annotate lispref/help.texi @ 30758:380811253e5f

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author Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
date Fri, 11 Aug 2000 07:49:47 +0000
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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
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2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999
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4 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
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6 @setfilename ../info/help
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7 @node Documentation, Files, Modes, Top
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8 @chapter Documentation
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9 @cindex documentation strings
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10
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11 GNU Emacs Lisp has convenient on-line help facilities, most of which
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12 derive their information from the documentation strings associated with
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13 functions and variables. This chapter describes how to write good
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14 documentation strings for your Lisp programs, as well as how to write
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15 programs to access documentation.
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16
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17 Note that the documentation strings for Emacs are not the same thing
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18 as the Emacs manual. Manuals have their own source files, written in
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19 the Texinfo language; documentation strings are specified in the
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20 definitions of the functions and variables they apply to. A collection
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21 of documentation strings is not sufficient as a manual because a good
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22 manual is not organized in that fashion; it is organized in terms of
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23 topics of discussion.
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24
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25 @menu
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26 * Documentation Basics:: Good style for doc strings.
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27 Where to put them. How Emacs stores them.
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28 * Accessing Documentation:: How Lisp programs can access doc strings.
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29 * Keys in Documentation:: Substituting current key bindings.
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30 * Describing Characters:: Making printable descriptions of
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31 non-printing characters and key sequences.
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32 * Help Functions:: Subroutines used by Emacs help facilities.
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33 @end menu
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34
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35 @node Documentation Basics
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36 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
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37 @section Documentation Basics
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38 @cindex documentation conventions
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39 @cindex writing a documentation string
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40 @cindex string, writing a doc string
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41
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42 A documentation string is written using the Lisp syntax for strings,
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43 with double-quote characters surrounding the text of the string. This
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44 is because it really is a Lisp string object. The string serves as
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45 documentation when it is written in the proper place in the definition
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46 of a function or variable. In a function definition, the documentation
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47 string follows the argument list. In a variable definition, the
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48 documentation string follows the initial value of the variable.
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49
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50 When you write a documentation string, make the first line a complete
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51 sentence (or two complete sentences) since some commands, such as
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52 @code{apropos}, show only the first line of a multi-line documentation
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53 string. Also, you should not indent the second line of a documentation
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54 string, if it has one, because that looks odd when you use @kbd{C-h f}
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55 (@code{describe-function}) or @kbd{C-h v} (@code{describe-variable}) to
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56 view the documentation string. @xref{Documentation Tips}.
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57
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58 Documentation strings can contain several special substrings, which
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59 stand for key bindings to be looked up in the current keymaps when the
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60 documentation is displayed. This allows documentation strings to refer
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61 to the keys for related commands and be accurate even when a user
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62 rearranges the key bindings. (@xref{Accessing Documentation}.)
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63
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64 In Emacs Lisp, a documentation string is accessible through the
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65 function or variable that it describes:
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66
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67 @itemize @bullet
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68 @item
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69 The documentation for a function is stored in the function definition
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70 itself (@pxref{Lambda Expressions}). The function @code{documentation}
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71 knows how to extract it.
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72
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73 @item
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74 @kindex variable-documentation
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75 The documentation for a variable is stored in the variable's property
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76 list under the property name @code{variable-documentation}. The
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77 function @code{documentation-property} knows how to retrieve it.
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78 @end itemize
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79
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80 @cindex @file{DOC} (documentation) file
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81 @cindex @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}
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82 @cindex @file{etc/DOC-@var{version}}
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83 To save space, the documentation for preloaded functions and variables
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84 (including primitive functions and autoloaded functions) is stored in
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85 the file @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}---not inside Emacs. The
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86 documentation strings for functions and variables loaded during the
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87 Emacs session from byte-compiled files are stored in those files
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88 (@pxref{Docs and Compilation}).
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89
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90 The data structure inside Emacs has an integer offset into the file, or
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91 a list containing a file name and an integer, in place of the
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92 documentation string. The functions @code{documentation} and
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93 @code{documentation-property} use that information to fetch the
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94 documentation string from the appropriate file; this is transparent to
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95 the user.
