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annotate man/custom.texi @ 31619:2e04fd5094c1
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author | Andrew Innes <andrewi@gnu.org> |
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date | Thu, 14 Sep 2000 21:19:58 +0000 |
parents | 9c560a17ef4a |
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25829 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
28126 | 2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000 |
3 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
25829 | 4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 @node Customization, Quitting, Amusements, Top | |
6 @chapter Customization | |
7 @cindex customization | |
8 | |
9 This chapter talks about various topics relevant to adapting the | |
10 behavior of Emacs in minor ways. See @cite{The Emacs Lisp Reference | |
11 Manual} for how to make more far-reaching changes. | |
12 | |
13 All kinds of customization affect only the particular Emacs session | |
14 that you do them in. They are completely lost when you kill the Emacs | |
15 session, and have no effect on other Emacs sessions you may run at the | |
16 same time or later. The only way an Emacs session can affect anything | |
17 outside of it is by writing a file; in particular, the only way to make | |
18 a customization ``permanent'' is to put something in your @file{.emacs} | |
19 file or other appropriate file to do the customization in each session. | |
20 @xref{Init File}. | |
21 | |
22 @menu | |
23 * Minor Modes:: Each minor mode is one feature you can turn on | |
24 independently of any others. | |
25 * Variables:: Many Emacs commands examine Emacs variables | |
26 to decide what to do; by setting variables, | |
27 you can control their functioning. | |
28 * Keyboard Macros:: A keyboard macro records a sequence of | |
29 keystrokes to be replayed with a single | |
30 command. | |
31 * Key Bindings:: The keymaps say what command each key runs. | |
32 By changing them, you can "redefine keys". | |
33 * Keyboard Translations:: | |
34 If your keyboard passes an undesired code | |
35 for a key, you can tell Emacs to | |
36 substitute another code. | |
37 * Syntax:: The syntax table controls how words and | |
38 expressions are parsed. | |
39 * Init File:: How to write common customizations in the | |
40 @file{.emacs} file. | |
41 @end menu | |
42 | |
43 @node Minor Modes | |
44 @section Minor Modes | |
45 @cindex minor modes | |
46 @cindex mode, minor | |
47 | |
48 Minor modes are optional features which you can turn on or off. For | |
49 example, Auto Fill mode is a minor mode in which @key{SPC} breaks lines | |
50 between words as you type. All the minor modes are independent of each | |
51 other and of the selected major mode. Most minor modes say in the mode | |
52 line when they are on; for example, @samp{Fill} in the mode line means | |
53 that Auto Fill mode is on. | |
54 | |
55 Append @code{-mode} to the name of a minor mode to get the name of a | |
56 command function that turns the mode on or off. Thus, the command to | |
57 enable or disable Auto Fill mode is called @kbd{M-x auto-fill-mode}. These | |
58 commands are usually invoked with @kbd{M-x}, but you can bind keys to them | |
59 if you wish. With no argument, the function turns the mode on if it was | |
60 off and off if it was on. This is known as @dfn{toggling}. A positive | |
61 argument always turns the mode on, and an explicit zero argument or a | |
62 negative argument always turns it off. | |
63 | |
64 Enabling or disabling some minor modes applies only to the current | |
65 buffer; each buffer is independent of the other buffers. Therefore, you | |
66 can enable the mode in particular buffers and disable it in others. The | |
67 per-buffer minor modes include Abbrev mode, Auto Fill mode, Auto Save | |
28126 | 68 mode, Font-Lock mode, ISO Accents mode, Outline minor |
25829 | 69 mode, Overwrite mode, and Binary Overwrite mode. |
70 | |
71 Abbrev mode allows you to define abbreviations that automatically expand | |
72 as you type them. For example, @samp{amd} might expand to @samp{abbrev | |
73 mode}. @xref{Abbrevs}, for full information. | |
74 | |
75 Auto Fill mode allows you to enter filled text without breaking lines | |
76 explicitly. Emacs inserts newlines as necessary to prevent lines from | |
77 becoming too long. @xref{Filling}. | |
78 | |
79 Auto Save mode causes the contents of a buffer to be saved | |
80 periodically to reduce the amount of work you can lose in case of a | |
81 system crash. @xref{Auto Save}. | |
82 | |
83 Enriched mode enables editing and saving of formatted text. | |
84 @xref{Formatted Text}. | |
85 | |
86 Flyspell mode automatically highlights misspelled words. | |
87 @xref{Spelling}. | |
88 | |
89 Font-Lock mode automatically highlights certain textual units found in | |
90 programs, such as comments, strings, and function names being defined. | |
91 This requires a window system that can display multiple fonts. | |
92 @xref{Faces}. | |
93 | |
94 ISO Accents mode makes the characters @samp{`}, @samp{'}, @samp{"}, | |
95 @samp{^}, @samp{/} and @samp{~} combine with the following letter, to | |
96 produce an accented letter in the ISO Latin-1 character set. | |
27218 | 97 @xref{Single-Byte Character Support}. |
25829 | 98 |
99 Outline minor mode provides the same facilities as the major mode | |
100 called Outline mode; but since it is a minor mode instead, you can | |
101 combine it with any major mode. @xref{Outline Mode}. | |
102 | |
103 @cindex Overwrite mode | |
104 @cindex mode, Overwrite | |
105 @findex overwrite-mode | |
106 @findex binary-overwrite-mode | |
107 Overwrite mode causes ordinary printing characters to replace existing | |
108 text instead of shoving it to the right. For example, if point is in | |
109 front of the @samp{B} in @samp{FOOBAR}, then in Overwrite mode typing a | |
110 @kbd{G} changes it to @samp{FOOGAR}, instead of producing @samp{FOOGBAR} | |
111 as usual. In Overwrite mode, the command @kbd{C-q} inserts the next | |
112 character whatever it may be, even if it is a digit---this gives you a | |
113 way to insert a character instead of replacing an existing character. | |
114 | |
115 Binary Overwrite mode is a variant of Overwrite mode for editing | |
116 binary files; it treats newlines and tabs like other characters, so that | |
117 they overwrite other characters and can be overwritten by them. | |
118 | |
119 The following minor modes normally apply to all buffers at once. | |
120 Since each is enabled or disabled by the value of a variable, you | |
121 @emph{can} set them differently for particular buffers, by explicitly | |
122 making the corresponding variables local in those buffers. | |
123 @xref{Locals}. | |
124 | |
125 Icomplete mode displays an indication of available completions when | |
126 you are in the minibuffer and completion is active. @xref{Completion | |
127 Options}. | |
128 | |
129 Line Number mode enables continuous display in the mode line of the | |
28126 | 130 line number of point and Column Number mode enables display of the |
131 column number. @xref{Mode Line}. | |
25829 | 132 |
133 Scroll Bar mode gives each window a scroll bar (@pxref{Scroll Bars}). | |
134 Menu Bar mode gives each frame a menu bar (@pxref{Menu Bars}). Both of | |
135 these modes are enabled by default when you use the X Window System. | |
136 | |
137 In Transient Mark mode, every change in the buffer contents | |
138 ``deactivates'' the mark, so that commands that operate on the region | |
139 will get an error. This means you must either set the mark, or | |
140 explicitly ``reactivate'' it, before each command that uses the region. | |
141 The advantage of Transient Mark mode is that Emacs can display the | |
28126 | 142 region highlighted (currently only when using X). @xref{Mark}. |
25829 | 143 |
144 For most minor modes, the command name is also the name of a variable | |
145 which directly controls the mode. The mode is enabled whenever this | |
146 variable's value is non-@code{nil}, and the minor-mode command works by | |
147 setting the variable. For example, the command | |
148 @code{outline-minor-mode} works by setting the value of | |
149 @code{outline-minor-mode} as a variable; it is this variable that | |
150 directly turns Outline minor mode on and off. To check whether a given | |
151 minor mode works this way, use @kbd{C-h v} to ask for documentation on | |
152 the variable name. | |
153 | |
154 These minor-mode variables provide a good way for Lisp programs to turn | |
155 minor modes on and off; they are also useful in a file's local variables | |
156 list. But please think twice before setting minor modes with a local | |
157 variables list, because most minor modes are matter of user | |
158 preference---other users editing the same file might not want the same | |
159 minor modes you prefer. | |
160 | |
161 @node Variables | |
162 @section Variables | |
163 @cindex variable | |
164 @cindex option, user | |
165 @cindex user option | |
166 | |
167 A @dfn{variable} is a Lisp symbol which has a value. The symbol's | |
168 name is also called the name of the variable. A variable name can | |
169 contain any characters that can appear in a file, but conventionally | |
170 variable names consist of words separated by hyphens. A variable can | |
171 have a documentation string which describes what kind of value it should | |
172 have and how the value will be used. | |
173 | |
174 Lisp allows any variable to have any kind of value, but most variables | |
175 that Emacs uses require a value of a certain type. Often the value should | |
176 always be a string, or should always be a number. Sometimes we say that a | |
177 certain feature is turned on if a variable is ``non-@code{nil},'' meaning | |
178 that if the variable's value is @code{nil}, the feature is off, but the | |
179 feature is on for @emph{any} other value. The conventional value to use to | |
180 turn on the feature---since you have to pick one particular value when you | |
181 set the variable---is @code{t}. | |
182 | |
183 Emacs uses many Lisp variables for internal record keeping, as any | |
184 Lisp program must, but the most interesting variables for you are the | |
185 ones that exist for the sake of customization. Emacs does not (usually) | |
186 change the values of these variables; instead, you set the values, and | |
187 thereby alter and control the behavior of certain Emacs commands. These | |
188 variables are called @dfn{user options}. Most user options are | |
189 documented in this manual, and appear in the Variable Index | |
190 (@pxref{Variable Index}). | |
191 | |
192 One example of a variable which is a user option is @code{fill-column}, which | |
193 specifies the position of the right margin (as a number of characters from | |
194 the left margin) to be used by the fill commands (@pxref{Filling}). | |
195 | |
196 @menu | |
197 * Examining:: Examining or setting one variable's value. | |
198 * Easy Customization:: | |
199 Convenient and easy customization of variables. | |
200 * Hooks:: Hook variables let you specify programs for parts | |
201 of Emacs to run on particular occasions. | |
202 * Locals:: Per-buffer values of variables. | |
203 * File Variables:: How files can specify variable values. | |
204 @end menu | |
205 | |
206 @node Examining | |
207 @subsection Examining and Setting Variables | |
208 @cindex setting variables | |
209 | |
210 @table @kbd | |
211 @item C-h v @var{var} @key{RET} | |
212 Display the value and documentation of variable @var{var} | |
213 (@code{describe-variable}). | |
214 @item M-x set-variable @key{RET} @var{var} @key{RET} @var{value} @key{RET} | |
215 Change the value of variable @var{var} to @var{value}. | |
216 @end table | |
217 | |
218 To examine the value of a single variable, use @kbd{C-h v} | |
219 (@code{describe-variable}), which reads a variable name using the | |
220 minibuffer, with completion. It displays both the value and the | |
221 documentation of the variable. For example, | |
222 | |
223 @example | |
224 C-h v fill-column @key{RET} | |
225 @end example | |
226 | |
227 @noindent | |
228 displays something like this: | |
229 | |
230 @smallexample | |
231 fill-column's value is 75 | |
232 | |
233 Documentation: | |
234 *Column beyond which automatic line-wrapping should happen. | |
235 Automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion. | |
236 @end smallexample | |
237 | |
238 @noindent | |
239 The star at the beginning of the documentation indicates that this | |
240 variable is a user option. @kbd{C-h v} is not restricted to user | |
241 options; it allows any variable name. | |
242 | |
243 @findex set-variable | |
244 The most convenient way to set a specific user option is with @kbd{M-x | |
245 set-variable}. This reads the variable name with the minibuffer (with | |
246 completion), and then reads a Lisp expression for the new value using | |
247 the minibuffer a second time. For example, | |
248 | |
249 @example | |
250 M-x set-variable @key{RET} fill-column @key{RET} 75 @key{RET} | |
251 @end example | |
252 | |
253 @noindent | |
254 sets @code{fill-column} to 75. | |
255 | |
256 @kbd{M-x set-variable} is limited to user option variables, but you can | |
257 set any variable with a Lisp expression, using the function @code{setq}. | |
258 Here is a @code{setq} expression to set @code{fill-column}: | |
259 | |
260 @example | |
261 (setq fill-column 75) | |
262 @end example | |
263 | |
264 To execute an expression like this one, go to the @samp{*scratch*} | |
265 buffer, type in the expression, and then type @kbd{C-j}. @xref{Lisp | |
266 Interaction}. | |
267 | |
268 Setting variables, like all means of customizing Emacs except where | |
269 otherwise stated, affects only the current Emacs session. | |
270 | |
271 @node Easy Customization | |
272 @subsection Easy Customization Interface | |
273 | |
274 @findex customize | |
275 @cindex customization buffer | |
276 A convenient way to find the user option variables that you want to | |
277 change, and then change them, is with @kbd{M-x customize}. This command | |
278 creates a @dfn{customization buffer} with which you can browse through | |
279 the Emacs user options in a logically organized structure, then edit and | |
280 set their values. You can also use the customization buffer to save | |
281 settings permanently. (Not all Emacs user options are included in this | |
282 structure as of yet, but we are adding the rest.) | |
283 | |
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284 The appearance of the example buffers in the following is typically |
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285 different under a window system where faces can be used to indicate the |
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286 active fields and other features. |
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287 |
