annotate lispref/tips.texi @ 22902:18839ab53285

(Info-find-node): Once again, use byte-to-position.
author Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
date Tue, 04 Aug 1998 09:40:04 +0000
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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
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2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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4 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
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5 @setfilename ../info/tips
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6 @node Tips, GNU Emacs Internals, System Interface, Top
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7 @appendix Tips and Conventions
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8 @cindex tips
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9 @cindex standards of coding style
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10 @cindex coding standards
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11
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12 This chapter describes no additional features of Emacs Lisp. Instead
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13 it gives advice on making effective use of the features described in the
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14 previous chapters, and describes conventions Emacs Lisp programmers
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15 should follow.
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16
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17 @menu
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18 * Coding Conventions:: Conventions for clean and robust programs.
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19 * Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast.
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20 * Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings.
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21 * Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments.
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22 * Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages.
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23 @end menu
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24
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25 @node Coding Conventions
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26 @section Emacs Lisp Coding Conventions
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27
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28 Here are conventions that you should follow when writing Emacs Lisp
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29 code intended for widespread use:
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30
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31 @itemize @bullet
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32 @item
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33 Since all global variables share the same name space, and all functions
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34 share another name space, you should choose a short word to distinguish
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35 your program from other Lisp programs. Then take care to begin the
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36 names of all global variables, constants, and functions with the chosen
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37 prefix. This helps avoid name conflicts.
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38
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39 This recommendation applies even to names for traditional Lisp
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40 primitives that are not primitives in Emacs Lisp---even to
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41 @code{copy-list}. Believe it or not, there is more than one plausible
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42 way to define @code{copy-list}. Play it safe; append your name prefix
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43 to produce a name like @code{foo-copy-list} or @code{mylib-copy-list}
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44 instead.
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45
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46 If you write a function that you think ought to be added to Emacs under
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47 a certain name, such as @code{twiddle-files}, don't call it by that name
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48 in your program. Call it @code{mylib-twiddle-files} in your program,
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49 and send mail to @samp{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} suggesting we add
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50 it to Emacs. If and when we do, we can change the name easily enough.
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51
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52 If one prefix is insufficient, your package may use two or three
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53 alternative common prefixes, so long as they make sense.
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54
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55 Separate the prefix from the rest of the symbol name with a hyphen,
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56 @samp{-}. This will be consistent with Emacs itself and with most Emacs
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57 Lisp programs.
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58
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59 @item
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60 It is often useful to put a call to @code{provide} in each separate
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61 library program, at least if there is more than one entry point to the
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62 program.
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63
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64 @item
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65 If a file requires certain other library programs to be loaded
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66 beforehand, then the comments at the beginning of the file should say
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67 so. Also, use @code{require} to make sure they are loaded.
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68
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69 @item
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70 If one file @var{foo} uses a macro defined in another file @var{bar},
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71 @var{foo} should contain this expression before the first use of the
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72 macro:
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73
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74 @example
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75 (eval-when-compile (require '@var{bar}))
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76 @end example
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77
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78 @noindent
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79 (And the library @var{bar} should contain @code{(provide '@var{bar})},
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80 to make the @code{require} work.) This will cause @var{bar} to be
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81 loaded when you byte-compile @var{foo}. Otherwise, you risk compiling
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82 @var{foo} without the necessary macro loaded, and that would produce
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83 compiled code that won't work right. @xref{Compiling Macros}.
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84
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85 Using @code{eval-when-compile} avoids loading @var{bar} when
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86 the compiled version of @var{foo} is @emph{used}.
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87
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88 @item
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89 When defining a major mode, please follow the major mode
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90 conventions. @xref{Major Mode Conventions}.
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91
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92 @item
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93 When defining a minor mode, please follow the minor mode
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94 conventions. @xref{Minor Mode Conventions}.
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95
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96 @item
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97 If the purpose of a function is to tell you whether a certain condition
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98 is true or false, give the function a name that ends in @samp{p}. If
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99 the name is one word, add just @samp{p}; if the name is multiple words,
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100 add @samp{-p}. Examples are @code{framep} and @code{frame-live-p}.
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101
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102 @item
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103 If a user option variable records a true-or-false condition, give it a
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104 name that ends in @samp{-flag}.
