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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
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2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999
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4 @c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
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6 @setfilename ../info/tips
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7 @node Tips, GNU Emacs Internals, GPL, Top
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8 @appendix Tips and Conventions
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9 @cindex tips
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10 @cindex standards of coding style
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11 @cindex coding standards
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12
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13 This chapter describes no additional features of Emacs Lisp. Instead
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14 it gives advice on making effective use of the features described in the
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15 previous chapters, and describes conventions Emacs Lisp programmers
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16 should follow.
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17
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18 You can automatically check some of the conventions described below by
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19 running the command @kbd{M-x checkdoc RET} when visiting a Lisp file.
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20 It cannot check all of the conventions, and not all the warnings it
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21 gives necessarily correspond to problems, but it is worth examining them
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22 all.
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23
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24 @menu
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25 * Coding Conventions:: Conventions for clean and robust programs.
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26 * Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast.
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27 * Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings.
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28 * Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments.
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29 * Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages.
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30 @end menu
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31
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32 @node Coding Conventions
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33 @section Emacs Lisp Coding Conventions
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34
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35 Here are conventions that you should follow when writing Emacs Lisp
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36 code intended for widespread use:
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37
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38 @itemize @bullet
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39 @item
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40 Since all global variables share the same name space, and all functions
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41 share another name space, you should choose a short word to distinguish
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42 your program from other Lisp programs. Then take care to begin the
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43 names of all global variables, constants, and functions with the chosen
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44 prefix. This helps avoid name conflicts.
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45
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46 This recommendation applies even to names for traditional Lisp
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47 primitives that are not primitives in Emacs Lisp---even to
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48 @code{copy-list}. Believe it or not, there is more than one plausible
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49 way to define @code{copy-list}. Play it safe; append your name prefix
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50 to produce a name like @code{foo-copy-list} or @code{mylib-copy-list}
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51 instead.
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52
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53 If you write a function that you think ought to be added to Emacs under
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54 a certain name, such as @code{twiddle-files}, don't call it by that name
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55 in your program. Call it @code{mylib-twiddle-files} in your program,
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56 and send mail to @samp{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} suggesting we add
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57 it to Emacs. If and when we do, we can change the name easily enough.
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58
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59 If one prefix is insufficient, your package may use two or three
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60 alternative common prefixes, so long as they make sense.
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61
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62 Separate the prefix from the rest of the symbol name with a hyphen,
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63 @samp{-}. This will be consistent with Emacs itself and with most Emacs
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64 Lisp programs.
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65
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66 @item
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67 It is often useful to put a call to @code{provide} in each separate
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68 library program, at least if there is more than one entry point to the
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69 program.
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70
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71 @item
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72 If a file requires certain other library programs to be loaded
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73 beforehand, then the comments at the beginning of the file should say
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74 so. Also, use @code{require} to make sure they are loaded.
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75
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76 @item
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77 If one file @var{foo} uses a macro defined in another file @var{bar},
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78 @var{foo} should contain this expression before the first use of the
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79 macro:
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80
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81 @example
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82 (eval-when-compile (require '@var{bar}))
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83 @end example
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84
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85 @noindent
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86 (And the library @var{bar} should contain @code{(provide '@var{bar})},
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87 to make the @code{require} work.) This will cause @var{bar} to be
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88 loaded when you byte-compile @var{foo}. Otherwise, you risk compiling
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89 @var{foo} without the necessary macro loaded, and that would produce
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90 compiled code that won't work right. @xref{Compiling Macros}.
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91
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92 Using @code{eval-when-compile} avoids loading @var{bar} when
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93 the compiled version of @var{foo} is @emph{used}.
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94
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95 @item
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96 Please don't require the @code{cl} package of Common Lisp extensions at
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97 run time. Use of this package is optional, and it is not part of the
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98 standard Emacs namespace. If your package loads @code{cl} at run time,
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99 that could cause name clashes for users who don't use that package.
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100
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101 However, there is no problem with using the @code{cl} package at compile
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102 time, for the sake of macros. You do that like this:
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103
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104 @example
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105 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
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106 @end example
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107
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108 @item
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109 When defining a major mode, please follow the major mode
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110 conventions. @xref{Major Mode Conventions}.
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111
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112 @item
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113 When defining a minor mode, please follow the minor mode
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114 conventions. @xref{Minor Mode Conventions}.
