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annotate doc/lispref/modes.texi @ 86872:8e090ad2134b
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author | Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org> |
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date | Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:46:29 +0000 |
parents | 0ba80d073e27 |
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84089 | 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, 2001, | |
4 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. | |
5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. | |
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6 @setfilename ../../info/modes |
84089 | 7 @node Modes, Documentation, Keymaps, Top |
8 @chapter Major and Minor Modes | |
9 @cindex mode | |
10 | |
11 A @dfn{mode} is a set of definitions that customize Emacs and can be | |
12 turned on and off while you edit. There are two varieties of modes: | |
13 @dfn{major modes}, which are mutually exclusive and used for editing | |
14 particular kinds of text, and @dfn{minor modes}, which provide features | |
15 that users can enable individually. | |
16 | |
17 This chapter describes how to write both major and minor modes, how to | |
18 indicate them in the mode line, and how they run hooks supplied by the | |
19 user. For related topics such as keymaps and syntax tables, see | |
20 @ref{Keymaps}, and @ref{Syntax Tables}. | |
21 | |
22 @menu | |
23 * Hooks:: How to use hooks; how to write code that provides hooks. | |
24 * Major Modes:: Defining major modes. | |
25 * Minor Modes:: Defining minor modes. | |
26 * Mode Line Format:: Customizing the text that appears in the mode line. | |
27 * Imenu:: How a mode can provide a menu | |
28 of definitions in the buffer. | |
29 * Font Lock Mode:: How modes can highlight text according to syntax. | |
30 * Desktop Save Mode:: How modes can have buffer state saved between | |
31 Emacs sessions. | |
32 @end menu | |
33 | |
34 @node Hooks | |
35 @section Hooks | |
36 @cindex hooks | |
37 | |
38 A @dfn{hook} is a variable where you can store a function or functions | |
39 to be called on a particular occasion by an existing program. Emacs | |
40 provides hooks for the sake of customization. Most often, hooks are set | |
41 up in the init file (@pxref{Init File}), but Lisp programs can set them also. | |
42 @xref{Standard Hooks}, for a list of standard hook variables. | |
43 | |
44 @cindex normal hook | |
45 Most of the hooks in Emacs are @dfn{normal hooks}. These variables | |
46 contain lists of functions to be called with no arguments. By | |
47 convention, whenever the hook name ends in @samp{-hook}, that tells | |
48 you it is normal. We try to make all hooks normal, as much as | |
49 possible, so that you can use them in a uniform way. | |
50 | |
51 Every major mode function is supposed to run a normal hook called | |
52 the @dfn{mode hook} as the one of the last steps of initialization. | |
53 This makes it easy for a user to customize the behavior of the mode, | |
54 by overriding the buffer-local variable assignments already made by | |
55 the mode. Most minor mode functions also run a mode hook at the end. | |
56 But hooks are used in other contexts too. For example, the hook | |
57 @code{suspend-hook} runs just before Emacs suspends itself | |
58 (@pxref{Suspending Emacs}). | |
59 | |
60 The recommended way to add a hook function to a normal hook is by | |
61 calling @code{add-hook} (see below). The hook functions may be any of | |
62 the valid kinds of functions that @code{funcall} accepts (@pxref{What | |
63 Is a Function}). Most normal hook variables are initially void; | |
64 @code{add-hook} knows how to deal with this. You can add hooks either | |
65 globally or buffer-locally with @code{add-hook}. | |
66 | |
67 @cindex abnormal hook | |
68 If the hook variable's name does not end with @samp{-hook}, that | |
69 indicates it is probably an @dfn{abnormal hook}. That means the hook | |
70 functions are called with arguments, or their return values are used | |
71 in some way. The hook's documentation says how the functions are | |
72 called. You can use @code{add-hook} to add a function to an abnormal | |
73 hook, but you must write the function to follow the hook's calling | |
74 convention. | |
75 | |
76 By convention, abnormal hook names end in @samp{-functions} or | |
77 @samp{-hooks}. If the variable's name ends in @samp{-function}, then | |
78 its value is just a single function, not a list of functions. | |
79 | |
80 Here's an example that uses a mode hook to turn on Auto Fill mode when | |
81 in Lisp Interaction mode: | |
82 | |
83 @example | |
84 (add-hook 'lisp-interaction-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill) | |
85 @end example | |
86 | |
87 At the appropriate time, Emacs uses the @code{run-hooks} function to | |
88 run particular hooks. | |
89 | |
90 @defun run-hooks &rest hookvars | |
91 This function takes one or more normal hook variable names as | |
92 arguments, and runs each hook in turn. Each argument should be a | |
93 symbol that is a normal hook variable. These arguments are processed | |
94 in the order specified. | |
95 | |
96 If a hook variable has a non-@code{nil} value, that value should be a | |
97 list of functions. @code{run-hooks} calls all the functions, one by | |
98 one, with no arguments. | |
99 | |
100 The hook variable's value can also be a single function---either a | |
101 lambda expression or a symbol with a function definition---which | |
102 @code{run-hooks} calls. But this usage is obsolete. | |
103 @end defun | |
104 | |
105 @defun run-hook-with-args hook &rest args | |
106 This function is the way to run an abnormal hook and always call all | |
107 of the hook functions. It calls each of the hook functions one by | |
108 one, passing each of them the arguments @var{args}. | |
109 @end defun | |
110 | |
111 @defun run-hook-with-args-until-failure hook &rest args | |
112 This function is the way to run an abnormal hook until one of the hook | |
113 functions fails. It calls each of the hook functions, passing each of | |
114 them the arguments @var{args}, until some hook function returns | |
115 @code{nil}. It then stops and returns @code{nil}. If none of the | |
116 hook functions return @code{nil}, it returns a non-@code{nil} value. | |
117 @end defun | |
118 | |
119 @defun run-hook-with-args-until-success hook &rest args | |
120 This function is the way to run an abnormal hook until a hook function | |
121 succeeds. It calls each of the hook functions, passing each of them | |
122 the arguments @var{args}, until some hook function returns | |
123 non-@code{nil}. Then it stops, and returns whatever was returned by | |
124 the last hook function that was called. If all hook functions return | |
125 @code{nil}, it returns @code{nil} as well. | |
126 @end defun | |
127 | |
128 @defun add-hook hook function &optional append local | |
129 This function is the handy way to add function @var{function} to hook | |
130 variable @var{hook}. You can use it for abnormal hooks as well as for | |
131 normal hooks. @var{function} can be any Lisp function that can accept | |
132 the proper number of arguments for @var{hook}. For example, | |
133 | |
134 @example | |
135 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'my-text-hook-function) | |
136 @end example | |
137 | |
138 @noindent | |
139 adds @code{my-text-hook-function} to the hook called @code{text-mode-hook}. | |
140 | |
141 If @var{function} is already present in @var{hook} (comparing using | |
142 @code{equal}), then @code{add-hook} does not add it a second time. | |
143 | |
144 It is best to design your hook functions so that the order in which they | |
145 are executed does not matter. Any dependence on the order is ``asking | |
146 for trouble.'' However, the order is predictable: normally, | |
147 @var{function} goes at the front of the hook list, so it will be | |
148 executed first (barring another @code{add-hook} call). If the optional | |
149 argument @var{append} is non-@code{nil}, the new hook function goes at | |
150 the end of the hook list and will be executed last. | |
151 | |
152 @code{add-hook} can handle the cases where @var{hook} is void or its | |
153 value is a single function; it sets or changes the value to a list of | |
154 functions. | |
155 | |
156 If @var{local} is non-@code{nil}, that says to add @var{function} to | |
157 the buffer-local hook list instead of to the global hook list. If | |
158 needed, this makes the hook buffer-local and adds @code{t} to the | |
159 buffer-local value. The latter acts as a flag to run the hook | |
160 functions in the default value as well as in the local value. | |
161 @end defun | |
162 | |
163 @defun remove-hook hook function &optional local | |
164 This function removes @var{function} from the hook variable | |
165 @var{hook}. It compares @var{function} with elements of @var{hook} | |
166 using @code{equal}, so it works for both symbols and lambda | |
167 expressions. | |
168 | |
169 If @var{local} is non-@code{nil}, that says to remove @var{function} | |
170 from the buffer-local hook list instead of from the global hook list. | |
171 @end defun | |
172 | |
173 @node Major Modes | |
174 @section Major Modes | |
175 @cindex major mode | |
176 | |
177 Major modes specialize Emacs for editing particular kinds of text. | |
178 Each buffer has only one major mode at a time. For each major mode | |
179 there is a function to switch to that mode in the current buffer; its | |
180 name should end in @samp{-mode}. These functions work by setting | |
181 buffer-local variable bindings and other data associated with the | |
182 buffer, such as a local keymap. The effect lasts until you switch | |
183 to another major mode in the same buffer. | |
184 | |
185 @menu | |
186 * Major Mode Basics:: | |
187 * Major Mode Conventions:: Coding conventions for keymaps, etc. | |
188 * Auto Major Mode:: How Emacs chooses the major mode automatically. | |
189 * Mode Help:: Finding out how to use a mode. | |
190 * Derived Modes:: Defining a new major mode based on another major | |
191 mode. | |
192 * Generic Modes:: Defining a simple major mode that supports | |
193 comment syntax and Font Lock mode. | |
194 * Mode Hooks:: Hooks run at the end of major mode functions. | |
195 * Example Major Modes:: Text mode and Lisp modes. | |
196 @end menu | |
197 | |
198 @node Major Mode Basics | |
199 @subsection Major Mode Basics | |
200 @cindex Fundamental mode | |
201 | |
202 The least specialized major mode is called @dfn{Fundamental mode}. | |
203 This mode has no mode-specific definitions or variable settings, so each | |
204 Emacs command behaves in its default manner, and each option is in its | |
205 default state. All other major modes redefine various keys and options. | |
206 For example, Lisp Interaction mode provides special key bindings for | |
207 @kbd{C-j} (@code{eval-print-last-sexp}), @key{TAB} | |
208 (@code{lisp-indent-line}), and other keys. | |
209 | |
210 When you need to write several editing commands to help you perform a | |
211 specialized editing task, creating a new major mode is usually a good | |
212 idea. In practice, writing a major mode is easy (in contrast to | |
213 writing a minor mode, which is often difficult). | |
214 | |
215 If the new mode is similar to an old one, it is often unwise to | |
216 modify the old one to serve two purposes, since it may become harder | |
217 to use and maintain. Instead, copy and rename an existing major mode | |
218 definition and alter the copy---or use @code{define-derived-mode} to | |
219 define a @dfn{derived mode} (@pxref{Derived Modes}). For example, | |
220 Rmail Edit mode is a major mode that is very similar to Text mode | |
221 except that it provides two additional commands. Its definition is | |
222 distinct from that of Text mode, but uses that of Text mode. | |
223 | |
224 Even if the new mode is not an obvious derivative of any other mode, | |
225 it is convenient to use @code{define-derived-mode} with a @code{nil} | |
226 parent argument, since it automatically enforces the most important | |
227 coding conventions for you. | |
228 | |
229 For a very simple programming language major mode that handles | |
230 comments and fontification, you can use @code{define-generic-mode}. | |
231 @xref{Generic Modes}. | |
232 | |
233 Rmail Edit mode offers an example of changing the major mode | |
234 temporarily for a buffer, so it can be edited in a different way (with | |
235 ordinary Emacs commands rather than Rmail commands). In such cases, the | |
236 temporary major mode usually provides a command to switch back to the | |
237 buffer's usual mode (Rmail mode, in this case). You might be tempted to | |
238 present the temporary redefinitions inside a recursive edit and restore | |
239 the usual ones when the user exits; but this is a bad idea because it | |
240 constrains the user's options when it is done in more than one buffer: | |
241 recursive edits must be exited most-recently-entered first. Using an | |
242 alternative major mode avoids this limitation. @xref{Recursive | |
243 Editing}. | |
244 | |
245 The standard GNU Emacs Lisp library directory tree contains the code | |
246 for several major modes, in files such as @file{text-mode.el}, | |
247 @file{texinfo.el}, @file{lisp-mode.el}, @file{c-mode.el}, and | |
248 @file{rmail.el}. They are found in various subdirectories of the | |
249 @file{lisp} directory. You can study these libraries to see how modes | |
250 are written. Text mode is perhaps the simplest major mode aside from | |
251 Fundamental mode. Rmail mode is a complicated and specialized mode. | |
252 | |
253 @node Major Mode Conventions | |
254 @subsection Major Mode Conventions | |
255 @cindex major mode conventions | |
256 @cindex conventions for writing major modes | |
257 | |
258 The code for existing major modes follows various coding conventions, | |
259 including conventions for local keymap and syntax table initialization, | |
260 global names, and hooks. Please follow these conventions when you | |
261 define a new major mode. (Fundamental mode is an exception to many | |
262 of these conventions, because its definition is to present the global | |
263 state of Emacs.) | |
264 | |
265 This list of conventions is only partial, because each major mode | |
266 should aim for consistency in general with other Emacs major modes. | |
267 This makes Emacs as a whole more coherent. It is impossible to list | |
268 here all the possible points where this issue might come up; if the | |
269 Emacs developers point out an area where your major mode deviates from | |
270 the usual conventions, please make it compatible. | |
271 | |
272 @itemize @bullet | |
273 @item | |
274 Define a command whose name ends in @samp{-mode}, with no arguments, | |
275 that switches to the new mode in the current buffer. This command | |
276 should set up the keymap, syntax table, and buffer-local variables in an | |
277 existing buffer, without changing the buffer's contents. | |
278 | |
279 @item | |
280 Write a documentation string for this command that describes the | |
281 special commands available in this mode. @kbd{C-h m} | |
282 (@code{describe-mode}) in your mode will display this string. | |
283 | |
284 The documentation string may include the special documentation | |
285 substrings, @samp{\[@var{command}]}, @samp{\@{@var{keymap}@}}, and | |
286 @samp{\<@var{keymap}>}, which enable the documentation to adapt | |
287 automatically to the user's own key bindings. @xref{Keys in | |
288 Documentation}. | |
289 | |
290 @item | |
291 The major mode command should start by calling | |
292 @code{kill-all-local-variables}. This runs the normal hook | |
293 @code{change-major-mode-hook}, then gets rid of the buffer-local | |
294 variables of the major mode previously in effect. @xref{Creating | |
295 Buffer-Local}. | |
296 | |
297 @item | |
298 The major mode command should set the variable @code{major-mode} to the | |
299 major mode command symbol. This is how @code{describe-mode} discovers | |
300 which documentation to print. | |
301 | |
302 @item | |
303 The major mode command should set the variable @code{mode-name} to the | |
304 ``pretty'' name of the mode, as a string. This string appears in the | |
305 mode line. | |
306 | |
307 @item | |
308 @cindex functions in modes | |
309 Since all global names are in the same name space, all the global | |
310 variables, constants, and functions that are part of the mode should | |
311 have names that start with the major mode name (or with an abbreviation | |
312 of it if the name is long). @xref{Coding Conventions}. | |
313 | |
314 @item | |
315 In a major mode for editing some kind of structured text, such as a | |
316 programming language, indentation of text according to structure is | |
317 probably useful. So the mode should set @code{indent-line-function} | |
318 to a suitable function, and probably customize other variables | |
319 for indentation. | |
320 | |
321 @item | |
322 @cindex keymaps in modes | |
323 The major mode should usually have its own keymap, which is used as the | |
324 local keymap in all buffers in that mode. The major mode command should | |
325 call @code{use-local-map} to install this local map. @xref{Active | |
326 Keymaps}, for more information. | |
327 | |
328 This keymap should be stored permanently in a global variable named | |
329 @code{@var{modename}-mode-map}. Normally the library that defines the | |
330 mode sets this variable. | |
331 | |
332 @xref{Tips for Defining}, for advice about how to write the code to set | |
333 up the mode's keymap variable. | |