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105
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106 @item
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107 @cindex reserved keys
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108 @cindex keys, reserved
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109 Please do not define @kbd{C-c @var{letter}} as a key in your major
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110 modes. These sequences are reserved for users; they are the
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111 @strong{only} sequences reserved for users, so do not block them.
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112
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113 Instead, define sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a control
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114 character, a digit, or certain punctuation characters. These sequences
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115 are reserved for major modes.
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116
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117 Changing all the Emacs major modes to follow this convention was a lot
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118 of work. Abandoning this convention would make that work go to waste,
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119 and inconvenience users.
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120
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121 @item
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122 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}},
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123 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;} are also reserved for major modes.
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124
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125 @item
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126 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by any other punctuation
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127 character are allocated for minor modes. Using them in a major mode is
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128 not absolutely prohibited, but if you do that, the major mode binding
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129 may be shadowed from time to time by minor modes.
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130
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131 @item
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132 Function keys @key{F5} through @key{F9} without modifier keys are
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133 reserved for users to define.
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134
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135 @item
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136 Do not bind @kbd{C-h} following any prefix character (including
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137 @kbd{C-c}). If you don't bind @kbd{C-h}, it is automatically available
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138 as a help character for listing the subcommands of the prefix character.
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139
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140 @item
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141 Do not bind a key sequence ending in @key{ESC} except following
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142 another @key{ESC}. (That is, it is OK to bind a sequence ending in
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143 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.)
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144
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145 The reason for this rule is that a non-prefix binding for @key{ESC} in
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146 any context prevents recognition of escape sequences as function keys in
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147 that context.
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149 @item
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150 Anything which acts like a temporary mode or state which the user can
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151 enter and leave should define @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} of
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152 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as a way to escape.
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153
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154 For a state which accepts ordinary Emacs commands, or more generally any
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155 kind of state in which @key{ESC} followed by a function key or arrow key
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156 is potentially meaningful, then you must not define @kbd{@key{ESC}
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157 @key{ESC}}, since that would preclude recognizing an escape sequence
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158 after @key{ESC}. In these states, you should define @kbd{@key{ESC}
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159 @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as the way to escape. Otherwise, define
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160 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} instead.
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161
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162 @item
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163 Applications should not bind mouse events based on button 1 with the
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164 shift key held down. These events include @kbd{S-mouse-1},
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165 @kbd{M-S-mouse-1}, @kbd{C-S-mouse-1}, and so on. They are reserved for
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166 users.
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167
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168 @item
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169 Special major modes used for read-only text should usually redefine
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170 @kbd{mouse-2} and @key{RET} to trace some sort of reference in the text.
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171 Modes such as Dired, Info, Compilation, and Occur redefine it in this
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172 way.
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174 @item
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175 When a package provides a modification of ordinary Emacs behavior, it is
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176 good to include a command to enable and disable the feature, Provide a
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177 command named @code{@var{whatever}-mode} which turns the feature on or
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178 off, and make it autoload (@pxref{Autoload}). Design the package so
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179 that simply loading it has no visible effect---that should not enable
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180 the feature. Users will request the feature by invoking the command.
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181
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182 @item
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183 It is a bad idea to define aliases for the Emacs primitives. Use the
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184 standard names instead.
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185
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186 @item
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187 Redefining (or advising) an Emacs primitive is discouraged. It may do
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188 the right thing for a particular program, but there is no telling what
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189 other programs might break as a result.
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190
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191 @item
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192 If a file does replace any of the functions or library programs of
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193 standard Emacs, prominent comments at the beginning of the file should
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194 say which functions are replaced, and how the behavior of the
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195 replacements differs from that of the originals.
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196
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197 @item
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198 Please keep the names of your Emacs Lisp source files to 13 characters
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199 or less. This way, if the files are compiled, the compiled files' names
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200 will be 14 characters or less, which is short enough to fit on all kinds
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201 of Unix systems.
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202
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203 @item
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204 Don't use @code{next-line} or @code{previous-line} in programs; nearly
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205 always, @code{forward-line} is more convenient as well as more
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206 predictable and robust. @xref{Text Lines}.
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207
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208 @item
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209 Don't call functions that set the mark, unless setting the mark is one
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210 of the intended features of your program. The mark is a user-level
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211 feature, so it is incorrect to change the mark except to supply a value
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212 for the user's benefit. @xref{The Mark}.
