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annotate doc/lispref/processes.texi @ 85940:3885b7dccf03
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author | Juanma Barranquero <lekktu@gmail.com> |
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date | Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:23:36 +0000 |
parents | 5039706521c9 |
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84095 | 1 @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. | |
3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, | |
4 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. | |
84116
0ba80d073e27
(setfilename): Go up one more level to ../../info.
Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org>
parents:
84095
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6 @setfilename ../../info/processes |
84095 | 7 @node Processes, Display, Abbrevs, Top |
8 @chapter Processes | |
9 @cindex child process | |
10 @cindex parent process | |
11 @cindex subprocess | |
12 @cindex process | |
13 | |
14 In the terminology of operating systems, a @dfn{process} is a space in | |
15 which a program can execute. Emacs runs in a process. Emacs Lisp | |
16 programs can invoke other programs in processes of their own. These are | |
17 called @dfn{subprocesses} or @dfn{child processes} of the Emacs process, | |
18 which is their @dfn{parent process}. | |
19 | |
20 A subprocess of Emacs may be @dfn{synchronous} or @dfn{asynchronous}, | |
21 depending on how it is created. When you create a synchronous | |
22 subprocess, the Lisp program waits for the subprocess to terminate | |
23 before continuing execution. When you create an asynchronous | |
24 subprocess, it can run in parallel with the Lisp program. This kind of | |
25 subprocess is represented within Emacs by a Lisp object which is also | |
26 called a ``process.'' Lisp programs can use this object to communicate | |
27 with the subprocess or to control it. For example, you can send | |
28 signals, obtain status information, receive output from the process, or | |
29 send input to it. | |
30 | |
31 @defun processp object | |
32 This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a process, | |
33 @code{nil} otherwise. | |
34 @end defun | |
35 | |
36 @menu | |
37 * Subprocess Creation:: Functions that start subprocesses. | |
38 * Shell Arguments:: Quoting an argument to pass it to a shell. | |
39 * Synchronous Processes:: Details of using synchronous subprocesses. | |
40 * Asynchronous Processes:: Starting up an asynchronous subprocess. | |
41 * Deleting Processes:: Eliminating an asynchronous subprocess. | |
42 * Process Information:: Accessing run-status and other attributes. | |
43 * Input to Processes:: Sending input to an asynchronous subprocess. | |
44 * Signals to Processes:: Stopping, continuing or interrupting | |
45 an asynchronous subprocess. | |
46 * Output from Processes:: Collecting output from an asynchronous subprocess. | |
47 * Sentinels:: Sentinels run when process run-status changes. | |
48 * Query Before Exit:: Whether to query if exiting will kill a process. | |
49 * Transaction Queues:: Transaction-based communication with subprocesses. | |
50 * Network:: Opening network connections. | |
51 * Network Servers:: Network servers let Emacs accept net connections. | |
52 * Datagrams:: UDP network connections. | |
53 * Low-Level Network:: Lower-level but more general function | |
54 to create connections and servers. | |
55 * Misc Network:: Additional relevant functions for network connections. | |
56 * Byte Packing:: Using bindat to pack and unpack binary data. | |
57 @end menu | |
58 | |
59 @node Subprocess Creation | |
60 @section Functions that Create Subprocesses | |
61 | |
62 There are three functions that create a new subprocess in which to run | |
63 a program. One of them, @code{start-process}, creates an asynchronous | |
64 process and returns a process object (@pxref{Asynchronous Processes}). | |
65 The other two, @code{call-process} and @code{call-process-region}, | |
66 create a synchronous process and do not return a process object | |
67 (@pxref{Synchronous Processes}). | |
68 | |
69 Synchronous and asynchronous processes are explained in the following | |
70 sections. Since the three functions are all called in a similar | |
71 fashion, their common arguments are described here. | |
72 | |
73 @cindex execute program | |
74 @cindex @code{PATH} environment variable | |
75 @cindex @code{HOME} environment variable | |
76 In all cases, the function's @var{program} argument specifies the | |
77 program to be run. An error is signaled if the file is not found or | |
78 cannot be executed. If the file name is relative, the variable | |
79 @code{exec-path} contains a list of directories to search. Emacs | |
80 initializes @code{exec-path} when it starts up, based on the value of | |
81 the environment variable @code{PATH}. The standard file name | |
82 constructs, @samp{~}, @samp{.}, and @samp{..}, are interpreted as | |
83 usual in @code{exec-path}, but environment variable substitutions | |
84 (@samp{$HOME}, etc.) are not recognized; use | |
85 @code{substitute-in-file-name} to perform them (@pxref{File Name | |
86 Expansion}). @code{nil} in this list refers to | |
87 @code{default-directory}. | |
88 | |
89 Executing a program can also try adding suffixes to the specified | |
90 name: | |
91 | |
92 @defvar exec-suffixes | |
93 This variable is a list of suffixes (strings) to try adding to the | |
94 specified program file name. The list should include @code{""} if you | |
95 want the name to be tried exactly as specified. The default value is | |
96 system-dependent. | |
97 @end defvar | |
98 | |
99 @strong{Please note:} The argument @var{program} contains only the | |
100 name of the program; it may not contain any command-line arguments. You | |
101 must use @var{args} to provide those. | |
102 | |
103 Each of the subprocess-creating functions has a @var{buffer-or-name} | |
104 argument which specifies where the standard output from the program will | |
105 go. It should be a buffer or a buffer name; if it is a buffer name, | |
106 that will create the buffer if it does not already exist. It can also | |
107 be @code{nil}, which says to discard the output unless a filter function | |
108 handles it. (@xref{Filter Functions}, and @ref{Read and Print}.) | |
109 Normally, you should avoid having multiple processes send output to the | |
110 same buffer because their output would be intermixed randomly. | |
111 | |
112 @cindex program arguments | |
113 All three of the subprocess-creating functions have a @code{&rest} | |
114 argument, @var{args}. The @var{args} must all be strings, and they are | |
115 supplied to @var{program} as separate command line arguments. Wildcard | |
116 characters and other shell constructs have no special meanings in these | |
117 strings, since the strings are passed directly to the specified program. | |
118 | |
119 The subprocess gets its current directory from the value of | |
120 @code{default-directory} (@pxref{File Name Expansion}). | |
121 | |
122 @cindex environment variables, subprocesses | |
123 The subprocess inherits its environment from Emacs, but you can | |
124 specify overrides for it with @code{process-environment}. @xref{System | |
125 Environment}. | |
126 | |
127 @defvar exec-directory | |
128 @pindex movemail | |
129 The value of this variable is a string, the name of a directory that | |
130 contains programs that come with GNU Emacs, programs intended for Emacs | |
131 to invoke. The program @code{movemail} is an example of such a program; | |
132 Rmail uses it to fetch new mail from an inbox. | |
133 @end defvar | |
134 | |
135 @defopt exec-path | |
136 The value of this variable is a list of directories to search for | |
137 programs to run in subprocesses. Each element is either the name of a | |
138 directory (i.e., a string), or @code{nil}, which stands for the default | |
139 directory (which is the value of @code{default-directory}). | |
140 @cindex program directories | |
141 | |
142 The value of @code{exec-path} is used by @code{call-process} and | |
143 @code{start-process} when the @var{program} argument is not an absolute | |
144 file name. | |
145 @end defopt | |
146 | |
147 @node Shell Arguments | |
148 @section Shell Arguments | |
149 @cindex arguments for shell commands | |
150 @cindex shell command arguments | |
151 | |
152 Lisp programs sometimes need to run a shell and give it a command | |
153 that contains file names that were specified by the user. These | |
154 programs ought to be able to support any valid file name. But the shell | |
155 gives special treatment to certain characters, and if these characters | |
156 occur in the file name, they will confuse the shell. To handle these | |
157 characters, use the function @code{shell-quote-argument}: | |
158 | |
159 @defun shell-quote-argument argument | |
160 This function returns a string which represents, in shell syntax, | |
161 an argument whose actual contents are @var{argument}. It should | |
162 work reliably to concatenate the return value into a shell command | |
163 and then pass it to a shell for execution. | |
164 | |
165 Precisely what this function does depends on your operating system. The | |
166 function is designed to work with the syntax of your system's standard | |
167 shell; if you use an unusual shell, you will need to redefine this | |
168 function. | |
169 | |
170 @example | |
171 ;; @r{This example shows the behavior on GNU and Unix systems.} | |
172 (shell-quote-argument "foo > bar") | |
173 @result{} "foo\\ \\>\\ bar" | |
174 | |
175 ;; @r{This example shows the behavior on MS-DOS and MS-Windows.} | |
176 (shell-quote-argument "foo > bar") | |
177 @result{} "\"foo > bar\"" | |
178 @end example | |
179 | |
180 Here's an example of using @code{shell-quote-argument} to construct | |
181 a shell command: | |
182 | |
183 @example | |
184 (concat "diff -c " | |
185 (shell-quote-argument oldfile) | |
186 " " | |
187 (shell-quote-argument newfile)) | |
188 @end example | |
189 @end defun | |
190 | |
191 @node Synchronous Processes | |
192 @section Creating a Synchronous Process | |
193 @cindex synchronous subprocess | |
194 | |
195 After a @dfn{synchronous process} is created, Emacs waits for the | |
196 process to terminate before continuing. Starting Dired on GNU or | |
197 Unix@footnote{On other systems, Emacs uses a Lisp emulation of | |
198 @code{ls}; see @ref{Contents of Directories}.} is an example of this: it | |
199 runs @code{ls} in a synchronous process, then modifies the output | |
200 slightly. Because the process is synchronous, the entire directory | |
201 listing arrives in the buffer before Emacs tries to do anything with it. | |
202 | |
203 While Emacs waits for the synchronous subprocess to terminate, the | |
204 user can quit by typing @kbd{C-g}. The first @kbd{C-g} tries to kill | |
205 the subprocess with a @code{SIGINT} signal; but it waits until the | |
206 subprocess actually terminates before quitting. If during that time the | |
207 user types another @kbd{C-g}, that kills the subprocess instantly with | |
208 @code{SIGKILL} and quits immediately (except on MS-DOS, where killing | |
209 other processes doesn't work). @xref{Quitting}. | |
210 | |
211 The synchronous subprocess functions return an indication of how the | |
212 process terminated. | |
213 | |
214 The output from a synchronous subprocess is generally decoded using a | |
215 coding system, much like text read from a file. The input sent to a | |
216 subprocess by @code{call-process-region} is encoded using a coding | |
217 system, much like text written into a file. @xref{Coding Systems}. | |
218 | |
219 @defun call-process program &optional infile destination display &rest args | |
220 This function calls @var{program} in a separate process and waits for | |
221 it to finish. | |
222 | |
223 The standard input for the process comes from file @var{infile} if | |
224 @var{infile} is not @code{nil}, and from the null device otherwise. | |
225 The argument @var{destination} says where to put the process output. | |
226 Here are the possibilities: | |
227 | |
228 @table @asis | |
229 @item a buffer | |
230 Insert the output in that buffer, before point. This includes both the | |
231 standard output stream and the standard error stream of the process. | |
232 | |
233 @item a string | |
234 Insert the output in a buffer with that name, before point. | |
235 | |
236 @item @code{t} | |
237 Insert the output in the current buffer, before point. | |
238 | |
239 @item @code{nil} | |
240 Discard the output. | |
241 | |
242 @item 0 | |
243 Discard the output, and return @code{nil} immediately without waiting | |
244 for the subprocess to finish. | |
245 | |
246 In this case, the process is not truly synchronous, since it can run in | |
247 parallel with Emacs; but you can think of it as synchronous in that | |
248 Emacs is essentially finished with the subprocess as soon as this | |
249 function returns. | |
250 | |
251 MS-DOS doesn't support asynchronous subprocesses, so this option doesn't | |
252 work there. | |
253 | |
254 @item @code{(@var{real-destination} @var{error-destination})} | |
255 Keep the standard output stream separate from the standard error stream; | |
256 deal with the ordinary output as specified by @var{real-destination}, | |
257 and dispose of the error output according to @var{error-destination}. | |
258 If @var{error-destination} is @code{nil}, that means to discard the | |
259 error output, @code{t} means mix it with the ordinary output, and a | |
260 string specifies a file name to redirect error output into. | |
261 | |
262 You can't directly specify a buffer to put the error output in; that is | |
263 too difficult to implement. But you can achieve this result by sending | |
264 the error output to a temporary file and then inserting the file into a | |
265 buffer. | |
266 @end table | |
267 | |
268 If @var{display} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{call-process} redisplays | |
269 the buffer as output is inserted. (However, if the coding system chosen | |
270 for decoding output is @code{undecided}, meaning deduce the encoding | |
271 from the actual data, then redisplay sometimes cannot continue once | |
272 non-@acronym{ASCII} characters are encountered. There are fundamental | |
273 reasons why it is hard to fix this; see @ref{Output from Processes}.) | |
274 | |
275 Otherwise the function @code{call-process} does no redisplay, and the | |
276 results become visible on the screen only when Emacs redisplays that | |
277 buffer in the normal course of events. | |
278 | |
279 The remaining arguments, @var{args}, are strings that specify command | |
280 line arguments for the program. | |
281 | |
282 The value returned by @code{call-process} (unless you told it not to | |
283 wait) indicates the reason for process termination. A number gives the | |