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115
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116 @item
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117 If the purpose of a function is to tell you whether a certain condition
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118 is true or false, give the function a name that ends in @samp{p}. If
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119 the name is one word, add just @samp{p}; if the name is multiple words,
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120 add @samp{-p}. Examples are @code{framep} and @code{frame-live-p}.
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121
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122 @item
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123 If a user option variable records a true-or-false condition, give it a
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124 name that ends in @samp{-flag}.
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125
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126 @item
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127 @cindex reserved keys
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128 @cindex keys, reserved
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129 Please do not define @kbd{C-c @var{letter}} as a key in your major
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130 modes. These sequences are reserved for users; they are the
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131 @strong{only} sequences reserved for users, so do not block them.
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132
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133 Instead, define sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a control
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134 character, a digit, or certain punctuation characters. These sequences
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135 are reserved for major modes.
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136
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137 Changing all the Emacs major modes to follow this convention was a lot
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138 of work. Abandoning this convention would make that work go to waste,
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139 and inconvenience users.
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140
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141 @item
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142 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}},
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143 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;} are also reserved for major modes.
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144
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145 @item
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146 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by any other punctuation
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147 character are allocated for minor modes. Using them in a major mode is
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148 not absolutely prohibited, but if you do that, the major mode binding
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149 may be shadowed from time to time by minor modes.
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150
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151 @item
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152 Function keys @key{F5} through @key{F9} without modifier keys are
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153 reserved for users to define.
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154
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155 @item
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156 Do not bind @kbd{C-h} following any prefix character (including
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157 @kbd{C-c}). If you don't bind @kbd{C-h}, it is automatically available
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158 as a help character for listing the subcommands of the prefix character.
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159
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160 @item
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161 Do not bind a key sequence ending in @key{ESC} except following
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162 another @key{ESC}. (That is, it is OK to bind a sequence ending in
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163 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.)
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164
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165 The reason for this rule is that a non-prefix binding for @key{ESC} in
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166 any context prevents recognition of escape sequences as function keys in
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167 that context.
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168
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169 @item
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170 Anything which acts like a temporary mode or state which the user can
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171 enter and leave should define @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} or
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172 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as a way to escape.
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173
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174 For a state which accepts ordinary Emacs commands, or more generally any
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175 kind of state in which @key{ESC} followed by a function key or arrow key
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176 is potentially meaningful, then you must not define @kbd{@key{ESC}
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177 @key{ESC}}, since that would preclude recognizing an escape sequence
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178 after @key{ESC}. In these states, you should define @kbd{@key{ESC}
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179 @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as the way to escape. Otherwise, define
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180 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} instead.
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181
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182 @item
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183 Applications should not bind mouse events based on button 1 with the
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184 shift key held down. These events include @kbd{S-mouse-1},
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185 @kbd{M-S-mouse-1}, @kbd{C-S-mouse-1}, and so on. They are reserved for
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186 users.
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187
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188 @item
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189 Special major modes used for read-only text should usually redefine
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190 @kbd{mouse-2} and @key{RET} to trace some sort of reference in the text.
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191 Modes such as Dired, Info, Compilation, and Occur redefine it in this
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192 way.
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193
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194 @item
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195 When a package provides a modification of ordinary Emacs behavior, it is
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196 good to include a command to enable and disable the feature, Provide a
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197 command named @code{@var{whatever}-mode} which turns the feature on or
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198 off, and make it autoload (@pxref{Autoload}). Design the package so
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199 that simply loading it has no visible effect---that should not enable
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200 the feature. Users will request the feature by invoking the command.
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201
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202 @item
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203 It is a bad idea to define aliases for the Emacs primitives. Use the
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204 standard names instead.
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205
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206 @item
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207 Redefining (or advising) an Emacs primitive is discouraged. It may do
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208 the right thing for a particular program, but there is no telling what
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209 other programs might break as a result.
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210
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211 @item
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212 If a file does replace any of the functions or library programs of
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213 standard Emacs, prominent comments at the beginning of the file should
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214 say which functions are replaced, and how the behavior of the
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215 replacements differs from that of the originals.
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216
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217 @item
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218 Please keep the names of your Emacs Lisp source files to 13 characters
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219 or less. This way, if the files are compiled, the compiled files' names
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220 will be 14 characters or less, which is short enough to fit on all kinds
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221 of Unix systems.