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213
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214 In particular, don't use any of these functions:
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215
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216 @itemize @bullet
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217 @item
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218 @code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{end-of-buffer}
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219 @item
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220 @code{replace-string}, @code{replace-regexp}
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221 @end itemize
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222
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223 If you just want to move point, or replace a certain string, without any
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224 of the other features intended for interactive users, you can replace
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225 these functions with one or two lines of simple Lisp code.
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226
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227 @item
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228 Use lists rather than vectors, except when there is a particular reason
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229 to use a vector. Lisp has more facilities for manipulating lists than
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230 for vectors, and working with lists is usually more convenient.
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231
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232 Vectors are advantageous for tables that are substantial in size and are
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233 accessed in random order (not searched front to back), provided there is
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234 no need to insert or delete elements (only lists allow that).
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235
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236 @item
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237 The recommended way to print a message in the echo area is with
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238 the @code{message} function, not @code{princ}. @xref{The Echo Area}.
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239
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240 @item
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241 When you encounter an error condition, call the function @code{error}
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242 (or @code{signal}). The function @code{error} does not return.
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243 @xref{Signaling Errors}.
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244
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245 Do not use @code{message}, @code{throw}, @code{sleep-for},
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246 or @code{beep} to report errors.
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247
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248 @item
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249 An error message should start with a capital letter but should not end
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250 with a period.
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251
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252 @item
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253 Many commands that take a long time to execute display a message that
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254 says @samp{Operating...} when they start, and change it to
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255 @samp{Operating...done} when they finish. Please keep the style of
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256 these messages uniform: @emph{no} space around the ellipsis, and
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257 @emph{no} period at the end.
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258
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259 @item
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260 Try to avoid using recursive edits. Instead, do what the Rmail @kbd{e}
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261 command does: use a new local keymap that contains one command defined
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262 to switch back to the old local keymap. Or do what the
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263 @code{edit-options} command does: switch to another buffer and let the
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264 user switch back at will. @xref{Recursive Editing}.
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265
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266 @item
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267 In some other systems there is a convention of choosing variable names
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268 that begin and end with @samp{*}. We don't use that convention in Emacs
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269 Lisp, so please don't use it in your programs. (Emacs uses such names
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270 only for special-purpose buffers.) The users will find Emacs more
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271 coherent if all libraries use the same conventions.
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272
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273 @item
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274 Try to avoid compiler warnings about undefined free variables, by adding
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275 @code{defvar} definitions for these variables.
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276
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277 If you bind a variable in one function, and use it or set it in another
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278 function, the compiler warns about the latter function unless the
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279 variable has a definition. But often these variables have short names,
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280 and it is not clean for Lisp packages to define such variable names.
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281 Therefore, you should rename the variable to start with the name prefix
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282 used for the other functions and variables in your package.
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283
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284 @item
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285 Indent each function with @kbd{C-M-q} (@code{indent-sexp}) using the
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286 default indentation parameters.
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287
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288 @item
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289 Don't make a habit of putting close-parentheses on lines by themselves;
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290 Lisp programmers find this disconcerting. Once in a while, when there
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291 is a sequence of many consecutive close-parentheses, it may make sense
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292 to split the sequence in one or two significant places.
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293
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294 @item
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295 Please put a copyright notice on the file if you give copies to anyone.
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296 Use a message like this one:
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297
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298 @smallexample
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299 ;; Copyright (C) @var{year} @var{name}
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300
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301 ;; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
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302 ;; modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
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303 ;; published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
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304 ;; the License, or (at your option) any later version.
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305
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306 ;; This program is distributed in the hope that it will be
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307 ;; useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
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308 ;; warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
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309 ;; PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
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310
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311 ;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public
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312 ;; License along with this program; if not, write to the Free
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313 ;; Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston,
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314 ;; MA 02111-1307 USA
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315 @end smallexample
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316
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317 If you have signed papers to assign the copyright to the Foundation,
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318 then use @samp{Free Software Foundation, Inc.} as @var{name}.
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319 Otherwise, use your name.
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320 @end itemize
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321
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322 @node Compilation Tips
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323 @section Tips for Making Compiled Code Fast
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324 @cindex execution speed
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325 @cindex speedups
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326
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327 Here are ways of improving the execution speed of byte-compiled
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328 Lisp programs.