284 exit status of the subprocess; 0 means success, and any other value | |
285 means failure. If the process terminated with a signal, | |
286 @code{call-process} returns a string describing the signal. | |
287 | |
288 In the examples below, the buffer @samp{foo} is current. | |
289 | |
290 @smallexample | |
291 @group | |
292 (call-process "pwd" nil t) | |
293 @result{} 0 | |
294 | |
295 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
296 /usr/user/lewis/manual | |
297 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
298 @end group | |
299 | |
300 @group | |
301 (call-process "grep" nil "bar" nil "lewis" "/etc/passwd") | |
302 @result{} 0 | |
303 | |
304 ---------- Buffer: bar ---------- | |
305 lewis:5LTsHm66CSWKg:398:21:Bil Lewis:/user/lewis:/bin/csh | |
306 | |
307 ---------- Buffer: bar ---------- | |
308 @end group | |
309 @end smallexample | |
310 | |
311 Here is a good example of the use of @code{call-process}, which used to | |
312 be found in the definition of @code{insert-directory}: | |
313 | |
314 @smallexample | |
315 @group | |
316 (call-process insert-directory-program nil t nil @var{switches} | |
317 (if full-directory-p | |
318 (concat (file-name-as-directory file) ".") | |
319 file)) | |
320 @end group | |
321 @end smallexample | |
322 @end defun | |
323 | |
324 @defun process-file program &optional infile buffer display &rest args | |
325 This function processes files synchronously in a separate process. It | |
326 is similar to @code{call-process} but may invoke a file handler based | |
327 on the value of the variable @code{default-directory}. The current | |
328 working directory of the subprocess is @code{default-directory}. | |
329 | |
330 The arguments are handled in almost the same way as for | |
331 @code{call-process}, with the following differences: | |
332 | |
333 Some file handlers may not support all combinations and forms of the | |
334 arguments @var{infile}, @var{buffer}, and @var{display}. For example, | |
335 some file handlers might behave as if @var{display} were @code{nil}, | |
336 regardless of the value actually passed. As another example, some | |
337 file handlers might not support separating standard output and error | |
338 output by way of the @var{buffer} argument. | |
339 | |
340 If a file handler is invoked, it determines the program to run based | |
341 on the first argument @var{program}. For instance, consider that a | |
342 handler for remote files is invoked. Then the path that is used for | |
343 searching the program might be different than @code{exec-path}. | |
344 | |
345 The second argument @var{infile} may invoke a file handler. The file | |
346 handler could be different from the handler chosen for the | |
347 @code{process-file} function itself. (For example, | |
348 @code{default-directory} could be on a remote host, whereas | |
349 @var{infile} is on another remote host. Or @code{default-directory} | |
350 could be non-special, whereas @var{infile} is on a remote host.) | |
351 | |
352 If @var{buffer} is a list of the form @code{(@var{real-destination} | |
353 @var{error-destination})}, and @var{error-destination} names a file, | |
354 then the same remarks as for @var{infile} apply. | |
355 | |
356 The remaining arguments (@var{args}) will be passed to the process | |
357 verbatim. Emacs is not involved in processing file names that are | |
358 present in @var{args}. To avoid confusion, it may be best to avoid | |
359 absolute file names in @var{args}, but rather to specify all file | |
360 names as relative to @code{default-directory}. The function | |
361 @code{file-relative-name} is useful for constructing such relative | |
362 file names. | |
363 @end defun | |
364 | |
365 @defun call-process-region start end program &optional delete destination display &rest args | |
366 This function sends the text from @var{start} to @var{end} as | |
367 standard input to a process running @var{program}. It deletes the text | |
368 sent if @var{delete} is non-@code{nil}; this is useful when | |
369 @var{destination} is @code{t}, to insert the output in the current | |
370 buffer in place of the input. | |
371 | |
372 The arguments @var{destination} and @var{display} control what to do | |
373 with the output from the subprocess, and whether to update the display | |
374 as it comes in. For details, see the description of | |
375 @code{call-process}, above. If @var{destination} is the integer 0, | |
376 @code{call-process-region} discards the output and returns @code{nil} | |
377 immediately, without waiting for the subprocess to finish (this only | |
378 works if asynchronous subprocesses are supported). | |
379 | |
380 The remaining arguments, @var{args}, are strings that specify command | |
381 line arguments for the program. | |
382 | |
383 The return value of @code{call-process-region} is just like that of | |
384 @code{call-process}: @code{nil} if you told it to return without | |
385 waiting; otherwise, a number or string which indicates how the | |
386 subprocess terminated. | |
387 | |
388 In the following example, we use @code{call-process-region} to run the | |
389 @code{cat} utility, with standard input being the first five characters | |
390 in buffer @samp{foo} (the word @samp{input}). @code{cat} copies its | |
391 standard input into its standard output. Since the argument | |
392 @var{destination} is @code{t}, this output is inserted in the current | |
393 buffer. | |
394 | |
395 @smallexample | |
396 @group | |
397 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
398 input@point{} | |
399 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
400 @end group | |
401 | |
402 @group | |
403 (call-process-region 1 6 "cat" nil t) | |
404 @result{} 0 | |
405 | |
406 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
407 inputinput@point{} | |
408 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
409 @end group | |
410 @end smallexample | |
411 | |
412 The @code{shell-command-on-region} command uses | |
413 @code{call-process-region} like this: | |
414 | |
415 @smallexample | |
416 @group | |
417 (call-process-region | |
418 start end | |
419 shell-file-name ; @r{Name of program.} | |
420 nil ; @r{Do not delete region.} | |
421 buffer ; @r{Send output to @code{buffer}.} | |
422 nil ; @r{No redisplay during output.} | |
423 "-c" command) ; @r{Arguments for the shell.} | |
424 @end group | |
425 @end smallexample | |
426 @end defun | |
427 | |
428 @defun call-process-shell-command command &optional infile destination display &rest args | |
429 This function executes the shell command @var{command} synchronously | |
430 in a separate process. The final arguments @var{args} are additional | |
431 arguments to add at the end of @var{command}. The other arguments | |
432 are handled as in @code{call-process}. | |
433 @end defun | |
434 | |
435 @defun process-file-shell-command command &optional infile destination display &rest args | |
436 This function is like @code{call-process-shell-command}, but uses | |
437 @code{process-file} internally. Depending on @code{default-directory}, | |
438 @var{command} can be executed also on remote hosts. | |
439 @end defun | |
440 | |
441 @defun shell-command-to-string command | |
442 This function executes @var{command} (a string) as a shell command, | |
443 then returns the command's output as a string. | |
444 @end defun | |
445 | |
446 @node Asynchronous Processes | |
447 @section Creating an Asynchronous Process | |
448 @cindex asynchronous subprocess | |
449 | |
450 After an @dfn{asynchronous process} is created, Emacs and the subprocess | |
451 both continue running immediately. The process thereafter runs | |
452 in parallel with Emacs, and the two can communicate with each other | |
453 using the functions described in the following sections. However, | |
454 communication is only partially asynchronous: Emacs sends data to the | |
455 process only when certain functions are called, and Emacs accepts data | |
456 from the process only when Emacs is waiting for input or for a time | |
457 delay. | |
458 | |
459 Here we describe how to create an asynchronous process. | |
460 | |
461 @defun start-process name buffer-or-name program &rest args | |
462 This function creates a new asynchronous subprocess and starts the | |
463 program @var{program} running in it. It returns a process object that | |
464 stands for the new subprocess in Lisp. The argument @var{name} | |
465 specifies the name for the process object; if a process with this name | |
466 already exists, then @var{name} is modified (by appending @samp{<1>}, | |
467 etc.) to be unique. The buffer @var{buffer-or-name} is the buffer to | |
468 associate with the process. | |
469 | |
470 The remaining arguments, @var{args}, are strings that specify command | |
471 line arguments for the program. | |
472 | |
473 In the example below, the first process is started and runs (rather, | |
474 sleeps) for 100 seconds. Meanwhile, the second process is started, and | |
475 given the name @samp{my-process<1>} for the sake of uniqueness. It | |
476 inserts the directory listing at the end of the buffer @samp{foo}, | |
477 before the first process finishes. Then it finishes, and a message to | |
478 that effect is inserted in the buffer. Much later, the first process | |
479 finishes, and another message is inserted in the buffer for it. | |
480 | |
481 @smallexample | |
482 @group | |
483 (start-process "my-process" "foo" "sleep" "100") | |
484 @result{} #<process my-process> | |
485 @end group | |
486 | |
487 @group | |
488 (start-process "my-process" "foo" "ls" "-l" "/user/lewis/bin") | |
489 @result{} #<process my-process<1>> | |
490 | |
491 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
492 total 2 | |
493 lrwxrwxrwx 1 lewis 14 Jul 22 10:12 gnuemacs --> /emacs | |
494 -rwxrwxrwx 1 lewis 19 Jul 30 21:02 lemon | |
495 | |
496 Process my-process<1> finished | |
497 | |
498 Process my-process finished | |
499 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
500 @end group | |
501 @end smallexample | |
502 @end defun | |
503 | |
504 @defun start-file-process name buffer-or-name program &rest args | |
505 Like @code{start-process}, this function starts a new asynchronous | |
506 subprocess running @var{program} in it, and returns its process | |
507 object---when @code{default-directory} is not a magic file name. | |
508 | |
509 If @code{default-directory} is magic, the function invokes its file | |
510 handler instead. This handler ought to run @var{program}, perhaps on | |
511 the local host, perhaps on a remote host that corresponds to | |
512 @code{default-directory}. In the latter case, the local part of | |
513 @code{default-directory} becomes the working directory of the process. | |
514 | |
515 This function does not try to invoke file name handlers for | |
516 @var{program} or for the @var{program-args}. | |
517 | |
518 Depending on the implementation of the file handler, it might not be | |
519 possible to apply @code{process-filter} or @code{process-sentinel} to | |
520 the resulting process object (@pxref{Filter Functions}, @pxref{Sentinels}). | |
521 | |
522 Some file handlers may not support @code{start-file-process} (for | |
523 example @code{ange-ftp-hook-function}). In such cases, the function | |
524 does nothing and returns @code{nil}. | |
525 @end defun | |
526 | |
527 @defun start-process-shell-command name buffer-or-name command &rest command-args | |
528 This function is like @code{start-process} except that it uses a shell | |
529 to execute the specified command. The argument @var{command} is a shell | |
530 command name, and @var{command-args} are the arguments for the shell | |
531 command. The variable @code{shell-file-name} specifies which shell to | |
532 use. | |
533 | |
534 The point of running a program through the shell, rather than directly | |
535 with @code{start-process}, is so that you can employ shell features such | |
536 as wildcards in the arguments. It follows that if you include an | |
537 arbitrary user-specified arguments in the command, you should quote it | |
538 with @code{shell-quote-argument} first, so that any special shell | |
539 characters do @emph{not} have their special shell meanings. @xref{Shell | |
540 Arguments}. | |
541 @end defun | |
542 | |
543 @defun start-file-process-shell-command name buffer-or-name command &rest command-args | |
544 This function is like @code{start-process-shell-command}, but uses | |
545 @code{start-file-process} internally. By this, @var{command} can be | |
546 executed also on remote hosts, depending on @code{default-directory}. | |
547 @end defun | |
548 | |
549 @defvar process-connection-type | |
550 @cindex pipes | |
551 @cindex @acronym{PTY}s | |
552 This variable controls the type of device used to communicate with | |
553 asynchronous subprocesses. If it is non-@code{nil}, then @acronym{PTY}s are | |
554 used, when available. Otherwise, pipes are used. | |
555 | |
556 @acronym{PTY}s are usually preferable for processes visible to the user, as | |
557 in Shell mode, because they allow job control (@kbd{C-c}, @kbd{C-z}, | |
558 etc.) to work between the process and its children, whereas pipes do | |
559 not. For subprocesses used for internal purposes by programs, it is | |
560 often better to use a pipe, because they are more efficient. In | |
561 addition, the total number of @acronym{PTY}s is limited on many systems and | |
562 it is good not to waste them. | |
563 | |
564 The value of @code{process-connection-type} takes effect when | |
565 @code{start-process} is called. So you can specify how to communicate | |
566 with one subprocess by binding the variable around the call to | |
567 @code{start-process}. | |
568 | |
569 @smallexample | |
570 @group | |
571 (let ((process-connection-type nil)) ; @r{Use a pipe.} | |
572 (start-process @dots{})) | |
573 @end group | |
574 @end smallexample | |
575 | |
576 To determine whether a given subprocess actually got a pipe or a | |
577 @acronym{PTY}, use the function @code{process-tty-name} (@pxref{Process | |
578 Information}). | |
579 @end defvar | |
580 | |
581 @node Deleting Processes | |
582 @section Deleting Processes | |
583 @cindex deleting processes | |
584 | |
585 @dfn{Deleting a process} disconnects Emacs immediately from the | |
586 subprocess. Processes are deleted automatically after they terminate, | |
587 but not necessarily right away. You can delete a process explicitly | |
588 at any time. If you delete a terminated process explicitly before it | |
589 is deleted automatically, no harm results. Deleting a running | |
590 process sends a signal to terminate it (and its child processes if | |
591 any), and calls the process sentinel if it has one. @xref{Sentinels}. | |
592 | |
593 When a process is deleted, the process object itself continues to | |
594 exist as long as other Lisp objects point to it. All the Lisp | |
595 primitives that work on process objects accept deleted processes, but | |