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222
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223 @item
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224 Don't use @code{next-line} or @code{previous-line} in programs; nearly
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225 always, @code{forward-line} is more convenient as well as more
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226 predictable and robust. @xref{Text Lines}.
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227
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228 @item
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229 Don't call functions that set the mark, unless setting the mark is one
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230 of the intended features of your program. The mark is a user-level
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231 feature, so it is incorrect to change the mark except to supply a value
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232 for the user's benefit. @xref{The Mark}.
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233
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234 In particular, don't use any of these functions:
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235
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236 @itemize @bullet
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237 @item
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238 @code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{end-of-buffer}
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239 @item
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240 @code{replace-string}, @code{replace-regexp}
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241 @end itemize
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242
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243 If you just want to move point, or replace a certain string, without any
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244 of the other features intended for interactive users, you can replace
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245 these functions with one or two lines of simple Lisp code.
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246
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247 @item
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248 Use lists rather than vectors, except when there is a particular reason
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249 to use a vector. Lisp has more facilities for manipulating lists than
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250 for vectors, and working with lists is usually more convenient.
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251
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252 Vectors are advantageous for tables that are substantial in size and are
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253 accessed in random order (not searched front to back), provided there is
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254 no need to insert or delete elements (only lists allow that).
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255
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256 @item
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257 The recommended way to print a message in the echo area is with
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258 the @code{message} function, not @code{princ}. @xref{The Echo Area}.
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259
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260 @item
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261 When you encounter an error condition, call the function @code{error}
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262 (or @code{signal}). The function @code{error} does not return.
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263 @xref{Signaling Errors}.
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264
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265 Do not use @code{message}, @code{throw}, @code{sleep-for},
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266 or @code{beep} to report errors.
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267
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268 @item
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269 An error message should start with a capital letter but should not end
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270 with a period.
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271
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272 @item
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273 Many commands that take a long time to execute display a message that
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274 says @samp{Operating...} when they start, and change it to
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275 @samp{Operating...done} when they finish. Please keep the style of
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276 these messages uniform: @emph{no} space around the ellipsis, and
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277 @emph{no} period at the end.
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278
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279 @item
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280 Try to avoid using recursive edits. Instead, do what the Rmail @kbd{e}
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281 command does: use a new local keymap that contains one command defined
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282 to switch back to the old local keymap. Or do what the
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283 @code{edit-options} command does: switch to another buffer and let the
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284 user switch back at will. @xref{Recursive Editing}.
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285
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286 @item
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287 In some other systems there is a convention of choosing variable names
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288 that begin and end with @samp{*}. We don't use that convention in Emacs
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289 Lisp, so please don't use it in your programs. (Emacs uses such names
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290 only for special-purpose buffers.) The users will find Emacs more
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291 coherent if all libraries use the same conventions.
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292
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293 @item
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294 Try to avoid compiler warnings about undefined free variables, by adding
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295 @code{defvar} definitions for these variables.
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296
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297 Sometimes adding a @code{require} for another package is useful to avoid
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298 compilation warnings for variables and functions defined in that
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299 package. If you do this, often it is better if the @code{require} acts
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300 only at compile time. Here's how to do that:
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301
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302 @example
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303 (eval-when-compile
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304 (require 'foo)
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305 (defvar bar-baz))
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306 @end example
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307
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308 If you bind a variable in one function, and use it or set it in another
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309 function, the compiler warns about the latter function unless the
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310 variable has a definition. But often these variables have short names,
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311 and it is not clean for Lisp packages to define such variable names.
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312 Therefore, you should rename the variable to start with the name prefix
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313 used for the other functions and variables in your package.
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314
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315 @item
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316 Indent each function with @kbd{C-M-q} (@code{indent-sexp}) using the
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317 default indentation parameters.
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318
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319 @item
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320 Don't make a habit of putting close-parentheses on lines by themselves;
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321 Lisp programmers find this disconcerting. Once in a while, when there
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322 is a sequence of many consecutive close-parentheses, it may make sense
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323 to split the sequence in one or two significant places.
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324
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325 @item
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326 Please put a copyright notice on the file if you give copies to anyone.
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327 Use a message like this one:
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328
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329 @smallexample
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330 ;; Copyright (C) @var{year} @var{name}
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331
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332 ;; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
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333 ;; modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
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334 ;; published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
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335 ;; the License, or (at your option) any later version.