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329
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330 @itemize @bullet
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331 @item
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332 @cindex profiling
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333 @cindex timing programs
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334 @cindex @file{profile.el}
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335 @cindex @file{elp.el}
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336 Profile your program with the @file{profile} library or the @file{elp}
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337 library. See the files @file{profile.el} and @file{elp.el} for
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338 instructions.
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339
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340 @item
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341 Use iteration rather than recursion whenever possible.
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342 Function calls are slow in Emacs Lisp even when a compiled function
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343 is calling another compiled function.
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344
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345 @item
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346 Using the primitive list-searching functions @code{memq}, @code{member},
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347 @code{assq}, or @code{assoc} is even faster than explicit iteration. It
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348 can be worth rearranging a data structure so that one of these primitive
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349 search functions can be used.
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350
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351 @item
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352 Certain built-in functions are handled specially in byte-compiled code,
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353 avoiding the need for an ordinary function call. It is a good idea to
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354 use these functions rather than alternatives. To see whether a function
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355 is handled specially by the compiler, examine its @code{byte-compile}
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356 property. If the property is non-@code{nil}, then the function is
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357 handled specially.
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358
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359 For example, the following input will show you that @code{aref} is
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360 compiled specially (@pxref{Array Functions}):
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361
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362 @example
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363 @group
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364 (get 'aref 'byte-compile)
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365 @result{} byte-compile-two-args
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366 @end group
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367 @end example
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368
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369 @item
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370 If calling a small function accounts for a substantial part of your
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371 program's running time, make the function inline. This eliminates
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372 the function call overhead. Since making a function inline reduces
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373 the flexibility of changing the program, don't do it unless it gives
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374 a noticeable speedup in something slow enough that users care about
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375 the speed. @xref{Inline Functions}.
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376 @end itemize
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377
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378 @node Documentation Tips
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379 @section Tips for Documentation Strings
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380
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381 @tindex checkdoc-minor-mode
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382 @findex checkdoc-minor-mode
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383 Here are some tips and conventions for the writing of documentation
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384 strings. You can check many of these conventions by running the command
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385 @kbd{M-x checkdoc-minor-mode}.
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386
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387 @itemize @bullet
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388 @item
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389 Every command, function, or variable intended for users to know about
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390 should have a documentation string.
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391
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392 @item
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393 An internal variable or subroutine of a Lisp program might as well have
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394 a documentation string. In earlier Emacs versions, you could save space
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395 by using a comment instead of a documentation string, but that is no
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396 longer the case.
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397
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398 @item
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399 The first line of the documentation string should consist of one or two
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400 complete sentences that stand on their own as a summary. @kbd{M-x
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401 apropos} displays just the first line, and if it doesn't stand on its
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402 own, the result looks bad. In particular, start the first line with a
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403 capital letter and end with a period.
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404
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405 The documentation string can have additional lines that expand on the
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406 details of how to use the function or variable. The additional lines
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407 should be made up of complete sentences also, but they may be filled if
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408 that looks good.
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409
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410 @item
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411 For consistency, phrase the verb in the first sentence of a
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412 function's documentation string as an infinitive with ``to'' omitted. For
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413 instance, use ``Return the cons of A and B.'' in preference to ``Returns
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414 the cons of A and B@.'' Usually it looks good to do likewise for the
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415 rest of the first paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs usually look better
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416 if they have proper subjects.
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417
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418 @item
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419 Write documentation strings in the active voice, not the passive, and in
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420 the present tense, not the future. For instance, use ``Return a list
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421 containing A and B.'' instead of ``A list containing A and B will be
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422 returned.''
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423
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424 @item
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425 Avoid using the word ``cause'' (or its equivalents) unnecessarily.
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426 Instead of, ``Cause Emacs to display text in boldface,'' write just
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427 ``Display text in boldface.''
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428
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429 @item
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430 Do not start or end a documentation string with whitespace.
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431
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432 @item
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433 Format the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window on an
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434 80-column screen. It is a good idea for most lines to be no wider than
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435 60 characters. The first line can be wider if necessary to fit the
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436 information that ought to be there.
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437
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438 However, rather than simply filling the entire documentation string, you
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439 can make it much more readable by choosing line breaks with care.
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440 Use blank lines between topics if the documentation string is long.
