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annotate doc/lispref/text.texi @ 94788:8d78530778f5
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author | Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org> |
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date | Fri, 09 May 2008 04:38:00 +0000 |
parents | 6d85304f4f12 |
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84103 | 1 @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. | |
3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, | |
87649 | 4 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
84103 | 5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. |
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6 @setfilename ../../info/text |
84103 | 7 @node Text, Non-ASCII Characters, Markers, Top |
8 @chapter Text | |
9 @cindex text | |
10 | |
11 This chapter describes the functions that deal with the text in a | |
12 buffer. Most examine, insert, or delete text in the current buffer, | |
13 often operating at point or on text adjacent to point. Many are | |
14 interactive. All the functions that change the text provide for undoing | |
15 the changes (@pxref{Undo}). | |
16 | |
17 Many text-related functions operate on a region of text defined by two | |
18 buffer positions passed in arguments named @var{start} and @var{end}. | |
19 These arguments should be either markers (@pxref{Markers}) or numeric | |
20 character positions (@pxref{Positions}). The order of these arguments | |
21 does not matter; it is all right for @var{start} to be the end of the | |
22 region and @var{end} the beginning. For example, @code{(delete-region 1 | |
23 10)} and @code{(delete-region 10 1)} are equivalent. An | |
24 @code{args-out-of-range} error is signaled if either @var{start} or | |
25 @var{end} is outside the accessible portion of the buffer. In an | |
26 interactive call, point and the mark are used for these arguments. | |
27 | |
28 @cindex buffer contents | |
29 Throughout this chapter, ``text'' refers to the characters in the | |
30 buffer, together with their properties (when relevant). Keep in mind | |
31 that point is always between two characters, and the cursor appears on | |
32 the character after point. | |
33 | |
34 @menu | |
35 * Near Point:: Examining text in the vicinity of point. | |
36 * Buffer Contents:: Examining text in a general fashion. | |
37 * Comparing Text:: Comparing substrings of buffers. | |
38 * Insertion:: Adding new text to a buffer. | |
39 * Commands for Insertion:: User-level commands to insert text. | |
40 * Deletion:: Removing text from a buffer. | |
41 * User-Level Deletion:: User-level commands to delete text. | |
42 * The Kill Ring:: Where removed text sometimes is saved for later use. | |
43 * Undo:: Undoing changes to the text of a buffer. | |
44 * Maintaining Undo:: How to enable and disable undo information. | |
45 How to control how much information is kept. | |
46 * Filling:: Functions for explicit filling. | |
47 * Margins:: How to specify margins for filling commands. | |
48 * Adaptive Fill:: Adaptive Fill mode chooses a fill prefix from context. | |
49 * Auto Filling:: How auto-fill mode is implemented to break lines. | |
50 * Sorting:: Functions for sorting parts of the buffer. | |
51 * Columns:: Computing horizontal positions, and using them. | |
52 * Indentation:: Functions to insert or adjust indentation. | |
53 * Case Changes:: Case conversion of parts of the buffer. | |
54 * Text Properties:: Assigning Lisp property lists to text characters. | |
55 * Substitution:: Replacing a given character wherever it appears. | |
56 * Transposition:: Swapping two portions of a buffer. | |
57 * Registers:: How registers are implemented. Accessing the text or | |
58 position stored in a register. | |
59 * Base 64:: Conversion to or from base 64 encoding. | |
60 * MD5 Checksum:: Compute the MD5 "message digest"/"checksum". | |
61 * Atomic Changes:: Installing several buffer changes "atomically". | |
62 * Change Hooks:: Supplying functions to be run when text is changed. | |
63 @end menu | |
64 | |
65 @node Near Point | |
66 @section Examining Text Near Point | |
67 @cindex text near point | |
68 | |
69 Many functions are provided to look at the characters around point. | |
70 Several simple functions are described here. See also @code{looking-at} | |
71 in @ref{Regexp Search}. | |
72 | |
73 In the following four functions, ``beginning'' or ``end'' of buffer | |
74 refers to the beginning or end of the accessible portion. | |
75 | |
76 @defun char-after &optional position | |
77 This function returns the character in the current buffer at (i.e., | |
78 immediately after) position @var{position}. If @var{position} is out of | |
79 range for this purpose, either before the beginning of the buffer, or at | |
80 or beyond the end, then the value is @code{nil}. The default for | |
81 @var{position} is point. | |
82 | |
83 In the following example, assume that the first character in the | |
84 buffer is @samp{@@}: | |
85 | |
86 @example | |
87 @group | |
88 (char-to-string (char-after 1)) | |
89 @result{} "@@" | |
90 @end group | |
91 @end example | |
92 @end defun | |
93 | |
94 @defun char-before &optional position | |
95 This function returns the character in the current buffer immediately | |
96 before position @var{position}. If @var{position} is out of range for | |
97 this purpose, either at or before the beginning of the buffer, or beyond | |
98 the end, then the value is @code{nil}. The default for | |
99 @var{position} is point. | |
100 @end defun | |
101 | |
102 @defun following-char | |
103 This function returns the character following point in the current | |
104 buffer. This is similar to @code{(char-after (point))}. However, if | |
105 point is at the end of the buffer, then @code{following-char} returns 0. | |
106 | |
107 Remember that point is always between characters, and the cursor | |
108 normally appears over the character following point. Therefore, the | |
109 character returned by @code{following-char} is the character the | |
110 cursor is over. | |
111 | |
112 In this example, point is between the @samp{a} and the @samp{c}. | |
113 | |
114 @example | |
115 @group | |
116 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
117 Gentlemen may cry ``Pea@point{}ce! Peace!,'' | |
118 but there is no peace. | |
119 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
120 @end group | |
121 | |
122 @group | |
123 (char-to-string (preceding-char)) | |
124 @result{} "a" | |
125 (char-to-string (following-char)) | |
126 @result{} "c" | |
127 @end group | |
128 @end example | |
129 @end defun | |
130 | |
131 @defun preceding-char | |
132 This function returns the character preceding point in the current | |
133 buffer. See above, under @code{following-char}, for an example. If | |
134 point is at the beginning of the buffer, @code{preceding-char} returns | |
135 0. | |
136 @end defun | |
137 | |
138 @defun bobp | |
139 This function returns @code{t} if point is at the beginning of the | |
140 buffer. If narrowing is in effect, this means the beginning of the | |
141 accessible portion of the text. See also @code{point-min} in | |
142 @ref{Point}. | |
143 @end defun | |
144 | |
145 @defun eobp | |
146 This function returns @code{t} if point is at the end of the buffer. | |
147 If narrowing is in effect, this means the end of accessible portion of | |
148 the text. See also @code{point-max} in @xref{Point}. | |
149 @end defun | |
150 | |
151 @defun bolp | |
152 This function returns @code{t} if point is at the beginning of a line. | |
153 @xref{Text Lines}. The beginning of the buffer (or of its accessible | |
154 portion) always counts as the beginning of a line. | |
155 @end defun | |
156 | |
157 @defun eolp | |
158 This function returns @code{t} if point is at the end of a line. The | |
159 end of the buffer (or of its accessible portion) is always considered | |
160 the end of a line. | |
161 @end defun | |
162 | |
163 @node Buffer Contents | |
164 @section Examining Buffer Contents | |
165 | |
166 This section describes functions that allow a Lisp program to | |
167 convert any portion of the text in the buffer into a string. | |
168 | |
169 @defun buffer-substring start end | |
170 This function returns a string containing a copy of the text of the | |
171 region defined by positions @var{start} and @var{end} in the current | |
172 buffer. If the arguments are not positions in the accessible portion of | |
173 the buffer, @code{buffer-substring} signals an @code{args-out-of-range} | |
174 error. | |
175 | |
176 It is not necessary for @var{start} to be less than @var{end}; the | |
177 arguments can be given in either order. But most often the smaller | |
178 argument is written first. | |
179 | |
180 Here's an example which assumes Font-Lock mode is not enabled: | |
181 | |
182 @example | |
183 @group | |
184 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
185 This is the contents of buffer foo | |
186 | |
187 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
188 @end group | |
189 | |
190 @group | |
191 (buffer-substring 1 10) | |
192 @result{} "This is t" | |
193 @end group | |
194 @group | |
195 (buffer-substring (point-max) 10) | |
196 @result{} "he contents of buffer foo\n" | |
197 @end group | |
198 @end example | |
199 | |
200 If the text being copied has any text properties, these are copied into | |
201 the string along with the characters they belong to. @xref{Text | |
202 Properties}. However, overlays (@pxref{Overlays}) in the buffer and | |
203 their properties are ignored, not copied. | |
204 | |
205 For example, if Font-Lock mode is enabled, you might get results like | |
206 these: | |
207 | |
208 @example | |
209 @group | |
210 (buffer-substring 1 10) | |
211 @result{} #("This is t" 0 1 (fontified t) 1 9 (fontified t)) | |
212 @end group | |
213 @end example | |
214 @end defun | |
215 | |
216 @defun buffer-substring-no-properties start end | |
217 This is like @code{buffer-substring}, except that it does not copy text | |
218 properties, just the characters themselves. @xref{Text Properties}. | |
219 @end defun | |
220 | |
221 @defun filter-buffer-substring start end &optional delete noprops | |
222 This function passes the buffer text between @var{start} and @var{end} | |
223 through the filter functions specified by the variable | |
224 @code{buffer-substring-filters}, and returns the value from the last | |
225 filter function. If @code{buffer-substring-filters} is @code{nil}, | |
226 the value is the unaltered text from the buffer, what | |
227 @code{buffer-substring} would return. | |
228 | |
229 If @var{delete} is non-@code{nil}, this function deletes the text | |
230 between @var{start} and @var{end} after copying it, like | |
231 @code{delete-and-extract-region}. | |
232 | |
233 If @var{noprops} is non-@code{nil}, the final string returned does not | |
234 include text properties, while the string passed through the filters | |
235 still includes text properties from the buffer text. | |
236 | |
237 Lisp code should use this function instead of @code{buffer-substring}, | |
238 @code{buffer-substring-no-properties}, | |
239 or @code{delete-and-extract-region} when copying into user-accessible | |
240 data structures such as the kill-ring, X clipboard, and registers. | |
241 Major and minor modes can add functions to | |
242 @code{buffer-substring-filters} to alter such text as it is copied out | |
243 of the buffer. | |
244 @end defun | |
245 | |
246 @defvar buffer-substring-filters | |
247 This variable should be a list of functions that accept a single | |
248 argument, a string, and return a string. | |
249 @code{filter-buffer-substring} passes the buffer substring to the | |
250 first function in this list, and the return value of each function is | |
251 passed to the next function. The return value of the last function is | |
252 used as the return value of @code{filter-buffer-substring}. | |
253 | |
254 As a special convention, point is set to the start of the buffer text | |
255 being operated on (i.e., the @var{start} argument for | |
256 @code{filter-buffer-substring}) before these functions are called. | |
257 | |
258 If this variable is @code{nil}, no filtering is performed. | |
259 @end defvar | |
260 | |
261 @defun buffer-string | |
262 This function returns the contents of the entire accessible portion of | |
263 the current buffer as a string. It is equivalent to | |
264 | |
265 @example | |
266 (buffer-substring (point-min) (point-max)) | |
267 @end example | |
268 | |
269 @example | |
270 @group | |
271 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
272 This is the contents of buffer foo | |
273 | |
274 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
275 | |
276 (buffer-string) | |
277 @result{} "This is the contents of buffer foo\n" | |
278 @end group | |
279 @end example | |
280 @end defun | |
281 | |
282 @defun current-word &optional strict really-word | |
283 This function returns the symbol (or word) at or near point, as a string. | |
284 The return value includes no text properties. | |
285 | |
286 If the optional argument @var{really-word} is non-@code{nil}, it finds a | |
287 word; otherwise, it finds a symbol (which includes both word | |
288 characters and symbol constituent characters). | |
289 | |
290 If the optional argument @var{strict} is non-@code{nil}, then point | |
291 must be in or next to the symbol or word---if no symbol or word is | |
292 there, the function returns @code{nil}. Otherwise, a nearby symbol or | |
293 word on the same line is acceptable. | |
294 @end defun | |
295 | |
296 @defun thing-at-point thing | |
297 Return the @var{thing} around or next to point, as a string. | |
298 | |
299 The argument @var{thing} is a symbol which specifies a kind of syntactic | |
300 entity. Possibilities include @code{symbol}, @code{list}, @code{sexp}, | |
301 @code{defun}, @code{filename}, @code{url}, @code{word}, @code{sentence}, | |
302 @code{whitespace}, @code{line}, @code{page}, and others. | |
303 | |
304 @example | |
305 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
306 Gentlemen may cry ``Pea@point{}ce! Peace!,'' | |
307 but there is no peace. | |
308 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
309 | |
310 (thing-at-point 'word) | |
311 @result{} "Peace" | |
312 (thing-at-point 'line) | |
313 @result{} "Gentlemen may cry ``Peace! Peace!,''\n" | |
314 (thing-at-point 'whitespace) | |
315 @result{} nil | |
316 @end example | |
317 @end defun | |
318 | |
319 @node Comparing Text | |
320 @section Comparing Text | |
321 @cindex comparing buffer text | |
322 | |
323 This function lets you compare portions of the text in a buffer, without | |
324 copying them into strings first. | |
325 | |
326 @defun compare-buffer-substrings buffer1 start1 end1 buffer2 start2 end2 | |
327 This function lets you compare two substrings of the same buffer or two | |
328 different buffers. The first three arguments specify one substring, | |
329 giving a buffer (or a buffer name) and two positions within the | |
330 buffer. The last three arguments specify the other substring in the | |
331 same way. You can use @code{nil} for @var{buffer1}, @var{buffer2}, or | |
332 both to stand for the current buffer. | |
333 | |
334 The value is negative if the first substring is less, positive if the | |
335 first is greater, and zero if they are equal. The absolute value of | |
336 the result is one plus the index of the first differing characters | |
337 within the substrings. | |
338 | |
339 This function ignores case when comparing characters | |
340 if @code{case-fold-search} is non-@code{nil}. It always ignores | |
341 text properties. | |
342 | |
343 Suppose the current buffer contains the text @samp{foobarbar | |
344 haha!rara!}; then in this example the two substrings are @samp{rbar } | |
345 and @samp{rara!}. The value is 2 because the first substring is greater | |
346 at the second character. | |
347 | |
348 @example | |
349 (compare-buffer-substrings nil 6 11 nil 16 21) | |
350 @result{} 2 | |
351 @end example | |
352 @end defun | |
353 | |
354 @node Insertion | |
355 @section Inserting Text | |
356 @cindex insertion of text | |
357 @cindex text insertion | |
358 | |
359 @cindex insertion before point | |
360 @cindex before point, insertion | |
361 @dfn{Insertion} means adding new text to a buffer. The inserted text | |
362 goes at point---between the character before point and the character | |
363 after point. Some insertion functions leave point before the inserted | |
364 text, while other functions leave it after. We call the former | |
365 insertion @dfn{after point} and the latter insertion @dfn{before point}. | |
366 | |
367 Insertion relocates markers that point at positions after the | |
368 insertion point, so that they stay with the surrounding text | |
369 (@pxref{Markers}). When a marker points at the place of insertion, | |
370 insertion may or may not relocate the marker, depending on the marker's | |
371 insertion type (@pxref{Marker Insertion Types}). Certain special | |
372 functions such as @code{insert-before-markers} relocate all such markers | |
373 to point after the inserted text, regardless of the markers' insertion | |
374 type. | |
375 | |
376 Insertion functions signal an error if the current buffer is | |
377 read-only or if they insert within read-only text. | |
378 | |
379 These functions copy text characters from strings and buffers along | |
380 with their properties. The inserted characters have exactly the same | |
381 properties as the characters they were copied from. By contrast, | |
382 characters specified as separate arguments, not part of a string or | |
383 buffer, inherit their text properties from the neighboring text. | |
384 | |
385 The insertion functions convert text from unibyte to multibyte in | |
386 order to insert in a multibyte buffer, and vice versa---if the text | |
387 comes from a string or from a buffer. However, they do not convert | |
388 unibyte character codes 128 through 255 to multibyte characters, not | |
389 even if the current buffer is a multibyte buffer. @xref{Converting | |
390 Representations}. | |
391 | |
392 @defun insert &rest args | |
393 This function inserts the strings and/or characters @var{args} into the | |
394 current buffer, at point, moving point forward. In other words, it | |
395 inserts the text before point. An error is signaled unless all | |
396 @var{args} are either strings or characters. The value is @code{nil}. | |
397 @end defun | |
398 | |
399 @defun insert-before-markers &rest args | |
400 This function inserts the strings and/or characters @var{args} into the | |
401 current buffer, at point, moving point forward. An error is signaled | |
402 unless all @var{args} are either strings or characters. The value is | |
403 @code{nil}. | |
404 | |
405 This function is unlike the other insertion functions in that it | |
406 relocates markers initially pointing at the insertion point, to point | |
407 after the inserted text. If an overlay begins at the insertion point, | |
408 the inserted text falls outside the overlay; if a nonempty overlay | |
409 ends at the insertion point, the inserted text falls inside that | |
410 overlay. | |
411 @end defun | |
412 | |
413 @defun insert-char character count &optional inherit | |
414 This function inserts @var{count} instances of @var{character} into the | |
415 current buffer before point. The argument @var{count} should be an | |
416 integer, and @var{character} must be a character. The value is @code{nil}. | |
417 | |
418 This function does not convert unibyte character codes 128 through 255 | |
419 to multibyte characters, not even if the current buffer is a multibyte | |
420 buffer. @xref{Converting Representations}. | |
421 | |
422 If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, then the inserted characters inherit | |
423 sticky text properties from the two characters before and after the | |
424 insertion point. @xref{Sticky Properties}. | |
425 @end defun | |
426 | |
427 @defun insert-buffer-substring from-buffer-or-name &optional start end | |
428 This function inserts a portion of buffer @var{from-buffer-or-name} | |
429 (which must already exist) into the current buffer before point. The | |
430 text inserted is the region between @var{start} and @var{end}. (These | |
431 arguments default to the beginning and end of the accessible portion of | |
432 that buffer.) This function returns @code{nil}. | |
433 | |
434 In this example, the form is executed with buffer @samp{bar} as the | |
435 current buffer. We assume that buffer @samp{bar} is initially empty. | |
436 | |
437 @example | |
438 @group | |
439 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
440 We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all | |
441 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
442 @end group | |
443 | |
444 @group | |
445 (insert-buffer-substring "foo" 1 20) | |
446 @result{} nil | |
447 | |
448 ---------- Buffer: bar ---------- | |
449 We hold these truth@point{} | |
450 ---------- Buffer: bar ---------- | |
451 @end group | |
452 @end example | |
453 @end defun | |
454 | |
455 @defun insert-buffer-substring-no-properties from-buffer-or-name &optional start end | |
456 This is like @code{insert-buffer-substring} except that it does not | |
457 copy any text properties. | |
458 @end defun | |
459 | |
460 @xref{Sticky Properties}, for other insertion functions that inherit | |
461 text properties from the nearby text in addition to inserting it. | |
462 Whitespace inserted by indentation functions also inherits text | |
463 properties. | |
464 | |
465 @node Commands for Insertion | |
466 @section User-Level Insertion Commands | |
467 | |
468 This section describes higher-level commands for inserting text, | |
469 commands intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp | |
470 programs. | |
471 | |
472 @deffn Command insert-buffer from-buffer-or-name | |
473 This command inserts the entire accessible contents of | |
474 @var{from-buffer-or-name} (which must exist) into the current buffer | |
475 after point. It leaves the mark after the inserted text. The value | |
476 is @code{nil}. | |
477 @end deffn | |
478 | |
479 @deffn Command self-insert-command count | |
480 @cindex character insertion | |
481 @cindex self-insertion | |
482 This command inserts the last character typed; it does so @var{count} | |
483 times, before point, and returns @code{nil}. Most printing characters | |
484 are bound to this command. In routine use, @code{self-insert-command} | |
485 is the most frequently called function in Emacs, but programs rarely use | |
486 it except to install it on a keymap. | |
487 | |
488 In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument. | |
489 | |
490 This command calls @code{auto-fill-function} whenever that is | |
491 non-@code{nil} and the character inserted is in the table | |
492 @code{auto-fill-chars} (@pxref{Auto Filling}). | |
493 | |
494 @c Cross refs reworded to prevent overfull hbox. --rjc 15mar92 | |
495 This command performs abbrev expansion if Abbrev mode is enabled and | |
496 the inserted character does not have word-constituent | |
497 syntax. (@xref{Abbrevs}, and @ref{Syntax Class Table}.) It is also | |
498 responsible for calling @code{blink-paren-function} when the inserted | |
499 character has close parenthesis syntax (@pxref{Blinking}). | |
500 | |
501 Do not try substituting your own definition of | |
502 @code{self-insert-command} for the standard one. The editor command | |
503 loop handles this function specially. | |
504 @end deffn | |
505 | |
506 @deffn Command newline &optional number-of-newlines | |
507 This command inserts newlines into the current buffer before point. | |
508 If @var{number-of-newlines} is supplied, that many newline characters | |
509 are inserted. | |
510 | |
511 @cindex newline and Auto Fill mode | |
512 This function calls @code{auto-fill-function} if the current column | |
513 number is greater than the value of @code{fill-column} and | |
514 @var{number-of-newlines} is @code{nil}. Typically what | |
515 @code{auto-fill-function} does is insert a newline; thus, the overall | |
516 result in this case is to insert two newlines at different places: one | |
517 at point, and another earlier in the line. @code{newline} does not | |
518 auto-fill if @var{number-of-newlines} is non-@code{nil}. | |
519 | |
520 This command indents to the left margin if that is not zero. | |
521 @xref{Margins}. | |
522 | |
523 The value returned is @code{nil}. In an interactive call, @var{count} | |
524 is the numeric prefix argument. | |
525 @end deffn | |
526 | |
527 @defvar overwrite-mode | |
528 This variable controls whether overwrite mode is in effect. The value | |
529 should be @code{overwrite-mode-textual}, @code{overwrite-mode-binary}, | |
530 or @code{nil}. @code{overwrite-mode-textual} specifies textual | |
531 overwrite mode (treats newlines and tabs specially), and | |
532 @code{overwrite-mode-binary} specifies binary overwrite mode (treats | |
533 newlines and tabs like any other characters). | |
534 @end defvar | |
535 | |
536 @node Deletion | |
537 @section Deleting Text | |
538 @cindex text deletion | |
539 | |
540 @cindex deleting text vs killing | |
541 Deletion means removing part of the text in a buffer, without saving | |
542 it in the kill ring (@pxref{The Kill Ring}). Deleted text can't be | |
543 yanked, but can be reinserted using the undo mechanism (@pxref{Undo}). | |
544 Some deletion functions do save text in the kill ring in some special | |
545 cases. | |
546 | |
547 All of the deletion functions operate on the current buffer. | |
548 | |
549 @deffn Command erase-buffer | |
550 This function deletes the entire text of the current buffer | |
551 (@emph{not} just the accessible portion), leaving it | |
552 empty. If the buffer is read-only, it signals a @code{buffer-read-only} | |
553 error; if some of the text in it is read-only, it signals a | |
554 @code{text-read-only} error. Otherwise, it deletes the text without | |
555 asking for any confirmation. It returns @code{nil}. | |
556 | |
557 Normally, deleting a large amount of text from a buffer inhibits further | |
558 auto-saving of that buffer ``because it has shrunk.'' However, | |
559 @code{erase-buffer} does not do this, the idea being that the future | |
560 text is not really related to the former text, and its size should not | |
561 be compared with that of the former text. | |
