 | @code{subst-char-in-region} does not move point and returns | |
3972 | @code{nil}. | |
3973 | ||
3974 | @example | |
3975 | @group | |
3976 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3977 | This is the contents of the buffer before. | |
3978 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3979 | @end group | |
3980 | ||
3981 | @group | |
3982 | (subst-char-in-region 1 20 ?i ?X) | |
3983 | @result{} nil | |
3984 | ||
3985 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3986 | ThXs Xs the contents of the buffer before. | |
3987 | ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3988 | @end group | |
3989 | @end example | |
3990 | @end defun | |
3991 | ||
106e6894 | 3992 | @deffn Command translate-region start end table |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
3993 | This function applies a translation table to the characters in the |
3994 | buffer between positions @var{start} and @var{end}. | |
3995 | ||
3996 | The translation table @var{table} is a string or a char-table; | |
3997 | @code{(aref @var{table} @var{ochar})} gives the translated character | |
3998 | corresponding to @var{ochar}. If @var{table} is a string, any | |
3999 | characters with codes larger than the length of @var{table} are not | |
4000 | altered by the translation. | |
4001 | ||
4002 | The return value of @code{translate-region} is the number of | |
4003 | characters that were actually changed by the translation. This does | |
4004 | not count characters that were mapped into themselves in the | |
4005 | translation table. | |
106e6894 | 4006 | @end deffn |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4007 | |
4008 | @node Registers | |
4009 | @section Registers | |
4010 | @cindex registers | |
4011 | ||
4012 | A register is a sort of variable used in Emacs editing that can hold a | |
4013 | variety of different kinds of values. Each register is named by a | |
4014 | single character. All @acronym{ASCII} characters and their meta variants | |
4015 | (but with the exception of @kbd{C-g}) can be used to name registers. | |
4016 | Thus, there are 255 possible registers. A register is designated in | |
4017 | Emacs Lisp by the character that is its name. | |
4018 | ||
4019 | @defvar register-alist | |
4020 | This variable is an alist of elements of the form @code{(@var{name} . | |
4021 | @var{contents})}. Normally, there is one element for each Emacs | |
4022 | register that has been used. | |
4023 | ||
4024 | The object @var{name} is a character (an integer) identifying the | |
4025 | register. | |
4026 | @end defvar | |
4027 | ||
4028 | The @var{contents} of a register can have several possible types: | |
4029 | ||
4030 | @table @asis | |
4031 | @item a number | |
4032 | A number stands for itself. If @code{insert-register} finds a number | |
4033 | in the register, it converts the number to decimal. | |
4034 | ||
4035 | @item a marker | |
4036 | A marker represents a buffer position to jump to. | |
4037 | ||
4038 | @item a string | |
4039 | A string is text saved in the register. | |
4040 | ||
4041 | @item a rectangle | |
4042 | A rectangle is represented by a list of strings. | |
4043 | ||
4044 | @item @code{(@var{window-configuration} @var{position})} | |
4045 | This represents a window configuration to restore in one frame, and a | |
4046 | position to jump to in the current buffer. | |
4047 | ||
c5074806 | 4048 | @c FIXME: Mention frameset here. |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4049 | @item @code{(@var{frame-configuration} @var{position})} |
4050 | This represents a frame configuration to restore, and a position | |
4051 | to jump to in the current buffer. | |
4052 | ||
4053 | @item (file @var{filename}) | |
4054 | This represents a file to visit; jumping to this value visits file | |
4055 | @var{filename}. | |
4056 | ||
4057 | @item (file-query @var{filename} @var{position}) | |
4058 | This represents a file to visit and a position in it; jumping to this | |
4059 | value visits file @var{filename} and goes to buffer position | |
4060 | @var{position}. Restoring this type of position asks the user for | |
4061 | confirmation first. | |
4062 | @end table | |
4063 | ||
4064 | The functions in this section return unpredictable values unless | |
4065 | otherwise stated. | |
4066 | ||