25829 | 288 @menu |
289 * Groups: Customization Groups. | |
290 How options are classified in a structure. | |
291 * Changing an Option:: How to edit a value and set an option. | |
292 * Face Customization:: How to edit the attributes of a face. | |
293 * Specific Customization:: Making a customization buffer for specific | |
294 options, faces, or groups. | |
295 @end menu | |
296 | |
297 @node Customization Groups | |
298 @subsubsection Customization Groups | |
299 @cindex customization groups | |
300 | |
301 For customization purposes, user options are organized into | |
302 @dfn{groups} to help you find them. Groups are collected into bigger | |
303 groups, all the way up to a master group called @code{Emacs}. | |
304 | |
305 @kbd{M-x customize} creates a customization buffer that shows the | |
306 top-level @code{Emacs} group and the second-level groups immediately | |
307 under it. It looks like this, in part: | |
308 | |
309 @smallexample | |
310 /- Emacs group: ---------------------------------------------------\ | |
311 [State]: visible group members are all at standard settings. | |
312 Customization of the One True Editor. | |
313 See also [Manual]. | |
314 | |
315 Editing group: [Go to Group] | |
316 Basic text editing facilities. | |
317 | |
318 External group: [Go to Group] | |
319 Interfacing to external utilities. | |
320 | |
321 @var{more second-level groups} | |
322 | |
323 \- Emacs group end ------------------------------------------------/ | |
324 | |
325 @end smallexample | |
326 | |
327 @noindent | |
328 This says that the buffer displays the contents of the @code{Emacs} | |
329 group. The other groups are listed because they are its contents. But | |
330 they are listed differently, without indentation and dashes, because | |
331 @emph{their} contents are not included. Each group has a single-line | |
332 documentation string; the @code{Emacs} group also has a @samp{[State]} | |
333 line. | |
334 | |
335 @cindex editable fields (customization buffer) | |
336 @cindex active fields (customization buffer) | |
337 Most of the text in the customization buffer is read-only, but it | |
338 typically includes some @dfn{editable fields} that you can edit. There | |
339 are also @dfn{active fields}; this means a field that does something | |
340 when you @dfn{invoke} it. To invoke an active field, either click on it | |
341 with @kbd{Mouse-1}, or move point to it and type @key{RET}. | |
342 | |
343 For example, the phrase @samp{[Go to Group]} that appears in a | |
344 second-level group is an active field. Invoking the @samp{[Go to | |
345 Group]} field for a group creates a new customization buffer, which | |
346 shows that group and its contents. This field is a kind of hypertext | |
347 link to another group. | |
348 | |
349 The @code{Emacs} group does not include any user options itself, but | |
350 other groups do. By examining various groups, you will eventually find | |
351 the options and faces that belong to the feature you are interested in | |
352 customizing. Then you can use the customization buffer to set them. | |
353 | |
354 @findex customize-browse | |
355 You can view the structure of customization groups on a larger scale | |
356 with @kbd{M-x customize-browse}. This command creates a special kind of | |
357 customization buffer which shows only the names of the groups (and | |
358 options and faces), and their structure. | |
359 | |
360 In this buffer, you can show the contents of a group by invoking | |
361 @samp{[+]}. When the group contents are visible, this button changes to | |
362 @samp{[-]}; invoking that hides the group contents. | |
363 | |
364 Each group, option or face name in this buffer has an active field | |
365 which says @samp{[Group]}, @samp{[Option]} or @samp{[Face]}. Invoking | |
366 that active field creates an ordinary customization buffer showing just | |
367 that group and its contents, just that option, or just that face. | |
368 This is the way to set values in it. | |
369 | |
370 @node Changing an Option | |
371 @subsubsection Changing an Option | |
372 | |
373 Here is an example of what a user option looks like in the | |
374 customization buffer: | |
375 | |
376 @smallexample | |
377 Kill Ring Max: [Hide] 30 | |
378 [State]: this option is unchanged from its standard setting. | |
379 Maximum length of kill ring before oldest elements are thrown away. | |
380 @end smallexample | |
381 | |
382 The text following @samp{[Hide]}, @samp{30} in this case, indicates | |
383 the current value of the option. If you see @samp{[Show]} instead of | |
384 @samp{[Hide]}, it means that the value is hidden; the customization | |
385 buffer initially hides values that take up several lines. Invoke | |
386 @samp{[Show]} to show the value. | |
387 | |
388 The line after the option name indicates the @dfn{customization state} | |
389 of the option: in the example above, it says you have not changed the | |
390 option yet. The word @samp{[State]} at the beginning of this line is | |
391 active; you can get a menu of various operations by invoking it with | |
392 @kbd{Mouse-1} or @key{RET}. These operations are essential for | |
393 customizing the variable. | |
394 | |
395 The line after the @samp{[State]} line displays the beginning of the | |
396 option's documentation string. If there are more lines of | |
397 documentation, this line ends with @samp{[More]}; invoke this to show | |
398 the full documentation string. | |
399 | |
400 To enter a new value for @samp{Kill Ring Max}, move point to the value | |
401 and edit it textually. For example, you can type @kbd{M-d}, then insert | |
402 another number. | |
403 | |
404 When you begin to alter the text, you will see the @samp{[State]} line | |
405 change to say that you have edited the value: | |
406 | |
407 @smallexample | |
408 [State]: you have edited the value as text, but not set the option. | |
409 @end smallexample | |
410 | |
411 @cindex setting option value | |
412 Editing the value does not actually set the option variable. To do | |
413 that, you must @dfn{set} the option. To do this, invoke the word | |
414 @samp{[State]} and choose @samp{Set for Current Session}. | |
415 | |
416 The state of the option changes visibly when you set it: | |
417 | |
418 @smallexample | |
419 [State]: you have set this option, but not saved it for future sessions. | |
420 @end smallexample | |
421 | |
422 You don't have to worry about specifying a value that is not valid; | |
423 setting the option checks for validity and will not really install an | |
424 unacceptable value. | |
425 | |
426 @kindex M-TAB @r{(customization buffer)} | |
427 @findex widget-complete | |
428 While editing a value or field that is a file name, directory name, | |
429 command name, or anything else for which completion is defined, you can | |
430 type @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} (@code{widget-complete}) to do completion. | |
431 | |
432 Some options have a small fixed set of possible legitimate values. | |
433 These options don't let you edit the value textually. Instead, an | |
434 active field @samp{[Value Menu]} appears before the value; invoke this | |
435 field to edit the value. For a boolean ``on or off'' value, the active | |
436 field says @samp{[Toggle]}, and it changes to the other value. | |
437 @samp{[Value Menu]} and @samp{[Toggle]} edit the buffer; the changes | |
438 take effect when you use the @samp{Set for Current Session} operation. | |
439 | |
440 Some options have values with complex structure. For example, the | |
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441 value of @code{file-coding-system-alist} is an association list. Here |
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442 is how it appears in the customization buffer: |
25829 | 443 |
444 @smallexample | |
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445 File Coding System Alist: [Hide] |
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446 [INS] [DEL] File regexp: \.elc\' |
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447 Choice: [Value Menu] Encoding/decoding pair: |
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448 Decoding: emacs-mule |
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449 Encoding: emacs-mule |
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450 [INS] [DEL] File regexp: \(\`\|/\)loaddefs.el\' |
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451 Choice: [Value Menu] Encoding/decoding pair: |
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452 Decoding: no-conversion |
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453 Encoding: no-conversion |
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454 [INS] [DEL] File regexp: \.tar\' |
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455 Choice: [Value Menu] Encoding/decoding pair: |
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456 Decoding: no-conversion |
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457 Encoding: no-conversion |
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458 [INS] [DEL] File regexp: |
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459 Choice: [Value Menu] Encoding/decoding pair: |
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460 Decoding: undecided |
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461 Encoding: nil |
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462 [INS |
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463 [State]: this option is unchanged from its standard setting. |
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464 Alist to decide a coding system to use for a file I/O operation. [Hide] |
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465 @dots{} |
25829 | 466 @end smallexample |
467 | |
468 @noindent | |
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469 Each association in the list appears starting on a separate line with |
25829 | 470 several editable or active fields. |
471 | |
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472 You can edit the regexps and coding systems or select @samp{[Value |
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473 Menu]} to change the choice for the second part of the pair, e.g.@: to a |
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474 function. To delete an item from the list or to add one after another |
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475 item, invoke @samp{[DEL]} or @samp{[INS]} respectively at that item. An inserted item appears with some default values. |
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476 Invoke @samp{[+]} to append an extra item to the current list. |
25829 | 477 |
478 @kindex TAB @r{(customization buffer)} | |
479 @kindex S-TAB @r{(customization buffer)} | |
480 @findex widget-forward | |
481 @findex widget-backward | |
482 Two special commands, @key{TAB} and @kbd{S-@key{TAB}}, are useful for | |
483 moving through the customization buffer. @key{TAB} | |
484 (@code{widget-forward}) moves forward to the next active or editable | |
485 field; @kbd{S-@key{TAB}} (@code{widget-backward}) moves backward to the | |
486 previous active or editable field. | |
487 | |
488 Typing @key{RET} on an editable field also moves forward, just like | |
489 @key{TAB}. The reason for this is that people have a tendency to type | |
490 @key{RET} when they are finished editing a field. If you have occasion | |
491 to insert a newline in an editable field, use @kbd{C-o} or @kbd{C-q | |
492 C-j}. | |
493 | |
494 @cindex saving option value | |
495 Setting the option changes its value in the current Emacs session; | |
496 @dfn{saving} the value changes it for future sessions as well. This | |
497 works by writing code into your @file{~/.emacs} file so as to set the | |
498 option variable again each time you start Emacs. To save the option, | |
499 invoke @samp{[State]} and select the @samp{Save for Future Sessions} | |
500 operation. | |
501 | |
502 You can also restore the option to its standard value by invoking | |
27218 | 503 @samp{[State]} and selecting the @samp{Erase Customization} |
25829 | 504 operation. There are actually three reset operations: |
505 | |
506 @table @samp | |
507 @item Reset | |
508 If you have made some modifications and not yet set the option, | |
509 this restores the text in the customization buffer to match | |
510 the actual value. | |
511 | |
512 @item Reset to Saved | |
513 This restores the value of the option to the last saved value, | |
514 and updates the text accordingly. | |
515 | |
27218 | 516 @item Erase Customization |
25829 | 517 This sets the option to its standard value, and updates the text |
518 accordingly. This also eliminates any saved value for the option, | |
519 so that you will get the standard value in future Emacs sessions. | |
520 @end table | |
521 | |
27218 | 522 @cindex comments on customized options |
523 Sometimes it is useful to record a comment on the value of an option | |
524 which you have customized. Use the @samp{Add Comment} item from the | |
525 @samp{[State]} menu to provide a field in which to edit a comment which | |
526 will be saved and redisplayed if you re-customize the option later. | |
527 | |
25829 | 528 The state of a group indicates whether anything in that group has been |
529 edited, set or saved. You can select @samp{Set for Current Session}, | |
530 @samp{Save for Future Sessions} and the various kinds of @samp{Reset} | |
531 operation for the group; these operations on the group apply to all | |
532 options in the group and its subgroups. | |
533 | |
534 Near the top of the customization buffer there are two lines | |
535 containing several active fields: | |
536 | |
537 @smallexample | |
538 [Set for Current Session] [Save for Future Sessions] | |
27218 | 539 [Reset] [Reset to Saved] [Erase Customization] [Finish] |
25829 | 540 @end smallexample |
541 | |
27218 | 542 @vindex Custom-buffer-done |
25829 | 543 @noindent |
27218 | 544 Invoking @samp{[Finish]} either buries or kills this customization |
545 buffer according to the setting of the option @code{Custom-buffer-done}; | |
546 the default is to bury the buffer. | |
547 Each of the other fields performs an operation---set, save or reset---on | |
548 each of the items in the buffer that could meaningfully be set, saved or | |
549 reset. | |
25829 | 550 |
551 @node Face Customization | |
552 @subsubsection Customizing Faces | |
553 @cindex customizing faces | |
554 @cindex bold font | |
555 @cindex italic font | |
556 @cindex fonts and faces | |
557 | |
558 In addition to user options, some customization groups also include | |
559 faces. When you show the contents of a group, both the user options and | |
560 the faces in the group appear in the customization buffer. Here is an | |
561 example of how a face looks: | |
562 | |
563 @smallexample | |
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564 Custom Changed Face: (sample) [Hide] |
