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author Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
date Thu, 11 Aug 1994 03:47:40 +0000
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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
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2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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4 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
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5 @setfilename ../info/tips
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6 @node Tips, GNU Emacs Internals, Calendar, Top
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7 @appendix Tips and Standards
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8 @cindex tips
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9 @cindex standards of coding style
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10 @cindex coding standards
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11
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12 This chapter describes no additional features of Emacs Lisp.
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13 Instead it gives advice on making effective use of the features described
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14 in the previous chapters.
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15
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16 @menu
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17 * Style Tips:: Writing clean and robust programs.
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18 * Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast.
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19 * Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings.
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20 * Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments.
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21 * Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages.
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22 @end menu
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23
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24 @node Style Tips
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25 @section Writing Clean Lisp Programs
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26
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27 Here are some tips for avoiding common errors in writing Lisp code
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28 intended for widespread use:
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29
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30 @itemize @bullet
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31 @item
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32 Since all global variables share the same name space, and all functions
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33 share another name space, you should choose a short word to distinguish
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34 your program from other Lisp programs. Then take care to begin the
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35 names of all global variables, constants, and functions with the chosen
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36 prefix. This helps avoid name conflicts.
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37
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38 This recommendation applies even to names for traditional Lisp
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39 primitives that are not primitives in Emacs Lisp---even to @code{cadr}.
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40 Believe it or not, there is more than one plausible way to define
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41 @code{cadr}. Play it safe; append your name prefix to produce a name
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42 like @code{foo-cadr} or @code{mylib-cadr} instead.
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43
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44 If you write a function that you think ought to be added to Emacs under
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45 a certain name, such as @code{twiddle-files}, don't call it by that name
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46 in your program. Call it @code{mylib-twiddle-files} in your program,
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47 and send mail to @samp{bug-gnu-emacs@@prep.ai.mit.edu} suggesting we add
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48 it to Emacs. If and when we do, we can change the name easily enough.
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49
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50 If one prefix is insufficient, your package may use two or three
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51 alternative common prefixes, so long as they make sense.
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52
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53 Separate the prefix from the rest of the symbol name with a hyphen,
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54 @samp{-}. This will be consistent with Emacs itself and with most Emacs
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55 Lisp programs.
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56
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57 @item
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58 It is often useful to put a call to @code{provide} in each separate
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59 library program, at least if there is more than one entry point to the
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60 program.
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61
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62 @item
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63 If one file @var{foo} uses a macro defined in another file @var{bar},
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64 @var{foo} should contain @code{(require '@var{bar})} before the first
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65 use of the macro. (And @var{bar} should contain @code{(provide
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66 '@var{bar})}, to make the @code{require} work.) This will cause
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67 @var{bar} to be loaded when you byte-compile @var{foo}. Otherwise, you
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68 risk compiling @var{foo} without the necessary macro loaded, and that
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69 would produce compiled code that won't work right. @xref{Compiling
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70 Macros}.
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71
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72 @item
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73 If you define a major mode, make sure to run a hook variable using
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74 @code{run-hooks}, just as the existing major modes do. @xref{Hooks}.
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75
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76 @item
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77 Please do not define @kbd{C-c @var{letter}} as a key in your major
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78 modes. These sequences are reserved for users; they are the
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79 @strong{only} sequences reserved for users, so we cannot do without
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80 them.
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81
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82 Instead, define sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a
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83 non-letter. These sequences are reserved for major modes.
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84
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85 Changing all the major modes in Emacs 18 so they would follow this
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86 convention was a lot of work. Abandoning this convention would waste
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87 that work and inconvenience the users.
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88
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89 @item
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90 You should not bind @kbd{C-h} following any prefix character (including
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91 @kbd{C-c}). If you don't bind @kbd{C-h}, it is automatically available
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92 as a help character for listing the subcommands of the prefix character.
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93
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94 @item
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95 You should not bind a key sequence ending in @key{ESC} except following
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96 another @key{ESC}. (That is, it is ok to bind a sequence ending in
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97 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.)
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98
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99 The reason for this rule is that a non-prefix binding for @key{ESC} in
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100 any context prevents recognition of escape sequences as function keys in
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101 that context.
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102
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103 @item
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104 Applications should not bind mouse events based on button 1 with the
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105 shift key held down. These events include @kbd{S-mouse-1},
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106 @kbd{M-S-mouse-1}, @kbd{C-S-mouse-1}, and so on. They are reserved for
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107 users.
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108
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109 @item
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110 Modes should redefine @kbd{mouse-2} as a command to follow some sort of
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111 reference in the text of a buffer, if users usually would not want to
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112 alter the text in that buffer by hand. Modes such as Dired, Info,
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113 Compilation, and Occur redefine it in this way.