596 those that do I/O or send signals will report an error. The process | |
597 mark continues to point to the same place as before, usually into a | |
598 buffer where output from the process was being inserted. | |
599 | |
600 @defopt delete-exited-processes | |
601 This variable controls automatic deletion of processes that have | |
602 terminated (due to calling @code{exit} or to a signal). If it is | |
603 @code{nil}, then they continue to exist until the user runs | |
604 @code{list-processes}. Otherwise, they are deleted immediately after | |
605 they exit. | |
606 @end defopt | |
607 | |
608 @defun delete-process process | |
609 This function deletes a process, killing it with a @code{SIGKILL} | |
610 signal. The argument may be a process, the name of a process, a | |
611 buffer, or the name of a buffer. (A buffer or buffer-name stands for | |
612 the process that @code{get-buffer-process} returns.) Calling | |
613 @code{delete-process} on a running process terminates it, updates the | |
614 process status, and runs the sentinel (if any) immediately. If the | |
615 process has already terminated, calling @code{delete-process} has no | |
616 effect on its status, or on the running of its sentinel (which will | |
617 happen sooner or later). | |
618 | |
619 @smallexample | |
620 @group | |
621 (delete-process "*shell*") | |
622 @result{} nil | |
623 @end group | |
624 @end smallexample | |
625 @end defun | |
626 | |
627 @node Process Information | |
628 @section Process Information | |
629 | |
630 Several functions return information about processes. | |
631 @code{list-processes} is provided for interactive use. | |
632 | |
633 @deffn Command list-processes &optional query-only | |
634 This command displays a listing of all living processes. In addition, | |
635 it finally deletes any process whose status was @samp{Exited} or | |
636 @samp{Signaled}. It returns @code{nil}. | |
637 | |
638 If @var{query-only} is non-@code{nil} then it lists only processes | |
639 whose query flag is non-@code{nil}. @xref{Query Before Exit}. | |
640 @end deffn | |
641 | |
642 @defun process-list | |
643 This function returns a list of all processes that have not been deleted. | |
644 | |
645 @smallexample | |
646 @group | |
647 (process-list) | |
648 @result{} (#<process display-time> #<process shell>) | |
649 @end group | |
650 @end smallexample | |
651 @end defun | |
652 | |
653 @defun get-process name | |
654 This function returns the process named @var{name}, or @code{nil} if | |
655 there is none. An error is signaled if @var{name} is not a string. | |
656 | |
657 @smallexample | |
658 @group | |
659 (get-process "shell") | |
660 @result{} #<process shell> | |
661 @end group | |
662 @end smallexample | |
663 @end defun | |
664 | |
665 @defun process-command process | |
666 This function returns the command that was executed to start | |
667 @var{process}. This is a list of strings, the first string being the | |
668 program executed and the rest of the strings being the arguments that | |
669 were given to the program. | |
670 | |
671 @smallexample | |
672 @group | |
673 (process-command (get-process "shell")) | |
674 @result{} ("/bin/csh" "-i") | |
675 @end group | |
676 @end smallexample | |
677 @end defun | |
678 | |
679 @defun process-id process | |
680 This function returns the @acronym{PID} of @var{process}. This is an | |
681 integer that distinguishes the process @var{process} from all other | |
682 processes running on the same computer at the current time. The | |
683 @acronym{PID} of a process is chosen by the operating system kernel when the | |
684 process is started and remains constant as long as the process exists. | |
685 @end defun | |
686 | |
687 @defun process-name process | |
688 This function returns the name of @var{process}. | |
689 @end defun | |
690 | |
691 @defun process-status process-name | |
692 This function returns the status of @var{process-name} as a symbol. | |
693 The argument @var{process-name} must be a process, a buffer, a | |
694 process name (string) or a buffer name (string). | |
695 | |
696 The possible values for an actual subprocess are: | |
697 | |
698 @table @code | |
699 @item run | |
700 for a process that is running. | |
701 @item stop | |
702 for a process that is stopped but continuable. | |
703 @item exit | |
704 for a process that has exited. | |
705 @item signal | |
706 for a process that has received a fatal signal. | |
707 @item open | |
708 for a network connection that is open. | |
709 @item closed | |
710 for a network connection that is closed. Once a connection | |
711 is closed, you cannot reopen it, though you might be able to open | |
712 a new connection to the same place. | |
713 @item connect | |
714 for a non-blocking connection that is waiting to complete. | |
715 @item failed | |
716 for a non-blocking connection that has failed to complete. | |
717 @item listen | |
718 for a network server that is listening. | |
719 @item nil | |
720 if @var{process-name} is not the name of an existing process. | |
721 @end table | |
722 | |
723 @smallexample | |
724 @group | |
725 (process-status "shell") | |
726 @result{} run | |
727 @end group | |
728 @group | |
729 (process-status (get-buffer "*shell*")) | |
730 @result{} run | |
731 @end group | |
732 @group | |
733 x | |
734 @result{} #<process xx<1>> | |
735 (process-status x) | |
736 @result{} exit | |
737 @end group | |
738 @end smallexample | |
739 | |
740 For a network connection, @code{process-status} returns one of the symbols | |
741 @code{open} or @code{closed}. The latter means that the other side | |
742 closed the connection, or Emacs did @code{delete-process}. | |
743 @end defun | |
744 | |
745 @defun process-exit-status process | |
746 This function returns the exit status of @var{process} or the signal | |
747 number that killed it. (Use the result of @code{process-status} to | |
748 determine which of those it is.) If @var{process} has not yet | |
749 terminated, the value is 0. | |
750 @end defun | |
751 | |
752 @defun process-tty-name process | |
753 This function returns the terminal name that @var{process} is using for | |
754 its communication with Emacs---or @code{nil} if it is using pipes | |
755 instead of a terminal (see @code{process-connection-type} in | |
756 @ref{Asynchronous Processes}). | |
757 @end defun | |
758 | |
759 @defun process-coding-system process | |
760 @anchor{Coding systems for a subprocess} | |
761 This function returns a cons cell describing the coding systems in use | |
762 for decoding output from @var{process} and for encoding input to | |
763 @var{process} (@pxref{Coding Systems}). The value has this form: | |
764 | |
765 @example | |
766 (@var{coding-system-for-decoding} . @var{coding-system-for-encoding}) | |
767 @end example | |
768 @end defun | |
769 | |
770 @defun set-process-coding-system process &optional decoding-system encoding-system | |
771 This function specifies the coding systems to use for subsequent output | |
772 from and input to @var{process}. It will use @var{decoding-system} to | |
773 decode subprocess output, and @var{encoding-system} to encode subprocess | |
774 input. | |
775 @end defun | |
776 | |
777 Every process also has a property list that you can use to store | |
778 miscellaneous values associated with the process. | |
779 | |
780 @defun process-get process propname | |
781 This function returns the value of the @var{propname} property | |
782 of @var{process}. | |
783 @end defun | |
784 | |
785 @defun process-put process propname value | |
786 This function sets the value of the @var{propname} property | |
787 of @var{process} to @var{value}. | |
788 @end defun | |
789 | |
790 @defun process-plist process | |
791 This function returns the process plist of @var{process}. | |
792 @end defun | |
793 | |
794 @defun set-process-plist process plist | |
795 This function sets the process plist of @var{process} to @var{plist}. | |
796 @end defun | |
797 | |
798 @node Input to Processes | |
799 @section Sending Input to Processes | |
800 @cindex process input | |
801 | |
802 Asynchronous subprocesses receive input when it is sent to them by | |
803 Emacs, which is done with the functions in this section. You must | |
804 specify the process to send input to, and the input data to send. The | |
805 data appears on the ``standard input'' of the subprocess. | |
806 | |
807 Some operating systems have limited space for buffered input in a | |
808 @acronym{PTY}. On these systems, Emacs sends an @acronym{EOF} | |
809 periodically amidst the other characters, to force them through. For | |
810 most programs, these @acronym{EOF}s do no harm. | |
811 | |
812 Subprocess input is normally encoded using a coding system before the | |
813 subprocess receives it, much like text written into a file. You can use | |
814 @code{set-process-coding-system} to specify which coding system to use | |
815 (@pxref{Process Information}). Otherwise, the coding system comes from | |
816 @code{coding-system-for-write}, if that is non-@code{nil}; or else from | |
817 the defaulting mechanism (@pxref{Default Coding Systems}). | |
818 | |
819 Sometimes the system is unable to accept input for that process, | |
820 because the input buffer is full. When this happens, the send functions | |
821 wait a short while, accepting output from subprocesses, and then try | |
822 again. This gives the subprocess a chance to read more of its pending | |
823 input and make space in the buffer. It also allows filters, sentinels | |
824 and timers to run---so take account of that in writing your code. | |
825 | |
826 In these functions, the @var{process} argument can be a process or | |
827 the name of a process, or a buffer or buffer name (which stands | |
828 for a process via @code{get-buffer-process}). @code{nil} means | |
829 the current buffer's process. | |
830 | |
831 @defun process-send-string process string | |
832 This function sends @var{process} the contents of @var{string} as | |
833 standard input. If it is @code{nil}, the current buffer's process is used. | |
834 | |
835 The function returns @code{nil}. | |
836 | |
837 @smallexample | |
838 @group | |
839 (process-send-string "shell<1>" "ls\n") | |
840 @result{} nil | |
841 @end group | |
842 | |
843 | |
844 @group | |
845 ---------- Buffer: *shell* ---------- | |
846 ... | |
847 introduction.texi syntax-tables.texi~ | |
848 introduction.texi~ text.texi | |
849 introduction.txt text.texi~ | |
850 ... | |
851 ---------- Buffer: *shell* ---------- | |
852 @end group | |
853 @end smallexample | |
854 @end defun | |
855 | |
856 @defun process-send-region process start end | |
857 This function sends the text in the region defined by @var{start} and | |
858 @var{end} as standard input to @var{process}. | |
859 | |
860 An error is signaled unless both @var{start} and @var{end} are | |
861 integers or markers that indicate positions in the current buffer. (It | |
862 is unimportant which number is larger.) | |
863 @end defun | |
864 | |
865 @defun process-send-eof &optional process | |
866 This function makes @var{process} see an end-of-file in its | |
867 input. The @acronym{EOF} comes after any text already sent to it. | |
868 | |
869 The function returns @var{process}. | |
870 | |
871 @smallexample | |
872 @group | |
873 (process-send-eof "shell") | |
874 @result{} "shell" | |
875 @end group | |
876 @end smallexample | |
877 @end defun | |
878 | |
879 @defun process-running-child-p process | |
880 This function will tell you whether a subprocess has given control of | |
881 its terminal to its own child process. The value is @code{t} if this is | |
882 true, or if Emacs cannot tell; it is @code{nil} if Emacs can be certain | |
883 that this is not so. | |
884 @end defun | |
885 | |
886 @node Signals to Processes | |
887 @section Sending Signals to Processes | |
888 @cindex process signals | |
889 @cindex sending signals | |
890 @cindex signals | |
891 | |
892 @dfn{Sending a signal} to a subprocess is a way of interrupting its | |
893 activities. There are several different signals, each with its own | |
894 meaning. The set of signals and their names is defined by the operating | |
895 system. For example, the signal @code{SIGINT} means that the user has | |
896 typed @kbd{C-c}, or that some analogous thing has happened. | |
897 | |
898 Each signal has a standard effect on the subprocess. Most signals | |
899 kill the subprocess, but some stop or resume execution instead. Most | |
900 signals can optionally be handled by programs; if the program handles | |
901 the signal, then we can say nothing in general about its effects. | |
902 | |
903 You can send signals explicitly by calling the functions in this | |
904 section. Emacs also sends signals automatically at certain times: | |
905 killing a buffer sends a @code{SIGHUP} signal to all its associated | |
906 processes; killing Emacs sends a @code{SIGHUP} signal to all remaining | |
907 processes. (@code{SIGHUP} is a signal that usually indicates that the | |
908 user hung up the phone.) | |
909 | |
910 Each of the signal-sending functions takes two optional arguments: | |
911 @var{process} and @var{current-group}. | |
912 | |
913 The argument @var{process} must be either a process, a process | |
914 name, a buffer, a buffer name, or @code{nil}. A buffer or buffer name | |
915 stands for a process through @code{get-buffer-process}. @code{nil} | |
916 stands for the process associated with the current buffer. An error | |
917 is signaled if @var{process} does not identify a process. | |
918 | |
919 The argument @var{current-group} is a flag that makes a difference | |
920 when you are running a job-control shell as an Emacs subprocess. If it | |
921 is non-@code{nil}, then the signal is sent to the current process-group | |
922 of the terminal that Emacs uses to communicate with the subprocess. If | |
923 the process is a job-control shell, this means the shell's current | |
924 subjob. If it is @code{nil}, the signal is sent to the process group of | |
925 the immediate subprocess of Emacs. If the subprocess is a job-control | |
926 shell, this is the shell itself. | |
927 | |
928 The flag @var{current-group} has no effect when a pipe is used to | |
929 communicate with the subprocess, because the operating system does not | |
930 support the distinction in the case of pipes. For the same reason, | |
931 job-control shells won't work when a pipe is used. See | |
932 @code{process-connection-type} in @ref{Asynchronous Processes}. | |
933 | |
934 @defun interrupt-process &optional process current-group | |
935 This function interrupts the process @var{process} by sending the | |
936 signal @code{SIGINT}. Outside of Emacs, typing the ``interrupt | |
937 character'' (normally @kbd{C-c} on some systems, and @code{DEL} on | |
938 others) sends this signal. When the argument @var{current-group} is | |
939 non-@code{nil}, you can think of this function as ``typing @kbd{C-c}'' | |