562 @end deffn | |
563 | |
564 @deffn Command delete-region start end | |
565 This command deletes the text between positions @var{start} and | |
566 @var{end} in the current buffer, and returns @code{nil}. If point was | |
567 inside the deleted region, its value afterward is @var{start}. | |
568 Otherwise, point relocates with the surrounding text, as markers do. | |
569 @end deffn | |
570 | |
571 @defun delete-and-extract-region start end | |
572 This function deletes the text between positions @var{start} and | |
573 @var{end} in the current buffer, and returns a string containing the | |
574 text just deleted. | |
575 | |
576 If point was inside the deleted region, its value afterward is | |
577 @var{start}. Otherwise, point relocates with the surrounding text, as | |
578 markers do. | |
579 @end defun | |
580 | |
581 @deffn Command delete-char count &optional killp | |
582 This command deletes @var{count} characters directly after point, or | |
583 before point if @var{count} is negative. If @var{killp} is | |
584 non-@code{nil}, then it saves the deleted characters in the kill ring. | |
585 | |
586 In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and | |
587 @var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix | |
588 argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix | |
589 argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in | |
590 the kill ring. | |
591 | |
592 The value returned is always @code{nil}. | |
593 @end deffn | |
594 | |
595 @deffn Command delete-backward-char count &optional killp | |
596 @cindex deleting previous char | |
597 This command deletes @var{count} characters directly before point, or | |
598 after point if @var{count} is negative. If @var{killp} is | |
599 non-@code{nil}, then it saves the deleted characters in the kill ring. | |
600 | |
601 In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and | |
602 @var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix | |
603 argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix | |
604 argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in | |
605 the kill ring. | |
606 | |
607 The value returned is always @code{nil}. | |
608 @end deffn | |
609 | |
610 @deffn Command backward-delete-char-untabify count &optional killp | |
611 @cindex tab deletion | |
612 This command deletes @var{count} characters backward, changing tabs | |
613 into spaces. When the next character to be deleted is a tab, it is | |
614 first replaced with the proper number of spaces to preserve alignment | |
615 and then one of those spaces is deleted instead of the tab. If | |
616 @var{killp} is non-@code{nil}, then the command saves the deleted | |
617 characters in the kill ring. | |
618 | |
619 Conversion of tabs to spaces happens only if @var{count} is positive. | |
620 If it is negative, exactly @minus{}@var{count} characters after point | |
621 are deleted. | |
622 | |
623 In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and | |
624 @var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix | |
625 argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix | |
626 argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in | |
627 the kill ring. | |
628 | |
629 The value returned is always @code{nil}. | |
630 @end deffn | |
631 | |
632 @defopt backward-delete-char-untabify-method | |
633 This option specifies how @code{backward-delete-char-untabify} should | |
634 deal with whitespace. Possible values include @code{untabify}, the | |
635 default, meaning convert a tab to many spaces and delete one; | |
636 @code{hungry}, meaning delete all tabs and spaces before point with | |
637 one command; @code{all} meaning delete all tabs, spaces and newlines | |
638 before point, and @code{nil}, meaning do nothing special for | |
639 whitespace characters. | |
640 @end defopt | |
641 | |
642 @node User-Level Deletion | |
643 @section User-Level Deletion Commands | |
644 | |
645 This section describes higher-level commands for deleting text, | |
646 commands intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp | |
647 programs. | |
648 | |
649 @deffn Command delete-horizontal-space &optional backward-only | |
650 @cindex deleting whitespace | |
651 This function deletes all spaces and tabs around point. It returns | |
652 @code{nil}. | |
653 | |
654 If @var{backward-only} is non-@code{nil}, the function deletes | |
655 spaces and tabs before point, but not after point. | |
656 | |
657 In the following examples, we call @code{delete-horizontal-space} four | |
658 times, once on each line, with point between the second and third | |
659 characters on the line each time. | |
660 | |
661 @example | |
662 @group | |
663 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
664 I @point{}thought | |
665 I @point{} thought | |
666 We@point{} thought | |
667 Yo@point{}u thought | |
668 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
669 @end group | |
670 | |
671 @group | |
672 (delete-horizontal-space) ; @r{Four times.} | |
673 @result{} nil | |
674 | |
675 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
676 Ithought | |
677 Ithought | |
678 Wethought | |
679 You thought | |
680 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
681 @end group | |
682 @end example | |
683 @end deffn | |
684 | |
685 @deffn Command delete-indentation &optional join-following-p | |
686 This function joins the line point is on to the previous line, deleting | |
687 any whitespace at the join and in some cases replacing it with one | |
688 space. If @var{join-following-p} is non-@code{nil}, | |
689 @code{delete-indentation} joins this line to the following line | |
690 instead. The function returns @code{nil}. | |
691 | |
692 If there is a fill prefix, and the second of the lines being joined | |
693 starts with the prefix, then @code{delete-indentation} deletes the | |
694 fill prefix before joining the lines. @xref{Margins}. | |
695 | |
696 In the example below, point is located on the line starting | |
697 @samp{events}, and it makes no difference if there are trailing spaces | |
698 in the preceding line. | |
699 | |
700 @smallexample | |
701 @group | |
702 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
703 When in the course of human | |
704 @point{} events, it becomes necessary | |
705 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
706 @end group | |
707 | |
708 (delete-indentation) | |
709 @result{} nil | |
710 | |
711 @group | |
712 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
713 When in the course of human@point{} events, it becomes necessary | |
714 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
715 @end group | |
716 @end smallexample | |
717 | |
718 After the lines are joined, the function @code{fixup-whitespace} is | |
719 responsible for deciding whether to leave a space at the junction. | |
720 @end deffn | |
721 | |
722 @deffn Command fixup-whitespace | |
723 This function replaces all the horizontal whitespace surrounding point | |
724 with either one space or no space, according to the context. It | |
725 returns @code{nil}. | |
726 | |
727 At the beginning or end of a line, the appropriate amount of space is | |
728 none. Before a character with close parenthesis syntax, or after a | |
729 character with open parenthesis or expression-prefix syntax, no space is | |
730 also appropriate. Otherwise, one space is appropriate. @xref{Syntax | |
731 Class Table}. | |
732 | |
733 In the example below, @code{fixup-whitespace} is called the first time | |
734 with point before the word @samp{spaces} in the first line. For the | |
735 second invocation, point is directly after the @samp{(}. | |
736 | |
737 @smallexample | |
738 @group | |
739 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
740 This has too many @point{}spaces | |
741 This has too many spaces at the start of (@point{} this list) | |
742 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
743 @end group | |
744 | |
745 @group | |
746 (fixup-whitespace) | |
747 @result{} nil | |
748 (fixup-whitespace) | |
749 @result{} nil | |
750 @end group | |
751 | |
752 @group | |
753 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
754 This has too many spaces | |
755 This has too many spaces at the start of (this list) | |
756 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
757 @end group | |
758 @end smallexample | |
759 @end deffn | |
760 | |
761 @deffn Command just-one-space &optional n | |
762 @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
763 This command replaces any spaces and tabs around point with a single | |
764 space, or @var{n} spaces if @var{n} is specified. It returns | |
765 @code{nil}. | |
766 @end deffn | |
767 | |
768 @deffn Command delete-blank-lines | |
769 This function deletes blank lines surrounding point. If point is on a | |
770 blank line with one or more blank lines before or after it, then all but | |
771 one of them are deleted. If point is on an isolated blank line, then it | |
772 is deleted. If point is on a nonblank line, the command deletes all | |
773 blank lines immediately following it. | |
774 | |
775 A blank line is defined as a line containing only tabs and spaces. | |
776 | |
777 @code{delete-blank-lines} returns @code{nil}. | |
778 @end deffn | |
779 | |
780 @node The Kill Ring | |
781 @section The Kill Ring | |
782 @cindex kill ring | |
783 | |
784 @dfn{Kill functions} delete text like the deletion functions, but save | |
785 it so that the user can reinsert it by @dfn{yanking}. Most of these | |
786 functions have @samp{kill-} in their name. By contrast, the functions | |
787 whose names start with @samp{delete-} normally do not save text for | |
788 yanking (though they can still be undone); these are ``deletion'' | |
789 functions. | |
790 | |
791 Most of the kill commands are primarily for interactive use, and are | |
792 not described here. What we do describe are the functions provided for | |
793 use in writing such commands. You can use these functions to write | |
794 commands for killing text. When you need to delete text for internal | |
795 purposes within a Lisp function, you should normally use deletion | |
796 functions, so as not to disturb the kill ring contents. | |
797 @xref{Deletion}. | |
798 | |
799 Killed text is saved for later yanking in the @dfn{kill ring}. This | |
800 is a list that holds a number of recent kills, not just the last text | |
801 kill. We call this a ``ring'' because yanking treats it as having | |
802 elements in a cyclic order. The list is kept in the variable | |
803 @code{kill-ring}, and can be operated on with the usual functions for | |
804 lists; there are also specialized functions, described in this section, | |
805 that treat it as a ring. | |
806 | |
807 Some people think this use of the word ``kill'' is unfortunate, since | |
808 it refers to operations that specifically @emph{do not} destroy the | |
809 entities ``killed.'' This is in sharp contrast to ordinary life, in | |
810 which death is permanent and ``killed'' entities do not come back to | |
811 life. Therefore, other metaphors have been proposed. For example, the | |
812 term ``cut ring'' makes sense to people who, in pre-computer days, used | |
813 scissors and paste to cut up and rearrange manuscripts. However, it | |
814 would be difficult to change the terminology now. | |
815 | |
816 @menu | |
817 * Kill Ring Concepts:: What text looks like in the kill ring. | |
818 * Kill Functions:: Functions that kill text. | |
819 * Yanking:: How yanking is done. | |
820 * Yank Commands:: Commands that access the kill ring. | |
821 * Low-Level Kill Ring:: Functions and variables for kill ring access. | |
822 * Internals of Kill Ring:: Variables that hold kill ring data. | |
823 @end menu | |
824 | |
825 @node Kill Ring Concepts | |
826 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
827 @subsection Kill Ring Concepts | |
828 | |
829 The kill ring records killed text as strings in a list, most recent | |
830 first. A short kill ring, for example, might look like this: | |
831 | |
832 @example | |
833 ("some text" "a different piece of text" "even older text") | |
834 @end example | |
835 | |
836 @noindent | |
837 When the list reaches @code{kill-ring-max} entries in length, adding a | |
838 new entry automatically deletes the last entry. | |
839 | |
840 When kill commands are interwoven with other commands, each kill | |
841 command makes a new entry in the kill ring. Multiple kill commands in | |
842 succession build up a single kill ring entry, which would be yanked as a | |
843 unit; the second and subsequent consecutive kill commands add text to | |
844 the entry made by the first one. | |
845 | |
846 For yanking, one entry in the kill ring is designated the ``front'' of | |
847 the ring. Some yank commands ``rotate'' the ring by designating a | |
848 different element as the ``front.'' But this virtual rotation doesn't | |
849 change the list itself---the most recent entry always comes first in the | |
850 list. | |
851 | |
852 @node Kill Functions | |
853 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
854 @subsection Functions for Killing | |
855 | |
856 @code{kill-region} is the usual subroutine for killing text. Any | |
857 command that calls this function is a ``kill command'' (and should | |
858 probably have @samp{kill} in its name). @code{kill-region} puts the | |
859 newly killed text in a new element at the beginning of the kill ring or | |
860 adds it to the most recent element. It determines automatically (using | |
861 @code{last-command}) whether the previous command was a kill command, | |
862 and if so appends the killed text to the most recent entry. | |
863 | |
864 @deffn Command kill-region start end &optional yank-handler | |
865 This function kills the text in the region defined by @var{start} and | |
866 @var{end}. The text is deleted but saved in the kill ring, along with | |
867 its text properties. The value is always @code{nil}. | |
868 | |
869 In an interactive call, @var{start} and @var{end} are point and | |
870 the mark. | |
871 | |
872 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
873 If the buffer or text is read-only, @code{kill-region} modifies the kill | |
874 ring just the same, then signals an error without modifying the buffer. | |
875 This is convenient because it lets the user use a series of kill | |
876 commands to copy text from a read-only buffer into the kill ring. | |
877 | |
878 If @var{yank-handler} is non-@code{nil}, this puts that value onto | |
879 the string of killed text, as a @code{yank-handler} text property. | |
880 @xref{Yanking}. Note that if @var{yank-handler} is @code{nil}, any | |
881 @code{yank-handler} properties present on the killed text are copied | |
882 onto the kill ring, like other text properties. | |
883 @end deffn | |
884 | |
885 @defopt kill-read-only-ok | |
886 If this option is non-@code{nil}, @code{kill-region} does not signal an | |
887 error if the buffer or text is read-only. Instead, it simply returns, | |
888 updating the kill ring but not changing the buffer. | |
889 @end defopt | |
890 | |
891 @deffn Command copy-region-as-kill start end | |
892 This command saves the region defined by @var{start} and @var{end} on | |
893 the kill ring (including text properties), but does not delete the text | |
894 from the buffer. It returns @code{nil}. | |
895 | |
896 The command does not set @code{this-command} to @code{kill-region}, so a | |
897 subsequent kill command does not append to the same kill ring entry. | |
898 | |
899 Don't call @code{copy-region-as-kill} in Lisp programs unless you aim to | |
900 support Emacs 18. For newer Emacs versions, it is better to use | |
901 @code{kill-new} or @code{kill-append} instead. @xref{Low-Level Kill | |
902 Ring}. | |
903 @end deffn | |
904 | |
905 @node Yanking | |
906 @subsection Yanking | |
907 | |
908 Yanking means inserting text from the kill ring, but it does | |
909 not insert the text blindly. Yank commands and some other commands | |
910 use @code{insert-for-yank} to perform special processing on the | |
911 text that they copy into the buffer. | |
912 | |
913 @defun insert-for-yank string | |
914 This function normally works like @code{insert} except that it doesn't | |
915 insert the text properties in the @code{yank-excluded-properties} | |
916 list. However, if any part of @var{string} has a non-@code{nil} | |
917 @code{yank-handler} text property, that property can do various | |
918 special processing on that part of the text being inserted. | |
919 @end defun | |
920 | |
921 @defun insert-buffer-substring-as-yank buf &optional start end | |
922 This function resembles @code{insert-buffer-substring} except that it | |
923 doesn't insert the text properties in the | |
924 @code{yank-excluded-properties} list. | |
925 @end defun | |
926 | |
927 You can put a @code{yank-handler} text property on all or part of | |
928 the text to control how it will be inserted if it is yanked. The | |
929 @code{insert-for-yank} function looks for that property. The property | |
930 value must be a list of one to four elements, with the following | |
931 format (where elements after the first may be omitted): | |
932 | |
933 @example | |
934 (@var{function} @var{param} @var{noexclude} @var{undo}) | |
935 @end example | |
936 | |
937 Here is what the elements do: | |
938 | |
939 @table @var | |
940 @item function | |
941 When @var{function} is present and non-@code{nil}, it is called instead of | |
942 @code{insert} to insert the string. @var{function} takes one | |
943 argument---the string to insert. | |
944 | |
945 @item param | |
946 If @var{param} is present and non-@code{nil}, it replaces @var{string} | |
947 (or the part of @var{string} being processed) as the object passed to | |
948 @var{function} (or @code{insert}); for example, if @var{function} is | |
949 @code{yank-rectangle}, @var{param} should be a list of strings to | |
950 insert as a rectangle. | |
951 | |
952 @item noexclude | |
953 If @var{noexclude} is present and non-@code{nil}, the normal removal of the | |
954 yank-excluded-properties is not performed; instead @var{function} is | |
955 responsible for removing those properties. This may be necessary | |
956 if @var{function} adjusts point before or after inserting the object. | |
957 | |
958 @item undo | |
959 If @var{undo} is present and non-@code{nil}, it is a function that will be | |
960 called by @code{yank-pop} to undo the insertion of the current object. | |
961 It is called with two arguments, the start and end of the current | |
962 region. @var{function} can set @code{yank-undo-function} to override | |
963 the @var{undo} value. | |
964 @end table | |
965 | |
966 @node Yank Commands | |
967 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
968 @subsection Functions for Yanking | |
969 | |
970 This section describes higher-level commands for yanking, which are | |
971 intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp programs. | |
972 Both @code{yank} and @code{yank-pop} honor the | |
973 @code{yank-excluded-properties} variable and @code{yank-handler} text | |
974 property (@pxref{Yanking}). | |
975 | |
976 @deffn Command yank &optional arg | |
977 @cindex inserting killed text | |
978 This command inserts before point the text at the front of the | |
979 kill ring. It positions the mark at the beginning of that text, and | |
980 point at the end. | |
981 | |
982 If @var{arg} is a non-@code{nil} list (which occurs interactively when | |
983 the user types @kbd{C-u} with no digits), then @code{yank} inserts the | |
984 text as described above, but puts point before the yanked text and | |
985 puts the mark after it. | |
986 | |
987 If @var{arg} is a number, then @code{yank} inserts the @var{arg}th | |
988 most recently killed text---the @var{arg}th element of the kill ring | |
989 list, counted cyclically from the front, which is considered the | |
990 first element for this purpose. | |
991 | |
992 @code{yank} does not alter the contents of the kill ring, unless it | |
993 used text provided by another program, in which case it pushes that text | |
994 onto the kill ring. However if @var{arg} is an integer different from | |
995 one, it rotates the kill ring to place the yanked string at the front. | |
996 | |
997 @code{yank} returns @code{nil}. | |
998 @end deffn | |
999 | |
1000 @deffn Command yank-pop &optional arg | |
1001 This command replaces the just-yanked entry from the kill ring with a | |
1002 different entry from the kill ring. | |
1003 | |
1004 This is allowed only immediately after a @code{yank} or another | |
1005 @code{yank-pop}. At such a time, the region contains text that was just | |
1006 inserted by yanking. @code{yank-pop} deletes that text and inserts in | |
1007 its place a different piece of killed text. It does not add the deleted | |
1008 text to the kill ring, since it is already in the kill ring somewhere. | |
1009 It does however rotate the kill ring to place the newly yanked string at | |
1010 the front. | |
1011 | |
1012 If @var{arg} is @code{nil}, then the replacement text is the previous | |
1013 element of the kill ring. If @var{arg} is numeric, the replacement is | |
1014 the @var{arg}th previous kill. If @var{arg} is negative, a more recent | |
1015 kill is the replacement. | |
1016 | |
1017 The sequence of kills in the kill ring wraps around, so that after the | |
1018 oldest one comes the newest one, and before the newest one goes the | |
1019 oldest. | |
1020 | |
1021 The return value is always @code{nil}. | |
1022 @end deffn | |
1023 | |
1024 @defvar yank-undo-function | |
1025 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, the function @code{yank-pop} uses | |
1026 its value instead of @code{delete-region} to delete the text | |
1027 inserted by the previous @code{yank} or | |
1028 @code{yank-pop} command. The value must be a function of two | |
1029 arguments, the start and end of the current region. | |
1030 | |
1031 The function @code{insert-for-yank} automatically sets this variable | |
1032 according to the @var{undo} element of the @code{yank-handler} | |
1033 text property, if there is one. | |
1034 @end defvar | |
1035 | |
1036 @node Low-Level Kill Ring | |
1037 @subsection Low-Level Kill Ring | |
1038 | |
1039 These functions and variables provide access to the kill ring at a | |
1040 lower level, but still convenient for use in Lisp programs, because they | |
1041 take care of interaction with window system selections | |
1042 (@pxref{Window System Selections}). | |
1043 | |
1044 @defun current-kill n &optional do-not-move | |
1045 The function @code{current-kill} rotates the yanking pointer, which | |
1046 designates the ``front'' of the kill ring, by @var{n} places (from newer | |
1047 kills to older ones), and returns the text at that place in the ring. | |
1048 | |
1049 If the optional second argument @var{do-not-move} is non-@code{nil}, | |
1050 then @code{current-kill} doesn't alter the yanking pointer; it just | |
1051 returns the @var{n}th kill, counting from the current yanking pointer. | |
1052 | |
1053 If @var{n} is zero, indicating a request for the latest kill, | |
1054 @code{current-kill} calls the value of | |
1055 @code{interprogram-paste-function} (documented below) before | |
1056 consulting the kill ring. If that value is a function and calling it | |
1057 returns a string, @code{current-kill} pushes that string onto the kill | |
1058 ring and returns it. It also sets the yanking pointer to point to | |
1059 that new entry, regardless of the value of @var{do-not-move}. | |
1060 Otherwise, @code{current-kill} does not treat a zero value for @var{n} | |
1061 specially: it returns the entry pointed at by the yanking pointer and | |
1062 does not move the yanking pointer. | |
1063 @end defun | |
1064 | |
1065 @defun kill-new string &optional replace yank-handler | |
1066 This function pushes the text @var{string} onto the kill ring and | |
1067 makes the yanking pointer point to it. It discards the oldest entry | |
1068 if appropriate. It also invokes the value of | |
1069 @code{interprogram-cut-function} (see below). | |
1070 | |
1071 If @var{replace} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{kill-new} replaces the | |
1072 first element of the kill ring with @var{string}, rather than pushing | |
1073 @var{string} onto the kill ring. | |
1074 | |
1075 If @var{yank-handler} is non-@code{nil}, this puts that value onto | |
1076 the string of killed text, as a @code{yank-handler} property. | |
1077 @xref{Yanking}. Note that if @var{yank-handler} is @code{nil}, then | |
1078 @code{kill-new} copies any @code{yank-handler} properties present on | |
1079 @var{string} onto the kill ring, as it does with other text properties. | |
1080 @end defun | |
1081 | |
1082 @defun kill-append string before-p &optional yank-handler | |
1083 This function appends the text @var{string} to the first entry in the | |
1084 kill ring and makes the yanking pointer point to the combined entry. | |
1085 Normally @var{string} goes at the end of the entry, but if | |
1086 @var{before-p} is non-@code{nil}, it goes at the beginning. This | |
1087 function also invokes the value of @code{interprogram-cut-function} | |
1088 (see below). This handles @var{yank-handler} just like | |
1089 @code{kill-new}, except that if @var{yank-handler} is different from | |
1090 the @code{yank-handler} property of the first entry of the kill ring, | |
1091 @code{kill-append} pushes the concatenated string onto the kill ring, | |
1092 instead of replacing the original first entry with it. | |
1093 @end defun | |
1094 | |
1095 @defvar interprogram-paste-function | |
1096 This variable provides a way of transferring killed text from other | |
1097 programs, when you are using a window system. Its value should be | |
1098 @code{nil} or a function of no arguments. | |
1099 | |
1100 If the value is a function, @code{current-kill} calls it to get the | |
1101 ``most recent kill.'' If the function returns a non-@code{nil} value, | |
1102 then that value is used as the ``most recent kill.'' If it returns | |
1103 @code{nil}, then the front of the kill ring is used. | |
1104 | |
1105 The normal use of this hook is to get the window system's primary | |
1106 selection as the most recent kill, even if the selection belongs to | |
1107 another application. @xref{Window System Selections}. | |
1108 @end defvar | |
1109 | |
1110 @defvar interprogram-cut-function | |
1111 This variable provides a way of communicating killed text to other | |
