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annotate lispref/tips.texi @ 76586:57f1bfa7e343
Mark 1998-08-26 change by Kevin Rodgers as tiny.
author | Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com> |
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date | Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:54:53 +0000 |
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6552 | 1 @c -*-texinfo-*- |
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, 2001, 2002, |
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4 @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
6552 | 5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. |
6 @setfilename ../info/tips | |
30904 | 7 @node Tips, GNU Emacs Internals, GPL, Top |
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8 @appendix Tips and Conventions |
6552 | 9 @cindex tips |
10 @cindex standards of coding style | |
11 @cindex coding standards | |
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. |
6552 | 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 |
6552 | 24 @menu |
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25 * Coding Conventions:: Conventions for clean and robust programs. |
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26 * Key Binding Conventions:: Which keys should be bound by which programs. |
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27 * Programming Tips:: Making Emacs code fit smoothly in Emacs. |
6552 | 28 * Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast. |
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29 * Warning Tips:: Turning off compiler warnings. |
6552 | 30 * Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings. |
31 * Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments. | |
32 * Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages. | |
33 @end menu | |
34 | |
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35 @node Coding Conventions |
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36 @section Emacs Lisp Coding Conventions |
6552 | 37 |
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38 @cindex coding conventions in Emacs Lisp |
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39 Here are conventions that you should follow when writing Emacs Lisp |
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40 code intended for widespread use: |
6552 | 41 |
42 @itemize @bullet | |
43 @item | |
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44 Simply loading the package should not change Emacs's editing behavior. |
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45 Include a command or commands to enable and disable the feature, |
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46 or to invoke it. |
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47 |
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48 This convention is mandatory for any file that includes custom |
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49 definitions. If fixing such a file to follow this convention requires |
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50 an incompatible change, go ahead and make the incompatible change; |
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51 don't postpone it. |
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52 |
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53 @item |
38162 | 54 Since all global variables share the same name space, and all |
55 functions share another name space, you should choose a short word to | |
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56 distinguish your program from other Lisp programs@footnote{The |
38162 | 57 benefits of a Common Lisp-style package system are considered not to |
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58 outweigh the costs.}. Then take care to begin the names of all global |
38162 | 59 variables, constants, and functions in your program with the chosen |
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60 prefix. This helps avoid name conflicts. |
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61 |
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62 Occasionally, for a command name intended for users to use, it is more |
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63 convenient if some words come before the package's name prefix. And |
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64 constructs that define functions, variables, etc., work better if they |
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65 start with @samp{defun} or @samp{defvar}, so put the name prefix later |
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66 on in the name. |
6552 | 67 |
68 This recommendation applies even to names for traditional Lisp | |
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69 primitives that are not primitives in Emacs Lisp---such as |
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70 @code{copy-list}. Believe it or not, there is more than one plausible |
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71 way to define @code{copy-list}. Play it safe; append your name prefix |
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72 to produce a name like @code{foo-copy-list} or @code{mylib-copy-list} |
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73 instead. |
6552 | 74 |
75 If you write a function that you think ought to be added to Emacs under | |
76 a certain name, such as @code{twiddle-files}, don't call it by that name | |
77 in your program. Call it @code{mylib-twiddle-files} in your program, | |
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78 and send mail to @samp{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} suggesting we add |
6552 | 79 it to Emacs. If and when we do, we can change the name easily enough. |
80 | |
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81 If one prefix is insufficient, your package can use two or three |
6552 | 82 alternative common prefixes, so long as they make sense. |
83 | |
84 Separate the prefix from the rest of the symbol name with a hyphen, | |
85 @samp{-}. This will be consistent with Emacs itself and with most Emacs | |
86 Lisp programs. | |
87 | |
88 @item | |
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89 Put a call to @code{provide} at the end of each separate Lisp file. |
6552 | 90 |
91 @item | |
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92 If a file requires certain other Lisp programs to be loaded |
12098 | 93 beforehand, then the comments at the beginning of the file should say |
94 so. Also, use @code{require} to make sure they are loaded. | |
95 | |
96 @item | |
6552 | 97 If one file @var{foo} uses a macro defined in another file @var{bar}, |
12098 | 98 @var{foo} should contain this expression before the first use of the |
99 macro: | |
100 | |
101 @example | |
102 (eval-when-compile (require '@var{bar})) | |
103 @end example | |
104 | |
105 @noindent | |
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106 (And the library @var{bar} should contain @code{(provide '@var{bar})}, |
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107 to make the @code{require} work.) This will cause @var{bar} to be |
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108 loaded when you byte-compile @var{foo}. Otherwise, you risk compiling |
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109 @var{foo} without the necessary macro loaded, and that would produce |
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110 compiled code that won't work right. @xref{Compiling Macros}. |
12098 | 111 |
112 Using @code{eval-when-compile} avoids loading @var{bar} when | |
113 the compiled version of @var{foo} is @emph{used}. | |
6552 | 114 |
115 @item | |
24799 | 116 Please don't require the @code{cl} package of Common Lisp extensions at |
117 run time. Use of this package is optional, and it is not part of the | |
118 standard Emacs namespace. If your package loads @code{cl} at run time, | |
119 that could cause name clashes for users who don't use that package. | |
120 | |
71770 | 121 However, there is no problem with using the @code{cl} package at |
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122 compile time, with @code{(eval-when-compile (require 'cl))}. That's |
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123 sufficient for using the macros in the @code{cl} package, because the |
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124 compiler expands them before generating the byte-code. |
24799 | 125 |
126 @item | |
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127 When defining a major mode, please follow the major mode |
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128 conventions. @xref{Major Mode Conventions}. |
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129 |
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130 @item |
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131 When defining a minor mode, please follow the minor mode |
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132 conventions. @xref{Minor Mode Conventions}. |
6552 | 133 |
134 @item | |
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135 If the purpose of a function is to tell you whether a certain condition |
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136 is true or false, give the function a name that ends in @samp{p}. If |
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137 the name is one word, add just @samp{p}; if the name is multiple words, |
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138 add @samp{-p}. Examples are @code{framep} and @code{frame-live-p}. |
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139 |
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140 @item |
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141 If a user option variable records a true-or-false condition, give it a |
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142 name that ends in @samp{-flag}. |
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143 |
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144 @item |
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145 If the purpose of a variable is to store a single function, give it a |
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146 name that ends in @samp{-function}. If the purpose of a variable is |
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147 to store a list of functions (i.e., the variable is a hook), please |
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148 follow the naming conventions for hooks. @xref{Hooks}. |
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149 |
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150 @item |
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151 @cindex unloading packages |
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152 If loading the file adds functions to hooks, define a function |
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153 @code{@var{feature}-unload-hook}, where @var{feature} is the name of |
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154 the feature the package provides, and make it undo any such changes. |
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155 Using @code{unload-feature} to unload the file will run this function. |
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156 @xref{Unloading}. |
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157 |