940 on the terminal by which Emacs talks to the subprocess. | |
941 @end defun | |
942 | |
943 @defun kill-process &optional process current-group | |
944 This function kills the process @var{process} by sending the | |
945 signal @code{SIGKILL}. This signal kills the subprocess immediately, | |
946 and cannot be handled by the subprocess. | |
947 @end defun | |
948 | |
949 @defun quit-process &optional process current-group | |
950 This function sends the signal @code{SIGQUIT} to the process | |
951 @var{process}. This signal is the one sent by the ``quit | |
952 character'' (usually @kbd{C-b} or @kbd{C-\}) when you are not inside | |
953 Emacs. | |
954 @end defun | |
955 | |
956 @defun stop-process &optional process current-group | |
957 This function stops the process @var{process} by sending the | |
958 signal @code{SIGTSTP}. Use @code{continue-process} to resume its | |
959 execution. | |
960 | |
961 Outside of Emacs, on systems with job control, the ``stop character'' | |
962 (usually @kbd{C-z}) normally sends this signal. When | |
963 @var{current-group} is non-@code{nil}, you can think of this function as | |
964 ``typing @kbd{C-z}'' on the terminal Emacs uses to communicate with the | |
965 subprocess. | |
966 @end defun | |
967 | |
968 @defun continue-process &optional process current-group | |
969 This function resumes execution of the process @var{process} by sending | |
970 it the signal @code{SIGCONT}. This presumes that @var{process} was | |
971 stopped previously. | |
972 @end defun | |
973 | |
974 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
975 @defun signal-process process signal | |
976 This function sends a signal to process @var{process}. The argument | |
977 @var{signal} specifies which signal to send; it should be an integer. | |
978 | |
979 The @var{process} argument can be a system process @acronym{ID}; that | |
980 allows you to send signals to processes that are not children of | |
981 Emacs. | |
982 @end defun | |
983 | |
984 @node Output from Processes | |
985 @section Receiving Output from Processes | |
986 @cindex process output | |
987 @cindex output from processes | |
988 | |
989 There are two ways to receive the output that a subprocess writes to | |
990 its standard output stream. The output can be inserted in a buffer, | |
991 which is called the associated buffer of the process, or a function | |
992 called the @dfn{filter function} can be called to act on the output. If | |
993 the process has no buffer and no filter function, its output is | |
994 discarded. | |
995 | |
996 When a subprocess terminates, Emacs reads any pending output, | |
997 then stops reading output from that subprocess. Therefore, if the | |
998 subprocess has children that are still live and still producing | |
999 output, Emacs won't receive that output. | |
1000 | |
1001 Output from a subprocess can arrive only while Emacs is waiting: when | |
1002 reading terminal input, in @code{sit-for} and @code{sleep-for} | |
1003 (@pxref{Waiting}), and in @code{accept-process-output} (@pxref{Accepting | |
1004 Output}). This minimizes the problem of timing errors that usually | |
1005 plague parallel programming. For example, you can safely create a | |
1006 process and only then specify its buffer or filter function; no output | |
1007 can arrive before you finish, if the code in between does not call any | |
1008 primitive that waits. | |
1009 | |
1010 @defvar process-adaptive-read-buffering | |
1011 On some systems, when Emacs reads the output from a subprocess, the | |
1012 output data is read in very small blocks, potentially resulting in | |
1013 very poor performance. This behavior can be remedied to some extent | |
1014 by setting the variable @var{process-adaptive-read-buffering} to a | |
1015 non-@code{nil} value (the default), as it will automatically delay reading | |
1016 from such processes, thus allowing them to produce more output before | |
1017 Emacs tries to read it. | |
1018 @end defvar | |
1019 | |
1020 It is impossible to separate the standard output and standard error | |
1021 streams of the subprocess, because Emacs normally spawns the subprocess | |
1022 inside a pseudo-TTY, and a pseudo-TTY has only one output channel. If | |
1023 you want to keep the output to those streams separate, you should | |
1024 redirect one of them to a file---for example, by using an appropriate | |
1025 shell command. | |
1026 | |
1027 @menu | |
1028 * Process Buffers:: If no filter, output is put in a buffer. | |
1029 * Filter Functions:: Filter functions accept output from the process. | |
1030 * Decoding Output:: Filters can get unibyte or multibyte strings. | |
1031 * Accepting Output:: How to wait until process output arrives. | |
1032 @end menu | |
1033 | |
1034 @node Process Buffers | |
1035 @subsection Process Buffers | |
1036 | |
1037 A process can (and usually does) have an @dfn{associated buffer}, | |
1038 which is an ordinary Emacs buffer that is used for two purposes: storing | |
1039 the output from the process, and deciding when to kill the process. You | |
1040 can also use the buffer to identify a process to operate on, since in | |
1041 normal practice only one process is associated with any given buffer. | |
1042 Many applications of processes also use the buffer for editing input to | |
1043 be sent to the process, but this is not built into Emacs Lisp. | |
1044 | |
1045 Unless the process has a filter function (@pxref{Filter Functions}), | |
1046 its output is inserted in the associated buffer. The position to insert | |
1047 the output is determined by the @code{process-mark}, which is then | |
1048 updated to point to the end of the text just inserted. Usually, but not | |
1049 always, the @code{process-mark} is at the end of the buffer. | |
1050 | |
1051 @defun process-buffer process | |
1052 This function returns the associated buffer of the process | |
1053 @var{process}. | |
1054 | |
1055 @smallexample | |
1056 @group | |
1057 (process-buffer (get-process "shell")) | |
1058 @result{} #<buffer *shell*> | |
1059 @end group | |
1060 @end smallexample | |
1061 @end defun | |
1062 | |
1063 @defun process-mark process | |
1064 This function returns the process marker for @var{process}, which is the | |
1065 marker that says where to insert output from the process. | |
1066 | |
1067 If @var{process} does not have a buffer, @code{process-mark} returns a | |
1068 marker that points nowhere. | |
1069 | |
1070 Insertion of process output in a buffer uses this marker to decide where | |
1071 to insert, and updates it to point after the inserted text. That is why | |
1072 successive batches of output are inserted consecutively. | |
1073 | |
1074 Filter functions normally should use this marker in the same fashion | |
1075 as is done by direct insertion of output in the buffer. A good | |
1076 example of a filter function that uses @code{process-mark} is found at | |
1077 the end of the following section. | |
1078 | |
1079 When the user is expected to enter input in the process buffer for | |
1080 transmission to the process, the process marker separates the new input | |
1081 from previous output. | |
1082 @end defun | |
1083 | |
1084 @defun set-process-buffer process buffer | |
1085 This function sets the buffer associated with @var{process} to | |
1086 @var{buffer}. If @var{buffer} is @code{nil}, the process becomes | |
1087 associated with no buffer. | |
1088 @end defun | |
1089 | |
1090 @defun get-buffer-process buffer-or-name | |
1091 This function returns a nondeleted process associated with the buffer | |
1092 specified by @var{buffer-or-name}. If there are several processes | |
1093 associated with it, this function chooses one (currently, the one most | |
1094 recently created, but don't count on that). Deletion of a process | |
1095 (see @code{delete-process}) makes it ineligible for this function to | |
1096 return. | |
1097 | |
1098 It is usually a bad idea to have more than one process associated with | |
1099 the same buffer. | |
1100 | |
1101 @smallexample | |
1102 @group | |
1103 (get-buffer-process "*shell*") | |
1104 @result{} #<process shell> | |
1105 @end group | |
1106 @end smallexample | |
1107 | |
1108 Killing the process's buffer deletes the process, which kills the | |
1109 subprocess with a @code{SIGHUP} signal (@pxref{Signals to Processes}). | |
1110 @end defun | |
1111 | |
1112 @node Filter Functions | |
1113 @subsection Process Filter Functions | |
1114 @cindex filter function | |
1115 @cindex process filter | |
1116 | |
1117 A process @dfn{filter function} is a function that receives the | |
1118 standard output from the associated process. If a process has a filter, | |
1119 then @emph{all} output from that process is passed to the filter. The | |
1120 process buffer is used directly for output from the process only when | |
1121 there is no filter. | |
1122 | |
1123 The filter function can only be called when Emacs is waiting for | |
1124 something, because process output arrives only at such times. Emacs | |
1125 waits when reading terminal input, in @code{sit-for} and | |
1126 @code{sleep-for} (@pxref{Waiting}), and in @code{accept-process-output} | |
1127 (@pxref{Accepting Output}). | |
1128 | |
1129 A filter function must accept two arguments: the associated process | |
1130 and a string, which is output just received from it. The function is | |
1131 then free to do whatever it chooses with the output. | |
1132 | |
1133 Quitting is normally inhibited within a filter function---otherwise, | |
1134 the effect of typing @kbd{C-g} at command level or to quit a user | |
1135 command would be unpredictable. If you want to permit quitting inside | |
1136 a filter function, bind @code{inhibit-quit} to @code{nil}. In most | |
1137 cases, the right way to do this is with the macro | |
1138 @code{with-local-quit}. @xref{Quitting}. | |
1139 | |
1140 If an error happens during execution of a filter function, it is | |
1141 caught automatically, so that it doesn't stop the execution of whatever | |
1142 program was running when the filter function was started. However, if | |
1143 @code{debug-on-error} is non-@code{nil}, the error-catching is turned | |
1144 off. This makes it possible to use the Lisp debugger to debug the | |
1145 filter function. @xref{Debugger}. | |
1146 | |
1147 Many filter functions sometimes or always insert the text in the | |
1148 process's buffer, mimicking the actions of Emacs when there is no | |
1149 filter. Such filter functions need to use @code{set-buffer} in order to | |
1150 be sure to insert in that buffer. To avoid setting the current buffer | |
1151 semipermanently, these filter functions must save and restore the | |
1152 current buffer. They should also update the process marker, and in some | |
1153 cases update the value of point. Here is how to do these things: | |
1154 | |
1155 @smallexample | |
1156 @group | |
1157 (defun ordinary-insertion-filter (proc string) | |
1158 (with-current-buffer (process-buffer proc) | |
1159 (let ((moving (= (point) (process-mark proc)))) | |
1160 @end group | |
1161 @group | |
1162 (save-excursion | |
1163 ;; @r{Insert the text, advancing the process marker.} | |
1164 (goto-char (process-mark proc)) | |
1165 (insert string) | |
1166 (set-marker (process-mark proc) (point))) | |
1167 (if moving (goto-char (process-mark proc)))))) | |
1168 @end group | |
1169 @end smallexample | |
1170 | |
1171 @noindent | |
1172 The reason to use @code{with-current-buffer}, rather than using | |
1173 @code{save-excursion} to save and restore the current buffer, is so as | |
1174 to preserve the change in point made by the second call to | |
1175 @code{goto-char}. | |
1176 | |
1177 To make the filter force the process buffer to be visible whenever new | |
1178 text arrives, insert the following line just before the | |
1179 @code{with-current-buffer} construct: | |
1180 | |
1181 @smallexample | |
1182 (display-buffer (process-buffer proc)) | |
1183 @end smallexample | |
1184 | |
1185 To force point to the end of the new output, no matter where it was | |
1186 previously, eliminate the variable @code{moving} and call | |
1187 @code{goto-char} unconditionally. | |
1188 | |
1189 In earlier Emacs versions, every filter function that did regular | |
1190 expression searching or matching had to explicitly save and restore the | |
1191 match data. Now Emacs does this automatically for filter functions; | |
1192 they never need to do it explicitly. @xref{Match Data}. | |
1193 | |
1194 A filter function that writes the output into the buffer of the | |
1195 process should check whether the buffer is still alive. If it tries to | |
1196 insert into a dead buffer, it will get an error. The expression | |
1197 @code{(buffer-name (process-buffer @var{process}))} returns @code{nil} | |
1198 if the buffer is dead. | |
1199 | |
1200 The output to the function may come in chunks of any size. A program | |
1201 that produces the same output twice in a row may send it as one batch of | |
1202 200 characters one time, and five batches of 40 characters the next. If | |
1203 the filter looks for certain text strings in the subprocess output, make | |
1204 sure to handle the case where one of these strings is split across two | |
1205 or more batches of output. | |
1206 | |
1207 @defun set-process-filter process filter | |
1208 This function gives @var{process} the filter function @var{filter}. If | |
1209 @var{filter} is @code{nil}, it gives the process no filter. | |
1210 @end defun | |
1211 | |
1212 @defun process-filter process | |
1213 This function returns the filter function of @var{process}, or @code{nil} | |
1214 if it has none. | |
1215 @end defun | |
1216 | |
1217 Here is an example of use of a filter function: | |
1218 | |
1219 @smallexample | |
1220 @group | |
1221 (defun keep-output (process output) | |
1222 (setq kept (cons output kept))) | |
1223 @result{} keep-output | |
1224 @end group | |
1225 @group | |
1226 (setq kept nil) | |
1227 @result{} nil | |
1228 @end group | |
1229 @group | |
1230 (set-process-filter (get-process "shell") 'keep-output) | |
1231 @result{} keep-output | |
1232 @end group | |
1233 @group | |
1234 (process-send-string "shell" "ls ~/other\n") | |
1235 @result{} nil | |
1236 kept | |
1237 @result{} ("lewis@@slug[8] % " | |
1238 @end group | |
1239 @group | |
1240 "FINAL-W87-SHORT.MSS backup.otl kolstad.mss~ | |
1241 address.txt backup.psf kolstad.psf | |
1242 backup.bib~ david.mss resume-Dec-86.mss~ | |
1243 backup.err david.psf resume-Dec.psf | |
1244 backup.mss dland syllabus.mss | |
1245 " | |
1246 "#backups.mss# backup.mss~ kolstad.mss | |
1247 ") | |
1248 @end group | |
1249 @end smallexample | |
1250 | |
1251 @ignore @c The code in this example doesn't show the right way to do things. | |
1252 Here is another, more realistic example, which demonstrates how to use | |
1253 the process mark to do insertion in the same fashion as is done when | |
1254 there is no filter function: | |
1255 | |
1256 @smallexample | |