25829 | 565 [State]: this face is unchanged from its standard setting. |
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566 Parent groups: [Custom Magic Faces] |
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567 Attributes: [ ] Font family: [Value Menu] * |
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568 [ ] Width: [Value Menu] * |
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569 [ ] Height: [Value Menu] * |
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570 [ ] Weight: [Value Menu] * |
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571 [ ] Slant: [Value Menu] * |
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572 [ ] Underline: [Value Menu] * |
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573 [ ] Overline: [Value Menu] * |
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574 [ ] Strike-through: [Value Menu] * |
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575 [ ] Box around text: [Value Menu] Off |
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576 [ ] Inverse-video: [Value Menu] * |
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577 [X] Foreground: [Value Menu] Color: white (sample) |
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578 [X] Background: [Value Menu] Color: blue (sample) |
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579 [ ] Stipple: [Value Menu] * |
25829 | 580 @end smallexample |
581 | |
582 Each face attribute has its own line. The @samp{[@var{x}]} field | |
583 before the attribute name indicates whether the attribute is | |
584 @dfn{enabled}; @samp{X} means that it is. You can enable or disable the | |
585 attribute by invoking that field. When the attribute is enabled, you | |
586 can change the attribute value in the usual ways. | |
587 | |
588 On a black-and-white display, the colors you can use for the | |
589 background are @samp{black}, @samp{white}, @samp{gray}, @samp{gray1}, | |
590 and @samp{gray3}. Emacs supports these shades of gray by using | |
591 background stipple patterns instead of a color. | |
592 | |
593 Setting, saving and resetting a face work like the same operations for | |
594 options (@pxref{Changing an Option}). | |
595 | |
596 A face can specify different appearances for different types of | |
597 display. For example, a face can make text red on a color display, but | |
598 use a bold font on a monochrome display. To specify multiple | |
599 appearances for a face, select @samp{Show Display Types} in the menu you | |
600 get from invoking @samp{[State]}. | |
601 | |
602 @findex modify-face | |
603 Another more basic way to set the attributes of a specific face is | |
604 with @kbd{M-x modify-face}. This command reads the name of a face, then | |
605 reads the attributes one by one. For the color and stipple attributes, | |
606 the attribute's current value is the default---type just @key{RET} if | |
607 you don't want to change that attribute. Type @samp{none} if you want | |
608 to clear out the attribute. | |
609 | |
610 @node Specific Customization | |
611 @subsubsection Customizing Specific Items | |
612 | |
613 Instead of finding the options you want to change by moving down | |
614 through the structure of groups, you can specify the particular option, | |
615 face or group that you want to customize. | |
616 | |
617 @table @kbd | |
618 @item M-x customize-option @key{RET} @var{option} @key{RET} | |
619 Set up a customization buffer with just one option, @var{option}. | |
620 @item M-x customize-face @key{RET} @var{face} @key{RET} | |
621 Set up a customization buffer with just one face, @var{face}. | |
622 @item M-x customize-group @key{RET} @var{group} @key{RET} | |
623 Set up a customization buffer with just one group, @var{group}. | |
624 @item M-x customize-apropos @key{RET} @var{regexp} @key{RET} | |
625 Set up a customization buffer with all the options, faces and groups | |
626 that match @var{regexp}. | |
627 @item M-x customize-changed-options @key{RET} @var{version} @key{RET} | |
628 Set up a customization buffer with all the options, faces and groups | |
629 whose meaning has changed since Emacs version @var{version}. | |
630 @item M-x customize-saved | |
631 Set up a customization buffer containing all options and faces that you | |
632 have saved with customization buffers. | |
633 @item M-x customize-customized | |
634 Set up a customization buffer containing all options and faces that you | |
635 have customized but not saved. | |
636 @end table | |
637 | |
638 @findex customize-option | |
639 If you want to alter a particular user option variable with the | |
640 customization buffer, and you know its name, you can use the command | |
641 @kbd{M-x customize-option} and specify the option name. This sets up | |
642 the customization buffer with just one option---the one that you asked | |
643 for. Editing, setting and saving the value work as described above, but | |
644 only for the specified option. | |
645 | |
646 @findex customize-face | |
647 Likewise, you can modify a specific face, chosen by name, using | |
648 @kbd{M-x customize-face}. | |
649 | |
650 @findex customize-group | |
651 You can also set up the customization buffer with a specific group, | |
652 using @kbd{M-x customize-group}. The immediate contents of the chosen | |
653 group, including option variables, faces, and other groups, all appear | |
654 as well. However, these subgroups' own contents start out hidden. You | |
655 can show their contents in the usual way, by invoking @samp{[Show]}. | |
656 | |
657 @findex customize-apropos | |
658 To control more precisely what to customize, you can use @kbd{M-x | |
659 customize-apropos}. You specify a regular expression as argument; then | |
660 all options, faces and groups whose names match this regular expression | |
661 are set up in the customization buffer. If you specify an empty regular | |
662 expression, this includes @emph{all} groups, options and faces in the | |
663 customization buffer (but that takes a long time). | |
664 | |
665 @findex customize-changed-options | |
666 When you upgrade to a new Emacs version, you might want to customize | |
667 new options and options whose meanings or default values have changed. | |
668 To do this, use @kbd{M-x customize-changed-options} and specify a | |
669 previous Emacs version number using the minibuffer. It creates a | |
670 customization buffer which shows all the options (and groups) whose | |
671 definitions have been changed since the specified version. | |
672 | |
673 @findex customize-saved | |
674 @findex customize-customized | |
675 If you change option values and then decide the change was a mistake, | |
676 you can use two special commands to revisit your previous changes. Use | |
677 @kbd{customize-saved} to look at the options and faces that you have | |
678 saved. Use @kbd{M-x customize-customized} to look at the options and | |
679 faces that you have set but not saved. | |
680 | |
681 @node Hooks | |
682 @subsection Hooks | |
683 @cindex hook | |
684 @cindex hook function | |
685 @cindex running a hook | |
686 | |
687 @dfn{Hooks} are an important mechanism for customization of Emacs. A | |
688 hook is a Lisp variable which holds a list of functions, to be called on | |
689 some well-defined occasion. (This is called @dfn{running the hook}.) | |
690 The individual functions in the list are called the @dfn{hook functions} | |
691 of the hook. With rare exceptions, hooks in Emacs are empty when Emacs | |
692 starts up, so the only hook functions in any given hook are the ones you | |
693 explicitly put there as customization. | |
694 | |
695 Most major modes run one or more @dfn{mode hooks} as the last step of | |
696 initialization. This makes it easy for you to customize the behavior of | |
697 the mode, by setting up a hook function to override the local variable | |
698 assignments already made by the mode. But hooks are also used in other | |
699 contexts. For example, the hook @code{suspend-hook} runs just before | |
700 Emacs suspends itself (@pxref{Exiting}). | |
701 | |
702 @cindex normal hook | |
703 Most Emacs hooks are @dfn{normal hooks}. This means that running the | |
704 hook operates by calling all the hook functions, unconditionally, with | |
705 no arguments. We have made an effort to keep most hooks normal so that | |
706 you can use them in a uniform way. Every variable in Emacs whose name | |
707 ends in @samp{-hook} is a normal hook. | |
708 | |
709 @cindex abnormal hook | |
710 There are also a few @dfn{abnormal hooks}. These variables' names end | |
711 in @samp{-hooks} or @samp{-functions}, instead of @samp{-hook}. What | |
712 makes these hooks abnormal is that there is something peculiar about the | |
713 way its functions are called---perhaps they are given arguments, or | |
714 perhaps the values they return are used in some way. For example, | |
715 @code{find-file-not-found-hooks} (@pxref{Visiting}) is abnormal because | |
716 as soon as one hook function returns a non-@code{nil} value, the rest | |
717 are not called at all. The documentation of each abnormal hook variable | |
718 explains in detail what is peculiar about it. | |
719 | |
720 The recommended way to add a hook function to a hook (either normal or | |
721 abnormal) is by calling @code{add-hook}. You can use any valid Lisp | |
722 function as the hook function, provided it can handle the proper number | |
723 of arguments (zero arguments, in the case of a normal hook). Of course, | |
724 not every Lisp function is @emph{useful} in any particular hook. | |
725 | |
726 For example, here's how to set up a hook to turn on Auto Fill mode | |
727 when entering Text mode and other modes based on Text mode: | |
728 | |
729 @example | |
730 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill) | |
731 @end example | |
732 | |
733 The next example shows how to use a hook to customize the indentation | |
734 of C code. (People often have strong personal preferences for one | |
735 format compared to another.) Here the hook function is an anonymous | |
736 lambda expression. | |
737 | |
738 @example | |
739 @group | |
740 (setq my-c-style | |
741 '((c-comment-only-line-offset . 4) | |
742 @end group | |
743 @group | |
744 (c-cleanup-list . (scope-operator | |
745 empty-defun-braces | |
746 defun-close-semi)) | |
747 @end group | |
748 @group | |
749 (c-offsets-alist . ((arglist-close . c-lineup-arglist) | |
750 (substatement-open . 0))))) | |
751 @end group | |
752 | |
753 @group | |
754 (add-hook 'c-mode-common-hook | |
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755 (lambda () |
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756 (c-add-style "my-style" my-c-style t))) |
25829 | 757 @end group |
758 @end example | |
759 | |
760 It is best to design your hook functions so that the order in which | |
761 they are executed does not matter. Any dependence on the order is | |
762 ``asking for trouble.'' However, the order is predictable: the most | |
763 recently added hook functions are executed first. | |
764 | |
765 @node Locals | |
766 @subsection Local Variables | |
767 | |
768 @table @kbd | |
769 @item M-x make-local-variable @key{RET} @var{var} @key{RET} | |
770 Make variable @var{var} have a local value in the current buffer. | |
771 @item M-x kill-local-variable @key{RET} @var{var} @key{RET} | |
772 Make variable @var{var} use its global value in the current buffer. | |
773 @item M-x make-variable-buffer-local @key{RET} @var{var} @key{RET} | |
774 Mark variable @var{var} so that setting it will make it local to the | |
775 buffer that is current at that time. | |
776 @end table | |
777 | |
778 @cindex local variables | |
779 Almost any variable can be made @dfn{local} to a specific Emacs | |
780 buffer. This means that its value in that buffer is independent of its | |
781 value in other buffers. A few variables are always local in every | |
782 buffer. Every other Emacs variable has a @dfn{global} value which is in | |
783 effect in all buffers that have not made the variable local. | |
784 | |
785 @findex make-local-variable | |
786 @kbd{M-x make-local-variable} reads the name of a variable and makes it | |
787 local to the current buffer. Further changes in this buffer will not | |
788 affect others, and further changes in the global value will not affect this | |
789 buffer. | |
790 | |
791 @findex make-variable-buffer-local | |
792 @cindex per-buffer variables | |
793 @kbd{M-x make-variable-buffer-local} reads the name of a variable and | |
794 changes the future behavior of the variable so that it will become local | |
795 automatically when it is set. More precisely, once a variable has been | |
796 marked in this way, the usual ways of setting the variable automatically | |
797 do @code{make-local-variable} first. We call such variables | |
798 @dfn{per-buffer} variables. | |
799 | |
800 Major modes (@pxref{Major Modes}) always make variables local to the | |
801 buffer before setting the variables. This is why changing major modes | |
802 in one buffer has no effect on other buffers. Minor modes also work by | |
803 setting variables---normally, each minor mode has one controlling | |
804 variable which is non-@code{nil} when the mode is enabled (@pxref{Minor | |
805 Modes}). For most minor modes, the controlling variable is per buffer. | |
806 | |
807 Emacs contains a number of variables that are always per-buffer. | |
808 These include @code{abbrev-mode}, @code{auto-fill-function}, | |
809 @code{case-fold-search}, @code{comment-column}, @code{ctl-arrow}, | |
810 @code{fill-column}, @code{fill-prefix}, @code{indent-tabs-mode}, | |
811 @code{left-margin}, @code{mode-line-format}, @code{overwrite-mode}, | |
812 @code{selective-display-ellipses}, @code{selective-display}, | |
813 @code{tab-width}, and @code{truncate-lines}. Some other variables are | |
814 always local in every buffer, but they are used for internal | |
815 purposes.@refill | |
816 | |
817 A few variables cannot be local to a buffer because they are always | |
818 local to each display instead (@pxref{Multiple Displays}). If you try to | |
819 make one of these variables buffer-local, you'll get an error message. | |
820 | |
821 @findex kill-local-variable | |
822 @kbd{M-x kill-local-variable} reads the name of a variable and makes | |
823 it cease to be local to the current buffer. The global value of the | |
824 variable henceforth is in effect in this buffer. Setting the major mode | |
825 kills all the local variables of the buffer except for a few variables | |
826 specially marked as @dfn{permanent locals}. | |
827 | |
828 @findex setq-default | |
829 To set the global value of a variable, regardless of whether the | |
830 variable has a local value in the current buffer, you can use the Lisp | |
831 construct @code{setq-default}. This construct is used just like | |
832 @code{setq}, but it sets variables' global values instead of their local | |