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441
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442 @item
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443 @strong{Do not} indent subsequent lines of a documentation string so
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444 that the text is lined up in the source code with the text of the first
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445 line. This looks nice in the source code, but looks bizarre when users
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446 view the documentation. Remember that the indentation before the
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447 starting double-quote is not part of the string!
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448
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449 @item
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450 When the user tries to use a disabled command, Emacs displays just the
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451 first paragraph of its documentation string---everything through the
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452 first blank line. If you wish, you can choose which information to
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453 include before the first blank line so as to make this display useful.
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454
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455 @item
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456 A variable's documentation string should start with @samp{*} if the
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457 variable is one that users would often want to set interactively. If
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458 the value is a long list, or a function, or if the variable would be set
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459 only in init files, then don't start the documentation string with
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460 @samp{*}. @xref{Defining Variables}.
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461
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462 @item
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463 The documentation string for a variable that is a yes-or-no flag should
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464 start with words such as ``Non-nil means@dots{}'', to make it clear that
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465 all non-@code{nil} values are equivalent and indicate explicitly what
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466 @code{nil} and non-@code{nil} mean.
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467
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468 @item
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469 When a function's documentation string mentions the value of an argument
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470 of the function, use the argument name in capital letters as if it were
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471 a name for that value. Thus, the documentation string of the function
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472 @code{/} refers to its second argument as @samp{DIVISOR}, because the
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473 actual argument name is @code{divisor}.
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474
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475 Also use all caps for meta-syntactic variables, such as when you show
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476 the decomposition of a list or vector into subunits, some of which may
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477 vary.
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478
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479 @item
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480 @iftex
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481 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
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482 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
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483 around it. For example: @samp{`lambda'}. There are two exceptions:
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484 write @code{t} and @code{nil} without single-quotes.
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485 @end iftex
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486 @ifinfo
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487 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
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488 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
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489 around it. For example: @samp{lambda}. There are two exceptions: write
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490 t and nil without single-quotes. (In this manual, we use a different
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491 convention, with single-quotes for all symbols.)
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492 @end ifinfo
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493
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494 Help mode automatically creates a hyperlink when a documentation string
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495 uses a symbol name inside single quotes, if the symbol has either a
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496 function or a variable definition. You do not need to do anything
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497 special to make use of this feature. However, when a symbol has both a
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498 function definition and a variable definition, and you want to refer to
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499 just one of them, you can specify which one by writing one of the words
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500 @samp{variable}, @samp{option}, @samp{function}, or @samp{command},
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501 immediately before the symbol name. (Case makes no difference in
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502 recognizing these indicator words.) For example, if you write
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503
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504 @example
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505 This function sets the variable `buffer-file-name'.
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506 @end example
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507
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508 @noindent
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509 then the hyperlink will refer only to the variable documentation of
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510 @code{buffer-file-name}, and not to its function documentation.
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511
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512 If a symbol has a function definition and/or a variable definition, but
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513 those are irrelevant to the use of the symbol that you are documenting,
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514 you can write the word @samp{symbol} before the symbol name to prevent
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515 making any hyperlink. For example,
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516
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517 @example
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518 If the argument KIND-OF-RESULT is the symbol `list',
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519 this function returns a list of all the objects
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520 that satisfy the criterion.
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521 @end example
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522
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523 @noindent
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524 does not make a hyperlink to the documentation, irrelevant here, of the
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525 function @code{list}.
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526
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527 @item
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528 Don't write key sequences directly in documentation strings. Instead,
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529 use the @samp{\\[@dots{}]} construct to stand for them. For example,
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530 instead of writing @samp{C-f}, write the construct
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diff changeset
531 @samp{\\[forward-char]}. When Emacs displays the documentation string,
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532 it substitutes whatever key is currently bound to @code{forward-char}.
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533 (This is normally @samp{C-f}, but it may be some other character if the
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534 user has moved key bindings.) @xref{Keys in Documentation}.
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535
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536 @item
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537 In documentation strings for a major mode, you will want to refer to the
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538 key bindings of that mode's local map, rather than global ones.
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diff changeset
539 Therefore, use the construct @samp{\\<@dots{}>} once in the
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540 documentation string to specify which key map to use. Do this before
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diff changeset
541 the first use of @samp{\\[@dots{}]}. The text inside the
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542 @samp{\\<@dots{}>} should be the name of the variable containing the
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543 local keymap for the major mode.