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114
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115 @item
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116 It is a bad idea to define aliases for the Emacs primitives.
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117 Use the standard names instead.
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118
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119 @item
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120 Redefining an Emacs primitive is an even worse idea.
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121 It may do the right thing for a particular program, but
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122 there is no telling what other programs might break as a result.
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123
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124 @item
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125 If a file does replace any of the functions or library programs of
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126 standard Emacs, prominent comments at the beginning of the file should
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127 say which functions are replaced, and how the behavior of the
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128 replacements differs from that of the originals.
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129
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130 @item
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131 If a file requires certain standard library programs to be loaded
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132 beforehand, then the comments at the beginning of the file should say
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133 so.
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134
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135 @item
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136 Please keep the names of your Emacs Lisp source files to 13 characters
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137 or less. This way, if the files are compiled, the compiled files' names
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138 will be 14 characters or less, which is short enough to fit on all kinds
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139 of Unix systems.
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140
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141 @item
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142 Don't use @code{next-line} or @code{previous-line} in programs; nearly
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143 always, @code{forward-line} is more convenient as well as more
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144 predictable and robust. @xref{Text Lines}.
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145
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146 @item
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147 Don't call functions that set the mark, unless setting the mark is one
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148 of the intended features of your program. The mark is a user-level
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149 feature, so it is incorrect to change the mark except to supply a value
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150 for the user's benefit. @xref{The Mark}.
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151
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152 In particular, don't use these functions:
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153
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154 @itemize @bullet
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155 @item
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156 @code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{end-of-buffer}
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157 @item
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158 @code{replace-string}, @code{replace-regexp}
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159 @end itemize
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160
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161 If you just want to move point, or replace a certain string, without any
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162 of the other features intended for interactive users, you can replace
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163 these functions with one or two lines of simple Lisp code.
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164
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165 @item
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166 The recommended way to print a message in the echo area is with
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167 the @code{message} function, not @code{princ}. @xref{The Echo Area}.
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168
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169 @item
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170 When you encounter an error condition, call the function @code{error}
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171 (or @code{signal}). The function @code{error} does not return.
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172 @xref{Signaling Errors}.
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173
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174 Do not use @code{message}, @code{throw}, @code{sleep-for},
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175 or @code{beep} to report errors.
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176
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177 @item
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178 Try to avoid using recursive edits. Instead, do what the Rmail @kbd{e}
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179 command does: use a new local keymap that contains one command defined
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180 to switch back to the old local keymap. Or do what the
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181 @code{edit-options} command does: switch to another buffer and let the
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182 user switch back at will. @xref{Recursive Editing}.
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183
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184 @item
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185 In some other systems there is a convention of choosing variable names
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186 that begin and end with @samp{*}. We don't use that convention in Emacs
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187 Lisp, so please don't use it in your programs. (Emacs uses such names
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188 only for program-generated buffers.) The users will find Emacs more
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189 coherent if all libraries use the same conventions.
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190
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191 @item
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192 Indent each function with @kbd{C-M-q} (@code{indent-sexp}) using the
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193 default indentation parameters.
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194
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195 @item
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196 Don't make a habit of putting close-parentheses on lines by themselves;
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197 Lisp programmers find this disconcerting. Once in a while, when there
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198 is a sequence of many consecutive close-parentheses, it may make sense
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199 to split them in one or two significant places.
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200
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201 @item
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202 Please put a copyright notice on the file if you give copies to anyone.
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203 Use the same lines that appear at the top of the Lisp files in Emacs
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204 itself. If you have not signed papers to assign the copyright to the
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205 Foundation, then place your name in the copyright notice in place of the
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206 Foundation's name.
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207 @end itemize
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208
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209 @node Compilation Tips
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210 @section Tips for Making Compiled Code Fast
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211 @cindex execution speed
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212 @cindex speedups
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213
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214 Here are ways of improving the execution speed of byte-compiled
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215 Lisp programs.
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216
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217 @itemize @bullet
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218 @item
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219 @cindex profiling
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220 @cindex timing programs
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221 @cindex @file{profile.el}
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222 Use the @file{profile} library to profile your program. See the file
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223 @file{profile.el} for instructions.
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224
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225 @item
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226 Use iteration rather than recursion whenever possible.
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227 Function calls are slow in Emacs Lisp even when a compiled function
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228 is calling another compiled function.
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229
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230 @item
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231 Using the primitive list-searching functions @code{memq}, @code{assq}, or
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232 @code{assoc} is even faster than explicit iteration. It may be worth
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233 rearranging a data structure so that one of these primitive search
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234 functions can be used.