833 values (if any). When the current buffer does have a local value, the | |
834 new global value may not be visible until you switch to another buffer. | |
835 Here is an example: | |
836 | |
837 @example | |
838 (setq-default fill-column 75) | |
839 @end example | |
840 | |
841 @noindent | |
842 @code{setq-default} is the only way to set the global value of a variable | |
843 that has been marked with @code{make-variable-buffer-local}. | |
844 | |
845 @findex default-value | |
846 Lisp programs can use @code{default-value} to look at a variable's | |
847 default value. This function takes a symbol as argument and returns its | |
848 default value. The argument is evaluated; usually you must quote it | |
849 explicitly. For example, here's how to obtain the default value of | |
850 @code{fill-column}: | |
851 | |
852 @example | |
853 (default-value 'fill-column) | |
854 @end example | |
855 | |
856 @node File Variables | |
857 @subsection Local Variables in Files | |
858 @cindex local variables in files | |
859 @cindex file local variables | |
860 | |
861 A file can specify local variable values for use when you edit the | |
862 file with Emacs. Visiting the file checks for local variable | |
863 specifications; it automatically makes these variables local to the | |
864 buffer, and sets them to the values specified in the file. | |
865 | |
866 There are two ways to specify local variable values: in the first | |
867 line, or with a local variables list. Here's how to specify them in the | |
868 first line: | |
869 | |
870 @example | |
871 -*- mode: @var{modename}; @var{var}: @var{value}; @dots{} -*- | |
872 @end example | |
873 | |
874 @noindent | |
875 You can specify any number of variables/value pairs in this way, each | |
876 pair with a colon and semicolon as shown above. @code{mode: | |
877 @var{modename};} specifies the major mode; this should come first in the | |
878 line. The @var{value}s are not evaluated; they are used literally. | |
879 Here is an example that specifies Lisp mode and sets two variables with | |
880 numeric values: | |
881 | |
882 @smallexample | |
883 ;; -*-mode: Lisp; fill-column: 75; comment-column: 50; -*- | |
884 @end smallexample | |
885 | |
886 You can also specify the coding system for a file in this way: just | |
887 specify a value for the ``variable'' named @code{coding}. The ``value'' | |
888 must be a coding system name that Emacs recognizes. @xref{Coding | |
889 Systems}. | |
890 | |
891 A @dfn{local variables list} goes near the end of the file, in the | |
892 last page. (It is often best to put it on a page by itself.) The local | |
893 variables list starts with a line containing the string @samp{Local | |
894 Variables:}, and ends with a line containing the string @samp{End:}. In | |
895 between come the variable names and values, one set per line, as | |
896 @samp{@var{variable}:@: @var{value}}. The @var{value}s are not | |
897 evaluated; they are used literally. If a file has both a local | |
898 variables list and a @samp{-*-} line, Emacs processes @emph{everything} | |
899 in the @samp{-*-} line first, and @emph{everything} in the local | |
900 variables list afterward. | |
901 | |
902 Here is an example of a local variables list: | |
903 | |
904 @example | |
905 ;;; Local Variables: *** | |
906 ;;; mode:lisp *** | |
907 ;;; comment-column:0 *** | |
908 ;;; comment-start: ";;; " *** | |
909 ;;; comment-end:"***" *** | |
910 ;;; End: *** | |
911 @end example | |
912 | |
913 As you see, each line starts with the prefix @samp{;;; } and each line | |
914 ends with the suffix @samp{ ***}. Emacs recognizes these as the prefix | |
915 and suffix based on the first line of the list, by finding them | |
916 surrounding the magic string @samp{Local Variables:}; then it | |
917 automatically discards them from the other lines of the list. | |
918 | |
919 The usual reason for using a prefix and/or suffix is to embed the | |
920 local variables list in a comment, so it won't confuse other programs | |
921 that the file is intended as input for. The example above is for a | |
922 language where comment lines start with @samp{;;; } and end with | |
923 @samp{***}; the local values for @code{comment-start} and | |
924 @code{comment-end} customize the rest of Emacs for this unusual syntax. | |
925 Don't use a prefix (or a suffix) if you don't need one. | |
926 | |
927 Two ``variable names'' have special meanings in a local variables | |
928 list: a value for the variable @code{mode} really sets the major mode, | |
929 and a value for the variable @code{eval} is simply evaluated as an | |
930 expression and the value is ignored. @code{mode} and @code{eval} are | |
931 not real variables; setting variables named @code{mode} and @code{eval} | |
932 in any other context has no special meaning. If @code{mode} is used to | |
933 set a major mode, it should be the first ``variable'' in the list. | |
934 | |
935 You can use the @code{mode} ``variable'' to set minor modes as well as | |
936 major modes; in fact, you can use it more than once, first to set the | |
937 major mode and then to set minor modes which are specific to particular | |
938 buffers. But most minor modes should not be specified in the file in | |
939 any fashion, because they represent user preferences. | |
940 | |
941 For example, you may be tempted to try to turn on Auto Fill mode with | |
942 a local variable list. That is a mistake. The choice of Auto Fill mode | |
943 or not is a matter of individual taste, not a matter of the contents of | |
944 particular files. If you want to use Auto Fill, set up major mode hooks | |
945 with your @file{.emacs} file to turn it on (when appropriate) for you | |
946 alone (@pxref{Init File}). Don't use a local variable list to impose | |
947 your taste on everyone. | |
948 | |
949 The start of the local variables list must be no more than 3000 | |
950 characters from the end of the file, and must be in the last page if the | |
951 file is divided into pages. Otherwise, Emacs will not notice it is | |
952 there. The purpose of this rule is so that a stray @samp{Local | |
953 Variables:}@: not in the last page does not confuse Emacs, and so that | |
954 visiting a long file that is all one page and has no local variables | |
955 list need not take the time to search the whole file. | |
956 | |
957 Use the command @code{normal-mode} to reset the local variables and | |
958 major mode of a buffer according to the file name and contents, | |
959 including the local variables list if any. @xref{Choosing Modes}. | |
960 | |
961 @findex enable-local-variables | |
962 The variable @code{enable-local-variables} controls whether to process | |
963 local variables in files, and thus gives you a chance to override them. | |
964 Its default value is @code{t}, which means do process local variables in | |
965 files. If you set the value to @code{nil}, Emacs simply ignores local | |
966 variables in files. Any other value says to query you about each file | |
967 that has local variables, showing you the local variable specifications | |
968 so you can judge. | |
969 | |
970 @findex enable-local-eval | |
971 The @code{eval} ``variable,'' and certain actual variables, create a | |
972 special risk; when you visit someone else's file, local variable | |
973 specifications for these could affect your Emacs in arbitrary ways. | |
974 Therefore, the option @code{enable-local-eval} controls whether Emacs | |
975 processes @code{eval} variables, as well variables with names that end | |
976 in @samp{-hook}, @samp{-hooks}, @samp{-function} or @samp{-functions}, | |
977 and certain other variables. The three possibilities for the option's | |
978 value are @code{t}, @code{nil}, and anything else, just as for | |
979 @code{enable-local-variables}. The default is @code{maybe}, which is | |
980 neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, so normally Emacs does ask for | |
981 confirmation about file settings for these variables. | |
982 | |
983 @node Keyboard Macros | |
984 @section Keyboard Macros | |
985 | |
986 @cindex defining keyboard macros | |
987 @cindex keyboard macro | |
988 A @dfn{keyboard macro} is a command defined by the user to stand for | |
989 another sequence of keys. For example, if you discover that you are | |
990 about to type @kbd{C-n C-d} forty times, you can speed your work by | |
991 defining a keyboard macro to do @kbd{C-n C-d} and calling it with a | |
992 repeat count of forty. | |
993 | |
994 @c widecommands | |
995 @table @kbd | |
996 @item C-x ( | |
997 Start defining a keyboard macro (@code{start-kbd-macro}). | |
998 @item C-x ) | |
999 End the definition of a keyboard macro (@code{end-kbd-macro}). | |
1000 @item C-x e | |
1001 Execute the most recent keyboard macro (@code{call-last-kbd-macro}). | |
1002 @item C-u C-x ( | |
1003 Re-execute last keyboard macro, then add more keys to its definition. | |
1004 @item C-x q | |
1005 When this point is reached during macro execution, ask for confirmation | |
1006 (@code{kbd-macro-query}). | |
1007 @item M-x name-last-kbd-macro | |
1008 Give a command name (for the duration of the session) to the most | |
1009 recently defined keyboard macro. | |
1010 @item M-x insert-kbd-macro | |
1011 Insert in the buffer a keyboard macro's definition, as Lisp code. | |
1012 @item C-x C-k | |
1013 Edit a previously defined keyboard macro (@code{edit-kbd-macro}). | |
1014 @item M-x apply-macro-to-region-lines | |
1015 Run the last keyboard macro on each complete line in the region. | |
1016 @end table | |
1017 | |
1018 Keyboard macros differ from ordinary Emacs commands in that they are | |
1019 written in the Emacs command language rather than in Lisp. This makes it | |
1020 easier for the novice to write them, and makes them more convenient as | |
1021 temporary hacks. However, the Emacs command language is not powerful | |
1022 enough as a programming language to be useful for writing anything | |
1023 intelligent or general. For such things, Lisp must be used. | |
1024 | |
1025 You define a keyboard macro while executing the commands which are the | |
1026 definition. Put differently, as you define a keyboard macro, the | |
1027 definition is being executed for the first time. This way, you can see | |
1028 what the effects of your commands are, so that you don't have to figure | |
1029 them out in your head. When you are finished, the keyboard macro is | |
1030 defined and also has been, in effect, executed once. You can then do the | |
1031 whole thing over again by invoking the macro. | |
1032 | |
1033 @menu | |
1034 * Basic Kbd Macro:: Defining and running keyboard macros. | |
1035 * Save Kbd Macro:: Giving keyboard macros names; saving them in files. | |
1036 * Kbd Macro Query:: Making keyboard macros do different things each time. | |
1037 @end menu | |
1038 | |
1039 @node Basic Kbd Macro | |
1040 @subsection Basic Use | |
1041 | |
1042 @kindex C-x ( | |
1043 @kindex C-x ) | |
1044 @kindex C-x e | |
1045 @findex start-kbd-macro | |
1046 @findex end-kbd-macro | |
1047 @findex call-last-kbd-macro | |
1048 To start defining a keyboard macro, type the @kbd{C-x (} command | |
1049 (@code{start-kbd-macro}). From then on, your keys continue to be | |
1050 executed, but also become part of the definition of the macro. @samp{Def} | |
1051 appears in the mode line to remind you of what is going on. When you are | |
1052 finished, the @kbd{C-x )} command (@code{end-kbd-macro}) terminates the | |
1053 definition (without becoming part of it!). For example, | |
1054 | |
1055 @example | |
1056 C-x ( M-f foo C-x ) | |
1057 @end example | |
1058 | |
1059 @noindent | |
1060 defines a macro to move forward a word and then insert @samp{foo}. | |
1061 | |
1062 The macro thus defined can be invoked again with the @kbd{C-x e} | |
1063 command (@code{call-last-kbd-macro}), which may be given a repeat count | |
1064 as a numeric argument to execute the macro many times. @kbd{C-x )} can | |
1065 also be given a repeat count as an argument, in which case it repeats | |
1066 the macro that many times right after defining it, but defining the | |
1067 macro counts as the first repetition (since it is executed as you define | |
1068 it). Therefore, giving @kbd{C-x )} an argument of 4 executes the macro | |
1069 immediately 3 additional times. An argument of zero to @kbd{C-x e} or | |
1070 @kbd{C-x )} means repeat the macro indefinitely (until it gets an error | |
1071 or you type @kbd{C-g} or, on MS-DOS, @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}}). | |
1072 | |
1073 If you wish to repeat an operation at regularly spaced places in the | |
1074 text, define a macro and include as part of the macro the commands to move | |
1075 to the next place you want to use it. For example, if you want to change | |
1076 each line, you should position point at the start of a line, and define a | |
1077 macro to change that line and leave point at the start of the next line. | |
1078 Then repeating the macro will operate on successive lines. | |
1079 | |
1080 After you have terminated the definition of a keyboard macro, you can add | |
1081 to the end of its definition by typing @kbd{C-u C-x (}. This is equivalent | |
1082 to plain @kbd{C-x (} followed by retyping the whole definition so far. As | |
1083 a consequence it re-executes the macro as previously defined. | |
1084 | |
1085 You can use function keys in a keyboard macro, just like keyboard | |
1086 keys. You can even use mouse events, but be careful about that: when | |
1087 the macro replays the mouse event, it uses the original mouse position | |
1088 of that event, the position that the mouse had while you were defining | |
1089 the macro. The effect of this may be hard to predict. (Using the | |
1090 current mouse position would be even less predictable.) | |
1091 | |
1092 One thing that doesn't always work well in a keyboard macro is the | |
1093 command @kbd{C-M-c} (@code{exit-recursive-edit}). When this command | |
1094 exits a recursive edit that started within the macro, it works as you'd | |
1095 expect. But if it exits a recursive edit that started before you | |
1096 invoked the keyboard macro, it also necessarily exits the keyboard macro | |
1097 as part of the process. | |
1098 | |
1099 @findex edit-kbd-macro | |
1100 @kindex C-x C-k | |
1101 You can edit a keyboard macro already defined by typing @kbd{C-x C-k} | |
1102 (@code{edit-kbd-macro}). Follow that with the keyboard input that you | |
1103 would use to invoke the macro---@kbd{C-x e} or @kbd{M-x @var{name}} or | |
1104 some other key sequence. This formats the macro definition in a buffer | |
1105 and enters a specialized major mode for editing it. Type @kbd{C-h m} | |
1106 once in that buffer to display details of how to edit the macro. When | |
1107 you are finished editing, type @kbd{C-c C-c}. | |
1108 | |
1109 @findex apply-macro-to-region-lines | |
1110 The command @kbd{M-x apply-macro-to-region-lines} repeats the last | |