4067 | @defun get-register reg | |
4068 | This function returns the contents of the register | |
4069 | @var{reg}, or @code{nil} if it has no contents. | |
4070 | @end defun | |
4071 | ||
4072 | @defun set-register reg value | |
4073 | This function sets the contents of register @var{reg} to @var{value}. | |
4074 | A register can be set to any value, but the other register functions | |
4075 | expect only certain data types. The return value is @var{value}. | |
4076 | @end defun | |
4077 | ||
4078 | @deffn Command view-register reg | |
4079 | This command displays what is contained in register @var{reg}. | |
4080 | @end deffn | |
4081 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4082 | @deffn Command insert-register reg &optional beforep |
4083 | This command inserts contents of register @var{reg} into the current | |
4084 | buffer. | |
4085 | ||
4086 | Normally, this command puts point before the inserted text, and the | |
4087 | mark after it. However, if the optional second argument @var{beforep} | |
4088 | is non-@code{nil}, it puts the mark before and point after. | |
4089 | You can pass a non-@code{nil} second argument @var{beforep} to this | |
4090 | function interactively by supplying any prefix argument. | |
4091 | ||
4092 | If the register contains a rectangle, then the rectangle is inserted | |
4093 | with its upper left corner at point. This means that text is inserted | |
4094 | in the current line and underneath it on successive lines. | |
4095 | ||
4096 | If the register contains something other than saved text (a string) or | |
4097 | a rectangle (a list), currently useless things happen. This may be | |
4098 | changed in the future. | |
4099 | @end deffn | |
4100 | ||
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4101 | @node Transposition |
4102 | @section Transposition of Text | |
4103 | ||
10256988 | 4104 | This function can be used to transpose stretches of text: |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4105 | |
4106 | @defun transpose-regions start1 end1 start2 end2 &optional leave-markers | |
4107 | This function exchanges two nonoverlapping portions of the buffer. | |
4108 | Arguments @var{start1} and @var{end1} specify the bounds of one portion | |
4109 | and arguments @var{start2} and @var{end2} specify the bounds of the | |
4110 | other portion. | |
4111 | ||
4112 | Normally, @code{transpose-regions} relocates markers with the transposed | |
4113 | text; a marker previously positioned within one of the two transposed | |
4114 | portions moves along with that portion, thus remaining between the same | |
4115 | two characters in their new position. However, if @var{leave-markers} | |
4116 | is non-@code{nil}, @code{transpose-regions} does not do this---it leaves | |
4117 | all markers unrelocated. | |
4118 | @end defun | |
4119 | ||
4120 | @node Base 64 | |
4121 | @section Base 64 Encoding | |
4122 | @cindex base 64 encoding | |
4123 | ||
4124 | Base 64 code is used in email to encode a sequence of 8-bit bytes as | |
4125 | a longer sequence of @acronym{ASCII} graphic characters. It is defined in | |
4126 | Internet RFC@footnote{ | |
4127 | An RFC, an acronym for @dfn{Request for Comments}, is a numbered | |
4128 | Internet informational document describing a standard. RFCs are | |
4129 | usually written by technical experts acting on their own initiative, | |
4130 | and are traditionally written in a pragmatic, experience-driven | |
4131 | manner. | |
4132 | }2045. This section describes the functions for | |
4133 | converting to and from this code. | |
4134 | ||
106e6894 | 4135 | @deffn Command base64-encode-region beg end &optional no-line-break |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4136 | This function converts the region from @var{beg} to @var{end} into base |
4137 | 64 code. It returns the length of the encoded text. An error is | |
1df7defd | 4138 | signaled if a character in the region is multibyte, i.e., in a |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4139 | multibyte buffer the region must contain only characters from the |
4140 | charsets @code{ascii}, @code{eight-bit-control} and | |
4141 | @code{eight-bit-graphic}. | |
4142 | ||
4143 | Normally, this function inserts newline characters into the encoded | |