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235
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236 @item
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237 Certain built-in functions are handled specially in byte-compiled code,
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238 avoiding the need for an ordinary function call. It is a good idea to
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239 use these functions rather than alternatives. To see whether a function
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240 is handled specially by the compiler, examine its @code{byte-compile}
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241 property. If the property is non-@code{nil}, then the function is
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242 handled specially.
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243
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244 For example, the following input will show you that @code{aref} is
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245 compiled specially (@pxref{Array Functions}) while @code{elt} is not
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246 (@pxref{Sequence Functions}):
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247
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248 @example
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249 @group
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250 (get 'aref 'byte-compile)
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251 @result{} byte-compile-two-args
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252 @end group
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253
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254 @group
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255 (get 'elt 'byte-compile)
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256 @result{} nil
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257 @end group
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258 @end example
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259
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260 @item
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261 If calling a small function accounts for a substantial part of your
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262 program's running time, make the function inline. This eliminates
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263 the function call overhead. Since making a function inline reduces
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264 the flexibility of changing the program, don't do it unless it gives
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265 a noticeable speedup in something slow enough that users care about
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266 the speed. @xref{Inline Functions}.
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267 @end itemize
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268
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269 @node Documentation Tips
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270 @section Tips for Documentation Strings
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271
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272 Here are some tips for the writing of documentation strings.
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273
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274 @itemize @bullet
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275 @item
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276 Every command, function, or variable intended for users to know about
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277 should have a documentation string.
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278
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279 @item
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280 An internal subroutine of a Lisp program need not have a documentation
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281 string, and you can save space by using a comment instead.
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282
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283 @item
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284 The first line of the documentation string should consist of one or two
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285 complete sentences that stand on their own as a summary. @kbd{M-x
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286 apropos} displays just the first line, and if it doesn't stand on its
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287 own, the result looks bad. In particular, start the first line with a
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288 capital letter and end with a period.
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289
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290 The documentation string can have additional lines that expand on the
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291 details of how to use the function or variable. The additional lines
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292 should be made up of complete sentences also, but they may be filled if
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293 that looks good.
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294
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295 @item
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296 For consistency, phrase the verb in the first sentence of a
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297 documentation string as an infinitive with ``to'' omitted. For
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298 instance, use ``Return the cons of A and B.'' in preference to ``Returns
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299 the cons of A and B@.'' Usually it looks good to do likewise for the
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300 rest of the first paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs usually look better
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301 if they have proper subjects.
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302
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303 @item
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304 Write documentation strings in the active voice, not the passive, and in
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305 the present tense, not the future. For instance, use ``Return a list
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306 containing A and B.'' instead of ``A list containing A and B will be
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307 returned.''
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308
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309 @item
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310 Avoid using the word ``cause'' (or its equivalents) unnecessarily.
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311 Instead of, ``Cause Emacs to display text in boldface,'' write just
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312 ``Display text in boldface.''
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313
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314 @item
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315 Do not start or end a documentation string with whitespace.
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316
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317 @item
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318 Format the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window on an
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319 80-column screen. It is a good idea for most lines to be no wider than
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320 60 characters. The first line can be wider if necessary to fit the
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321 information that ought to be there.
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322
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323 However, rather than simply filling the entire documentation string, you
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324 can make it much more readable by choosing line breaks with care.
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325 Use blank lines between topics if the documentation string is long.
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326
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327 @item
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328 @strong{Do not} indent subsequent lines of a documentation string so
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329 that the text is lined up in the source code with the text of the first
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330 line. This looks nice in the source code, but looks bizarre when users
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331 view the documentation. Remember that the indentation before the
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332 starting double-quote is not part of the string!
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333
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334 @item
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335 A variable's documentation string should start with @samp{*} if the
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336 variable is one that users would often want to set interactively. If
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337 the value is a long list, or a function, or if the variable would be set
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338 only in init files, then don't start the documentation string with
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339 @samp{*}. @xref{Defining Variables}.
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340
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341 @item
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342 The documentation string for a variable that is a yes-or-no flag should
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343 start with words such as ``Non-nil means@dots{}'', to make it clear that
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344 all non-@code{nil} values are equivalent and indicate explicitly what
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345 @code{nil} and non-@code{nil} mean.
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346
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347 @item
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348 When a function's documentation string mentions the value of an argument
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349 of the function, use the argument name in capital letters as if it were
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350 a name for that value. Thus, the documentation string of the function
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351 @code{/} refers to its second argument as @samp{DIVISOR}, because the
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352 actual argument name is @code{divisor}.