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336
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337 ;; This program is distributed in the hope that it will be
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338 ;; useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
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339 ;; warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
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340 ;; PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
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341
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342 ;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public
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343 ;; License along with this program; if not, write to the Free
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344 ;; Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston,
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345 ;; MA 02111-1307 USA
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346 @end smallexample
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347
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348 If you have signed papers to assign the copyright to the Foundation,
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349 then use @samp{Free Software Foundation, Inc.} as @var{name}.
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350 Otherwise, use your name.
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351 @end itemize
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352
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353 @node Compilation Tips
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354 @section Tips for Making Compiled Code Fast
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355 @cindex execution speed
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356 @cindex speedups
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357
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358 Here are ways of improving the execution speed of byte-compiled
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359 Lisp programs.
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360
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361 @itemize @bullet
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362 @item
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363 @cindex profiling
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364 @cindex timing programs
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365 @cindex @file{profile.el}
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366 @cindex @file{elp.el}
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367 Profile your program with the @file{profile} library or the @file{elp}
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368 library. See the files @file{profile.el} and @file{elp.el} for
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369 instructions.
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370
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371 @item
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372 Use iteration rather than recursion whenever possible.
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373 Function calls are slow in Emacs Lisp even when a compiled function
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374 is calling another compiled function.
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375
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376 @item
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377 Using the primitive list-searching functions @code{memq}, @code{member},
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378 @code{assq}, or @code{assoc} is even faster than explicit iteration. It
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379 can be worth rearranging a data structure so that one of these primitive
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380 search functions can be used.
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381
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382 @item
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383 Certain built-in functions are handled specially in byte-compiled code,
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384 avoiding the need for an ordinary function call. It is a good idea to
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385 use these functions rather than alternatives. To see whether a function
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386 is handled specially by the compiler, examine its @code{byte-compile}
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387 property. If the property is non-@code{nil}, then the function is
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388 handled specially.
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389
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390 For example, the following input will show you that @code{aref} is
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391 compiled specially (@pxref{Array Functions}):
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392
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393 @example
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394 @group
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395 (get 'aref 'byte-compile)
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396 @result{} byte-compile-two-args
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397 @end group
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398 @end example
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399
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400 @item
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401 If calling a small function accounts for a substantial part of your
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402 program's running time, make the function inline. This eliminates
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403 the function call overhead. Since making a function inline reduces
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404 the flexibility of changing the program, don't do it unless it gives
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405 a noticeable speedup in something slow enough that users care about
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406 the speed. @xref{Inline Functions}.
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407 @end itemize
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408
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409 @node Documentation Tips
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410 @section Tips for Documentation Strings
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411
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412 @findex checkdoc-minor-mode
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413 Here are some tips and conventions for the writing of documentation
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414 strings. You can check many of these conventions by running the command
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415 @kbd{M-x checkdoc-minor-mode}.
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416
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417 @itemize @bullet
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418 @item
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419 Every command, function, or variable intended for users to know about
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420 should have a documentation string.
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421
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422 @item
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423 An internal variable or subroutine of a Lisp program might as well have
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424 a documentation string. In earlier Emacs versions, you could save space
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425 by using a comment instead of a documentation string, but that is no
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426 longer the case---documentation strings now take up very little space in
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427 a running Emacs.
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428
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429 @item
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430 The first line of the documentation string should consist of one or two
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431 complete sentences that stand on their own as a summary. @kbd{M-x
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432 apropos} displays just the first line, and if that line's contents don't
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433 stand on their own, the result looks bad. In particular, start the
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434 first line with a capital letter and end with a period.
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435
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436 The documentation string is not limited to one line; use as many lines
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437 as you need to explain the details of how to use the function or
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438 variable. Please use complete sentences in the additional lines.
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439
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440 @item
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441 For consistency, phrase the verb in the first sentence of a function's
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442 documentation string as an imperative--for instance, use ``Return the
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443 cons of A and B.'' in preference to ``Returns the cons of A and B@.''
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444 Usually it looks good to do likewise for the rest of the first
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445 paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs usually look better if each sentence
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446 has a proper subject.
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447
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448 @item
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449 Write documentation strings in the active voice, not the passive, and in
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450 the present tense, not the future. For instance, use ``Return a list
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451 containing A and B.'' instead of ``A list containing A and B will be
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452 returned.''
