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author | Karl Heuer <kwzh@gnu.org> |
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date | Thu, 21 Sep 1995 20:54:35 +0000 |
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6552 | 1 @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. | |
3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
4 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. | |
5 @setfilename ../info/tips | |
6 @node Tips, GNU Emacs Internals, Calendar, Top | |
7 @appendix Tips and Standards | |
8 @cindex tips | |
9 @cindex standards of coding style | |
10 @cindex coding standards | |
11 | |
12 This chapter describes no additional features of Emacs Lisp. | |
13 Instead it gives advice on making effective use of the features described | |
14 in the previous chapters. | |
15 | |
16 @menu | |
17 * Style Tips:: Writing clean and robust programs. | |
18 * Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast. | |
19 * Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings. | |
20 * Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments. | |
21 * Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages. | |
22 @end menu | |
23 | |
24 @node Style Tips | |
25 @section Writing Clean Lisp Programs | |
26 | |
27 Here are some tips for avoiding common errors in writing Lisp code | |
28 intended for widespread use: | |
29 | |
30 @itemize @bullet | |
31 @item | |
32 Since all global variables share the same name space, and all functions | |
33 share another name space, you should choose a short word to distinguish | |
34 your program from other Lisp programs. Then take care to begin the | |
35 names of all global variables, constants, and functions with the chosen | |
36 prefix. This helps avoid name conflicts. | |
37 | |
38 This recommendation applies even to names for traditional Lisp | |
39 primitives that are not primitives in Emacs Lisp---even to @code{cadr}. | |
40 Believe it or not, there is more than one plausible way to define | |
41 @code{cadr}. Play it safe; append your name prefix to produce a name | |
42 like @code{foo-cadr} or @code{mylib-cadr} instead. | |
43 | |
44 If you write a function that you think ought to be added to Emacs under | |
45 a certain name, such as @code{twiddle-files}, don't call it by that name | |
46 in your program. Call it @code{mylib-twiddle-files} in your program, | |
47 and send mail to @samp{bug-gnu-emacs@@prep.ai.mit.edu} suggesting we add | |
48 it to Emacs. If and when we do, we can change the name easily enough. | |
49 | |
50 If one prefix is insufficient, your package may use two or three | |
51 alternative common prefixes, so long as they make sense. | |
52 | |
53 Separate the prefix from the rest of the symbol name with a hyphen, | |
54 @samp{-}. This will be consistent with Emacs itself and with most Emacs | |
55 Lisp programs. | |
56 | |
57 @item | |
58 It is often useful to put a call to @code{provide} in each separate | |
59 library program, at least if there is more than one entry point to the | |
60 program. | |
61 | |
62 @item | |
12098 | 63 If a file requires certain other library programs to be loaded |
64 beforehand, then the comments at the beginning of the file should say | |
65 so. Also, use @code{require} to make sure they are loaded. | |
66 | |
67 @item | |
6552 | 68 If one file @var{foo} uses a macro defined in another file @var{bar}, |
12098 | 69 @var{foo} should contain this expression before the first use of the |
70 macro: | |
71 | |
72 @example | |
73 (eval-when-compile (require '@var{bar})) | |
74 @end example | |
75 | |
76 @noindent | |
77 (And @var{bar} should contain @code{(provide '@var{bar})}, to make the | |
78 @code{require} work.) This will cause @var{bar} to be loaded when you | |
79 byte-compile @var{foo}. Otherwise, you risk compiling @var{foo} without | |
80 the necessary macro loaded, and that would produce compiled code that | |
81 won't work right. @xref{Compiling Macros}. | |
82 | |
83 Using @code{eval-when-compile} avoids loading @var{bar} when | |
84 the compiled version of @var{foo} is @emph{used}. | |
6552 | 85 |
86 @item | |
87 If you define a major mode, make sure to run a hook variable using | |
88 @code{run-hooks}, just as the existing major modes do. @xref{Hooks}. | |
89 | |
90 @item | |
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91 If the purpose of a function is to tell you whether a certain condition |
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92 is true or false, give the function a name that ends in @samp{p}. If |
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93 the name is one word, add just @samp{p}; if the name is multiple words, |
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94 add @samp{-p}. Examples are @code{framep} and @code{frame-live-p}. |
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95 |
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96 @item |
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97 If a user option variable records a true-or-false condition, give it a |
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98 name that ends in @samp{-flag}. |
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99 |