1112 programs, when you are using a window system. Its value should be | |
1113 @code{nil} or a function of one required and one optional argument. | |
1114 | |
1115 If the value is a function, @code{kill-new} and @code{kill-append} call | |
1116 it with the new first element of the kill ring as the first argument. | |
1117 The second, optional, argument has the same meaning as the @var{push} | |
1118 argument to @code{x-set-cut-buffer} (@pxref{Definition of | |
1119 x-set-cut-buffer}) and only affects the second and later cut buffers. | |
1120 | |
1121 The normal use of this hook is to set the window system's primary | |
1122 selection (and first cut buffer) from the newly killed text. | |
1123 @xref{Window System Selections}. | |
1124 @end defvar | |
1125 | |
1126 @node Internals of Kill Ring | |
1127 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
1128 @subsection Internals of the Kill Ring | |
1129 | |
1130 The variable @code{kill-ring} holds the kill ring contents, in the | |
1131 form of a list of strings. The most recent kill is always at the front | |
1132 of the list. | |
1133 | |
1134 The @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} variable points to a link in the | |
1135 kill ring list, whose @sc{car} is the text to yank next. We say it | |
1136 identifies the ``front'' of the ring. Moving | |
1137 @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} to a different link is called | |
1138 @dfn{rotating the kill ring}. We call the kill ring a ``ring'' because | |
1139 the functions that move the yank pointer wrap around from the end of the | |
1140 list to the beginning, or vice-versa. Rotation of the kill ring is | |
1141 virtual; it does not change the value of @code{kill-ring}. | |
1142 | |
1143 Both @code{kill-ring} and @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} are Lisp | |
1144 variables whose values are normally lists. The word ``pointer'' in the | |
1145 name of the @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} indicates that the variable's | |
1146 purpose is to identify one element of the list for use by the next yank | |
1147 command. | |
1148 | |
1149 The value of @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} is always @code{eq} to one | |
1150 of the links in the kill ring list. The element it identifies is the | |
1151 @sc{car} of that link. Kill commands, which change the kill ring, also | |
1152 set this variable to the value of @code{kill-ring}. The effect is to | |
1153 rotate the ring so that the newly killed text is at the front. | |
1154 | |
1155 Here is a diagram that shows the variable @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} | |
1156 pointing to the second entry in the kill ring @code{("some text" "a | |
1157 different piece of text" "yet older text")}. | |
1158 | |
1159 @example | |
1160 @group | |
1161 kill-ring ---- kill-ring-yank-pointer | |
1162 | | | |
1163 | v | |
1164 | --- --- --- --- --- --- | |
1165 --> | | |------> | | |--> | | |--> nil | |
1166 --- --- --- --- --- --- | |
1167 | | | | |
1168 | | | | |
1169 | | -->"yet older text" | |
1170 | | | |
1171 | --> "a different piece of text" | |
1172 | | |
1173 --> "some text" | |
1174 @end group | |
1175 @end example | |
1176 | |
1177 @noindent | |
1178 This state of affairs might occur after @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) | |
1179 immediately followed by @kbd{M-y} (@code{yank-pop}). | |
1180 | |
1181 @defvar kill-ring | |
1182 This variable holds the list of killed text sequences, most recently | |
1183 killed first. | |
1184 @end defvar | |
1185 | |
1186 @defvar kill-ring-yank-pointer | |
1187 This variable's value indicates which element of the kill ring is at the | |
1188 ``front'' of the ring for yanking. More precisely, the value is a tail | |
1189 of the value of @code{kill-ring}, and its @sc{car} is the kill string | |
1190 that @kbd{C-y} should yank. | |
1191 @end defvar | |
1192 | |
1193 @defopt kill-ring-max | |
1194 The value of this variable is the maximum length to which the kill | |
1195 ring can grow, before elements are thrown away at the end. The default | |
1196 value for @code{kill-ring-max} is 60. | |
1197 @end defopt | |
1198 | |
1199 @node Undo | |
1200 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
1201 @section Undo | |
1202 @cindex redo | |
1203 | |
1204 Most buffers have an @dfn{undo list}, which records all changes made | |
1205 to the buffer's text so that they can be undone. (The buffers that | |
1206 don't have one are usually special-purpose buffers for which Emacs | |
1207 assumes that undoing is not useful. In particular, any buffer whose | |
1208 name begins with a space has its undo recording off by default; | |
1209 see @ref{Buffer Names}.) All the primitives that modify the | |
1210 text in the buffer automatically add elements to the front of the undo | |
1211 list, which is in the variable @code{buffer-undo-list}. | |
1212 | |
1213 @defvar buffer-undo-list | |
1214 This buffer-local variable's value is the undo list of the current | |
1215 buffer. A value of @code{t} disables the recording of undo information. | |
1216 @end defvar | |
1217 | |
1218 Here are the kinds of elements an undo list can have: | |
1219 | |
1220 @table @code | |
1221 @item @var{position} | |
1222 This kind of element records a previous value of point; undoing this | |
1223 element moves point to @var{position}. Ordinary cursor motion does not | |
1224 make any sort of undo record, but deletion operations use these entries | |
1225 to record where point was before the command. | |
1226 | |
1227 @item (@var{beg} . @var{end}) | |
1228 This kind of element indicates how to delete text that was inserted. | |
1229 Upon insertion, the text occupied the range @var{beg}--@var{end} in the | |
1230 buffer. | |
1231 | |
1232 @item (@var{text} . @var{position}) | |
1233 This kind of element indicates how to reinsert text that was deleted. | |
1234 The deleted text itself is the string @var{text}. The place to | |
1235 reinsert it is @code{(abs @var{position})}. If @var{position} is | |
1236 positive, point was at the beginning of the deleted text, otherwise it | |
1237 was at the end. | |
1238 | |
1239 @item (t @var{high} . @var{low}) | |
1240 This kind of element indicates that an unmodified buffer became | |
1241 modified. The elements @var{high} and @var{low} are two integers, each | |
1242 recording 16 bits of the visited file's modification time as of when it | |
1243 was previously visited or saved. @code{primitive-undo} uses those | |
1244 values to determine whether to mark the buffer as unmodified once again; | |
1245 it does so only if the file's modification time matches those numbers. | |
1246 | |
1247 @item (nil @var{property} @var{value} @var{beg} . @var{end}) | |
1248 This kind of element records a change in a text property. | |
1249 Here's how you might undo the change: | |
1250 | |
1251 @example | |
1252 (put-text-property @var{beg} @var{end} @var{property} @var{value}) | |
1253 @end example | |
1254 | |
1255 @item (@var{marker} . @var{adjustment}) | |
1256 This kind of element records the fact that the marker @var{marker} was | |
1257 relocated due to deletion of surrounding text, and that it moved | |
1258 @var{adjustment} character positions. Undoing this element moves | |
1259 @var{marker} @minus{} @var{adjustment} characters. | |
1260 | |
1261 @item (apply @var{funname} . @var{args}) | |
1262 This is an extensible undo item, which is undone by calling | |
1263 @var{funname} with arguments @var{args}. | |
1264 | |
1265 @item (apply @var{delta} @var{beg} @var{end} @var{funname} . @var{args}) | |
1266 This is an extensible undo item, which records a change limited to the | |
1267 range @var{beg} to @var{end}, which increased the size of the buffer | |
1268 by @var{delta}. It is undone by calling @var{funname} with arguments | |
1269 @var{args}. | |
1270 | |
1271 This kind of element enables undo limited to a region to determine | |
1272 whether the element pertains to that region. | |
1273 | |
1274 @item nil | |
1275 This element is a boundary. The elements between two boundaries are | |
1276 called a @dfn{change group}; normally, each change group corresponds to | |
1277 one keyboard command, and undo commands normally undo an entire group as | |
1278 a unit. | |
1279 @end table | |
1280 | |
1281 @defun undo-boundary | |
1282 This function places a boundary element in the undo list. The undo | |
1283 command stops at such a boundary, and successive undo commands undo | |
1284 to earlier and earlier boundaries. This function returns @code{nil}. | |
1285 | |
1286 The editor command loop automatically creates an undo boundary before | |
1287 each key sequence is executed. Thus, each undo normally undoes the | |
1288 effects of one command. Self-inserting input characters are an | |
1289 exception. The command loop makes a boundary for the first such | |
1290 character; the next 19 consecutive self-inserting input characters do | |
1291 not make boundaries, and then the 20th does, and so on as long as | |
1292 self-inserting characters continue. | |
1293 | |
1294 All buffer modifications add a boundary whenever the previous undoable | |
1295 change was made in some other buffer. This is to ensure that | |
1296 each command makes a boundary in each buffer where it makes changes. | |
1297 | |
1298 Calling this function explicitly is useful for splitting the effects of | |
1299 a command into more than one unit. For example, @code{query-replace} | |
1300 calls @code{undo-boundary} after each replacement, so that the user can | |
1301 undo individual replacements one by one. | |
1302 @end defun | |
1303 | |
1304 @defvar undo-in-progress | |
1305 This variable is normally @code{nil}, but the undo commands bind it to | |
1306 @code{t}. This is so that various kinds of change hooks can tell when | |
1307 they're being called for the sake of undoing. | |
1308 @end defvar | |
1309 | |
1310 @defun primitive-undo count list | |
1311 This is the basic function for undoing elements of an undo list. | |
1312 It undoes the first @var{count} elements of @var{list}, returning | |
1313 the rest of @var{list}. | |
1314 | |
1315 @code{primitive-undo} adds elements to the buffer's undo list when it | |
1316 changes the buffer. Undo commands avoid confusion by saving the undo | |
1317 list value at the beginning of a sequence of undo operations. Then the | |
1318 undo operations use and update the saved value. The new elements added | |
1319 by undoing are not part of this saved value, so they don't interfere with | |
1320 continuing to undo. | |
1321 | |
1322 This function does not bind @code{undo-in-progress}. | |
1323 @end defun | |
1324 | |
1325 @node Maintaining Undo | |
1326 @section Maintaining Undo Lists | |
1327 | |
1328 This section describes how to enable and disable undo information for | |
1329 a given buffer. It also explains how the undo list is truncated | |
1330 automatically so it doesn't get too big. | |
1331 | |
1332 Recording of undo information in a newly created buffer is normally | |
1333 enabled to start with; but if the buffer name starts with a space, the | |
1334 undo recording is initially disabled. You can explicitly enable or | |
1335 disable undo recording with the following two functions, or by setting | |
1336 @code{buffer-undo-list} yourself. | |
1337 | |
1338 @deffn Command buffer-enable-undo &optional buffer-or-name | |
1339 This command enables recording undo information for buffer | |
1340 @var{buffer-or-name}, so that subsequent changes can be undone. If no | |
1341 argument is supplied, then the current buffer is used. This function | |
1342 does nothing if undo recording is already enabled in the buffer. It | |
1343 returns @code{nil}. | |
1344 | |
1345 In an interactive call, @var{buffer-or-name} is the current buffer. | |
1346 You cannot specify any other buffer. | |
1347 @end deffn | |
1348 | |
1349 @deffn Command buffer-disable-undo &optional buffer-or-name | |
1350 @cindex disabling undo | |
1351 This function discards the undo list of @var{buffer-or-name}, and disables | |
1352 further recording of undo information. As a result, it is no longer | |
1353 possible to undo either previous changes or any subsequent changes. If | |
1354 the undo list of @var{buffer-or-name} is already disabled, this function | |
1355 has no effect. | |
1356 | |
1357 This function returns @code{nil}. | |
1358 @end deffn | |
1359 | |
1360 As editing continues, undo lists get longer and longer. To prevent | |
1361 them from using up all available memory space, garbage collection trims | |
1362 them back to size limits you can set. (For this purpose, the ``size'' | |
1363 of an undo list measures the cons cells that make up the list, plus the | |
1364 strings of deleted text.) Three variables control the range of acceptable | |
1365 sizes: @code{undo-limit}, @code{undo-strong-limit} and | |
1366 @code{undo-outer-limit}. In these variables, size is counted as the | |
1367 number of bytes occupied, which includes both saved text and other | |
1368 data. | |
1369 | |
1370 @defopt undo-limit | |
1371 This is the soft limit for the acceptable size of an undo list. The | |
1372 change group at which this size is exceeded is the last one kept. | |
1373 @end defopt | |
1374 | |
1375 @defopt undo-strong-limit | |
1376 This is the upper limit for the acceptable size of an undo list. The | |
1377 change group at which this size is exceeded is discarded itself (along | |
1378 with all older change groups). There is one exception: the very latest | |
1379 change group is only discarded if it exceeds @code{undo-outer-limit}. | |
1380 @end defopt | |
1381 | |
1382 @defopt undo-outer-limit | |
1383 If at garbage collection time the undo info for the current command | |
1384 exceeds this limit, Emacs discards the info and displays a warning. | |
1385 This is a last ditch limit to prevent memory overflow. | |
1386 @end defopt | |
1387 | |
1388 @defopt undo-ask-before-discard | |
1389 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, when the undo info exceeds | |
1390 @code{undo-outer-limit}, Emacs asks in the echo area whether to | |
1391 discard the info. The default value is @code{nil}, which means to | |
1392 discard it automatically. | |
1393 | |
1394 This option is mainly intended for debugging. Garbage collection is | |
1395 inhibited while the question is asked, which means that Emacs might | |
1396 leak memory if the user waits too long before answering the question. | |
1397 @end defopt | |
1398 | |
1399 @node Filling | |
1400 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
1401 @section Filling | |
1402 @cindex filling text | |
1403 | |
1404 @dfn{Filling} means adjusting the lengths of lines (by moving the line | |
1405 breaks) so that they are nearly (but no greater than) a specified | |
1406 maximum width. Additionally, lines can be @dfn{justified}, which means | |
1407 inserting spaces to make the left and/or right margins line up | |
1408 precisely. The width is controlled by the variable @code{fill-column}. | |
1409 For ease of reading, lines should be no longer than 70 or so columns. | |
1410 | |
1411 You can use Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Auto Filling}) to fill text | |
1412 automatically as you insert it, but changes to existing text may leave | |
1413 it improperly filled. Then you must fill the text explicitly. | |
1414 | |
1415 Most of the commands in this section return values that are not | |
1416 meaningful. All the functions that do filling take note of the current | |
1417 left margin, current right margin, and current justification style | |
1418 (@pxref{Margins}). If the current justification style is | |
1419 @code{none}, the filling functions don't actually do anything. | |
1420 | |
1421 Several of the filling functions have an argument @var{justify}. | |
1422 If it is non-@code{nil}, that requests some kind of justification. It | |
1423 can be @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, or @code{center}, to | |
1424 request a specific style of justification. If it is @code{t}, that | |
1425 means to use the current justification style for this part of the text | |
1426 (see @code{current-justification}, below). Any other value is treated | |
1427 as @code{full}. | |
1428 | |
1429 When you call the filling functions interactively, using a prefix | |
1430 argument implies the value @code{full} for @var{justify}. | |
1431 | |
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1432 @deffn Command fill-paragraph &optional justify region |
84103 | 1433 This command fills the paragraph at or after point. If |
1434 @var{justify} is non-@code{nil}, each line is justified as well. | |
1435 It uses the ordinary paragraph motion commands to find paragraph | |
1436 boundaries. @xref{Paragraphs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
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1437 Interactively, when @var{region} is non-@code{nil} in Transient Mark |
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1438 mode and the mark is active, this command calls @code{fill-region} |
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1439 on the active region. |
84103 | 1440 @end deffn |
1441 | |
1442 @deffn Command fill-region start end &optional justify nosqueeze to-eop | |
1443 This command fills each of the paragraphs in the region from @var{start} | |
1444 to @var{end}. It justifies as well if @var{justify} is | |
1445 non-@code{nil}. | |
1446 | |
1447 If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means to leave whitespace | |
1448 other than line breaks untouched. If @var{to-eop} is non-@code{nil}, | |
1449 that means to keep filling to the end of the paragraph---or the next hard | |
1450 newline, if @code{use-hard-newlines} is enabled (see below). | |
1451 | |
1452 The variable @code{paragraph-separate} controls how to distinguish | |
1453 paragraphs. @xref{Standard Regexps}. | |
1454 @end deffn | |
1455 | |
1456 @deffn Command fill-individual-paragraphs start end &optional justify citation-regexp | |
1457 This command fills each paragraph in the region according to its | |
1458 individual fill prefix. Thus, if the lines of a paragraph were indented | |
1459 with spaces, the filled paragraph will remain indented in the same | |
1460 fashion. | |
1461 | |
1462 The first two arguments, @var{start} and @var{end}, are the beginning | |
1463 and end of the region to be filled. The third and fourth arguments, | |
1464 @var{justify} and @var{citation-regexp}, are optional. If | |
1465 @var{justify} is non-@code{nil}, the paragraphs are justified as | |
1466 well as filled. If @var{citation-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, it means the | |
1467 function is operating on a mail message and therefore should not fill | |
1468 the header lines. If @var{citation-regexp} is a string, it is used as | |
1469 a regular expression; if it matches the beginning of a line, that line | |
1470 is treated as a citation marker. | |
1471 | |
1472 Ordinarily, @code{fill-individual-paragraphs} regards each change in | |
1473 indentation as starting a new paragraph. If | |
1474 @code{fill-individual-varying-indent} is non-@code{nil}, then only | |
1475 separator lines separate paragraphs. That mode can handle indented | |
1476 paragraphs with additional indentation on the first line. | |
1477 @end deffn | |
1478 | |
1479 @defopt fill-individual-varying-indent | |
1480 This variable alters the action of @code{fill-individual-paragraphs} as | |
1481 described above. | |
1482 @end defopt | |
1483 | |
1484 @deffn Command fill-region-as-paragraph start end &optional justify nosqueeze squeeze-after | |
1485 This command considers a region of text as a single paragraph and fills | |
1486 it. If the region was made up of many paragraphs, the blank lines | |
1487 between paragraphs are removed. This function justifies as well as | |
1488 filling when @var{justify} is non-@code{nil}. | |
1489 | |
1490 If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means to leave whitespace | |
1491 other than line breaks untouched. If @var{squeeze-after} is | |
1492 non-@code{nil}, it specifies a position in the region, and means don't | |
1493 canonicalize spaces before that position. | |
1494 | |
1495 In Adaptive Fill mode, this command calls @code{fill-context-prefix} to | |
1496 choose a fill prefix by default. @xref{Adaptive Fill}. | |
1497 @end deffn | |
1498 | |
1499 @deffn Command justify-current-line &optional how eop nosqueeze | |
1500 This command inserts spaces between the words of the current line so | |
1501 that the line ends exactly at @code{fill-column}. It returns | |
1502 @code{nil}. | |
1503 | |
1504 The argument @var{how}, if non-@code{nil} specifies explicitly the style | |
1505 of justification. It can be @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, | |
1506 @code{center}, or @code{none}. If it is @code{t}, that means to do | |
1507 follow specified justification style (see @code{current-justification}, | |
1508 below). @code{nil} means to do full justification. | |
1509 | |
1510 If @var{eop} is non-@code{nil}, that means do only left-justification | |
1511 if @code{current-justification} specifies full justification. This is | |
1512 used for the last line of a paragraph; even if the paragraph as a | |
1513 whole is fully justified, the last line should not be. | |
1514 | |
1515 If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means do not change interior | |
1516 whitespace. | |
1517 @end deffn | |
1518 | |
1519 @defopt default-justification | |
1520 This variable's value specifies the style of justification to use for | |
1521 text that doesn't specify a style with a text property. The possible | |
1522 values are @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, @code{center}, or | |
1523 @code{none}. The default value is @code{left}. | |
1524 @end defopt | |
1525 | |
1526 @defun current-justification | |
1527 This function returns the proper justification style to use for filling | |
1528 the text around point. | |
1529 | |
1530 This returns the value of the @code{justification} text property at | |
1531 point, or the variable @var{default-justification} if there is no such | |
1532 text property. However, it returns @code{nil} rather than @code{none} | |
1533 to mean ``don't justify''. | |
1534 @end defun | |
1535 | |
1536 @defopt sentence-end-double-space | |
1537 @anchor{Definition of sentence-end-double-space} | |
1538 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, a period followed by just one space | |
1539 does not count as the end of a sentence, and the filling functions | |
1540 avoid breaking the line at such a place. | |
1541 @end defopt | |
1542 | |
1543 @defopt sentence-end-without-period | |
1544 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, a sentence can end without a | |
1545 period. This is used for languages like Thai, where sentences end | |
1546 with a double space but without a period. | |
1547 @end defopt | |
1548 | |
1549 @defopt sentence-end-without-space | |
1550 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a string of | |
1551 characters that can end a sentence without following spaces. | |
1552 @end defopt | |
1553 | |
1554 @defvar fill-paragraph-function | |
1555 This variable provides a way for major modes to override the filling of | |
1556 paragraphs. If the value is non-@code{nil}, @code{fill-paragraph} calls | |
1557 this function to do the work. If the function returns a non-@code{nil} | |
1558 value, @code{fill-paragraph} assumes the job is done, and immediately | |
1559 returns that value. | |
1560 | |
1561 The usual use of this feature is to fill comments in programming | |
1562 language modes. If the function needs to fill a paragraph in the usual | |
1563 way, it can do so as follows: | |
1564 | |
1565 @example | |
1566 (let ((fill-paragraph-function nil)) | |
1567 (fill-paragraph arg)) | |
1568 @end example | |
1569 @end defvar | |
1570 | |
1571 @defvar use-hard-newlines | |
1572 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, the filling functions do not delete | |
1573 newlines that have the @code{hard} text property. These ``hard | |
1574 newlines'' act as paragraph separators. | |
1575 @end defvar | |
1576 | |
1577 @node Margins | |
1578 @section Margins for Filling | |
1579 | |
1580 @defopt fill-prefix | |
1581 This buffer-local variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies a string of | |
1582 text that appears at the beginning of normal text lines and should be | |
1583 disregarded when filling them. Any line that fails to start with the | |
1584 fill prefix is considered the start of a paragraph; so is any line | |
1585 that starts with the fill prefix followed by additional whitespace. | |
1586 Lines that start with the fill prefix but no additional whitespace are | |
1587 ordinary text lines that can be filled together. The resulting filled | |
1588 lines also start with the fill prefix. | |
1589 | |
1590 The fill prefix follows the left margin whitespace, if any. | |
1591 @end defopt | |
1592 | |
1593 @defopt fill-column | |
1594 This buffer-local variable specifies the maximum width of filled lines. | |
1595 Its value should be an integer, which is a number of columns. All the | |
1596 filling, justification, and centering commands are affected by this | |
1597 variable, including Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Auto Filling}). | |
1598 | |
1599 As a practical matter, if you are writing text for other people to | |
1600 read, you should set @code{fill-column} to no more than 70. Otherwise | |
1601 the line will be too long for people to read comfortably, and this can | |
1602 make the text seem clumsy. | |
1603 @end defopt | |
1604 | |
1605 @defvar default-fill-column | |
1606 The value of this variable is the default value for @code{fill-column} in | |
1607 buffers that do not override it. This is the same as | |
1608 @code{(default-value 'fill-column)}. | |
1609 | |
1610 The default value for @code{default-fill-column} is 70. | |
1611 @end defvar | |
1612 | |
1613 @deffn Command set-left-margin from to margin | |
1614 This sets the @code{left-margin} property on the text from @var{from} to | |
1615 @var{to} to the value @var{margin}. If Auto Fill mode is enabled, this | |
1616 command also refills the region to fit the new margin. | |
1617 @end deffn | |
1618 | |
1619 @deffn Command set-right-margin from to margin | |