1111 defined keyboard macro on each complete line within the current region. | |
1112 It does this line by line, by moving point to the beginning of the line | |
1113 and then executing the macro. | |
1114 | |
1115 @node Save Kbd Macro | |
1116 @subsection Naming and Saving Keyboard Macros | |
1117 | |
1118 @cindex saving keyboard macros | |
1119 @findex name-last-kbd-macro | |
1120 If you wish to save a keyboard macro for longer than until you define the | |
1121 next one, you must give it a name using @kbd{M-x name-last-kbd-macro}. | |
1122 This reads a name as an argument using the minibuffer and defines that name | |
1123 to execute the macro. The macro name is a Lisp symbol, and defining it in | |
1124 this way makes it a valid command name for calling with @kbd{M-x} or for | |
1125 binding a key to with @code{global-set-key} (@pxref{Keymaps}). If you | |
1126 specify a name that has a prior definition other than another keyboard | |
1127 macro, an error message is printed and nothing is changed. | |
1128 | |
1129 @findex insert-kbd-macro | |
1130 Once a macro has a command name, you can save its definition in a file. | |
1131 Then it can be used in another editing session. First, visit the file | |
1132 you want to save the definition in. Then use this command: | |
1133 | |
1134 @example | |
1135 M-x insert-kbd-macro @key{RET} @var{macroname} @key{RET} | |
1136 @end example | |
1137 | |
1138 @noindent | |
1139 This inserts some Lisp code that, when executed later, will define the | |
1140 same macro with the same definition it has now. (You need not | |
1141 understand Lisp code to do this, because @code{insert-kbd-macro} writes | |
1142 the Lisp code for you.) Then save the file. You can load the file | |
1143 later with @code{load-file} (@pxref{Lisp Libraries}). If the file you | |
1144 save in is your init file @file{~/.emacs} (@pxref{Init File}) then the | |
1145 macro will be defined each time you run Emacs. | |
1146 | |
1147 If you give @code{insert-kbd-macro} a numeric argument, it makes | |
1148 additional Lisp code to record the keys (if any) that you have bound to the | |
1149 keyboard macro, so that the macro will be reassigned the same keys when you | |
1150 load the file. | |
1151 | |
1152 @node Kbd Macro Query | |
1153 @subsection Executing Macros with Variations | |
1154 | |
1155 @kindex C-x q | |
1156 @findex kbd-macro-query | |
1157 Using @kbd{C-x q} (@code{kbd-macro-query}), you can get an effect | |
1158 similar to that of @code{query-replace}, where the macro asks you each | |
1159 time around whether to make a change. While defining the macro, | |
1160 type @kbd{C-x q} at the point where you want the query to occur. During | |
1161 macro definition, the @kbd{C-x q} does nothing, but when you run the | |
1162 macro later, @kbd{C-x q} asks you interactively whether to continue. | |
1163 | |
1164 The valid responses when @kbd{C-x q} asks are @key{SPC} (or @kbd{y}), | |
1165 @key{DEL} (or @kbd{n}), @key{RET} (or @kbd{q}), @kbd{C-l} and @kbd{C-r}. | |
1166 The answers are the same as in @code{query-replace}, though not all of | |
1167 the @code{query-replace} options are meaningful. | |
1168 | |
1169 These responses include @key{SPC} to continue, and @key{DEL} to skip | |
1170 the remainder of this repetition of the macro and start right away with | |
1171 the next repetition. @key{RET} means to skip the remainder of this | |
1172 repetition and cancel further repetitions. @kbd{C-l} redraws the screen | |
1173 and asks you again for a character to say what to do. | |
1174 | |
1175 @kbd{C-r} enters a recursive editing level, in which you can perform | |
1176 editing which is not part of the macro. When you exit the recursive | |
1177 edit using @kbd{C-M-c}, you are asked again how to continue with the | |
1178 keyboard macro. If you type a @key{SPC} at this time, the rest of the | |
1179 macro definition is executed. It is up to you to leave point and the | |
1180 text in a state such that the rest of the macro will do what you | |
1181 want.@refill | |
1182 | |
1183 @kbd{C-u C-x q}, which is @kbd{C-x q} with a numeric argument, | |
1184 performs a completely different function. It enters a recursive edit | |
1185 reading input from the keyboard, both when you type it during the | |
1186 definition of the macro, and when it is executed from the macro. During | |
1187 definition, the editing you do inside the recursive edit does not become | |
1188 part of the macro. During macro execution, the recursive edit gives you | |
1189 a chance to do some particularized editing on each repetition. | |
1190 @xref{Recursive Edit}. | |
1191 | |
1192 Another way to vary the behavior of a keyboard macro is to use a | |
1193 register as a counter, incrementing it on each repetition of the macro. | |
1194 @xref{RegNumbers}. | |
1195 | |
1196 @node Key Bindings | |
1197 @section Customizing Key Bindings | |
1198 @cindex key bindings | |
1199 | |
1200 This section describes @dfn{key bindings}, which map keys to commands, | |
1201 and @dfn{keymaps}, which record key bindings. It also explains how | |
1202 to customize key bindings. | |
1203 | |
1204 Recall that a command is a Lisp function whose definition provides for | |
1205 interactive use. Like every Lisp function, a command has a function | |
1206 name which usually consists of lower-case letters and hyphens. | |
1207 | |
1208 @menu | |
1209 * Keymaps:: Generalities. The global keymap. | |
1210 * Prefix Keymaps:: Keymaps for prefix keys. | |
1211 * Local Keymaps:: Major and minor modes have their own keymaps. | |
1212 * Minibuffer Maps:: The minibuffer uses its own local keymaps. | |
1213 * Rebinding:: How to redefine one key's meaning conveniently. | |
1214 * Init Rebinding:: Rebinding keys with your init file, @file{.emacs}. | |
1215 * Function Keys:: Rebinding terminal function keys. | |
1216 * Named ASCII Chars:: Distinguishing @key{TAB} from @kbd{C-i}, and so on. | |
1217 * Non-ASCII Rebinding:: Rebinding non-ASCII characters such as Latin-1. | |
1218 * Mouse Buttons:: Rebinding mouse buttons in Emacs. | |
1219 * Disabling:: Disabling a command means confirmation is required | |
1220 before it can be executed. This is done to protect | |
1221 beginners from surprises. | |
1222 @end menu | |
1223 | |
1224 @node Keymaps | |
1225 @subsection Keymaps | |
1226 @cindex keymap | |
1227 | |
1228 The bindings between key sequences and command functions are recorded | |
1229 in data structures called @dfn{keymaps}. Emacs has many of these, each | |
1230 used on particular occasions. | |
1231 | |
1232 Recall that a @dfn{key sequence} (@dfn{key}, for short) is a sequence | |
1233 of @dfn{input events} that have a meaning as a unit. Input events | |
1234 include characters, function keys and mouse buttons---all the inputs | |
1235 that you can send to the computer with your terminal. A key sequence | |
1236 gets its meaning from its @dfn{binding}, which says what command it | |
1237 runs. The function of keymaps is to record these bindings. | |
1238 | |
1239 @cindex global keymap | |
1240 The @dfn{global} keymap is the most important keymap because it is | |
1241 always in effect. The global keymap defines keys for Fundamental mode; | |
1242 most of these definitions are common to most or all major modes. Each | |
1243 major or minor mode can have its own keymap which overrides the global | |
1244 definitions of some keys. | |
1245 | |
1246 For example, a self-inserting character such as @kbd{g} is | |
1247 self-inserting because the global keymap binds it to the command | |
1248 @code{self-insert-command}. The standard Emacs editing characters such | |
1249 as @kbd{C-a} also get their standard meanings from the global keymap. | |
1250 Commands to rebind keys, such as @kbd{M-x global-set-key}, actually work | |
1251 by storing the new binding in the proper place in the global map. | |
1252 @xref{Rebinding}. | |
1253 | |
1254 Meta characters work differently; Emacs translates each Meta | |
1255 character into a pair of characters starting with @key{ESC}. When you | |
1256 type the character @kbd{M-a} in a key sequence, Emacs replaces it with | |
1257 @kbd{@key{ESC} a}. A meta key comes in as a single input event, but | |
1258 becomes two events for purposes of key bindings. The reason for this is | |
1259 historical, and we might change it someday. | |
1260 | |
1261 @cindex function key | |
1262 Most modern keyboards have function keys as well as character keys. | |
1263 Function keys send input events just as character keys do, and keymaps | |
1264 can have bindings for them. | |
1265 | |
1266 On many terminals, typing a function key actually sends the computer a | |
1267 sequence of characters; the precise details of the sequence depends on | |
1268 which function key and on the model of terminal you are using. (Often | |
1269 the sequence starts with @kbd{@key{ESC} [}.) If Emacs understands your | |
1270 terminal type properly, it recognizes the character sequences forming | |
1271 function keys wherever they occur in a key sequence (not just at the | |
1272 beginning). Thus, for most purposes, you can pretend the function keys | |
1273 reach Emacs directly and ignore their encoding as character sequences. | |
1274 | |
1275 @cindex mouse | |
1276 Mouse buttons also produce input events. These events come with other | |
1277 data---the window and position where you pressed or released the button, | |
1278 and a time stamp. But only the choice of button matters for key | |
1279 bindings; the other data matters only if a command looks at it. | |
1280 (Commands designed for mouse invocation usually do look at the other | |
1281 data.) | |
1282 | |
1283 A keymap records definitions for single events. Interpreting a key | |
1284 sequence of multiple events involves a chain of keymaps. The first | |
1285 keymap gives a definition for the first event; this definition is | |
1286 another keymap, which is used to look up the second event in the | |
1287 sequence, and so on. | |
1288 | |
1289 Key sequences can mix function keys and characters. For example, | |
1290 @kbd{C-x @key{SELECT}} is meaningful. If you make @key{SELECT} a prefix | |
1291 key, then @kbd{@key{SELECT} C-n} makes sense. You can even mix mouse | |
1292 events with keyboard events, but we recommend against it, because such | |
1293 sequences are inconvenient to type in. | |
1294 | |
1295 As a user, you can redefine any key; but it might be best to stick to | |
1296 key sequences that consist of @kbd{C-c} followed by a letter. These | |
1297 keys are ``reserved for users,'' so they won't conflict with any | |
1298 properly designed Emacs extension. The function keys @key{F5} through | |
1299 @key{F9} are also reserved for users. If you redefine some other key, | |
1300 your definition may be overridden by certain extensions or major modes | |
1301 which redefine the same key. | |
1302 | |
1303 @node Prefix Keymaps | |
1304 @subsection Prefix Keymaps | |
1305 | |
1306 A prefix key such as @kbd{C-x} or @key{ESC} has its own keymap, | |
1307 which holds the definition for the event that immediately follows | |
1308 that prefix. | |
1309 | |
1310 The definition of a prefix key is usually the keymap to use for | |
1311 looking up the following event. The definition can also be a Lisp | |
1312 symbol whose function definition is the following keymap; the effect is | |
1313 the same, but it provides a command name for the prefix key that can be | |
1314 used as a description of what the prefix key is for. Thus, the binding | |
1315 of @kbd{C-x} is the symbol @code{Ctl-X-Prefix}, whose function | |
1316 definition is the keymap for @kbd{C-x} commands. The definitions of | |
1317 @kbd{C-c}, @kbd{C-x}, @kbd{C-h} and @key{ESC} as prefix keys appear in | |
1318 the global map, so these prefix keys are always available. | |
1319 | |
1320 Aside from ordinary prefix keys, there is a fictitious ``prefix key'' | |
1321 which represents the menu bar; see @ref{Menu Bar,,,elisp, The Emacs Lisp | |
1322 Reference Manual}, for special information about menu bar key bindings. | |
1323 Mouse button events that invoke pop-up menus are also prefix keys; see | |
1324 @ref{Menu Keymaps,,,elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}, for more | |
1325 details. | |
1326 | |
1327 Some prefix keymaps are stored in variables with names: | |
1328 | |
1329 @itemize @bullet | |
1330 @item | |
1331 @vindex ctl-x-map | |
1332 @code{ctl-x-map} is the variable name for the map used for characters that | |
1333 follow @kbd{C-x}. | |
1334 @item | |
1335 @vindex help-map | |
1336 @code{help-map} is for characters that follow @kbd{C-h}. | |
1337 @item | |
1338 @vindex esc-map | |
1339 @code{esc-map} is for characters that follow @key{ESC}. Thus, all Meta | |
1340 characters are actually defined by this map. | |
1341 @item | |
1342 @vindex ctl-x-4-map | |
1343 @code{ctl-x-4-map} is for characters that follow @kbd{C-x 4}. | |
1344 @item | |
1345 @vindex mode-specific-map | |
1346 @code{mode-specific-map} is for characters that follow @kbd{C-c}. | |
1347 @end itemize | |
1348 | |
1349 @node Local Keymaps | |
1350 @subsection Local Keymaps | |
1351 | |
1352 @cindex local keymap | |
1353 So far we have explained the ins and outs of the global map. Major | |
1354 modes customize Emacs by providing their own key bindings in @dfn{local | |
1355 keymaps}. For example, C mode overrides @key{TAB} to make it indent the | |
1356 current line for C code. Portions of text in the buffer can specify | |
1357 their own keymaps to substitute for the keymap of the buffer's major | |
1358 mode. | |
1359 | |
1360 @cindex minor mode keymap | |
1361 Minor modes can also have local keymaps. Whenever a minor mode is | |
1362 in effect, the definitions in its keymap override both the major | |
1363 mode's local keymap and the global keymap. | |
1364 | |
1365 @vindex c-mode-map | |
1366 @vindex lisp-mode-map | |
1367 The local keymaps for Lisp mode and several other major modes always | |
1368 exist even when not in use. These are kept in variables named | |
1369 @code{lisp-mode-map} and so on. For major modes less often used, the | |
1370 local keymap is normally constructed only when the mode is used for the | |
1371 first time in a session. This is to save space. If you wish to change | |
1372 one of these keymaps, you must use the major mode's @dfn{mode | |
1373 hook}---see below. | |
1374 | |
1375 All minor mode keymaps are created in advance. There is no way to | |
1376 defer their creation until the first time the minor mode is enabled. | |
1377 | |
1378 A local keymap can locally redefine a key as a prefix key by defining | |
1379 it as a prefix keymap. If the key is also defined globally as a prefix, | |
1380 then its local and global definitions (both keymaps) effectively | |
1381 combine: both of them are used to look up the event that follows the | |
1382 prefix key. Thus, if the mode's local keymap defines @kbd{C-c} as | |