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158 @item |
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159 It is a bad idea to define aliases for the Emacs primitives. Normally |
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160 you should use the standard names instead. The case where an alias |
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161 may be useful is where it facilitates backwards compatibility or |
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162 portability. |
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163 |
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164 @item |
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165 If a package needs to define an alias or a new function for |
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166 compatibility with some other version of Emacs, name it with the package |
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167 prefix, not with the raw name with which it occurs in the other version. |
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168 Here is an example from Gnus, which provides many examples of such |
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169 compatibility issues. |
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170 |
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171 @example |
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172 (defalias 'gnus-point-at-bol |
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173 (if (fboundp 'point-at-bol) |
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174 'point-at-bol |
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175 'line-beginning-position)) |
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176 @end example |
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177 |
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178 @item |
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179 Redefining (or advising) an Emacs primitive is a bad idea. It may do |
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180 the right thing for a particular program, but there is no telling what |
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181 other programs might break as a result. In any case, it is a problem |
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182 for debugging, because the advised function doesn't do what its source |
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183 code says it does. If the programmer investigating the problem is |
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184 unaware that there is advice on the function, the experience can be |
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185 very frustrating. |
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186 |
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187 We hope to remove all the places in Emacs that advise primitives. |
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188 In the mean time, please don't add any more. |
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189 |
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190 @item |
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191 It is likewise a bad idea for one Lisp package to advise a function |
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192 in another Lisp package. |
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193 |
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194 @item |
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195 Likewise, avoid using @code{eval-after-load} (@pxref{Hooks for |
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196 Loading}) in libraries and packages. This feature is meant for |
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197 personal customizations; using it in a Lisp program is unclean, |
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198 because it modifies the behavior of another Lisp file in a way that's |
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199 not visible in that file. This is an obstacle for debugging, much |
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200 like advising a function in the other package. |
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201 |
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202 @item |
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203 If a file does replace any of the functions or library programs of |
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204 standard Emacs, prominent comments at the beginning of the file should |
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205 say which functions are replaced, and how the behavior of the |
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206 replacements differs from that of the originals. |
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207 |
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208 @item |
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209 Constructs that define a function or variable should be macros, |
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210 not functions, and their names should start with @samp{def}. |
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211 |
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212 @item |
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213 A macro that defines a function or variable should have a name that |
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214 starts with @samp{define-}. The macro should receive the name to be |
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215 defined as the first argument. That will help various tools find the |
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216 definition automatically. Avoid constructing the names in the macro |
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217 itself, since that would confuse these tools. |
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218 |
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219 @item |
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220 Please keep the names of your Emacs Lisp source files to 13 characters |
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221 or less. This way, if the files are compiled, the compiled files' names |
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222 will be 14 characters or less, which is short enough to fit on all kinds |
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223 of Unix systems. |
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224 |
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225 @item |
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226 In some other systems there is a convention of choosing variable names |
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227 that begin and end with @samp{*}. We don't use that convention in Emacs |
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228 Lisp, so please don't use it in your programs. (Emacs uses such names |
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229 only for special-purpose buffers.) The users will find Emacs more |
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230 coherent if all libraries use the same conventions. |
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231 |
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232 @item |
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233 If your program contains non-ASCII characters in string or character |
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234 constants, you should make sure Emacs always decodes these characters |
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235 the same way, regardless of the user's settings. There are two ways |
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236 to do that: |
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237 |
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238 @itemize - |
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239 @item |
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240 Use coding system @code{emacs-mule}, and specify that for |
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241 @code{coding} in the @samp{-*-} line or the local variables list. |
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242 |
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243 @example |
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244 ;; XXX.el -*- coding: emacs-mule; -*- |
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245 @end example |
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246 |
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247 @item |
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248 Use one of the coding systems based on ISO 2022 (such as |
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249 iso-8859-@var{n} and iso-2022-7bit), and specify it with @samp{!} at |
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250 the end for @code{coding}. (The @samp{!} turns off any possible |
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251 character translation.) |
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252 |
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253 @example |
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254 ;; XXX.el -*- coding: iso-latin-2!; -*- |
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255 @end example |
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256 @end itemize |
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257 |
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258 @item |
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259 Indent each function with @kbd{C-M-q} (@code{indent-sexp}) using the |
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260 default indentation parameters. |
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261 |
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262 @item |
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263 Don't make a habit of putting close-parentheses on lines by themselves; |
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264 Lisp programmers find this disconcerting. Once in a while, when there |
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265 is a sequence of many consecutive close-parentheses, it may make sense |
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266 to split the sequence in one or two significant places. |
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267 |
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268 @item |
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269 Please put a copyright notice and copying permission notice on the |
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270 file if you distribute copies. Use a notice like this one: |
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271 |
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272 @smallexample |
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273 ;; Copyright (C) @var{year} @var{name} |
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274 |
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275 ;; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or |
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276 ;; modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as |
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277 ;; published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of |