1620 This sets the @code{right-margin} property on the text from @var{from} | |
1621 to @var{to} to the value @var{margin}. If Auto Fill mode is enabled, | |
1622 this command also refills the region to fit the new margin. | |
1623 @end deffn | |
1624 | |
1625 @defun current-left-margin | |
1626 This function returns the proper left margin value to use for filling | |
1627 the text around point. The value is the sum of the @code{left-margin} | |
1628 property of the character at the start of the current line (or zero if | |
1629 none), and the value of the variable @code{left-margin}. | |
1630 @end defun | |
1631 | |
1632 @defun current-fill-column | |
1633 This function returns the proper fill column value to use for filling | |
1634 the text around point. The value is the value of the @code{fill-column} | |
1635 variable, minus the value of the @code{right-margin} property of the | |
1636 character after point. | |
1637 @end defun | |
1638 | |
1639 @deffn Command move-to-left-margin &optional n force | |
1640 This function moves point to the left margin of the current line. The | |
1641 column moved to is determined by calling the function | |
1642 @code{current-left-margin}. If the argument @var{n} is non-@code{nil}, | |
1643 @code{move-to-left-margin} moves forward @var{n}@minus{}1 lines first. | |
1644 | |
1645 If @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, that says to fix the line's | |
1646 indentation if that doesn't match the left margin value. | |
1647 @end deffn | |
1648 | |
1649 @defun delete-to-left-margin &optional from to | |
1650 This function removes left margin indentation from the text between | |
1651 @var{from} and @var{to}. The amount of indentation to delete is | |
1652 determined by calling @code{current-left-margin}. In no case does this | |
1653 function delete non-whitespace. If @var{from} and @var{to} are omitted, | |
1654 they default to the whole buffer. | |
1655 @end defun | |
1656 | |
1657 @defun indent-to-left-margin | |
1658 This function adjusts the indentation at the beginning of the current | |
1659 line to the value specified by the variable @code{left-margin}. (That | |
1660 may involve either inserting or deleting whitespace.) This function | |
1661 is value of @code{indent-line-function} in Paragraph-Indent Text mode. | |
1662 @end defun | |
1663 | |
1664 @defvar left-margin | |
1665 This variable specifies the base left margin column. In Fundamental | |
1666 mode, @kbd{C-j} indents to this column. This variable automatically | |
1667 becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion. | |
1668 @end defvar | |
1669 | |
1670 @defvar fill-nobreak-predicate | |
1671 This variable gives major modes a way to specify not to break a line | |
1672 at certain places. Its value should be a list of functions. Whenever | |
1673 filling considers breaking the line at a certain place in the buffer, | |
1674 it calls each of these functions with no arguments and with point | |
1675 located at that place. If any of the functions returns | |
1676 non-@code{nil}, then the line won't be broken there. | |
1677 @end defvar | |
1678 | |
1679 @node Adaptive Fill | |
1680 @section Adaptive Fill Mode | |
1681 @c @cindex Adaptive Fill mode "adaptive-fill-mode" is adjacent. | |
1682 | |
1683 When @dfn{Adaptive Fill Mode} is enabled, Emacs determines the fill | |
1684 prefix automatically from the text in each paragraph being filled | |
1685 rather than using a predetermined value. During filling, this fill | |
1686 prefix gets inserted at the start of the second and subsequent lines | |
1687 of the paragraph as described in @ref{Filling}, and in @ref{Auto | |
1688 Filling}. | |
1689 | |
1690 @defopt adaptive-fill-mode | |
1691 Adaptive Fill mode is enabled when this variable is non-@code{nil}. | |
1692 It is @code{t} by default. | |
1693 @end defopt | |
1694 | |
1695 @defun fill-context-prefix from to | |
1696 This function implements the heart of Adaptive Fill mode; it chooses a | |
1697 fill prefix based on the text between @var{from} and @var{to}, | |
1698 typically the start and end of a paragraph. It does this by looking | |
1699 at the first two lines of the paragraph, based on the variables | |
1700 described below. | |
1701 @c The optional argument first-line-regexp is not documented | |
1702 @c because it exists for internal purposes and might be eliminated | |
1703 @c in the future. | |
1704 | |
1705 Usually, this function returns the fill prefix, a string. However, | |
1706 before doing this, the function makes a final check (not specially | |
1707 mentioned in the following) that a line starting with this prefix | |
1708 wouldn't look like the start of a paragraph. Should this happen, the | |
1709 function signals the anomaly by returning @code{nil} instead. | |
1710 | |
1711 In detail, @code{fill-context-prefix} does this: | |
1712 | |
1713 @enumerate | |
1714 @item | |
1715 It takes a candidate for the fill prefix from the first line---it | |
1716 tries first the function in @code{adaptive-fill-function} (if any), | |
1717 then the regular expression @code{adaptive-fill-regexp} (see below). | |
1718 The first non-@code{nil} result of these, or the empty string if | |
1719 they're both @code{nil}, becomes the first line's candidate. | |
1720 @item | |
1721 If the paragraph has as yet only one line, the function tests the | |
1722 validity of the prefix candidate just found. The function then | |
1723 returns the candidate if it's valid, or a string of spaces otherwise. | |
1724 (see the description of @code{adaptive-fill-first-line-regexp} below). | |
1725 @item | |
1726 When the paragraph already has two lines, the function next looks for | |
1727 a prefix candidate on the second line, in just the same way it did for | |
1728 the first line. If it doesn't find one, it returns @code{nil}. | |
1729 @item | |
1730 The function now compares the two candidate prefixes heuristically: if | |
1731 the non-whitespace characters in the line 2 candidate occur in the | |
1732 same order in the line 1 candidate, the function returns the line 2 | |
1733 candidate. Otherwise, it returns the largest initial substring which | |
1734 is common to both candidates (which might be the empty string). | |
1735 @end enumerate | |
1736 @end defun | |
1737 | |
1738 @defopt adaptive-fill-regexp | |
1739 Adaptive Fill mode matches this regular expression against the text | |
1740 starting after the left margin whitespace (if any) on a line; the | |
1741 characters it matches are that line's candidate for the fill prefix. | |
1742 | |
1743 The default value matches whitespace with certain punctuation | |
1744 characters intermingled. | |
1745 @end defopt | |
1746 | |
1747 @defopt adaptive-fill-first-line-regexp | |
1748 Used only in one-line paragraphs, this regular expression acts as an | |
1749 additional check of the validity of the one available candidate fill | |
1750 prefix: the candidate must match this regular expression, or match | |
1751 @code{comment-start-skip}. If it doesn't, @code{fill-context-prefix} | |
1752 replaces the candidate with a string of spaces ``of the same width'' | |
1753 as it. | |
1754 | |
1755 The default value of this variable is @w{@code{"\\`[ \t]*\\'"}}, which | |
1756 matches only a string of whitespace. The effect of this default is to | |
1757 force the fill prefixes found in one-line paragraphs always to be pure | |
1758 whitespace. | |
1759 @end defopt | |
1760 | |
1761 @defopt adaptive-fill-function | |
1762 You can specify more complex ways of choosing a fill prefix | |
1763 automatically by setting this variable to a function. The function is | |
1764 called with point after the left margin (if any) of a line, and it | |
1765 must preserve point. It should return either ``that line's'' fill | |
1766 prefix or @code{nil}, meaning it has failed to determine a prefix. | |
1767 @end defopt | |
1768 | |
1769 @node Auto Filling | |
1770 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
1771 @section Auto Filling | |
1772 @cindex filling, automatic | |
1773 @cindex Auto Fill mode | |
1774 | |
1775 Auto Fill mode is a minor mode that fills lines automatically as text | |
1776 is inserted. This section describes the hook used by Auto Fill mode. | |
1777 For a description of functions that you can call explicitly to fill and | |
1778 justify existing text, see @ref{Filling}. | |
1779 | |
1780 Auto Fill mode also enables the functions that change the margins and | |
1781 justification style to refill portions of the text. @xref{Margins}. | |
1782 | |
1783 @defvar auto-fill-function | |
1784 The value of this buffer-local variable should be a function (of no | |
1785 arguments) to be called after self-inserting a character from the table | |
1786 @code{auto-fill-chars}. It may be @code{nil}, in which case nothing | |
1787 special is done in that case. | |
1788 | |
1789 The value of @code{auto-fill-function} is @code{do-auto-fill} when | |
1790 Auto-Fill mode is enabled. That is a function whose sole purpose is to | |
1791 implement the usual strategy for breaking a line. | |
1792 | |
1793 @quotation | |
1794 In older Emacs versions, this variable was named @code{auto-fill-hook}, | |
1795 but since it is not called with the standard convention for hooks, it | |
1796 was renamed to @code{auto-fill-function} in version 19. | |
1797 @end quotation | |
1798 @end defvar | |
1799 | |
1800 @defvar normal-auto-fill-function | |
1801 This variable specifies the function to use for | |
1802 @code{auto-fill-function}, if and when Auto Fill is turned on. Major | |
1803 modes can set buffer-local values for this variable to alter how Auto | |
1804 Fill works. | |
1805 @end defvar | |
1806 | |
1807 @defvar auto-fill-chars | |
1808 A char table of characters which invoke @code{auto-fill-function} when | |
1809 self-inserted---space and newline in most language environments. They | |
1810 have an entry @code{t} in the table. | |
1811 @end defvar | |
1812 | |
1813 @node Sorting | |
1814 @section Sorting Text | |
1815 @cindex sorting text | |
1816 | |
1817 The sorting functions described in this section all rearrange text in | |
1818 a buffer. This is in contrast to the function @code{sort}, which | |
1819 rearranges the order of the elements of a list (@pxref{Rearrangement}). | |
1820 The values returned by these functions are not meaningful. | |
1821 | |
1822 @defun sort-subr reverse nextrecfun endrecfun &optional startkeyfun endkeyfun predicate | |
1823 This function is the general text-sorting routine that subdivides a | |
1824 buffer into records and then sorts them. Most of the commands in this | |
1825 section use this function. | |
1826 | |
1827 To understand how @code{sort-subr} works, consider the whole accessible | |
1828 portion of the buffer as being divided into disjoint pieces called | |
1829 @dfn{sort records}. The records may or may not be contiguous, but they | |
1830 must not overlap. A portion of each sort record (perhaps all of it) is | |
1831 designated as the sort key. Sorting rearranges the records in order by | |
1832 their sort keys. | |
1833 | |
1834 Usually, the records are rearranged in order of ascending sort key. | |
1835 If the first argument to the @code{sort-subr} function, @var{reverse}, | |
1836 is non-@code{nil}, the sort records are rearranged in order of | |
1837 descending sort key. | |
1838 | |
1839 The next four arguments to @code{sort-subr} are functions that are | |
1840 called to move point across a sort record. They are called many times | |
1841 from within @code{sort-subr}. | |
1842 | |
1843 @enumerate | |
1844 @item | |
1845 @var{nextrecfun} is called with point at the end of a record. This | |
1846 function moves point to the start of the next record. The first record | |
1847 is assumed to start at the position of point when @code{sort-subr} is | |
1848 called. Therefore, you should usually move point to the beginning of | |
1849 the buffer before calling @code{sort-subr}. | |
1850 | |
1851 This function can indicate there are no more sort records by leaving | |
1852 point at the end of the buffer. | |
1853 | |
1854 @item | |
1855 @var{endrecfun} is called with point within a record. It moves point to | |
1856 the end of the record. | |
1857 | |
1858 @item | |
1859 @var{startkeyfun} is called to move point from the start of a record to | |
1860 the start of the sort key. This argument is optional; if it is omitted, | |
1861 the whole record is the sort key. If supplied, the function should | |
1862 either return a non-@code{nil} value to be used as the sort key, or | |
1863 return @code{nil} to indicate that the sort key is in the buffer | |
1864 starting at point. In the latter case, @var{endkeyfun} is called to | |
1865 find the end of the sort key. | |
1866 | |
1867 @item | |
1868 @var{endkeyfun} is called to move point from the start of the sort key | |
1869 to the end of the sort key. This argument is optional. If | |
1870 @var{startkeyfun} returns @code{nil} and this argument is omitted (or | |
1871 @code{nil}), then the sort key extends to the end of the record. There | |
1872 is no need for @var{endkeyfun} if @var{startkeyfun} returns a | |
1873 non-@code{nil} value. | |
1874 @end enumerate | |
1875 | |
1876 The argument @var{predicate} is the function to use to compare keys. | |
1877 If keys are numbers, it defaults to @code{<}; otherwise it defaults to | |
1878 @code{string<}. | |
1879 | |
1880 As an example of @code{sort-subr}, here is the complete function | |
1881 definition for @code{sort-lines}: | |
1882 | |
1883 @example | |
1884 @group | |
1885 ;; @r{Note that the first two lines of doc string} | |
1886 ;; @r{are effectively one line when viewed by a user.} | |
1887 (defun sort-lines (reverse beg end) | |
1888 "Sort lines in region alphabetically;\ | |
1889 argument means descending order. | |
1890 Called from a program, there are three arguments: | |
1891 @end group | |
1892 @group | |
1893 REVERSE (non-nil means reverse order),\ | |
1894 BEG and END (region to sort). | |
1895 The variable `sort-fold-case' determines\ | |
1896 whether alphabetic case affects | |
1897 the sort order." | |
1898 @end group | |
1899 @group | |
1900 (interactive "P\nr") | |
1901 (save-excursion | |
1902 (save-restriction | |
1903 (narrow-to-region beg end) | |
1904 (goto-char (point-min)) | |
1905 (let ((inhibit-field-text-motion t)) | |
1906 (sort-subr reverse 'forward-line 'end-of-line))))) | |
1907 @end group | |
1908 @end example | |
1909 | |
1910 Here @code{forward-line} moves point to the start of the next record, | |
1911 and @code{end-of-line} moves point to the end of record. We do not pass | |
1912 the arguments @var{startkeyfun} and @var{endkeyfun}, because the entire | |
1913 record is used as the sort key. | |
1914 | |
1915 The @code{sort-paragraphs} function is very much the same, except that | |
1916 its @code{sort-subr} call looks like this: | |
1917 | |
1918 @example | |
1919 @group | |
1920 (sort-subr reverse | |
1921 (function | |
1922 (lambda () | |
1923 (while (and (not (eobp)) | |
1924 (looking-at paragraph-separate)) | |
1925 (forward-line 1)))) | |
1926 'forward-paragraph) | |
1927 @end group | |
1928 @end example | |
1929 | |
1930 Markers pointing into any sort records are left with no useful | |
1931 position after @code{sort-subr} returns. | |
1932 @end defun | |
1933 | |
1934 @defopt sort-fold-case | |
1935 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{sort-subr} and the other | |
1936 buffer sorting functions ignore case when comparing strings. | |
1937 @end defopt | |
1938 | |
1939 @deffn Command sort-regexp-fields reverse record-regexp key-regexp start end | |
1940 This command sorts the region between @var{start} and @var{end} | |
1941 alphabetically as specified by @var{record-regexp} and @var{key-regexp}. | |
1942 If @var{reverse} is a negative integer, then sorting is in reverse | |
1943 order. | |
1944 | |
1945 Alphabetical sorting means that two sort keys are compared by | |
1946 comparing the first characters of each, the second characters of each, | |
1947 and so on. If a mismatch is found, it means that the sort keys are | |
1948 unequal; the sort key whose character is less at the point of first | |
1949 mismatch is the lesser sort key. The individual characters are compared | |
1950 according to their numerical character codes in the Emacs character set. | |
1951 | |
1952 The value of the @var{record-regexp} argument specifies how to divide | |
1953 the buffer into sort records. At the end of each record, a search is | |
1954 done for this regular expression, and the text that matches it is taken | |
1955 as the next record. For example, the regular expression @samp{^.+$}, | |
1956 which matches lines with at least one character besides a newline, would | |
1957 make each such line into a sort record. @xref{Regular Expressions}, for | |
1958 a description of the syntax and meaning of regular expressions. | |
1959 | |
1960 The value of the @var{key-regexp} argument specifies what part of each | |
1961 record is the sort key. The @var{key-regexp} could match the whole | |
1962 record, or only a part. In the latter case, the rest of the record has | |
1963 no effect on the sorted order of records, but it is carried along when | |
1964 the record moves to its new position. | |
1965 | |
1966 The @var{key-regexp} argument can refer to the text matched by a | |
1967 subexpression of @var{record-regexp}, or it can be a regular expression | |
1968 on its own. | |
1969 | |
1970 If @var{key-regexp} is: | |
1971 | |
1972 @table @asis | |
1973 @item @samp{\@var{digit}} | |
1974 then the text matched by the @var{digit}th @samp{\(...\)} parenthesis | |
1975 grouping in @var{record-regexp} is the sort key. | |
1976 | |
1977 @item @samp{\&} | |
1978 then the whole record is the sort key. | |
1979 | |
1980 @item a regular expression | |
1981 then @code{sort-regexp-fields} searches for a match for the regular | |
1982 expression within the record. If such a match is found, it is the sort | |
1983 key. If there is no match for @var{key-regexp} within a record then | |
1984 that record is ignored, which means its position in the buffer is not | |
1985 changed. (The other records may move around it.) | |
1986 @end table | |
1987 | |
1988 For example, if you plan to sort all the lines in the region by the | |
1989 first word on each line starting with the letter @samp{f}, you should | |
1990 set @var{record-regexp} to @samp{^.*$} and set @var{key-regexp} to | |
1991 @samp{\<f\w*\>}. The resulting expression looks like this: | |
1992 | |
1993 @example | |
1994 @group | |
1995 (sort-regexp-fields nil "^.*$" "\\<f\\w*\\>" | |
1996 (region-beginning) | |
1997 (region-end)) | |
1998 @end group | |
1999 @end example | |
2000 | |
2001 If you call @code{sort-regexp-fields} interactively, it prompts for | |
2002 @var{record-regexp} and @var{key-regexp} in the minibuffer. | |
2003 @end deffn | |
2004 | |
2005 @deffn Command sort-lines reverse start end | |
2006 This command alphabetically sorts lines in the region between | |
2007 @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort | |
2008 is in reverse order. | |
2009 @end deffn | |
2010 | |
2011 @deffn Command sort-paragraphs reverse start end | |
2012 This command alphabetically sorts paragraphs in the region between | |
2013 @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort | |
2014 is in reverse order. | |
2015 @end deffn | |
2016 | |
2017 @deffn Command sort-pages reverse start end | |
2018 This command alphabetically sorts pages in the region between | |
2019 @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort | |
2020 is in reverse order. | |
2021 @end deffn | |
2022 | |
2023 @deffn Command sort-fields field start end | |
2024 This command sorts lines in the region between @var{start} and | |
2025 @var{end}, comparing them alphabetically by the @var{field}th field | |
2026 of each line. Fields are separated by whitespace and numbered starting | |
2027 from 1. If @var{field} is negative, sorting is by the | |
2028 @w{@minus{}@var{field}th} field from the end of the line. This command | |
2029 is useful for sorting tables. | |
2030 @end deffn | |
2031 | |
2032 @deffn Command sort-numeric-fields field start end | |
2033 This command sorts lines in the region between @var{start} and | |
2034 @var{end}, comparing them numerically by the @var{field}th field of | |
2035 each line. Fields are separated by whitespace and numbered starting | |
2036 from 1. The specified field must contain a number in each line of the | |
2037 region. Numbers starting with 0 are treated as octal, and numbers | |
2038 starting with @samp{0x} are treated as hexadecimal. | |
2039 | |
2040 If @var{field} is negative, sorting is by the | |
2041 @w{@minus{}@var{field}th} field from the end of the line. This | |
2042 command is useful for sorting tables. | |
2043 @end deffn | |
2044 | |
2045 @defopt sort-numeric-base | |
2046 This variable specifies the default radix for | |
2047 @code{sort-numeric-fields} to parse numbers. | |
2048 @end defopt | |
2049 | |
2050 @deffn Command sort-columns reverse &optional beg end | |
2051 This command sorts the lines in the region between @var{beg} and | |
2052 @var{end}, comparing them alphabetically by a certain range of | |
2053 columns. The column positions of @var{beg} and @var{end} bound the | |
2054 range of columns to sort on. | |
2055 | |
2056 If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort is in reverse order. | |
2057 | |
2058 One unusual thing about this command is that the entire line | |
2059 containing position @var{beg}, and the entire line containing position | |
2060 @var{end}, are included in the region sorted. | |
2061 | |
2062 Note that @code{sort-columns} rejects text that contains tabs, because | |
2063 tabs could be split across the specified columns. Use @kbd{M-x | |
2064 untabify} to convert tabs to spaces before sorting. | |
2065 | |
2066 When possible, this command actually works by calling the @code{sort} | |
2067 utility program. | |
2068 @end deffn | |
2069 | |
2070 @node Columns | |
2071 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
2072 @section Counting Columns | |
2073 @cindex columns | |
2074 @cindex counting columns | |
2075 @cindex horizontal position | |
2076 | |
2077 The column functions convert between a character position (counting | |
2078 characters from the beginning of the buffer) and a column position | |
2079 (counting screen characters from the beginning of a line). | |
2080 | |
2081 These functions count each character according to the number of | |
2082 columns it occupies on the screen. This means control characters count | |
2083 as occupying 2 or 4 columns, depending upon the value of | |
2084 @code{ctl-arrow}, and tabs count as occupying a number of columns that | |
2085 depends on the value of @code{tab-width} and on the column where the tab | |
2086 begins. @xref{Usual Display}. | |
2087 | |
2088 Column number computations ignore the width of the window and the | |
2089 amount of horizontal scrolling. Consequently, a column value can be | |
2090 arbitrarily high. The first (or leftmost) column is numbered 0. They | |
2091 also ignore overlays and text properties, aside from invisibility. | |
2092 | |
2093 @defun current-column | |
2094 This function returns the horizontal position of point, measured in | |
2095 columns, counting from 0 at the left margin. The column position is the | |
2096 sum of the widths of all the displayed representations of the characters | |
2097 between the start of the current line and point. | |
2098 | |
2099 For an example of using @code{current-column}, see the description of | |
2100 @code{count-lines} in @ref{Text Lines}. | |
2101 @end defun | |
2102 | |
2103 @defun move-to-column column &optional force | |
2104 This function moves point to @var{column} in the current line. The | |
2105 calculation of @var{column} takes into account the widths of the | |
2106 displayed representations of the characters between the start of the | |
2107 line and point. | |
2108 | |
2109 If column @var{column} is beyond the end of the line, point moves to the | |
2110 end of the line. If @var{column} is negative, point moves to the | |
2111 beginning of the line. | |
2112 | |
2113 If it is impossible to move to column @var{column} because that is in | |
2114 the middle of a multicolumn character such as a tab, point moves to the | |
2115 end of that character. However, if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, and | |
2116 @var{column} is in the middle of a tab, then @code{move-to-column} | |
2117 converts the tab into spaces so that it can move precisely to column | |
2118 @var{column}. Other multicolumn characters can cause anomalies despite | |
2119 @var{force}, since there is no way to split them. | |
2120 | |
2121 The argument @var{force} also has an effect if the line isn't long | |
2122 enough to reach column @var{column}; if it is @code{t}, that means to | |
2123 add whitespace at the end of the line to reach that column. | |
2124 | |
2125 If @var{column} is not an integer, an error is signaled. | |
2126 | |
2127 The return value is the column number actually moved to. | |
2128 @end defun | |
2129 | |
2130 @node Indentation | |
2131 @section Indentation | |
2132 @cindex indentation | |
2133 | |
2134 The indentation functions are used to examine, move to, and change | |
2135 whitespace that is at the beginning of a line. Some of the functions | |
2136 can also change whitespace elsewhere on a line. Columns and indentation | |
2137 count from zero at the left margin. | |
2138 | |
2139 @menu | |
2140 * Primitive Indent:: Functions used to count and insert indentation. | |
2141 * Mode-Specific Indent:: Customize indentation for different modes. | |
2142 * Region Indent:: Indent all the lines in a region. | |
2143 * Relative Indent:: Indent the current line based on previous lines. | |
2144 * Indent Tabs:: Adjustable, typewriter-like tab stops. | |
2145 * Motion by Indent:: Move to first non-blank character. | |
2146 @end menu | |
2147 | |
2148 @node Primitive Indent | |
2149 @subsection Indentation Primitives | |
2150 | |
2151 This section describes the primitive functions used to count and | |
2152 insert indentation. The functions in the following sections use these | |
2153 primitives. @xref{Width}, for related functions. | |
2154 | |
2155 @defun current-indentation | |
2156 @comment !!Type Primitive Function | |
2157 @comment !!SourceFile indent.c | |