1257 @group | |
1258 ;; @r{Insert input in the buffer specified by @code{my-shell-buffer}} | |
1259 ;; @r{and make sure that buffer is shown in some window.} | |
1260 (defun my-process-filter (proc str) | |
1261 (let ((cur (selected-window)) | |
1262 (pop-up-windows t)) | |
1263 (pop-to-buffer my-shell-buffer) | |
1264 @end group | |
1265 @group | |
1266 (goto-char (point-max)) | |
1267 (insert str) | |
1268 (set-marker (process-mark proc) (point-max)) | |
1269 (select-window cur))) | |
1270 @end group | |
1271 @end smallexample | |
1272 @end ignore | |
1273 | |
1274 @node Decoding Output | |
1275 @subsection Decoding Process Output | |
1276 @cindex decode process output | |
1277 | |
1278 When Emacs writes process output directly into a multibyte buffer, | |
1279 it decodes the output according to the process output coding system. | |
1280 If the coding system is @code{raw-text} or @code{no-conversion}, Emacs | |
1281 converts the unibyte output to multibyte using | |
1282 @code{string-to-multibyte}, and inserts the resulting multibyte text. | |
1283 | |
1284 You can use @code{set-process-coding-system} to specify which coding | |
1285 system to use (@pxref{Process Information}). Otherwise, the coding | |
1286 system comes from @code{coding-system-for-read}, if that is | |
1287 non-@code{nil}; or else from the defaulting mechanism (@pxref{Default | |
1288 Coding Systems}). | |
1289 | |
1290 @strong{Warning:} Coding systems such as @code{undecided} which | |
1291 determine the coding system from the data do not work entirely | |
1292 reliably with asynchronous subprocess output. This is because Emacs | |
1293 has to process asynchronous subprocess output in batches, as it | |
1294 arrives. Emacs must try to detect the proper coding system from one | |
1295 batch at a time, and this does not always work. Therefore, if at all | |
1296 possible, specify a coding system that determines both the character | |
1297 code conversion and the end of line conversion---that is, one like | |
1298 @code{latin-1-unix}, rather than @code{undecided} or @code{latin-1}. | |
1299 | |
1300 @cindex filter multibyte flag, of process | |
1301 @cindex process filter multibyte flag | |
1302 When Emacs calls a process filter function, it provides the process | |
1303 output as a multibyte string or as a unibyte string according to the | |
1304 process's filter multibyte flag. If the flag is non-@code{nil}, Emacs | |
1305 decodes the output according to the process output coding system to | |
1306 produce a multibyte string, and passes that to the process. If the | |
1307 flag is @code{nil}, Emacs puts the output into a unibyte string, with | |
1308 no decoding, and passes that. | |
1309 | |
1310 When you create a process, the filter multibyte flag takes its | |
1311 initial value from @code{default-enable-multibyte-characters}. If you | |
1312 want to change the flag later on, use | |
1313 @code{set-process-filter-multibyte}. | |
1314 | |
1315 @defun set-process-filter-multibyte process multibyte | |
1316 This function sets the filter multibyte flag of @var{process} | |
1317 to @var{multibyte}. | |
1318 @end defun | |
1319 | |
1320 @defun process-filter-multibyte-p process | |
1321 This function returns the filter multibyte flag of @var{process}. | |
1322 @end defun | |
1323 | |
1324 @node Accepting Output | |
1325 @subsection Accepting Output from Processes | |
1326 @cindex accept input from processes | |
1327 | |
1328 Output from asynchronous subprocesses normally arrives only while | |
1329 Emacs is waiting for some sort of external event, such as elapsed time | |
1330 or terminal input. Occasionally it is useful in a Lisp program to | |
1331 explicitly permit output to arrive at a specific point, or even to wait | |
1332 until output arrives from a process. | |
1333 | |
1334 @defun accept-process-output &optional process seconds millisec just-this-one | |
1335 This function allows Emacs to read pending output from processes. The | |
1336 output is inserted in the associated buffers or given to their filter | |
1337 functions. If @var{process} is non-@code{nil} then this function does | |
1338 not return until some output has been received from @var{process}. | |
1339 | |
1340 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
1341 The arguments @var{seconds} and @var{millisec} let you specify timeout | |
1342 periods. The former specifies a period measured in seconds and the | |
1343 latter specifies one measured in milliseconds. The two time periods | |
1344 thus specified are added together, and @code{accept-process-output} | |
1345 returns after that much time, whether or not there has been any | |
1346 subprocess output. | |
1347 | |
1348 The argument @var{millisec} is semi-obsolete nowadays because | |
1349 @var{seconds} can be a floating point number to specify waiting a | |
1350 fractional number of seconds. If @var{seconds} is 0, the function | |
1351 accepts whatever output is pending but does not wait. | |
1352 | |
1353 @c Emacs 22.1 feature | |
1354 If @var{process} is a process, and the argument @var{just-this-one} is | |
1355 non-@code{nil}, only output from that process is handled, suspending output | |
1356 from other processes until some output has been received from that | |
1357 process or the timeout expires. If @var{just-this-one} is an integer, | |
1358 also inhibit running timers. This feature is generally not | |
1359 recommended, but may be necessary for specific applications, such as | |
1360 speech synthesis. | |
1361 | |
1362 The function @code{accept-process-output} returns non-@code{nil} if it | |
1363 did get some output, or @code{nil} if the timeout expired before output | |
1364 arrived. | |
1365 @end defun | |
1366 | |
1367 @node Sentinels | |
1368 @section Sentinels: Detecting Process Status Changes | |
1369 @cindex process sentinel | |
1370 @cindex sentinel (of process) | |
1371 | |
1372 A @dfn{process sentinel} is a function that is called whenever the | |
1373 associated process changes status for any reason, including signals | |
1374 (whether sent by Emacs or caused by the process's own actions) that | |
1375 terminate, stop, or continue the process. The process sentinel is | |
1376 also called if the process exits. The sentinel receives two | |
1377 arguments: the process for which the event occurred, and a string | |
1378 describing the type of event. | |
1379 | |
1380 The string describing the event looks like one of the following: | |
1381 | |
1382 @itemize @bullet | |
1383 @item | |
1384 @code{"finished\n"}. | |
1385 | |
1386 @item | |
1387 @code{"exited abnormally with code @var{exitcode}\n"}. | |
1388 | |
1389 @item | |
1390 @code{"@var{name-of-signal}\n"}. | |
1391 | |
1392 @item | |
1393 @code{"@var{name-of-signal} (core dumped)\n"}. | |
1394 @end itemize | |
1395 | |
1396 A sentinel runs only while Emacs is waiting (e.g., for terminal | |
1397 input, or for time to elapse, or for process output). This avoids the | |
1398 timing errors that could result from running them at random places in | |
1399 the middle of other Lisp programs. A program can wait, so that | |
1400 sentinels will run, by calling @code{sit-for} or @code{sleep-for} | |
1401 (@pxref{Waiting}), or @code{accept-process-output} (@pxref{Accepting | |
1402 Output}). Emacs also allows sentinels to run when the command loop is | |
1403 reading input. @code{delete-process} calls the sentinel when it | |
1404 terminates a running process. | |
1405 | |
1406 Emacs does not keep a queue of multiple reasons to call the sentinel | |
1407 of one process; it records just the current status and the fact that | |
1408 there has been a change. Therefore two changes in status, coming in | |
1409 quick succession, can call the sentinel just once. However, process | |
1410 termination will always run the sentinel exactly once. This is | |
1411 because the process status can't change again after termination. | |
1412 | |
1413 Emacs explicitly checks for output from the process before running | |
1414 the process sentinel. Once the sentinel runs due to process | |
1415 termination, no further output can arrive from the process. | |
1416 | |
1417 A sentinel that writes the output into the buffer of the process | |
1418 should check whether the buffer is still alive. If it tries to insert | |
1419 into a dead buffer, it will get an error. If the buffer is dead, | |
1420 @code{(buffer-name (process-buffer @var{process}))} returns @code{nil}. | |
1421 | |
1422 Quitting is normally inhibited within a sentinel---otherwise, the | |
1423 effect of typing @kbd{C-g} at command level or to quit a user command | |
1424 would be unpredictable. If you want to permit quitting inside a | |
1425 sentinel, bind @code{inhibit-quit} to @code{nil}. In most cases, the | |
1426 right way to do this is with the macro @code{with-local-quit}. | |
1427 @xref{Quitting}. | |
1428 | |
1429 If an error happens during execution of a sentinel, it is caught | |
1430 automatically, so that it doesn't stop the execution of whatever | |
1431 programs was running when the sentinel was started. However, if | |
1432 @code{debug-on-error} is non-@code{nil}, the error-catching is turned | |
1433 off. This makes it possible to use the Lisp debugger to debug the | |
1434 sentinel. @xref{Debugger}. | |
1435 | |
1436 While a sentinel is running, the process sentinel is temporarily | |
1437 set to @code{nil} so that the sentinel won't run recursively. | |
1438 For this reason it is not possible for a sentinel to specify | |
1439 a new sentinel. | |
1440 | |
1441 In earlier Emacs versions, every sentinel that did regular expression | |
1442 searching or matching had to explicitly save and restore the match data. | |
1443 Now Emacs does this automatically for sentinels; they never need to do | |
1444 it explicitly. @xref{Match Data}. | |
1445 | |
1446 @defun set-process-sentinel process sentinel | |
1447 This function associates @var{sentinel} with @var{process}. If | |
1448 @var{sentinel} is @code{nil}, then the process will have no sentinel. | |
1449 The default behavior when there is no sentinel is to insert a message in | |
1450 the process's buffer when the process status changes. | |
1451 | |
1452 Changes in process sentinel take effect immediately---if the sentinel | |
1453 is slated to be run but has not been called yet, and you specify a new | |
1454 sentinel, the eventual call to the sentinel will use the new one. | |
1455 | |
1456 @smallexample | |
1457 @group | |
1458 (defun msg-me (process event) | |
1459 (princ | |
1460 (format "Process: %s had the event `%s'" process event))) | |
1461 (set-process-sentinel (get-process "shell") 'msg-me) | |
1462 @result{} msg-me | |
1463 @end group | |
1464 @group | |
1465 (kill-process (get-process "shell")) | |
1466 @print{} Process: #<process shell> had the event `killed' | |
1467 @result{} #<process shell> | |
1468 @end group | |
1469 @end smallexample | |
1470 @end defun | |
1471 | |
1472 @defun process-sentinel process | |
1473 This function returns the sentinel of @var{process}, or @code{nil} if it | |
1474 has none. | |
1475 @end defun | |
1476 | |
1477 @defun waiting-for-user-input-p | |
1478 While a sentinel or filter function is running, this function returns | |
1479 non-@code{nil} if Emacs was waiting for keyboard input from the user at | |
1480 the time the sentinel or filter function was called, @code{nil} if it | |
1481 was not. | |
1482 @end defun | |
1483 | |
1484 @node Query Before Exit | |
1485 @section Querying Before Exit | |
1486 | |
1487 When Emacs exits, it terminates all its subprocesses by sending them | |
1488 the @code{SIGHUP} signal. Because subprocesses may be doing | |
1489 valuable work, Emacs normally asks the user to confirm that it is ok | |
1490 to terminate them. Each process has a query flag which, if | |
1491 non-@code{nil}, says that Emacs should ask for confirmation before | |
1492 exiting and thus killing that process. The default for the query flag | |
1493 is @code{t}, meaning @emph{do} query. | |
1494 | |
1495 @defun process-query-on-exit-flag process | |
1496 This returns the query flag of @var{process}. | |
1497 @end defun | |
1498 | |
1499 @defun set-process-query-on-exit-flag process flag | |
1500 This function sets the query flag of @var{process} to @var{flag}. It | |
1501 returns @var{flag}. | |
1502 | |
1503 @smallexample | |
1504 @group | |
1505 ;; @r{Don't query about the shell process} | |
1506 (set-process-query-on-exit-flag (get-process "shell") nil) | |
1507 @result{} t | |
1508 @end group | |
1509 @end smallexample | |
1510 @end defun | |
1511 | |
1512 @defun process-kill-without-query process &optional do-query | |
1513 This function clears the query flag of @var{process}, so that | |
1514 Emacs will not query the user on account of that process. | |
1515 | |
1516 Actually, the function does more than that: it returns the old value of | |
1517 the process's query flag, and sets the query flag to @var{do-query}. | |
1518 Please don't use this function to do those things any more---please | |
1519 use the newer, cleaner functions @code{process-query-on-exit-flag} and | |
1520 @code{set-process-query-on-exit-flag} in all but the simplest cases. | |
1521 The only way you should use @code{process-kill-without-query} nowadays | |
1522 is like this: | |
1523 | |
1524 @smallexample | |
1525 @group | |
1526 ;; @r{Don't query about the shell process} | |
1527 (process-kill-without-query (get-process "shell")) | |
1528 @end group | |
1529 @end smallexample | |
1530 @end defun | |
1531 | |
1532 @node Transaction Queues | |
1533 @section Transaction Queues | |
1534 @cindex transaction queue | |
1535 | |
1536 You can use a @dfn{transaction queue} to communicate with a subprocess | |
1537 using transactions. First use @code{tq-create} to create a transaction | |
1538 queue communicating with a specified process. Then you can call | |
1539 @code{tq-enqueue} to send a transaction. | |
1540 | |
1541 @defun tq-create process | |
1542 This function creates and returns a transaction queue communicating with | |
1543 @var{process}. The argument @var{process} should be a subprocess | |
1544 capable of sending and receiving streams of bytes. It may be a child | |
1545 process, or it may be a TCP connection to a server, possibly on another | |
1546 machine. | |
1547 @end defun | |
1548 | |
1549 @defun tq-enqueue queue question regexp closure fn &optional delay-question | |
1550 This function sends a transaction to queue @var{queue}. Specifying the | |
1551 queue has the effect of specifying the subprocess to talk to. | |
1552 | |
1553 The argument @var{question} is the outgoing message that starts the | |
1554 transaction. The argument @var{fn} is the function to call when the | |
1555 corresponding answer comes back; it is called with two arguments: | |
1556 @var{closure}, and the answer received. | |
1557 | |
1558 The argument @var{regexp} is a regular expression that should match | |