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278 ;; the License, or (at your option) any later version. |
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279 |
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280 ;; This program is distributed in the hope that it will be |
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281 ;; useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied |
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282 ;; warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR |
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283 ;; PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. |
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284 |
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285 ;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public |
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286 ;; License along with this program; if not, write to the Free |
71638 | 287 ;; Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, |
288 ;; Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA | |
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289 @end smallexample |
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290 |
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291 If you have signed papers to assign the copyright to the Foundation, |
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292 then use @samp{Free Software Foundation, Inc.} as @var{name}. |
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293 Otherwise, use your name. See also @xref{Library Headers}. |
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294 @end itemize |
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295 |
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296 @node Key Binding Conventions |
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297 @section Key Binding Conventions |
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298 |
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299 @itemize @bullet |
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300 @item |
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301 @cindex mouse-2 |
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302 @cindex references, following |
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303 Special major modes used for read-only text should usually redefine |
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304 @kbd{mouse-2} and @key{RET} to trace some sort of reference in the text. |
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305 Modes such as Dired, Info, Compilation, and Occur redefine it in this |
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306 way. |
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307 |
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308 In addition, they should mark the text as a kind of ``link'' so that |
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309 @kbd{mouse-1} will follow it also. @xref{Links and Mouse-1}. |
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310 |
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311 @item |
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312 @cindex reserved keys |
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313 @cindex keys, reserved |
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314 Please do not define @kbd{C-c @var{letter}} as a key in Lisp programs. |
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315 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} and a letter (either upper or lower |
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316 case) are reserved for users; they are the @strong{only} sequences |
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317 reserved for users, so do not block them. |
6552 | 318 |
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319 Changing all the Emacs major modes to respect this convention was a |
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320 lot of work; abandoning this convention would make that work go to |
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321 waste, and inconvenience users. Please comply with it. |
6552 | 322 |
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323 @item |
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324 Function keys @key{F5} through @key{F9} without modifier keys are |
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325 also reserved for users to define. |
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326 |
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327 @item |
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328 Applications should not bind mouse events based on button 1 with the |
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329 shift key held down. These events include @kbd{S-mouse-1}, |
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330 @kbd{M-S-mouse-1}, @kbd{C-S-mouse-1}, and so on. They are reserved for |
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331 users. |
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332 |
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333 @item |
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334 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a control character or a |
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335 digit are reserved for major modes. |
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336 |
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337 @item |
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338 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, |
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339 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;} are also reserved for major modes. |
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340 |
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341 @item |
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342 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by any other punctuation |
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343 character are allocated for minor modes. Using them in a major mode is |
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344 not absolutely prohibited, but if you do that, the major mode binding |
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345 may be shadowed from time to time by minor modes. |
6552 | 346 |
347 @item | |
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348 Do not bind @kbd{C-h} following any prefix character (including |
6552 | 349 @kbd{C-c}). If you don't bind @kbd{C-h}, it is automatically available |
350 as a help character for listing the subcommands of the prefix character. | |
351 | |
352 @item | |
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353 Do not bind a key sequence ending in @key{ESC} except following |
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354 another @key{ESC}. (That is, it is OK to bind a sequence ending in |
6552 | 355 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.) |
356 | |
357 The reason for this rule is that a non-prefix binding for @key{ESC} in | |
358 any context prevents recognition of escape sequences as function keys in | |
359 that context. | |
360 | |
361 @item | |
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362 Anything which acts like a temporary mode or state which the user can |
24862 | 363 enter and leave should define @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} or |
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364 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as a way to escape. |
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365 |
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366 For a state which accepts ordinary Emacs commands, or more generally any |
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367 kind of state in which @key{ESC} followed by a function key or arrow key |
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368 is potentially meaningful, then you must not define @kbd{@key{ESC} |
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369 @key{ESC}}, since that would preclude recognizing an escape sequence |
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370 after @key{ESC}. In these states, you should define @kbd{@key{ESC} |
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371 @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as the way to escape. Otherwise, define |
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372 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} instead. |
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373 @end itemize |
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374 |
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375 @node Programming Tips |
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376 @section Emacs Programming Tips |
34305 | 377 |
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378 Following these conventions will make your program fit better |
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379 into Emacs when it runs. |
6552 | 380 |
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381 @itemize @bullet |
6552 | 382 @item |
383 Don't use @code{next-line} or @code{previous-line} in programs; nearly | |
384 always, @code{forward-line} is more convenient as well as more | |
385 predictable and robust. @xref{Text Lines}. | |
386 | |
387 @item | |
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388 Don't call functions that set the mark, unless setting the mark is one |
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389 of the intended features of your program. The mark is a user-level |
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390 feature, so it is incorrect to change the mark except to supply a value |
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391 for the user's benefit. @xref{The Mark}. |
6552 | 392 |
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393 In particular, don't use any of these functions: |
6552 | 394 |
395 @itemize @bullet | |
396 @item | |
397 @code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{end-of-buffer} | |
398 @item | |
399 @code{replace-string}, @code{replace-regexp} | |
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400 @item |
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401 @code{insert-file}, @code{insert-buffer} |
6552 | 402 @end itemize |
403 | |
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404 If you just want to move point, or replace a certain string, or insert |
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405 a file or buffer's contents, without any of the other features |
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406 intended for interactive users, you can replace these functions with |
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407 one or two lines of simple Lisp code. |
6552 | 408 |
409 @item | |
8669 | 410 Use lists rather than vectors, except when there is a particular reason |
411 to use a vector. Lisp has more facilities for manipulating lists than | |
412 for vectors, and working with lists is usually more convenient. | |
413 | |
414 Vectors are advantageous for tables that are substantial in size and are | |
415 accessed in random order (not searched front to back), provided there is | |
416 no need to insert or delete elements (only lists allow that). | |