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96
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97 For information on the uses of documentation strings, see @ref{Help, ,
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98 Help, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
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99
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100 @c Wordy to prevent overfull hbox. --rjc 15mar92
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101 The @file{emacs/lib-src} directory contains two utilities that you can
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102 use to print nice-looking hardcopy for the file
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103 @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}. These are @file{sorted-doc} and
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104 @file{digest-doc}.
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105
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106 @node Accessing Documentation
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107 @section Access to Documentation Strings
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108
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109 @defun documentation-property symbol property &optional verbatim
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110 This function returns the documentation string that is recorded
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111 in @var{symbol}'s property list under property @var{property}. It
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112 retrieves the text from a file if necessary, and runs
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113 @code{substitute-command-keys} to substitute actual key bindings. (This
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114 substitution is not done if @var{verbatim} is non-@code{nil}.)
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115
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116 @smallexample
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117 @group
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118 (documentation-property 'command-line-processed
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119 'variable-documentation)
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120 @result{} "Non-nil once command line has been processed"
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121 @end group
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122 @group
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123 (symbol-plist 'command-line-processed)
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124 @result{} (variable-documentation 188902)
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125 @end group
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126 @end smallexample
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127 @end defun
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128
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129 @defun documentation function &optional verbatim
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130 This function returns the documentation string of @var{function}. It
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131 reads the text from a file if necessary. Then (unless @var{verbatim} is
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132 non-@code{nil}) it calls @code{substitute-command-keys}, to return a
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133 value containing the actual (current) key bindings.
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134
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135 The function @code{documentation} signals a @code{void-function} error
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136 if @var{function} has no function definition. However, it is OK if
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137 the function definition has no documentation string. In that case,
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138 @code{documentation} returns @code{nil}.
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139 @end defun
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140
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141 @c Wordy to prevent overfull hboxes. --rjc 15mar92
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142 Here is an example of using the two functions, @code{documentation} and
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143 @code{documentation-property}, to display the documentation strings for
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144 several symbols in a @samp{*Help*} buffer.
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145
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146 @smallexample
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147 @group
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148 (defun describe-symbols (pattern)
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149 "Describe the Emacs Lisp symbols matching PATTERN.
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150 All symbols that have PATTERN in their name are described
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151 in the `*Help*' buffer."
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152 (interactive "sDescribe symbols matching: ")
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153 (let ((describe-func
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154 (function
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155 (lambda (s)
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156 @end group
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157 @group
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158 ;; @r{Print description of symbol.}
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159 (if (fboundp s) ; @r{It is a function.}
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160 (princ
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161 (format "%s\t%s\n%s\n\n" s
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162 (if (commandp s)
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163 (let ((keys (where-is-internal s)))
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164 (if keys
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165 (concat
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166 "Keys: "
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167 (mapconcat 'key-description
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168 keys " "))
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169 "Keys: none"))
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170 "Function")
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171 @end group
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172 @group
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173 (or (documentation s)
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174 "not documented"))))
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175
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176 (if (boundp s) ; @r{It is a variable.}
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177 @end group
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178 @group
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179 (princ
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180 (format "%s\t%s\n%s\n\n" s
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181 (if (user-variable-p s)
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182 "Option " "Variable")
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183 @end group
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184 @group
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185 (or (documentation-property
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186 s 'variable-documentation)
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187 "not documented")))))))
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188 sym-list)
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189 @end group
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190
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191 @group
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192 ;; @r{Build a list of symbols that match pattern.}
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193 (mapatoms (function
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194 (lambda (sym)
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195 (if (string-match pattern (symbol-name sym))
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196 (setq sym-list (cons sym sym-list))))))
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197 @end group
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198
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199 @group
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200 ;; @r{Display the data.}
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201 (with-output-to-temp-buffer "*Help*"
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202 (mapcar describe-func (sort sym-list 'string<))
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203 (print-help-return-message))))
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204 @end group
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205 @end smallexample
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206
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207 The @code{describe-symbols} function works like @code{apropos},
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208 but provides more information.