1383 another keymap, and that keymap defines @kbd{C-z} as a command, this | |
1384 provides a local meaning for @kbd{C-c C-z}. This does not affect other | |
1385 sequences that start with @kbd{C-c}; if those sequences don't have their | |
1386 own local bindings, their global bindings remain in effect. | |
1387 | |
1388 Another way to think of this is that Emacs handles a multi-event key | |
1389 sequence by looking in several keymaps, one by one, for a binding of the | |
1390 whole key sequence. First it checks the minor mode keymaps for minor | |
1391 modes that are enabled, then it checks the major mode's keymap, and then | |
1392 it checks the global keymap. This is not precisely how key lookup | |
1393 works, but it's good enough for understanding ordinary circumstances. | |
1394 | |
1395 @cindex rebinding major mode keys | |
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1396 @findex define-key |
25829 | 1397 To change the local bindings of a major mode, you must change the |
1398 mode's local keymap. Normally you must wait until the first time the | |
1399 mode is used, because most major modes don't create their keymaps until | |
1400 then. If you want to specify something in your @file{~/.emacs} file to | |
1401 change a major mode's bindings, you must use the mode's mode hook to | |
1402 delay the change until the mode is first used. | |
1403 | |
1404 For example, the command @code{texinfo-mode} to select Texinfo mode | |
1405 runs the hook @code{texinfo-mode-hook}. Here's how you can use the hook | |
1406 to add local bindings (not very useful, we admit) for @kbd{C-c n} and | |
1407 @kbd{C-c p} in Texinfo mode: | |
1408 | |
1409 @example | |
1410 (add-hook 'texinfo-mode-hook | |
1411 '(lambda () | |
1412 (define-key texinfo-mode-map | |
1413 "\C-cp" | |
1414 'backward-paragraph) | |
1415 (define-key texinfo-mode-map | |
1416 "\C-cn" | |
1417 'forward-paragraph) | |
1418 )) | |
1419 @end example | |
1420 | |
1421 @xref{Hooks}. | |
1422 | |
1423 @node Minibuffer Maps | |
1424 @subsection Minibuffer Keymaps | |
1425 | |
1426 @cindex minibuffer keymaps | |
1427 @vindex minibuffer-local-map | |
1428 @vindex minibuffer-local-ns-map | |
1429 @vindex minibuffer-local-completion-map | |
1430 @vindex minibuffer-local-must-match-map | |
1431 The minibuffer has its own set of local keymaps; they contain various | |
1432 completion and exit commands. | |
1433 | |
1434 @itemize @bullet | |
1435 @item | |
1436 @code{minibuffer-local-map} is used for ordinary input (no completion). | |
1437 @item | |
1438 @code{minibuffer-local-ns-map} is similar, except that @key{SPC} exits | |
1439 just like @key{RET}. This is used mainly for Mocklisp compatibility. | |
1440 @item | |
1441 @code{minibuffer-local-completion-map} is for permissive completion. | |
1442 @item | |
1443 @code{minibuffer-local-must-match-map} is for strict completion and | |
1444 for cautious completion. | |
1445 @end itemize | |
1446 | |
1447 @node Rebinding | |
1448 @subsection Changing Key Bindings Interactively | |
1449 @cindex key rebinding, this session | |
1450 @cindex rebinding keys, this session | |
1451 | |
1452 The way to redefine an Emacs key is to change its entry in a keymap. | |
1453 You can change the global keymap, in which case the change is effective in | |
1454 all major modes (except those that have their own overriding local | |
1455 definitions for the same key). Or you can change the current buffer's | |
1456 local map, which affects all buffers using the same major mode. | |
1457 | |
1458 @findex global-set-key | |
1459 @findex local-set-key | |
1460 @findex global-unset-key | |
1461 @findex local-unset-key | |
1462 @table @kbd | |
1463 @item M-x global-set-key @key{RET} @var{key} @var{cmd} @key{RET} | |
1464 Define @var{key} globally to run @var{cmd}. | |
1465 @item M-x local-set-key @key{RET} @var{key} @var{cmd} @key{RET} | |
1466 Define @var{key} locally (in the major mode now in effect) to run | |
1467 @var{cmd}. | |
1468 @item M-x global-unset-key @key{RET} @var{key} | |
1469 Make @var{key} undefined in the global map. | |
1470 @item M-x local-unset-key @key{RET} @var{key} | |
1471 Make @var{key} undefined locally (in the major mode now in effect). | |
1472 @end table | |
1473 | |
1474 For example, suppose you like to execute commands in a subshell within | |
1475 an Emacs buffer, instead of suspending Emacs and executing commands in | |
1476 your login shell. Normally, @kbd{C-z} is bound to the function | |
1477 @code{suspend-emacs} (when not using the X Window System), but you can | |
1478 change @kbd{C-z} to invoke an interactive subshell within Emacs, by | |
1479 binding it to @code{shell} as follows: | |
1480 | |
1481 @example | |
1482 M-x global-set-key @key{RET} C-z shell @key{RET} | |
1483 @end example | |
1484 | |
1485 @noindent | |
1486 @code{global-set-key} reads the command name after the key. After you | |
1487 press the key, a message like this appears so that you can confirm that | |
1488 you are binding the key you want: | |
1489 | |
1490 @example | |
1491 Set key C-z to command: | |
1492 @end example | |
1493 | |
1494 You can redefine function keys and mouse events in the same way; just | |
1495 type the function key or click the mouse when it's time to specify the | |
1496 key to rebind. | |
1497 | |
1498 You can rebind a key that contains more than one event in the same | |
1499 way. Emacs keeps reading the key to rebind until it is a complete key | |
1500 (that is, not a prefix key). Thus, if you type @kbd{C-f} for | |
1501 @var{key}, that's the end; the minibuffer is entered immediately to | |
1502 read @var{cmd}. But if you type @kbd{C-x}, another character is read; | |
1503 if that is @kbd{4}, another character is read, and so on. For | |
1504 example, | |
1505 | |
1506 @example | |
1507 M-x global-set-key @key{RET} C-x 4 $ spell-other-window @key{RET} | |
1508 @end example | |
1509 | |
1510 @noindent | |
1511 redefines @kbd{C-x 4 $} to run the (fictitious) command | |
1512 @code{spell-other-window}. | |
1513 | |
1514 The two-character keys consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a letter | |
1515 are reserved for user customizations. Lisp programs are not supposed to | |
1516 define these keys, so the bindings you make for them will be available | |
1517 in all major modes and will never get in the way of anything. | |
1518 | |
1519 You can remove the global definition of a key with | |
1520 @code{global-unset-key}. This makes the key @dfn{undefined}; if you | |
1521 type it, Emacs will just beep. Similarly, @code{local-unset-key} makes | |
1522 a key undefined in the current major mode keymap, which makes the global | |
1523 definition (or lack of one) come back into effect in that major mode. | |
1524 | |
1525 If you have redefined (or undefined) a key and you subsequently wish | |
1526 to retract the change, undefining the key will not do the job---you need | |
1527 to redefine the key with its standard definition. To find the name of | |
1528 the standard definition of a key, go to a Fundamental mode buffer and | |
1529 use @kbd{C-h c}. The documentation of keys in this manual also lists | |
1530 their command names. | |
1531 | |
1532 If you want to prevent yourself from invoking a command by mistake, it | |
1533 is better to disable the command than to undefine the key. A disabled | |
1534 command is less work to invoke when you really want to. | |
1535 @xref{Disabling}. | |
1536 | |
1537 @node Init Rebinding | |
1538 @subsection Rebinding Keys in Your Init File | |
1539 | |
1540 If you have a set of key bindings that you like to use all the time, | |
1541 you can specify them in your @file{.emacs} file by using their Lisp | |
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1542 syntax. (@xref{Init File}.) |
25829 | 1543 |
1544 The simplest method for doing this works for ASCII characters and | |
1545 Meta-modified ASCII characters only. This method uses a string to | |
1546 represent the key sequence you want to rebind. For example, here's how | |
1547 to bind @kbd{C-z} to @code{shell}: | |
1548 | |
1549 @example | |
1550 (global-set-key "\C-z" 'shell) | |
1551 @end example | |
1552 | |
1553 @noindent | |
1554 This example uses a string constant containing one character, @kbd{C-z}. | |
1555 The single-quote before the command name, @code{shell}, marks it as a | |
1556 constant symbol rather than a variable. If you omit the quote, Emacs | |
1557 would try to evaluate @code{shell} immediately as a variable. This | |
1558 probably causes an error; it certainly isn't what you want. | |
1559 | |
1560 Here is another example that binds a key sequence two characters long: | |
1561 | |
1562 @example | |
1563 (global-set-key "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link) | |
1564 @end example | |
1565 | |
1566 When the key sequence includes function keys or mouse button events, | |
1567 or non-ASCII characters such as @code{C-=} or @code{H-a}, you must use | |
1568 the more general method of rebinding, which uses a vector to specify the | |
1569 key sequence. | |
1570 | |
1571 The way to write a vector in Emacs Lisp is with square brackets around | |
1572 the vector elements. Use spaces to separate the elements. If an | |
1573 element is a symbol, simply write the symbol's name---no other | |
1574 delimiters or punctuation are needed. If a vector element is a | |
1575 character, write it as a Lisp character constant: @samp{?} followed by | |
1576 the character as it would appear in a string. | |
1577 | |
1578 Here are examples of using vectors to rebind @kbd{C-=} (a control | |
1579 character outside of ASCII), @kbd{H-a} (a Hyper character; ASCII doesn't | |
1580 have Hyper at all), @key{F7} (a function key), and @kbd{C-Mouse-1} (a | |
1581 keyboard-modified mouse button): | |
1582 | |
1583 @example | |
1584 (global-set-key [?\C-=] 'make-symbolic-link) | |
1585 (global-set-key [?\H-a] 'make-symbolic-link) | |
1586 (global-set-key [f7] 'make-symbolic-link) | |
1587 (global-set-key [C-mouse-1] 'make-symbolic-link) | |
1588 @end example | |
1589 | |
1590 You can use a vector for the simple cases too. Here's how to rewrite | |
1591 the first two examples, above, to use vectors: | |
1592 | |
1593 @example | |
1594 (global-set-key [?\C-z] 'shell) | |
1595 | |
1596 (global-set-key [?\C-x ?l] 'make-symbolic-link) | |
1597 @end example | |
1598 | |
1599 @node Function Keys | |
1600 @subsection Rebinding Function Keys | |
1601 | |
1602 Key sequences can contain function keys as well as ordinary | |
1603 characters. Just as Lisp characters (actually integers) represent | |
1604 keyboard characters, Lisp symbols represent function keys. If the | |
1605 function key has a word as its label, then that word is also the name of | |
1606 the corresponding Lisp symbol. Here are the conventional Lisp names for | |
1607 common function keys: | |
1608 | |
1609 @table @asis | |
1610 @item @code{left}, @code{up}, @code{right}, @code{down} | |
1611 Cursor arrow keys. | |
1612 | |
1613 @item @code{begin}, @code{end}, @code{home}, @code{next}, @code{prior} | |
1614 Other cursor repositioning keys. | |
1615 | |
1616 @item @code{select}, @code{print}, @code{execute}, @code{backtab} | |
1617 @itemx @code{insert}, @code{undo}, @code{redo}, @code{clearline} | |
1618 @itemx @code{insertline}, @code{deleteline}, @code{insertchar}, @code{deletechar}, | |
1619 Miscellaneous function keys. | |
1620 | |
1621 @item @code{f1}, @code{f2}, @dots{} @code{f35} | |
1622 Numbered function keys (across the top of the keyboard). | |
1623 | |
1624 @item @code{kp-add}, @code{kp-subtract}, @code{kp-multiply}, @code{kp-divide} | |
1625 @itemx @code{kp-backtab}, @code{kp-space}, @code{kp-tab}, @code{kp-enter} | |
1626 @itemx @code{kp-separator}, @code{kp-decimal}, @code{kp-equal} | |
1627 Keypad keys (to the right of the regular keyboard), with names or punctuation. | |
1628 | |
1629 @item @code{kp-0}, @code{kp-1}, @dots{} @code{kp-9} | |
1630 Keypad keys with digits. | |
1631 | |
1632 @item @code{kp-f1}, @code{kp-f2}, @code{kp-f3}, @code{kp-f4} | |
1633 Keypad PF keys. | |
1634 @end table | |
1635 | |
1636 These names are conventional, but some systems (especially when using | |
1637 X windows) may use different names. To make certain what symbol is used | |
1638 for a given function key on your terminal, type @kbd{C-h c} followed by | |
1639 that key. | |
1640 | |
1641 A key sequence which contains function key symbols (or anything but | |
1642 ASCII characters) must be a vector rather than a string. The vector | |
1643 syntax uses spaces between the elements, and square brackets around the | |
1644 whole vector. Thus, to bind function key @samp{f1} to the command | |
1645 @code{rmail}, write the following: | |
1646 | |
1647 @example | |
1648 (global-set-key [f1] 'rmail) | |
1649 @end example | |
1650 | |
1651 @noindent | |
1652 To bind the right-arrow key to the command @code{forward-char}, you can | |
1653 use this expression: | |
1654 | |
1655 @example | |
1656 (global-set-key [right] 'forward-char) | |
1657 @end example | |
1658 | |
1659 @noindent | |
1660 This uses the Lisp syntax for a vector containing the symbol | |
1661 @code{right}. (This binding is present in Emacs by default.) | |
1662 | |
1663 @xref{Init Rebinding}, for more information about using vectors for | |
1664 rebinding. | |
1665 | |
1666 You can mix function keys and characters in a key sequence. This | |
1667 example binds @kbd{C-x @key{NEXT}} to the command @code{forward-page}. | |
1668 | |
1669 @example | |
1670 (global-set-key [?\C-x next] 'forward-page) | |
1671 @end example | |
1672 | |
1673 @noindent | |
1674 where @code{?\C-x} is the Lisp character constant for the character | |
1675 @kbd{C-x}. The vector element @code{next} is a symbol and therefore | |
1676 does not take a question mark. | |
1677 | |
1678 You can use the modifier keys @key{CTRL}, @key{META}, @key{HYPER}, | |
1679 @key{SUPER}, @key{ALT} and @key{SHIFT} with function keys. To represent | |
1680 these modifiers, add the strings @samp{C-}, @samp{M-}, @samp{H-}, | |
1681 @samp{s-}, @samp{A-} and @samp{S-} at the front of the symbol name. | |
1682 Thus, here is how to make @kbd{Hyper-Meta-@key{RIGHT}} move forward a | |
1683 word: | |
1684 | |
1685 @example | |
1686 (global-set-key [H-M-right] 'forward-word) | |
1687 @end example | |
1688 | |
1689 @node Named ASCII Chars | |
1690 @subsection Named ASCII Control Characters | |
1691 | |
1692 @key{TAB}, @key{RET}, @key{BS}, @key{LFD}, @key{ESC} and @key{DEL} | |
1693 started out as names for certain ASCII control characters, used so often | |
1694 that they have special keys of their own. Later, users found it | |
1695 convenient to distinguish in Emacs between these keys and the ``same'' | |
1696 control characters typed with the @key{CTRL} key. | |
1697 | |
1698 Emacs distinguishes these two kinds of input, when used with the X | |
1699 Window System. It treats the ``special'' keys as function keys named | |