417 | |
418 @item | |
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419 The recommended way to show a message in the echo area is with |
6552 | 420 the @code{message} function, not @code{princ}. @xref{The Echo Area}. |
421 | |
422 @item | |
423 When you encounter an error condition, call the function @code{error} | |
424 (or @code{signal}). The function @code{error} does not return. | |
425 @xref{Signaling Errors}. | |
426 | |
427 Do not use @code{message}, @code{throw}, @code{sleep-for}, | |
428 or @code{beep} to report errors. | |
429 | |
430 @item | |
12098 | 431 An error message should start with a capital letter but should not end |
432 with a period. | |
433 | |
434 @item | |
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435 A question asked in the minibuffer with @code{y-or-n-p} or |
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436 @code{yes-or-no-p} should start with a capital letter and end with |
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437 @samp{? }. |
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438 |
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439 @item |
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440 When you mention a default value in a minibuffer prompt, |
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441 put it and the word @samp{default} inside parentheses. |
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442 It should look like this: |
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443 |
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444 @example |
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445 Enter the answer (default 42): |
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446 @end example |
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447 |
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448 @item |
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449 In @code{interactive}, if you use a Lisp expression to produce a list |
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450 of arguments, don't try to provide the ``correct'' default values for |
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451 region or position arguments. Instead, provide @code{nil} for those |
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452 arguments if they were not specified, and have the function body |
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453 compute the default value when the argument is @code{nil}. For |
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454 instance, write this: |
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455 |
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456 @example |
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457 (defun foo (pos) |
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458 (interactive |
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459 (list (if @var{specified} @var{specified-pos}))) |
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460 (unless pos (setq pos @var{default-pos})) |
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461 ...) |
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462 @end example |
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463 |
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464 @noindent |
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465 rather than this: |
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466 |
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467 @example |
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468 (defun foo (pos) |
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469 (interactive |
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470 (list (if @var{specified} @var{specified-pos} |
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471 @var{default-pos}))) |
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472 ...) |
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473 @end example |
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474 |
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475 @noindent |
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476 This is so that repetition of the command will recompute |
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477 these defaults based on the current circumstances. |
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478 |
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479 You do not need to take such precautions when you use interactive |
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480 specs @samp{d}, @samp{m} and @samp{r}, because they make special |
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481 arrangements to recompute the argument values on repetition of the |
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482 command. |
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483 |
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484 @item |
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485 Many commands that take a long time to execute display a message that |
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486 says something like @samp{Operating...} when they start, and change it to |
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487 @samp{Operating...done} when they finish. Please keep the style of |
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488 these messages uniform: @emph{no} space around the ellipsis, and |
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489 @emph{no} period after @samp{done}. |
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490 |
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491 @item |
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492 Try to avoid using recursive edits. Instead, do what the Rmail @kbd{e} |
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493 command does: use a new local keymap that contains one command defined |
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494 to switch back to the old local keymap. Or do what the |
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495 @code{edit-options} command does: switch to another buffer and let the |
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496 user switch back at will. @xref{Recursive Editing}. |
6552 | 497 @end itemize |
498 | |
499 @node Compilation Tips | |
500 @section Tips for Making Compiled Code Fast | |
501 @cindex execution speed | |
502 @cindex speedups | |
503 | |
504 Here are ways of improving the execution speed of byte-compiled | |
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505 Lisp programs. |
6552 | 506 |
507 @itemize @bullet | |
508 @item | |
509 @cindex profiling | |
510 @cindex timing programs | |
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511 @cindex @file{elp.el} |
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512 Profile your program with the @file{elp} library. See the file |
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513 @file{elp.el} for instructions. |
6552 | 514 |
515 @item | |
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516 @cindex @file{benchmark.el} |
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517 @cindex benchmarking |
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518 Check the speed of individual Emacs Lisp forms using the |
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519 @file{benchmark} library. See the functions @code{benchmark-run} and |
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520 @code{benchmark-run-compiled} in @file{benchmark.el}. |
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521 |
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522 @item |
6552 | 523 Use iteration rather than recursion whenever possible. |
524 Function calls are slow in Emacs Lisp even when a compiled function | |
525 is calling another compiled function. | |
526 | |
527 @item | |
12098 | 528 Using the primitive list-searching functions @code{memq}, @code{member}, |
529 @code{assq}, or @code{assoc} is even faster than explicit iteration. It | |
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530 can be worth rearranging a data structure so that one of these primitive |
12098 | 531 search functions can be used. |
6552 | 532 |
533 @item | |
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534 Certain built-in functions are handled specially in byte-compiled code, |
6552 | 535 avoiding the need for an ordinary function call. It is a good idea to |
536 use these functions rather than alternatives. To see whether a function | |
537 is handled specially by the compiler, examine its @code{byte-compile} | |
538 property. If the property is non-@code{nil}, then the function is | |
539 handled specially. | |
540 | |
541 For example, the following input will show you that @code{aref} is | |
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542 compiled specially (@pxref{Array Functions}): |
6552 | 543 |
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544 @example |
6552 | 545 @group |
546 (get 'aref 'byte-compile) | |
547 @result{} byte-compile-two-args | |
548 @end group | |
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549 @end example |
6552 | 550 |
551 @item | |
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552 If calling a small function accounts for a substantial part of your |
6552 | 553 program's running time, make the function inline. This eliminates |
554 the function call overhead. Since making a function inline reduces | |
555 the flexibility of changing the program, don't do it unless it gives | |
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556 a noticeable speedup in something slow enough that users care about |
6552 | 557 the speed. @xref{Inline Functions}. |
558 @end itemize | |
559 | |
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560 @node Warning Tips |
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561 @section Tips for Avoiding Compiler Warnings |
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562 |
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563 @itemize @bullet |
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564 @item |
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565 Try to avoid compiler warnings about undefined free variables, by adding |
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566 dummy @code{defvar} definitions for these variables, like this: |
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567 |
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568 @example |
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569 (defvar foo) |
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570 @end example |
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571 |
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572 Such a definition has no effect except to tell the compiler |
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573 not to warn about uses of the variable @code{foo} in this file. |
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574 |
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575 @item |
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576 If you use many functions and variables from a certain file, you can |
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577 add a @code{require} for that package to avoid compilation warnings |
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578 for them. For instance, |