2158 This function returns the indentation of the current line, which is | |
2159 the horizontal position of the first nonblank character. If the | |
2160 contents are entirely blank, then this is the horizontal position of the | |
2161 end of the line. | |
2162 @end defun | |
2163 | |
2164 @deffn Command indent-to column &optional minimum | |
2165 @comment !!Type Primitive Function | |
2166 @comment !!SourceFile indent.c | |
2167 This function indents from point with tabs and spaces until @var{column} | |
2168 is reached. If @var{minimum} is specified and non-@code{nil}, then at | |
2169 least that many spaces are inserted even if this requires going beyond | |
2170 @var{column}. Otherwise the function does nothing if point is already | |
2171 beyond @var{column}. The value is the column at which the inserted | |
2172 indentation ends. | |
2173 | |
2174 The inserted whitespace characters inherit text properties from the | |
2175 surrounding text (usually, from the preceding text only). @xref{Sticky | |
2176 Properties}. | |
2177 @end deffn | |
2178 | |
2179 @defopt indent-tabs-mode | |
2180 @comment !!SourceFile indent.c | |
2181 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, indentation functions can insert | |
2182 tabs as well as spaces. Otherwise, they insert only spaces. Setting | |
2183 this variable automatically makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2184 @end defopt | |
2185 | |
2186 @node Mode-Specific Indent | |
2187 @subsection Indentation Controlled by Major Mode | |
2188 | |
2189 An important function of each major mode is to customize the @key{TAB} | |
2190 key to indent properly for the language being edited. This section | |
2191 describes the mechanism of the @key{TAB} key and how to control it. | |
2192 The functions in this section return unpredictable values. | |
2193 | |
2194 @defvar indent-line-function | |
2195 This variable's value is the function to be used by @key{TAB} (and | |
2196 various commands) to indent the current line. The command | |
2197 @code{indent-according-to-mode} does no more than call this function. | |
2198 | |
2199 In Lisp mode, the value is the symbol @code{lisp-indent-line}; in C | |
2200 mode, @code{c-indent-line}; in Fortran mode, @code{fortran-indent-line}. | |
2201 The default value is @code{indent-relative}. | |
2202 @end defvar | |
2203 | |
2204 @deffn Command indent-according-to-mode | |
2205 This command calls the function in @code{indent-line-function} to | |
2206 indent the current line in a way appropriate for the current major mode. | |
2207 @end deffn | |
2208 | |
2209 @deffn Command indent-for-tab-command | |
2210 This command calls the function in @code{indent-line-function} to indent | |
2211 the current line; however, if that function is | |
2212 @code{indent-to-left-margin}, @code{insert-tab} is called instead. (That | |
2213 is a trivial command that inserts a tab character.) | |
2214 @end deffn | |
2215 | |
2216 @deffn Command newline-and-indent | |
2217 @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2218 This function inserts a newline, then indents the new line (the one | |
2219 following the newline just inserted) according to the major mode. | |
2220 | |
2221 It does indentation by calling the current @code{indent-line-function}. | |
2222 In programming language modes, this is the same thing @key{TAB} does, | |
2223 but in some text modes, where @key{TAB} inserts a tab, | |
2224 @code{newline-and-indent} indents to the column specified by | |
2225 @code{left-margin}. | |
2226 @end deffn | |
2227 | |
2228 @deffn Command reindent-then-newline-and-indent | |
2229 @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2230 This command reindents the current line, inserts a newline at point, | |
2231 and then indents the new line (the one following the newline just | |
2232 inserted). | |
2233 | |
2234 This command does indentation on both lines according to the current | |
2235 major mode, by calling the current value of @code{indent-line-function}. | |
2236 In programming language modes, this is the same thing @key{TAB} does, | |
2237 but in some text modes, where @key{TAB} inserts a tab, | |
2238 @code{reindent-then-newline-and-indent} indents to the column specified | |
2239 by @code{left-margin}. | |
2240 @end deffn | |
2241 | |
2242 @node Region Indent | |
2243 @subsection Indenting an Entire Region | |
2244 | |
2245 This section describes commands that indent all the lines in the | |
2246 region. They return unpredictable values. | |
2247 | |
2248 @deffn Command indent-region start end to-column | |
2249 This command indents each nonblank line starting between @var{start} | |
2250 (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive). If @var{to-column} is | |
2251 @code{nil}, @code{indent-region} indents each nonblank line by calling | |
2252 the current mode's indentation function, the value of | |
2253 @code{indent-line-function}. | |
2254 | |
2255 If @var{to-column} is non-@code{nil}, it should be an integer | |
2256 specifying the number of columns of indentation; then this function | |
2257 gives each line exactly that much indentation, by either adding or | |
2258 deleting whitespace. | |
2259 | |
2260 If there is a fill prefix, @code{indent-region} indents each line | |
2261 by making it start with the fill prefix. | |
2262 @end deffn | |
2263 | |
2264 @defvar indent-region-function | |
2265 The value of this variable is a function that can be used by | |
2266 @code{indent-region} as a short cut. It should take two arguments, the | |
2267 start and end of the region. You should design the function so | |
2268 that it will produce the same results as indenting the lines of the | |
2269 region one by one, but presumably faster. | |
2270 | |
2271 If the value is @code{nil}, there is no short cut, and | |
2272 @code{indent-region} actually works line by line. | |
2273 | |
2274 A short-cut function is useful in modes such as C mode and Lisp mode, | |
2275 where the @code{indent-line-function} must scan from the beginning of | |
2276 the function definition: applying it to each line would be quadratic in | |
2277 time. The short cut can update the scan information as it moves through | |
2278 the lines indenting them; this takes linear time. In a mode where | |
2279 indenting a line individually is fast, there is no need for a short cut. | |
2280 | |
2281 @code{indent-region} with a non-@code{nil} argument @var{to-column} has | |
2282 a different meaning and does not use this variable. | |
2283 @end defvar | |
2284 | |
2285 @deffn Command indent-rigidly start end count | |
2286 @comment !!SourceFile indent.el | |
2287 This command indents all lines starting between @var{start} | |
2288 (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive) sideways by @var{count} columns. | |
2289 This ``preserves the shape'' of the affected region, moving it as a | |
2290 rigid unit. Consequently, this command is useful not only for indenting | |
2291 regions of unindented text, but also for indenting regions of formatted | |
2292 code. | |
2293 | |
2294 For example, if @var{count} is 3, this command adds 3 columns of | |
2295 indentation to each of the lines beginning in the region specified. | |
2296 | |
2297 In Mail mode, @kbd{C-c C-y} (@code{mail-yank-original}) uses | |
2298 @code{indent-rigidly} to indent the text copied from the message being | |
2299 replied to. | |
2300 @end deffn | |
2301 | |
2302 @defun indent-code-rigidly start end columns &optional nochange-regexp | |
2303 This is like @code{indent-rigidly}, except that it doesn't alter lines | |
2304 that start within strings or comments. | |
2305 | |
2306 In addition, it doesn't alter a line if @var{nochange-regexp} matches at | |
2307 the beginning of the line (if @var{nochange-regexp} is non-@code{nil}). | |
2308 @end defun | |
2309 | |
2310 @node Relative Indent | |
2311 @subsection Indentation Relative to Previous Lines | |
2312 | |
2313 This section describes two commands that indent the current line | |
2314 based on the contents of previous lines. | |
2315 | |
2316 @deffn Command indent-relative &optional unindented-ok | |
2317 This command inserts whitespace at point, extending to the same | |
2318 column as the next @dfn{indent point} of the previous nonblank line. An | |
2319 indent point is a non-whitespace character following whitespace. The | |
2320 next indent point is the first one at a column greater than the current | |
2321 column of point. For example, if point is underneath and to the left of | |
2322 the first non-blank character of a line of text, it moves to that column | |
2323 by inserting whitespace. | |
2324 | |
2325 If the previous nonblank line has no next indent point (i.e., none at a | |
2326 great enough column position), @code{indent-relative} either does | |
2327 nothing (if @var{unindented-ok} is non-@code{nil}) or calls | |
2328 @code{tab-to-tab-stop}. Thus, if point is underneath and to the right | |
2329 of the last column of a short line of text, this command ordinarily | |
2330 moves point to the next tab stop by inserting whitespace. | |
2331 | |
2332 The return value of @code{indent-relative} is unpredictable. | |
2333 | |
2334 In the following example, point is at the beginning of the second | |
2335 line: | |
2336 | |
2337 @example | |
2338 @group | |
2339 This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2340 @point{}The quick brown fox jumped. | |
2341 @end group | |
2342 @end example | |
2343 | |
2344 @noindent | |
2345 Evaluation of the expression @code{(indent-relative nil)} produces the | |
2346 following: | |
2347 | |
2348 @example | |
2349 @group | |
2350 This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2351 @point{}The quick brown fox jumped. | |
2352 @end group | |
2353 @end example | |
2354 | |
2355 In this next example, point is between the @samp{m} and @samp{p} of | |
2356 @samp{jumped}: | |
2357 | |
2358 @example | |
2359 @group | |
2360 This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2361 The quick brown fox jum@point{}ped. | |
2362 @end group | |
2363 @end example | |
2364 | |
2365 @noindent | |
2366 Evaluation of the expression @code{(indent-relative nil)} produces the | |
2367 following: | |
2368 | |
2369 @example | |
2370 @group | |
2371 This line is indented twelve spaces. | |
2372 The quick brown fox jum @point{}ped. | |
2373 @end group | |
2374 @end example | |
2375 @end deffn | |
2376 | |
2377 @deffn Command indent-relative-maybe | |
2378 @comment !!SourceFile indent.el | |
2379 This command indents the current line like the previous nonblank line, | |
2380 by calling @code{indent-relative} with @code{t} as the | |
2381 @var{unindented-ok} argument. The return value is unpredictable. | |
2382 | |
2383 If the previous nonblank line has no indent points beyond the current | |
2384 column, this command does nothing. | |
2385 @end deffn | |
2386 | |
2387 @node Indent Tabs | |
2388 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
2389 @subsection Adjustable ``Tab Stops'' | |
2390 @cindex tabs stops for indentation | |
2391 | |
2392 This section explains the mechanism for user-specified ``tab stops'' | |
2393 and the mechanisms that use and set them. The name ``tab stops'' is | |
2394 used because the feature is similar to that of the tab stops on a | |
2395 typewriter. The feature works by inserting an appropriate number of | |
2396 spaces and tab characters to reach the next tab stop column; it does not | |
2397 affect the display of tab characters in the buffer (@pxref{Usual | |
2398 Display}). Note that the @key{TAB} character as input uses this tab | |
2399 stop feature only in a few major modes, such as Text mode. | |
2400 @xref{Tab Stops,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
2401 | |
2402 @deffn Command tab-to-tab-stop | |
2403 This command inserts spaces or tabs before point, up to the next tab | |
2404 stop column defined by @code{tab-stop-list}. It searches the list for | |
2405 an element greater than the current column number, and uses that element | |
2406 as the column to indent to. It does nothing if no such element is | |
2407 found. | |
2408 @end deffn | |
2409 | |
2410 @defopt tab-stop-list | |
2411 This variable is the list of tab stop columns used by | |
2412 @code{tab-to-tab-stops}. The elements should be integers in increasing | |
2413 order. The tab stop columns need not be evenly spaced. | |
2414 | |
2415 Use @kbd{M-x edit-tab-stops} to edit the location of tab stops | |
2416 interactively. | |
2417 @end defopt | |
2418 | |
2419 @node Motion by Indent | |
2420 @subsection Indentation-Based Motion Commands | |
2421 | |
2422 These commands, primarily for interactive use, act based on the | |
2423 indentation in the text. | |
2424 | |
2425 @deffn Command back-to-indentation | |
2426 @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2427 This command moves point to the first non-whitespace character in the | |
2428 current line (which is the line in which point is located). It returns | |
2429 @code{nil}. | |
2430 @end deffn | |
2431 | |
2432 @deffn Command backward-to-indentation &optional arg | |
2433 @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2434 This command moves point backward @var{arg} lines and then to the | |
2435 first nonblank character on that line. It returns @code{nil}. | |
2436 If @var{arg} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to 1. | |
2437 @end deffn | |
2438 | |
2439 @deffn Command forward-to-indentation &optional arg | |
2440 @comment !!SourceFile simple.el | |
2441 This command moves point forward @var{arg} lines and then to the first | |
2442 nonblank character on that line. It returns @code{nil}. | |
2443 If @var{arg} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to 1. | |
2444 @end deffn | |
2445 | |
2446 @node Case Changes | |
2447 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
2448 @section Case Changes | |
2449 @cindex case conversion in buffers | |
2450 | |
2451 The case change commands described here work on text in the current | |
2452 buffer. @xref{Case Conversion}, for case conversion functions that work | |
2453 on strings and characters. @xref{Case Tables}, for how to customize | |
2454 which characters are upper or lower case and how to convert them. | |
2455 | |
2456 @deffn Command capitalize-region start end | |
2457 This function capitalizes all words in the region defined by | |
2458 @var{start} and @var{end}. To capitalize means to convert each word's | |
2459 first character to upper case and convert the rest of each word to lower | |
2460 case. The function returns @code{nil}. | |
2461 | |
2462 If one end of the region is in the middle of a word, the part of the | |
2463 word within the region is treated as an entire word. | |
2464 | |
2465 When @code{capitalize-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and | |
2466 @var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. | |
2467 | |
2468 @example | |
2469 @group | |
2470 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2471 This is the contents of the 5th foo. | |
2472 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2473 @end group | |
2474 | |
2475 @group | |
2476 (capitalize-region 1 44) | |
2477 @result{} nil | |
2478 | |
2479 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2480 This Is The Contents Of The 5th Foo. | |
2481 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
2482 @end group | |
2483 @end example | |
2484 @end deffn | |
2485 | |
2486 @deffn Command downcase-region start end | |
2487 This function converts all of the letters in the region defined by | |
2488 @var{start} and @var{end} to lower case. The function returns | |
2489 @code{nil}. | |
2490 | |
2491 When @code{downcase-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and | |
2492 @var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. | |
2493 @end deffn | |
2494 | |
2495 @deffn Command upcase-region start end | |
2496 This function converts all of the letters in the region defined by | |
2497 @var{start} and @var{end} to upper case. The function returns | |
2498 @code{nil}. | |
2499 | |
2500 When @code{upcase-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and | |
2501 @var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. | |
2502 @end deffn | |
2503 | |
2504 @deffn Command capitalize-word count | |
2505 This function capitalizes @var{count} words after point, moving point | |
2506 over as it does. To capitalize means to convert each word's first | |
2507 character to upper case and convert the rest of each word to lower case. | |
2508 If @var{count} is negative, the function capitalizes the | |
2509 @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. The value | |
2510 is @code{nil}. | |
2511 | |
2512 If point is in the middle of a word, the part of the word before point | |
2513 is ignored when moving forward. The rest is treated as an entire word. | |
2514 | |
2515 When @code{capitalize-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is | |
2516 set to the numeric prefix argument. | |
2517 @end deffn | |
2518 | |
2519 @deffn Command downcase-word count | |
2520 This function converts the @var{count} words after point to all lower | |
2521 case, moving point over as it does. If @var{count} is negative, it | |
2522 converts the @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. | |
2523 The value is @code{nil}. | |
2524 | |
2525 When @code{downcase-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is set | |
2526 to the numeric prefix argument. | |
2527 @end deffn | |
2528 | |
2529 @deffn Command upcase-word count | |
2530 This function converts the @var{count} words after point to all upper | |
2531 case, moving point over as it does. If @var{count} is negative, it | |
2532 converts the @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. | |
2533 The value is @code{nil}. | |
2534 | |
2535 When @code{upcase-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is set to | |
2536 the numeric prefix argument. | |
2537 @end deffn | |
2538 | |
2539 @node Text Properties | |
2540 @section Text Properties | |
2541 @cindex text properties | |
2542 @cindex attributes of text | |
2543 @cindex properties of text | |
2544 | |
2545 Each character position in a buffer or a string can have a @dfn{text | |
2546 property list}, much like the property list of a symbol (@pxref{Property | |
2547 Lists}). The properties belong to a particular character at a | |
2548 particular place, such as, the letter @samp{T} at the beginning of this | |
2549 sentence or the first @samp{o} in @samp{foo}---if the same character | |
2550 occurs in two different places, the two occurrences in general have | |
2551 different properties. | |
2552 | |
2553 Each property has a name and a value. Both of these can be any Lisp | |
2554 object, but the name is normally a symbol. Typically each property | |
2555 name symbol is used for a particular purpose; for instance, the text | |
2556 property @code{face} specifies the faces for displaying the character | |
2557 (@pxref{Special Properties}). The usual way to access the property | |
2558 list is to specify a name and ask what value corresponds to it. | |
2559 | |
2560 If a character has a @code{category} property, we call it the | |
2561 @dfn{property category} of the character. It should be a symbol. The | |
2562 properties of the symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the | |
2563 character. | |
2564 | |
2565 Copying text between strings and buffers preserves the properties | |
2566 along with the characters; this includes such diverse functions as | |
2567 @code{substring}, @code{insert}, and @code{buffer-substring}. | |
2568 | |
2569 @menu | |
2570 * Examining Properties:: Looking at the properties of one character. | |
2571 * Changing Properties:: Setting the properties of a range of text. | |
2572 * Property Search:: Searching for where a property changes value. | |
2573 * Special Properties:: Particular properties with special meanings. | |
2574 * Format Properties:: Properties for representing formatting of text. | |
2575 * Sticky Properties:: How inserted text gets properties from | |
2576 neighboring text. | |
2577 * Lazy Properties:: Computing text properties in a lazy fashion | |
2578 only when text is examined. | |
2579 * Clickable Text:: Using text properties to make regions of text | |
2580 do something when you click on them. | |
2581 * Links and Mouse-1:: How to make @key{Mouse-1} follow a link. | |
2582 * Fields:: The @code{field} property defines | |
2583 fields within the buffer. | |
2584 * Not Intervals:: Why text properties do not use | |
2585 Lisp-visible text intervals. | |
2586 @end menu | |
2587 | |
2588 @node Examining Properties | |
2589 @subsection Examining Text Properties | |
2590 | |
2591 The simplest way to examine text properties is to ask for the value of | |
2592 a particular property of a particular character. For that, use | |
2593 @code{get-text-property}. Use @code{text-properties-at} to get the | |
2594 entire property list of a character. @xref{Property Search}, for | |
2595 functions to examine the properties of a number of characters at once. | |
2596 | |
2597 These functions handle both strings and buffers. Keep in mind that | |
2598 positions in a string start from 0, whereas positions in a buffer start | |
2599 from 1. | |
2600 | |
2601 @defun get-text-property pos prop &optional object | |
2602 This function returns the value of the @var{prop} property of the | |
2603 character after position @var{pos} in @var{object} (a buffer or | |
2604 string). The argument @var{object} is optional and defaults to the | |
2605 current buffer. | |
2606 | |
2607 If there is no @var{prop} property strictly speaking, but the character | |
2608 has a property category that is a symbol, then @code{get-text-property} returns | |
2609 the @var{prop} property of that symbol. | |
2610 @end defun | |
2611 | |
2612 @defun get-char-property position prop &optional object | |
2613 This function is like @code{get-text-property}, except that it checks | |
2614 overlays first and then text properties. @xref{Overlays}. | |
2615 | |
85311 | 2616 The argument @var{object} may be a string, a buffer, or a window. If |
2617 it is a window, then the buffer displayed in that window is used for | |
2618 text properties and overlays, but only the overlays active for that | |
2619 window are considered. If @var{object} is a buffer, then overlays in | |
2620 that buffer are considered first, in order of decreasing priority, | |
2621 followed by the text properties. If @var{object} is a string, only | |
2622 text properties are considered, since strings never have overlays. | |
84103 | 2623 @end defun |
2624 | |
2625 @defun get-char-property-and-overlay position prop &optional object | |
2626 This is like @code{get-char-property}, but gives extra information | |
2627 about the overlay that the property value comes from. | |
2628 | |
2629 Its value is a cons cell whose @sc{car} is the property value, the | |
2630 same value @code{get-char-property} would return with the same | |
2631 arguments. Its @sc{cdr} is the overlay in which the property was | |
2632 found, or @code{nil}, if it was found as a text property or not found | |
2633 at all. | |
2634 | |
2635 If @var{position} is at the end of @var{object}, both the @sc{car} and | |
2636 the @sc{cdr} of the value are @code{nil}. | |
2637 @end defun | |
2638 | |
2639 @defvar char-property-alias-alist | |
2640 This variable holds an alist which maps property names to a list of | |
2641 alternative property names. If a character does not specify a direct | |
2642 value for a property, the alternative property names are consulted in | |
2643 order; the first non-@code{nil} value is used. This variable takes | |
2644 precedence over @code{default-text-properties}, and @code{category} | |
2645 properties take precedence over this variable. | |
2646 @end defvar | |
2647 | |
2648 @defun text-properties-at position &optional object | |
2649 This function returns the entire property list of the character at | |
2650 @var{position} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If @var{object} is | |
2651 @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2652 @end defun | |
2653 | |
2654 @defvar default-text-properties | |
2655 This variable holds a property list giving default values for text | |
2656 properties. Whenever a character does not specify a value for a | |
2657 property, neither directly, through a category symbol, or through | |
2658 @code{char-property-alias-alist}, the value stored in this list is | |
2659 used instead. Here is an example: | |
2660 | |
2661 @example | |
2662 (setq default-text-properties '(foo 69) | |
2663 char-property-alias-alist nil) | |
2664 ;; @r{Make sure character 1 has no properties of its own.} | |
2665 (set-text-properties 1 2 nil) | |
2666 ;; @r{What we get, when we ask, is the default value.} | |
2667 (get-text-property 1 'foo) | |
2668 @result{} 69 | |
2669 @end example | |
2670 @end defvar | |
2671 | |
2672 @node Changing Properties | |
2673 @subsection Changing Text Properties | |
2674 | |
2675 The primitives for changing properties apply to a specified range of | |
2676 text in a buffer or string. The function @code{set-text-properties} | |
2677 (see end of section) sets the entire property list of the text in that | |
2678 range; more often, it is useful to add, change, or delete just certain | |
2679 properties specified by name. | |
2680 | |
2681 Since text properties are considered part of the contents of the | |
2682 buffer (or string), and can affect how a buffer looks on the screen, | |
2683 any change in buffer text properties marks the buffer as modified. | |
2684 Buffer text property changes are undoable also (@pxref{Undo}). | |
2685 Positions in a string start from 0, whereas positions in a buffer | |
2686 start from 1. | |
2687 | |
2688 @defun put-text-property start end prop value &optional object | |
2689 This function sets the @var{prop} property to @var{value} for the text | |
2690 between @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. | |
2691 If @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2692 @end defun | |
2693 | |
2694 @defun add-text-properties start end props &optional object | |
2695 This function adds or overrides text properties for the text between | |
2696 @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If | |
2697 @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2698 | |
2699 The argument @var{props} specifies which properties to add. It should | |