4144 | text, to avoid overlong lines. However, if the optional argument | |
4145 | @var{no-line-break} is non-@code{nil}, these newlines are not added, so | |
4146 | the output is just one long line. | |
106e6894 | 4147 | @end deffn |
b8d4c8d0 | 4148 | |
0b128ac4 | 4149 | @defun base64-encode-string string &optional no-line-break |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4150 | This function converts the string @var{string} into base 64 code. It |
4151 | returns a string containing the encoded text. As for | |
4152 | @code{base64-encode-region}, an error is signaled if a character in the | |
4153 | string is multibyte. | |
4154 | ||
4155 | Normally, this function inserts newline characters into the encoded | |
4156 | text, to avoid overlong lines. However, if the optional argument | |
4157 | @var{no-line-break} is non-@code{nil}, these newlines are not added, so | |
4158 | the result string is just one long line. | |
0b128ac4 | 4159 | @end defun |
b8d4c8d0 | 4160 | |
0b128ac4 | 4161 | @deffn Command base64-decode-region beg end |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4162 | This function converts the region from @var{beg} to @var{end} from base |
4163 | 64 code into the corresponding decoded text. It returns the length of | |
4164 | the decoded text. | |
4165 | ||
4166 | The decoding functions ignore newline characters in the encoded text. | |
0b128ac4 | 4167 | @end deffn |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4168 | |
4169 | @defun base64-decode-string string | |
4170 | This function converts the string @var{string} from base 64 code into | |
4171 | the corresponding decoded text. It returns a unibyte string containing the | |
4172 | decoded text. | |
4173 | ||
4174 | The decoding functions ignore newline characters in the encoded text. | |
4175 | @end defun | |
4176 | ||
5f5e4ea1 GM |
4177 | @node Checksum/Hash |
4178 | @section Checksum/Hash | |
b8d4c8d0 | 4179 | @cindex MD5 checksum |
483ab230 CY |
4180 | @cindex SHA hash |
4181 | @cindex hash, cryptographic | |
4182 | @cindex cryptographic hash | |
4183 | ||
4184 | Emacs has built-in support for computing @dfn{cryptographic hashes}. | |
4185 | A cryptographic hash, or @dfn{checksum}, is a digital ``fingerprint'' | |
1df7defd | 4186 | of a piece of data (e.g., a block of text) which can be used to check |
483ab230 CY |
4187 | that you have an unaltered copy of that data. |
4188 | ||
4189 | @cindex message digest | |
4190 | Emacs supports several common cryptographic hash algorithms: MD5, | |
4191 | SHA-1, SHA-2, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384 and SHA-512. MD5 is the | |
4192 | oldest of these algorithms, and is commonly used in @dfn{message | |
4193 | digests} to check the integrity of messages transmitted over a | |
1df7defd | 4194 | network. MD5 is not ``collision resistant'' (i.e., it is possible to |
483ab230 CY |
4195 | deliberately design different pieces of data which have the same MD5 |
4196 | hash), so you should not used it for anything security-related. A | |
4197 | similar theoretical weakness also exists in SHA-1. Therefore, for | |
4198 | security-related applications you should use the other hash types, | |
4199 | such as SHA-2. | |
b8d4c8d0 | 4200 | |
483ab230 CY |
4201 | @defun secure-hash algorithm object &optional start end binary |
4202 | This function returns a hash for @var{object}. The argument | |
4203 | @var{algorithm} is a symbol stating which hash to compute: one of | |
4204 | @code{md5}, @code{sha1}, @code{sha224}, @code{sha256}, @code{sha384} | |
4205 | or @code{sha512}. The argument @var{object} should be a buffer or a | |
4206 | string. | |
b8d4c8d0 | 4207 | |
483ab230 | 4208 | The optional arguments @var{start} and @var{end} are character |
b8d4c8d0 | 4209 | positions specifying the portion of @var{object} to compute the |
483ab230 | 4210 | message digest for. If they are @code{nil} or omitted, the hash is |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4211 | computed for the whole of @var{object}. |
4212 | ||
483ab230 CY |
4213 | If the argument @var{binary} is omitted or @code{nil}, the function |
4214 | returns the @dfn{text form} of the hash, as an ordinary Lisp string. | |
4215 | If @var{binary} is non-@code{nil}, it returns the hash in @dfn{binary | |
4216 | form}, as a sequence of bytes stored in a unibyte string. | |