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579 |
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580 @example |
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581 (eval-when-compile |
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582 (require 'foo)) |
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583 @end example |
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584 |
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585 @item |
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586 If you bind a variable in one function, and use it or set it in |
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587 another function, the compiler warns about the latter function unless |
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588 the variable has a definition. But adding a definition would be |
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589 unclean if the variable has a short name, since Lisp packages should |
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590 not define short variable names. The right thing to do is to rename |
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591 this variable to start with the name prefix used for the other |
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592 functions and variables in your package. |
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593 |
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594 @item |
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595 The last resort for avoiding a warning, when you want to do something |
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596 that usually is a mistake but it's not a mistake in this one case, |
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597 is to put a call to @code{with-no-warnings} around it. |
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598 @end itemize |
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599 |
6552 | 600 @node Documentation Tips |
601 @section Tips for Documentation Strings | |
602 | |
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603 @findex checkdoc-minor-mode |
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604 Here are some tips and conventions for the writing of documentation |
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605 strings. You can check many of these conventions by running the command |
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606 @kbd{M-x checkdoc-minor-mode}. |
6552 | 607 |
608 @itemize @bullet | |
609 @item | |
7601
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610 Every command, function, or variable intended for users to know about |
6552 | 611 should have a documentation string. |
612 | |
613 @item | |
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614 An internal variable or subroutine of a Lisp program might as well have |
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615 a documentation string. In earlier Emacs versions, you could save space |
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616 by using a comment instead of a documentation string, but that is no |
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617 longer the case---documentation strings now take up very little space in |
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618 a running Emacs. |
6552 | 619 |
620 @item | |
42979 | 621 Format the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window on an |
622 80-column screen. It is a good idea for most lines to be no wider than | |
623 60 characters. The first line should not be wider than 67 characters | |
624 or it will look bad in the output of @code{apropos}. | |
625 | |
626 You can fill the text if that looks good. However, rather than blindly | |
627 filling the entire documentation string, you can often make it much more | |
628 readable by choosing certain line breaks with care. Use blank lines | |
629 between topics if the documentation string is long. | |
630 | |
631 @item | |
6552 | 632 The first line of the documentation string should consist of one or two |
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633 complete sentences that stand on their own as a summary. @kbd{M-x |
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634 apropos} displays just the first line, and if that line's contents don't |
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635 stand on their own, the result looks bad. In particular, start the |
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636 first line with a capital letter and end with a period. |
6552 | 637 |
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638 For a function, the first line should briefly answer the question, |
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639 ``What does this function do?'' For a variable, the first line should |
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640 briefly answer the question, ``What does this value mean?'' |
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|
641 |
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642 Don't limit the documentation string to one line; use as many lines as |
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643 you need to explain the details of how to use the function or |
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|
644 variable. Please use complete sentences for the rest of the text too. |
6552 | 645 |
646 @item | |
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647 The first line should mention all the important arguments of the |
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648 function, and should mention them in the order that they are written |
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649 in a function call. If the function has many arguments, then it is |
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|
650 not feasible to mention them all in the first line; in that case, the |
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651 first line should mention the first few arguments, including the most |
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652 important arguments. |
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653 |
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654 @item |
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655 For consistency, phrase the verb in the first sentence of a function's |
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|
656 documentation string as an imperative---for instance, use ``Return the |
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657 cons of A and B.'' in preference to ``Returns the cons of A and B@.'' |
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658 Usually it looks good to do likewise for the rest of the first |
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659 paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs usually look better if each sentence |
42979 | 660 is indicative and has a proper subject. |
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661 |
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662 @item |
6552 | 663 Write documentation strings in the active voice, not the passive, and in |
664 the present tense, not the future. For instance, use ``Return a list | |
665 containing A and B.'' instead of ``A list containing A and B will be | |
666 returned.'' | |
667 | |
668 @item | |
669 Avoid using the word ``cause'' (or its equivalents) unnecessarily. | |
670 Instead of, ``Cause Emacs to display text in boldface,'' write just | |
671 ``Display text in boldface.'' | |
672 | |
673 @item | |
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674 When a command is meaningful only in a certain mode or situation, |
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675 do mention that in the documentation string. For example, |
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676 the documentation of @code{dired-find-file} is: |
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677 |
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678 @example |
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679 In Dired, visit the file or directory named on this line. |
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680 @end example |
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|
681 |
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|
682 @item |
6552 | 683 Do not start or end a documentation string with whitespace. |
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684 |
6552 | 685 @item |
686 @strong{Do not} indent subsequent lines of a documentation string so | |
687 that the text is lined up in the source code with the text of the first | |
688 line. This looks nice in the source code, but looks bizarre when users | |
689 view the documentation. Remember that the indentation before the | |
690 starting double-quote is not part of the string! | |
691 | |
692 @item | |
16671
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693 When the user tries to use a disabled command, Emacs displays just the |
9fa09185bca0
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|
694 first paragraph of its documentation string---everything through the |
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Explain how disabled commands' doc strings are displayed.
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|
695 first blank line. If you wish, you can choose which information to |
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|
696 include before the first blank line so as to make this display useful. |
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|
697 |
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|
698 @item |
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|
699 When you define a variable that users ought to set interactively, you |
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700 normally should use @code{defcustom}. However, if for some reason you |
67686
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701 use @code{defvar} instead, start the doc string with a @samp{*}. |
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|
702 @xref{Defining Variables}. |
6552 | 703 |
704 @item | |
705 The documentation string for a variable that is a yes-or-no flag should | |
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|
706 start with words such as ``Non-nil means,'' to make it clear that |
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707 all non-@code{nil} values are equivalent and indicate explicitly what |
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708 @code{nil} and non-@code{nil} mean. |
6552 | 709 |
710 @item | |
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|
711 The documentation string for a function that is a yes-or-no predicate |
71957
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parents:
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|
712 should start with words such as ``Return t if,'' to indicate |
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|
713 explicitly what constitutes ``truth.'' The word ``return'' avoids |
61cb5aae3bc3
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|
714 starting the sentence with lower-case ``t,'' which could be somewhat |
40517
37a08b5afded
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|
715 distracting. |
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Document textual convention for doc strings of predicates.