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544
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545 It is not practical to use @samp{\\[@dots{}]} very many times, because
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546 display of the documentation string will become slow. So use this to
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547 describe the most important commands in your major mode, and then use
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548 @samp{\\@{@dots{}@}} to display the rest of the mode's keymap.
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549 @end itemize
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550
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551 @node Comment Tips
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552 @section Tips on Writing Comments
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553
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554 We recommend these conventions for where to put comments and how to
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555 indent them:
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556
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557 @table @samp
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558 @item ;
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559 Comments that start with a single semicolon, @samp{;}, should all be
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560 aligned to the same column on the right of the source code. Such
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561 comments usually explain how the code on the same line does its job. In
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562 Lisp mode and related modes, the @kbd{M-;} (@code{indent-for-comment})
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563 command automatically inserts such a @samp{;} in the right place, or
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564 aligns such a comment if it is already present.
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565
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566 This and following examples are taken from the Emacs sources.
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567
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568 @smallexample
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569 @group
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570 (setq base-version-list ; there was a base
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571 (assoc (substring fn 0 start-vn) ; version to which
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572 file-version-assoc-list)) ; this looks like
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573 ; a subversion
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574 @end group
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575 @end smallexample
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576
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577 @item ;;
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578 Comments that start with two semicolons, @samp{;;}, should be aligned to
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579 the same level of indentation as the code. Such comments usually
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580 describe the purpose of the following lines or the state of the program
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581 at that point. For example:
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582
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583 @smallexample
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584 @group
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585 (prog1 (setq auto-fill-function
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586 @dots{}
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587 @dots{}
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588 ;; update mode line
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589 (force-mode-line-update)))
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590 @end group
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591 @end smallexample
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diff changeset
592
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593 Every function that has no documentation string (presumably one that is
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594 used only internally within the package it belongs to), should have
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595 instead a two-semicolon comment right before the function, explaining
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596 what the function does and how to call it properly. Explain precisely
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597 what each argument means and how the function interprets its possible
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598 values.
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599
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diff changeset
600 @item ;;;
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601 Comments that start with three semicolons, @samp{;;;}, should start at
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602 the left margin. Such comments are used outside function definitions to
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603 make general statements explaining the design principles of the program.
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604 For example:
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605
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606 @smallexample
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607 @group
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608 ;;; This Lisp code is run in Emacs
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609 ;;; when it is to operate as a server
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diff changeset
610 ;;; for other processes.
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611 @end group
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612 @end smallexample
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613
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614 Another use for triple-semicolon comments is for commenting out lines
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615 within a function. We use triple-semicolons for this precisely so that
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616 they remain at the left margin.
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617
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618 @smallexample
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619 (defun foo (a)
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620 ;;; This is no longer necessary.
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621 ;;; (force-mode-line-update)
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622 (message "Finished with %s" a))
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623 @end smallexample
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624
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625 @item ;;;;
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626 Comments that start with four semicolons, @samp{;;;;}, should be aligned
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627 to the left margin and are used for headings of major sections of a
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628 program. For example:
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629
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630 @smallexample
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631 ;;;; The kill ring
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632 @end smallexample
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633 @end table
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634
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635 @noindent
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636 The indentation commands of the Lisp modes in Emacs, such as @kbd{M-;}
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637 (@code{indent-for-comment}) and @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line}),
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638 automatically indent comments according to these conventions,
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639 depending on the number of semicolons. @xref{Comments,,
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640 Manipulating Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
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641
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642 @node Library Headers
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643 @section Conventional Headers for Emacs Libraries
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644 @cindex header comments
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645 @cindex library header comments
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646
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647 Emacs has conventions for using special comments in Lisp libraries
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648 to divide them into sections and give information such as who wrote
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649 them. This section explains these conventions. First, an example:
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650
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651 @smallexample
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652 @group
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653 ;;; lisp-mnt.el --- minor mode for Emacs Lisp maintainers
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654
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655 ;; Copyright (C) 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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656 @end group
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657
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658 ;; Author: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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659 ;; Maintainer: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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660 ;; Created: 14 Jul 1992
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661 ;; Version: 1.2
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662 @group
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663 ;; Keywords: docs
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664
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665 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.