1700 @code{tab}, @code{return}, @code{backspace}, @code{linefeed}, | |
1701 @code{escape}, and @code{delete}. These function keys translate | |
1702 automatically into the corresponding ASCII characters @emph{if} they | |
1703 have no bindings of their own. As a result, neither users nor Lisp | |
1704 programs need to pay attention to the distinction unless they care to. | |
1705 | |
1706 If you do not want to distinguish between (for example) @key{TAB} and | |
1707 @kbd{C-i}, make just one binding, for the ASCII character @key{TAB} | |
1708 (octal code 011). If you do want to distinguish, make one binding for | |
1709 this ASCII character, and another for the ``function key'' @code{tab}. | |
1710 | |
1711 With an ordinary ASCII terminal, there is no way to distinguish | |
1712 between @key{TAB} and @kbd{C-i} (and likewise for other such pairs), | |
1713 because the terminal sends the same character in both cases. | |
1714 | |
1715 @node Non-ASCII Rebinding | |
1716 @subsection Non-ASCII Characters on the Keyboard | |
1717 | |
1718 If your keyboard has keys that send non-ASCII characters, such as | |
1719 accented letters, rebinding these keys is a bit tricky. There are | |
1720 two solutions you can use. One is to specify a keyboard coding system, | |
1721 using @code{set-keyboard-coding-system} (@pxref{Specify Coding}). | |
27218 | 1722 Then you can bind these keys in the usual way,@footnote{Note that you |
1723 should avoid the string syntax for binding 8-bit characters, since | |
1724 they will be interpreted as meta keys. @xref{(elisp)Strings of | |
1725 Events}.} by writing | |
25829 | 1726 |
1727 @example | |
1728 (global-set-key [?@var{char}] 'some-function) | |
1729 @end example | |
1730 | |
1731 @noindent | |
1732 and typing the key you want to bind to insert @var{char}. | |
1733 | |
1734 If you don't specify the keyboard coding system, that approach won't | |
1735 work. Instead, you need to find out the actual code that the terminal | |
1736 sends. The easiest way to do this in Emacs is to create an empty buffer | |
1737 with @kbd{C-x b temp @key{RET}}, make it unibyte with @kbd{M-x | |
1738 toggle-enable-multibyte-characters @key{RET}}, then type the key to | |
1739 insert the character into this buffer. | |
1740 | |
1741 Move point before the character, then type @kbd{C-x =}. This | |
1742 displays a message in the minibuffer, showing the character code in | |
1743 three ways, octal, decimal and hexadecimal, all within a set of | |
1744 parentheses. Use the second of the three numbers, the decimal one, | |
1745 inside the vector to bind: | |
1746 | |
1747 @example | |
1748 (global-set-key [@var{decimal-code}] 'some-function) | |
1749 @end example | |
1750 | |
27218 | 1751 If you bind 8-bit characters like this in your init file, you my find it |
1752 convenient to specify that it is unibyte. @xref{Enabling Multibyte}. | |
1753 | |
25829 | 1754 @node Mouse Buttons |
1755 @subsection Rebinding Mouse Buttons | |
1756 @cindex mouse button events | |
1757 @cindex rebinding mouse buttons | |
1758 @cindex click events | |
1759 @cindex drag events | |
1760 @cindex down events | |
1761 @cindex button down events | |
1762 | |
1763 Emacs uses Lisp symbols to designate mouse buttons, too. The ordinary | |
1764 mouse events in Emacs are @dfn{click} events; these happen when you | |
1765 press a button and release it without moving the mouse. You can also | |
1766 get @dfn{drag} events, when you move the mouse while holding the button | |
1767 down. Drag events happen when you finally let go of the button. | |
1768 | |
1769 The symbols for basic click events are @code{mouse-1} for the leftmost | |
1770 button, @code{mouse-2} for the next, and so on. Here is how you can | |
1771 redefine the second mouse button to split the current window: | |
1772 | |
1773 @example | |
1774 (global-set-key [mouse-2] 'split-window-vertically) | |
1775 @end example | |
1776 | |
1777 The symbols for drag events are similar, but have the prefix | |
1778 @samp{drag-} before the word @samp{mouse}. For example, dragging the | |
1779 first button generates a @code{drag-mouse-1} event. | |
1780 | |
1781 You can also define bindings for events that occur when a mouse button | |
1782 is pressed down. These events start with @samp{down-} instead of | |
1783 @samp{drag-}. Such events are generated only if they have key bindings. | |
1784 When you get a button-down event, a corresponding click or drag event | |
1785 will always follow. | |
1786 | |
1787 @cindex double clicks | |
1788 @cindex triple clicks | |
1789 If you wish, you can distinguish single, double, and triple clicks. A | |
1790 double click means clicking a mouse button twice in approximately the | |
1791 same place. The first click generates an ordinary click event. The | |
1792 second click, if it comes soon enough, generates a double-click event | |
1793 instead. The event type for a double-click event starts with | |
1794 @samp{double-}: for example, @code{double-mouse-3}. | |
1795 | |
1796 This means that you can give a special meaning to the second click at | |
1797 the same place, but it must act on the assumption that the ordinary | |
1798 single click definition has run when the first click was received. | |
1799 | |
1800 This constrains what you can do with double clicks, but user interface | |
1801 designers say that this constraint ought to be followed in any case. A | |
1802 double click should do something similar to the single click, only | |
1803 ``more so.'' The command for the double-click event should perform the | |
1804 extra work for the double click. | |
1805 | |
1806 If a double-click event has no binding, it changes to the | |
1807 corresponding single-click event. Thus, if you don't define a | |
1808 particular double click specially, it executes the single-click command | |
1809 twice. | |
1810 | |
1811 Emacs also supports triple-click events whose names start with | |
1812 @samp{triple-}. Emacs does not distinguish quadruple clicks as event | |
1813 types; clicks beyond the third generate additional triple-click events. | |
1814 However, the full number of clicks is recorded in the event list, so you | |
1815 can distinguish if you really want to. We don't recommend distinct | |
1816 meanings for more than three clicks, but sometimes it is useful for | |
1817 subsequent clicks to cycle through the same set of three meanings, so | |
1818 that four clicks are equivalent to one click, five are equivalent to | |
1819 two, and six are equivalent to three. | |
1820 | |
1821 Emacs also records multiple presses in drag and button-down events. | |
1822 For example, when you press a button twice, then move the mouse while | |
1823 holding the button, Emacs gets a @samp{double-drag-} event. And at the | |
1824 moment when you press it down for the second time, Emacs gets a | |
1825 @samp{double-down-} event (which is ignored, like all button-down | |
1826 events, if it has no binding). | |
1827 | |
1828 @vindex double-click-time | |
1829 The variable @code{double-click-time} specifies how long may elapse | |
1830 between clicks that are recognized as a pair. Its value is measured | |
1831 in milliseconds. If the value is @code{nil}, double clicks are not | |
1832 detected at all. If the value is @code{t}, then there is no time | |
1833 limit. | |
1834 | |
1835 The symbols for mouse events also indicate the status of the modifier | |
1836 keys, with the usual prefixes @samp{C-}, @samp{M-}, @samp{H-}, | |
1837 @samp{s-}, @samp{A-} and @samp{S-}. These always precede @samp{double-} | |
1838 or @samp{triple-}, which always precede @samp{drag-} or @samp{down-}. | |
1839 | |
1840 A frame includes areas that don't show text from the buffer, such as | |
1841 the mode line and the scroll bar. You can tell whether a mouse button | |
1842 comes from a special area of the screen by means of dummy ``prefix | |
1843 keys.'' For example, if you click the mouse in the mode line, you get | |
1844 the prefix key @code{mode-line} before the ordinary mouse-button symbol. | |
1845 Thus, here is how to define the command for clicking the first button in | |
1846 a mode line to run @code{scroll-up}: | |
1847 | |
1848 @example | |
1849 (global-set-key [mode-line mouse-1] 'scroll-up) | |
1850 @end example | |
1851 | |
1852 Here is the complete list of these dummy prefix keys and their | |
1853 meanings: | |
1854 | |
1855 @table @code | |
1856 @item mode-line | |
1857 The mouse was in the mode line of a window. | |
1858 @item vertical-line | |
1859 The mouse was in the vertical line separating side-by-side windows. (If | |
1860 you use scroll bars, they appear in place of these vertical lines.) | |
1861 @item vertical-scroll-bar | |
1862 The mouse was in a vertical scroll bar. (This is the only kind of | |
1863 scroll bar Emacs currently supports.) | |
1864 @ignore | |
1865 @item horizontal-scroll-bar | |
1866 The mouse was in a horizontal scroll bar. Horizontal scroll bars do | |
1867 horizontal scrolling, and people don't use them often. | |
1868 @end ignore | |
1869 @end table | |
1870 | |
1871 You can put more than one mouse button in a key sequence, but it isn't | |
1872 usual to do so. | |
1873 | |
1874 @node Disabling | |
1875 @subsection Disabling Commands | |
1876 @cindex disabled command | |
1877 | |
1878 Disabling a command marks the command as requiring confirmation before it | |
1879 can be executed. The purpose of disabling a command is to prevent | |
1880 beginning users from executing it by accident and being confused. | |
1881 | |
1882 An attempt to invoke a disabled command interactively in Emacs | |
1883 displays a window containing the command's name, its documentation, and | |
1884 some instructions on what to do immediately; then Emacs asks for input | |
1885 saying whether to execute the command as requested, enable it and | |
1886 execute it, or cancel. If you decide to enable the command, you are | |
1887 asked whether to do this permanently or just for the current session. | |
1888 Enabling permanently works by automatically editing your @file{.emacs} | |
1889 file. | |
1890 | |
1891 The direct mechanism for disabling a command is to put a | |
1892 non-@code{nil} @code{disabled} property on the Lisp symbol for the | |
1893 command. Here is the Lisp program to do this: | |
1894 | |
1895 @example | |
1896 (put 'delete-region 'disabled t) | |
1897 @end example | |
1898 | |
1899 If the value of the @code{disabled} property is a string, that string | |
1900 is included in the message printed when the command is used: | |
1901 | |
1902 @example | |
1903 (put 'delete-region 'disabled | |
1904 "It's better to use `kill-region' instead.\n") | |
1905 @end example | |
1906 | |
1907 @findex disable-command | |
1908 @findex enable-command | |
1909 You can make a command disabled either by editing the @file{.emacs} | |
1910 file directly or with the command @kbd{M-x disable-command}, which edits | |
1911 the @file{.emacs} file for you. Likewise, @kbd{M-x enable-command} | |
1912 edits @file{.emacs} to enable a command permanently. @xref{Init File}. | |
1913 | |
1914 Whether a command is disabled is independent of what key is used to | |
1915 invoke it; disabling also applies if the command is invoked using | |
1916 @kbd{M-x}. Disabling a command has no effect on calling it as a | |
1917 function from Lisp programs. | |
1918 | |
1919 @node Keyboard Translations | |
1920 @section Keyboard Translations | |
1921 | |
1922 Some keyboards do not make it convenient to send all the special | |
1923 characters that Emacs uses. The most common problem case is the | |
1924 @key{DEL} character. Some keyboards provide no convenient way to type | |
1925 this very important character---usually because they were designed to | |
1926 expect the character @kbd{C-h} to be used for deletion. On these | |
1927 keyboards, if you press the key normally used for deletion, Emacs handles | |
1928 the @kbd{C-h} as a prefix character and offers you a list of help | |
1929 options, which is not what you want. | |
1930 | |
1931 @cindex keyboard translations | |
1932 @findex keyboard-translate | |
1933 You can work around this problem within Emacs by setting up keyboard | |
1934 translations to turn @kbd{C-h} into @key{DEL} and @key{DEL} into | |
1935 @kbd{C-h}, as follows: | |
1936 | |
1937 @example | |
1938 ;; @r{Translate @kbd{C-h} to @key{DEL}.} | |
1939 (keyboard-translate ?\C-h ?\C-?) | |
1940 | |
1941 @need 3000 | |
1942 ;; @r{Translate @key{DEL} to @kbd{C-h}.} | |
1943 (keyboard-translate ?\C-? ?\C-h) | |
1944 @end example | |
1945 | |
1946 Keyboard translations are not the same as key bindings in keymaps | |
1947 (@pxref{Keymaps}). Emacs contains numerous keymaps that apply in | |
1948 different situations, but there is only one set of keyboard | |
1949 translations, and it applies to every character that Emacs reads from | |
1950 the terminal. Keyboard translations take place at the lowest level of | |
1951 input processing; the keys that are looked up in keymaps contain the | |
1952 characters that result from keyboard translation. | |
1953 | |
1954 Under X, the keyboard key named @key{DELETE} is a function key and is | |
1955 distinct from the ASCII character named @key{DEL}. @xref{Named ASCII | |
1956 Chars}. Keyboard translations affect only ASCII character input, not | |
1957 function keys; thus, the above example used under X does not affect the | |
1958 @key{DELETE} key. However, the translation above isn't necessary under | |
1959 X, because Emacs can also distinguish between the @key{BACKSPACE} key | |
1960 and @kbd{C-h}; and it normally treats @key{BACKSPACE} as @key{DEL}. | |
1961 | |
1962 For full information about how to use keyboard translations, see | |
1963 @ref{Translating Input,,,elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}. | |
1964 | |
1965 @node Syntax | |
1966 @section The Syntax Table | |
1967 @cindex syntax table | |
1968 | |
1969 All the Emacs commands which parse words or balance parentheses are | |
1970 controlled by the @dfn{syntax table}. The syntax table says which | |
1971 characters are opening delimiters, which are parts of words, which are | |
1972 string quotes, and so on. Each major mode has its own syntax table | |
1973 (though sometimes related major modes use the same one) which it | |
1974 installs in each buffer that uses that major mode. The syntax table | |
1975 installed in the current buffer is the one that all commands use, so we | |
1976 call it ``the'' syntax table. A syntax table is a Lisp object, a | |
1977 char-table, whose elements are numbers. | |
1978 | |
1979 @kindex C-h s | |
1980 @findex describe-syntax | |
1981 To display a description of the contents of the current syntax table, | |
1982 type @kbd{C-h s} (@code{describe-syntax}). The description of each | |
1983 character includes both the string you would have to give to | |
1984 @code{modify-syntax-entry} to set up that character's current syntax, | |