1559 text at the end of the entire answer, but nothing before; that's how | |
1560 @code{tq-enqueue} determines where the answer ends. | |
1561 | |
1562 If the argument @var{delay-question} is non-nil, delay sending this | |
1563 question until the process has finished replying to any previous | |
1564 questions. This produces more reliable results with some processes. | |
1565 | |
1566 The return value of @code{tq-enqueue} itself is not meaningful. | |
1567 @end defun | |
1568 | |
1569 @defun tq-close queue | |
1570 Shut down transaction queue @var{queue}, waiting for all pending transactions | |
1571 to complete, and then terminate the connection or child process. | |
1572 @end defun | |
1573 | |
1574 Transaction queues are implemented by means of a filter function. | |
1575 @xref{Filter Functions}. | |
1576 | |
1577 @node Network | |
1578 @section Network Connections | |
1579 @cindex network connection | |
1580 @cindex TCP | |
1581 @cindex UDP | |
1582 | |
1583 Emacs Lisp programs can open stream (TCP) and datagram (UDP) network | |
1584 connections to other processes on the same machine or other machines. | |
1585 A network connection is handled by Lisp much like a subprocess, and is | |
1586 represented by a process object. However, the process you are | |
1587 communicating with is not a child of the Emacs process, so it has no | |
1588 process @acronym{ID}, and you can't kill it or send it signals. All you | |
1589 can do is send and receive data. @code{delete-process} closes the | |
1590 connection, but does not kill the program at the other end; that | |
1591 program must decide what to do about closure of the connection. | |
1592 | |
1593 Lisp programs can listen for connections by creating network | |
1594 servers. A network server is also represented by a kind of process | |
1595 object, but unlike a network connection, the network server never | |
1596 transfers data itself. When it receives a connection request, it | |
1597 creates a new network connection to represent the connection just | |
1598 made. (The network connection inherits certain information, including | |
1599 the process plist, from the server.) The network server then goes | |
1600 back to listening for more connection requests. | |
1601 | |
1602 Network connections and servers are created by calling | |
1603 @code{make-network-process} with an argument list consisting of | |
1604 keyword/argument pairs, for example @code{:server t} to create a | |
1605 server process, or @code{:type 'datagram} to create a datagram | |
1606 connection. @xref{Low-Level Network}, for details. You can also use | |
1607 the @code{open-network-stream} function described below. | |
1608 | |
1609 You can distinguish process objects representing network connections | |
1610 and servers from those representing subprocesses with the | |
1611 @code{process-status} function. The possible status values for | |
1612 network connections are @code{open}, @code{closed}, @code{connect}, | |
1613 and @code{failed}. For a network server, the status is always | |
1614 @code{listen}. None of those values is possible for a real | |
1615 subprocess. @xref{Process Information}. | |
1616 | |
1617 You can stop and resume operation of a network process by calling | |
1618 @code{stop-process} and @code{continue-process}. For a server | |
1619 process, being stopped means not accepting new connections. (Up to 5 | |
1620 connection requests will be queued for when you resume the server; you | |
1621 can increase this limit, unless it is imposed by the operating | |
1622 system.) For a network stream connection, being stopped means not | |
1623 processing input (any arriving input waits until you resume the | |
1624 connection). For a datagram connection, some number of packets may be | |
1625 queued but input may be lost. You can use the function | |
1626 @code{process-command} to determine whether a network connection or | |
1627 server is stopped; a non-@code{nil} value means yes. | |
1628 | |
1629 @defun open-network-stream name buffer-or-name host service | |
1630 This function opens a TCP connection, and returns a process object | |
1631 that represents the connection. | |
1632 | |
1633 The @var{name} argument specifies the name for the process object. It | |
1634 is modified as necessary to make it unique. | |
1635 | |
1636 The @var{buffer-or-name} argument is the buffer to associate with the | |
1637 connection. Output from the connection is inserted in the buffer, | |
1638 unless you specify a filter function to handle the output. If | |
1639 @var{buffer-or-name} is @code{nil}, it means that the connection is not | |
1640 associated with any buffer. | |
1641 | |
1642 The arguments @var{host} and @var{service} specify where to connect to; | |
1643 @var{host} is the host name (a string), and @var{service} is the name of | |
1644 a defined network service (a string) or a port number (an integer). | |
1645 @end defun | |
1646 | |
1647 @defun process-contact process &optional key | |
1648 This function returns information about how a network process was set | |
1649 up. For a connection, when @var{key} is @code{nil}, it returns | |
1650 @code{(@var{hostname} @var{service})} which specifies what you | |
1651 connected to. | |
1652 | |
1653 If @var{key} is @code{t}, the value is the complete status information | |
1654 for the connection or server; that is, the list of keywords and values | |
1655 specified in @code{make-network-process}, except that some of the | |
1656 values represent the current status instead of what you specified: | |
1657 | |
1658 @table @code | |
1659 @item :buffer | |
1660 The associated value is the process buffer. | |
1661 @item :filter | |
1662 The associated value is the process filter function. | |
1663 @item :sentinel | |
1664 The associated value is the process sentinel function. | |
1665 @item :remote | |
1666 In a connection, the address in internal format of the remote peer. | |
1667 @item :local | |
1668 The local address, in internal format. | |
1669 @item :service | |
1670 In a server, if you specified @code{t} for @var{service}, | |
1671 this value is the actual port number. | |
1672 @end table | |
1673 | |
1674 @code{:local} and @code{:remote} are included even if they were not | |
1675 specified explicitly in @code{make-network-process}. | |
1676 | |
1677 If @var{key} is a keyword, the function returns the value corresponding | |
1678 to that keyword. | |
1679 | |
1680 For an ordinary child process, this function always returns @code{t}. | |
1681 @end defun | |
1682 | |
1683 @node Network Servers | |
1684 @section Network Servers | |
1685 @cindex network servers | |
1686 | |
1687 You create a server by calling @code{make-network-process} with | |
1688 @code{:server t}. The server will listen for connection requests from | |
1689 clients. When it accepts a client connection request, that creates a | |
1690 new network connection, itself a process object, with the following | |
1691 parameters: | |
1692 | |
1693 @itemize @bullet | |
1694 @item | |
1695 The connection's process name is constructed by concatenating the | |
1696 server process' @var{name} with a client identification string. The | |
1697 client identification string for an IPv4 connection looks like | |
1698 @samp{<@var{a}.@var{b}.@var{c}.@var{d}:@var{p}>}. Otherwise, it is a | |
1699 unique number in brackets, as in @samp{<@var{nnn}>}. The number | |
1700 is unique for each connection in the Emacs session. | |
1701 | |
1702 @item | |
1703 If the server's filter is non-@code{nil}, the connection process does | |
1704 not get a separate process buffer; otherwise, Emacs creates a new | |
1705 buffer for the purpose. The buffer name is the server's buffer name | |
1706 or process name, concatenated with the client identification string. | |
1707 | |
1708 The server's process buffer value is never used directly by Emacs, but | |
1709 it is passed to the log function, which can log connections by | |
1710 inserting text there. | |
1711 | |
1712 @item | |
1713 The communication type and the process filter and sentinel are | |
1714 inherited from those of the server. The server never directly | |
1715 uses its filter and sentinel; their sole purpose is to initialize | |
1716 connections made to the server. | |
1717 | |
1718 @item | |
1719 The connection's process contact info is set according to the client's | |
1720 addressing information (typically an IP address and a port number). | |
1721 This information is associated with the @code{process-contact} | |
1722 keywords @code{:host}, @code{:service}, @code{:remote}. | |
1723 | |
1724 @item | |
1725 The connection's local address is set up according to the port | |
1726 number used for the connection. | |
1727 | |
1728 @item | |
1729 The client process' plist is initialized from the server's plist. | |
1730 @end itemize | |
1731 | |
1732 @node Datagrams | |
1733 @section Datagrams | |
1734 @cindex datagrams | |
1735 | |
1736 A datagram connection communicates with individual packets rather | |
1737 than streams of data. Each call to @code{process-send} sends one | |
1738 datagram packet (@pxref{Input to Processes}), and each datagram | |
1739 received results in one call to the filter function. | |
1740 | |
1741 The datagram connection doesn't have to talk with the same remote | |
1742 peer all the time. It has a @dfn{remote peer address} which specifies | |
1743 where to send datagrams to. Each time an incoming datagram is passed | |
1744 to the filter function, the peer address is set to the address that | |
1745 datagram came from; that way, if the filter function sends a datagram, | |
1746 it will go back to that place. You can specify the remote peer | |
1747 address when you create the datagram connection using the | |
1748 @code{:remote} keyword. You can change it later on by calling | |
1749 @code{set-process-datagram-address}. | |
1750 | |
1751 @defun process-datagram-address process | |
1752 If @var{process} is a datagram connection or server, this function | |
1753 returns its remote peer address. | |
1754 @end defun | |
1755 | |
1756 @defun set-process-datagram-address process address | |
1757 If @var{process} is a datagram connection or server, this function | |
1758 sets its remote peer address to @var{address}. | |
1759 @end defun | |
1760 | |
1761 @node Low-Level Network | |
1762 @section Low-Level Network Access | |
1763 | |
1764 You can also create network connections by operating at a lower | |
1765 level than that of @code{open-network-stream}, using | |
1766 @code{make-network-process}. | |
1767 | |
1768 @menu | |
1769 * Proc: Network Processes. Using @code{make-network-process}. | |
1770 * Options: Network Options. Further control over network connections. | |
1771 * Features: Network Feature Testing. | |
1772 Determining which network features work on | |
1773 the machine you are using. | |
1774 @end menu | |
1775 | |
1776 @node Network Processes | |
1777 @subsection @code{make-network-process} | |
1778 | |
1779 The basic function for creating network connections and network | |
1780 servers is @code{make-network-process}. It can do either of those | |
1781 jobs, depending on the arguments you give it. | |
1782 | |
1783 @defun make-network-process &rest args | |
1784 This function creates a network connection or server and returns the | |
1785 process object that represents it. The arguments @var{args} are a | |
1786 list of keyword/argument pairs. Omitting a keyword is always | |
1787 equivalent to specifying it with value @code{nil}, except for | |
1788 @code{:coding}, @code{:filter-multibyte}, and @code{:reuseaddr}. Here | |
1789 are the meaningful keywords: | |
1790 | |
1791 @table @asis | |
1792 @item :name @var{name} | |
1793 Use the string @var{name} as the process name. It is modified if | |
1794 necessary to make it unique. | |
1795 | |
1796 @item :type @var{type} | |
1797 Specify the communication type. A value of @code{nil} specifies a | |
1798 stream connection (the default); @code{datagram} specifies a datagram | |
1799 connection. Both connections and servers can be of either type. | |
1800 | |
1801 @item :server @var{server-flag} | |
1802 If @var{server-flag} is non-@code{nil}, create a server. Otherwise, | |
1803 create a connection. For a stream type server, @var{server-flag} may | |
1804 be an integer which then specifies the length of the queue of pending | |
1805 connections to the server. The default queue length is 5. | |
1806 | |
1807 @item :host @var{host} | |
1808 Specify the host to connect to. @var{host} should be a host name or | |
1809 Internet address, as a string, or the symbol @code{local} to specify | |
1810 the local host. If you specify @var{host} for a server, it must | |
1811 specify a valid address for the local host, and only clients | |
1812 connecting to that address will be accepted. | |
1813 | |
1814 @item :service @var{service} | |
1815 @var{service} specifies a port number to connect to, or, for a server, | |
1816 the port number to listen on. It should be a service name that | |
1817 translates to a port number, or an integer specifying the port number | |
1818 directly. For a server, it can also be @code{t}, which means to let | |
1819 the system select an unused port number. | |
1820 | |
1821 @item :family @var{family} | |
1822 @var{family} specifies the address (and protocol) family for | |
1823 communication. @code{nil} means determine the proper address family | |
1824 automatically for the given @var{host} and @var{service}. | |
1825 @code{local} specifies a Unix socket, in which case @var{host} is | |
1826 ignored. @code{ipv4} and @code{ipv6} specify to use IPv4 and IPv6 | |
1827 respectively. | |
1828 | |
1829 @item :local @var{local-address} | |
1830 For a server process, @var{local-address} is the address to listen on. | |
1831 It overrides @var{family}, @var{host} and @var{service}, and you | |
1832 may as well not specify them. | |
1833 | |
1834 @item :remote @var{remote-address} | |
1835 For a connection, @var{remote-address} is the address to connect to. | |
1836 It overrides @var{family}, @var{host} and @var{service}, and you | |
1837 may as well not specify them. | |
1838 | |
1839 For a datagram server, @var{remote-address} specifies the initial | |
1840 setting of the remote datagram address. | |
1841 | |
1842 The format of @var{local-address} or @var{remote-address} depends on | |
1843 the address family: | |
1844 | |
1845 @itemize - | |
1846 @item | |
1847 An IPv4 address is represented as a five-element vector of four 8-bit | |
1848 integers and one 16-bit integer | |
1849 @code{[@var{a} @var{b} @var{c} @var{d} @var{p}]} corresponding to | |
1850 numeric IPv4 address @var{a}.@var{b}.@var{c}.@var{d} and port number | |
1851 @var{p}. | |
1852 | |
1853 @item | |
1854 An IPv6 address is represented as a nine-element vector of 16-bit | |
1855 integers @code{[@var{a} @var{b} @var{c} @var{d} @var{e} @var{f} | |
1856 @var{g} @var{h} @var{p}]} corresponding to numeric IPv6 address | |