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666 @dots{}
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667 ;; Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
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668 ;; Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
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669 @end group
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670 @end smallexample
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671
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672 The very first line should have this format:
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673
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674 @example
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675 ;;; @var{filename} --- @var{description}
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676 @end example
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677
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678 @noindent
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679 The description should be complete in one line.
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680
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681 After the copyright notice come several @dfn{header comment} lines,
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682 each beginning with @samp{;; @var{header-name}:}. Here is a table of
6552
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683 the conventional possibilities for @var{header-name}:
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684
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685 @table @samp
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686 @item Author
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687 This line states the name and net address of at least the principal
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688 author of the library.
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689
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690 If there are multiple authors, you can list them on continuation lines
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691 led by @code{;;} and a tab character, like this:
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692
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693 @smallexample
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694 @group
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695 ;; Author: Ashwin Ram <Ram-Ashwin@@cs.yale.edu>
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696 ;; Dave Sill <de5@@ornl.gov>
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697 ;; Dave Brennan <brennan@@hal.com>
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698 ;; Eric Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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699 @end group
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700 @end smallexample
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701
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702 @item Maintainer
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703 This line should contain a single name/address as in the Author line, or
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704 an address only, or the string @samp{FSF}. If there is no maintainer
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705 line, the person(s) in the Author field are presumed to be the
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706 maintainers. The example above is mildly bogus because the maintainer
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707 line is redundant.
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708
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diff changeset
709 The idea behind the @samp{Author} and @samp{Maintainer} lines is to make
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parents:
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710 possible a Lisp function to ``send mail to the maintainer'' without
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711 having to mine the name out by hand.
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712
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713 Be sure to surround the network address with @samp{<@dots{}>} if
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diff changeset
714 you include the person's full name as well as the network address.
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715
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diff changeset
716 @item Created
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diff changeset
717 This optional line gives the original creation date of the
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718 file. For historical interest only.
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719
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720 @item Version
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parents:
diff changeset
721 If you wish to record version numbers for the individual Lisp program, put
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diff changeset
722 them in this line.
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723
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724 @item Adapted-By
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725 In this header line, place the name of the person who adapted the
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parents:
diff changeset
726 library for installation (to make it fit the style conventions, for
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727 example).
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728
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729 @item Keywords
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730 This line lists keywords for the @code{finder-by-keyword} help command.
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731 Please use that command to see a list of the meaningful keywords.
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732
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733 This field is important; it's how people will find your package when
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634f36d4b2ae Give syntax of keywords.
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parents: 10225
diff changeset
734 they're looking for things by topic area. To separate the keywords, you
634f36d4b2ae Give syntax of keywords.
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parents: 10225
diff changeset
735 can use spaces, commas, or both.
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736 @end table
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737
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738 Just about every Lisp library ought to have the @samp{Author} and
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diff changeset
739 @samp{Keywords} header comment lines. Use the others if they are
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740 appropriate. You can also put in header lines with other header
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741 names---they have no standard meanings, so they can't do any harm.
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742
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743 We use additional stylized comments to subdivide the contents of the
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744 library file. Here is a table of them:
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745
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diff changeset
746 @table @samp
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747 @item ;;; Commentary:
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748 This begins introductory comments that explain how the library works.
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749 It should come right after the copying permissions, terminated by a
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750 @samp{Change Log}, @samp{History} or @samp{Code} comment line. This
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751 text is used by the Finder package, so it should make sense in that
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752 context.
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753
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754 @item ;;; Documentation
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755 This has been used in some files in place of @samp{;;; Commentary:},
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756 but @samp{;;; Commentary:} is preferred.
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757
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758 @item ;;; Change Log:
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759 This begins change log information stored in the library file (if you
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760 store the change history there). For most of the Lisp
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761 files distributed with Emacs, the change history is kept in the file
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762 @file{ChangeLog} and not in the source file at all; these files do
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763 not have a @samp{;;; Change Log:} line.
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764
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765 @item ;;; Code:
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766 This begins the actual code of the program.
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767
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768 @item ;;; @var{filename} ends here
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diff changeset
769 This is the @dfn{footer line}; it appears at the very end of the file.
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770 Its purpose is to enable people to detect truncated versions of the file
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771 from the lack of a footer line.
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772 @end table