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453
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454 @item
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455 Avoid using the word ``cause'' (or its equivalents) unnecessarily.
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456 Instead of, ``Cause Emacs to display text in boldface,'' write just
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457 ``Display text in boldface.''
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458
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459 @item
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460 When a command is meaningful only in a certain mode or situation,
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461 do mention that in the documentation string. For example,
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462 the documentation of @code{dired-find-file} is:
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463
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464 @example
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465 In Dired, visit the file or directory named on this line.
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466 @end example
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467
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468 @item
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469 Do not start or end a documentation string with whitespace.
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470
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471 @item
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472 Format the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window on an
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473 80-column screen. It is a good idea for most lines to be no wider than
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474 60 characters. The first line should not be wider than 67 characters
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475 or it will look bad in the output of @code{apropos}.
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476
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477 You can fill the text if that looks good. However, rather than blindly
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parents: 26211
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478 filling the entire documentation string, you can often make it much more
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parents: 26211
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479 readable by choosing certain line breaks with care. Use blank lines
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480 between topics if the documentation string is long.
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481
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482 @item
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483 @strong{Do not} indent subsequent lines of a documentation string so
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484 that the text is lined up in the source code with the text of the first
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485 line. This looks nice in the source code, but looks bizarre when users
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486 view the documentation. Remember that the indentation before the
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487 starting double-quote is not part of the string!
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488
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489 @item
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490 When the user tries to use a disabled command, Emacs displays just the
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491 first paragraph of its documentation string---everything through the
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492 first blank line. If you wish, you can choose which information to
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493 include before the first blank line so as to make this display useful.
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494
9fa09185bca0 Explain how disabled commands' doc strings are displayed.
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495 @item
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496 A variable's documentation string should start with @samp{*} if the
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497 variable is one that users would often want to set interactively. If
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498 the value is a long list, or a function, or if the variable would be set
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499 only in init files, then don't start the documentation string with
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500 @samp{*}. @xref{Defining Variables}.
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501
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502 @item
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503 The documentation string for a variable that is a yes-or-no flag should
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504 start with words such as ``Non-nil means@dots{}'', to make it clear that
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505 all non-@code{nil} values are equivalent and indicate explicitly what
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506 @code{nil} and non-@code{nil} mean.
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507
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508 @item
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509 When a function's documentation string mentions the value of an argument
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510 of the function, use the argument name in capital letters as if it were
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511 a name for that value. Thus, the documentation string of the function
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512 @code{eval} refers to its second argument as @samp{FORM}, because the
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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513 actual argument name is @code{form}:
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514
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diff changeset
515 @example
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
516 Evaluate FORM and return its value.
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
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517 @end example
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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diff changeset
518
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519 Also write metasyntactic variables in capital letters, such as when you
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
520 show the decomposition of a list or vector into subunits, some of which
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
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521 may vary. @samp{KEY} and @samp{VALUE} in the following example
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522 illustrate this practice:
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523
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diff changeset
524 @example
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525 The argument TABLE should be an alist whose elements
467b88fab665 *** empty log message ***
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526 have the form (KEY . VALUE). Here, KEY is ...
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527 @end example
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528
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529 @item
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
530 If a line in a documentation string begins with an open-parenthesis,
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
531 write a backslash before the open-parenthesis, like this:
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
532
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
533 @example
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
534 The argument FOO can be either a number
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
535 \(a buffer position) or a string (a file name).
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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536 @end example
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
537
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
538 This prevents the open-parenthesis from being treated as the start of a
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
539 defun (@pxref{Defuns,, Defuns, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
540
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
541 @item
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542 @iftex
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diff changeset
543 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
3b84ed22f747 Initial revision
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parents:
diff changeset
544 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
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parents:
diff changeset
545 around it. For example: @samp{`lambda'}. There are two exceptions:
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diff changeset
546 write @code{t} and @code{nil} without single-quotes.
3b84ed22f747 Initial revision
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diff changeset
547 @end iftex
27193
89afca54a135 @ifinto -> @ifnottex.
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parents: 27189
diff changeset
548 @ifnottex
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549 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
3b84ed22f747 Initial revision
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parents:
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550 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
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551 around it. For example: @samp{lambda}. There are two exceptions: write
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552 t and nil without single-quotes. (In this manual, we use a different
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diff changeset
553 convention, with single-quotes for all symbols.)