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209
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210 @smallexample
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211 @group
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212 (describe-symbols "goal")
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213
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214 ---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------
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215 goal-column Option
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216 *Semipermanent goal column for vertical motion, as set by @dots{}
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217 @end group
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218 @c Do not blithely break or fill these lines.
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219 @c That makes them incorrect.
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220
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221 @group
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222 set-goal-column Keys: C-x C-n
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223 Set the current horizontal position as a goal for C-n and C-p.
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224 @end group
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225 @c DO NOT put a blank line here! That is factually inaccurate!
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226 @group
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227 Those commands will move to this position in the line moved to
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228 rather than trying to keep the same horizontal position.
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229 With a non-nil argument, clears out the goal column
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230 so that C-n and C-p resume vertical motion.
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231 The goal column is stored in the variable `goal-column'.
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232 @end group
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233
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234 @group
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235 temporary-goal-column Variable
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236 Current goal column for vertical motion.
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237 It is the column where point was
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238 at the start of current run of vertical motion commands.
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239 When the `track-eol' feature is doing its job, the value is 9999.
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240 ---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------
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241 @end group
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242 @end smallexample
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243
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244 @defun Snarf-documentation filename
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245 This function is used only during Emacs initialization, just before
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246 the runnable Emacs is dumped. It finds the file offsets of the
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247 documentation strings stored in the file @var{filename}, and records
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248 them in the in-core function definitions and variable property lists in
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249 place of the actual strings. @xref{Building Emacs}.
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250
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251 Emacs reads the file @var{filename} from the @file{emacs/etc} directory.
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252 When the dumped Emacs is later executed, the same file will be looked
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253 for in the directory @code{doc-directory}. Usually @var{filename} is
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254 @code{"DOC-@var{version}"}.
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255 @end defun
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256
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257 @c Emacs 19 feature
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258 @defvar doc-directory
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259 This variable holds the name of the directory which should contain the
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260 file @code{"DOC-@var{version}"} that contains documentation strings for
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261 built-in and preloaded functions and variables.
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262
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263 In most cases, this is the same as @code{data-directory}. They may be
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264 different when you run Emacs from the directory where you built it,
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265 without actually installing it. See @code{data-directory} in @ref{Help
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266 Functions}.
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267
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268 In older Emacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.
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269 @end defvar
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270
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271 @node Keys in Documentation
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272 @section Substituting Key Bindings in Documentation
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273 @cindex documentation, keys in
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274 @cindex keys in documentation strings
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275 @cindex substituting keys in documentation
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276
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277 When documentation strings refer to key sequences, they should use the
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278 current, actual key bindings. They can do so using certain special text
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279 sequences described below. Accessing documentation strings in the usual
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280 way substitutes current key binding information for these special
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281 sequences. This works by calling @code{substitute-command-keys}. You
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282 can also call that function yourself.
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283
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284 Here is a list of the special sequences and what they mean:
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285
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286 @table @code
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287 @item \[@var{command}]
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288 stands for a key sequence that will invoke @var{command}, or @samp{M-x
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289 @var{command}} if @var{command} has no key bindings.
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290
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291 @item \@{@var{mapvar}@}
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292 stands for a summary of the keymap which is the value of the variable
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293 @var{mapvar}. The summary is made using @code{describe-bindings}.
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294
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295 @item \<@var{mapvar}>
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296 stands for no text itself. It is used only for a side effect: it
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297 specifies @var{mapvar}'s value as the keymap for any following
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298 @samp{\[@var{command}]} sequences in this documentation string.
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299
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300 @item \=
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301 quotes the following character and is discarded; thus, @samp{\=\[} puts
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302 @samp{\[} into the output, and @samp{\=\=} puts @samp{\=} into the
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303 output.
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304 @end table
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305
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306 @strong{Please note:} Each @samp{\} must be doubled when written in a
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307 string in Emacs Lisp.