1857 @var{a}:@var{b}:@var{c}:@var{d}:@var{e}:@var{f}:@var{g}:@var{h} and | |
1858 port number @var{p}. | |
1859 | |
1860 @item | |
1861 A local address is represented as a string which specifies the address | |
1862 in the local address space. | |
1863 | |
1864 @item | |
1865 An ``unsupported family'' address is represented by a cons | |
1866 @code{(@var{f} . @var{av})}, where @var{f} is the family number and | |
1867 @var{av} is a vector specifying the socket address using one element | |
1868 per address data byte. Do not rely on this format in portable code, | |
1869 as it may depend on implementation defined constants, data sizes, and | |
1870 data structure alignment. | |
1871 @end itemize | |
1872 | |
1873 @item :nowait @var{bool} | |
1874 If @var{bool} is non-@code{nil} for a stream connection, return | |
1875 without waiting for the connection to complete. When the connection | |
1876 succeeds or fails, Emacs will call the sentinel function, with a | |
1877 second argument matching @code{"open"} (if successful) or | |
1878 @code{"failed"}. The default is to block, so that | |
1879 @code{make-network-process} does not return until the connection | |
1880 has succeeded or failed. | |
1881 | |
1882 @item :stop @var{stopped} | |
1883 Start the network connection or server in the `stopped' state if | |
1884 @var{stopped} is non-@code{nil}. | |
1885 | |
1886 @item :buffer @var{buffer} | |
1887 Use @var{buffer} as the process buffer. | |
1888 | |
1889 @item :coding @var{coding} | |
1890 Use @var{coding} as the coding system for this process. To specify | |
1891 different coding systems for decoding data from the connection and for | |
1892 encoding data sent to it, specify @code{(@var{decoding} . | |
1893 @var{encoding})} for @var{coding}. | |
1894 | |
1895 If you don't specify this keyword at all, the default | |
1896 is to determine the coding systems from the data. | |
1897 | |
1898 @item :noquery @var{query-flag} | |
1899 Initialize the process query flag to @var{query-flag}. | |
1900 @xref{Query Before Exit}. | |
1901 | |
1902 @item :filter @var{filter} | |
1903 Initialize the process filter to @var{filter}. | |
1904 | |
1905 @item :filter-multibyte @var{bool} | |
1906 If @var{bool} is non-@code{nil}, strings given to the process filter | |
1907 are multibyte, otherwise they are unibyte. If you don't specify this | |
1908 keyword at all, the default is that the strings are multibyte if | |
1909 @code{default-enable-multibyte-characters} is non-@code{nil}. | |
1910 | |
1911 @item :sentinel @var{sentinel} | |
1912 Initialize the process sentinel to @var{sentinel}. | |
1913 | |
1914 @item :log @var{log} | |
1915 Initialize the log function of a server process to @var{log}. The log | |
1916 function is called each time the server accepts a network connection | |
1917 from a client. The arguments passed to the log function are | |
1918 @var{server}, @var{connection}, and @var{message}, where @var{server} | |
1919 is the server process, @var{connection} is the new process for the | |
1920 connection, and @var{message} is a string describing what has | |
1921 happened. | |
1922 | |
1923 @item :plist @var{plist} | |
1924 Initialize the process plist to @var{plist}. | |
1925 @end table | |
1926 | |
1927 The original argument list, modified with the actual connection | |
1928 information, is available via the @code{process-contact} function. | |
1929 @end defun | |
1930 | |
1931 @node Network Options | |
1932 @subsection Network Options | |
1933 | |
1934 The following network options can be specified when you create a | |
1935 network process. Except for @code{:reuseaddr}, you can also set or | |
1936 modify these options later, using @code{set-network-process-option}. | |
1937 | |
1938 For a server process, the options specified with | |
1939 @code{make-network-process} are not inherited by the client | |
1940 connections, so you will need to set the necessary options for each | |
1941 child connection as it is created. | |
1942 | |
1943 @table @asis | |
1944 @item :bindtodevice @var{device-name} | |
1945 If @var{device-name} is a non-empty string identifying a network | |
1946 interface name (see @code{network-interface-list}), only handle | |
1947 packets received on that interface. If @var{device-name} is @code{nil} | |
1948 (the default), handle packets received on any interface. | |
1949 | |
1950 Using this option may require special privileges on some systems. | |
1951 | |
1952 @item :broadcast @var{broadcast-flag} | |
1953 If @var{broadcast-flag} is non-@code{nil} for a datagram process, the | |
1954 process will receive datagram packet sent to a broadcast address, and | |
1955 be able to send packets to a broadcast address. Ignored for a stream | |
1956 connection. | |
1957 | |
1958 @item :dontroute @var{dontroute-flag} | |
1959 If @var{dontroute-flag} is non-@code{nil}, the process can only send | |
1960 to hosts on the same network as the local host. | |
1961 | |
1962 @item :keepalive @var{keepalive-flag} | |
1963 If @var{keepalive-flag} is non-@code{nil} for a stream connection, | |
1964 enable exchange of low-level keep-alive messages. | |
1965 | |
1966 @item :linger @var{linger-arg} | |
1967 If @var{linger-arg} is non-@code{nil}, wait for successful | |
1968 transmission of all queued packets on the connection before it is | |
1969 deleted (see @code{delete-process}). If @var{linger-arg} is an | |
1970 integer, it specifies the maximum time in seconds to wait for queued | |
1971 packets to be sent before closing the connection. Default is | |
1972 @code{nil} which means to discard unsent queued packets when the | |
1973 process is deleted. | |
1974 | |
1975 @item :oobinline @var{oobinline-flag} | |
1976 If @var{oobinline-flag} is non-@code{nil} for a stream connection, | |
1977 receive out-of-band data in the normal data stream. Otherwise, ignore | |
1978 out-of-band data. | |
1979 | |
1980 @item :priority @var{priority} | |
1981 Set the priority for packets sent on this connection to the integer | |
1982 @var{priority}. The interpretation of this number is protocol | |
1983 specific, such as setting the TOS (type of service) field on IP | |
1984 packets sent on this connection. It may also have system dependent | |
1985 effects, such as selecting a specific output queue on the network | |
1986 interface. | |
1987 | |
1988 @item :reuseaddr @var{reuseaddr-flag} | |
1989 If @var{reuseaddr-flag} is non-@code{nil} (the default) for a stream | |
1990 server process, allow this server to reuse a specific port number (see | |
1991 @code{:service}) unless another process on this host is already | |
1992 listening on that port. If @var{reuseaddr-flag} is @code{nil}, there | |
1993 may be a period of time after the last use of that port (by any | |
1994 process on the host), where it is not possible to make a new server on | |
1995 that port. | |
1996 @end table | |
1997 | |
1998 @defun set-network-process-option process option value | |
1999 This function sets or modifies a network option for network process | |
2000 @var{process}. See @code{make-network-process} for details of options | |
2001 @var{option} and their corresponding values @var{value}. | |
2002 | |
2003 The current setting of an option is available via the | |
2004 @code{process-contact} function. | |
2005 @end defun | |
2006 | |
2007 @node Network Feature Testing | |
2008 @subsection Testing Availability of Network Features | |
2009 | |
2010 To test for the availability of a given network feature, use | |
2011 @code{featurep} like this: | |
2012 | |
2013 @example | |
2014 (featurep 'make-network-process '(@var{keyword} @var{value})) | |
2015 @end example | |
2016 | |
2017 @noindent | |
2018 The result of the first form is @code{t} if it works to specify | |
2019 @var{keyword} with value @var{value} in @code{make-network-process}. | |
2020 The result of the second form is @code{t} if @var{keyword} is | |
2021 supported by @code{make-network-process}. Here are some of the | |
2022 @var{keyword}---@var{value} pairs you can test in | |
2023 this way. | |
2024 | |
2025 @table @code | |
2026 @item (:nowait t) | |
2027 Non-@code{nil} if non-blocking connect is supported. | |
2028 @item (:type datagram) | |
2029 Non-@code{nil} if datagrams are supported. | |
2030 @item (:family local) | |
2031 Non-@code{nil} if local (a.k.a.@: ``UNIX domain'') sockets are supported. | |
2032 @item (:family ipv6) | |
2033 Non-@code{nil} if IPv6 is supported. | |
2034 @item (:service t) | |
2035 Non-@code{nil} if the system can select the port for a server. | |
2036 @end table | |
2037 | |
2038 To test for the availability of a given network option, use | |
2039 @code{featurep} like this: | |
2040 | |
2041 @example | |
2042 (featurep 'make-network-process '@var{keyword}) | |
2043 @end example | |
2044 | |
2045 @noindent | |
2046 Here are some of the options you can test in this way. | |
2047 | |
2048 @table @code | |
2049 @item :bindtodevice | |
2050 @itemx :broadcast | |
2051 @itemx :dontroute | |
2052 @itemx :keepalive | |
2053 @itemx :linger | |
2054 @itemx :oobinline | |
2055 @itemx :priority | |
2056 @itemx :reuseaddr | |
2057 That particular network option is supported by | |
2058 @code{make-network-process} and @code{set-network-process-option}. | |
2059 @end table | |
2060 | |
2061 @node Misc Network | |
2062 @section Misc Network Facilities | |
2063 | |
2064 These additional functions are useful for creating and operating | |
85114 | 2065 on network connections. Note that they are supported only on some |
2066 systems. | |
84095 | 2067 |
2068 @defun network-interface-list | |
2069 This function returns a list describing the network interfaces | |
2070 of the machine you are using. The value is an alist whose | |
2071 elements have the form @code{(@var{name} . @var{address})}. | |
2072 @var{address} has the same form as the @var{local-address} | |
2073 and @var{remote-address} arguments to @code{make-network-process}. | |
2074 @end defun | |
2075 | |
2076 @defun network-interface-info ifname | |
2077 This function returns information about the network interface named | |
2078 @var{ifname}. The value is a list of the form | |
2079 @code{(@var{addr} @var{bcast} @var{netmask} @var{hwaddr} @var{flags})}. | |
2080 | |
2081 @table @var | |
2082 @item addr | |
2083 The Internet protocol address. | |
2084 @item bcast | |
2085 The broadcast address. | |
2086 @item netmask | |
2087 The network mask. | |
2088 @item hwaddr | |
2089 The layer 2 address (Ethernet MAC address, for instance). | |
2090 @item flags | |
2091 The current flags of the interface. | |
2092 @end table | |
2093 @end defun | |
2094 | |
2095 @defun format-network-address address &optional omit-port | |
2096 This function converts the Lisp representation of a network address to | |
2097 a string. | |
2098 | |
2099 A five-element vector @code{[@var{a} @var{b} @var{c} @var{d} @var{p}]} | |
2100 represents an IPv4 address @var{a}.@var{b}.@var{c}.@var{d} and port | |
2101 number @var{p}. @code{format-network-address} converts that to the | |
2102 string @code{"@var{a}.@var{b}.@var{c}.@var{d}:@var{p}"}. | |
2103 | |
2104 A nine-element vector @code{[@var{a} @var{b} @var{c} @var{d} @var{e} | |
2105 @var{f} @var{g} @var{h} @var{p}]} represents an IPv6 address along | |
2106 with a port number. @code{format-network-address} converts that to | |
2107 the string | |
2108 @code{"[@var{a}:@var{b}:@var{c}:@var{d}:@var{e}:@var{f}:@var{g}:@var{h}]:@var{p}"}. | |
2109 | |
2110 If the vector does not include the port number, @var{p}, or if | |
2111 @var{omit-port} is non-@code{nil}, the result does not include the | |
2112 @code{:@var{p}} suffix. | |
2113 @end defun | |
2114 | |
2115 @node Byte Packing | |
2116 @section Packing and Unpacking Byte Arrays | |
2117 @cindex byte packing and unpacking | |
2118 | |
2119 This section describes how to pack and unpack arrays of bytes, | |
2120 usually for binary network protocols. These functions convert byte arrays | |
2121 to alists, and vice versa. The byte array can be represented as a | |
2122 unibyte string or as a vector of integers, while the alist associates | |
2123 symbols either with fixed-size objects or with recursive sub-alists. | |
2124 | |
2125 @cindex serializing | |
2126 @cindex deserializing | |
2127 @cindex packing | |
2128 @cindex unpacking | |
2129 Conversion from byte arrays to nested alists is also known as | |
2130 @dfn{deserializing} or @dfn{unpacking}, while going in the opposite | |
2131 direction is also known as @dfn{serializing} or @dfn{packing}. | |
2132 | |
2133 @menu | |
2134 * Bindat Spec:: Describing data layout. | |
2135 * Bindat Functions:: Doing the unpacking and packing. | |
2136 * Bindat Examples:: Samples of what bindat.el can do for you! | |
2137 @end menu | |
2138 | |
2139 @node Bindat Spec | |
2140 @subsection Describing Data Layout | |
2141 | |
2142 To control unpacking and packing, you write a @dfn{data layout | |
2143 specification}, a special nested list describing named and typed | |
2144 @dfn{fields}. This specification controls length of each field to be | |
2145 processed, and how to pack or unpack it. We normally keep bindat specs | |
2146 in variables whose names end in @samp{-bindat-spec}; that kind of name | |
2147 is automatically recognized as ``risky.'' | |
2148 | |
2149 @cindex endianness | |
2150 @cindex big endian | |
2151 @cindex little endian | |
2152 @cindex network byte ordering | |
2153 A field's @dfn{type} describes the size (in bytes) of the object | |
2154 that the field represents and, in the case of multibyte fields, how | |
2155 the bytes are ordered within the field. The two possible orderings | |
2156 are ``big endian'' (also known as ``network byte ordering'') and | |
2157 ``little endian.'' For instance, the number @code{#x23cd} (decimal | |
2158 9165) in big endian would be the two bytes @code{#x23} @code{#xcd}; | |
2159 and in little endian, @code{#xcd} @code{#x23}. Here are the possible | |
2160 type values: | |
2161 | |
2162 @table @code | |
2163 @item u8 | |
2164 @itemx byte | |
2165 Unsigned byte, with length 1. | |
2166 | |
2167 @item u16 | |
2168 @itemx word | |
2169 @itemx short | |
2170 Unsigned integer in network byte order, with length 2. | |
2171 | |
2172 @item u24 | |
2173 Unsigned integer in network byte order, with length 3. | |
2174 | |
2175 @item u32 | |
2176 @itemx dword | |
2177 @itemx long | |
2178 Unsigned integer in network byte order, with length 4. | |
2179 Note: These values may be limited by Emacs' integer implementation limits. | |
2180 | |
2181 @item u16r | |
2182 @itemx u24r | |
2183 @itemx u32r | |
2184 Unsigned integer in little endian order, with length 2, 3 and 4, respectively. | |
2185 | |
2186 @item str @var{len} | |
2187 String of length @var{len}. | |
2188 | |
2189 @item strz @var{len} | |
2190 Zero-terminated string, in a fixed-size field with length @var{len}. | |
2191 | |
2192 @item vec @var{len} [@var{type}] | |
2193 Vector of @var{len} elements of type @var{type}, or bytes if not | |