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89afca54a135 @ifinto -> @ifnottex.
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parents: 27189
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554 @end ifnottex
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diff changeset
555
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556 Help mode automatically creates a hyperlink when a documentation string
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parents: 22138
diff changeset
557 uses a symbol name inside single quotes, if the symbol has either a
22138
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diff changeset
558 function or a variable definition. You do not need to do anything
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parents: 21682
diff changeset
559 special to make use of this feature. However, when a symbol has both a
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parents: 21682
diff changeset
560 function definition and a variable definition, and you want to refer to
d4ac295a98b3 *** empty log message ***
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561 just one of them, you can specify which one by writing one of the words
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562 @samp{variable}, @samp{option}, @samp{function}, or @samp{command},
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diff changeset
563 immediately before the symbol name. (Case makes no difference in
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564 recognizing these indicator words.) For example, if you write
21682
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565
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diff changeset
566 @example
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567 This function sets the variable `buffer-file-name'.
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568 @end example
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569
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570 @noindent
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571 then the hyperlink will refer only to the variable documentation of
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572 @code{buffer-file-name}, and not to its function documentation.
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573
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574 If a symbol has a function definition and/or a variable definition, but
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diff changeset
575 those are irrelevant to the use of the symbol that you are documenting,
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576 you can write the word @samp{symbol} before the symbol name to prevent
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577 making any hyperlink. For example,
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578
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diff changeset
579 @example
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580 If the argument KIND-OF-RESULT is the symbol `list',
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diff changeset
581 this function returns a list of all the objects
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582 that satisfy the criterion.
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583 @end example
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584
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585 @noindent
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586 does not make a hyperlink to the documentation, irrelevant here, of the
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587 function @code{list}.
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diff changeset
588
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589 To make a hyperlink to Info documentation, write the name of the Info
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diff changeset
590 node in single quotes, preceded by @samp{info node} or @samp{Info
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591 node}. The Info file name defaults to @samp{emacs}. For example,
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592
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593 @smallexample
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594 See Info node `Font Lock' and Info node `(elisp)Font Lock Basics'.
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595 @end smallexample
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596
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597 @item
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598 Don't write key sequences directly in documentation strings. Instead,
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599 use the @samp{\\[@dots{}]} construct to stand for them. For example,
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parents: 16671
diff changeset
600 instead of writing @samp{C-f}, write the construct
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parents: 16671
diff changeset
601 @samp{\\[forward-char]}. When Emacs displays the documentation string,
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parents: 16671
diff changeset
602 it substitutes whatever key is currently bound to @code{forward-char}.
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diff changeset
603 (This is normally @samp{C-f}, but it may be some other character if the
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parents: 16671
diff changeset
604 user has moved key bindings.) @xref{Keys in Documentation}.
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605
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parents:
diff changeset
606 @item
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diff changeset
607 In documentation strings for a major mode, you will want to refer to the
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608 key bindings of that mode's local map, rather than global ones.
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609 Therefore, use the construct @samp{\\<@dots{}>} once in the
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610 documentation string to specify which key map to use. Do this before
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611 the first use of @samp{\\[@dots{}]}. The text inside the
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612 @samp{\\<@dots{}>} should be the name of the variable containing the
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613 local keymap for the major mode.
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614
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615 It is not practical to use @samp{\\[@dots{}]} very many times, because
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616 display of the documentation string will become slow. So use this to
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617 describe the most important commands in your major mode, and then use
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618 @samp{\\@{@dots{}@}} to display the rest of the mode's keymap.
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619 @end itemize
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620
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621 @node Comment Tips
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622 @section Tips on Writing Comments
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623
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624 We recommend these conventions for where to put comments and how to
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625 indent them:
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626
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627 @table @samp
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628 @item ;
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629 Comments that start with a single semicolon, @samp{;}, should all be
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630 aligned to the same column on the right of the source code. Such
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631 comments usually explain how the code on the same line does its job. In
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632 Lisp mode and related modes, the @kbd{M-;} (@code{indent-for-comment})
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633 command automatically inserts such a @samp{;} in the right place, or
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634 aligns such a comment if it is already present.
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635
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636 This and following examples are taken from the Emacs sources.