4217 | ||
4218 | This function does not compute the hash directly from the internal | |
4219 | representation of @var{object}'s text (@pxref{Text Representations}). | |
4220 | Instead, it encodes the text using a coding system (@pxref{Coding | |
4221 | Systems}), and computes the hash from that encoded text. If | |
4222 | @var{object} is a buffer, the coding system used is the one which | |
4223 | would be chosen by default for writing the text into a file. If | |
4224 | @var{object} is a string, the user's preferred coding system is used | |
4225 | (@pxref{Recognize Coding,,, emacs, GNU Emacs Manual}). | |
4226 | @end defun | |
4227 | ||
4228 | @defun md5 object &optional start end coding-system noerror | |
4229 | This function returns an MD5 hash. It is semi-obsolete, since for | |
4230 | most purposes it is equivalent to calling @code{secure-hash} with | |
4231 | @code{md5} as the @var{algorithm} argument. The @var{object}, | |
4232 | @var{start} and @var{end} arguments have the same meanings as in | |
4233 | @code{secure-hash}. | |
4234 | ||
4235 | If @var{coding-system} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a coding system | |
4236 | to use to encode the text; if omitted or @code{nil}, the default | |
4237 | coding system is used, like in @code{secure-hash}. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4238 | |
4239 | Normally, @code{md5} signals an error if the text can't be encoded | |
4240 | using the specified or chosen coding system. However, if | |
4241 | @var{noerror} is non-@code{nil}, it silently uses @code{raw-text} | |
4242 | coding instead. | |
4243 | @end defun | |
4244 | ||
483ab230 CY |
4245 | @node Parsing HTML/XML |
4246 | @section Parsing HTML and XML | |
381408e2 | 4247 | @cindex parsing html |
381408e2 | 4248 | |
483ab230 CY |
4249 | When Emacs is compiled with libxml2 support, the following functions |
4250 | are available to parse HTML or XML text into Lisp object trees. | |
4251 | ||
35a30759 | 4252 | @defun libxml-parse-html-region start end &optional base-url |
483ab230 CY |
4253 | This function parses the text between @var{start} and @var{end} as |
4254 | HTML, and returns a list representing the HTML @dfn{parse tree}. It | |
4255 | attempts to handle ``real world'' HTML by robustly coping with syntax | |
4256 | mistakes. | |
381408e2 | 4257 | |
483ab230 CY |
4258 | The optional argument @var{base-url}, if non-@code{nil}, should be a |
4259 | string specifying the base URL for relative URLs occurring in links. | |
381408e2 | 4260 | |
483ab230 CY |
4261 | In the parse tree, each HTML node is represented by a list in which |
4262 | the first element is a symbol representing the node name, the second | |
4263 | element is an alist of node attributes, and the remaining elements are | |
4264 | the subnodes. | |
4265 | ||
4266 | The following example demonstrates this. Given this (malformed) HTML | |
4267 | document: | |
381408e2 LMI |
4268 | |
4269 | @example | |
483ab230 | 4270 | <html><head></head><body width=101><div class=thing>Foo<div>Yes |
381408e2 LMI |
4271 | @end example |
4272 | ||
483ab230 CY |
4273 | @noindent |
4274 | A call to @code{libxml-parse-html-region} returns this: | |
381408e2 LMI |
4275 | |
4276 | @example | |
483ab230 CY |
4277 | (html () |
4278 | (head ()) | |
4279 | (body ((width . "101")) | |
4280 | (div ((class . "thing")) | |
4281 | "Foo" | |
4282 | (div () | |
4283 | "Yes")))) | |
381408e2 | 4284 | @end example |
35a30759 N |
4285 | @end defun |
4286 | ||
4287 | @cindex parsing xml | |
4288 | @defun libxml-parse-xml-region start end &optional base-url | |
483ab230 CY |
4289 | This function is the same as @code{libxml-parse-html-region}, except |
4290 | that it parses the text as XML rather than HTML (so it is stricter | |
4291 | about syntax). | |
35a30759 | 4292 | @end defun |
381408e2 | 4293 | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4294 | @node Atomic Changes |
4295 | @section Atomic Change Groups | |
4296 | @cindex atomic changes | |
4297 | ||
35a30759 | 4298 | In database terminology, an @dfn{atomic} change is an indivisible |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4299 | change---it can succeed entirely or it can fail entirely, but it |
4300 | cannot partly succeed. A Lisp program can make a series of changes to | |