2700 have the form of a property list (@pxref{Property Lists}): a list whose | |
2701 elements include the property names followed alternately by the | |
2702 corresponding values. | |
2703 | |
2704 The return value is @code{t} if the function actually changed some | |
2705 property's value; @code{nil} otherwise (if @var{props} is @code{nil} or | |
2706 its values agree with those in the text). | |
2707 | |
2708 For example, here is how to set the @code{comment} and @code{face} | |
2709 properties of a range of text: | |
2710 | |
2711 @example | |
2712 (add-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} | |
2713 '(comment t face highlight)) | |
2714 @end example | |
2715 @end defun | |
2716 | |
2717 @defun remove-text-properties start end props &optional object | |
2718 This function deletes specified text properties from the text between | |
2719 @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If | |
2720 @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2721 | |
2722 The argument @var{props} specifies which properties to delete. It | |
2723 should have the form of a property list (@pxref{Property Lists}): a list | |
2724 whose elements are property names alternating with corresponding values. | |
2725 But only the names matter---the values that accompany them are ignored. | |
2726 For example, here's how to remove the @code{face} property. | |
2727 | |
2728 @example | |
2729 (remove-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} '(face nil)) | |
2730 @end example | |
2731 | |
2732 The return value is @code{t} if the function actually changed some | |
2733 property's value; @code{nil} otherwise (if @var{props} is @code{nil} or | |
2734 if no character in the specified text had any of those properties). | |
2735 | |
2736 To remove all text properties from certain text, use | |
2737 @code{set-text-properties} and specify @code{nil} for the new property | |
2738 list. | |
2739 @end defun | |
2740 | |
2741 @defun remove-list-of-text-properties start end list-of-properties &optional object | |
2742 Like @code{remove-text-properties} except that | |
2743 @var{list-of-properties} is a list of property names only, not an | |
2744 alternating list of property names and values. | |
2745 @end defun | |
2746 | |
2747 @defun set-text-properties start end props &optional object | |
2748 This function completely replaces the text property list for the text | |
2749 between @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. | |
2750 If @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. | |
2751 | |
2752 The argument @var{props} is the new property list. It should be a list | |
2753 whose elements are property names alternating with corresponding values. | |
2754 | |
2755 After @code{set-text-properties} returns, all the characters in the | |
2756 specified range have identical properties. | |
2757 | |
2758 If @var{props} is @code{nil}, the effect is to get rid of all properties | |
2759 from the specified range of text. Here's an example: | |
2760 | |
2761 @example | |
2762 (set-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} nil) | |
2763 @end example | |
2764 | |
2765 Do not rely on the return value of this function. | |
2766 @end defun | |
2767 | |
2768 The easiest way to make a string with text properties | |
2769 is with @code{propertize}: | |
2770 | |
2771 @defun propertize string &rest properties | |
2772 This function returns a copy of @var{string} which has the text | |
2773 properties @var{properties}. These properties apply to all the | |
2774 characters in the string that is returned. Here is an example that | |
2775 constructs a string with a @code{face} property and a @code{mouse-face} | |
2776 property: | |
2777 | |
2778 @smallexample | |
2779 (propertize "foo" 'face 'italic | |
2780 'mouse-face 'bold-italic) | |
2781 @result{} #("foo" 0 3 (mouse-face bold-italic face italic)) | |
2782 @end smallexample | |
2783 | |
2784 To put different properties on various parts of a string, you can | |
2785 construct each part with @code{propertize} and then combine them with | |
2786 @code{concat}: | |
2787 | |
2788 @smallexample | |
2789 (concat | |
2790 (propertize "foo" 'face 'italic | |
2791 'mouse-face 'bold-italic) | |
2792 " and " | |
2793 (propertize "bar" 'face 'italic | |
2794 'mouse-face 'bold-italic)) | |
2795 @result{} #("foo and bar" | |
2796 0 3 (face italic mouse-face bold-italic) | |
2797 3 8 nil | |
2798 8 11 (face italic mouse-face bold-italic)) | |
2799 @end smallexample | |
2800 @end defun | |
2801 | |
2802 See also the function @code{buffer-substring-no-properties} | |
2803 (@pxref{Buffer Contents}) which copies text from the buffer | |
2804 but does not copy its properties. | |
2805 | |
2806 @node Property Search | |
2807 @subsection Text Property Search Functions | |
2808 | |
2809 In typical use of text properties, most of the time several or many | |
2810 consecutive characters have the same value for a property. Rather than | |
2811 writing your programs to examine characters one by one, it is much | |
2812 faster to process chunks of text that have the same property value. | |
2813 | |
2814 Here are functions you can use to do this. They use @code{eq} for | |
2815 comparing property values. In all cases, @var{object} defaults to the | |
2816 current buffer. | |
2817 | |
2818 For high performance, it's very important to use the @var{limit} | |
2819 argument to these functions, especially the ones that search for a | |
2820 single property---otherwise, they may spend a long time scanning to the | |
2821 end of the buffer, if the property you are interested in does not change. | |
2822 | |
2823 These functions do not move point; instead, they return a position (or | |
2824 @code{nil}). Remember that a position is always between two characters; | |
2825 the position returned by these functions is between two characters with | |
2826 different properties. | |
2827 | |
2828 @defun next-property-change pos &optional object limit | |
2829 The function scans the text forward from position @var{pos} in the | |
2830 string or buffer @var{object} till it finds a change in some text | |
2831 property, then returns the position of the change. In other words, it | |
2832 returns the position of the first character beyond @var{pos} whose | |
2833 properties are not identical to those of the character just after | |
2834 @var{pos}. | |
2835 | |
2836 If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, then the scan ends at position | |
2837 @var{limit}. If there is no property change before that point, | |
2838 @code{next-property-change} returns @var{limit}. | |
2839 | |
2840 The value is @code{nil} if the properties remain unchanged all the way | |
2841 to the end of @var{object} and @var{limit} is @code{nil}. If the value | |
2842 is non-@code{nil}, it is a position greater than or equal to @var{pos}. | |
2843 The value equals @var{pos} only when @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. | |
2844 | |
2845 Here is an example of how to scan the buffer by chunks of text within | |
2846 which all properties are constant: | |
2847 | |
2848 @smallexample | |
2849 (while (not (eobp)) | |
2850 (let ((plist (text-properties-at (point))) | |
2851 (next-change | |
2852 (or (next-property-change (point) (current-buffer)) | |
2853 (point-max)))) | |
2854 @r{Process text from point to @var{next-change}@dots{}} | |
2855 (goto-char next-change))) | |
2856 @end smallexample | |
2857 @end defun | |
2858 | |
2859 @defun previous-property-change pos &optional object limit | |
2860 This is like @code{next-property-change}, but scans back from @var{pos} | |
2861 instead of forward. If the value is non-@code{nil}, it is a position | |
2862 less than or equal to @var{pos}; it equals @var{pos} only if @var{limit} | |
2863 equals @var{pos}. | |
2864 @end defun | |
2865 | |
2866 @defun next-single-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
2867 The function scans text for a change in the @var{prop} property, then | |
2868 returns the position of the change. The scan goes forward from | |
2869 position @var{pos} in the string or buffer @var{object}. In other | |
2870 words, this function returns the position of the first character | |
2871 beyond @var{pos} whose @var{prop} property differs from that of the | |
2872 character just after @var{pos}. | |
2873 | |
2874 If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, then the scan ends at position | |
2875 @var{limit}. If there is no property change before that point, | |
2876 @code{next-single-property-change} returns @var{limit}. | |
2877 | |
2878 The value is @code{nil} if the property remains unchanged all the way to | |
2879 the end of @var{object} and @var{limit} is @code{nil}. If the value is | |
2880 non-@code{nil}, it is a position greater than or equal to @var{pos}; it | |
2881 equals @var{pos} only if @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. | |
2882 @end defun | |
2883 | |
2884 @defun previous-single-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
2885 This is like @code{next-single-property-change}, but scans back from | |
2886 @var{pos} instead of forward. If the value is non-@code{nil}, it is a | |
2887 position less than or equal to @var{pos}; it equals @var{pos} only if | |
2888 @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. | |
2889 @end defun | |
2890 | |
2891 @defun next-char-property-change pos &optional limit | |
2892 This is like @code{next-property-change} except that it considers | |
2893 overlay properties as well as text properties, and if no change is | |
2894 found before the end of the buffer, it returns the maximum buffer | |
2895 position rather than @code{nil} (in this sense, it resembles the | |
2896 corresponding overlay function @code{next-overlay-change}, rather than | |
2897 @code{next-property-change}). There is no @var{object} operand | |
2898 because this function operates only on the current buffer. It returns | |
2899 the next address at which either kind of property changes. | |
2900 @end defun | |
2901 | |
2902 @defun previous-char-property-change pos &optional limit | |
2903 This is like @code{next-char-property-change}, but scans back from | |
2904 @var{pos} instead of forward, and returns the minimum buffer | |
2905 position if no change is found. | |
2906 @end defun | |
2907 | |
2908 @defun next-single-char-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
2909 This is like @code{next-single-property-change} except that it | |
2910 considers overlay properties as well as text properties, and if no | |
2911 change is found before the end of the @var{object}, it returns the | |
2912 maximum valid position in @var{object} rather than @code{nil}. Unlike | |
2913 @code{next-char-property-change}, this function @emph{does} have an | |
2914 @var{object} operand; if @var{object} is not a buffer, only | |
2915 text-properties are considered. | |
2916 @end defun | |
2917 | |
2918 @defun previous-single-char-property-change pos prop &optional object limit | |
2919 This is like @code{next-single-char-property-change}, but scans back | |
2920 from @var{pos} instead of forward, and returns the minimum valid | |
2921 position in @var{object} if no change is found. | |
2922 @end defun | |
2923 | |
2924 @defun text-property-any start end prop value &optional object | |
2925 This function returns non-@code{nil} if at least one character between | |
2926 @var{start} and @var{end} has a property @var{prop} whose value is | |
2927 @var{value}. More precisely, it returns the position of the first such | |
2928 character. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. | |
2929 | |
2930 The optional fifth argument, @var{object}, specifies the string or | |
2931 buffer to scan. Positions are relative to @var{object}. The default | |
2932 for @var{object} is the current buffer. | |
2933 @end defun | |
2934 | |
2935 @defun text-property-not-all start end prop value &optional object | |
2936 This function returns non-@code{nil} if at least one character between | |
2937 @var{start} and @var{end} does not have a property @var{prop} with value | |
2938 @var{value}. More precisely, it returns the position of the first such | |
2939 character. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. | |
2940 | |
2941 The optional fifth argument, @var{object}, specifies the string or | |
2942 buffer to scan. Positions are relative to @var{object}. The default | |
2943 for @var{object} is the current buffer. | |
2944 @end defun | |
2945 | |
2946 @node Special Properties | |
2947 @subsection Properties with Special Meanings | |
2948 | |
2949 Here is a table of text property names that have special built-in | |
2950 meanings. The following sections list a few additional special property | |
2951 names that control filling and property inheritance. All other names | |
2952 have no standard meaning, and you can use them as you like. | |
2953 | |
2954 Note: the properties @code{composition}, @code{display}, | |
2955 @code{invisible} and @code{intangible} can also cause point to move to | |
2956 an acceptable place, after each Emacs command. @xref{Adjusting | |
2957 Point}. | |
2958 | |
2959 @table @code | |
2960 @cindex property category of text character | |
2961 @kindex category @r{(text property)} | |
2962 @item category | |
2963 If a character has a @code{category} property, we call it the | |
2964 @dfn{property category} of the character. It should be a symbol. The | |
2965 properties of this symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the | |
2966 character. | |
2967 | |
2968 @item face | |
2969 @cindex face codes of text | |
2970 @kindex face @r{(text property)} | |
2971 You can use the property @code{face} to control the font and color of | |
2972 text. @xref{Faces}, for more information. | |
2973 | |
2974 In the simplest case, the value is a face name. It can also be a list; | |
2975 then each element can be any of these possibilities; | |
2976 | |
2977 @itemize @bullet | |
2978 @item | |
2979 A face name (a symbol or string). | |
2980 | |
2981 @item | |
2982 A property list of face attributes. This has the | |
2983 form (@var{keyword} @var{value} @dots{}), where each @var{keyword} is a | |
2984 face attribute name and @var{value} is a meaningful value for that | |
2985 attribute. With this feature, you do not need to create a face each | |
2986 time you want to specify a particular attribute for certain text. | |
2987 @xref{Face Attributes}. | |
2988 | |
2989 @item | |
87649 | 2990 A cons cell with the form @code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})} |
2991 or @code{(background-color . @var{color-name})}. These are older, | |
2992 deprecated equivalents for @code{(:foreground @var{color-name})} and | |
2993 @code{(:background @var{color-name})}. Please convert code that uses | |
2994 them. | |
84103 | 2995 @end itemize |
2996 | |
87649 | 2997 It works to use the latter two forms directly as the value |
2998 of the @code{face} property. | |
2999 | |
3000 Font Lock mode (@pxref{Font Lock Mode}) works in most buffers by | |
3001 dynamically updating the @code{face} property of characters based on | |
3002 the context. | |
84103 | 3003 |
3004 @item font-lock-face | |
3005 @kindex font-lock-face @r{(text property)} | |
87649 | 3006 The @code{font-lock-face} property is equivalent to the @code{face} |
3007 property when Font Lock mode is enabled. When Font Lock mode is disabled, | |
3008 @code{font-lock-face} has no effect. | |
3009 | |
3010 The @code{font-lock-mode} property is useful for special modes that | |
3011 implement their own highlighting. @xref{Precalculated Fontification}. | |
84103 | 3012 |
3013 This property is new in Emacs 22.1. | |
3014 | |
3015 @item mouse-face | |
3016 @kindex mouse-face @r{(text property)} | |
3017 The property @code{mouse-face} is used instead of @code{face} when the | |
3018 mouse is on or near the character. For this purpose, ``near'' means | |
3019 that all text between the character and where the mouse is have the same | |
3020 @code{mouse-face} property value. | |
3021 | |
3022 @item fontified | |
3023 @kindex fontified @r{(text property)} | |
3024 This property says whether the text is ready for display. If | |
3025 @code{nil}, Emacs's redisplay routine calls the functions in | |
3026 @code{fontification-functions} (@pxref{Auto Faces}) to prepare this | |
3027 part of the buffer before it is displayed. It is used internally by | |
3028 the ``just in time'' font locking code. | |
3029 | |
3030 @item display | |
3031 This property activates various features that change the | |
3032 way text is displayed. For example, it can make text appear taller | |
3033 or shorter, higher or lower, wider or narrow, or replaced with an image. | |
3034 @xref{Display Property}. | |
3035 | |
3036 @item help-echo | |
3037 @kindex help-echo @r{(text property)} | |
3038 @cindex tooltip | |
3039 @anchor{Text help-echo} | |
3040 If text has a string as its @code{help-echo} property, then when you | |
3041 move the mouse onto that text, Emacs displays that string in the echo | |
3042 area, or in the tooltip window (@pxref{Tooltips,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs | |
3043 Manual}). | |
3044 | |
3045 If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is a function, that | |
3046 function is called with three arguments, @var{window}, @var{object} and | |
3047 @var{pos} and should return a help string or @code{nil} for | |
3048 none. The first argument, @var{window} is the window in which | |
3049 the help was found. The second, @var{object}, is the buffer, overlay or | |
3050 string which had the @code{help-echo} property. The @var{pos} | |
3051 argument is as follows: | |
3052 | |
3053 @itemize @bullet{} | |
3054 @item | |
3055 If @var{object} is a buffer, @var{pos} is the position in the buffer. | |
3056 @item | |
3057 If @var{object} is an overlay, that overlay has a @code{help-echo} | |
3058 property, and @var{pos} is the position in the overlay's buffer. | |
3059 @item | |
3060 If @var{object} is a string (an overlay string or a string displayed | |
3061 with the @code{display} property), @var{pos} is the position in that | |
3062 string. | |
3063 @end itemize | |
3064 | |
3065 If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is neither a function nor | |
3066 a string, it is evaluated to obtain a help string. | |
3067 | |
3068 You can alter the way help text is displayed by setting the variable | |
3069 @code{show-help-function} (@pxref{Help display}). | |
3070 | |
3071 This feature is used in the mode line and for other active text. | |
3072 | |
3073 @item keymap | |
3074 @cindex keymap of character | |
3075 @kindex keymap @r{(text property)} | |
3076 The @code{keymap} property specifies an additional keymap for | |
3077 commands. When this keymap applies, it is used for key lookup before | |
3078 the minor mode keymaps and before the buffer's local map. | |
3079 @xref{Active Keymaps}. If the property value is a symbol, the | |
3080 symbol's function definition is used as the keymap. | |
3081 | |
3082 The property's value for the character before point applies if it is | |
3083 non-@code{nil} and rear-sticky, and the property's value for the | |
3084 character after point applies if it is non-@code{nil} and | |
3085 front-sticky. (For mouse clicks, the position of the click is used | |
3086 instead of the position of point.) | |
3087 | |
3088 @item local-map | |
3089 @kindex local-map @r{(text property)} | |
3090 This property works like @code{keymap} except that it specifies a | |
3091 keymap to use @emph{instead of} the buffer's local map. For most | |
3092 purposes (perhaps all purposes), it is better to use the @code{keymap} | |
3093 property. | |
3094 | |
3095 @item syntax-table | |
3096 The @code{syntax-table} property overrides what the syntax table says | |
3097 about this particular character. @xref{Syntax Properties}. | |
3098 | |
3099 @item read-only | |
3100 @cindex read-only character | |
3101 @kindex read-only @r{(text property)} | |
3102 If a character has the property @code{read-only}, then modifying that | |
3103 character is not allowed. Any command that would do so gets an error, | |
3104 @code{text-read-only}. If the property value is a string, that string | |
3105 is used as the error message. | |
3106 | |
3107 Insertion next to a read-only character is an error if inserting | |
3108 ordinary text there would inherit the @code{read-only} property due to | |
3109 stickiness. Thus, you can control permission to insert next to | |
3110 read-only text by controlling the stickiness. @xref{Sticky Properties}. | |
3111 | |
3112 Since changing properties counts as modifying the buffer, it is not | |
3113 possible to remove a @code{read-only} property unless you know the | |
3114 special trick: bind @code{inhibit-read-only} to a non-@code{nil} value | |
3115 and then remove the property. @xref{Read Only Buffers}. | |
3116 | |
3117 @item invisible | |
3118 @kindex invisible @r{(text property)} | |
3119 A non-@code{nil} @code{invisible} property can make a character invisible | |
3120 on the screen. @xref{Invisible Text}, for details. | |
3121 | |
3122 @item intangible | |
3123 @kindex intangible @r{(text property)} | |
3124 If a group of consecutive characters have equal and non-@code{nil} | |
3125 @code{intangible} properties, then you cannot place point between them. | |
3126 If you try to move point forward into the group, point actually moves to | |
3127 the end of the group. If you try to move point backward into the group, | |
3128 point actually moves to the start of the group. | |
3129 | |
3130 If consecutive characters have unequal non-@code{nil} | |
3131 @code{intangible} properties, they belong to separate groups; each | |
3132 group is separately treated as described above. | |
3133 | |
3134 When the variable @code{inhibit-point-motion-hooks} is non-@code{nil}, | |
3135 the @code{intangible} property is ignored. | |
3136 | |
3137 @item field | |
3138 @kindex field @r{(text property)} | |
3139 Consecutive characters with the same @code{field} property constitute a | |
3140 @dfn{field}. Some motion functions including @code{forward-word} and | |
3141 @code{beginning-of-line} stop moving at a field boundary. | |
3142 @xref{Fields}. | |
3143 | |
3144 @item cursor | |
3145 @kindex cursor @r{(text property)} | |
3146 Normally, the cursor is displayed at the end of any overlay and text | |
3147 property strings present at the current window position. You can | |
3148 place the cursor on any desired character of these strings by giving | |
3149 that character a non-@code{nil} @var{cursor} text property. | |
3150 | |
3151 @item pointer | |
3152 @kindex pointer @r{(text property)} | |
3153 This specifies a specific pointer shape when the mouse pointer is over | |
3154 this text or image. @xref{Pointer Shape}, for possible pointer | |
3155 shapes. | |
3156 | |
3157 @item line-spacing | |
3158 @kindex line-spacing @r{(text property)} | |
3159 A newline can have a @code{line-spacing} text or overlay property that | |
3160 controls the height of the display line ending with that newline. The | |
3161 property value overrides the default frame line spacing and the buffer | |
3162 local @code{line-spacing} variable. @xref{Line Height}. | |
3163 | |
3164 @item line-height | |
3165 @kindex line-height @r{(text property)} | |
3166 A newline can have a @code{line-height} text or overlay property that | |
3167 controls the total height of the display line ending in that newline. | |
3168 @xref{Line Height}. | |
3169 | |
3170 @item modification-hooks | |
3171 @cindex change hooks for a character | |
3172 @cindex hooks for changing a character | |
3173 @kindex modification-hooks @r{(text property)} | |
3174 If a character has the property @code{modification-hooks}, then its | |
3175 value should be a list of functions; modifying that character calls all | |
3176 of those functions. Each function receives two arguments: the beginning | |
3177 and end of the part of the buffer being modified. Note that if a | |
3178 particular modification hook function appears on several characters | |
3179 being modified by a single primitive, you can't predict how many times | |
3180 the function will be called. | |
3181 | |
3182 If these functions modify the buffer, they should bind | |
3183 @code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{t} around doing so, to | |
3184 avoid confusing the internal mechanism that calls these hooks. | |
3185 | |
3186 Overlays also support the @code{modification-hooks} property, but the | |
3187 details are somewhat different (@pxref{Overlay Properties}). | |
3188 | |
3189 @item insert-in-front-hooks | |
3190 @itemx insert-behind-hooks | |
3191 @kindex insert-in-front-hooks @r{(text property)} | |
3192 @kindex insert-behind-hooks @r{(text property)} | |
3193 The operation of inserting text in a buffer also calls the functions | |
3194 listed in the @code{insert-in-front-hooks} property of the following | |
3195 character and in the @code{insert-behind-hooks} property of the | |
3196 preceding character. These functions receive two arguments, the | |
3197 beginning and end of the inserted text. The functions are called | |
3198 @emph{after} the actual insertion takes place. | |
3199 | |
3200 See also @ref{Change Hooks}, for other hooks that are called | |
3201 when you change text in a buffer. | |
3202 | |
3203 @item point-entered | |
3204 @itemx point-left | |
3205 @cindex hooks for motion of point | |
3206 @kindex point-entered @r{(text property)} | |
3207 @kindex point-left @r{(text property)} | |
3208 The special properties @code{point-entered} and @code{point-left} | |
3209 record hook functions that report motion of point. Each time point | |
3210 moves, Emacs compares these two property values: | |
3211 | |
3212 @itemize @bullet | |
3213 @item | |
3214 the @code{point-left} property of the character after the old location, | |
3215 and | |
3216 @item | |
3217 the @code{point-entered} property of the character after the new | |
3218 location. | |
3219 @end itemize | |
3220 | |
3221 @noindent | |
3222 If these two values differ, each of them is called (if not @code{nil}) | |
3223 with two arguments: the old value of point, and the new one. | |
3224 | |
3225 The same comparison is made for the characters before the old and new | |
3226 locations. The result may be to execute two @code{point-left} functions | |
3227 (which may be the same function) and/or two @code{point-entered} | |