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637
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638 @smallexample
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639 @group
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640 (setq base-version-list ; there was a base
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641 (assoc (substring fn 0 start-vn) ; version to which
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642 file-version-assoc-list)) ; this looks like
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643 ; a subversion
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644 @end group
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645 @end smallexample
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646
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647 @item ;;
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648 Comments that start with two semicolons, @samp{;;}, should be aligned to
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649 the same level of indentation as the code. Such comments usually
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650 describe the purpose of the following lines or the state of the program
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651 at that point. For example:
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652
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653 @smallexample
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654 @group
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655 (prog1 (setq auto-fill-function
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656 @dots{}
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657 @dots{}
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658 ;; update mode line
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659 (force-mode-line-update)))
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660 @end group
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661 @end smallexample
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662
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663 We also normally use two semicolons for comments outside functions.
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664
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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665 @smallexample
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666 @group
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diff changeset
667 ;; This Lisp code is run in Emacs
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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668 ;; when it is to operate as a server
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
669 ;; for other processes.
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670 @end group
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671 @end smallexample
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672
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673 Every function that has no documentation string (presumably one that is
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diff changeset
674 used only internally within the package it belongs to), should instead
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diff changeset
675 have a two-semicolon comment right before the function, explaining what
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
676 the function does and how to call it properly. Explain precisely what
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677 each argument means and how the function interprets its possible values.
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678
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679 @item ;;;
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680 Comments that start with three semicolons, @samp{;;;}, should start at
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diff changeset
681 the left margin. These are used, occasionally, for comments within
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
682 functions that should start at the margin. We also use them sometimes
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
683 for comments that are between functions---whether to use two or three
ef5e7bbe6f19 Current version from /gd/gnu/elisp.
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
684 semicolons there is a matter of style.
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685
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686 Another use for triple-semicolon comments is for commenting out lines
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parents: 26211
diff changeset
687 within a function. We use three semicolons for this precisely so that
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688 they remain at the left margin.
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689
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690 @smallexample
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diff changeset
691 (defun foo (a)
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parents: 6552
diff changeset
692 ;;; This is no longer necessary.
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parents: 6552
diff changeset
693 ;;; (force-mode-line-update)
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diff changeset
694 (message "Finished with %s" a))
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695 @end smallexample
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696
6552
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697 @item ;;;;
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diff changeset
698 Comments that start with four semicolons, @samp{;;;;}, should be aligned
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parents:
diff changeset
699 to the left margin and are used for headings of major sections of a
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700 program. For example:
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701
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702 @smallexample
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diff changeset
703 ;;;; The kill ring
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diff changeset
704 @end smallexample
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705 @end table
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diff changeset
706
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diff changeset
707 @noindent
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diff changeset
708 The indentation commands of the Lisp modes in Emacs, such as @kbd{M-;}
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709 (@code{indent-for-comment}) and @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line}),
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diff changeset
710 automatically indent comments according to these conventions,
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diff changeset
711 depending on the number of semicolons. @xref{Comments,,
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diff changeset
712 Manipulating Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
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713
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diff changeset
714 @node Library Headers
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diff changeset
715 @section Conventional Headers for Emacs Libraries
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diff changeset
716 @cindex header comments
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diff changeset
717 @cindex library header comments
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718
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diff changeset
719 Emacs has conventions for using special comments in Lisp libraries
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diff changeset
720 to divide them into sections and give information such as who wrote
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diff changeset
721 them. This section explains these conventions.
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722
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diff changeset
723 We'll start with an example, a package that is included in the Emacs
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diff changeset
724 distribution.
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725
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726 Parts of this example reflect its status as part of Emacs; for
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parents: 24862
diff changeset
727 example, the copyright notice lists the Free Software Foundation as the
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728 copyright holder, and the copying permission says the file is part of
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diff changeset
729 Emacs. When you write a package and post it, the copyright holder would
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730 be you (unless your employer claims to own it instead), and you should
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731 get the suggested copying permission from the end of the GNU General
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732 Public License itself. Don't say your file is part of Emacs
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diff changeset
733 if we haven't installed it in Emacs yet!
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734
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735 With that warning out of the way, on to the example:
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736
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737 @smallexample
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diff changeset
738 @group
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diff changeset
739 ;;; lisp-mnt.el --- minor mode for Emacs Lisp maintainers
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740
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diff changeset
741 ;; Copyright (C) 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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diff changeset
742 @end group
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743
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744 ;; Author: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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diff changeset
745 ;; Maintainer: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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parents:
diff changeset
746 ;; Created: 14 Jul 1992
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parents:
diff changeset
747 ;; Version: 1.2
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diff changeset
748 @group
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diff changeset
749 ;; Keywords: docs
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750
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751 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.