2194 @var{type} is specified. | |
2195 The @var{type} is any of the simple types above, or another vector | |
2196 specified as a list @code{(vec @var{len} [@var{type}])}. | |
2197 | |
2198 @item ip | |
2199 Four-byte vector representing an Internet address. For example: | |
2200 @code{[127 0 0 1]} for localhost. | |
2201 | |
2202 @item bits @var{len} | |
2203 List of set bits in @var{len} bytes. The bytes are taken in big | |
2204 endian order and the bits are numbered starting with @code{8 * | |
2205 @var{len} @minus{} 1} and ending with zero. For example: @code{bits | |
2206 2} unpacks @code{#x28} @code{#x1c} to @code{(2 3 4 11 13)} and | |
2207 @code{#x1c} @code{#x28} to @code{(3 5 10 11 12)}. | |
2208 | |
2209 @item (eval @var{form}) | |
2210 @var{form} is a Lisp expression evaluated at the moment the field is | |
2211 unpacked or packed. The result of the evaluation should be one of the | |
2212 above-listed type specifications. | |
2213 @end table | |
2214 | |
2215 For a fixed-size field, the length @var{len} is given as an integer | |
2216 specifying the number of bytes in the field. | |
2217 | |
2218 When the length of a field is not fixed, it typically depends on the | |
2219 value of a preceding field. In this case, the length @var{len} can be | |
2220 given either as a list @code{(@var{name} ...)} identifying a | |
2221 @dfn{field name} in the format specified for @code{bindat-get-field} | |
2222 below, or by an expression @code{(eval @var{form})} where @var{form} | |
2223 should evaluate to an integer, specifying the field length. | |
2224 | |
2225 A field specification generally has the form @code{([@var{name}] | |
2226 @var{handler})}. The square braces indicate that @var{name} is | |
2227 optional. (Don't use names that are symbols meaningful as type | |
2228 specifications (above) or handler specifications (below), since that | |
2229 would be ambiguous.) @var{name} can be a symbol or the expression | |
2230 @code{(eval @var{form})}, in which case @var{form} should evaluate to | |
2231 a symbol. | |
2232 | |
2233 @var{handler} describes how to unpack or pack the field and can be one | |
2234 of the following: | |
2235 | |
2236 @table @code | |
2237 @item @var{type} | |
2238 Unpack/pack this field according to the type specification @var{type}. | |
2239 | |
2240 @item eval @var{form} | |
2241 Evaluate @var{form}, a Lisp expression, for side-effect only. If the | |
2242 field name is specified, the value is bound to that field name. | |
2243 | |
2244 @item fill @var{len} | |
2245 Skip @var{len} bytes. In packing, this leaves them unchanged, | |
2246 which normally means they remain zero. In unpacking, this means | |
2247 they are ignored. | |
2248 | |
2249 @item align @var{len} | |
2250 Skip to the next multiple of @var{len} bytes. | |
2251 | |
2252 @item struct @var{spec-name} | |
2253 Process @var{spec-name} as a sub-specification. This describes a | |
2254 structure nested within another structure. | |
2255 | |
2256 @item union @var{form} (@var{tag} @var{spec})@dots{} | |
2257 @c ??? I don't see how one would actually use this. | |
2258 @c ??? what kind of expression would be useful for @var{form}? | |
2259 Evaluate @var{form}, a Lisp expression, find the first @var{tag} | |
2260 that matches it, and process its associated data layout specification | |
2261 @var{spec}. Matching can occur in one of three ways: | |
2262 | |
2263 @itemize | |
2264 @item | |
2265 If a @var{tag} has the form @code{(eval @var{expr})}, evaluate | |
2266 @var{expr} with the variable @code{tag} dynamically bound to the value | |
2267 of @var{form}. A non-@code{nil} result indicates a match. | |
2268 | |
2269 @item | |
2270 @var{tag} matches if it is @code{equal} to the value of @var{form}. | |
2271 | |
2272 @item | |
2273 @var{tag} matches unconditionally if it is @code{t}. | |
2274 @end itemize | |
2275 | |
2276 @item repeat @var{count} @var{field-specs}@dots{} | |
2277 Process the @var{field-specs} recursively, in order, then repeat | |
2278 starting from the first one, processing all the specs @var{count} | |
2279 times overall. The @var{count} is given using the same formats as a | |
2280 field length---if an @code{eval} form is used, it is evaluated just once. | |
2281 For correct operation, each spec in @var{field-specs} must include a name. | |
2282 @end table | |
2283 | |
2284 For the @code{(eval @var{form})} forms used in a bindat specification, | |
2285 the @var{form} can access and update these dynamically bound variables | |
2286 during evaluation: | |
2287 | |
2288 @table @code | |
2289 @item last | |
2290 Value of the last field processed. | |
2291 | |
2292 @item bindat-raw | |
2293 The data as a byte array. | |
2294 | |
2295 @item bindat-idx | |
2296 Current index (within @code{bindat-raw}) for unpacking or packing. | |
2297 | |
2298 @item struct | |
2299 The alist containing the structured data that have been unpacked so | |
2300 far, or the entire structure being packed. You can use | |
2301 @code{bindat-get-field} to access specific fields of this structure. | |
2302 | |
2303 @item count | |
2304 @itemx index | |
2305 Inside a @code{repeat} block, these contain the maximum number of | |
2306 repetitions (as specified by the @var{count} parameter), and the | |
2307 current repetition number (counting from 0). Setting @code{count} to | |
2308 zero will terminate the inner-most repeat block after the current | |
2309 repetition has completed. | |
2310 @end table | |
2311 | |
2312 @node Bindat Functions | |
2313 @subsection Functions to Unpack and Pack Bytes | |
2314 | |
2315 In the following documentation, @var{spec} refers to a data layout | |
2316 specification, @code{bindat-raw} to a byte array, and @var{struct} to an | |
2317 alist representing unpacked field data. | |
2318 | |
2319 @defun bindat-unpack spec bindat-raw &optional bindat-idx | |
2320 This function unpacks data from the unibyte string or byte | |
2321 array @code{bindat-raw} | |
2322 according to @var{spec}. Normally this starts unpacking at the | |
2323 beginning of the byte array, but if @var{bindat-idx} is non-@code{nil}, it | |
2324 specifies a zero-based starting position to use instead. | |
2325 | |
2326 The value is an alist or nested alist in which each element describes | |
2327 one unpacked field. | |
2328 @end defun | |
2329 | |
2330 @defun bindat-get-field struct &rest name | |
2331 This function selects a field's data from the nested alist | |
2332 @var{struct}. Usually @var{struct} was returned by | |
2333 @code{bindat-unpack}. If @var{name} corresponds to just one argument, | |
2334 that means to extract a top-level field value. Multiple @var{name} | |
2335 arguments specify repeated lookup of sub-structures. An integer name | |
2336 acts as an array index. | |
2337 | |
2338 For example, if @var{name} is @code{(a b 2 c)}, that means to find | |
2339 field @code{c} in the third element of subfield @code{b} of field | |
2340 @code{a}. (This corresponds to @code{struct.a.b[2].c} in C.) | |
2341 @end defun | |
2342 | |
2343 Although packing and unpacking operations change the organization of | |
2344 data (in memory), they preserve the data's @dfn{total length}, which is | |
2345 the sum of all the fields' lengths, in bytes. This value is not | |
2346 generally inherent in either the specification or alist alone; instead, | |
2347 both pieces of information contribute to its calculation. Likewise, the | |
2348 length of a string or array being unpacked may be longer than the data's | |
2349 total length as described by the specification. | |
2350 | |
2351 @defun bindat-length spec struct | |
2352 This function returns the total length of the data in @var{struct}, | |
2353 according to @var{spec}. | |
2354 @end defun | |
2355 | |
2356 @defun bindat-pack spec struct &optional bindat-raw bindat-idx | |
2357 This function returns a byte array packed according to @var{spec} from | |
2358 the data in the alist @var{struct}. Normally it creates and fills a | |
2359 new byte array starting at the beginning. However, if @var{bindat-raw} | |
2360 is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a pre-allocated unibyte string or vector to | |
2361 pack into. If @var{bindat-idx} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies the starting | |
2362 offset for packing into @code{bindat-raw}. | |
2363 | |
2364 When pre-allocating, you should make sure @code{(length @var{bindat-raw})} | |
2365 meets or exceeds the total length to avoid an out-of-range error. | |
2366 @end defun | |
2367 | |
2368 @defun bindat-ip-to-string ip | |
2369 Convert the Internet address vector @var{ip} to a string in the usual | |
2370 dotted notation. | |
2371 | |
2372 @example | |
2373 (bindat-ip-to-string [127 0 0 1]) | |
2374 @result{} "127.0.0.1" | |
2375 @end example | |
2376 @end defun | |
2377 | |
2378 @node Bindat Examples | |
2379 @subsection Examples of Byte Unpacking and Packing | |
2380 | |
2381 Here is a complete example of byte unpacking and packing: | |
2382 | |
2383 @lisp | |
2384 (defvar fcookie-index-spec | |
2385 '((:version u32) | |
2386 (:count u32) | |
2387 (:longest u32) | |
2388 (:shortest u32) | |
2389 (:flags u32) | |
2390 (:delim u8) | |
2391 (:ignored fill 3) | |
2392 (:offset repeat (:count) | |
2393 (:foo u32))) | |
2394 "Description of a fortune cookie index file's contents.") | |
2395 | |
2396 (defun fcookie (cookies &optional index) | |
2397 "Display a random fortune cookie from file COOKIES. | |
2398 Optional second arg INDEX specifies the associated index | |
2399 filename, which is by default constructed by appending | |
2400 \".dat\" to COOKIES. Display cookie text in possibly | |
2401 new buffer \"*Fortune Cookie: BASENAME*\" where BASENAME | |
2402 is COOKIES without the directory part." | |
2403 (interactive "fCookies file: ") | |
2404 (let* ((info (with-temp-buffer | |
2405 (insert-file-contents-literally | |
2406 (or index (concat cookies ".dat"))) | |
2407 (bindat-unpack fcookie-index-spec | |
2408 (buffer-string)))) | |
2409 (sel (random (bindat-get-field info :count))) | |
2410 (beg (cdar (bindat-get-field info :offset sel))) | |
2411 (end (or (cdar (bindat-get-field info | |
2412 :offset (1+ sel))) | |
2413 (nth 7 (file-attributes cookies))))) | |
2414 (switch-to-buffer | |
2415 (get-buffer-create | |
2416 (format "*Fortune Cookie: %s*" | |
2417 (file-name-nondirectory cookies)))) | |
2418 (erase-buffer) | |
2419 (insert-file-contents-literally | |
2420 cookies nil beg (- end 3)))) | |
2421 | |
2422 (defun fcookie-create-index (cookies &optional index delim) | |
2423 "Scan file COOKIES, and write out its index file. | |
2424 Optional second arg INDEX specifies the index filename, | |
2425 which is by default constructed by appending \".dat\" to | |
2426 COOKIES. Optional third arg DELIM specifies the unibyte | |
2427 character which, when found on a line of its own in | |
2428 COOKIES, indicates the border between entries." | |
2429 (interactive "fCookies file: ") | |
2430 (setq delim (or delim ?%)) | |
2431 (let ((delim-line (format "\n%c\n" delim)) | |
2432 (count 0) | |
2433 (max 0) | |
2434 min p q len offsets) | |
2435 (unless (= 3 (string-bytes delim-line)) | |
2436 (error "Delimiter cannot be represented in one byte")) | |
2437 (with-temp-buffer | |
2438 (insert-file-contents-literally cookies) | |
2439 (while (and (setq p (point)) | |
2440 (search-forward delim-line (point-max) t) | |
2441 (setq len (- (point) 3 p))) | |
2442 (setq count (1+ count) | |
2443 max (max max len) | |
2444 min (min (or min max) len) | |
2445 offsets (cons (1- p) offsets)))) | |
2446 (with-temp-buffer | |
2447 (set-buffer-multibyte nil) | |
2448 (insert | |
2449 (bindat-pack | |
2450 fcookie-index-spec | |
2451 `((:version . 2) | |
2452 (:count . ,count) | |
2453 (:longest . ,max) | |
2454 (:shortest . ,min) | |
2455 (:flags . 0) | |
2456 (:delim . ,delim) | |
2457 (:offset . ,(mapcar (lambda (o) | |
2458 (list (cons :foo o))) | |
2459 (nreverse offsets)))))) | |
2460 (let ((coding-system-for-write 'raw-text-unix)) | |
2461 (write-file (or index (concat cookies ".dat"))))))) | |
2462 @end lisp | |
2463 | |
2464 Following is an example of defining and unpacking a complex structure. | |
2465 Consider the following C structures: | |
2466 | |
2467 @example | |
2468 struct header @{ | |
2469 unsigned long dest_ip; | |
2470 unsigned long src_ip; | |
2471 unsigned short dest_port; | |
2472 unsigned short src_port; | |
2473 @}; | |
2474 | |
2475 struct data @{ | |
2476 unsigned char type; | |
2477 unsigned char opcode; | |
2478 unsigned short length; /* In network byte order */ | |
2479 unsigned char id[8]; /* null-terminated string */ | |
2480 unsigned char data[/* (length + 3) & ~3 */]; | |
2481 @}; | |
2482 | |
2483 struct packet @{ | |
2484 struct header header; | |
2485 unsigned long counters[2]; /* In little endian order */ | |
2486 unsigned char items; | |
2487 unsigned char filler[3]; | |
2488 struct data item[/* items */]; | |
2489 | |
2490 @}; | |
2491 @end example | |
2492 | |
2493 The corresponding data layout specification: | |
2494 | |
2495 @lisp | |
2496 (setq header-spec | |
2497 '((dest-ip ip) | |
2498 (src-ip ip) | |
2499 (dest-port u16) | |
2500 (src-port u16))) | |
2501 | |
2502 (setq data-spec | |
2503 '((type u8) | |
2504 (opcode u8) | |
2505 (length u16) ;; network byte order | |
2506 (id strz 8) | |
2507 (data vec (length)) | |
2508 (align 4))) | |
2509 | |
2510 (setq packet-spec | |
2511 '((header struct header-spec) | |
2512 (counters vec 2 u32r) ;; little endian order | |
2513 (items u8) | |
2514 (fill 3) | |
2515 (item repeat (items) | |
2516 (struct data-spec)))) | |
2517 @end lisp | |
2518 | |
2519 A binary data representation: | |
2520 | |
2521 @lisp | |
2522 (setq binary-data | |
2523 [ 192 168 1 100 192 168 1 101 01 28 21 32 | |
2524 160 134 1 0 5 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 | |
2525 2 3 0 5 ?A ?B ?C ?D ?E ?F 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 0 0 | |
2526 1 4 0 7 ?B ?C ?D ?E ?F ?G 0 0 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 0 ]) | |
2527 @end lisp | |
2528 | |
2529 The corresponding decoded structure: | |
2530 | |
2531 @lisp | |
2532 (setq decoded (bindat-unpack packet-spec binary-data)) | |
2533 @result{} | |
2534 ((header | |
2535 (dest-ip . [192 168 1 100]) | |
2536 (src-ip . [192 168 1 101]) | |
2537 (dest-port . 284) | |
2538 (src-port . 5408)) | |
2539 (counters . [100000 261]) | |
2540 (items . 2) | |
2541 (item ((data . [1 2 3 4 5]) | |
2542 (id . "ABCDEF") | |
2543 (length . 5) | |
2544 (opcode . 3) | |
2545 (type . 2)) | |
2546 ((data . [6 7 8 9 10 11 12]) | |
2547 (id . "BCDEFG") | |
2548 (length . 7) | |
2549 (opcode . 4) | |
2550 (type . 1)))) | |
2551 @end lisp | |
2552 | |
2553 Fetching data from this structure: | |
2554 | |
2555 @lisp | |
2556 (bindat-get-field decoded 'item 1 'id) | |
2557 @result{} "BCDEFG" | |
2558 @end lisp | |
2559 | |
2560 @ignore | |
2561 arch-tag: ba9da253-e65f-4e7f-b727-08fba0a1df7a | |
2562 @end ignore |