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changeset
|
716 |
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|
717 @item |
6552 | 718 When a function's documentation string mentions the value of an argument |
719 of the function, use the argument name in capital letters as if it were | |
720 a name for that value. Thus, the documentation string of the function | |
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|
721 @code{eval} refers to its second argument as @samp{FORM}, because the |
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|
722 actual argument name is @code{form}: |
6552 | 723 |
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|
724 @example |
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725 Evaluate FORM and return its value. |
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726 @end example |
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|
727 |
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|
728 Also write metasyntactic variables in capital letters, such as when you |
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|
729 show the decomposition of a list or vector into subunits, some of which |
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|
730 may vary. @samp{KEY} and @samp{VALUE} in the following example |
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|
731 illustrate this practice: |
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|
732 |
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|
733 @example |
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|
734 The argument TABLE should be an alist whose elements |
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|
735 have the form (KEY . VALUE). Here, KEY is ... |
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|
736 @end example |
6552 | 737 |
738 @item | |
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739 Never change the case of a Lisp symbol when you mention it in a doc |
71957
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740 string. If the symbol's name is @code{foo}, write ``foo,'' not |
40517
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parents:
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|
741 ``Foo'' (which is a different symbol). |
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|
742 |
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|
743 This might appear to contradict the policy of writing function |
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|
744 argument values, but there is no real contradiction; the argument |
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Document textual convention for doc strings of predicates.
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|
745 @emph{value} is not the same thing as the @emph{symbol} which the |
37a08b5afded
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|
746 function uses to hold the value. |
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|
747 |
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|
748 If this puts a lower-case letter at the beginning of a sentence |
37a08b5afded
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parents:
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changeset
|
749 and that annoys you, rewrite the sentence so that the symbol |
37a08b5afded
Document textual convention for doc strings of predicates.
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|
750 is not at the start of it. |
37a08b5afded
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|
751 |
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|
752 @item |
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753 If a line in a documentation string begins with an open-parenthesis, |
ef5e7bbe6f19
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|
754 write a backslash before the open-parenthesis, like this: |
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755 |
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|
756 @example |
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757 The argument FOO can be either a number |
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758 \(a buffer position) or a string (a file name). |
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759 @end example |
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|
760 |
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761 This prevents the open-parenthesis from being treated as the start of a |
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762 defun (@pxref{Defuns,, Defuns, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). |
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|
763 |
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|
764 @anchor{Docstring hyperlinks} |
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765 @item |
6552 | 766 @iftex |
767 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it | |
768 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes | |
769 around it. For example: @samp{`lambda'}. There are two exceptions: | |
770 write @code{t} and @code{nil} without single-quotes. | |
771 @end iftex | |
27193 | 772 @ifnottex |
6552 | 773 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it |
774 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes | |
775 around it. For example: @samp{lambda}. There are two exceptions: write | |
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776 t and nil without single-quotes. (In this manual, we use a different |
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777 convention, with single-quotes for all symbols.) |
27193 | 778 @end ifnottex |
6552 | 779 |
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780 Help mode automatically creates a hyperlink when a documentation string |
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781 uses a symbol name inside single quotes, if the symbol has either a |
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782 function or a variable definition. You do not need to do anything |
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783 special to make use of this feature. However, when a symbol has both a |
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784 function definition and a variable definition, and you want to refer to |
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785 just one of them, you can specify which one by writing one of the words |
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786 @samp{variable}, @samp{option}, @samp{function}, or @samp{command}, |
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787 immediately before the symbol name. (Case makes no difference in |
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788 recognizing these indicator words.) For example, if you write |
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789 |
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790 @example |
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791 This function sets the variable `buffer-file-name'. |
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792 @end example |
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793 |
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794 @noindent |
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795 then the hyperlink will refer only to the variable documentation of |
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796 @code{buffer-file-name}, and not to its function documentation. |
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797 |
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798 If a symbol has a function definition and/or a variable definition, but |
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799 those are irrelevant to the use of the symbol that you are documenting, |
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800 you can write the words @samp{symbol} or @samp{program} before the |
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801 symbol name to prevent making any hyperlink. For example, |
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802 |
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803 @example |
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804 If the argument KIND-OF-RESULT is the symbol `list', |
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805 this function returns a list of all the objects |
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806 that satisfy the criterion. |
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807 @end example |
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808 |
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809 @noindent |
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810 does not make a hyperlink to the documentation, irrelevant here, of the |
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811 function @code{list}. |
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812 |
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813 Normally, no hyperlink is made for a variable without variable |
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814 documentation. You can force a hyperlink for such variables by |
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815 preceding them with one of the words @samp{variable} or |
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816 @samp{option}. |
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817 |
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818 Hyperlinks for faces are only made if the face name is preceded or |
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819 followed by the word @samp{face}. In that case, only the face |