3228 functions (which may be the same function). In any case, all the | |
3229 @code{point-left} functions are called first, followed by all the | |
3230 @code{point-entered} functions. | |
3231 | |
3232 It is possible with @code{char-after} to examine characters at various | |
3233 buffer positions without moving point to those positions. Only an | |
3234 actual change in the value of point runs these hook functions. | |
3235 | |
3236 @defvar inhibit-point-motion-hooks | |
3237 When this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{point-left} and | |
3238 @code{point-entered} hooks are not run, and the @code{intangible} | |
3239 property has no effect. Do not set this variable globally; bind it with | |
3240 @code{let}. | |
3241 @end defvar | |
3242 | |
3243 @defvar show-help-function | |
3244 @anchor{Help display} If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a | |
3245 function called to display help strings. These may be @code{help-echo} | |
3246 properties, menu help strings (@pxref{Simple Menu Items}, | |
3247 @pxref{Extended Menu Items}), or tool bar help strings (@pxref{Tool | |
3248 Bar}). The specified function is called with one argument, the help | |
3249 string to display. Tooltip mode (@pxref{Tooltips,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs | |
3250 Manual}) provides an example. | |
3251 @end defvar | |
3252 | |
3253 @item composition | |
3254 @kindex composition @r{(text property)} | |
3255 This text property is used to display a sequence of characters as a | |
3256 single glyph composed from components. But the value of the property | |
3257 itself is completely internal to Emacs and should not be manipulated | |
3258 directly by, for instance, @code{put-text-property}. | |
3259 | |
3260 @end table | |
3261 | |
3262 @node Format Properties | |
3263 @subsection Formatted Text Properties | |
3264 | |
3265 These text properties affect the behavior of the fill commands. They | |
3266 are used for representing formatted text. @xref{Filling}, and | |
3267 @ref{Margins}. | |
3268 | |
3269 @table @code | |
3270 @item hard | |
3271 If a newline character has this property, it is a ``hard'' newline. | |
3272 The fill commands do not alter hard newlines and do not move words | |
3273 across them. However, this property takes effect only if the | |
3274 @code{use-hard-newlines} minor mode is enabled. @xref{Hard and Soft | |
3275 Newlines,, Hard and Soft Newlines, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
3276 | |
3277 @item right-margin | |
3278 This property specifies an extra right margin for filling this part of the | |
3279 text. | |
3280 | |
3281 @item left-margin | |
3282 This property specifies an extra left margin for filling this part of the | |
3283 text. | |
3284 | |
3285 @item justification | |
3286 This property specifies the style of justification for filling this part | |
3287 of the text. | |
3288 @end table | |
3289 | |
3290 @node Sticky Properties | |
3291 @subsection Stickiness of Text Properties | |
3292 @cindex sticky text properties | |
3293 @cindex inheritance of text properties | |
3294 | |
3295 Self-inserting characters normally take on the same properties as the | |
3296 preceding character. This is called @dfn{inheritance} of properties. | |
3297 | |
3298 In a Lisp program, you can do insertion with inheritance or without, | |
3299 depending on your choice of insertion primitive. The ordinary text | |
3300 insertion functions such as @code{insert} do not inherit any properties. | |
3301 They insert text with precisely the properties of the string being | |
3302 inserted, and no others. This is correct for programs that copy text | |
3303 from one context to another---for example, into or out of the kill ring. | |
3304 To insert with inheritance, use the special primitives described in this | |
3305 section. Self-inserting characters inherit properties because they work | |
3306 using these primitives. | |
3307 | |
3308 When you do insertion with inheritance, @emph{which} properties are | |
3309 inherited, and from where, depends on which properties are @dfn{sticky}. | |
3310 Insertion after a character inherits those of its properties that are | |
3311 @dfn{rear-sticky}. Insertion before a character inherits those of its | |
3312 properties that are @dfn{front-sticky}. When both sides offer different | |
3313 sticky values for the same property, the previous character's value | |
3314 takes precedence. | |
3315 | |
3316 By default, a text property is rear-sticky but not front-sticky; thus, | |
3317 the default is to inherit all the properties of the preceding character, | |
3318 and nothing from the following character. | |
3319 | |
3320 You can control the stickiness of various text properties with two | |
3321 specific text properties, @code{front-sticky} and @code{rear-nonsticky}, | |
3322 and with the variable @code{text-property-default-nonsticky}. You can | |
3323 use the variable to specify a different default for a given property. | |
3324 You can use those two text properties to make any specific properties | |
3325 sticky or nonsticky in any particular part of the text. | |
3326 | |
3327 If a character's @code{front-sticky} property is @code{t}, then all | |
3328 its properties are front-sticky. If the @code{front-sticky} property is | |
3329 a list, then the sticky properties of the character are those whose | |
3330 names are in the list. For example, if a character has a | |
3331 @code{front-sticky} property whose value is @code{(face read-only)}, | |
3332 then insertion before the character can inherit its @code{face} property | |
3333 and its @code{read-only} property, but no others. | |
3334 | |
3335 The @code{rear-nonsticky} property works the opposite way. Most | |
3336 properties are rear-sticky by default, so the @code{rear-nonsticky} | |
3337 property says which properties are @emph{not} rear-sticky. If a | |
3338 character's @code{rear-nonsticky} property is @code{t}, then none of its | |
3339 properties are rear-sticky. If the @code{rear-nonsticky} property is a | |
3340 list, properties are rear-sticky @emph{unless} their names are in the | |
3341 list. | |
3342 | |
3343 @defvar text-property-default-nonsticky | |
3344 This variable holds an alist which defines the default rear-stickiness | |
3345 of various text properties. Each element has the form | |
3346 @code{(@var{property} . @var{nonstickiness})}, and it defines the | |
3347 stickiness of a particular text property, @var{property}. | |
3348 | |
3349 If @var{nonstickiness} is non-@code{nil}, this means that the property | |
3350 @var{property} is rear-nonsticky by default. Since all properties are | |
3351 front-nonsticky by default, this makes @var{property} nonsticky in both | |
3352 directions by default. | |
3353 | |
3354 The text properties @code{front-sticky} and @code{rear-nonsticky}, when | |
3355 used, take precedence over the default @var{nonstickiness} specified in | |
3356 @code{text-property-default-nonsticky}. | |
3357 @end defvar | |
3358 | |
3359 Here are the functions that insert text with inheritance of properties: | |
3360 | |
3361 @defun insert-and-inherit &rest strings | |
3362 Insert the strings @var{strings}, just like the function @code{insert}, | |
3363 but inherit any sticky properties from the adjoining text. | |
3364 @end defun | |
3365 | |
3366 @defun insert-before-markers-and-inherit &rest strings | |
3367 Insert the strings @var{strings}, just like the function | |
3368 @code{insert-before-markers}, but inherit any sticky properties from the | |
3369 adjoining text. | |
3370 @end defun | |
3371 | |
3372 @xref{Insertion}, for the ordinary insertion functions which do not | |
3373 inherit. | |
3374 | |
3375 @node Lazy Properties | |
3376 @subsection Lazy Computation of Text Properties | |
3377 | |
3378 Instead of computing text properties for all the text in the buffer, | |
3379 you can arrange to compute the text properties for parts of the text | |
3380 when and if something depends on them. | |
3381 | |
3382 The primitive that extracts text from the buffer along with its | |
3383 properties is @code{buffer-substring}. Before examining the properties, | |
3384 this function runs the abnormal hook @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions}. | |
3385 | |
3386 @defvar buffer-access-fontify-functions | |
3387 This variable holds a list of functions for computing text properties. | |
3388 Before @code{buffer-substring} copies the text and text properties for a | |
3389 portion of the buffer, it calls all the functions in this list. Each of | |
3390 the functions receives two arguments that specify the range of the | |
3391 buffer being accessed. (The buffer itself is always the current | |
3392 buffer.) | |
3393 @end defvar | |
3394 | |
3395 The function @code{buffer-substring-no-properties} does not call these | |
3396 functions, since it ignores text properties anyway. | |
3397 | |
3398 In order to prevent the hook functions from being called more than | |
3399 once for the same part of the buffer, you can use the variable | |
3400 @code{buffer-access-fontified-property}. | |
3401 | |
3402 @defvar buffer-access-fontified-property | |
3403 If this variable's value is non-@code{nil}, it is a symbol which is used | |
3404 as a text property name. A non-@code{nil} value for that text property | |
3405 means, ``the other text properties for this character have already been | |
3406 computed.'' | |
3407 | |
3408 If all the characters in the range specified for @code{buffer-substring} | |
3409 have a non-@code{nil} value for this property, @code{buffer-substring} | |
3410 does not call the @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions. It | |
3411 assumes these characters already have the right text properties, and | |
3412 just copies the properties they already have. | |
3413 | |
3414 The normal way to use this feature is that the | |
3415 @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions add this property, as | |
3416 well as others, to the characters they operate on. That way, they avoid | |
3417 being called over and over for the same text. | |
3418 @end defvar | |
3419 | |
3420 @node Clickable Text | |
3421 @subsection Defining Clickable Text | |
3422 @cindex clickable text | |
3423 | |
3424 @dfn{Clickable text} is text that can be clicked, with either the | |
3425 the mouse or via keyboard commands, to produce some result. Many | |
3426 major modes use clickable text to implement features such as | |
3427 hyper-links. The @code{button} package provides an easy way to insert | |
3428 and manipulate clickable text. @xref{Buttons}. | |
3429 | |
3430 In this section, we will explain how to manually set up clickable | |
3431 text in a buffer using text properties. This involves two things: (1) | |
3432 indicating clickability when the mouse moves over the text, and (2) | |
3433 making @kbd{RET} or a mouse click on that text do something. | |
3434 | |
3435 Indicating clickability usually involves highlighting the text, and | |
3436 often involves displaying helpful information about the action, such | |
3437 as which mouse button to press, or a short summary of the action. | |
3438 This can be done with the @code{mouse-face} and @code{help-echo} | |
3439 text properties. @xref{Special Properties}. | |
3440 Here is an example of how Dired does it: | |
3441 | |
3442 @smallexample | |
3443 (condition-case nil | |
3444 (if (dired-move-to-filename) | |
3445 (add-text-properties | |
3446 (point) | |
3447 (save-excursion | |
3448 (dired-move-to-end-of-filename) | |
3449 (point)) | |
3450 '(mouse-face highlight | |
3451 help-echo "mouse-2: visit this file in other window"))) | |
3452 (error nil)) | |
3453 @end smallexample | |
3454 | |
3455 @noindent | |
3456 The first two arguments to @code{add-text-properties} specify the | |
3457 beginning and end of the text. | |
3458 | |
3459 The usual way to make the mouse do something when you click it | |
3460 on this text is to define @code{mouse-2} in the major mode's | |
3461 keymap. The job of checking whether the click was on clickable text | |
3462 is done by the command definition. Here is how Dired does it: | |
3463 | |
3464 @smallexample | |
3465 (defun dired-mouse-find-file-other-window (event) | |
3466 "In Dired, visit the file or directory name you click on." | |
3467 (interactive "e") | |
3468 (let (window pos file) | |
3469 (save-excursion | |
3470 (setq window (posn-window (event-end event)) | |
3471 pos (posn-point (event-end event))) | |
3472 (if (not (windowp window)) | |
3473 (error "No file chosen")) | |
3474 (set-buffer (window-buffer window)) | |
3475 (goto-char pos) | |
3476 (setq file (dired-get-file-for-visit))) | |
3477 (if (file-directory-p file) | |
3478 (or (and (cdr dired-subdir-alist) | |
3479 (dired-goto-subdir file)) | |
3480 (progn | |
3481 (select-window window) | |
3482 (dired-other-window file))) | |
3483 (select-window window) | |
3484 (find-file-other-window (file-name-sans-versions file t))))) | |
3485 @end smallexample | |
3486 | |
3487 @noindent | |
3488 The reason for the @code{save-excursion} construct is to avoid | |
3489 changing the current buffer. In this case, | |
3490 Dired uses the functions @code{posn-window} and @code{posn-point} | |
3491 to determine which buffer the click happened in and where, and | |
3492 in that buffer, @code{dired-get-file-for-visit} to determine which | |
3493 file to visit. | |
3494 | |
3495 Instead of defining a mouse command for the major mode, you can define | |
3496 a key binding for the clickable text itself, using the @code{keymap} | |
3497 text property: | |
3498 | |
3499 @example | |
3500 (let ((map (make-sparse-keymap))) | |
3501 (define-key map [mouse-2] 'operate-this-button) | |
3502 (put-text-property (point) | |
3503 (save-excursion | |
3504 (dired-move-to-end-of-filename) | |
3505 (point)) | |
3506 'keymap map)) | |
3507 @end example | |
3508 | |
3509 @noindent | |
3510 This method makes it possible to define different commands for various | |
3511 clickable pieces of text. Also, the major mode definition (or the | |
3512 global definition) remains available for the rest of the text in the | |
3513 buffer. | |
3514 | |
3515 @node Links and Mouse-1 | |
3516 @subsection Links and Mouse-1 | |
3517 @cindex follow links | |
3518 @cindex mouse-1 | |
3519 | |
3520 The normal Emacs command for activating text in read-only buffers is | |
3521 @key{Mouse-2}, which includes following textual links. However, most | |
3522 graphical applications use @key{Mouse-1} for following links. For | |
3523 compatibility, @key{Mouse-1} follows links in Emacs too, when you | |
3524 click on a link quickly without moving the mouse. The user can | |
3525 customize this behavior through the variable | |
3526 @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link}. | |
3527 | |
3528 To define text as a link at the Lisp level, you should bind the | |
3529 @code{mouse-2} event to a command to follow the link. Then, to indicate that | |
3530 @key{Mouse-1} should also follow the link, you should specify a | |
3531 @code{follow-link} condition either as a text property or as a key | |
3532 binding: | |
3533 | |
3534 @table @asis | |
3535 @item @code{follow-link} property | |
3536 If the clickable text has a non-@code{nil} @code{follow-link} text or overlay | |
3537 property, that specifies the condition. | |
3538 | |
3539 @item @code{follow-link} event | |
3540 If there is a binding for the @code{follow-link} event, either on the | |
3541 clickable text or in the local keymap, the binding is the condition. | |
3542 @end table | |
3543 | |
3544 Regardless of how you set the @code{follow-link} condition, its | |
3545 value is used as follows to determine whether the given position is | |
3546 inside a link, and (if so) to compute an @dfn{action code} saying how | |
3547 @key{Mouse-1} should handle the link. | |
3548 | |
3549 @table @asis | |
3550 @item @code{mouse-face} | |
3551 If the condition is @code{mouse-face}, a position is inside a link if | |
3552 there is a non-@code{nil} @code{mouse-face} property at that position. | |
3553 The action code is always @code{t}. | |
3554 | |
3555 For example, here is how Info mode handles @key{Mouse-1}: | |
3556 | |
3557 @smallexample | |
3558 (define-key Info-mode-map [follow-link] 'mouse-face) | |
3559 @end smallexample | |
3560 | |
3561 @item a function | |
3562 If the condition is a valid function, @var{func}, then a position | |
3563 @var{pos} is inside a link if @code{(@var{func} @var{pos})} evaluates | |
3564 to non-@code{nil}. The value returned by @var{func} serves as the | |
3565 action code. | |
3566 | |
3567 For example, here is how pcvs enables @key{Mouse-1} to follow links on | |
3568 file names only: | |
3569 | |
3570 @smallexample | |
3571 (define-key map [follow-link] | |
3572 (lambda (pos) | |
3573 (eq (get-char-property pos 'face) 'cvs-filename-face))) | |
3574 @end smallexample | |
3575 | |
3576 @item anything else | |
3577 If the condition value is anything else, then the position is inside a | |
3578 link and the condition itself is the action code. Clearly you should | |
3579 only specify this kind of condition on the text that constitutes a | |
3580 link. | |
3581 @end table | |
3582 | |
3583 @noindent | |
3584 The action code tells @key{Mouse-1} how to follow the link: | |
3585 | |
3586 @table @asis | |
3587 @item a string or vector | |
3588 If the action code is a string or vector, the @key{Mouse-1} event is | |
3589 translated into the first element of the string or vector; i.e., the | |
3590 action of the @key{Mouse-1} click is the local or global binding of | |
3591 that character or symbol. Thus, if the action code is @code{"foo"}, | |
3592 @key{Mouse-1} translates into @kbd{f}. If it is @code{[foo]}, | |
3593 @key{Mouse-1} translates into @key{foo}. | |
3594 | |
3595 @item anything else | |
3596 For any other non-@code{nil} action code, the @code{mouse-1} event is | |
3597 translated into a @code{mouse-2} event at the same position. | |
3598 @end table | |
3599 | |
3600 To define @key{Mouse-1} to activate a button defined with | |
3601 @code{define-button-type}, give the button a @code{follow-link} | |
3602 property with a value as specified above to determine how to follow | |
3603 the link. For example, here is how Help mode handles @key{Mouse-1}: | |
3604 | |
3605 @smallexample | |
3606 (define-button-type 'help-xref | |
3607 'follow-link t | |
3608 'action #'help-button-action) | |
3609 @end smallexample | |
3610 | |
3611 To define @key{Mouse-1} on a widget defined with | |
3612 @code{define-widget}, give the widget a @code{:follow-link} property | |
3613 with a value as specified above to determine how to follow the link. | |
3614 | |
3615 For example, here is how the @code{link} widget specifies that | |
3616 a @key{Mouse-1} click shall be translated to @key{RET}: | |
3617 | |
3618 @smallexample | |
3619 (define-widget 'link 'item | |
3620 "An embedded link." | |
3621 :button-prefix 'widget-link-prefix | |
3622 :button-suffix 'widget-link-suffix | |
3623 :follow-link "\C-m" | |
3624 :help-echo "Follow the link." | |
3625 :format "%[%t%]") | |
3626 @end smallexample | |
3627 | |
3628 @defun mouse-on-link-p pos | |
3629 This function returns non-@code{nil} if position @var{pos} in the | |
3630 current buffer is on a link. @var{pos} can also be a mouse event | |
87649 | 3631 location, as returned by @code{event-start} (@pxref{Accessing Mouse}). |
84103 | 3632 @end defun |
3633 | |
3634 @node Fields | |
3635 @subsection Defining and Using Fields | |
3636 @cindex fields | |
3637 | |
3638 A field is a range of consecutive characters in the buffer that are | |
3639 identified by having the same value (comparing with @code{eq}) of the | |
3640 @code{field} property (either a text-property or an overlay property). | |
3641 This section describes special functions that are available for | |
3642 operating on fields. | |
3643 | |
3644 You specify a field with a buffer position, @var{pos}. We think of | |
3645 each field as containing a range of buffer positions, so the position | |
3646 you specify stands for the field containing that position. | |
3647 | |
3648 When the characters before and after @var{pos} are part of the same | |
3649 field, there is no doubt which field contains @var{pos}: the one those | |
3650 characters both belong to. When @var{pos} is at a boundary between | |
3651 fields, which field it belongs to depends on the stickiness of the | |
3652 @code{field} properties of the two surrounding characters (@pxref{Sticky | |
3653 Properties}). The field whose property would be inherited by text | |
3654 inserted at @var{pos} is the field that contains @var{pos}. | |
3655 | |
3656 There is an anomalous case where newly inserted text at @var{pos} | |
3657 would not inherit the @code{field} property from either side. This | |
3658 happens if the previous character's @code{field} property is not | |
3659 rear-sticky, and the following character's @code{field} property is not | |
3660 front-sticky. In this case, @var{pos} belongs to neither the preceding | |
3661 field nor the following field; the field functions treat it as belonging | |
3662 to an empty field whose beginning and end are both at @var{pos}. | |
3663 | |
3664 In all of these functions, if @var{pos} is omitted or @code{nil}, the | |
3665 value of point is used by default. If narrowing is in effect, then | |
3666 @var{pos} should fall within the accessible portion. @xref{Narrowing}. | |
3667 | |
3668 @defun field-beginning &optional pos escape-from-edge limit | |
3669 This function returns the beginning of the field specified by @var{pos}. | |
3670 | |
3671 If @var{pos} is at the beginning of its field, and | |
3672 @var{escape-from-edge} is non-@code{nil}, then the return value is | |
3673 always the beginning of the preceding field that @emph{ends} at @var{pos}, | |
3674 regardless of the stickiness of the @code{field} properties around | |
3675 @var{pos}. | |
3676 | |
3677 If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it is a buffer position; if the | |
3678 beginning of the field is before @var{limit}, then @var{limit} will be | |
3679 returned instead. | |
3680 @end defun | |
3681 | |
3682 @defun field-end &optional pos escape-from-edge limit | |
3683 This function returns the end of the field specified by @var{pos}. | |
3684 | |
3685 If @var{pos} is at the end of its field, and @var{escape-from-edge} is | |
3686 non-@code{nil}, then the return value is always the end of the following | |
3687 field that @emph{begins} at @var{pos}, regardless of the stickiness of | |
3688 the @code{field} properties around @var{pos}. | |
3689 | |
3690 If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it is a buffer position; if the end | |
3691 of the field is after @var{limit}, then @var{limit} will be returned | |
3692 instead. | |
3693 @end defun | |
3694 | |
3695 @defun field-string &optional pos | |
3696 This function returns the contents of the field specified by @var{pos}, | |
3697 as a string. | |
3698 @end defun | |
3699 | |
3700 @defun field-string-no-properties &optional pos | |
3701 This function returns the contents of the field specified by @var{pos}, | |
3702 as a string, discarding text properties. | |
3703 @end defun | |
3704 | |
3705 @defun delete-field &optional pos | |
3706 This function deletes the text of the field specified by @var{pos}. | |
3707 @end defun | |
3708 | |
3709 @defun constrain-to-field new-pos old-pos &optional escape-from-edge only-in-line inhibit-capture-property | |
3710 This function ``constrains'' @var{new-pos} to the field that | |
3711 @var{old-pos} belongs to---in other words, it returns the position | |
3712 closest to @var{new-pos} that is in the same field as @var{old-pos}. | |
3713 | |
3714 If @var{new-pos} is @code{nil}, then @code{constrain-to-field} uses | |
3715 the value of point instead, and moves point to the resulting position | |
3716 as well as returning it. | |
3717 | |
3718 If @var{old-pos} is at the boundary of two fields, then the acceptable | |
3719 final positions depend on the argument @var{escape-from-edge}. If | |
3720 @var{escape-from-edge} is @code{nil}, then @var{new-pos} must be in | |
3721 the field whose @code{field} property equals what new characters | |
3722 inserted at @var{old-pos} would inherit. (This depends on the | |
3723 stickiness of the @code{field} property for the characters before and | |
3724 after @var{old-pos}.) If @var{escape-from-edge} is non-@code{nil}, | |
3725 @var{new-pos} can be anywhere in the two adjacent fields. | |
3726 Additionally, if two fields are separated by another field with the | |
3727 special value @code{boundary}, then any point within this special | |
3728 field is also considered to be ``on the boundary.'' | |
3729 | |
3730 Commands like @kbd{C-a} with no argumemt, that normally move backward | |
3731 to a specific kind of location and stay there once there, probably | |
3732 should specify @code{nil} for @var{escape-from-edge}. Other motion | |
3733 commands that check fields should probably pass @code{t}. | |
3734 | |
3735 If the optional argument @var{only-in-line} is non-@code{nil}, and | |
3736 constraining @var{new-pos} in the usual way would move it to a different | |
3737 line, @var{new-pos} is returned unconstrained. This used in commands | |
3738 that move by line, such as @code{next-line} and | |
3739 @code{beginning-of-line}, so that they respect field boundaries only in | |
3740 the case where they can still move to the right line. | |
3741 | |
3742 If the optional argument @var{inhibit-capture-property} is | |
3743 non-@code{nil}, and @var{old-pos} has a non-@code{nil} property of that | |
3744 name, then any field boundaries are ignored. | |
3745 | |
3746 You can cause @code{constrain-to-field} to ignore all field boundaries | |
3747 (and so never constrain anything) by binding the variable | |
3748 @code{inhibit-field-text-motion} to a non-@code{nil} value. | |
3749 @end defun | |
3750 | |
3751 @node Not Intervals | |
3752 @subsection Why Text Properties are not Intervals | |
3753 @cindex intervals | |
3754 | |
3755 Some editors that support adding attributes to text in the buffer do | |
3756 so by letting the user specify ``intervals'' within the text, and adding | |
3757 the properties to the intervals. Those editors permit the user or the | |
3758 programmer to determine where individual intervals start and end. We | |
3759 deliberately provided a different sort of interface in Emacs Lisp to | |