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100 @item |
6552 | 101 Please do not define @kbd{C-c @var{letter}} as a key in your major |
102 modes. These sequences are reserved for users; they are the | |
103 @strong{only} sequences reserved for users, so we cannot do without | |
104 them. | |
105 | |
106 Instead, define sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a | |
107 non-letter. These sequences are reserved for major modes. | |
108 | |
109 Changing all the major modes in Emacs 18 so they would follow this | |
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110 convention was a lot of work. Abandoning this convention would make |
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111 that work go to waste, and inconvenience users. |
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112 |
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113 @item |
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114 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, |
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115 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;} are also reserved for major modes. |
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116 |
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117 @item |
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118 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by any other punctuation |
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119 character are allocated for minor modes. Using them in a major mode is |
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120 not absolutely prohibited, but if you do that, the major mode binding |
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121 may be shadowed from time to time by minor modes. |
6552 | 122 |
123 @item | |
124 You should not bind @kbd{C-h} following any prefix character (including | |
125 @kbd{C-c}). If you don't bind @kbd{C-h}, it is automatically available | |
126 as a help character for listing the subcommands of the prefix character. | |
127 | |
128 @item | |
129 You should not bind a key sequence ending in @key{ESC} except following | |
130 another @key{ESC}. (That is, it is ok to bind a sequence ending in | |
131 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.) | |
132 | |
133 The reason for this rule is that a non-prefix binding for @key{ESC} in | |
134 any context prevents recognition of escape sequences as function keys in | |
135 that context. | |
136 | |
137 @item | |
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138 Applications should not bind mouse events based on button 1 with the |
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139 shift key held down. These events include @kbd{S-mouse-1}, |
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140 @kbd{M-S-mouse-1}, @kbd{C-S-mouse-1}, and so on. They are reserved for |
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141 users. |
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142 |
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143 @item |
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144 Modes should redefine @kbd{mouse-2} as a command to follow some sort of |
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145 reference in the text of a buffer, if users usually would not want to |
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146 alter the text in that buffer by hand. Modes such as Dired, Info, |
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147 Compilation, and Occur redefine it in this way. |
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148 |
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149 @item |
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150 When a package provides a modification of ordinary Emacs behavior, it is |
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151 good to include a command to enable and disable the feature, Provide a |
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152 command named @code{@var{whatever}-mode} which turns the feature on or |
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153 off, and make it autoload (@pxref{Autoload}). Design the package so |
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154 that simply loading it has no visible effect---that should not enable |
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155 the feature. Users will request the feature by invoking the command. |
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156 |
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157 @item |
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158 It is a bad idea to define aliases for the Emacs primitives. Use the |
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159 standard names instead. |
6552 | 160 |
161 @item | |
162 Redefining an Emacs primitive is an even worse idea. | |
163 It may do the right thing for a particular program, but | |
164 there is no telling what other programs might break as a result. | |
165 | |
166 @item | |
167 If a file does replace any of the functions or library programs of | |
168 standard Emacs, prominent comments at the beginning of the file should | |
169 say which functions are replaced, and how the behavior of the | |