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820 documentation will be shown, even if the symbol is also defined as a |
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821 variable or as a function. |
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822 |
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823 To make a hyperlink to Info documentation, write the name of the Info |
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824 node (or anchor) in single quotes, preceded by @samp{info node}, |
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825 @samp{Info node}, @samp{info anchor} or @samp{Info anchor}. The Info |
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826 file name defaults to @samp{emacs}. For example, |
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827 |
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828 @smallexample |
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829 See Info node `Font Lock' and Info node `(elisp)Font Lock Basics'. |
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830 @end smallexample |
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831 |
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832 Finally, to create a hyperlink to URLs, write the URL in single |
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833 quotes, preceded by @samp{URL}. For example, |
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834 |
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835 @smallexample |
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836 The home page for the GNU project has more information (see URL |
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837 `http://www.gnu.org/'). |
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838 @end smallexample |
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839 |
6552 | 840 @item |
841 Don't write key sequences directly in documentation strings. Instead, | |
842 use the @samp{\\[@dots{}]} construct to stand for them. For example, | |
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843 instead of writing @samp{C-f}, write the construct |
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844 @samp{\\[forward-char]}. When Emacs displays the documentation string, |
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845 it substitutes whatever key is currently bound to @code{forward-char}. |
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846 (This is normally @samp{C-f}, but it may be some other character if the |
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847 user has moved key bindings.) @xref{Keys in Documentation}. |
6552 | 848 |
849 @item | |
850 In documentation strings for a major mode, you will want to refer to the | |
851 key bindings of that mode's local map, rather than global ones. | |
852 Therefore, use the construct @samp{\\<@dots{}>} once in the | |
853 documentation string to specify which key map to use. Do this before | |
854 the first use of @samp{\\[@dots{}]}. The text inside the | |
855 @samp{\\<@dots{}>} should be the name of the variable containing the | |
856 local keymap for the major mode. | |
857 | |
858 It is not practical to use @samp{\\[@dots{}]} very many times, because | |
859 display of the documentation string will become slow. So use this to | |
860 describe the most important commands in your major mode, and then use | |
861 @samp{\\@{@dots{}@}} to display the rest of the mode's keymap. | |
862 @end itemize | |
863 | |
864 @node Comment Tips | |
865 @section Tips on Writing Comments | |
866 | |
867 We recommend these conventions for where to put comments and how to | |
868 indent them: | |
869 | |
870 @table @samp | |
871 @item ; | |
872 Comments that start with a single semicolon, @samp{;}, should all be | |
873 aligned to the same column on the right of the source code. Such | |
874 comments usually explain how the code on the same line does its job. In | |
875 Lisp mode and related modes, the @kbd{M-;} (@code{indent-for-comment}) | |
876 command automatically inserts such a @samp{;} in the right place, or | |
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877 aligns such a comment if it is already present. |
6552 | 878 |
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879 This and following examples are taken from the Emacs sources. |
6552 | 880 |
881 @smallexample | |
882 @group | |
883 (setq base-version-list ; there was a base | |
884 (assoc (substring fn 0 start-vn) ; version to which | |
885 file-version-assoc-list)) ; this looks like | |
886 ; a subversion | |
887 @end group | |
888 @end smallexample | |
889 | |
890 @item ;; | |
891 Comments that start with two semicolons, @samp{;;}, should be aligned to | |
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892 the same level of indentation as the code. Such comments usually |
6552 | 893 describe the purpose of the following lines or the state of the program |
894 at that point. For example: | |
895 | |
896 @smallexample | |
897 @group | |
898 (prog1 (setq auto-fill-function | |
899 @dots{} | |
900 @dots{} | |
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901 ;; update mode line |
6552 | 902 (force-mode-line-update))) |
903 @end group | |
904 @end smallexample | |
905 | |
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906 We also normally use two semicolons for comments outside functions. |
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907 |
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908 @smallexample |
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909 @group |
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910 ;; This Lisp code is run in Emacs |
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911 ;; when it is to operate as a server |
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912 ;; for other processes. |
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913 @end group |
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914 @end smallexample |
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915 |
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916 Every function that has no documentation string (presumably one that is |
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917 used only internally within the package it belongs to), should instead |
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918 have a two-semicolon comment right before the function, explaining what |
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919 the function does and how to call it properly. Explain precisely what |
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920 each argument means and how the function interprets its possible values. |
6552 | 921 |
922 @item ;;; | |
923 Comments that start with three semicolons, @samp{;;;}, should start at | |
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924 the left margin. These are used, occasionally, for comments within |
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925 functions that should start at the margin. We also use them sometimes |
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926 for comments that are between functions---whether to use two or three |
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927 semicolons depends on whether the comment should be considered a |
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928 ``heading'' by Outline minor mode. By default, comments starting with |
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929 at least three semicolons (followed by a single space and a |
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930 non-whitespace character) are considered headings, comments starting |
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931 with two or less are not. |
6552 | 932 |
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933 Another use for triple-semicolon comments is for commenting out lines |
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934 within a function. We use three semicolons for this precisely so that |
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935 they remain at the left margin. By default, Outline minor mode does |
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936 not consider a comment to be a heading (even if it starts with at |
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937 least three semicolons) if the semicolons are followed by at least two |
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938 spaces. Thus, if you add an introductory comment to the commented out |
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939 code, make sure to indent it by at least two spaces after the three |
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940 semicolons. |
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941 |
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942 @smallexample |
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943 (defun foo (a) |
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944 ;;; This is no longer necessary. |
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945 ;;; (force-mode-line-update) |
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946 (message "Finished with %s" a)) |
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947 @end smallexample |
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948 |
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949 When commenting out entire functions, use two semicolons. |
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950 |
6552 | 951 @item ;;;; |
952 Comments that start with four semicolons, @samp{;;;;}, should be aligned | |
953 to the left margin and are used for headings of major sections of a | |
954 program. For example: | |
955 | |
956 @smallexample | |