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308
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309 @defun substitute-command-keys string
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310 This function scans @var{string} for the above special sequences and
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311 replaces them by what they stand for, returning the result as a string.
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312 This permits display of documentation that refers accurately to the
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313 user's own customized key bindings.
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314 @end defun
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315
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316 Here are examples of the special sequences:
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317
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318 @smallexample
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319 @group
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320 (substitute-command-keys
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321 "To abort recursive edit, type: \\[abort-recursive-edit]")
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322 @result{} "To abort recursive edit, type: C-]"
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323 @end group
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324
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325 @group
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326 (substitute-command-keys
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327 "The keys that are defined for the minibuffer here are:
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328 \\@{minibuffer-local-must-match-map@}")
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329 @result{} "The keys that are defined for the minibuffer here are:
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330 @end group
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331
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332 ? minibuffer-completion-help
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333 SPC minibuffer-complete-word
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334 TAB minibuffer-complete
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335 C-j minibuffer-complete-and-exit
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336 RET minibuffer-complete-and-exit
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337 C-g abort-recursive-edit
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338 "
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339
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340 @group
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341 (substitute-command-keys
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342 "To abort a recursive edit from the minibuffer, type\
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343 \\<minibuffer-local-must-match-map>\\[abort-recursive-edit].")
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344 @result{} "To abort a recursive edit from the minibuffer, type C-g."
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345 @end group
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346 @end smallexample
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347
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348 @node Describing Characters
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349 @section Describing Characters for Help Messages
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350
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351 These functions convert events, key sequences, or characters to
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352 textual descriptions. These descriptions are useful for including
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353 arbitrary text characters or key sequences in messages, because they
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354 convert non-printing and whitespace characters to sequences of printing
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355 characters. The description of a non-whitespace printing character is
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356 the character itself.
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357
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358 @defun key-description sequence
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359 @cindex Emacs event standard notation
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360 This function returns a string containing the Emacs standard notation
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361 for the input events in @var{sequence}. The argument @var{sequence} may
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362 be a string, vector or list. @xref{Input Events}, for more information
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363 about valid events. See also the examples for
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364 @code{single-key-description}, below.
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365 @end defun
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366
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367 @defun single-key-description event
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368 @cindex event printing
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369 @cindex character printing
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370 @cindex control character printing
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371 @cindex meta character printing
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372 This function returns a string describing @var{event} in the standard
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373 Emacs notation for keyboard input. A normal printing character appears
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374 as itself, but a control character turns into a string starting with
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375 @samp{C-}, a meta character turns into a string starting with @samp{M-},
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376 and space, tab, etc.@: appear as @samp{SPC}, @samp{TAB}, etc. A
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377 function key symbol appears as itself. An event that is a list appears
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378 as the name of the symbol in the @sc{car} of the list.
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379
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380 @smallexample
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381 @group
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382 (single-key-description ?\C-x)
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383 @result{} "C-x"
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384 @end group
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385 @group
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386 (key-description "\C-x \M-y \n \t \r \f123")
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387 @result{} "C-x SPC M-y SPC C-j SPC TAB SPC RET SPC C-l 1 2 3"
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388 @end group
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389 @group
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390 (single-key-description 'C-mouse-1)
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391 @result{} "C-mouse-1"
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392 @end group
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393 @end smallexample
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394 @end defun
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395
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396 @defun text-char-description character
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397 This function returns a string describing @var{character} in the
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398 standard Emacs notation for characters that appear in text---like
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399 @code{single-key-description}, except that control characters are
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400 represented with a leading caret (which is how control characters in
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401 Emacs buffers are usually displayed).
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402
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403 @smallexample
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404 @group
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405 (text-char-description ?\C-c)
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406 @result{} "^C"
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407 @end group
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408 @group
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409 (text-char-description ?\M-m)
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410 @result{} "M-m"
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411 @end group
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412 @group
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413 (text-char-description ?\C-\M-m)
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414 @result{} "M-^M"
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415 @end group
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416 @end smallexample
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417 @end defun
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418
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419 @defun read-kbd-macro string
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420 This function is used mainly for operating on keyboard macros, but it
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421 can also be used as a rough inverse for @code{key-description}. You
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422 call it with a string containing key descriptions, separated by spaces;
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423 it returns a string or vector containing the corresponding events.