170 replacements differs from that of the originals. | |
171 | |
172 @item | |
173 Please keep the names of your Emacs Lisp source files to 13 characters | |
174 or less. This way, if the files are compiled, the compiled files' names | |
175 will be 14 characters or less, which is short enough to fit on all kinds | |
176 of Unix systems. | |
177 | |
178 @item | |
179 Don't use @code{next-line} or @code{previous-line} in programs; nearly | |
180 always, @code{forward-line} is more convenient as well as more | |
181 predictable and robust. @xref{Text Lines}. | |
182 | |
183 @item | |
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184 Don't call functions that set the mark, unless setting the mark is one |
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185 of the intended features of your program. The mark is a user-level |
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186 feature, so it is incorrect to change the mark except to supply a value |
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187 for the user's benefit. @xref{The Mark}. |
6552 | 188 |
189 In particular, don't use these functions: | |
190 | |
191 @itemize @bullet | |
192 @item | |
193 @code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{end-of-buffer} | |
194 @item | |
195 @code{replace-string}, @code{replace-regexp} | |
196 @end itemize | |
197 | |
198 If you just want to move point, or replace a certain string, without any | |
199 of the other features intended for interactive users, you can replace | |
200 these functions with one or two lines of simple Lisp code. | |
201 | |
202 @item | |
8669 | 203 Use lists rather than vectors, except when there is a particular reason |
204 to use a vector. Lisp has more facilities for manipulating lists than | |
205 for vectors, and working with lists is usually more convenient. | |
206 | |
207 Vectors are advantageous for tables that are substantial in size and are | |
208 accessed in random order (not searched front to back), provided there is | |
209 no need to insert or delete elements (only lists allow that). | |
210 | |
211 @item | |
6552 | 212 The recommended way to print a message in the echo area is with |
213 the @code{message} function, not @code{princ}. @xref{The Echo Area}. | |
214 | |
215 @item | |
216 When you encounter an error condition, call the function @code{error} | |
217 (or @code{signal}). The function @code{error} does not return. | |
218 @xref{Signaling Errors}. | |
219 | |
220 Do not use @code{message}, @code{throw}, @code{sleep-for}, | |
221 or @code{beep} to report errors. | |
222 | |
223 @item | |
12098 | 224 An error message should start with a capital letter but should not end |
225 with a period. | |
226 | |
227 @item | |
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228 Try to avoid using recursive edits. Instead, do what the Rmail @kbd{e} |
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229 command does: use a new local keymap that contains one command defined |
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230 to switch back to the old local keymap. Or do what the |
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231 @code{edit-options} command does: switch to another buffer and let the |
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232 user switch back at will. @xref{Recursive Editing}. |
6552 | 233 |
234 @item | |
235 In some other systems there is a convention of choosing variable names | |
236 that begin and end with @samp{*}. We don't use that convention in Emacs | |
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237 Lisp, so please don't use it in your programs. (Emacs uses such names |
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238 only for program-generated buffers.) The users will find Emacs more |
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239 coherent if all libraries use the same conventions. |
6552 | 240 |
241 @item | |
242 Indent each function with @kbd{C-M-q} (@code{indent-sexp}) using the | |
243 default indentation parameters. | |
244 | |
245 @item | |
246 Don't make a habit of putting close-parentheses on lines by themselves; | |
247 Lisp programmers find this disconcerting. Once in a while, when there | |
248 is a sequence of many consecutive close-parentheses, it may make sense | |
249 to split them in one or two significant places. | |
250 | |
251 @item | |
252 Please put a copyright notice on the file if you give copies to anyone. | |
253 Use the same lines that appear at the top of the Lisp files in Emacs | |
254 itself. If you have not signed papers to assign the copyright to the | |
255 Foundation, then place your name in the copyright notice in place of the | |
256 Foundation's name. | |
257 @end itemize | |
258 | |
259 @node Compilation Tips | |
260 @section Tips for Making Compiled Code Fast | |
261 @cindex execution speed | |
262 @cindex speedups | |
263 | |
264 Here are ways of improving the execution speed of byte-compiled | |
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265 Lisp programs. |
6552 | 266 |
267 @itemize @bullet | |
268 @item | |
269 @cindex profiling | |
270 @cindex timing programs | |
271 @cindex @file{profile.el} | |