957 ;;;; The kill ring | |
958 @end smallexample | |
959 @end table | |
960 | |
961 @noindent | |
962 The indentation commands of the Lisp modes in Emacs, such as @kbd{M-;} | |
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963 (@code{indent-for-comment}) and @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line}), |
6552 | 964 automatically indent comments according to these conventions, |
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965 depending on the number of semicolons. @xref{Comments,, |
6552 | 966 Manipulating Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. |
967 | |
968 @node Library Headers | |
969 @section Conventional Headers for Emacs Libraries | |
970 @cindex header comments | |
971 @cindex library header comments | |
972 | |
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973 Emacs has conventions for using special comments in Lisp libraries |
6552 | 974 to divide them into sections and give information such as who wrote |
25751
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975 them. This section explains these conventions. |
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976 |
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977 We'll start with an example, a package that is included in the Emacs |
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978 distribution. |
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979 |
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980 Parts of this example reflect its status as part of Emacs; for |
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981 example, the copyright notice lists the Free Software Foundation as the |
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982 copyright holder, and the copying permission says the file is part of |
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983 Emacs. When you write a package and post it, the copyright holder would |
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984 be you (unless your employer claims to own it instead), and you should |
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985 get the suggested copying permission from the end of the GNU General |
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986 Public License itself. Don't say your file is part of Emacs |
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987 if we haven't installed it in Emacs yet! |
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988 |
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989 With that warning out of the way, on to the example: |
6552 | 990 |
991 @smallexample | |
992 @group | |
993 ;;; lisp-mnt.el --- minor mode for Emacs Lisp maintainers | |
994 | |
995 ;; Copyright (C) 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
996 @end group | |
997 | |
998 ;; Author: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com> | |
999 ;; Maintainer: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com> | |
1000 ;; Created: 14 Jul 1992 | |
1001 ;; Version: 1.2 | |
1002 @group | |
1003 ;; Keywords: docs | |
1004 | |
1005 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs. | |
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1006 @dots{} |
64091 | 1007 ;; Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, |
1008 ;; Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA. | |
6552 | 1009 @end group |
1010 @end smallexample | |
1011 | |
1012 The very first line should have this format: | |
1013 | |
1014 @example | |
1015 ;;; @var{filename} --- @var{description} | |
1016 @end example | |
1017 | |
1018 @noindent | |
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1019 The description should be complete in one line. If the file |
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1020 needs a @samp{-*-} specification, put it after @var{description}. |
6552 | 1021 |
1022 After the copyright notice come several @dfn{header comment} lines, | |
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1023 each beginning with @samp{;; @var{header-name}:}. Here is a table of |
6552 | 1024 the conventional possibilities for @var{header-name}: |
1025 | |
1026 @table @samp | |
1027 @item Author | |
1028 This line states the name and net address of at least the principal | |
1029 author of the library. | |
1030 | |
1031 If there are multiple authors, you can list them on continuation lines | |
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1032 led by @code{;;} and a tab character, like this: |
6552 | 1033 |
1034 @smallexample | |
1035 @group | |
1036 ;; Author: Ashwin Ram <Ram-Ashwin@@cs.yale.edu> | |
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1037 ;; Dave Sill <de5@@ornl.gov> |
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1038 ;; Dave Brennan <brennan@@hal.com> |
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1039 ;; Eric Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com> |
6552 | 1040 @end group |
1041 @end smallexample | |
1042 | |
1043 @item Maintainer | |
1044 This line should contain a single name/address as in the Author line, or | |
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1045 an address only, or the string @samp{FSF}. If there is no maintainer |
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1046 line, the person(s) in the Author field are presumed to be the |
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1047 maintainers. The example above is mildly bogus because the maintainer |
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1048 line is redundant. |
6552 | 1049 |
1050 The idea behind the @samp{Author} and @samp{Maintainer} lines is to make | |
1051 possible a Lisp function to ``send mail to the maintainer'' without | |
1052 having to mine the name out by hand. | |
1053 | |
1054 Be sure to surround the network address with @samp{<@dots{}>} if | |
1055 you include the person's full name as well as the network address. | |
1056 | |
1057 @item Created | |
1058 This optional line gives the original creation date of the | |
1059 file. For historical interest only. | |
1060 | |
1061 @item Version | |
1062 If you wish to record version numbers for the individual Lisp program, put | |
1063 them in this line. | |
1064 | |
1065 @item Adapted-By | |
1066 In this header line, place the name of the person who adapted the | |
1067 library for installation (to make it fit the style conventions, for | |
1068 example). | |
1069 | |
1070 @item Keywords | |
1071 This line lists keywords for the @code{finder-by-keyword} help command. | |
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1072 Please use that command to see a list of the meaningful keywords. |
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1073 |
6552 | 1074 This field is important; it's how people will find your package when |
10229
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1075 they're looking for things by topic area. To separate the keywords, you |
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1076 can use spaces, commas, or both. |
6552 | 1077 @end table |
1078 | |
1079 Just about every Lisp library ought to have the @samp{Author} and | |
1080 @samp{Keywords} header comment lines. Use the others if they are | |
1081 appropriate. You can also put in header lines with other header | |
1082 names---they have no standard meanings, so they can't do any harm. | |
1083 | |
1084 We use additional stylized comments to subdivide the contents of the | |
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1085 library file. These should be separated by blank lines from anything |
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1086 else. Here is a table of them: |
6552 | 1087 |
1088 @table @samp | |
1089 @item ;;; Commentary: | |
1090 This begins introductory comments that explain how the library works. | |
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1091 It should come right after the copying permissions, terminated by a |
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1092 @samp{Change Log}, @samp{History} or @samp{Code} comment line. This |
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1093 text is used by the Finder package, so it should make sense in that |
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1094 context. |
6552 | 1095 |
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1096 @item ;;; Documentation: |
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1097 This was used in some files in place of @samp{;;; Commentary:}, |
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1098 but it is deprecated. |
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1099 |
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1100 @item ;;; Change Log: |
6552 | 1101 This begins change log information stored in the library file (if you |
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1102 store the change history there). For Lisp files distributed with Emacs, |
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1103 the change history is kept in the file @file{ChangeLog} and not in the |
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1104 source file at all; these files generally do not have a @samp{;;; Change |
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1105 Log:} line. @samp{History} is an alternative to @samp{Change Log}. |
6552 | 1106 |
1107 @item ;;; Code: | |
1108 This begins the actual code of the program. | |
1109 | |
1110 @item ;;; @var{filename} ends here | |
1111 This is the @dfn{footer line}; it appears at the very end of the file. | |
1112 Its purpose is to enable people to detect truncated versions of the file | |
1113 from the lack of a footer line. | |
1114 @end table | |
52401 | 1115 |
1116 @ignore | |
1117 arch-tag: 9ea911c2-6b1d-47dd-88b7-0a94e8b27c2e | |
1118 @end ignore |