3760 avoid certain paradoxical behavior associated with text modification. | |
3761 | |
3762 If the actual subdivision into intervals is meaningful, that means you | |
3763 can distinguish between a buffer that is just one interval with a | |
3764 certain property, and a buffer containing the same text subdivided into | |
3765 two intervals, both of which have that property. | |
3766 | |
3767 Suppose you take the buffer with just one interval and kill part of | |
3768 the text. The text remaining in the buffer is one interval, and the | |
3769 copy in the kill ring (and the undo list) becomes a separate interval. | |
3770 Then if you yank back the killed text, you get two intervals with the | |
3771 same properties. Thus, editing does not preserve the distinction | |
3772 between one interval and two. | |
3773 | |
3774 Suppose we ``fix'' this problem by coalescing the two intervals when | |
3775 the text is inserted. That works fine if the buffer originally was a | |
3776 single interval. But suppose instead that we have two adjacent | |
3777 intervals with the same properties, and we kill the text of one interval | |
3778 and yank it back. The same interval-coalescence feature that rescues | |
3779 the other case causes trouble in this one: after yanking, we have just | |
3780 one interval. One again, editing does not preserve the distinction | |
3781 between one interval and two. | |
3782 | |
3783 Insertion of text at the border between intervals also raises | |
3784 questions that have no satisfactory answer. | |
3785 | |
3786 However, it is easy to arrange for editing to behave consistently for | |
3787 questions of the form, ``What are the properties of this character?'' | |
3788 So we have decided these are the only questions that make sense; we have | |
3789 not implemented asking questions about where intervals start or end. | |
3790 | |
3791 In practice, you can usually use the text property search functions in | |
3792 place of explicit interval boundaries. You can think of them as finding | |
3793 the boundaries of intervals, assuming that intervals are always | |
3794 coalesced whenever possible. @xref{Property Search}. | |
3795 | |
3796 Emacs also provides explicit intervals as a presentation feature; see | |
3797 @ref{Overlays}. | |
3798 | |
3799 @node Substitution | |
3800 @section Substituting for a Character Code | |
3801 | |
3802 The following functions replace characters within a specified region | |
3803 based on their character codes. | |
3804 | |
3805 @defun subst-char-in-region start end old-char new-char &optional noundo | |
3806 @cindex replace characters | |
3807 This function replaces all occurrences of the character @var{old-char} | |
3808 with the character @var{new-char} in the region of the current buffer | |
3809 defined by @var{start} and @var{end}. | |
3810 | |
3811 @cindex undo avoidance | |
3812 If @var{noundo} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{subst-char-in-region} does | |
3813 not record the change for undo and does not mark the buffer as modified. | |
3814 This was useful for controlling the old selective display feature | |
3815 (@pxref{Selective Display}). | |
3816 | |
3817 @code{subst-char-in-region} does not move point and returns | |
3818 @code{nil}. | |
3819 | |
3820 @example | |
3821 @group | |
3822 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3823 This is the contents of the buffer before. | |
3824 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3825 @end group | |
3826 | |
3827 @group | |
3828 (subst-char-in-region 1 20 ?i ?X) | |
3829 @result{} nil | |
3830 | |
3831 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3832 ThXs Xs the contents of the buffer before. | |
3833 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- | |
3834 @end group | |
3835 @end example | |
3836 @end defun | |
3837 | |
3838 @defun translate-region start end table | |
3839 This function applies a translation table to the characters in the | |
3840 buffer between positions @var{start} and @var{end}. | |
3841 | |
3842 The translation table @var{table} is a string or a char-table; | |
3843 @code{(aref @var{table} @var{ochar})} gives the translated character | |
3844 corresponding to @var{ochar}. If @var{table} is a string, any | |
3845 characters with codes larger than the length of @var{table} are not | |
3846 altered by the translation. | |
3847 | |
3848 The return value of @code{translate-region} is the number of | |
3849 characters that were actually changed by the translation. This does | |
3850 not count characters that were mapped into themselves in the | |
3851 translation table. | |
3852 @end defun | |
3853 | |
3854 @node Registers | |
3855 @section Registers | |
3856 @cindex registers | |
3857 | |
3858 A register is a sort of variable used in Emacs editing that can hold a | |
3859 variety of different kinds of values. Each register is named by a | |
3860 single character. All @acronym{ASCII} characters and their meta variants | |
3861 (but with the exception of @kbd{C-g}) can be used to name registers. | |
3862 Thus, there are 255 possible registers. A register is designated in | |
3863 Emacs Lisp by the character that is its name. | |
3864 | |
3865 @defvar register-alist | |
3866 This variable is an alist of elements of the form @code{(@var{name} . | |
3867 @var{contents})}. Normally, there is one element for each Emacs | |
3868 register that has been used. | |
3869 | |
3870 The object @var{name} is a character (an integer) identifying the | |
3871 register. | |
3872 @end defvar | |
3873 | |
3874 The @var{contents} of a register can have several possible types: | |
3875 | |
3876 @table @asis | |
3877 @item a number | |
3878 A number stands for itself. If @code{insert-register} finds a number | |
3879 in the register, it converts the number to decimal. | |
3880 | |
3881 @item a marker | |
3882 A marker represents a buffer position to jump to. | |
3883 | |
3884 @item a string | |
3885 A string is text saved in the register. | |
3886 | |
3887 @item a rectangle | |
3888 A rectangle is represented by a list of strings. | |
3889 | |
3890 @item @code{(@var{window-configuration} @var{position})} | |
3891 This represents a window configuration to restore in one frame, and a | |
3892 position to jump to in the current buffer. | |
3893 | |
3894 @item @code{(@var{frame-configuration} @var{position})} | |
3895 This represents a frame configuration to restore, and a position | |
3896 to jump to in the current buffer. | |
3897 | |
3898 @item (file @var{filename}) | |
3899 This represents a file to visit; jumping to this value visits file | |
3900 @var{filename}. | |
3901 | |
3902 @item (file-query @var{filename} @var{position}) | |
3903 This represents a file to visit and a position in it; jumping to this | |
3904 value visits file @var{filename} and goes to buffer position | |
3905 @var{position}. Restoring this type of position asks the user for | |
3906 confirmation first. | |
3907 @end table | |
3908 | |
3909 The functions in this section return unpredictable values unless | |
3910 otherwise stated. | |
3911 | |
3912 @defun get-register reg | |
3913 This function returns the contents of the register | |
3914 @var{reg}, or @code{nil} if it has no contents. | |
3915 @end defun | |
3916 | |
3917 @defun set-register reg value | |
3918 This function sets the contents of register @var{reg} to @var{value}. | |
3919 A register can be set to any value, but the other register functions | |
3920 expect only certain data types. The return value is @var{value}. | |
3921 @end defun | |
3922 | |
3923 @deffn Command view-register reg | |
3924 This command displays what is contained in register @var{reg}. | |
3925 @end deffn | |
3926 | |
3927 @ignore | |
3928 @deffn Command point-to-register reg | |
3929 This command stores both the current location of point and the current | |
3930 buffer in register @var{reg} as a marker. | |
3931 @end deffn | |
3932 | |
3933 @deffn Command jump-to-register reg | |
3934 @deffnx Command register-to-point reg | |
3935 @comment !!SourceFile register.el | |
3936 This command restores the status recorded in register @var{reg}. | |
3937 | |
3938 If @var{reg} contains a marker, it moves point to the position stored in | |
3939 the marker. Since both the buffer and the location within the buffer | |
3940 are stored by the @code{point-to-register} function, this command can | |
3941 switch you to another buffer. | |
3942 | |
3943 If @var{reg} contains a window configuration or a frame configuration. | |
3944 @code{jump-to-register} restores that configuration. | |
3945 @end deffn | |
3946 @end ignore | |
3947 | |
3948 @deffn Command insert-register reg &optional beforep | |
3949 This command inserts contents of register @var{reg} into the current | |
3950 buffer. | |
3951 | |
3952 Normally, this command puts point before the inserted text, and the | |
3953 mark after it. However, if the optional second argument @var{beforep} | |
3954 is non-@code{nil}, it puts the mark before and point after. | |
3955 You can pass a non-@code{nil} second argument @var{beforep} to this | |
3956 function interactively by supplying any prefix argument. | |
3957 | |
3958 If the register contains a rectangle, then the rectangle is inserted | |
3959 with its upper left corner at point. This means that text is inserted | |
3960 in the current line and underneath it on successive lines. | |
3961 | |
3962 If the register contains something other than saved text (a string) or | |
3963 a rectangle (a list), currently useless things happen. This may be | |
3964 changed in the future. | |
3965 @end deffn | |
3966 | |
3967 @ignore | |
3968 @deffn Command copy-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag | |
3969 This command copies the region from @var{start} to @var{end} into | |
3970 register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is non-@code{nil}, it deletes | |
3971 the region from the buffer after copying it into the register. | |
3972 @end deffn | |
3973 | |
3974 @deffn Command prepend-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag | |
3975 This command prepends the region from @var{start} to @var{end} into | |
3976 register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is non-@code{nil}, it deletes | |
3977 the region from the buffer after copying it to the register. | |
3978 @end deffn | |
3979 | |
3980 @deffn Command append-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag | |
3981 This command appends the region from @var{start} to @var{end} to the | |
3982 text already in register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is | |
3983 non-@code{nil}, it deletes the region from the buffer after copying it | |
3984 to the register. | |
3985 @end deffn | |
3986 | |
3987 @deffn Command copy-rectangle-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag | |
3988 This command copies a rectangular region from @var{start} to @var{end} | |
3989 into register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is non-@code{nil}, it | |
3990 deletes the region from the buffer after copying it to the register. | |
3991 @end deffn | |
3992 | |
3993 @deffn Command window-configuration-to-register reg | |
3994 This function stores the window configuration of the selected frame in | |
3995 register @var{reg}. | |
3996 @end deffn | |
3997 | |
3998 @deffn Command frame-configuration-to-register reg | |
3999 This function stores the current frame configuration in register | |
4000 @var{reg}. | |
4001 @end deffn | |
4002 @end ignore | |
4003 | |
4004 @node Transposition | |
4005 @section Transposition of Text | |
4006 | |
4007 This subroutine is used by the transposition commands. | |
4008 | |
4009 @defun transpose-regions start1 end1 start2 end2 &optional leave-markers | |
4010 This function exchanges two nonoverlapping portions of the buffer. | |
4011 Arguments @var{start1} and @var{end1} specify the bounds of one portion | |
4012 and arguments @var{start2} and @var{end2} specify the bounds of the | |
4013 other portion. | |
4014 | |
4015 Normally, @code{transpose-regions} relocates markers with the transposed | |
4016 text; a marker previously positioned within one of the two transposed | |
4017 portions moves along with that portion, thus remaining between the same | |
4018 two characters in their new position. However, if @var{leave-markers} | |
4019 is non-@code{nil}, @code{transpose-regions} does not do this---it leaves | |
4020 all markers unrelocated. | |
4021 @end defun | |
4022 | |
4023 @node Base 64 | |
4024 @section Base 64 Encoding | |
4025 @cindex base 64 encoding | |
4026 | |
4027 Base 64 code is used in email to encode a sequence of 8-bit bytes as | |
4028 a longer sequence of @acronym{ASCII} graphic characters. It is defined in | |
4029 Internet RFC@footnote{ | |
4030 An RFC, an acronym for @dfn{Request for Comments}, is a numbered | |
4031 Internet informational document describing a standard. RFCs are | |
4032 usually written by technical experts acting on their own initiative, | |
4033 and are traditionally written in a pragmatic, experience-driven | |
4034 manner. | |
4035 }2045. This section describes the functions for | |
4036 converting to and from this code. | |
4037 | |
4038 @defun base64-encode-region beg end &optional no-line-break | |
4039 This function converts the region from @var{beg} to @var{end} into base | |
4040 64 code. It returns the length of the encoded text. An error is | |
4041 signaled if a character in the region is multibyte, i.e.@: in a | |
4042 multibyte buffer the region must contain only characters from the | |
4043 charsets @code{ascii}, @code{eight-bit-control} and | |
4044 @code{eight-bit-graphic}. | |
4045 | |
4046 Normally, this function inserts newline characters into the encoded | |
4047 text, to avoid overlong lines. However, if the optional argument | |
4048 @var{no-line-break} is non-@code{nil}, these newlines are not added, so | |
4049 the output is just one long line. | |
4050 @end defun | |
4051 | |
4052 @defun base64-encode-string string &optional no-line-break | |
4053 This function converts the string @var{string} into base 64 code. It | |
4054 returns a string containing the encoded text. As for | |
4055 @code{base64-encode-region}, an error is signaled if a character in the | |
4056 string is multibyte. | |
4057 | |
4058 Normally, this function inserts newline characters into the encoded | |
4059 text, to avoid overlong lines. However, if the optional argument | |
4060 @var{no-line-break} is non-@code{nil}, these newlines are not added, so | |
4061 the result string is just one long line. | |
4062 @end defun | |
4063 | |
4064 @defun base64-decode-region beg end | |
4065 This function converts the region from @var{beg} to @var{end} from base | |
4066 64 code into the corresponding decoded text. It returns the length of | |
4067 the decoded text. | |
4068 | |
4069 The decoding functions ignore newline characters in the encoded text. | |
4070 @end defun | |
4071 | |
4072 @defun base64-decode-string string | |
4073 This function converts the string @var{string} from base 64 code into | |
4074 the corresponding decoded text. It returns a unibyte string containing the | |
4075 decoded text. | |
4076 | |
4077 The decoding functions ignore newline characters in the encoded text. | |
4078 @end defun | |
4079 | |
4080 @node MD5 Checksum | |
4081 @section MD5 Checksum | |
4082 @cindex MD5 checksum | |
4083 @cindex message digest computation | |
4084 | |
4085 MD5 cryptographic checksums, or @dfn{message digests}, are 128-bit | |
4086 ``fingerprints'' of a document or program. They are used to verify | |
4087 that you have an exact and unaltered copy of the data. The algorithm | |
4088 to calculate the MD5 message digest is defined in Internet | |
4089 RFC@footnote{ | |
4090 For an explanation of what is an RFC, see the footnote in @ref{Base | |
4091 64}. | |
4092 }1321. This section describes the Emacs facilities for computing | |
4093 message digests. | |
4094 | |
4095 @defun md5 object &optional start end coding-system noerror | |
4096 This function returns the MD5 message digest of @var{object}, which | |
4097 should be a buffer or a string. | |
4098 | |
4099 The two optional arguments @var{start} and @var{end} are character | |
4100 positions specifying the portion of @var{object} to compute the | |
4101 message digest for. If they are @code{nil} or omitted, the digest is | |
4102 computed for the whole of @var{object}. | |
4103 | |
4104 The function @code{md5} does not compute the message digest directly | |
4105 from the internal Emacs representation of the text (@pxref{Text | |
4106 Representations}). Instead, it encodes the text using a coding | |
4107 system, and computes the message digest from the encoded text. The | |
4108 optional fourth argument @var{coding-system} specifies which coding | |
4109 system to use for encoding the text. It should be the same coding | |
4110 system that you used to read the text, or that you used or will use | |
4111 when saving or sending the text. @xref{Coding Systems}, for more | |
4112 information about coding systems. | |
4113 | |
4114 If @var{coding-system} is @code{nil} or omitted, the default depends | |
4115 on @var{object}. If @var{object} is a buffer, the default for | |
4116 @var{coding-system} is whatever coding system would be chosen by | |
4117 default for writing this text into a file. If @var{object} is a | |
4118 string, the user's most preferred coding system (@pxref{Recognize | |
4119 Coding, prefer-coding-system, the description of | |
4120 @code{prefer-coding-system}, emacs, GNU Emacs Manual}) is used. | |
4121 | |
4122 Normally, @code{md5} signals an error if the text can't be encoded | |
4123 using the specified or chosen coding system. However, if | |
4124 @var{noerror} is non-@code{nil}, it silently uses @code{raw-text} | |
4125 coding instead. | |
4126 @end defun | |
4127 | |
4128 @node Atomic Changes | |
4129 @section Atomic Change Groups | |
4130 @cindex atomic changes | |
4131 | |
4132 In data base terminology, an @dfn{atomic} change is an indivisible | |
4133 change---it can succeed entirely or it can fail entirely, but it | |
4134 cannot partly succeed. A Lisp program can make a series of changes to | |
4135 one or several buffers as an @dfn{atomic change group}, meaning that | |
4136 either the entire series of changes will be installed in their buffers | |
4137 or, in case of an error, none of them will be. | |
4138 | |
4139 To do this for one buffer, the one already current, simply write a | |
4140 call to @code{atomic-change-group} around the code that makes the | |
4141 changes, like this: | |
4142 | |
4143 @example | |
4144 (atomic-change-group | |
4145 (insert foo) | |
4146 (delete-region x y)) | |
4147 @end example | |
4148 | |
4149 @noindent | |
4150 If an error (or other nonlocal exit) occurs inside the body of | |
4151 @code{atomic-change-group}, it unmakes all the changes in that buffer | |
4152 that were during the execution of the body. This kind of change group | |
4153 has no effect on any other buffers---any such changes remain. | |
4154 | |
4155 If you need something more sophisticated, such as to make changes in | |
4156 various buffers constitute one atomic group, you must directly call | |
4157 lower-level functions that @code{atomic-change-group} uses. | |
4158 | |
4159 @defun prepare-change-group &optional buffer | |
4160 This function sets up a change group for buffer @var{buffer}, which | |
4161 defaults to the current buffer. It returns a ``handle'' that | |
4162 represents the change group. You must use this handle to activate the | |
4163 change group and subsequently to finish it. | |
4164 @end defun | |
4165 | |
4166 To use the change group, you must @dfn{activate} it. You must do | |
4167 this before making any changes in the text of @var{buffer}. | |
4168 | |
4169 @defun activate-change-group handle | |
4170 This function activates the change group that @var{handle} designates. | |
4171 @end defun | |
4172 | |
4173 After you activate the change group, any changes you make in that | |
4174 buffer become part of it. Once you have made all the desired changes | |
4175 in the buffer, you must @dfn{finish} the change group. There are two | |
4176 ways to do this: you can either accept (and finalize) all the changes, | |
4177 or cancel them all. | |
4178 | |
4179 @defun accept-change-group handle | |
4180 This function accepts all the changes in the change group specified by | |
4181 @var{handle}, making them final. | |
4182 @end defun | |
4183 | |
4184 @defun cancel-change-group handle | |
4185 This function cancels and undoes all the changes in the change group | |
4186 specified by @var{handle}. | |
4187 @end defun | |
4188 | |
4189 Your code should use @code{unwind-protect} to make sure the group is | |
4190 always finished. The call to @code{activate-change-group} should be | |
4191 inside the @code{unwind-protect}, in case the user types @kbd{C-g} | |
4192 just after it runs. (This is one reason why | |
4193 @code{prepare-change-group} and @code{activate-change-group} are | |
4194 separate functions, because normally you would call | |
4195 @code{prepare-change-group} before the start of that | |
4196 @code{unwind-protect}.) Once you finish the group, don't use the | |
4197 handle again---in particular, don't try to finish the same group | |
4198 twice. | |
4199 | |
4200 To make a multibuffer change group, call @code{prepare-change-group} | |
4201 once for each buffer you want to cover, then use @code{nconc} to | |
4202 combine the returned values, like this: | |
4203 | |
4204 @example | |
4205 (nconc (prepare-change-group buffer-1) | |
4206 (prepare-change-group buffer-2)) | |
4207 @end example | |
4208 | |
4209 You can then activate the multibuffer change group with a single call | |
4210 to @code{activate-change-group}, and finish it with a single call to | |
4211 @code{accept-change-group} or @code{cancel-change-group}. | |
4212 | |
4213 Nested use of several change groups for the same buffer works as you | |
4214 would expect. Non-nested use of change groups for the same buffer | |
4215 will get Emacs confused, so don't let it happen; the first change | |
4216 group you start for any given buffer should be the last one finished. | |
4217 | |
4218 @node Change Hooks | |
4219 @section Change Hooks | |
4220 @cindex change hooks | |
4221 @cindex hooks for text changes | |
4222 | |
4223 These hook variables let you arrange to take notice of all changes in | |
4224 all buffers (or in a particular buffer, if you make them buffer-local). | |
4225 See also @ref{Special Properties}, for how to detect changes to specific | |
4226 parts of the text. | |
4227 | |
4228 The functions you use in these hooks should save and restore the match | |
4229 data if they do anything that uses regular expressions; otherwise, they | |
4230 will interfere in bizarre ways with the editing operations that call | |
4231 them. | |
4232 | |
4233 @defvar before-change-functions | |
4234 This variable holds a list of functions to call before any buffer | |
4235 modification. Each function gets two arguments, the beginning and end | |
4236 of the region that is about to change, represented as integers. The | |
4237 buffer that is about to change is always the current buffer. | |
4238 @end defvar | |
4239 | |
4240 @defvar after-change-functions | |
4241 This variable holds a list of functions to call after any buffer | |
4242 modification. Each function receives three arguments: the beginning and | |
4243 end of the region just changed, and the length of the text that existed | |
4244 before the change. All three arguments are integers. The buffer that's | |
4245 about to change is always the current buffer. | |
4246 | |
4247 The length of the old text is the difference between the buffer positions | |
4248 before and after that text as it was before the change. As for the | |
4249 changed text, its length is simply the difference between the first two | |
4250 arguments. | |
4251 @end defvar | |
4252 | |
4253 Output of messages into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer does not | |
4254 call these functions. | |
4255 | |
4256 @defmac combine-after-change-calls body@dots{} | |
4257 The macro executes @var{body} normally, but arranges to call the | |
4258 after-change functions just once for a series of several changes---if | |
4259 that seems safe. | |
4260 | |
4261 If a program makes several text changes in the same area of the buffer, | |
4262 using the macro @code{combine-after-change-calls} around that part of | |
4263 the program can make it run considerably faster when after-change hooks | |
4264 are in use. When the after-change hooks are ultimately called, the | |
4265 arguments specify a portion of the buffer including all of the changes | |
4266 made within the @code{combine-after-change-calls} body. | |
4267 | |
4268 @strong{Warning:} You must not alter the values of | |
4269 @code{after-change-functions} within | |
4270 the body of a @code{combine-after-change-calls} form. | |
4271 | |
4272 @strong{Warning:} if the changes you combine occur in widely scattered | |
4273 parts of the buffer, this will still work, but it is not advisable, | |
4274 because it may lead to inefficient behavior for some change hook | |
4275 functions. | |
4276 @end defmac | |
4277 | |
4278 @defvar first-change-hook | |
4279 This variable is a normal hook that is run whenever a buffer is changed | |
4280 that was previously in the unmodified state. | |
4281 @end defvar | |
4282 | |
4283 @defvar inhibit-modification-hooks | |
4284 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, all of the change hooks are | |
4285 disabled; none of them run. This affects all the hook variables | |
4286 described above in this section, as well as the hooks attached to | |
4287 certain special text properties (@pxref{Special Properties}) and overlay | |
4288 properties (@pxref{Overlay Properties}). | |
4289 | |
4290 Also, this variable is bound to non-@code{nil} while running those | |
4291 same hook variables, so that by default modifying the buffer from | |
4292 a modification hook does not cause other modification hooks to be run. | |
4293 If you do want modification hooks to be run in a particular piece of | |
4294 code that is itself run from a modification hook, then rebind locally | |
4295 @code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{nil}. | |
4296 @end defvar | |
4297 | |
4298 @ignore | |
4299 arch-tag: 3721e738-a1cb-4085-bc1a-6cb8d8e1d32b | |
4300 @end ignore |