334 | |
335 @item | |
336 The key sequences bound in a major mode keymap should usually start with | |
337 @kbd{C-c}, followed by a control character, a digit, or @kbd{@{}, | |
338 @kbd{@}}, @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;}. The other punctuation | |
339 characters are reserved for minor modes, and ordinary letters are | |
340 reserved for users. | |
341 | |
342 A major mode can also rebind the keys @kbd{M-n}, @kbd{M-p} and | |
343 @kbd{M-s}. The bindings for @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p} should normally | |
344 be some kind of ``moving forward and backward,'' but this does not | |
345 necessarily mean cursor motion. | |
346 | |
347 It is legitimate for a major mode to rebind a standard key sequence if | |
348 it provides a command that does ``the same job'' in a way better | |
349 suited to the text this mode is used for. For example, a major mode | |
350 for editing a programming language might redefine @kbd{C-M-a} to | |
351 ``move to the beginning of a function'' in a way that works better for | |
352 that language. | |
353 | |
354 It is also legitimate for a major mode to rebind a standard key | |
355 sequence whose standard meaning is rarely useful in that mode. For | |
356 instance, minibuffer modes rebind @kbd{M-r}, whose standard meaning is | |
357 rarely of any use in the minibuffer. Major modes such as Dired or | |
358 Rmail that do not allow self-insertion of text can reasonably redefine | |
359 letters and other printing characters as special commands. | |
360 | |
361 @item | |
362 Major modes modes for editing text should not define @key{RET} to do | |
363 anything other than insert a newline. However, it is ok for | |
364 specialized modes for text that users don't directly edit, such as | |
365 Dired and Info modes, to redefine @key{RET} to do something entirely | |
366 different. | |
367 | |
368 @item | |
369 Major modes should not alter options that are primarily a matter of user | |
370 preference, such as whether Auto-Fill mode is enabled. Leave this to | |
371 each user to decide. However, a major mode should customize other | |
372 variables so that Auto-Fill mode will work usefully @emph{if} the user | |
373 decides to use it. | |
374 | |
375 @item | |
376 @cindex syntax tables in modes | |
377 The mode may have its own syntax table or may share one with other | |
378 related modes. If it has its own syntax table, it should store this in | |
379 a variable named @code{@var{modename}-mode-syntax-table}. @xref{Syntax | |
380 Tables}. | |
381 | |
382 @item | |
383 If the mode handles a language that has a syntax for comments, it should | |
384 set the variables that define the comment syntax. @xref{Options for | |
385 Comments,, Options Controlling Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
386 | |
387 @item | |
388 @cindex abbrev tables in modes | |
389 The mode may have its own abbrev table or may share one with other | |
390 related modes. If it has its own abbrev table, it should store this | |
391 in a variable named @code{@var{modename}-mode-abbrev-table}. If the | |
392 major mode command defines any abbrevs itself, it should pass @code{t} | |
393 for the @var{system-flag} argument to @code{define-abbrev}. | |
394 @xref{Defining Abbrevs}. | |
395 | |
396 @item | |
397 The mode should specify how to do highlighting for Font Lock mode, by | |
398 setting up a buffer-local value for the variable | |
399 @code{font-lock-defaults} (@pxref{Font Lock Mode}). | |
400 | |
401 @item | |
402 The mode should specify how Imenu should find the definitions or | |
403 sections of a buffer, by setting up a buffer-local value for the | |
404 variable @code{imenu-generic-expression}, for the two variables | |
405 @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} and | |
406 @code{imenu-extract-index-name-function}, or for the variable | |
407 @code{imenu-create-index-function} (@pxref{Imenu}). | |
408 | |
409 @item | |
410 The mode can specify a local value for | |
411 @code{eldoc-documentation-function} to tell ElDoc mode how to handle | |
412 this mode. | |
413 | |
414 @item | |
415 Use @code{defvar} or @code{defcustom} to set mode-related variables, so | |
416 that they are not reinitialized if they already have a value. (Such | |
417 reinitialization could discard customizations made by the user.) | |
418 | |
419 @item | |
420 @cindex buffer-local variables in modes | |
421 To make a buffer-local binding for an Emacs customization variable, use | |
422 @code{make-local-variable} in the major mode command, not | |
423 @code{make-variable-buffer-local}. The latter function would make the | |
424 variable local to every buffer in which it is subsequently set, which | |
425 would affect buffers that do not use this mode. It is undesirable for a | |
426 mode to have such global effects. @xref{Buffer-Local Variables}. | |
427 | |
428 With rare exceptions, the only reasonable way to use | |
429 @code{make-variable-buffer-local} in a Lisp package is for a variable | |
430 which is used only within that package. Using it on a variable used by | |
431 other packages would interfere with them. | |
432 | |
433 @item | |
434 @cindex mode hook | |
435 @cindex major mode hook | |
436 Each major mode should have a normal @dfn{mode hook} named | |
437 @code{@var{modename}-mode-hook}. The very last thing the major mode command | |
438 should do is to call @code{run-mode-hooks}. This runs the mode hook, | |
439 and then runs the normal hook @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. | |
440 @xref{Mode Hooks}. | |
441 | |
442 @item | |
443 The major mode command may start by calling some other major mode | |
444 command (called the @dfn{parent mode}) and then alter some of its | |
445 settings. A mode that does this is called a @dfn{derived mode}. The | |
446 recommended way to define one is to use @code{define-derived-mode}, | |
447 but this is not required. Such a mode should call the parent mode | |
448 command inside a @code{delay-mode-hooks} form. (Using | |
449 @code{define-derived-mode} does this automatically.) @xref{Derived | |
450 Modes}, and @ref{Mode Hooks}. | |
451 | |
452 @item | |
453 If something special should be done if the user switches a buffer from | |
454 this mode to any other major mode, this mode can set up a buffer-local | |
455 value for @code{change-major-mode-hook} (@pxref{Creating Buffer-Local}). | |
456 | |
457 @item | |
458 If this mode is appropriate only for specially-prepared text, then the | |
459 major mode command symbol should have a property named @code{mode-class} | |
460 with value @code{special}, put on as follows: | |
461 | |
462 @kindex mode-class @r{(property)} | |
463 @cindex @code{special} | |
464 @example | |
465 (put 'funny-mode 'mode-class 'special) | |
466 @end example | |
467 | |
468 @noindent | |
469 This tells Emacs that new buffers created while the current buffer is | |
470 in Funny mode should not inherit Funny mode, in case | |
471 @code{default-major-mode} is @code{nil}. Modes such as Dired, Rmail, | |
472 and Buffer List use this feature. | |
473 | |
474 @item | |
475 If you want to make the new mode the default for files with certain | |
476 recognizable names, add an element to @code{auto-mode-alist} to select | |
477 the mode for those file names (@pxref{Auto Major Mode}). If you | |
478 define the mode command to autoload, you should add this element in | |
479 the same file that calls @code{autoload}. If you use an autoload | |
480 cookie for the mode command, you can also use an autoload cookie for | |
481 the form that adds the element (@pxref{autoload cookie}). If you do | |
482 not autoload the mode command, it is sufficient to add the element in | |
483 the file that contains the mode definition. | |
484 | |
485 @item | |
486 In the comments that document the file, you should provide a sample | |
487 @code{autoload} form and an example of how to add to | |
488 @code{auto-mode-alist}, that users can include in their init files | |
489 (@pxref{Init File}). | |
490 | |
491 @item | |
492 @cindex mode loading | |
493 The top-level forms in the file defining the mode should be written so | |
494 that they may be evaluated more than once without adverse consequences. | |
495 Even if you never load the file more than once, someone else will. | |
496 @end itemize | |
497 | |
498 @node Auto Major Mode | |
499 @subsection How Emacs Chooses a Major Mode | |
500 @cindex major mode, automatic selection | |
501 | |
502 Based on information in the file name or in the file itself, Emacs | |
503 automatically selects a major mode for the new buffer when a file is | |
504 visited. It also processes local variables specified in the file text. | |
505 | |
506 @deffn Command fundamental-mode | |
507 Fundamental mode is a major mode that is not specialized for anything | |
508 in particular. Other major modes are defined in effect by comparison | |
509 with this one---their definitions say what to change, starting from | |
510 Fundamental mode. The @code{fundamental-mode} function does @emph{not} | |
511 run any mode hooks; you're not supposed to customize it. (If you want Emacs | |
512 to behave differently in Fundamental mode, change the @emph{global} | |
513 state of Emacs.) | |
514 @end deffn | |
515 | |
516 @deffn Command normal-mode &optional find-file | |
517 This function establishes the proper major mode and buffer-local variable | |
518 bindings for the current buffer. First it calls @code{set-auto-mode} | |
519 (see below), then it runs @code{hack-local-variables} to parse, and | |
520 bind or evaluate as appropriate, the file's local variables | |
521 (@pxref{File Local Variables}). | |
522 | |
523 If the @var{find-file} argument to @code{normal-mode} is non-@code{nil}, | |
524 @code{normal-mode} assumes that the @code{find-file} function is calling | |
525 it. In this case, it may process local variables in the @samp{-*-} | |
526 line or at the end of the file. The variable | |
527 @code{enable-local-variables} controls whether to do so. @xref{File | |
528 Variables, , Local Variables in Files, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, | |
529 for the syntax of the local variables section of a file. | |
530 | |
531 If you run @code{normal-mode} interactively, the argument | |
532 @var{find-file} is normally @code{nil}. In this case, | |
533 @code{normal-mode} unconditionally processes any file local variables. | |
534 | |
535 If @code{normal-mode} processes the local variables list and this list | |
536 specifies a major mode, that mode overrides any mode chosen by | |
537 @code{set-auto-mode}. If neither @code{set-auto-mode} nor | |
538 @code{hack-local-variables} specify a major mode, the buffer stays in | |
539 the major mode determined by @code{default-major-mode} (see below). | |
540 | |
541 @cindex file mode specification error | |
542 @code{normal-mode} uses @code{condition-case} around the call to the | |
543 major mode function, so errors are caught and reported as a @samp{File | |
544 mode specification error}, followed by the original error message. | |
545 @end deffn | |
546 | |
547 @defun set-auto-mode &optional keep-mode-if-same | |
548 @cindex visited file mode | |
549 This function selects the major mode that is appropriate for the | |
550 current buffer. It bases its decision (in order of precedence) on | |
551 the @w{@samp{-*-}} line, on the @w{@samp{#!}} line (using | |
552 @code{interpreter-mode-alist}), on the text at the beginning of the | |
553 buffer (using @code{magic-mode-alist}), and finally on the visited | |
554 file name (using @code{auto-mode-alist}). @xref{Choosing Modes, , How | |
555 Major Modes are Chosen, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. However, this | |
556 function does not look for the @samp{mode:} local variable near the | |
557 end of a file; the @code{hack-local-variables} function does that. | |
558 If @code{enable-local-variables} is @code{nil}, @code{set-auto-mode} | |
559 does not check the @w{@samp{-*-}} line for a mode tag either. | |
560 | |
561 If @var{keep-mode-if-same} is non-@code{nil}, this function does not | |
562 call the mode command if the buffer is already in the proper major | |
563 mode. For instance, @code{set-visited-file-name} sets this to | |
564 @code{t} to avoid killing buffer local variables that the user may | |
565 have set. | |
566 @end defun | |
567 | |
568 @defopt default-major-mode | |
569 This variable holds the default major mode for new buffers. The | |
570 standard value is @code{fundamental-mode}. | |
571 | |
572 If the value of @code{default-major-mode} is @code{nil}, Emacs uses | |
573 the (previously) current buffer's major mode as the default major mode | |
574 of a new buffer. However, if that major mode symbol has a @code{mode-class} | |
575 property with value @code{special}, then it is not used for new buffers; | |
576 Fundamental mode is used instead. The modes that have this property are | |
577 those such as Dired and Rmail that are useful only with text that has | |
578 been specially prepared. | |
579 @end defopt | |
580 | |
581 @defun set-buffer-major-mode buffer | |
582 This function sets the major mode of @var{buffer} to the value of | |
583 @code{default-major-mode}; if that variable is @code{nil}, it uses the | |
584 current buffer's major mode (if that is suitable). As an exception, | |
585 if @var{buffer}'s name is @samp{*scratch*}, it sets the mode to | |
586 @code{initial-major-mode}. | |
587 | |
588 The low-level primitives for creating buffers do not use this function, | |
589 but medium-level commands such as @code{switch-to-buffer} and | |
590 @code{find-file-noselect} use it whenever they create buffers. | |
591 @end defun | |
592 | |
593 @defopt initial-major-mode | |
594 @cindex @samp{*scratch*} | |
595 The value of this variable determines the major mode of the initial | |
596 @samp{*scratch*} buffer. The value should be a symbol that is a major | |
597 mode command. The default value is @code{lisp-interaction-mode}. | |
598 @end defopt | |
599 | |
600 @defvar interpreter-mode-alist | |
601 This variable specifies major modes to use for scripts that specify a | |
602 command interpreter in a @samp{#!} line. Its value is an alist with | |
603 elements of the form @code{(@var{interpreter} . @var{mode})}; for | |
604 example, @code{("perl" . perl-mode)} is one element present by | |
605 default. The element says to use mode @var{mode} if the file | |
606 specifies an interpreter which matches @var{interpreter}. | |
607 @end defvar | |
608 | |
609 @defvar magic-mode-alist | |
610 This variable's value is an alist with elements of the form | |
611 @code{(@var{regexp} . @var{function})}, where @var{regexp} is a | |
612 regular expression and @var{function} is a function or @code{nil}. | |
613 After visiting a file, @code{set-auto-mode} calls @var{function} if | |
614 the text at the beginning of the buffer matches @var{regexp} and | |
615 @var{function} is non-@code{nil}; if @var{function} is @code{nil}, | |
616 @code{auto-mode-alist} gets to decide the mode. | |
617 @end defvar | |
618 | |
619 @defvar magic-fallback-mode-alist | |
620 This works like @code{magic-mode-alist}, except that it is handled | |
621 only if @code{auto-mode-alist} does not specify a mode for this file. | |
622 @end defvar | |
623 | |
624 @defvar auto-mode-alist | |
625 This variable contains an association list of file name patterns | |
626 (regular expressions) and corresponding major mode commands. Usually, | |
627 the file name patterns test for suffixes, such as @samp{.el} and | |
628 @samp{.c}, but this need not be the case. An ordinary element of the | |
629 alist looks like @code{(@var{regexp} . @var{mode-function})}. | |
630 | |
631 For example, | |
632 | |
633 @smallexample | |
634 @group | |
635 (("\\`/tmp/fol/" . text-mode) | |
636 ("\\.texinfo\\'" . texinfo-mode) | |
637 ("\\.texi\\'" . texinfo-mode) | |
638 @end group | |
639 @group | |
640 ("\\.el\\'" . emacs-lisp-mode) | |
641 ("\\.c\\'" . c-mode) | |
642 ("\\.h\\'" . c-mode) | |
643 @dots{}) | |
644 @end group | |
645 @end smallexample | |
646 | |
647 When you visit a file whose expanded file name (@pxref{File Name | |
648 Expansion}), with version numbers and backup suffixes removed using | |
649 @code{file-name-sans-versions} (@pxref{File Name Components}), matches | |
650 a @var{regexp}, @code{set-auto-mode} calls the corresponding | |
651 @var{mode-function}. This feature enables Emacs to select the proper | |
652 major mode for most files. | |
653 | |
654 If an element of @code{auto-mode-alist} has the form @code{(@var{regexp} | |
655 @var{function} t)}, then after calling @var{function}, Emacs searches | |
656 @code{auto-mode-alist} again for a match against the portion of the file | |
657 name that did not match before. This feature is useful for | |
658 uncompression packages: an entry of the form @code{("\\.gz\\'" | |
659 @var{function} t)} can uncompress the file and then put the uncompressed | |
660 file in the proper mode according to the name sans @samp{.gz}. | |
661 | |
662 Here is an example of how to prepend several pattern pairs to | |
663 @code{auto-mode-alist}. (You might use this sort of expression in your | |
664 init file.) | |
665 | |
666 @smallexample | |
667 @group | |
668 (setq auto-mode-alist | |
669 (append | |
670 ;; @r{File name (within directory) starts with a dot.} | |
671 '(("/\\.[^/]*\\'" . fundamental-mode) | |
672 ;; @r{File name has no dot.} | |
673 ("[^\\./]*\\'" . fundamental-mode) | |
674 ;; @r{File name ends in @samp{.C}.} | |
675 ("\\.C\\'" . c++-mode)) | |
676 auto-mode-alist)) | |
677 @end group | |
678 @end smallexample | |
679 @end defvar | |