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752 @dots{}
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753 ;; Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
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754 ;; Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
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755 @end group
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756 @end smallexample
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757
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758 The very first line should have this format:
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759
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760 @example
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761 ;;; @var{filename} --- @var{description}
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762 @end example
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763
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764 @noindent
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diff changeset
765 The description should be complete in one line.
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766
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767 After the copyright notice come several @dfn{header comment} lines,
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768 each beginning with @samp{;; @var{header-name}:}. Here is a table of
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769 the conventional possibilities for @var{header-name}:
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770
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771 @table @samp
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772 @item Author
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773 This line states the name and net address of at least the principal
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774 author of the library.
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775
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776 If there are multiple authors, you can list them on continuation lines
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777 led by @code{;;} and a tab character, like this:
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778
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779 @smallexample
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780 @group
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781 ;; Author: Ashwin Ram <Ram-Ashwin@@cs.yale.edu>
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782 ;; Dave Sill <de5@@ornl.gov>
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783 ;; Dave Brennan <brennan@@hal.com>
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784 ;; Eric Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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785 @end group
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786 @end smallexample
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787
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788 @item Maintainer
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789 This line should contain a single name/address as in the Author line, or
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790 an address only, or the string @samp{FSF}. If there is no maintainer
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791 line, the person(s) in the Author field are presumed to be the
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792 maintainers. The example above is mildly bogus because the maintainer
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793 line is redundant.
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794
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795 The idea behind the @samp{Author} and @samp{Maintainer} lines is to make
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796 possible a Lisp function to ``send mail to the maintainer'' without
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797 having to mine the name out by hand.
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798
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799 Be sure to surround the network address with @samp{<@dots{}>} if
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800 you include the person's full name as well as the network address.
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801
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802 @item Created
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803 This optional line gives the original creation date of the
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804 file. For historical interest only.
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805
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806 @item Version
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807 If you wish to record version numbers for the individual Lisp program, put
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808 them in this line.
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809
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810 @item Adapted-By
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811 In this header line, place the name of the person who adapted the
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812 library for installation (to make it fit the style conventions, for
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813 example).
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814
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815 @item Keywords
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816 This line lists keywords for the @code{finder-by-keyword} help command.
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817 Please use that command to see a list of the meaningful keywords.
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818
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819 This field is important; it's how people will find your package when
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820 they're looking for things by topic area. To separate the keywords, you
634f36d4b2ae Give syntax of keywords.
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821 can use spaces, commas, or both.
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822 @end table
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823
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824 Just about every Lisp library ought to have the @samp{Author} and
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825 @samp{Keywords} header comment lines. Use the others if they are
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826 appropriate. You can also put in header lines with other header
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827 names---they have no standard meanings, so they can't do any harm.
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828
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829 We use additional stylized comments to subdivide the contents of the
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830 library file. These should be separated by blank lines from anything
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831 else. Here is a table of them:
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832
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833 @table @samp
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834 @item ;;; Commentary:
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835 This begins introductory comments that explain how the library works.
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836 It should come right after the copying permissions, terminated by a
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837 @samp{Change Log}, @samp{History} or @samp{Code} comment line. This
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838 text is used by the Finder package, so it should make sense in that
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839 context.
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840
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841 @item ;;; Documentation
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842 This has been used in some files in place of @samp{;;; Commentary:},
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843 but @samp{;;; Commentary:} is preferred.
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844
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845 @item ;;; Change Log:
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846 This begins change log information stored in the library file (if you
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847 store the change history there). For Lisp files distributed with Emacs,
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848 the change history is kept in the file @file{ChangeLog} and not in the
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849 source file at all; these files generally do not have a @samp{;;; Change
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850 Log:} line. @samp{History} is an alternative to @samp{Change Log}.
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851
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852 @item ;;; Code:
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853 This begins the actual code of the program.
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854
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855 @item ;;; @var{filename} ends here
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856 This is the @dfn{footer line}; it appears at the very end of the file.
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857 Its purpose is to enable people to detect truncated versions of the file
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858 from the lack of a footer line.
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859 @end table