272 Use the @file{profile} library to profile your program. See the file | |
273 @file{profile.el} for instructions. | |
274 | |
275 @item | |
276 Use iteration rather than recursion whenever possible. | |
277 Function calls are slow in Emacs Lisp even when a compiled function | |
278 is calling another compiled function. | |
279 | |
280 @item | |
12098 | 281 Using the primitive list-searching functions @code{memq}, @code{member}, |
282 @code{assq}, or @code{assoc} is even faster than explicit iteration. It | |
283 may be worth rearranging a data structure so that one of these primitive | |
284 search functions can be used. | |
6552 | 285 |
286 @item | |
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287 Certain built-in functions are handled specially in byte-compiled code, |
6552 | 288 avoiding the need for an ordinary function call. It is a good idea to |
289 use these functions rather than alternatives. To see whether a function | |
290 is handled specially by the compiler, examine its @code{byte-compile} | |
291 property. If the property is non-@code{nil}, then the function is | |
292 handled specially. | |
293 | |
294 For example, the following input will show you that @code{aref} is | |
295 compiled specially (@pxref{Array Functions}) while @code{elt} is not | |
296 (@pxref{Sequence Functions}): | |
297 | |
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298 @example |
6552 | 299 @group |
300 (get 'aref 'byte-compile) | |
301 @result{} byte-compile-two-args | |
302 @end group | |
303 | |
304 @group | |
305 (get 'elt 'byte-compile) | |
306 @result{} nil | |
307 @end group | |
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308 @end example |
6552 | 309 |
310 @item | |
311 If calling a small function accounts for a substantial part of your | |
312 program's running time, make the function inline. This eliminates | |
313 the function call overhead. Since making a function inline reduces | |
314 the flexibility of changing the program, don't do it unless it gives | |
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315 a noticeable speedup in something slow enough that users care about |
6552 | 316 the speed. @xref{Inline Functions}. |
317 @end itemize | |
318 | |
319 @node Documentation Tips | |
320 @section Tips for Documentation Strings | |
321 | |
322 Here are some tips for the writing of documentation strings. | |
323 | |
324 @itemize @bullet | |
325 @item | |
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326 Every command, function, or variable intended for users to know about |
6552 | 327 should have a documentation string. |
328 | |
329 @item | |
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330 An internal variable or subroutine of a Lisp program might as well have |
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331 a documentation string. In earlier Emacs versions, you could save space |
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332 by using a comment instead of a documentation string, but that is no |
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333 longer the case. |
6552 | 334 |
335 @item | |
336 The first line of the documentation string should consist of one or two | |
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337 complete sentences that stand on their own as a summary. @kbd{M-x |
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338 apropos} displays just the first line, and if it doesn't stand on its |
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339 own, the result looks bad. In particular, start the first line with a |
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340 capital letter and end with a period. |
6552 | 341 |
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342 The documentation string can have additional lines that expand on the |
6552 | 343 details of how to use the function or variable. The additional lines |
344 should be made up of complete sentences also, but they may be filled if | |
345 that looks good. | |
346 | |
347 @item | |
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348 For consistency, phrase the verb in the first sentence of a |
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349 documentation string as an infinitive with ``to'' omitted. For |
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350 instance, use ``Return the cons of A and B.'' in preference to ``Returns |
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351 the cons of A and B@.'' Usually it looks good to do likewise for the |
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352 rest of the first paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs usually look better |
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353 if they have proper subjects. |
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354 |
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355 @item |
6552 | 356 Write documentation strings in the active voice, not the passive, and in |
357 the present tense, not the future. For instance, use ``Return a list | |
358 containing A and B.'' instead of ``A list containing A and B will be | |
359 returned.'' | |
360 | |
361 @item | |
362 Avoid using the word ``cause'' (or its equivalents) unnecessarily. | |