680 | |
681 @node Mode Help | |
682 @subsection Getting Help about a Major Mode | |
683 @cindex mode help | |
684 @cindex help for major mode | |
685 @cindex documentation for major mode | |
686 | |
687 The @code{describe-mode} function is used to provide information | |
688 about major modes. It is normally called with @kbd{C-h m}. The | |
689 @code{describe-mode} function uses the value of @code{major-mode}, | |
690 which is why every major mode function needs to set the | |
691 @code{major-mode} variable. | |
692 | |
693 @deffn Command describe-mode | |
694 This function displays the documentation of the current major mode. | |
695 | |
696 The @code{describe-mode} function calls the @code{documentation} | |
697 function using the value of @code{major-mode} as an argument. Thus, it | |
698 displays the documentation string of the major mode function. | |
699 (@xref{Accessing Documentation}.) | |
700 @end deffn | |
701 | |
702 @defvar major-mode | |
703 This buffer-local variable holds the symbol for the current buffer's | |
704 major mode. This symbol should have a function definition that is the | |
705 command to switch to that major mode. The @code{describe-mode} | |
706 function uses the documentation string of the function as the | |
707 documentation of the major mode. | |
708 @end defvar | |
709 | |
710 @node Derived Modes | |
711 @subsection Defining Derived Modes | |
712 @cindex derived mode | |
713 | |
714 It's often useful to define a new major mode in terms of an existing | |
715 one. An easy way to do this is to use @code{define-derived-mode}. | |
716 | |
717 @defmac define-derived-mode variant parent name docstring keyword-args@dots{} body@dots{} | |
718 This construct defines @var{variant} as a major mode command, using | |
719 @var{name} as the string form of the mode name. @var{variant} and | |
720 @var{parent} should be unquoted symbols. | |
721 | |
722 The new command @var{variant} is defined to call the function | |
723 @var{parent}, then override certain aspects of that parent mode: | |
724 | |
725 @itemize @bullet | |
726 @item | |
727 The new mode has its own sparse keymap, named | |
728 @code{@var{variant}-map}. @code{define-derived-mode} | |
729 makes the parent mode's keymap the parent of the new map, unless | |
730 @code{@var{variant}-map} is already set and already has a parent. | |
731 | |
732 @item | |
733 The new mode has its own syntax table, kept in the variable | |
734 @code{@var{variant}-syntax-table}, unless you override this using the | |
735 @code{:syntax-table} keyword (see below). @code{define-derived-mode} | |
736 makes the parent mode's syntax-table the parent of | |
737 @code{@var{variant}-syntax-table}, unless the latter is already set | |
738 and already has a parent different from the standard syntax table. | |
739 | |
740 @item | |
741 The new mode has its own abbrev table, kept in the variable | |
742 @code{@var{variant}-abbrev-table}, unless you override this using the | |
743 @code{:abbrev-table} keyword (see below). | |
744 | |
745 @item | |
746 The new mode has its own mode hook, @code{@var{variant}-hook}. It | |
747 runs this hook, after running the hooks of its ancestor modes, with | |
748 @code{run-mode-hooks}, as the last thing it does. @xref{Mode Hooks}. | |
749 @end itemize | |
750 | |
751 In addition, you can specify how to override other aspects of | |
752 @var{parent} with @var{body}. The command @var{variant} | |
753 evaluates the forms in @var{body} after setting up all its usual | |
754 overrides, just before running the mode hooks. | |
755 | |
756 You can also specify @code{nil} for @var{parent}. This gives the new | |
757 mode no parent. Then @code{define-derived-mode} behaves as described | |
758 above, but, of course, omits all actions connected with @var{parent}. | |
759 | |
760 The argument @var{docstring} specifies the documentation string for | |
761 the new mode. @code{define-derived-mode} adds some general | |
762 information about the mode's hook, followed by the mode's keymap, at | |
763 the end of this docstring. If you omit @var{docstring}, | |
764 @code{define-derived-mode} generates a documentation string. | |
765 | |
766 The @var{keyword-args} are pairs of keywords and values. The values | |
767 are evaluated. The following keywords are currently supported: | |
768 | |
769 @table @code | |
770 @item :syntax-table | |
771 You can use this to explicitly specify a syntax table for the new | |
772 mode. If you specify a @code{nil} value, the new mode uses the same | |
773 syntax table as @var{parent}, or the standard syntax table if | |
774 @var{parent} is @code{nil}. (Note that this does @emph{not} follow | |
775 the convention used for non-keyword arguments that a @code{nil} value | |
776 is equivalent with not specifying the argument.) | |
777 | |
778 @item :abbrev-table | |
779 You can use this to explicitly specify an abbrev table for the new | |
780 mode. If you specify a @code{nil} value, the new mode uses the same | |
781 abbrev table as @var{parent}, or @code{fundamental-mode-abbrev-table} | |
782 if @var{parent} is @code{nil}. (Again, a @code{nil} value is | |
783 @emph{not} equivalent to not specifying this keyword.) | |
784 | |
785 @item :group | |
786 If this is specified, the value should be the customization group for | |
787 this mode. (Not all major modes have one.) Only the (still | |
788 experimental and unadvertised) command @code{customize-mode} currently | |
789 uses this. @code{define-derived-mode} does @emph{not} automatically | |
790 define the specified customization group. | |
791 @end table | |
792 | |
793 Here is a hypothetical example: | |
794 | |
795 @example | |
796 (define-derived-mode hypertext-mode | |
797 text-mode "Hypertext" | |
798 "Major mode for hypertext. | |
799 \\@{hypertext-mode-map@}" | |
800 (setq case-fold-search nil)) | |
801 | |
802 (define-key hypertext-mode-map | |
803 [down-mouse-3] 'do-hyper-link) | |
804 @end example | |
805 | |
806 Do not write an @code{interactive} spec in the definition; | |
807 @code{define-derived-mode} does that automatically. | |
808 @end defmac | |
809 | |
810 @node Generic Modes | |
811 @subsection Generic Modes | |
812 @cindex generic mode | |
813 | |
814 @dfn{Generic modes} are simple major modes with basic support for | |
815 comment syntax and Font Lock mode. To define a generic mode, use the | |
816 macro @code{define-generic-mode}. See the file @file{generic-x.el} | |
817 for some examples of the use of @code{define-generic-mode}. | |
818 | |
819 @defmac define-generic-mode mode comment-list keyword-list font-lock-list auto-mode-list function-list &optional docstring | |
820 This macro defines a generic mode command named @var{mode} (a symbol, | |
821 not quoted). The optional argument @var{docstring} is the | |
822 documentation for the mode command. If you do not supply it, | |
823 @code{define-generic-mode} generates one by default. | |
824 | |
825 The argument @var{comment-list} is a list in which each element is | |
826 either a character, a string of one or two characters, or a cons cell. | |
827 A character or a string is set up in the mode's syntax table as a | |
828 ``comment starter.'' If the entry is a cons cell, the @sc{car} is set | |
829 up as a ``comment starter'' and the @sc{cdr} as a ``comment ender.'' | |
830 (Use @code{nil} for the latter if you want comments to end at the end | |
831 of the line.) Note that the syntax table mechanism has limitations | |
832 about what comment starters and enders are actually possible. | |
833 @xref{Syntax Tables}. | |
834 | |
835 The argument @var{keyword-list} is a list of keywords to highlight | |
836 with @code{font-lock-keyword-face}. Each keyword should be a string. | |
837 Meanwhile, @var{font-lock-list} is a list of additional expressions to | |
838 highlight. Each element of this list should have the same form as an | |
839 element of @code{font-lock-keywords}. @xref{Search-based | |
840 Fontification}. | |
841 | |
842 The argument @var{auto-mode-list} is a list of regular expressions to | |
843 add to the variable @code{auto-mode-alist}. They are added by the execution | |
844 of the @code{define-generic-mode} form, not by expanding the macro call. | |
845 | |
846 Finally, @var{function-list} is a list of functions for the mode | |
847 command to call for additional setup. It calls these functions just | |
848 before it runs the mode hook variable @code{@var{mode}-hook}. | |
849 @end defmac | |
850 | |
851 @node Mode Hooks | |
852 @subsection Mode Hooks | |
853 | |
854 Every major mode function should finish by running its mode hook and | |
855 the mode-independent normal hook @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. | |
856 It does this by calling @code{run-mode-hooks}. If the major mode is a | |
857 derived mode, that is if it calls another major mode (the parent mode) | |
858 in its body, it should do this inside @code{delay-mode-hooks} so that | |
859 the parent won't run these hooks itself. Instead, the derived mode's | |
860 call to @code{run-mode-hooks} runs the parent's mode hook too. | |
861 @xref{Major Mode Conventions}. | |
862 | |
863 Emacs versions before Emacs 22 did not have @code{delay-mode-hooks}. | |
864 When user-implemented major modes have not been updated to use it, | |
865 they won't entirely follow these conventions: they may run the | |
866 parent's mode hook too early, or fail to run | |
867 @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. If you encounter such a major | |
868 mode, please correct it to follow these conventions. | |
869 | |
870 When you defined a major mode using @code{define-derived-mode}, it | |
871 automatically makes sure these conventions are followed. If you | |
872 define a major mode ``by hand,'' not using @code{define-derived-mode}, | |
873 use the following functions to handle these conventions automatically. | |
874 | |
875 @defun run-mode-hooks &rest hookvars | |
876 Major modes should run their mode hook using this function. It is | |
877 similar to @code{run-hooks} (@pxref{Hooks}), but it also runs | |
878 @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. | |
879 | |
880 When this function is called during the execution of a | |
881 @code{delay-mode-hooks} form, it does not run the hooks immediately. | |
882 Instead, it arranges for the next call to @code{run-mode-hooks} to run | |
883 them. | |
884 @end defun | |
885 | |
886 @defmac delay-mode-hooks body@dots{} | |
887 When one major mode command calls another, it should do so inside of | |
888 @code{delay-mode-hooks}. | |
889 | |
890 This macro executes @var{body}, but tells all @code{run-mode-hooks} | |
891 calls during the execution of @var{body} to delay running their hooks. | |
892 The hooks will actually run during the next call to | |
893 @code{run-mode-hooks} after the end of the @code{delay-mode-hooks} | |
894 construct. | |
895 @end defmac | |
896 | |
897 @defvar after-change-major-mode-hook | |
898 This is a normal hook run by @code{run-mode-hooks}. It is run at the | |
899 very end of every properly-written major mode function. | |
900 @end defvar | |
901 | |
902 @node Example Major Modes | |
903 @subsection Major Mode Examples | |
904 | |
905 Text mode is perhaps the simplest mode besides Fundamental mode. | |
906 Here are excerpts from @file{text-mode.el} that illustrate many of | |
907 the conventions listed above: | |
908 | |
909 @smallexample | |
910 @group | |
911 ;; @r{Create the syntax table for this mode.} | |
912 (defvar text-mode-syntax-table | |
913 (let ((st (make-syntax-table))) | |
914 (modify-syntax-entry ?\" ". " st) | |
915 (modify-syntax-entry ?\\ ". " st) | |
916 ;; Add `p' so M-c on `hello' leads to `Hello', not `hello'. | |
917 (modify-syntax-entry ?' "w p" st) | |
918 st) | |
919 "Syntax table used while in `text-mode'.") | |
920 @end group | |
921 | |
922 ;; @r{Create the keymap for this mode.} | |
923 @group | |
924 (defvar text-mode-map | |
925 (let ((map (make-sparse-keymap))) | |
926 (define-key map "\e\t" 'ispell-complete-word) | |
927 (define-key map "\es" 'center-line) | |
928 (define-key map "\eS" 'center-paragraph) | |
929 map) | |
930 "Keymap for `text-mode'. | |
931 Many other modes, such as Mail mode, Outline mode | |
932 and Indented Text mode, inherit all the commands | |
933 defined in this map.") | |
934 @end group | |
935 @end smallexample | |
936 | |
937 Here is how the actual mode command is defined now: | |
938 | |
939 @smallexample | |
940 @group | |
941 (define-derived-mode text-mode nil "Text" | |
942 "Major mode for editing text written for humans to read. | |
943 In this mode, paragraphs are delimited only by blank or white lines. | |
944 You can thus get the full benefit of adaptive filling | |
945 (see the variable `adaptive-fill-mode'). | |
946 \\@{text-mode-map@} | |
947 Turning on Text mode runs the normal hook `text-mode-hook'." | |
948 @end group | |
949 @group | |
950 (make-local-variable 'text-mode-variant) | |
951 (setq text-mode-variant t) | |
952 ;; @r{These two lines are a feature added recently.} | |
953 (set (make-local-variable 'require-final-newline) | |
954 mode-require-final-newline) | |
955 (set (make-local-variable 'indent-line-function) 'indent-relative)) | |
956 @end group | |
957 @end smallexample | |
958 | |
959 @noindent | |
960 (The last line is redundant nowadays, since @code{indent-relative} is | |
961 the default value, and we'll delete it in a future version.) | |
962 | |
963 Here is how it was defined formerly, before | |
964 @code{define-derived-mode} existed: | |
965 | |
966 @smallexample | |
967 @group | |
968 ;; @r{This isn't needed nowadays, since @code{define-derived-mode} does it.} | |
969 (defvar text-mode-abbrev-table nil | |
970 "Abbrev table used while in text mode.") | |
971 (define-abbrev-table 'text-mode-abbrev-table ()) | |
972 @end group | |
973 | |
974 @group | |
975 (defun text-mode () | |
976 "Major mode for editing text intended for humans to read... | |
977 Special commands: \\@{text-mode-map@} | |
978 @end group | |
979 @group | |
980 Turning on text-mode runs the hook `text-mode-hook'." | |
981 (interactive) | |
982 (kill-all-local-variables) | |
983 (use-local-map text-mode-map) | |
984 @end group | |
985 @group | |
986 (setq local-abbrev-table text-mode-abbrev-table) | |
987 (set-syntax-table text-mode-syntax-table) | |
988 @end group | |
989 @group | |
990 ;; @r{These four lines are absent from the current version} | |
991 ;; @r{not because this is done some other way, but rather} | |
992 ;; @r{because nowadays Text mode uses the normal definition of paragraphs.} | |
993 (make-local-variable 'paragraph-start) | |
994 (setq paragraph-start (concat "[ \t]*$\\|" page-delimiter)) | |
995 (make-local-variable 'paragraph-separate) | |
996 (setq paragraph-separate paragraph-start) | |
997 (make-local-variable 'indent-line-function) | |
998 (setq indent-line-function 'indent-relative-maybe) | |
999 @end group | |
1000 @group | |
1001 (setq mode-name "Text") | |
1002 (setq major-mode 'text-mode) | |
1003 (run-mode-hooks 'text-mode-hook)) ; @r{Finally, this permits the user to} | |
1004 ; @r{customize the mode with a hook.} | |
1005 @end group | |
1006 @end smallexample | |
1007 | |
1008 @cindex @file{lisp-mode.el} | |
1009 The three Lisp modes (Lisp mode, Emacs Lisp mode, and Lisp | |
1010 Interaction mode) have more features than Text mode and the code is | |
1011 correspondingly more complicated. Here are excerpts from | |
1012 @file{lisp-mode.el} that illustrate how these modes are written. | |
1013 | |
1014 @cindex syntax table example | |
1015 @smallexample | |
1016 @group | |
1017 ;; @r{Create mode-specific table variables.} | |
1018 (defvar lisp-mode-syntax-table nil "") | |
1019 (defvar lisp-mode-abbrev-table nil "") | |
1020 @end group | |
1021 | |
1022 @group | |
1023 (defvar emacs-lisp-mode-syntax-table | |
1024 (let ((table (make-syntax-table))) | |
1025 (let ((i 0)) | |
1026 @end group | |
1027 | |
1028 @group | |
1029 ;; @r{Set syntax of chars up to @samp{0} to say they are} | |
1030 ;; @r{part of symbol names but not words.} | |
1031 ;; @r{(The digit @samp{0} is @code{48} in the @acronym{ASCII} character set.)} | |
1032 (while (< i ?0) | |
1033 (modify-syntax-entry i "_ " table) | |
1034 (setq i (1+ i))) | |
1035 ;; @r{@dots{} similar code follows for other character ranges.} | |
1036 @end group | |
1037 @group | |
1038 ;; @r{Then set the syntax codes for characters that are special in Lisp.} | |
1039 (modify-syntax-entry ? " " table) | |
1040 (modify-syntax-entry ?\t " " table) | |
1041 (modify-syntax-entry ?\f " " table) | |
1042 (modify-syntax-entry ?\n "> " table) | |
1043 @end group | |
1044 @group | |
1045 ;; @r{Give CR the same syntax as newline, for selective-display.} | |
1046 (modify-syntax-entry ?\^m "> " table) | |
1047 (modify-syntax-entry ?\; "< " table) | |
1048 (modify-syntax-entry ?` "' " table) | |
1049 (modify-syntax-entry ?' "' " table) | |
1050 (modify-syntax-entry ?, "' " table) | |
1051 @end group | |
1052 @group | |
1053 ;; @r{@dots{}likewise for many other characters@dots{}} | |
1054 (modify-syntax-entry ?\( "() " table) | |
1055 (modify-syntax-entry ?\) ")( " table) | |
1056 (modify-syntax-entry ?\[ "(] " table) | |
1057 (modify-syntax-entry ?\] ")[ " table)) | |
1058 table)) | |
1059 @end group | |
1060 @group | |
1061 ;; @r{Create an abbrev table for lisp-mode.} | |
1062 (define-abbrev-table 'lisp-mode-abbrev-table ()) | |
1063 @end group | |
1064 @end smallexample | |
1065 | |
1066 The three modes for Lisp share much of their code. For instance, | |
1067 each calls the following function to set various variables: | |
1068 | |
1069 @smallexample | |
1070 @group | |
1071 (defun lisp-mode-variables (lisp-syntax) | |