4301 | one or several buffers as an @dfn{atomic change group}, meaning that | |
4302 | either the entire series of changes will be installed in their buffers | |
4303 | or, in case of an error, none of them will be. | |
4304 | ||
4305 | To do this for one buffer, the one already current, simply write a | |
4306 | call to @code{atomic-change-group} around the code that makes the | |
4307 | changes, like this: | |
4308 | ||
4309 | @example | |
4310 | (atomic-change-group | |
4311 | (insert foo) | |
4312 | (delete-region x y)) | |
4313 | @end example | |
4314 | ||
4315 | @noindent | |
4316 | If an error (or other nonlocal exit) occurs inside the body of | |
4317 | @code{atomic-change-group}, it unmakes all the changes in that buffer | |
4318 | that were during the execution of the body. This kind of change group | |
4319 | has no effect on any other buffers---any such changes remain. | |
4320 | ||
4321 | If you need something more sophisticated, such as to make changes in | |
4322 | various buffers constitute one atomic group, you must directly call | |
4323 | lower-level functions that @code{atomic-change-group} uses. | |
4324 | ||
4325 | @defun prepare-change-group &optional buffer | |
4326 | This function sets up a change group for buffer @var{buffer}, which | |
4327 | defaults to the current buffer. It returns a ``handle'' that | |
4328 | represents the change group. You must use this handle to activate the | |
4329 | change group and subsequently to finish it. | |
4330 | @end defun | |
4331 | ||
4332 | To use the change group, you must @dfn{activate} it. You must do | |
4333 | this before making any changes in the text of @var{buffer}. | |
4334 | ||
4335 | @defun activate-change-group handle | |
4336 | This function activates the change group that @var{handle} designates. | |
4337 | @end defun | |
4338 | ||
4339 | After you activate the change group, any changes you make in that | |
4340 | buffer become part of it. Once you have made all the desired changes | |
4341 | in the buffer, you must @dfn{finish} the change group. There are two | |
4342 | ways to do this: you can either accept (and finalize) all the changes, | |
4343 | or cancel them all. | |
4344 | ||
4345 | @defun accept-change-group handle | |
4346 | This function accepts all the changes in the change group specified by | |
4347 | @var{handle}, making them final. | |
4348 | @end defun | |
4349 | ||
4350 | @defun cancel-change-group handle | |
4351 | This function cancels and undoes all the changes in the change group | |
4352 | specified by @var{handle}. | |
4353 | @end defun | |
4354 | ||
4355 | Your code should use @code{unwind-protect} to make sure the group is | |
4356 | always finished. The call to @code{activate-change-group} should be | |
4357 | inside the @code{unwind-protect}, in case the user types @kbd{C-g} | |
4358 | just after it runs. (This is one reason why | |
4359 | @code{prepare-change-group} and @code{activate-change-group} are | |
4360 | separate functions, because normally you would call | |
4361 | @code{prepare-change-group} before the start of that | |
4362 | @code{unwind-protect}.) Once you finish the group, don't use the | |
4363 | handle again---in particular, don't try to finish the same group | |
4364 | twice. | |
4365 | ||
4366 | To make a multibuffer change group, call @code{prepare-change-group} | |
4367 | once for each buffer you want to cover, then use @code{nconc} to | |
4368 | combine the returned values, like this: | |
4369 | ||
4370 | @example | |
4371 | (nconc (prepare-change-group buffer-1) | |
4372 | (prepare-change-group buffer-2)) | |
4373 | @end example | |
4374 | ||
4375 | You can then activate the multibuffer change group with a single call | |
4376 | to @code{activate-change-group}, and finish it with a single call to | |
4377 | @code{accept-change-group} or @code{cancel-change-group}. | |
4378 | ||
4379 | Nested use of several change groups for the same buffer works as you | |
4380 | would expect. Non-nested use of change groups for the same buffer | |
4381 | will get Emacs confused, so don't let it happen; the first change | |
4382 | group you start for any given buffer should be the last one finished. | |
4383 | ||
4384 | @node Change Hooks | |
4385 | @section Change Hooks | |