363 Instead of, ``Cause Emacs to display text in boldface,'' write just | |
364 ``Display text in boldface.'' | |
365 | |
366 @item | |
367 Do not start or end a documentation string with whitespace. | |
368 | |
369 @item | |
370 Format the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window on an | |
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371 80-column screen. It is a good idea for most lines to be no wider than |
6552 | 372 60 characters. The first line can be wider if necessary to fit the |
373 information that ought to be there. | |
374 | |
375 However, rather than simply filling the entire documentation string, you | |
376 can make it much more readable by choosing line breaks with care. | |
377 Use blank lines between topics if the documentation string is long. | |
378 | |
379 @item | |
380 @strong{Do not} indent subsequent lines of a documentation string so | |
381 that the text is lined up in the source code with the text of the first | |
382 line. This looks nice in the source code, but looks bizarre when users | |
383 view the documentation. Remember that the indentation before the | |
384 starting double-quote is not part of the string! | |
385 | |
386 @item | |
387 A variable's documentation string should start with @samp{*} if the | |
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388 variable is one that users would often want to set interactively. If |
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389 the value is a long list, or a function, or if the variable would be set |
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390 only in init files, then don't start the documentation string with |
6552 | 391 @samp{*}. @xref{Defining Variables}. |
392 | |
393 @item | |
394 The documentation string for a variable that is a yes-or-no flag should | |
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395 start with words such as ``Non-nil means@dots{}'', to make it clear that |
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396 all non-@code{nil} values are equivalent and indicate explicitly what |
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397 @code{nil} and non-@code{nil} mean. |
6552 | 398 |
399 @item | |
400 When a function's documentation string mentions the value of an argument | |
401 of the function, use the argument name in capital letters as if it were | |
402 a name for that value. Thus, the documentation string of the function | |
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403 @code{/} refers to its second argument as @samp{DIVISOR}, because the |
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404 actual argument name is @code{divisor}. |
6552 | 405 |
406 Also use all caps for meta-syntactic variables, such as when you show | |
407 the decomposition of a list or vector into subunits, some of which may | |
408 vary. | |
409 | |
410 @item | |
411 @iftex | |
412 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it | |
413 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes | |
414 around it. For example: @samp{`lambda'}. There are two exceptions: | |
415 write @code{t} and @code{nil} without single-quotes. | |
416 @end iftex | |
417 @ifinfo | |
418 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it | |
419 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes | |
420 around it. For example: @samp{lambda}. There are two exceptions: write | |
421 t and nil without single-quotes. (In this manual, we normally do use | |
422 single-quotes for those symbols.) | |
423 @end ifinfo | |
424 | |
425 @item | |
426 Don't write key sequences directly in documentation strings. Instead, | |
427 use the @samp{\\[@dots{}]} construct to stand for them. For example, | |
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428 instead of writing @samp{C-f}, write @samp{\\[forward-char]}. When |
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429 Emacs displays the documentation string, it substitutes whatever key is |
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430 currently bound to @code{forward-char}. (This is normally @samp{C-f}, |
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431 but it may be some other character if the user has moved key bindings.) |
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432 @xref{Keys in Documentation}. |
6552 | 433 |
434 @item | |
435 In documentation strings for a major mode, you will want to refer to the | |
436 key bindings of that mode's local map, rather than global ones. | |
437 Therefore, use the construct @samp{\\<@dots{}>} once in the | |
438 documentation string to specify which key map to use. Do this before | |
439 the first use of @samp{\\[@dots{}]}. The text inside the | |
440 @samp{\\<@dots{}>} should be the name of the variable containing the | |
441 local keymap for the major mode. | |
442 | |
443 It is not practical to use @samp{\\[@dots{}]} very many times, because | |
444 display of the documentation string will become slow. So use this to | |
445 describe the most important commands in your major mode, and then use | |
446 @samp{\\@{@dots{}@}} to display the rest of the mode's keymap. | |
447 @end itemize | |
448 | |
449 @node Comment Tips | |