1072 (when lisp-syntax | |
1073 (set-syntax-table lisp-mode-syntax-table)) | |
1074 (setq local-abbrev-table lisp-mode-abbrev-table) | |
1075 @dots{} | |
1076 @end group | |
1077 @end smallexample | |
1078 | |
1079 In Lisp and most programming languages, we want the paragraph | |
1080 commands to treat only blank lines as paragraph separators. And the | |
1081 modes should understand the Lisp conventions for comments. The rest of | |
1082 @code{lisp-mode-variables} sets this up: | |
1083 | |
1084 @smallexample | |
1085 @group | |
1086 (make-local-variable 'paragraph-start) | |
1087 (setq paragraph-start (concat page-delimiter "\\|$" )) | |
1088 (make-local-variable 'paragraph-separate) | |
1089 (setq paragraph-separate paragraph-start) | |
1090 @dots{} | |
1091 @end group | |
1092 @group | |
1093 (make-local-variable 'comment-indent-function) | |
1094 (setq comment-indent-function 'lisp-comment-indent)) | |
1095 @dots{} | |
1096 @end group | |
1097 @end smallexample | |
1098 | |
1099 Each of the different Lisp modes has a slightly different keymap. For | |
1100 example, Lisp mode binds @kbd{C-c C-z} to @code{run-lisp}, but the other | |
1101 Lisp modes do not. However, all Lisp modes have some commands in | |
1102 common. The following code sets up the common commands: | |
1103 | |
1104 @smallexample | |
1105 @group | |
1106 (defvar shared-lisp-mode-map () | |
1107 "Keymap for commands shared by all sorts of Lisp modes.") | |
1108 | |
1109 ;; @r{Putting this @code{if} after the @code{defvar} is an older style.} | |
1110 (if shared-lisp-mode-map | |
1111 () | |
1112 (setq shared-lisp-mode-map (make-sparse-keymap)) | |
1113 (define-key shared-lisp-mode-map "\e\C-q" 'indent-sexp) | |
1114 (define-key shared-lisp-mode-map "\177" | |
1115 'backward-delete-char-untabify)) | |
1116 @end group | |
1117 @end smallexample | |
1118 | |
1119 @noindent | |
1120 And here is the code to set up the keymap for Lisp mode: | |
1121 | |
1122 @smallexample | |
1123 @group | |
1124 (defvar lisp-mode-map () | |
1125 "Keymap for ordinary Lisp mode...") | |
1126 | |
1127 (if lisp-mode-map | |
1128 () | |
1129 (setq lisp-mode-map (make-sparse-keymap)) | |
1130 (set-keymap-parent lisp-mode-map shared-lisp-mode-map) | |
1131 (define-key lisp-mode-map "\e\C-x" 'lisp-eval-defun) | |
1132 (define-key lisp-mode-map "\C-c\C-z" 'run-lisp)) | |
1133 @end group | |
1134 @end smallexample | |
1135 | |
1136 Finally, here is the complete major mode function definition for | |
1137 Lisp mode. | |
1138 | |
1139 @smallexample | |
1140 @group | |
1141 (defun lisp-mode () | |
1142 "Major mode for editing Lisp code for Lisps other than GNU Emacs Lisp. | |
1143 Commands: | |
1144 Delete converts tabs to spaces as it moves back. | |
1145 Blank lines separate paragraphs. Semicolons start comments. | |
1146 \\@{lisp-mode-map@} | |
1147 Note that `run-lisp' may be used either to start an inferior Lisp job | |
1148 or to switch back to an existing one. | |
1149 @end group | |
1150 | |
1151 @group | |
1152 Entry to this mode calls the value of `lisp-mode-hook' | |
1153 if that value is non-nil." | |
1154 (interactive) | |
1155 (kill-all-local-variables) | |
1156 @end group | |
1157 @group | |
1158 (use-local-map lisp-mode-map) ; @r{Select the mode's keymap.} | |
1159 (setq major-mode 'lisp-mode) ; @r{This is how @code{describe-mode}} | |
1160 ; @r{finds out what to describe.} | |
1161 (setq mode-name "Lisp") ; @r{This goes into the mode line.} | |
1162 (lisp-mode-variables t) ; @r{This defines various variables.} | |
1163 (make-local-variable 'comment-start-skip) | |
1164 (setq comment-start-skip | |
1165 "\\(\\(^\\|[^\\\\\n]\\)\\(\\\\\\\\\\)*\\)\\(;+\\|#|\\) *") | |
1166 (make-local-variable 'font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search) | |
1167 (setq font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search t) | |
1168 @end group | |
1169 @group | |
1170 (setq imenu-case-fold-search t) | |
1171 (set-syntax-table lisp-mode-syntax-table) | |
1172 (run-mode-hooks 'lisp-mode-hook)) ; @r{This permits the user to use a} | |
1173 ; @r{hook to customize the mode.} | |
1174 @end group | |
1175 @end smallexample | |
1176 | |
1177 @node Minor Modes | |
1178 @section Minor Modes | |
1179 @cindex minor mode | |
1180 | |
1181 A @dfn{minor mode} provides features that users may enable or disable | |
1182 independently of the choice of major mode. Minor modes can be enabled | |
1183 individually or in combination. Minor modes would be better named | |
1184 ``generally available, optional feature modes,'' except that such a name | |
1185 would be unwieldy. | |
1186 | |
1187 A minor mode is not usually meant as a variation of a single major mode. | |
1188 Usually they are general and can apply to many major modes. For | |
1189 example, Auto Fill mode works with any major mode that permits text | |
1190 insertion. To be general, a minor mode must be effectively independent | |
1191 of the things major modes do. | |
1192 | |
1193 A minor mode is often much more difficult to implement than a major | |
1194 mode. One reason is that you should be able to activate and deactivate | |
1195 minor modes in any order. A minor mode should be able to have its | |
1196 desired effect regardless of the major mode and regardless of the other | |
1197 minor modes in effect. | |
1198 | |
1199 Often the biggest problem in implementing a minor mode is finding a | |
1200 way to insert the necessary hook into the rest of Emacs. Minor mode | |
1201 keymaps make this easier than it used to be. | |
1202 | |
1203 @defvar minor-mode-list | |
1204 The value of this variable is a list of all minor mode commands. | |
1205 @end defvar | |
1206 | |
1207 @menu | |
1208 * Minor Mode Conventions:: Tips for writing a minor mode. | |
1209 * Keymaps and Minor Modes:: How a minor mode can have its own keymap. | |
1210 * Defining Minor Modes:: A convenient facility for defining minor modes. | |
1211 @end menu | |
1212 | |
1213 @node Minor Mode Conventions | |
1214 @subsection Conventions for Writing Minor Modes | |
1215 @cindex minor mode conventions | |
1216 @cindex conventions for writing minor modes | |
1217 | |
1218 There are conventions for writing minor modes just as there are for | |
1219 major modes. Several of the major mode conventions apply to minor | |
1220 modes as well: those regarding the name of the mode initialization | |
1221 function, the names of global symbols, the use of a hook at the end of | |
1222 the initialization function, and the use of keymaps and other tables. | |
1223 | |
1224 In addition, there are several conventions that are specific to | |
1225 minor modes. (The easiest way to follow all the conventions is to use | |
1226 the macro @code{define-minor-mode}; @ref{Defining Minor Modes}.) | |
1227 | |
1228 @itemize @bullet | |
1229 @item | |
1230 @cindex mode variable | |
1231 Make a variable whose name ends in @samp{-mode} to control the minor | |
1232 mode. We call this the @dfn{mode variable}. The minor mode command | |
1233 should set this variable (@code{nil} to disable; anything else to | |
1234 enable). | |
1235 | |
1236 If possible, implement the mode so that setting the variable | |
1237 automatically enables or disables the mode. Then the minor mode command | |
1238 does not need to do anything except set the variable. | |
1239 | |
1240 This variable is used in conjunction with the @code{minor-mode-alist} to | |
1241 display the minor mode name in the mode line. It can also enable | |
1242 or disable a minor mode keymap. Individual commands or hooks can also | |
1243 check the variable's value. | |
1244 | |
1245 If you want the minor mode to be enabled separately in each buffer, | |
1246 make the variable buffer-local. | |
1247 | |
1248 @item | |
1249 Define a command whose name is the same as the mode variable. | |
1250 Its job is to enable and disable the mode by setting the variable. | |
1251 | |
1252 The command should accept one optional argument. If the argument is | |
1253 @code{nil}, it should toggle the mode (turn it on if it is off, and | |
1254 off if it is on). It should turn the mode on if the argument is a | |
1255 positive integer, the symbol @code{t}, or a list whose @sc{car} is one | |
1256 of those. It should turn the mode off if the argument is a negative | |
1257 integer or zero, the symbol @code{-}, or a list whose @sc{car} is a | |
1258 negative integer or zero. The meaning of other arguments is not | |
1259 specified. | |
1260 | |
1261 Here is an example taken from the definition of @code{transient-mark-mode}. | |
1262 It shows the use of @code{transient-mark-mode} as a variable that enables or | |
1263 disables the mode's behavior, and also shows the proper way to toggle, | |
1264 enable or disable the minor mode based on the raw prefix argument value. | |
1265 | |
1266 @smallexample | |
1267 @group | |
1268 (setq transient-mark-mode | |
1269 (if (null arg) (not transient-mark-mode) | |
1270 (> (prefix-numeric-value arg) 0))) | |
1271 @end group | |
1272 @end smallexample | |
1273 | |
1274 @item | |
1275 Add an element to @code{minor-mode-alist} for each minor mode | |
1276 (@pxref{Definition of minor-mode-alist}), if you want to indicate the | |
1277 minor mode in the mode line. This element should be a list of the | |
1278 following form: | |
1279 | |
1280 @smallexample | |
1281 (@var{mode-variable} @var{string}) | |
1282 @end smallexample | |
1283 | |
1284 Here @var{mode-variable} is the variable that controls enabling of the | |
1285 minor mode, and @var{string} is a short string, starting with a space, | |
1286 to represent the mode in the mode line. These strings must be short so | |
1287 that there is room for several of them at once. | |
1288 | |
1289 When you add an element to @code{minor-mode-alist}, use @code{assq} to | |
1290 check for an existing element, to avoid duplication. For example: | |
1291 | |
1292 @smallexample | |
1293 @group | |
1294 (unless (assq 'leif-mode minor-mode-alist) | |
1295 (setq minor-mode-alist | |
1296 (cons '(leif-mode " Leif") minor-mode-alist))) | |
1297 @end group | |
1298 @end smallexample | |
1299 | |
1300 @noindent | |
1301 or like this, using @code{add-to-list} (@pxref{List Variables}): | |
1302 | |
1303 @smallexample | |
1304 @group | |
1305 (add-to-list 'minor-mode-alist '(leif-mode " Leif")) | |
1306 @end group | |
1307 @end smallexample | |
1308 @end itemize | |
1309 | |
1310 Global minor modes distributed with Emacs should if possible support | |
1311 enabling and disabling via Custom (@pxref{Customization}). To do this, | |
1312 the first step is to define the mode variable with @code{defcustom}, and | |
1313 specify @code{:type boolean}. | |
1314 | |
1315 If just setting the variable is not sufficient to enable the mode, you | |
1316 should also specify a @code{:set} method which enables the mode by | |
1317 invoking the mode command. Note in the variable's documentation string that | |
1318 setting the variable other than via Custom may not take effect. | |
1319 | |
1320 Also mark the definition with an autoload cookie (@pxref{autoload cookie}), | |
1321 and specify a @code{:require} so that customizing the variable will load | |
1322 the library that defines the mode. This will copy suitable definitions | |
1323 into @file{loaddefs.el} so that users can use @code{customize-option} to | |
1324 enable the mode. For example: | |
1325 | |
1326 @smallexample | |
1327 @group | |
1328 | |
1329 ;;;###autoload | |
1330 (defcustom msb-mode nil | |
1331 "Toggle msb-mode. | |
1332 Setting this variable directly does not take effect; | |
1333 use either \\[customize] or the function `msb-mode'." | |
1334 :set 'custom-set-minor-mode | |
1335 :initialize 'custom-initialize-default | |
1336 :version "20.4" | |
1337 :type 'boolean | |
1338 :group 'msb | |
1339 :require 'msb) | |
1340 @end group | |
1341 @end smallexample | |
1342 | |
1343 @node Keymaps and Minor Modes | |
1344 @subsection Keymaps and Minor Modes | |
1345 | |
1346 Each minor mode can have its own keymap, which is active when the mode | |
1347 is enabled. To set up a keymap for a minor mode, add an element to the | |
1348 alist @code{minor-mode-map-alist}. @xref{Definition of minor-mode-map-alist}. | |
1349 | |
1350 @cindex @code{self-insert-command}, minor modes | |
1351 One use of minor mode keymaps is to modify the behavior of certain | |
1352 self-inserting characters so that they do something else as well as | |
1353 self-insert. In general, this is the only way to do that, since the | |
1354 facilities for customizing @code{self-insert-command} are limited to | |
1355 special cases (designed for abbrevs and Auto Fill mode). (Do not try | |
1356 substituting your own definition of @code{self-insert-command} for the | |
1357 standard one. The editor command loop handles this function specially.) | |
1358 | |
1359 The key sequences bound in a minor mode should consist of @kbd{C-c} | |
1360 followed by one of @kbd{.,/?`'"[]\|~!#$%^&*()-_+=}. (The other | |
1361 punctuation characters are reserved for major modes.) | |
1362 | |
1363 @node Defining Minor Modes | |
1364 @subsection Defining Minor Modes | |
1365 | |
1366 The macro @code{define-minor-mode} offers a convenient way of | |
1367 implementing a mode in one self-contained definition. | |
1368 | |
1369 @defmac define-minor-mode mode doc [init-value [lighter [keymap]]] keyword-args@dots{} body@dots{} | |
1370 This macro defines a new minor mode whose name is @var{mode} (a | |
1371 symbol). It defines a command named @var{mode} to toggle the minor | |
1372 mode, with @var{doc} as its documentation string. It also defines a | |
1373 variable named @var{mode}, which is set to @code{t} or @code{nil} by | |
1374 enabling or disabling the mode. The variable is initialized to | |
1375 @var{init-value}. Except in unusual circumstances (see below), this | |
1376 value must be @code{nil}. | |
1377 | |
1378 The string @var{lighter} says what to display in the mode line | |
1379 when the mode is enabled; if it is @code{nil}, the mode is not displayed | |
1380 in the mode line. | |
1381 | |
1382 The optional argument @var{keymap} specifies the keymap for the minor mode. | |
1383 It can be a variable name, whose value is the keymap, or it can be an alist | |
1384 specifying bindings in this form: | |
1385 | |
1386 @example | |
1387 (@var{key-sequence} . @var{definition}) | |
1388 @end example | |
1389 | |
1390 The above three arguments @var{init-value}, @var{lighter}, and | |
1391 @var{keymap} can be (partially) omitted when @var{keyword-args} are | |
1392 used. The @var{keyword-args} consist of keywords followed by | |
1393 corresponding values. A few keywords have special meanings: | |
1394 | |
1395 @table @code | |
1396 @item :group @var{group} | |
1397 Custom group name to use in all generated @code{defcustom} forms. | |
1398 Defaults to @var{mode} without the possible trailing @samp{-mode}. | |
1399 @strong{Warning:} don't use this default group name unless you have | |
1400 written a @code{defgroup} to define that group properly. @xref{Group | |
1401 Definitions}. | |
1402 | |
1403 @item :global @var{global} | |
1404 If non-@code{nil}, this specifies that the minor mode should be global | |
1405 rather than buffer-local. It defaults to @code{nil}. | |
1406 | |
1407 One of the effects of making a minor mode global is that the | |
1408 @var{mode} variable becomes a customization variable. Toggling it | |
1409 through the Custom interface turns the mode on and off, and its value | |
1410 can be saved for future Emacs sessions (@pxref{Saving | |
1411 Customizations,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. For the saved | |
1412 variable to work, you should ensure that the @code{define-minor-mode} | |
1413 form is evaluated each time Emacs starts; for packages that are not | |
1414 part of Emacs, the easiest way to do this is to specify a | |
1415 @code{:require} keyword. | |
1416 | |
1417 @item :init-value @var{init-value} | |
1418 This is equivalent to specifying @var{init-value} positionally. | |
1419 | |
1420 @item :lighter @var{lighter} | |
1421 This is equivalent to specifying @var{lighter} positionally. | |
1422 | |
1423 @item :keymap @var{keymap} | |
1424 This is equivalent to specifying @var{keymap} positionally. | |
1425 @end table | |
1426 | |
1427 Any other keyword arguments are passed directly to the | |
1428 @code{defcustom} generated for the variable @var{mode}. | |
1429 | |
1430 The command named @var{mode} first performs the standard actions such | |
1431 as setting the variable named @var{mode} and then executes the | |
1432 @var{body} forms, if any. It finishes by running the mode hook | |
1433 variable @code{@var{mode}-hook}. | |
1434 @end defmac | |
1435 | |
1436 The initial value must be @code{nil} except in cases where (1) the | |
1437 mode is preloaded in Emacs, or (2) it is painless for loading to | |
1438 enable the mode even though the user did not request it. For | |
1439 instance, if the mode has no effect unless something else is enabled, | |
1440 and will always be loaded by that time, enabling it by default is | |
1441 harmless. But these are unusual circumstances. Normally, the | |
1442 initial value must be @code{nil}. | |
1443 | |
1444 @findex easy-mmode-define-minor-mode | |
1445 The name @code{easy-mmode-define-minor-mode} is an alias | |
1446 for this macro. | |
1447 | |
1448 Here is an example of using @code{define-minor-mode}: | |
1449 | |
1450 @smallexample | |
1451 (define-minor-mode hungry-mode | |
1452 "Toggle Hungry mode. | |
1453 With no argument, this command toggles the mode. | |
1454 Non-null prefix argument turns on the mode. | |
1455 Null prefix argument turns off the mode. | |
1456 | |