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353
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354 Also use all caps for meta-syntactic variables, such as when you show
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355 the decomposition of a list or vector into subunits, some of which may
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356 vary.
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357
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358 @item
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359 @iftex
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360 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
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361 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
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362 around it. For example: @samp{`lambda'}. There are two exceptions:
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363 write @code{t} and @code{nil} without single-quotes.
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364 @end iftex
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365 @ifinfo
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366 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
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367 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
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368 around it. For example: @samp{lambda}. There are two exceptions: write
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369 t and nil without single-quotes. (In this manual, we normally do use
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370 single-quotes for those symbols.)
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371 @end ifinfo
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372
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373 @item
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374 Don't write key sequences directly in documentation strings. Instead,
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375 use the @samp{\\[@dots{}]} construct to stand for them. For example,
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376 instead of writing @samp{C-f}, write @samp{\\[forward-char]}. When
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377 Emacs displays the documentation string, it substitutes whatever key is
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378 currently bound to @code{forward-char}. (This is normally @samp{C-f},
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379 but it may be some other character if the user has moved key bindings.)
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380 @xref{Keys in Documentation}.
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381
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382 @item
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383 In documentation strings for a major mode, you will want to refer to the
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384 key bindings of that mode's local map, rather than global ones.
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385 Therefore, use the construct @samp{\\<@dots{}>} once in the
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386 documentation string to specify which key map to use. Do this before
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387 the first use of @samp{\\[@dots{}]}. The text inside the
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388 @samp{\\<@dots{}>} should be the name of the variable containing the
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389 local keymap for the major mode.
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390
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391 It is not practical to use @samp{\\[@dots{}]} very many times, because
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392 display of the documentation string will become slow. So use this to
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393 describe the most important commands in your major mode, and then use
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394 @samp{\\@{@dots{}@}} to display the rest of the mode's keymap.
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395
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396 @item
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397 Don't use the term ``Elisp'', since that is or was a trademark.
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398 Use the term ``Emacs Lisp''.
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399 @end itemize
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400
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401 @node Comment Tips
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402 @section Tips on Writing Comments
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403
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404 We recommend these conventions for where to put comments and how to
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405 indent them:
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406
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407 @table @samp
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408 @item ;
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409 Comments that start with a single semicolon, @samp{;}, should all be
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410 aligned to the same column on the right of the source code. Such
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411 comments usually explain how the code on the same line does its job. In
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412 Lisp mode and related modes, the @kbd{M-;} (@code{indent-for-comment})
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413 command automatically inserts such a @samp{;} in the right place, or
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414 aligns such a comment if it is already present.
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415
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416 This and following examples are taken from the Emacs sources.
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417
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418 @smallexample
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419 @group
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420 (setq base-version-list ; there was a base
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421 (assoc (substring fn 0 start-vn) ; version to which
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422 file-version-assoc-list)) ; this looks like
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423 ; a subversion
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424 @end group
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425 @end smallexample
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426
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427 @item ;;
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428 Comments that start with two semicolons, @samp{;;}, should be aligned to
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429 the same level of indentation as the code. Such comments usually
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430 describe the purpose of the following lines or the state of the program
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431 at that point. For example:
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432
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433 @smallexample
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434 @group
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435 (prog1 (setq auto-fill-function
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436 @dots{}
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437 @dots{}
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438 ;; update mode line
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439 (force-mode-line-update)))
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440 @end group
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441 @end smallexample
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442
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443 Every function that has no documentation string (because it is use only
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444 internally within the package it belongs to), should have instead a
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445 two-semicolon comment right before the function, explaining what the
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446 function does and how to call it properly. Explain precisely what each
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447 argument means and how the function interprets its possible values.
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448
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449 @item ;;;
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450 Comments that start with three semicolons, @samp{;;;}, should start at
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451 the left margin. Such comments are used outside function definitions to
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452 make general statements explaining the design principles of the program.
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453 For example:
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454
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455 @smallexample
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456 @group
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457 ;;; This Lisp code is run in Emacs
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458 ;;; when it is to operate as a server
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459 ;;; for other processes.
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460 @end group
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461 @end smallexample
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462
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463 Another use for triple-semicolon comments is for commenting out lines
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464 within a function. We use triple-semicolons for this precisely so that
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465 they remain at the left margin.
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466
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467 @smallexample
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468 (defun foo (a)
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469 ;;; This is no longer necessary.