450 @section Tips on Writing Comments | |
451 | |
452 We recommend these conventions for where to put comments and how to | |
453 indent them: | |
454 | |
455 @table @samp | |
456 @item ; | |
457 Comments that start with a single semicolon, @samp{;}, should all be | |
458 aligned to the same column on the right of the source code. Such | |
459 comments usually explain how the code on the same line does its job. In | |
460 Lisp mode and related modes, the @kbd{M-;} (@code{indent-for-comment}) | |
461 command automatically inserts such a @samp{;} in the right place, or | |
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462 aligns such a comment if it is already present. |
6552 | 463 |
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464 This and following examples are taken from the Emacs sources. |
6552 | 465 |
466 @smallexample | |
467 @group | |
468 (setq base-version-list ; there was a base | |
469 (assoc (substring fn 0 start-vn) ; version to which | |
470 file-version-assoc-list)) ; this looks like | |
471 ; a subversion | |
472 @end group | |
473 @end smallexample | |
474 | |
475 @item ;; | |
476 Comments that start with two semicolons, @samp{;;}, should be aligned to | |
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477 the same level of indentation as the code. Such comments usually |
6552 | 478 describe the purpose of the following lines or the state of the program |
479 at that point. For example: | |
480 | |
481 @smallexample | |
482 @group | |
483 (prog1 (setq auto-fill-function | |
484 @dots{} | |
485 @dots{} | |
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486 ;; update mode line |
6552 | 487 (force-mode-line-update))) |
488 @end group | |
489 @end smallexample | |
490 | |
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491 Every function that has no documentation string (because it is use only |
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492 internally within the package it belongs to), should have instead a |
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493 two-semicolon comment right before the function, explaining what the |
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494 function does and how to call it properly. Explain precisely what each |
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495 argument means and how the function interprets its possible values. |
6552 | 496 |
497 @item ;;; | |
498 Comments that start with three semicolons, @samp{;;;}, should start at | |
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499 the left margin. Such comments are used outside function definitions to |
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500 make general statements explaining the design principles of the program. |
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501 For example: |
6552 | 502 |
503 @smallexample | |
504 @group | |
505 ;;; This Lisp code is run in Emacs | |
506 ;;; when it is to operate as a server | |
507 ;;; for other processes. | |
508 @end group | |
509 @end smallexample | |
510 | |
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511 Another use for triple-semicolon comments is for commenting out lines |
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512 within a function. We use triple-semicolons for this precisely so that |
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513 they remain at the left margin. |
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514 |
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515 @smallexample |
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516 (defun foo (a) |
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517 ;;; This is no longer necessary. |
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518 ;;; (force-mode-line-update) |
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519 (message "Finished with %s" a)) |
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520 @end smallexample |
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521 |
6552 | 522 @item ;;;; |
523 Comments that start with four semicolons, @samp{;;;;}, should be aligned | |
524 to the left margin and are used for headings of major sections of a | |
525 program. For example: | |
526 | |
527 @smallexample | |
528 ;;;; The kill ring | |
529 @end smallexample | |
530 @end table | |
531 | |
532 @noindent | |
533 The indentation commands of the Lisp modes in Emacs, such as @kbd{M-;} | |
534 (@code{indent-for-comment}) and @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line}) | |
535 automatically indent comments according to these conventions, | |
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536 depending on the number of semicolons. @xref{Comments,, |
6552 | 537 Manipulating Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. |
538 | |
539 @node Library Headers | |
540 @section Conventional Headers for Emacs Libraries | |
541 @cindex header comments | |
542 @cindex library header comments | |
543 | |
544 Emacs 19 has conventions for using special comments in Lisp libraries | |
545 to divide them into sections and give information such as who wrote | |
546 them. This section explains these conventions. First, an example: | |
547 | |