1457 When Hungry mode is enabled, the control delete key | |
1458 gobbles all preceding whitespace except the last. | |
1459 See the command \\[hungry-electric-delete]." | |
1460 ;; The initial value. | |
1461 nil | |
1462 ;; The indicator for the mode line. | |
1463 " Hungry" | |
1464 ;; The minor mode bindings. | |
1465 '(("\C-\^?" . hungry-electric-delete)) | |
1466 :group 'hunger) | |
1467 @end smallexample | |
1468 | |
1469 @noindent | |
1470 This defines a minor mode named ``Hungry mode,'' a command named | |
1471 @code{hungry-mode} to toggle it, a variable named @code{hungry-mode} | |
1472 which indicates whether the mode is enabled, and a variable named | |
1473 @code{hungry-mode-map} which holds the keymap that is active when the | |
1474 mode is enabled. It initializes the keymap with a key binding for | |
1475 @kbd{C-@key{DEL}}. It puts the variable @code{hungry-mode} into | |
1476 custom group @code{hunger}. There are no @var{body} forms---many | |
1477 minor modes don't need any. | |
1478 | |
1479 Here's an equivalent way to write it: | |
1480 | |
1481 @smallexample | |
1482 (define-minor-mode hungry-mode | |
1483 "Toggle Hungry mode. | |
1484 With no argument, this command toggles the mode. | |
1485 Non-null prefix argument turns on the mode. | |
1486 Null prefix argument turns off the mode. | |
1487 | |
1488 When Hungry mode is enabled, the control delete key | |
1489 gobbles all preceding whitespace except the last. | |
1490 See the command \\[hungry-electric-delete]." | |
1491 ;; The initial value. | |
1492 :init-value nil | |
1493 ;; The indicator for the mode line. | |
1494 :lighter " Hungry" | |
1495 ;; The minor mode bindings. | |
1496 :keymap | |
1497 '(("\C-\^?" . hungry-electric-delete) | |
1498 ("\C-\M-\^?" | |
1499 . (lambda () | |
1500 (interactive) | |
1501 (hungry-electric-delete t)))) | |
1502 :group 'hunger) | |
1503 @end smallexample | |
1504 | |
1505 @defmac define-globalized-minor-mode global-mode mode turn-on keyword-args@dots{} | |
1506 This defines a global toggle named @var{global-mode} whose meaning is | |
1507 to enable or disable the buffer-local minor mode @var{mode} in all | |
1508 buffers. To turn on the minor mode in a buffer, it uses the function | |
1509 @var{turn-on}; to turn off the minor mode, it calls @code{mode} with | |
1510 @minus{}1 as argument. | |
1511 | |
1512 Globally enabling the mode also affects buffers subsequently created | |
1513 by visiting files, and buffers that use a major mode other than | |
1514 Fundamental mode; but it does not detect the creation of a new buffer | |
1515 in Fundamental mode. | |
1516 | |
1517 This defines the customization option @var{global-mode} (@pxref{Customization}), | |
1518 which can be toggled in the Custom interface to turn the minor mode on | |
1519 and off. As with @code{define-minor-mode}, you should ensure that the | |
1520 @code{define-globalized-minor-mode} form is evaluated each time Emacs | |
1521 starts, for example by providing a @code{:require} keyword. | |
1522 | |
1523 Use @code{:group @var{group}} in @var{keyword-args} to specify the | |
1524 custom group for the mode variable of the global minor mode. | |
1525 @end defmac | |
1526 | |
1527 @node Mode Line Format | |
1528 @section Mode-Line Format | |
1529 @cindex mode line | |
1530 | |
1531 Each Emacs window (aside from minibuffer windows) typically has a mode | |
1532 line at the bottom, which displays status information about the buffer | |
1533 displayed in the window. The mode line contains information about the | |
1534 buffer, such as its name, associated file, depth of recursive editing, | |
1535 and major and minor modes. A window can also have a @dfn{header | |
1536 line}, which is much like the mode line but appears at the top of the | |
1537 window. | |
1538 | |
1539 This section describes how to control the contents of the mode line | |
1540 and header line. We include it in this chapter because much of the | |
1541 information displayed in the mode line relates to the enabled major and | |
1542 minor modes. | |
1543 | |
1544 @menu | |
1545 * Base: Mode Line Basics. Basic ideas of mode line control. | |
1546 * Data: Mode Line Data. The data structure that controls the mode line. | |
1547 * Top: Mode Line Top. The top level variable, mode-line-format. | |
1548 * Mode Line Variables:: Variables used in that data structure. | |
1549 * %-Constructs:: Putting information into a mode line. | |
1550 * Properties in Mode:: Using text properties in the mode line. | |
1551 * Header Lines:: Like a mode line, but at the top. | |
1552 * Emulating Mode Line:: Formatting text as the mode line would. | |
1553 @end menu | |
1554 | |
1555 @node Mode Line Basics | |
1556 @subsection Mode Line Basics | |
1557 | |
1558 @code{mode-line-format} is a buffer-local variable that holds a | |
1559 @dfn{mode line construct}, a kind of template, which controls what is | |
1560 displayed on the mode line of the current buffer. The value of | |
1561 @code{header-line-format} specifies the buffer's header line in the | |
1562 same way. All windows for the same buffer use the same | |
1563 @code{mode-line-format} and @code{header-line-format}. | |
1564 | |
1565 For efficiency, Emacs does not continuously recompute the mode | |
1566 line and header line of a window. It does so when circumstances | |
1567 appear to call for it---for instance, if you change the window | |
1568 configuration, switch buffers, narrow or widen the buffer, scroll, or | |
1569 change the buffer's modification status. If you modify any of the | |
1570 variables referenced by @code{mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line | |
1571 Variables}), or any other variables and data structures that affect | |
1572 how text is displayed (@pxref{Display}), you may want to force an | |
1573 update of the mode line so as to display the new information or | |
1574 display it in the new way. | |
1575 | |
1576 @defun force-mode-line-update &optional all | |
1577 Force redisplay of the current buffer's mode line and header line. | |
1578 The next redisplay will update the mode line and header line based on | |
1579 the latest values of all relevant variables. With optional | |
1580 non-@code{nil} @var{all}, force redisplay of all mode lines and header | |
1581 lines. | |
1582 | |
1583 This function also forces recomputation of the menu bar menus | |
1584 and the frame title. | |
1585 @end defun | |
1586 | |
1587 The selected window's mode line is usually displayed in a different | |
1588 color using the face @code{mode-line}. Other windows' mode lines | |
1589 appear in the face @code{mode-line-inactive} instead. @xref{Faces}. | |
1590 | |
1591 @node Mode Line Data | |
1592 @subsection The Data Structure of the Mode Line | |
1593 @cindex mode-line construct | |
1594 | |
1595 The mode-line contents are controlled by a data structure called a | |
1596 @dfn{mode-line construct}, made up of lists, strings, symbols, and | |
1597 numbers kept in buffer-local variables. Each data type has a specific | |
1598 meaning for the mode-line appearance, as described below. The same | |
1599 data structure is used for constructing frame titles (@pxref{Frame | |
1600 Titles}) and header lines (@pxref{Header Lines}). | |
1601 | |
1602 A mode-line construct may be as simple as a fixed string of text, | |
1603 but it usually specifies how to combine fixed strings with variables' | |
1604 values to construct the text. Many of these variables are themselves | |
1605 defined to have mode-line constructs as their values. | |
1606 | |
1607 Here are the meanings of various data types as mode-line constructs: | |
1608 | |
1609 @table @code | |
1610 @cindex percent symbol in mode line | |
1611 @item @var{string} | |
1612 A string as a mode-line construct appears verbatim except for | |
1613 @dfn{@code{%}-constructs} in it. These stand for substitution of | |
1614 other data; see @ref{%-Constructs}. | |
1615 | |
1616 If parts of the string have @code{face} properties, they control | |
1617 display of the text just as they would text in the buffer. Any | |
1618 characters which have no @code{face} properties are displayed, by | |
1619 default, in the face @code{mode-line} or @code{mode-line-inactive} | |
1620 (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). The | |
1621 @code{help-echo} and @code{local-map} properties in @var{string} have | |
1622 special meanings. @xref{Properties in Mode}. | |
1623 | |
1624 @item @var{symbol} | |
1625 A symbol as a mode-line construct stands for its value. The value of | |
1626 @var{symbol} is used as a mode-line construct, in place of @var{symbol}. | |
1627 However, the symbols @code{t} and @code{nil} are ignored, as is any | |
1628 symbol whose value is void. | |
1629 | |
1630 There is one exception: if the value of @var{symbol} is a string, it is | |
1631 displayed verbatim: the @code{%}-constructs are not recognized. | |
1632 | |
1633 Unless @var{symbol} is marked as ``risky'' (i.e., it has a | |
1634 non-@code{nil} @code{risky-local-variable} property), all text | |
1635 properties specified in @var{symbol}'s value are ignored. This | |
1636 includes the text properties of strings in @var{symbol}'s value, as | |
1637 well as all @code{:eval} and @code{:propertize} forms in it. (The | |
1638 reason for this is security: non-risky variables could be set | |
1639 automatically from file variables without prompting the user.) | |
1640 | |
1641 @item (@var{string} @var{rest}@dots{}) | |
1642 @itemx (@var{list} @var{rest}@dots{}) | |
1643 A list whose first element is a string or list means to process all the | |
1644 elements recursively and concatenate the results. This is the most | |
1645 common form of mode-line construct. | |
1646 | |
1647 @item (:eval @var{form}) | |
1648 A list whose first element is the symbol @code{:eval} says to evaluate | |
1649 @var{form}, and use the result as a string to display. Make sure this | |
1650 evaluation cannot load any files, as doing so could cause infinite | |
1651 recursion. | |
1652 | |
1653 @item (:propertize @var{elt} @var{props}@dots{}) | |
1654 A list whose first element is the symbol @code{:propertize} says to | |
1655 process the mode-line construct @var{elt} recursively, then add the text | |
1656 properties specified by @var{props} to the result. The argument | |
1657 @var{props} should consist of zero or more pairs @var{text-property} | |
1658 @var{value}. (This feature is new as of Emacs 22.1.) | |
1659 | |
1660 @item (@var{symbol} @var{then} @var{else}) | |
1661 A list whose first element is a symbol that is not a keyword specifies | |
1662 a conditional. Its meaning depends on the value of @var{symbol}. If | |
1663 @var{symbol} has a non-@code{nil} value, the second element, | |
1664 @var{then}, is processed recursively as a mode-line element. | |
1665 Otherwise, the third element, @var{else}, is processed recursively. | |
1666 You may omit @var{else}; then the mode-line element displays nothing | |
1667 if the value of @var{symbol} is @code{nil} or void. | |
1668 | |
1669 @item (@var{width} @var{rest}@dots{}) | |
1670 A list whose first element is an integer specifies truncation or | |
1671 padding of the results of @var{rest}. The remaining elements | |
1672 @var{rest} are processed recursively as mode-line constructs and | |
1673 concatenated together. When @var{width} is positive, the result is | |
1674 space filled on the right if its width is less than @var{width}. When | |
1675 @var{width} is negative, the result is truncated on the right to | |
1676 @minus{}@var{width} columns if its width exceeds @minus{}@var{width}. | |
1677 | |
1678 For example, the usual way to show what percentage of a buffer is above | |
1679 the top of the window is to use a list like this: @code{(-3 "%p")}. | |
1680 @end table | |
1681 | |
1682 @node Mode Line Top | |
1683 @subsection The Top Level of Mode Line Control | |
1684 | |
1685 The variable in overall control of the mode line is | |
1686 @code{mode-line-format}. | |
1687 | |
1688 @defvar mode-line-format | |
1689 The value of this variable is a mode-line construct that controls the | |
1690 contents of the mode-line. It is always buffer-local in all buffers. | |
1691 | |
1692 If you set this variable to @code{nil} in a buffer, that buffer does | |
1693 not have a mode line. (A window that is just one line tall never | |
1694 displays a mode line.) | |
1695 @end defvar | |
1696 | |
1697 The default value of @code{mode-line-format} is designed to use the | |
1698 values of other variables such as @code{mode-line-position} and | |
1699 @code{mode-line-modes} (which in turn incorporates the values of the | |
1700 variables @code{mode-name} and @code{minor-mode-alist}). Very few | |
1701 modes need to alter @code{mode-line-format} itself. For most | |
1702 purposes, it is sufficient to alter some of the variables that | |
1703 @code{mode-line-format} either directly or indirectly refers to. | |
1704 | |
1705 If you do alter @code{mode-line-format} itself, the new value should | |
1706 use the same variables that appear in the default value (@pxref{Mode | |
1707 Line Variables}), rather than duplicating their contents or displaying | |
1708 the information in another fashion. This way, customizations made by | |
1709 the user or by Lisp programs (such as @code{display-time} and major | |
1710 modes) via changes to those variables remain effective. | |
1711 | |
1712 Here is an example of a @code{mode-line-format} that might be | |
1713 useful for @code{shell-mode}, since it contains the host name and default | |
1714 directory. | |
1715 | |
1716 @example | |
1717 @group | |
1718 (setq mode-line-format | |
1719 (list "-" | |
1720 'mode-line-mule-info | |
1721 'mode-line-modified | |
1722 'mode-line-frame-identification | |
1723 "%b--" | |
1724 @end group | |
1725 @group | |
1726 ;; @r{Note that this is evaluated while making the list.} | |
1727 ;; @r{It makes a mode-line construct which is just a string.} | |
1728 (getenv "HOST") | |
1729 @end group | |
1730 ":" | |
1731 'default-directory | |
1732 " " | |
1733 'global-mode-string | |
1734 " %[(" | |
1735 '(:eval (mode-line-mode-name)) | |
1736 'mode-line-process | |
1737 'minor-mode-alist | |
1738 "%n" | |
1739 ")%]--" | |
1740 @group | |
1741 '(which-func-mode ("" which-func-format "--")) | |
1742 '(line-number-mode "L%l--") | |
1743 '(column-number-mode "C%c--") | |
1744 '(-3 "%p") | |
1745 "-%-")) | |
1746 @end group | |
1747 @end example | |
1748 | |
1749 @noindent | |
1750 (The variables @code{line-number-mode}, @code{column-number-mode} | |
1751 and @code{which-func-mode} enable particular minor modes; as usual, | |
1752 these variable names are also the minor mode command names.) | |
1753 | |
1754 @node Mode Line Variables | |
1755 @subsection Variables Used in the Mode Line | |
1756 | |
1757 This section describes variables incorporated by the standard value | |
1758 of @code{mode-line-format} into the text of the mode line. There is | |
1759 nothing inherently special about these variables; any other variables | |
1760 could have the same effects on the mode line if | |
1761 @code{mode-line-format}'s value were changed to use them. However, | |
1762 various parts of Emacs set these variables on the understanding that | |
1763 they will control parts of the mode line; therefore, practically | |
1764 speaking, it is essential for the mode line to use them. | |
1765 | |
1766 @defvar mode-line-mule-info | |
1767 This variable holds the value of the mode-line construct that displays | |
1768 information about the language environment, buffer coding system, and | |
1769 current input method. @xref{Non-ASCII Characters}. | |
1770 @end defvar | |
1771 | |
1772 @defvar mode-line-modified | |
1773 This variable holds the value of the mode-line construct that displays | |
1774 whether the current buffer is modified. | |
1775 | |
1776 The default value of @code{mode-line-modified} is @code{("%1*%1+")}. | |
1777 This means that the mode line displays @samp{**} if the buffer is | |
1778 modified, @samp{--} if the buffer is not modified, @samp{%%} if the | |
1779 buffer is read only, and @samp{%*} if the buffer is read only and | |
1780 modified. | |
1781 | |
1782 Changing this variable does not force an update of the mode line. | |
1783 @end defvar | |
1784 | |
1785 @defvar mode-line-frame-identification | |
1786 This variable identifies the current frame. The default value is | |
1787 @code{" "} if you are using a window system which can show multiple | |
1788 frames, or @code{"-%F "} on an ordinary terminal which shows only one | |
1789 frame at a time. | |
1790 @end defvar | |
1791 | |
1792 @defvar mode-line-buffer-identification | |
1793 This variable identifies the buffer being displayed in the window. Its | |
1794 default value is @code{("%12b")}, which displays the buffer name, padded | |
1795 with spaces to at least 12 columns. | |
1796 @end defvar | |
1797 | |
1798 @defvar mode-line-position | |
1799 This variable indicates the position in the buffer. Here is a | |
1800 simplified version of its default value. The actual default value | |
1801 also specifies addition of the @code{help-echo} text property. | |
1802 | |
1803 @example | |
1804 @group | |
1805 ((-3 "%p") | |
1806 (size-indication-mode (8 " of %I")) | |
1807 @end group | |
1808 @group | |
1809 (line-number-mode | |
1810 ((column-number-mode | |
1811 (10 " (%l,%c)") | |
1812 (6 " L%l"))) | |
1813 ((column-number-mode | |
1814 (5 " C%c"))))) | |
1815 @end group | |
1816 @end example | |
1817 | |
1818 This means that @code{mode-line-position} displays at least the buffer | |
1819 percentage and possibly the buffer size, the line number and the column | |
1820 number. | |
1821 @end defvar | |