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424 (This may or may not be a single valid key sequence, depending on what
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425 events you use; @pxref{Keymap Terminology}.)
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426 @end defun
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427
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428 @node Help Functions
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429 @section Help Functions
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430
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431 Emacs provides a variety of on-line help functions, all accessible to
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432 the user as subcommands of the prefix @kbd{C-h}. For more information
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433 about them, see @ref{Help, , Help, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. Here
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434 we describe some program-level interfaces to the same information.
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435
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436 @deffn Command apropos regexp &optional do-all
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437 This function finds all symbols whose names contain a match for the
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438 regular expression @var{regexp}, and returns a list of them
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439 (@pxref{Regular Expressions}). It also displays the symbols in a buffer
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440 named @samp{*Help*}, each with a one-line description taken from the
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441 beginning of its documentation string.
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442
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443 @c Emacs 19 feature
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444 If @var{do-all} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{apropos} also shows key
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445 bindings for the functions that are found; it also shows all symbols,
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446 even those that are neither functions nor variables.
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447
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448 In the first of the following examples, @code{apropos} finds all the
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449 symbols with names containing @samp{exec}. (We don't show here the
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450 output that results in the @samp{*Help*} buffer.)
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451
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452 @smallexample
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453 @group
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454 (apropos "exec")
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455 @result{} (Buffer-menu-execute command-execute exec-directory
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456 exec-path execute-extended-command execute-kbd-macro
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457 executing-kbd-macro executing-macro)
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458 @end group
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459 @end smallexample
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460 @end deffn
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461
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462 @defvar help-map
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463 The value of this variable is a local keymap for characters following the
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464 Help key, @kbd{C-h}.
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465 @end defvar
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466
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467 @deffn {Prefix Command} help-command
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468 This symbol is not a function; its function definition cell holds the
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469 keymap known as @code{help-map}. It is defined in @file{help.el} as
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470 follows:
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471
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472 @smallexample
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473 @group
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474 (define-key global-map "\C-h" 'help-command)
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475 (fset 'help-command help-map)
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476 @end group
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477 @end smallexample
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478 @end deffn
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479
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480 @defun print-help-return-message &optional function
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481 This function builds a string that explains how to restore the previous
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482 state of the windows after a help command. After building the message,
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483 it applies @var{function} to it if @var{function} is non-@code{nil}.
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484 Otherwise it calls @code{message} to display it in the echo area.
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485
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486 This function expects to be called inside a
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487 @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} special form, and expects
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488 @code{standard-output} to have the value bound by that special form.
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489 For an example of its use, see the long example in @ref{Accessing
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490 Documentation}.
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491 @end defun
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492
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493 @defvar help-char
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494 The value of this variable is the help character---the character that
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495 Emacs recognizes as meaning Help. By default, its value is 8, which
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496 stands for @kbd{C-h}. When Emacs reads this character, if
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497 @code{help-form} is a non-@code{nil} Lisp expression, it evaluates that
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498 expression, and displays the result in a window if it is a string.
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499
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500 Usually the value of @code{help-form} is @code{nil}. Then the
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501 help character has no special meaning at the level of command input, and
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502 it becomes part of a key sequence in the normal way. The standard key
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503 binding of @kbd{C-h} is a prefix key for several general-purpose help
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504 features.
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505
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506 The help character is special after prefix keys, too. If it has no
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507 binding as a subcommand of the prefix key, it runs
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508 @code{describe-prefix-bindings}, which displays a list of all the
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509 subcommands of the prefix key.
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510 @end defvar
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511
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512 @defvar help-event-list
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513 The value of this variable is a list of event types that serve as
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514 alternative ``help characters.'' These events are handled just like the
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515 event specified by @code{help-char}.