548 @smallexample | |
549 @group | |
550 ;;; lisp-mnt.el --- minor mode for Emacs Lisp maintainers | |
551 | |
552 ;; Copyright (C) 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
553 @end group | |
554 | |
555 ;; Author: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com> | |
556 ;; Maintainer: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com> | |
557 ;; Created: 14 Jul 1992 | |
558 ;; Version: 1.2 | |
559 @group | |
560 ;; Keywords: docs | |
561 | |
562 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs. | |
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563 @var{copying permissions}@dots{} |
6552 | 564 @end group |
565 @end smallexample | |
566 | |
567 The very first line should have this format: | |
568 | |
569 @example | |
570 ;;; @var{filename} --- @var{description} | |
571 @end example | |
572 | |
573 @noindent | |
574 The description should be complete in one line. | |
575 | |
576 After the copyright notice come several @dfn{header comment} lines, | |
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577 each beginning with @samp{;; @var{header-name}:}. Here is a table of |
6552 | 578 the conventional possibilities for @var{header-name}: |
579 | |
580 @table @samp | |
581 @item Author | |
582 This line states the name and net address of at least the principal | |
583 author of the library. | |
584 | |
585 If there are multiple authors, you can list them on continuation lines | |
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586 led by @code{;;} and a tab character, like this: |
6552 | 587 |
588 @smallexample | |
589 @group | |
590 ;; Author: Ashwin Ram <Ram-Ashwin@@cs.yale.edu> | |
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591 ;; Dave Sill <de5@@ornl.gov> |
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592 ;; Dave Brennan <brennan@@hal.com> |
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593 ;; Eric Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com> |
6552 | 594 @end group |
595 @end smallexample | |
596 | |
597 @item Maintainer | |
598 This line should contain a single name/address as in the Author line, or | |
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599 an address only, or the string @samp{FSF}. If there is no maintainer |
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600 line, the person(s) in the Author field are presumed to be the |
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601 maintainers. The example above is mildly bogus because the maintainer |
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602 line is redundant. |
6552 | 603 |
604 The idea behind the @samp{Author} and @samp{Maintainer} lines is to make | |
605 possible a Lisp function to ``send mail to the maintainer'' without | |
606 having to mine the name out by hand. | |
607 | |
608 Be sure to surround the network address with @samp{<@dots{}>} if | |
609 you include the person's full name as well as the network address. | |
610 | |
611 @item Created | |
612 This optional line gives the original creation date of the | |
613 file. For historical interest only. | |
614 | |
615 @item Version | |
616 If you wish to record version numbers for the individual Lisp program, put | |
617 them in this line. | |
618 | |
619 @item Adapted-By | |
620 In this header line, place the name of the person who adapted the | |
621 library for installation (to make it fit the style conventions, for | |
622 example). | |
623 | |
624 @item Keywords | |
625 This line lists keywords for the @code{finder-by-keyword} help command. | |
626 This field is important; it's how people will find your package when | |
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627 they're looking for things by topic area. To separate the keywords, you |
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628 can use spaces, commas, or both. |
6552 | 629 @end table |
630 | |
631 Just about every Lisp library ought to have the @samp{Author} and | |
632 @samp{Keywords} header comment lines. Use the others if they are | |
633 appropriate. You can also put in header lines with other header | |
634 names---they have no standard meanings, so they can't do any harm. | |
635 | |
636 We use additional stylized comments to subdivide the contents of the | |
637 library file. Here is a table of them: | |
638 | |
639 @table @samp | |
640 @item ;;; Commentary: | |
641 This begins introductory comments that explain how the library works. | |
642 It should come right after the copying permissions. | |
643 | |
644 @item ;;; Change log: | |
645 This begins change log information stored in the library file (if you | |
646 store the change history there). For most of the Lisp | |
647 files distributed with Emacs, the change history is kept in the file | |
648 @file{ChangeLog} and not in the source file at all; these files do | |
649 not have a @samp{;;; Change log:} line. | |
650 | |
651 @item ;;; Code: | |
652 This begins the actual code of the program. | |
653 | |
654 @item ;;; @var{filename} ends here | |
655 This is the @dfn{footer line}; it appears at the very end of the file. | |
656 Its purpose is to enable people to detect truncated versions of the file | |
657 from the lack of a footer line. | |
658 @end table |