1822 | |
1823 @defvar vc-mode | |
1824 The variable @code{vc-mode}, buffer-local in each buffer, records | |
1825 whether the buffer's visited file is maintained with version control, | |
1826 and, if so, which kind. Its value is a string that appears in the mode | |
1827 line, or @code{nil} for no version control. | |
1828 @end defvar | |
1829 | |
1830 @defvar mode-line-modes | |
1831 This variable displays the buffer's major and minor modes. Here is a | |
1832 simplified version of its default value. The real default value also | |
1833 specifies addition of text properties. | |
1834 | |
1835 @example | |
1836 @group | |
1837 ("%[(" mode-name | |
1838 mode-line-process minor-mode-alist | |
1839 "%n" ")%]--") | |
1840 @end group | |
1841 @end example | |
1842 | |
1843 So @code{mode-line-modes} normally also displays the recursive editing | |
1844 level, information on the process status and whether narrowing is in | |
1845 effect. | |
1846 @end defvar | |
1847 | |
1848 The following three variables are used in @code{mode-line-modes}: | |
1849 | |
1850 @defvar mode-name | |
1851 This buffer-local variable holds the ``pretty'' name of the current | |
1852 buffer's major mode. Each major mode should set this variable so that the | |
1853 mode name will appear in the mode line. | |
1854 @end defvar | |
1855 | |
1856 @defvar mode-line-process | |
1857 This buffer-local variable contains the mode-line information on process | |
1858 status in modes used for communicating with subprocesses. It is | |
1859 displayed immediately following the major mode name, with no intervening | |
1860 space. For example, its value in the @samp{*shell*} buffer is | |
1861 @code{(":%s")}, which allows the shell to display its status along | |
1862 with the major mode as: @samp{(Shell:run)}. Normally this variable | |
1863 is @code{nil}. | |
1864 @end defvar | |
1865 | |
1866 @defvar minor-mode-alist | |
1867 @anchor{Definition of minor-mode-alist} | |
1868 This variable holds an association list whose elements specify how the | |
1869 mode line should indicate that a minor mode is active. Each element of | |
1870 the @code{minor-mode-alist} should be a two-element list: | |
1871 | |
1872 @example | |
1873 (@var{minor-mode-variable} @var{mode-line-string}) | |
1874 @end example | |
1875 | |
1876 More generally, @var{mode-line-string} can be any mode-line spec. It | |
1877 appears in the mode line when the value of @var{minor-mode-variable} | |
1878 is non-@code{nil}, and not otherwise. These strings should begin with | |
1879 spaces so that they don't run together. Conventionally, the | |
1880 @var{minor-mode-variable} for a specific mode is set to a | |
1881 non-@code{nil} value when that minor mode is activated. | |
1882 | |
1883 @code{minor-mode-alist} itself is not buffer-local. Each variable | |
1884 mentioned in the alist should be buffer-local if its minor mode can be | |
1885 enabled separately in each buffer. | |
1886 @end defvar | |
1887 | |
1888 @defvar global-mode-string | |
1889 This variable holds a mode-line spec that, by default, appears in the | |
1890 mode line just after the @code{which-func-mode} minor mode if set, | |
1891 else after @code{mode-line-modes}. The command @code{display-time} | |
1892 sets @code{global-mode-string} to refer to the variable | |
1893 @code{display-time-string}, which holds a string containing the time | |
1894 and load information. | |
1895 | |
1896 The @samp{%M} construct substitutes the value of | |
1897 @code{global-mode-string}, but that is obsolete, since the variable is | |
1898 included in the mode line from @code{mode-line-format}. | |
1899 @end defvar | |
1900 | |
1901 The variable @code{default-mode-line-format} is where | |
1902 @code{mode-line-format} usually gets its value: | |
1903 | |
1904 @defvar default-mode-line-format | |
1905 This variable holds the default @code{mode-line-format} for buffers | |
1906 that do not override it. This is the same as @code{(default-value | |
1907 'mode-line-format)}. | |
1908 | |
1909 Here is a simplified version of the default value of | |
1910 @code{default-mode-line-format}. The real default value also | |
1911 specifies addition of text properties. | |
1912 | |
1913 @example | |
1914 @group | |
1915 ("-" | |
1916 mode-line-mule-info | |
1917 mode-line-modified | |
1918 mode-line-frame-identification | |
1919 mode-line-buffer-identification | |
1920 @end group | |
1921 " " | |
1922 mode-line-position | |
1923 (vc-mode vc-mode) | |
1924 " " | |
1925 @group | |
1926 mode-line-modes | |
1927 (which-func-mode ("" which-func-format "--")) | |
1928 (global-mode-string ("--" global-mode-string)) | |
1929 "-%-") | |
1930 @end group | |
1931 @end example | |
1932 @end defvar | |
1933 | |
1934 @node %-Constructs | |
1935 @subsection @code{%}-Constructs in the Mode Line | |
1936 | |
1937 Strings used as mode-line constructs can use certain | |
1938 @code{%}-constructs to substitute various kinds of data. Here is a | |
1939 list of the defined @code{%}-constructs, and what they mean. In any | |
1940 construct except @samp{%%}, you can add a decimal integer after the | |
1941 @samp{%} to specify a minimum field width. If the width is less, the | |
1942 field is padded with spaces to the right. | |
1943 | |
1944 @table @code | |
1945 @item %b | |
1946 The current buffer name, obtained with the @code{buffer-name} function. | |
1947 @xref{Buffer Names}. | |
1948 | |
1949 @item %c | |
1950 The current column number of point. | |
1951 | |
1952 @item %e | |
1953 When Emacs is nearly out of memory for Lisp objects, a brief message | |
1954 saying so. Otherwise, this is empty. | |
1955 | |
1956 @item %f | |
1957 The visited file name, obtained with the @code{buffer-file-name} | |
1958 function. @xref{Buffer File Name}. | |
1959 | |
1960 @item %F | |
1961 The title (only on a window system) or the name of the selected frame. | |
1962 @xref{Basic Parameters}. | |
1963 | |
1964 @item %i | |
1965 The size of the accessible part of the current buffer; basically | |
1966 @code{(- (point-max) (point-min))}. | |
1967 | |
1968 @item %I | |
1969 Like @samp{%i}, but the size is printed in a more readable way by using | |
1970 @samp{k} for 10^3, @samp{M} for 10^6, @samp{G} for 10^9, etc., to | |
1971 abbreviate. | |
1972 | |
1973 @item %l | |
1974 The current line number of point, counting within the accessible portion | |
1975 of the buffer. | |
1976 | |
1977 @item %n | |
1978 @samp{Narrow} when narrowing is in effect; nothing otherwise (see | |
1979 @code{narrow-to-region} in @ref{Narrowing}). | |
1980 | |
1981 @item %p | |
1982 The percentage of the buffer text above the @strong{top} of window, or | |
1983 @samp{Top}, @samp{Bottom} or @samp{All}. Note that the default | |
1984 mode-line specification truncates this to three characters. | |
1985 | |
1986 @item %P | |
1987 The percentage of the buffer text that is above the @strong{bottom} of | |
1988 the window (which includes the text visible in the window, as well as | |
1989 the text above the top), plus @samp{Top} if the top of the buffer is | |
1990 visible on screen; or @samp{Bottom} or @samp{All}. | |
1991 | |
1992 @item %s | |
1993 The status of the subprocess belonging to the current buffer, obtained with | |
1994 @code{process-status}. @xref{Process Information}. | |
1995 | |
1996 @item %t | |
1997 Whether the visited file is a text file or a binary file. This is a | |
1998 meaningful distinction only on certain operating systems (@pxref{MS-DOS | |
1999 File Types}). | |
2000 | |
2001 @item %z | |
2002 The mnemonics of keyboard, terminal, and buffer coding systems. | |
2003 | |
2004 @item %Z | |
2005 Like @samp{%z}, but including the end-of-line format. | |
2006 | |
2007 @item %* | |
2008 @samp{%} if the buffer is read only (see @code{buffer-read-only}); @* | |
2009 @samp{*} if the buffer is modified (see @code{buffer-modified-p}); @* | |
2010 @samp{-} otherwise. @xref{Buffer Modification}. | |
2011 | |
2012 @item %+ | |
2013 @samp{*} if the buffer is modified (see @code{buffer-modified-p}); @* | |
2014 @samp{%} if the buffer is read only (see @code{buffer-read-only}); @* | |
2015 @samp{-} otherwise. This differs from @samp{%*} only for a modified | |
2016 read-only buffer. @xref{Buffer Modification}. | |
2017 | |
2018 @item %& | |
2019 @samp{*} if the buffer is modified, and @samp{-} otherwise. | |
2020 | |
2021 @item %[ | |
2022 An indication of the depth of recursive editing levels (not counting | |
2023 minibuffer levels): one @samp{[} for each editing level. | |
2024 @xref{Recursive Editing}. | |
2025 | |
2026 @item %] | |
2027 One @samp{]} for each recursive editing level (not counting minibuffer | |
2028 levels). | |
2029 | |
2030 @item %- | |
2031 Dashes sufficient to fill the remainder of the mode line. | |
2032 | |
2033 @item %% | |
2034 The character @samp{%}---this is how to include a literal @samp{%} in a | |
2035 string in which @code{%}-constructs are allowed. | |
2036 @end table | |
2037 | |
2038 The following two @code{%}-constructs are still supported, but they are | |
2039 obsolete, since you can get the same results with the variables | |
2040 @code{mode-name} and @code{global-mode-string}. | |
2041 | |
2042 @table @code | |
2043 @item %m | |
2044 The value of @code{mode-name}. | |
2045 | |
2046 @item %M | |
2047 The value of @code{global-mode-string}. | |
2048 @end table | |
2049 | |
2050 @node Properties in Mode | |
2051 @subsection Properties in the Mode Line | |
2052 @cindex text properties in the mode line | |
2053 | |
2054 Certain text properties are meaningful in the | |
2055 mode line. The @code{face} property affects the appearance of text; the | |
2056 @code{help-echo} property associates help strings with the text, and | |
2057 @code{local-map} can make the text mouse-sensitive. | |
2058 | |
2059 There are four ways to specify text properties for text in the mode | |
2060 line: | |
2061 | |
2062 @enumerate | |
2063 @item | |
2064 Put a string with a text property directly into the mode-line data | |
2065 structure. | |
2066 | |
2067 @item | |
2068 Put a text property on a mode-line %-construct such as @samp{%12b}; then | |
2069 the expansion of the %-construct will have that same text property. | |
2070 | |
2071 @item | |
2072 Use a @code{(:propertize @var{elt} @var{props}@dots{})} construct to | |
2073 give @var{elt} a text property specified by @var{props}. | |
2074 | |
2075 @item | |
2076 Use a list containing @code{:eval @var{form}} in the mode-line data | |
2077 structure, and make @var{form} evaluate to a string that has a text | |
2078 property. | |
2079 @end enumerate | |
2080 | |
2081 You can use the @code{local-map} property to specify a keymap. This | |
2082 keymap only takes real effect for mouse clicks; binding character keys | |
2083 and function keys to it has no effect, since it is impossible to move | |
2084 point into the mode line. | |
2085 | |
2086 When the mode line refers to a variable which does not have a | |
2087 non-@code{nil} @code{risky-local-variable} property, any text | |
2088 properties given or specified within that variable's values are | |
2089 ignored. This is because such properties could otherwise specify | |
2090 functions to be called, and those functions could come from file | |
2091 local variables. | |
2092 | |
2093 @node Header Lines | |
2094 @subsection Window Header Lines | |
2095 @cindex header line (of a window) | |
2096 @cindex window header line | |
2097 | |
2098 A window can have a @dfn{header line} at the | |
2099 top, just as it can have a mode line at the bottom. The header line | |
2100 feature works just like the mode-line feature, except that it's | |
2101 controlled by different variables. | |
2102 | |
2103 @defvar header-line-format | |
2104 This variable, local in every buffer, specifies how to display the | |
2105 header line, for windows displaying the buffer. The format of the value | |
2106 is the same as for @code{mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Data}). | |
2107 @end defvar | |
2108 | |
2109 @defvar default-header-line-format | |
2110 This variable holds the default @code{header-line-format} for buffers | |
2111 that do not override it. This is the same as @code{(default-value | |
2112 'header-line-format)}. | |
2113 | |
2114 It is normally @code{nil}, so that ordinary buffers have no header line. | |
2115 @end defvar | |
2116 | |
2117 A window that is just one line tall never displays a header line. A | |
2118 window that is two lines tall cannot display both a mode line and a | |
2119 header line at once; if it has a mode line, then it does not display a | |
2120 header line. | |
2121 | |
2122 @node Emulating Mode Line | |
2123 @subsection Emulating Mode-Line Formatting | |
2124 | |
2125 You can use the function @code{format-mode-line} to compute | |
2126 the text that would appear in a mode line or header line | |
2127 based on a certain mode-line specification. | |
2128 | |
2129 @defun format-mode-line format &optional face window buffer | |
2130 This function formats a line of text according to @var{format} as if | |
2131 it were generating the mode line for @var{window}, but instead of | |
2132 displaying the text in the mode line or the header line, it returns | |
2133 the text as a string. The argument @var{window} defaults to the | |
2134 selected window. If @var{buffer} is non-@code{nil}, all the | |
2135 information used is taken from @var{buffer}; by default, it comes from | |
2136 @var{window}'s buffer. | |
2137 | |
2138 The value string normally has text properties that correspond to the | |
2139 faces, keymaps, etc., that the mode line would have. And any character | |
2140 for which no @code{face} property is specified gets a default | |
2141 value which is usually @var{face}. (If @var{face} is @code{t}, | |
2142 that stands for either @code{mode-line} if @var{window} is selected, | |
2143 otherwise @code{mode-line-inactive}. If @var{face} is @code{nil} or | |
2144 omitted, that stands for no face property.) | |
2145 | |
2146 However, if @var{face} is an integer, the value has no text properties. | |
2147 | |
2148 For example, @code{(format-mode-line header-line-format)} returns the | |
2149 text that would appear in the selected window's header line (@code{""} | |
2150 if it has no header line). @code{(format-mode-line header-line-format | |
2151 'header-line)} returns the same text, with each character | |
2152 carrying the face that it will have in the header line itself. | |
2153 @end defun | |
2154 | |
2155 @node Imenu | |
2156 @section Imenu | |
2157 | |
2158 @cindex Imenu | |
2159 @dfn{Imenu} is a feature that lets users select a definition or | |
2160 section in the buffer, from a menu which lists all of them, to go | |
2161 directly to that location in the buffer. Imenu works by constructing | |
2162 a buffer index which lists the names and buffer positions of the | |
2163 definitions, or other named portions of the buffer; then the user can | |
2164 choose one of them and move point to it. Major modes can add a menu | |
2165 bar item to use Imenu using @code{imenu-add-to-menubar}. | |
2166 | |
2167 @defun imenu-add-to-menubar name | |
2168 This function defines a local menu bar item named @var{name} | |
2169 to run Imenu. | |
2170 @end defun | |
2171 | |
2172 The user-level commands for using Imenu are described in the Emacs | |
2173 Manual (@pxref{Imenu,, Imenu, emacs, the Emacs Manual}). This section | |
2174 explains how to customize Imenu's method of finding definitions or | |
2175 buffer portions for a particular major mode. | |
2176 | |
2177 The usual and simplest way is to set the variable | |
2178 @code{imenu-generic-expression}: | |
2179 | |
2180 @defvar imenu-generic-expression | |
2181 This variable, if non-@code{nil}, is a list that specifies regular | |
2182 expressions for finding definitions for Imenu. Simple elements of | |
2183 @code{imenu-generic-expression} look like this: | |
2184 | |
2185 @example | |
2186 (@var{menu-title} @var{regexp} @var{index}) | |
2187 @end example | |
2188 | |
2189 Here, if @var{menu-title} is non-@code{nil}, it says that the matches | |
2190 for this element should go in a submenu of the buffer index; | |
2191 @var{menu-title} itself specifies the name for the submenu. If | |
2192 @var{menu-title} is @code{nil}, the matches for this element go directly | |
2193 in the top level of the buffer index. | |
2194 | |
2195 The second item in the list, @var{regexp}, is a regular expression | |
2196 (@pxref{Regular Expressions}); anything in the buffer that it matches | |
2197 is considered a definition, something to mention in the buffer index. | |
2198 The third item, @var{index}, is a non-negative integer that indicates | |
2199 which subexpression in @var{regexp} matches the definition's name. | |
2200 | |
2201 An element can also look like this: | |
2202 | |
2203 @example | |
2204 (@var{menu-title} @var{regexp} @var{index} @var{function} @var{arguments}@dots{}) | |
2205 @end example | |
2206 | |
2207 Each match for this element creates an index item, and when the index | |
2208 item is selected by the user, it calls @var{function} with arguments | |
2209 consisting of the item name, the buffer position, and @var{arguments}. | |
2210 | |
2211 For Emacs Lisp mode, @code{imenu-generic-expression} could look like | |
2212 this: | |
2213 | |
2214 @c should probably use imenu-syntax-alist and \\sw rather than [-A-Za-z0-9+] | |
2215 @example | |
2216 @group | |
2217 ((nil "^\\s-*(def\\(un\\|subst\\|macro\\|advice\\)\ | |
2218 \\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)" 2) | |
2219 @end group | |
2220 @group | |
2221 ("*Vars*" "^\\s-*(def\\(var\\|const\\)\ | |
2222 \\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)" 2) | |