1985 and some English to explain that string if necessary. | |
1986 | |
1987 For full information on the syntax table, see @ref{Syntax Tables,, | |
1988 Syntax Tables, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}. | |
1989 | |
1990 @node Init File | |
1991 @section The Init File, @file{~/.emacs} | |
1992 @cindex init file | |
1993 @cindex Emacs initialization file | |
1994 @cindex key rebinding, permanent | |
1995 @cindex rebinding keys, permanently | |
1996 @cindex startup (init file) | |
1997 | |
1998 When Emacs is started, it normally loads a Lisp program from the file | |
1999 @file{.emacs} or @file{.emacs.el} in your home directory. We call this | |
2000 file your @dfn{init file} because it specifies how to initialize Emacs | |
2001 for you. You can use the command line switch @samp{-q} to prevent | |
2002 loading your init file, and @samp{-u} (or @samp{--user}) to specify a | |
2003 different user's init file (@pxref{Entering Emacs}). | |
2004 | |
2005 There can also be a @dfn{default init file}, which is the library | |
2006 named @file{default.el}, found via the standard search path for | |
2007 libraries. The Emacs distribution contains no such library; your site | |
2008 may create one for local customizations. If this library exists, it is | |
2009 loaded whenever you start Emacs (except when you specify @samp{-q}). | |
2010 But your init file, if any, is loaded first; if it sets | |
2011 @code{inhibit-default-init} non-@code{nil}, then @file{default} is not | |
2012 loaded. | |
2013 | |
2014 Your site may also have a @dfn{site startup file}; this is named | |
2015 @file{site-start.el}, if it exists. Emacs loads this library before it | |
2016 loads your init file. To inhibit loading of this library, use the | |
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2017 option @samp{-no-site-file}. @xref{Initial Options}. |
25829 | 2018 |
2019 If you have a large amount of code in your @file{.emacs} file, you | |
2020 should rename it to @file{~/.emacs.el}, and byte-compile it. @xref{Byte | |
2021 Compilation,, Byte Compilation, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}, | |
2022 for more information about compiling Emacs Lisp programs. | |
2023 | |
2024 If you are going to write actual Emacs Lisp programs that go beyond | |
2025 minor customization, you should read the @cite{Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}. | |
2026 @ifinfo | |
2027 @xref{Top, Emacs Lisp, Emacs Lisp, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference | |
2028 Manual}. | |
2029 @end ifinfo | |
2030 | |
2031 @menu | |
2032 * Init Syntax:: Syntax of constants in Emacs Lisp. | |
2033 * Init Examples:: How to do some things with an init file. | |
2034 * Terminal Init:: Each terminal type can have an init file. | |
2035 * Find Init:: How Emacs finds the init file. | |
2036 @end menu | |
2037 | |
2038 @node Init Syntax | |
2039 @subsection Init File Syntax | |
2040 | |
2041 The @file{.emacs} file contains one or more Lisp function call | |
2042 expressions. Each of these consists of a function name followed by | |
2043 arguments, all surrounded by parentheses. For example, @code{(setq | |
2044 fill-column 60)} calls the function @code{setq} to set the variable | |
2045 @code{fill-column} (@pxref{Filling}) to 60. | |
2046 | |
2047 The second argument to @code{setq} is an expression for the new value of | |
2048 the variable. This can be a constant, a variable, or a function call | |
2049 expression. In @file{.emacs}, constants are used most of the time. They can be: | |
2050 | |
2051 @table @asis | |
2052 @item Numbers: | |
2053 Numbers are written in decimal, with an optional initial minus sign. | |
2054 | |
2055 @item Strings: | |
2056 @cindex Lisp string syntax | |
2057 @cindex string syntax | |
2058 Lisp string syntax is the same as C string syntax with a few extra | |
2059 features. Use a double-quote character to begin and end a string constant. | |
2060 | |
2061 In a string, you can include newlines and special characters literally. | |
2062 But often it is cleaner to use backslash sequences for them: @samp{\n} | |
2063 for newline, @samp{\b} for backspace, @samp{\r} for carriage return, | |
2064 @samp{\t} for tab, @samp{\f} for formfeed (control-L), @samp{\e} for | |
2065 escape, @samp{\\} for a backslash, @samp{\"} for a double-quote, or | |
2066 @samp{\@var{ooo}} for the character whose octal code is @var{ooo}. | |
2067 Backslash and double-quote are the only characters for which backslash | |
2068 sequences are mandatory. | |
2069 | |
2070 @samp{\C-} can be used as a prefix for a control character, as in | |
2071 @samp{\C-s} for ASCII control-S, and @samp{\M-} can be used as a prefix for | |
2072 a Meta character, as in @samp{\M-a} for @kbd{Meta-A} or @samp{\M-\C-a} for | |
2073 @kbd{Control-Meta-A}.@refill | |
2074 | |
2075 @item Characters: | |
2076 Lisp character constant syntax consists of a @samp{?} followed by | |
2077 either a character or an escape sequence starting with @samp{\}. | |
2078 Examples: @code{?x}, @code{?\n}, @code{?\"}, @code{?\)}. Note that | |
2079 strings and characters are not interchangeable in Lisp; some contexts | |
2080 require one and some contexts require the other. | |
2081 | |
2082 @item True: | |
2083 @code{t} stands for `true'. | |
2084 | |
2085 @item False: | |
2086 @code{nil} stands for `false'. | |
2087 | |
2088 @item Other Lisp objects: | |
2089 Write a single-quote (') followed by the Lisp object you want. | |
2090 @end table | |
2091 | |
2092 @node Init Examples | |
2093 @subsection Init File Examples | |
2094 | |
2095 Here are some examples of doing certain commonly desired things with | |
2096 Lisp expressions: | |
2097 | |
2098 @itemize @bullet | |
2099 @item | |
2100 Make @key{TAB} in C mode just insert a tab if point is in the middle of a | |
2101 line. | |
2102 | |
2103 @example | |
2104 (setq c-tab-always-indent nil) | |
2105 @end example | |
2106 | |
2107 Here we have a variable whose value is normally @code{t} for `true' | |
2108 and the alternative is @code{nil} for `false'. | |
2109 | |
2110 @item | |
2111 Make searches case sensitive by default (in all buffers that do not | |
2112 override this). | |
2113 | |
2114 @example | |
2115 (setq-default case-fold-search nil) | |
2116 @end example | |
2117 | |
2118 This sets the default value, which is effective in all buffers that do | |
2119 not have local values for the variable. Setting @code{case-fold-search} | |
2120 with @code{setq} affects only the current buffer's local value, which | |
2121 is not what you probably want to do in an init file. | |
2122 | |
2123 @item | |
2124 @vindex user-mail-address | |
2125 Specify your own email address, if Emacs can't figure it out correctly. | |
2126 | |
2127 @example | |
2128 (setq user-mail-address "coon@@yoyodyne.com") | |
2129 @end example | |
2130 | |
2131 Various Emacs packages that need your own email address use the value of | |
2132 @code{user-mail-address}. | |
2133 | |
2134 @item | |
2135 Make Text mode the default mode for new buffers. | |
2136 | |
2137 @example | |
2138 (setq default-major-mode 'text-mode) | |
2139 @end example | |
2140 | |
2141 Note that @code{text-mode} is used because it is the command for | |
2142 entering Text mode. The single-quote before it makes the symbol a | |
2143 constant; otherwise, @code{text-mode} would be treated as a variable | |
2144 name. | |
2145 | |
2146 @need 1500 | |
2147 @item | |
2148 Set up defaults for the Latin-1 character set | |
2149 which supports most of the languages of Western Europe. | |
2150 | |
2151 @example | |
2152 (set-language-environment "Latin-1") | |
2153 @end example | |
2154 | |
2155 @need 1500 | |
2156 @item | |
2157 Turn on Auto Fill mode automatically in Text mode and related modes. | |
2158 | |
2159 @example | |
2160 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook | |
2161 '(lambda () (auto-fill-mode 1))) | |
2162 @end example | |
2163 | |
2164 This shows how to add a hook function to a normal hook variable | |
2165 (@pxref{Hooks}). The function we supply is a list starting with | |
2166 @code{lambda}, with a single-quote in front of it to make it a list | |
2167 constant rather than an expression. | |
2168 | |
2169 It's beyond the scope of this manual to explain Lisp functions, but for | |
2170 this example it is enough to know that the effect is to execute | |
2171 @code{(auto-fill-mode 1)} when Text mode is entered. You can replace | |
2172 that with any other expression that you like, or with several | |
2173 expressions in a row. | |
2174 | |
2175 Emacs comes with a function named @code{turn-on-auto-fill} whose | |
2176 definition is @code{(lambda () (auto-fill-mode 1))}. Thus, a simpler | |
2177 way to write the above example is as follows: | |
2178 | |
2179 @example | |
2180 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill) | |
2181 @end example | |
2182 | |
2183 @item | |
2184 Load the installed Lisp library named @file{foo} (actually a file | |
2185 @file{foo.elc} or @file{foo.el} in a standard Emacs directory). | |
2186 | |
2187 @example | |
2188 (load "foo") | |
2189 @end example | |
2190 | |
2191 When the argument to @code{load} is a relative file name, not starting | |
2192 with @samp{/} or @samp{~}, @code{load} searches the directories in | |
2193 @code{load-path} (@pxref{Lisp Libraries}). | |
2194 | |
2195 @item | |
2196 Load the compiled Lisp file @file{foo.elc} from your home directory. | |
2197 | |
2198 @example | |
2199 (load "~/foo.elc") | |
2200 @end example | |
2201 | |
2202 Here an absolute file name is used, so no searching is done. | |
2203 | |
2204 @item | |
2205 Rebind the key @kbd{C-x l} to run the function @code{make-symbolic-link}. | |
2206 | |
2207 @example | |
2208 (global-set-key "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link) | |
2209 @end example | |
2210 | |
2211 or | |
2212 | |
2213 @example | |
2214 (define-key global-map "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link) | |
2215 @end example | |
2216 | |
2217 Note once again the single-quote used to refer to the symbol | |
2218 @code{make-symbolic-link} instead of its value as a variable. | |
2219 | |
2220 @item | |
2221 Do the same thing for Lisp mode only. | |
2222 | |
2223 @example | |
2224 (define-key lisp-mode-map "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link) | |
2225 @end example | |
2226 | |
2227 @item | |
2228 Redefine all keys which now run @code{next-line} in Fundamental mode | |
2229 so that they run @code{forward-line} instead. | |
2230 | |
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2231 @findex substitute-key-definition |
25829 | 2232 @example |
2233 (substitute-key-definition 'next-line 'forward-line | |
2234 global-map) | |
2235 @end example | |
2236 | |
2237 @item | |
2238 Make @kbd{C-x C-v} undefined. | |
2239 | |
2240 @example | |
2241 (global-unset-key "\C-x\C-v") | |
2242 @end example | |
2243 | |
2244 One reason to undefine a key is so that you can make it a prefix. | |
2245 Simply defining @kbd{C-x C-v @var{anything}} will make @kbd{C-x C-v} a | |
2246 prefix, but @kbd{C-x C-v} must first be freed of its usual non-prefix | |
2247 definition. | |
2248 | |
2249 @item | |
2250 Make @samp{$} have the syntax of punctuation in Text mode. | |
2251 Note the use of a character constant for @samp{$}. | |
2252 | |
2253 @example | |
2254 (modify-syntax-entry ?\$ "." text-mode-syntax-table) | |
2255 @end example | |
2256 | |
2257 @item | |
2258 Enable the use of the command @code{narrow-to-region} without confirmation. | |
2259 | |
2260 @example | |
2261 (put 'narrow-to-region 'disabled nil) | |
2262 @end example | |
2263 @end itemize | |
2264 | |
2265 @node Terminal Init | |
2266 @subsection Terminal-specific Initialization | |
2267 | |
2268 Each terminal type can have a Lisp library to be loaded into Emacs when | |
2269 it is run on that type of terminal. For a terminal type named | |
2270 @var{termtype}, the library is called @file{term/@var{termtype}} and it is | |
2271 found by searching the directories @code{load-path} as usual and trying the | |
2272 suffixes @samp{.elc} and @samp{.el}. Normally it appears in the | |
2273 subdirectory @file{term} of the directory where most Emacs libraries are | |
2274 kept.@refill | |
2275 | |
2276 The usual purpose of the terminal-specific library is to map the | |
2277 escape sequences used by the terminal's function keys onto more | |
2278 meaningful names, using @code{function-key-map}. See the file | |
2279 @file{term/lk201.el} for an example of how this is done. Many function | |
2280 keys are mapped automatically according to the information in the | |
2281 Termcap data base; the terminal-specific library needs to map only the | |
2282 function keys that Termcap does not specify. | |
2283 | |
2284 When the terminal type contains a hyphen, only the part of the name | |
2285 before the first hyphen is significant in choosing the library name. | |
2286 Thus, terminal types @samp{aaa-48} and @samp{aaa-30-rv} both use | |
2287 the library @file{term/aaa}. The code in the library can use | |
2288 @code{(getenv "TERM")} to find the full terminal type name.@refill | |
2289 | |
2290 @vindex term-file-prefix | |
2291 The library's name is constructed by concatenating the value of the | |
2292 variable @code{term-file-prefix} and the terminal type. Your @file{.emacs} | |
2293 file can prevent the loading of the terminal-specific library by setting | |
2294 @code{term-file-prefix} to @code{nil}. | |
2295 | |
2296 @vindex term-setup-hook | |
2297 Emacs runs the hook @code{term-setup-hook} at the end of | |
2298 initialization, after both your @file{.emacs} file and any | |
2299 terminal-specific library have been read in. Add hook functions to this | |
2300 hook if you wish to override part of any of the terminal-specific | |
2301 libraries and to define initializations for terminals that do not have a | |
2302 library. @xref{Hooks}. | |
2303 | |
2304 @node Find Init | |
2305 @subsection How Emacs Finds Your Init File | |
2306 | |
29107 | 2307 Normally Emacs uses the environment variable @env{HOME} to find |
25829 | 2308 @file{.emacs}; that's what @samp{~} means in a file name. But if you |
2309 have done @code{su}, Emacs tries to find your own @file{.emacs}, not | |
2310 that of the user you are currently pretending to be. The idea is | |
2311 that you should get your own editor customizations even if you are | |
2312 running as the super user. | |
2313 | |
2314 More precisely, Emacs first determines which user's init file to use. | |
29107 | 2315 It gets the user name from the environment variables @env{LOGNAME} and |
2316 @env{USER}; if neither of those exists, it uses effective user-ID. | |
2317 If that user name matches the real user-ID, then Emacs uses @env{HOME}; | |
25829 | 2318 otherwise, it looks up the home directory corresponding to that user |
2319 name in the system's data base of users. | |
2320 @c LocalWords: backtab |