4386 | @cindex change hooks | |
4387 | @cindex hooks for text changes | |
4388 | ||
4389 | These hook variables let you arrange to take notice of all changes in | |
4390 | all buffers (or in a particular buffer, if you make them buffer-local). | |
4391 | See also @ref{Special Properties}, for how to detect changes to specific | |
4392 | parts of the text. | |
4393 | ||
4394 | The functions you use in these hooks should save and restore the match | |
4395 | data if they do anything that uses regular expressions; otherwise, they | |
4396 | will interfere in bizarre ways with the editing operations that call | |
4397 | them. | |
4398 | ||
4399 | @defvar before-change-functions | |
4400 | This variable holds a list of functions to call before any buffer | |
4401 | modification. Each function gets two arguments, the beginning and end | |
4402 | of the region that is about to change, represented as integers. The | |
4403 | buffer that is about to change is always the current buffer. | |
4404 | @end defvar | |
4405 | ||
4406 | @defvar after-change-functions | |
4407 | This variable holds a list of functions to call after any buffer | |
5a5fd9f3 CY |
4408 | modification. Each function receives three arguments: the beginning |
4409 | and end of the region just changed, and the length of the text that | |
4410 | existed before the change. All three arguments are integers. The | |
93c2fa46 | 4411 | buffer that has been changed is always the current buffer. |
5a5fd9f3 CY |
4412 | |
4413 | The length of the old text is the difference between the buffer | |
4414 | positions before and after that text as it was before the change. As | |
4415 | for the changed text, its length is simply the difference between the | |
4416 | first two arguments. | |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4417 | @end defvar |
4418 | ||
2bb0eca1 | 4419 | Output of messages into the @file{*Messages*} buffer does not |
b8d4c8d0 GM |
4420 | call these functions. |
4421 | ||
4422 | @defmac combine-after-change-calls body@dots{} | |
4423 | The macro executes @var{body} normally, but arranges to call the | |
4424 | after-change functions just once for a series of several changes---if | |
4425 | that seems safe. | |
4426 | ||
4427 | If a program makes several text changes in the same area of the buffer, | |
4428 | using the macro @code{combine-after-change-calls} around that part of | |
4429 | the program can make it run considerably faster when after-change hooks | |
4430 | are in use. When the after-change hooks are ultimately called, the | |
4431 | arguments specify a portion of the buffer including all of the changes | |
4432 | made within the @code{combine-after-change-calls} body. | |
4433 | ||
4434 | @strong{Warning:} You must not alter the values of | |
4435 | @code{after-change-functions} within | |
4436 | the body of a @code{combine-after-change-calls} form. | |
4437 | ||
4438 | @strong{Warning:} if the changes you combine occur in widely scattered | |
4439 | parts of the buffer, this will still work, but it is not advisable, | |
4440 | because it may lead to inefficient behavior for some change hook | |
4441 | functions. | |
4442 | @end defmac | |
4443 | ||
4444 | @defvar first-change-hook | |
4445 | This variable is a normal hook that is run whenever a buffer is changed | |
4446 | that was previously in the unmodified state. | |
4447 | @end defvar | |
4448 | ||
4449 | @defvar inhibit-modification-hooks | |
4450 | If this variable is non-@code{nil}, all of the change hooks are | |
4451 | disabled; none of them run. This affects all the hook variables | |
4452 | described above in this section, as well as the hooks attached to | |
4453 | certain special text properties (@pxref{Special Properties}) and overlay | |
4454 | properties (@pxref{Overlay Properties}). | |
4455 | ||
4456 | Also, this variable is bound to non-@code{nil} while running those | |
4457 | same hook variables, so that by default modifying the buffer from | |
4458 | a modification hook does not cause other modification hooks to be run. | |
4459 | If you do want modification hooks to be run in a particular piece of | |
4460 | code that is itself run from a modification hook, then rebind locally | |
4461 | @code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{nil}. | |
4462 | @end defvar |