2223 @end group | |
2224 @group | |
2225 ("*Types*" | |
2226 "^\\s-*\ | |
2227 (def\\(type\\|struct\\|class\\|ine-condition\\)\ | |
2228 \\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)" 2)) | |
2229 @end group | |
2230 @end example | |
2231 | |
2232 Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2233 @end defvar | |
2234 | |
2235 @defvar imenu-case-fold-search | |
2236 This variable controls whether matching against the regular | |
2237 expressions in the value of @code{imenu-generic-expression} is | |
2238 case-sensitive: @code{t}, the default, means matching should ignore | |
2239 case. | |
2240 | |
2241 Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2242 @end defvar | |
2243 | |
2244 @defvar imenu-syntax-alist | |
2245 This variable is an alist of syntax table modifiers to use while | |
2246 processing @code{imenu-generic-expression}, to override the syntax table | |
2247 of the current buffer. Each element should have this form: | |
2248 | |
2249 @example | |
2250 (@var{characters} . @var{syntax-description}) | |
2251 @end example | |
2252 | |
2253 The @sc{car}, @var{characters}, can be either a character or a string. | |
2254 The element says to give that character or characters the syntax | |
2255 specified by @var{syntax-description}, which is passed to | |
2256 @code{modify-syntax-entry} (@pxref{Syntax Table Functions}). | |
2257 | |
2258 This feature is typically used to give word syntax to characters which | |
2259 normally have symbol syntax, and thus to simplify | |
2260 @code{imenu-generic-expression} and speed up matching. | |
2261 For example, Fortran mode uses it this way: | |
2262 | |
2263 @example | |
2264 (setq imenu-syntax-alist '(("_$" . "w"))) | |
2265 @end example | |
2266 | |
2267 The @code{imenu-generic-expression} regular expressions can then use | |
2268 @samp{\\sw+} instead of @samp{\\(\\sw\\|\\s_\\)+}. Note that this | |
2269 technique may be inconvenient when the mode needs to limit the initial | |
2270 character of a name to a smaller set of characters than are allowed in | |
2271 the rest of a name. | |
2272 | |
2273 Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2274 @end defvar | |
2275 | |
2276 Another way to customize Imenu for a major mode is to set the | |
2277 variables @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} and | |
2278 @code{imenu-extract-index-name-function}: | |
2279 | |
2280 @defvar imenu-prev-index-position-function | |
2281 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, its value should be a function that | |
2282 finds the next ``definition'' to put in the buffer index, scanning | |
2283 backward in the buffer from point. It should return @code{nil} if it | |
2284 doesn't find another ``definition'' before point. Otherwise it should | |
2285 leave point at the place it finds a ``definition'' and return any | |
2286 non-@code{nil} value. | |
2287 | |
2288 Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2289 @end defvar | |
2290 | |
2291 @defvar imenu-extract-index-name-function | |
2292 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, its value should be a function to | |
2293 return the name for a definition, assuming point is in that definition | |
2294 as the @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} function would leave | |
2295 it. | |
2296 | |
2297 Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2298 @end defvar | |
2299 | |
2300 The last way to customize Imenu for a major mode is to set the | |
2301 variable @code{imenu-create-index-function}: | |
2302 | |
2303 @defvar imenu-create-index-function | |
2304 This variable specifies the function to use for creating a buffer | |
2305 index. The function should take no arguments, and return an index | |
2306 alist for the current buffer. It is called within | |
2307 @code{save-excursion}, so where it leaves point makes no difference. | |
2308 | |
2309 The index alist can have three types of elements. Simple elements | |
2310 look like this: | |
2311 | |
2312 @example | |
2313 (@var{index-name} . @var{index-position}) | |
2314 @end example | |
2315 | |
2316 Selecting a simple element has the effect of moving to position | |
2317 @var{index-position} in the buffer. Special elements look like this: | |
2318 | |
2319 @example | |
2320 (@var{index-name} @var{index-position} @var{function} @var{arguments}@dots{}) | |
2321 @end example | |
2322 | |
2323 Selecting a special element performs: | |
2324 | |
2325 @example | |
2326 (funcall @var{function} | |
2327 @var{index-name} @var{index-position} @var{arguments}@dots{}) | |
2328 @end example | |
2329 | |
2330 A nested sub-alist element looks like this: | |
2331 | |
2332 @example | |
2333 (@var{menu-title} @var{sub-alist}) | |
2334 @end example | |
2335 | |
2336 It creates the submenu @var{menu-title} specified by @var{sub-alist}. | |
2337 | |
2338 The default value of @code{imenu-create-index-function} is | |
2339 @code{imenu-default-create-index-function}. This function calls the | |
2340 value of @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} and the value of | |
2341 @code{imenu-extract-index-name-function} to produce the index alist. | |
2342 However, if either of these two variables is @code{nil}, the default | |
2343 function uses @code{imenu-generic-expression} instead. | |
2344 | |
2345 Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. | |
2346 @end defvar | |
2347 | |
2348 @node Font Lock Mode | |
2349 @section Font Lock Mode | |
2350 @cindex Font Lock mode | |
2351 | |
2352 @dfn{Font Lock mode} is a feature that automatically attaches | |
2353 @code{face} properties to certain parts of the buffer based on their | |
2354 syntactic role. How it parses the buffer depends on the major mode; | |
2355 most major modes define syntactic criteria for which faces to use in | |
2356 which contexts. This section explains how to customize Font Lock for a | |
2357 particular major mode. | |
2358 | |
2359 Font Lock mode finds text to highlight in two ways: through | |
2360 syntactic parsing based on the syntax table, and through searching | |
2361 (usually for regular expressions). Syntactic fontification happens | |
2362 first; it finds comments and string constants and highlights them. | |
2363 Search-based fontification happens second. | |
2364 | |
2365 @menu | |
2366 * Font Lock Basics:: Overview of customizing Font Lock. | |
2367 * Search-based Fontification:: Fontification based on regexps. | |
2368 * Customizing Keywords:: Customizing search-based fontification. | |
2369 * Other Font Lock Variables:: Additional customization facilities. | |
2370 * Levels of Font Lock:: Each mode can define alternative levels | |
2371 so that the user can select more or less. | |
2372 * Precalculated Fontification:: How Lisp programs that produce the buffer | |
2373 contents can also specify how to fontify it. | |
2374 * Faces for Font Lock:: Special faces specifically for Font Lock. | |
2375 * Syntactic Font Lock:: Fontification based on syntax tables. | |
2376 * Setting Syntax Properties:: Defining character syntax based on context | |
2377 using the Font Lock mechanism. | |
2378 * Multiline Font Lock:: How to coerce Font Lock into properly | |
2379 highlighting multiline constructs. | |
2380 @end menu | |
2381 | |
2382 @node Font Lock Basics | |
2383 @subsection Font Lock Basics | |
2384 | |
2385 There are several variables that control how Font Lock mode highlights | |
2386 text. But major modes should not set any of these variables directly. | |
2387 Instead, they should set @code{font-lock-defaults} as a buffer-local | |
2388 variable. The value assigned to this variable is used, if and when Font | |
2389 Lock mode is enabled, to set all the other variables. | |
2390 | |
2391 @defvar font-lock-defaults | |
2392 This variable is set by major modes, as a buffer-local variable, to | |
2393 specify how to fontify text in that mode. It automatically becomes | |
2394 buffer-local when you set it. If its value is @code{nil}, Font-Lock | |
2395 mode does no highlighting, and you can use the @samp{Faces} menu | |
2396 (under @samp{Edit} and then @samp{Text Properties} in the menu bar) to | |
2397 assign faces explicitly to text in the buffer. | |
2398 | |
2399 If non-@code{nil}, the value should look like this: | |
2400 | |
2401 @example | |
2402 (@var{keywords} [@var{keywords-only} [@var{case-fold} | |
2403 [@var{syntax-alist} [@var{syntax-begin} @var{other-vars}@dots{}]]]]) | |
2404 @end example | |
2405 | |
2406 The first element, @var{keywords}, indirectly specifies the value of | |
2407 @code{font-lock-keywords} which directs search-based fontification. | |
2408 It can be a symbol, a variable or a function whose value is the list | |
2409 to use for @code{font-lock-keywords}. It can also be a list of | |
2410 several such symbols, one for each possible level of fontification. | |
2411 The first symbol specifies how to do level 1 fontification, the second | |
2412 symbol how to do level 2, and so on. @xref{Levels of Font Lock}. | |
2413 | |
2414 The second element, @var{keywords-only}, specifies the value of the | |
2415 variable @code{font-lock-keywords-only}. If this is omitted or | |
2416 @code{nil}, syntactic fontification (of strings and comments) is also | |
2417 performed. If this is non-@code{nil}, such fontification is not | |
2418 performed. @xref{Syntactic Font Lock}. | |
2419 | |
2420 The third element, @var{case-fold}, specifies the value of | |
2421 @code{font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search}. If it is non-@code{nil}, | |
2422 Font Lock mode ignores case when searching as directed by | |
2423 @code{font-lock-keywords}. | |
2424 | |
2425 If the fourth element, @var{syntax-alist}, is non-@code{nil}, it | |
2426 should be a list of cons cells of the form @code{(@var{char-or-string} | |
2427 . @var{string})}. These are used to set up a syntax table for | |
2428 syntactic fontification (@pxref{Syntax Table Functions}). The | |
2429 resulting syntax table is stored in @code{font-lock-syntax-table}. | |
2430 | |
2431 The fifth element, @var{syntax-begin}, specifies the value of | |
2432 @code{font-lock-beginning-of-syntax-function}. We recommend setting | |
2433 this variable to @code{nil} and using @code{syntax-begin-function} | |
2434 instead. | |
2435 | |
2436 All the remaining elements (if any) are collectively called | |
2437 @var{other-vars}. Each of these elements should have the form | |
2438 @code{(@var{variable} . @var{value})}---which means, make | |
2439 @var{variable} buffer-local and then set it to @var{value}. You can | |
2440 use these @var{other-vars} to set other variables that affect | |
2441 fontification, aside from those you can control with the first five | |
2442 elements. @xref{Other Font Lock Variables}. | |
2443 @end defvar | |
2444 | |
2445 If your mode fontifies text explicitly by adding | |
2446 @code{font-lock-face} properties, it can specify @code{(nil t)} for | |
2447 @code{font-lock-defaults} to turn off all automatic fontification. | |
2448 However, this is not required; it is possible to fontify some things | |
2449 using @code{font-lock-face} properties and set up automatic | |
2450 fontification for other parts of the text. | |
2451 | |
2452 @node Search-based Fontification | |
2453 @subsection Search-based Fontification | |
2454 | |
2455 The most important variable for customizing Font Lock mode is | |
2456 @code{font-lock-keywords}. It specifies the search criteria for | |
2457 search-based fontification. You should specify the value of this | |
2458 variable with @var{keywords} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. | |
2459 | |
2460 @defvar font-lock-keywords | |
2461 This variable's value is a list of the keywords to highlight. Be | |
2462 careful when composing regular expressions for this list; a poorly | |
2463 written pattern can dramatically slow things down! | |
2464 @end defvar | |
2465 | |
2466 Each element of @code{font-lock-keywords} specifies how to find | |
2467 certain cases of text, and how to highlight those cases. Font Lock mode | |
2468 processes the elements of @code{font-lock-keywords} one by one, and for | |
2469 each element, it finds and handles all matches. Ordinarily, once | |
2470 part of the text has been fontified already, this cannot be overridden | |
2471 by a subsequent match in the same text; but you can specify different | |
2472 behavior using the @var{override} element of a @var{subexp-highlighter}. | |
2473 | |
2474 Each element of @code{font-lock-keywords} should have one of these | |
2475 forms: | |
2476 | |
2477 @table @code | |
2478 @item @var{regexp} | |
2479 Highlight all matches for @var{regexp} using | |
2480 @code{font-lock-keyword-face}. For example, | |
2481 | |
2482 @example | |
2483 ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of the word @samp{foo}} | |
2484 ;; @r{using @code{font-lock-keyword-face}.} | |
2485 "\\<foo\\>" | |
2486 @end example | |
2487 | |
2488 The function @code{regexp-opt} (@pxref{Regexp Functions}) is useful | |
2489 for calculating optimal regular expressions to match a number of | |
2490 different keywords. | |
2491 | |
2492 @item @var{function} | |
2493 Find text by calling @var{function}, and highlight the matches | |
2494 it finds using @code{font-lock-keyword-face}. | |
2495 | |
2496 When @var{function} is called, it receives one argument, the limit of | |
2497 the search; it should begin searching at point, and not search beyond the | |
2498 limit. It should return non-@code{nil} if it succeeds, and set the | |
2499 match data to describe the match that was found. Returning @code{nil} | |
2500 indicates failure of the search. | |
2501 | |
2502 Fontification will call @var{function} repeatedly with the same limit, | |
2503 and with point where the previous invocation left it, until | |
2504 @var{function} fails. On failure, @var{function} need not reset point | |
2505 in any particular way. | |
2506 | |
2507 @item (@var{matcher} . @var{subexp}) | |
2508 In this kind of element, @var{matcher} is either a regular | |
2509 expression or a function, as described above. The @sc{cdr}, | |
2510 @var{subexp}, specifies which subexpression of @var{matcher} should be | |
2511 highlighted (instead of the entire text that @var{matcher} matched). | |
2512 | |
2513 @example | |
2514 ;; @r{Highlight the @samp{bar} in each occurrence of @samp{fubar},} | |
2515 ;; @r{using @code{font-lock-keyword-face}.} | |
2516 ("fu\\(bar\\)" . 1) | |
2517 @end example | |
2518 | |
2519 If you use @code{regexp-opt} to produce the regular expression | |
2520 @var{matcher}, you can use @code{regexp-opt-depth} (@pxref{Regexp | |
2521 Functions}) to calculate the value for @var{subexp}. | |
2522 | |
2523 @item (@var{matcher} . @var{facespec}) | |
2524 In this kind of element, @var{facespec} is an expression whose value | |
2525 specifies the face to use for highlighting. In the simplest case, | |
2526 @var{facespec} is a Lisp variable (a symbol) whose value is a face | |
2527 name. | |
2528 | |
2529 @example | |
2530 ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of @samp{fubar},} | |
2531 ;; @r{using the face which is the value of @code{fubar-face}.} | |
2532 ("fubar" . fubar-face) | |
2533 @end example | |
2534 | |
2535 However, @var{facespec} can also evaluate to a list of this form: | |
2536 | |
2537 @example | |
2538 (face @var{face} @var{prop1} @var{val1} @var{prop2} @var{val2}@dots{}) | |
2539 @end example | |
2540 | |
2541 @noindent | |
2542 to specify the face @var{face} and various additional text properties | |
2543 to put on the text that matches. If you do this, be sure to add the | |
2544 other text property names that you set in this way to the value of | |
2545 @code{font-lock-extra-managed-props} so that the properties will also | |
2546 be cleared out when they are no longer appropriate. Alternatively, | |
2547 you can set the variable @code{font-lock-unfontify-region-function} to | |
2548 a function that clears these properties. @xref{Other Font Lock | |
2549 Variables}. | |
2550 | |
2551 @item (@var{matcher} . @var{subexp-highlighter}) | |
2552 In this kind of element, @var{subexp-highlighter} is a list | |
2553 which specifies how to highlight matches found by @var{matcher}. | |
2554 It has the form: | |
2555 | |
2556 @example | |
2557 (@var{subexp} @var{facespec} [[@var{override} [@var{laxmatch}]]) | |
2558 @end example | |
2559 | |
2560 The @sc{car}, @var{subexp}, is an integer specifying which subexpression | |
2561 of the match to fontify (0 means the entire matching text). The second | |
2562 subelement, @var{facespec}, is an expression whose value specifies the | |
2563 face, as described above. | |
2564 | |
2565 The last two values in @var{subexp-highlighter}, @var{override} and | |
2566 @var{laxmatch}, are optional flags. If @var{override} is @code{t}, | |
2567 this element can override existing fontification made by previous | |
2568 elements of @code{font-lock-keywords}. If it is @code{keep}, then | |
2569 each character is fontified if it has not been fontified already by | |
2570 some other element. If it is @code{prepend}, the face specified by | |
2571 @var{facespec} is added to the beginning of the @code{font-lock-face} | |
2572 property. If it is @code{append}, the face is added to the end of the | |
2573 @code{font-lock-face} property. | |
2574 | |
2575 If @var{laxmatch} is non-@code{nil}, it means there should be no error | |
2576 if there is no subexpression numbered @var{subexp} in @var{matcher}. | |
2577 Obviously, fontification of the subexpression numbered @var{subexp} will | |
2578 not occur. However, fontification of other subexpressions (and other | |