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516 @end defvar
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517
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518 @defvar help-form
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519 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, its value is a form to evaluate
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520 whenever the character @code{help-char} is read. If evaluating the form
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521 produces a string, that string is displayed.
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522
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523 A command that calls @code{read-event} or @code{read-char} probably
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524 should bind @code{help-form} to a non-@code{nil} expression while it
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525 does input. (The time when you should not do this is when @kbd{C-h} has
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526 some other meaning.) Evaluating this expression should result in a
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527 string that explains what the input is for and how to enter it properly.
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528
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529 Entry to the minibuffer binds this variable to the value of
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530 @code{minibuffer-help-form} (@pxref{Minibuffer Misc}).
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531 @end defvar
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532
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533 @defvar prefix-help-command
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534 This variable holds a function to print help for a prefix key. The
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535 function is called when the user types a prefix key followed by the help
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536 character, and the help character has no binding after that prefix. The
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537 variable's default value is @code{describe-prefix-bindings}.
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538 @end defvar
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539
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540 @defun describe-prefix-bindings
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541 This function calls @code{describe-bindings} to display a list of all
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542 the subcommands of the prefix key of the most recent key sequence. The
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543 prefix described consists of all but the last event of that key
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544 sequence. (The last event is, presumably, the help character.)
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545 @end defun
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546
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547 The following two functions are meant for modes that want to provide
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548 help without relinquishing control, such as the ``electric'' modes.
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549 Their names begin with @samp{Helper} to distinguish them from the
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550 ordinary help functions.
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551
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552 @deffn Command Helper-describe-bindings
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553 This command pops up a window displaying a help buffer containing a
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554 listing of all of the key bindings from both the local and global keymaps.
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555 It works by calling @code{describe-bindings}.
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556 @end deffn
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557
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558 @deffn Command Helper-help
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559 This command provides help for the current mode. It prompts the user
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560 in the minibuffer with the message @samp{Help (Type ? for further
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561 options)}, and then provides assistance in finding out what the key
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562 bindings are, and what the mode is intended for. It returns @code{nil}.
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563
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564 This can be customized by changing the map @code{Helper-help-map}.
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565 @end deffn
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566
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567 @c Emacs 19 feature
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568 @defvar data-directory
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569 This variable holds the name of the directory in which Emacs finds
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570 certain documentation and text files that come with Emacs. In older
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571 Emacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.
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572 @end defvar
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573
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574 @c Emacs 19 feature
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575 @defmac make-help-screen fname help-line help-text help-map
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576 This macro defines a help command named @var{fname} that acts like a
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577 prefix key that shows a list of the subcommands it offers.
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578
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579 When invoked, @var{fname} displays @var{help-text} in a window, then
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580 reads and executes a key sequence according to @var{help-map}. The
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diff changeset
581 string @var{help-text} should describe the bindings available in
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582 @var{help-map}.
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diff changeset
583
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diff changeset
584 The command @var{fname} is defined to handle a few events itself, by
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585 scrolling the display of @var{help-text}. When @var{fname} reads one of
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586 those special events, it does the scrolling and then reads another
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587 event. When it reads an event that is not one of those few, and which
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588 has a binding in @var{help-map}, it executes that key's binding and
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589 then returns.
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diff changeset
590
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591 The argument @var{help-line} should be a single-line summary of the
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592 alternatives in @var{help-map}. In the current version of Emacs, this
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593 argument is used only if you set the option @code{three-step-help} to
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diff changeset
594 @code{t}.
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diff changeset
595
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diff changeset
596 This macro is used in the command @code{help-for-help} which is the
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diff changeset
597 binding of @kbd{C-h C-h}.
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598 @end defmac
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diff changeset
599
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diff changeset
600 @defopt three-step-help
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diff changeset
601 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, commands defined with
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diff changeset
602 @code{make-help-screen} display their @var{help-line} strings in the
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603 echo area at first, and display the longer @var{help-text} strings only
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diff changeset
604 if the user types the help character again.
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diff changeset
605 @end defopt