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470 ;;; (force-mode-line-update)
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471 (message "Finished with %s" a))
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472 @end smallexample
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473
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474 @item ;;;;
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475 Comments that start with four semicolons, @samp{;;;;}, should be aligned
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476 to the left margin and are used for headings of major sections of a
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477 program. For example:
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478
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479 @smallexample
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480 ;;;; The kill ring
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481 @end smallexample
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482 @end table
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483
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484 @noindent
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485 The indentation commands of the Lisp modes in Emacs, such as @kbd{M-;}
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486 (@code{indent-for-comment}) and @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line})
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487 automatically indent comments according to these conventions,
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488 depending on the number of semicolons. @xref{Comments,,
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489 Manipulating Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
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490
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491 @node Library Headers
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492 @section Conventional Headers for Emacs Libraries
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493 @cindex header comments
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494 @cindex library header comments
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495
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496 Emacs 19 has conventions for using special comments in Lisp libraries
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497 to divide them into sections and give information such as who wrote
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498 them. This section explains these conventions. First, an example:
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499
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500 @smallexample
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501 @group
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502 ;;; lisp-mnt.el --- minor mode for Emacs Lisp maintainers
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503
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504 ;; Copyright (C) 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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505 @end group
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506
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507 ;; Author: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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508 ;; Maintainer: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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509 ;; Created: 14 Jul 1992
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510 ;; Version: 1.2
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511 @group
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512 ;; Keywords: docs
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513
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514 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.
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515 @var{copying permissions}@dots{}
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516 @end group
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517 @end smallexample
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518
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519 The very first line should have this format:
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520
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521 @example
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522 ;;; @var{filename} --- @var{description}
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523 @end example
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524
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525 @noindent
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526 The description should be complete in one line.
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527
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528 After the copyright notice come several @dfn{header comment} lines,
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529 each beginning with @samp{;; @var{header-name}:}. Here is a table of
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530 the conventional possibilities for @var{header-name}:
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531
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532 @table @samp
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533 @item Author
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534 This line states the name and net address of at least the principal
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535 author of the library.
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536
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537 If there are multiple authors, you can list them on continuation lines
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538 led by @code{;;} and a tab character, like this:
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539
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540 @smallexample
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541 @group
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542 ;; Author: Ashwin Ram <Ram-Ashwin@@cs.yale.edu>
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543 ;; Dave Sill <de5@@ornl.gov>
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544 ;; Dave Brennan <brennan@@hal.com>
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545 ;; Eric Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
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546 @end group
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547 @end smallexample
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548
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549 @item Maintainer
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550 This line should contain a single name/address as in the Author line, or
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551 an address only, or the string @samp{FSF}. If there is no maintainer
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552 line, the person(s) in the Author field are presumed to be the
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553 maintainers. The example above is mildly bogus because the maintainer
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554 line is redundant.
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555
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556 The idea behind the @samp{Author} and @samp{Maintainer} lines is to make
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557 possible a Lisp function to ``send mail to the maintainer'' without
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558 having to mine the name out by hand.
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559
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560 Be sure to surround the network address with @samp{<@dots{}>} if
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561 you include the person's full name as well as the network address.
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562
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563 @item Created
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564 This optional line gives the original creation date of the
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565 file. For historical interest only.
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566
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567 @item Version
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568 If you wish to record version numbers for the individual Lisp program, put
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569 them in this line.
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570
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571 @item Adapted-By
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572 In this header line, place the name of the person who adapted the
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573 library for installation (to make it fit the style conventions, for
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574 example).
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575
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576 @item Keywords
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577 This line lists keywords for the @code{finder-by-keyword} help command.
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578 This field is important; it's how people will find your package when
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579 they're looking for things by topic area.
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580 @end table
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581
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582 Just about every Lisp library ought to have the @samp{Author} and
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583 @samp{Keywords} header comment lines. Use the others if they are
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584 appropriate. You can also put in header lines with other header
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585 names---they have no standard meanings, so they can't do any harm.
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586
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587 We use additional stylized comments to subdivide the contents of the
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588 library file. Here is a table of them:
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589
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590 @table @samp
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591 @item ;;; Commentary:
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592 This begins introductory comments that explain how the library works.
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593 It should come right after the copying permissions.
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594
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595 @item ;;; Change log:
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596 This begins change log information stored in the library file (if you
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597 store the change history there). For most of the Lisp
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598 files distributed with Emacs, the change history is kept in the file
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599 @file{ChangeLog} and not in the source file at all; these files do
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600 not have a @samp{;;; Change log:} line.
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601
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602 @item ;;; Code:
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603 This begins the actual code of the program.
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604
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605 @item ;;; @var{filename} ends here
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606 This is the @dfn{footer line}; it appears at the very end of the file.
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607 Its purpose is to enable people to detect truncated versions of the file
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608 from the lack of a footer line.
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609 @end table