2579 regexps) will continue. If @var{laxmatch} is @code{nil}, and the | |
2580 specified subexpression is missing, then an error is signaled which | |
2581 terminates search-based fontification. | |
2582 | |
2583 Here are some examples of elements of this kind, and what they do: | |
2584 | |
2585 @smallexample | |
2586 ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of either @samp{foo} or @samp{bar}, using} | |
2587 ;; @r{@code{foo-bar-face}, even if they have already been highlighted.} | |
2588 ;; @r{@code{foo-bar-face} should be a variable whose value is a face.} | |
2589 ("foo\\|bar" 0 foo-bar-face t) | |
2590 | |
2591 ;; @r{Highlight the first subexpression within each occurrence} | |
2592 ;; @r{that the function @code{fubar-match} finds,} | |
2593 ;; @r{using the face which is the value of @code{fubar-face}.} | |
2594 (fubar-match 1 fubar-face) | |
2595 @end smallexample | |
2596 | |
2597 @item (@var{matcher} . @var{anchored-highlighter}) | |
2598 In this kind of element, @var{anchored-highlighter} specifies how to | |
2599 highlight text that follows a match found by @var{matcher}. So a | |
2600 match found by @var{matcher} acts as the anchor for further searches | |
2601 specified by @var{anchored-highlighter}. @var{anchored-highlighter} | |
2602 is a list of the following form: | |
2603 | |
2604 @example | |
2605 (@var{anchored-matcher} @var{pre-form} @var{post-form} | |
2606 @var{subexp-highlighters}@dots{}) | |
2607 @end example | |
2608 | |
2609 Here, @var{anchored-matcher}, like @var{matcher}, is either a regular | |
2610 expression or a function. After a match of @var{matcher} is found, | |
2611 point is at the end of the match. Now, Font Lock evaluates the form | |
2612 @var{pre-form}. Then it searches for matches of | |
2613 @var{anchored-matcher} and uses @var{subexp-highlighters} to highlight | |
2614 these. A @var{subexp-highlighter} is as described above. Finally, | |
2615 Font Lock evaluates @var{post-form}. | |
2616 | |
2617 The forms @var{pre-form} and @var{post-form} can be used to initialize | |
2618 before, and cleanup after, @var{anchored-matcher} is used. Typically, | |
2619 @var{pre-form} is used to move point to some position relative to the | |
2620 match of @var{matcher}, before starting with @var{anchored-matcher}. | |
2621 @var{post-form} might be used to move back, before resuming with | |
2622 @var{matcher}. | |
2623 | |
2624 After Font Lock evaluates @var{pre-form}, it does not search for | |
2625 @var{anchored-matcher} beyond the end of the line. However, if | |
2626 @var{pre-form} returns a buffer position that is greater than the | |
2627 position of point after @var{pre-form} is evaluated, then the position | |
2628 returned by @var{pre-form} is used as the limit of the search instead. | |
2629 It is generally a bad idea to return a position greater than the end | |
2630 of the line; in other words, the @var{anchored-matcher} search should | |
2631 not span lines. | |
2632 | |
2633 For example, | |
2634 | |
2635 @smallexample | |
2636 ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of the word @samp{item} following} | |
2637 ;; @r{an occurrence of the word @samp{anchor} (on the same line)} | |
2638 ;; @r{in the value of @code{item-face}.} | |
2639 ("\\<anchor\\>" "\\<item\\>" nil nil (0 item-face)) | |
2640 @end smallexample | |
2641 | |
2642 Here, @var{pre-form} and @var{post-form} are @code{nil}. Therefore | |
2643 searching for @samp{item} starts at the end of the match of | |
2644 @samp{anchor}, and searching for subsequent instances of @samp{anchor} | |
2645 resumes from where searching for @samp{item} concluded. | |
2646 | |
2647 @item (@var{matcher} @var{highlighters}@dots{}) | |
2648 This sort of element specifies several @var{highlighter} lists for a | |
2649 single @var{matcher}. A @var{highlighter} list can be of the type | |
2650 @var{subexp-highlighter} or @var{anchored-highlighter} as described | |
2651 above. | |
2652 | |
2653 For example, | |
2654 | |
2655 @smallexample | |
2656 ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of the word @samp{anchor} in the value} | |
2657 ;; @r{of @code{anchor-face}, and subsequent occurrences of the word} | |
2658 ;; @r{@samp{item} (on the same line) in the value of @code{item-face}.} | |
2659 ("\\<anchor\\>" (0 anchor-face) | |
2660 ("\\<item\\>" nil nil (0 item-face))) | |
2661 @end smallexample | |
2662 | |
2663 @item (eval . @var{form}) | |
2664 Here @var{form} is an expression to be evaluated the first time | |
2665 this value of @code{font-lock-keywords} is used in a buffer. | |
2666 Its value should have one of the forms described in this table. | |
2667 @end table | |
2668 | |
2669 @strong{Warning:} Do not design an element of @code{font-lock-keywords} | |
2670 to match text which spans lines; this does not work reliably. | |
2671 For details, see @xref{Multiline Font Lock}. | |
2672 | |
2673 You can use @var{case-fold} in @code{font-lock-defaults} to specify | |
2674 the value of @code{font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search} which says | |
2675 whether search-based fontification should be case-insensitive. | |
2676 | |
2677 @defvar font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search | |
2678 Non-@code{nil} means that regular expression matching for the sake of | |
2679 @code{font-lock-keywords} should be case-insensitive. | |
2680 @end defvar | |
2681 | |
2682 @node Customizing Keywords | |
2683 @subsection Customizing Search-Based Fontification | |
2684 | |
2685 You can use @code{font-lock-add-keywords} to add additional | |
2686 search-based fontification rules to a major mode, and | |
2687 @code{font-lock-remove-keywords} to removes rules. | |
2688 | |
2689 @defun font-lock-add-keywords mode keywords &optional how | |
2690 This function adds highlighting @var{keywords}, for the current buffer | |
2691 or for major mode @var{mode}. The argument @var{keywords} should be a | |
2692 list with the same format as the variable @code{font-lock-keywords}. | |
2693 | |
2694 If @var{mode} is a symbol which is a major mode command name, such as | |
2695 @code{c-mode}, the effect is that enabling Font Lock mode in | |
2696 @var{mode} will add @var{keywords} to @code{font-lock-keywords}. | |
2697 Calling with a non-@code{nil} value of @var{mode} is correct only in | |
2698 your @file{~/.emacs} file. | |
2699 | |
2700 If @var{mode} is @code{nil}, this function adds @var{keywords} to | |
2701 @code{font-lock-keywords} in the current buffer. This way of calling | |
2702 @code{font-lock-add-keywords} is usually used in mode hook functions. | |
2703 | |
2704 By default, @var{keywords} are added at the beginning of | |
2705 @code{font-lock-keywords}. If the optional argument @var{how} is | |
2706 @code{set}, they are used to replace the value of | |
2707 @code{font-lock-keywords}. If @var{how} is any other non-@code{nil} | |
2708 value, they are added at the end of @code{font-lock-keywords}. | |
2709 | |
2710 Some modes provide specialized support you can use in additional | |
2711 highlighting patterns. See the variables | |
2712 @code{c-font-lock-extra-types}, @code{c++-font-lock-extra-types}, | |
2713 and @code{java-font-lock-extra-types}, for example. | |
2714 | |
2715 @strong{Warning:} major mode functions must not call | |
2716 @code{font-lock-add-keywords} under any circumstances, either directly | |
2717 or indirectly, except through their mode hooks. (Doing so would lead | |
2718 to incorrect behavior for some minor modes.) They should set up their | |
2719 rules for search-based fontification by setting | |
2720 @code{font-lock-keywords}. | |
2721 @end defun | |
2722 | |
2723 @defun font-lock-remove-keywords mode keywords | |
2724 This function removes @var{keywords} from @code{font-lock-keywords} | |
2725 for the current buffer or for major mode @var{mode}. As in | |
2726 @code{font-lock-add-keywords}, @var{mode} should be a major mode | |
2727 command name or @code{nil}. All the caveats and requirements for | |
2728 @code{font-lock-add-keywords} apply here too. | |
2729 @end defun | |
2730 | |
2731 For example, this code | |
2732 | |
2733 @smallexample | |
2734 (font-lock-add-keywords 'c-mode | |
2735 '(("\\<\\(FIXME\\):" 1 font-lock-warning-face prepend) | |
2736 ("\\<\\(and\\|or\\|not\\)\\>" . font-lock-keyword-face))) | |
2737 @end smallexample | |
2738 | |
2739 @noindent | |
2740 adds two fontification patterns for C mode: one to fontify the word | |
2741 @samp{FIXME}, even in comments, and another to fontify the words | |
2742 @samp{and}, @samp{or} and @samp{not} as keywords. | |
2743 | |
2744 @noindent | |
2745 That example affects only C mode proper. To add the same patterns to | |
2746 C mode @emph{and} all modes derived from it, do this instead: | |
2747 | |
2748 @smallexample | |
2749 (add-hook 'c-mode-hook | |
2750 (lambda () | |
2751 (font-lock-add-keywords nil | |
2752 '(("\\<\\(FIXME\\):" 1 font-lock-warning-face prepend) | |
2753 ("\\<\\(and\\|or\\|not\\)\\>" . | |
2754 font-lock-keyword-face))))) | |
2755 @end smallexample | |
2756 | |
2757 @node Other Font Lock Variables | |
2758 @subsection Other Font Lock Variables | |
2759 | |
2760 This section describes additional variables that a major mode can | |
2761 set by means of @var{other-vars} in @code{font-lock-defaults} | |
2762 (@pxref{Font Lock Basics}). | |
2763 | |
2764 @defvar font-lock-mark-block-function | |
2765 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a function that is | |
2766 called with no arguments, to choose an enclosing range of text for | |
2767 refontification for the command @kbd{M-o M-o} | |
2768 (@code{font-lock-fontify-block}). | |
2769 | |
2770 The function should report its choice by placing the region around it. | |
2771 A good choice is a range of text large enough to give proper results, | |
2772 but not too large so that refontification becomes slow. Typical values | |
2773 are @code{mark-defun} for programming modes or @code{mark-paragraph} for | |
2774 textual modes. | |
2775 @end defvar | |
2776 | |
2777 @defvar font-lock-extra-managed-props | |
2778 This variable specifies additional properties (other than | |
2779 @code{font-lock-face}) that are being managed by Font Lock mode. It | |
2780 is used by @code{font-lock-default-unfontify-region}, which normally | |
2781 only manages the @code{font-lock-face} property. If you want Font | |
2782 Lock to manage other properties as well, you must specify them in a | |
2783 @var{facespec} in @code{font-lock-keywords} as well as add them to | |
2784 this list. @xref{Search-based Fontification}. | |
2785 @end defvar | |
2786 | |
2787 @defvar font-lock-fontify-buffer-function | |
2788 Function to use for fontifying the buffer. The default value is | |
2789 @code{font-lock-default-fontify-buffer}. | |
2790 @end defvar | |
2791 | |
2792 @defvar font-lock-unfontify-buffer-function | |
2793 Function to use for unfontifying the buffer. This is used when | |
2794 turning off Font Lock mode. The default value is | |
2795 @code{font-lock-default-unfontify-buffer}. | |
2796 @end defvar | |
2797 | |
2798 @defvar font-lock-fontify-region-function | |
2799 Function to use for fontifying a region. It should take two | |
2800 arguments, the beginning and end of the region, and an optional third | |
2801 argument @var{verbose}. If @var{verbose} is non-@code{nil}, the | |
2802 function should print status messages. The default value is | |
2803 @code{font-lock-default-fontify-region}. | |
2804 @end defvar | |
2805 | |
2806 @defvar font-lock-unfontify-region-function | |
2807 Function to use for unfontifying a region. It should take two | |
2808 arguments, the beginning and end of the region. The default value is | |
2809 @code{font-lock-default-unfontify-region}. | |
2810 @end defvar | |
2811 | |
2812 @ignore | |
2813 @defvar font-lock-inhibit-thing-lock | |
2814 List of Font Lock mode related modes that should not be turned on. | |
2815 Currently, valid mode names are @code{fast-lock-mode}, | |
2816 @code{jit-lock-mode} and @code{lazy-lock-mode}. | |
2817 @end defvar | |
2818 @end ignore | |
2819 | |
2820 @node Levels of Font Lock | |
2821 @subsection Levels of Font Lock | |
2822 | |
2823 Many major modes offer three different levels of fontification. You | |
2824 can define multiple levels by using a list of symbols for @var{keywords} | |
2825 in @code{font-lock-defaults}. Each symbol specifies one level of | |
2826 fontification; it is up to the user to choose one of these levels. The | |
2827 chosen level's symbol value is used to initialize | |
2828 @code{font-lock-keywords}. | |
2829 | |
2830 Here are the conventions for how to define the levels of | |
2831 fontification: | |
2832 | |
2833 @itemize @bullet | |
2834 @item | |
2835 Level 1: highlight function declarations, file directives (such as include or | |
2836 import directives), strings and comments. The idea is speed, so only | |
2837 the most important and top-level components are fontified. | |
2838 | |
2839 @item | |
2840 Level 2: in addition to level 1, highlight all language keywords, | |
2841 including type names that act like keywords, as well as named constant | |
2842 values. The idea is that all keywords (either syntactic or semantic) | |
2843 should be fontified appropriately. | |
2844 | |
2845 @item | |
2846 Level 3: in addition to level 2, highlight the symbols being defined in | |
2847 function and variable declarations, and all builtin function names, | |
2848 wherever they appear. | |
2849 @end itemize | |
2850 | |
2851 @node Precalculated Fontification | |
2852 @subsection Precalculated Fontification | |
2853 | |
2854 In addition to using @code{font-lock-defaults} for search-based | |
2855 fontification, you may use the special character property | |
2856 @code{font-lock-face} (@pxref{Special Properties}). This property | |
2857 acts just like the explicit @code{face} property, but its activation | |
2858 is toggled when the user calls @kbd{M-x font-lock-mode}. Using | |
2859 @code{font-lock-face} is especially convenient for special modes | |
2860 which construct their text programmatically, such as | |
2861 @code{list-buffers} and @code{occur}. | |
2862 | |
2863 If your mode does not use any of the other machinery of Font Lock | |
2864 (i.e. it only uses the @code{font-lock-face} property), it should not | |
2865 set the variable @code{font-lock-defaults}. | |
2866 | |
2867 @node Faces for Font Lock | |
2868 @subsection Faces for Font Lock | |
2869 @cindex faces for font lock | |
2870 @cindex font lock faces | |
2871 | |
2872 You can make Font Lock mode use any face, but several faces are | |
2873 defined specifically for Font Lock mode. Each of these symbols is both | |
2874 a face name, and a variable whose default value is the symbol itself. | |
2875 Thus, the default value of @code{font-lock-comment-face} is | |
2876 @code{font-lock-comment-face}. This means you can write | |
2877 @code{font-lock-comment-face} in a context such as | |
2878 @code{font-lock-keywords} where a face-name-valued expression is used. | |
2879 | |
2880 @table @code | |
2881 @item font-lock-comment-face | |
2882 @vindex font-lock-comment-face | |
2883 Used (typically) for comments. | |
2884 | |
2885 @item font-lock-comment-delimiter-face | |
2886 @vindex font-lock-comment-delimiter-face | |
2887 Used (typically) for comments delimiters. | |
2888 | |
2889 @item font-lock-doc-face | |
2890 @vindex font-lock-doc-face | |
2891 Used (typically) for documentation strings in the code. | |
2892 | |
2893 @item font-lock-string-face | |
2894 @vindex font-lock-string-face | |
2895 Used (typically) for string constants. | |
2896 | |
2897 @item font-lock-keyword-face | |
2898 @vindex font-lock-keyword-face | |
2899 Used (typically) for keywords---names that have special syntactic | |
2900 significance, like @code{for} and @code{if} in C. | |
2901 | |
2902 @item font-lock-builtin-face | |
2903 @vindex font-lock-builtin-face | |
2904 Used (typically) for built-in function names. | |
2905 | |
2906 @item font-lock-function-name-face | |
2907 @vindex font-lock-function-name-face | |
2908 Used (typically) for the name of a function being defined or declared, | |
2909 in a function definition or declaration. | |
2910 | |
2911 @item font-lock-variable-name-face | |
2912 @vindex font-lock-variable-name-face | |
2913 Used (typically) for the name of a variable being defined or declared, | |
2914 in a variable definition or declaration. | |
2915 | |
2916 @item font-lock-type-face | |
2917 @vindex font-lock-type-face | |
2918 Used (typically) for names of user-defined data types, | |
2919 where they are defined and where they are used. | |
2920 | |
2921 @item font-lock-constant-face | |
2922 @vindex font-lock-constant-face | |
2923 Used (typically) for constant names. | |
2924 | |
2925 @item font-lock-preprocessor-face | |
2926 @vindex font-lock-preprocessor-face | |
2927 Used (typically) for preprocessor commands. | |
2928 | |
2929 @item font-lock-negation-char-face | |
2930 @vindex font-lock-negation-char-face | |
2931 Used (typically) for easily-overlooked negation characters. | |
2932 | |
2933 @item font-lock-warning-face | |
2934 @vindex font-lock-warning-face | |
2935 Used (typically) for constructs that are peculiar, or that greatly | |
2936 change the meaning of other text. For example, this is used for | |
2937 @samp{;;;###autoload} cookies in Emacs Lisp, and for @code{#error} | |
2938 directives in C. | |
2939 @end table | |
2940 | |
2941 @node Syntactic Font Lock | |
2942 @subsection Syntactic Font Lock | |
2943 @cindex syntactic font lock | |
2944 | |
2945 Syntactic fontification uses the syntax table to find comments and | |
2946 string constants (@pxref{Syntax Tables}). It highlights them using | |
2947 @code{font-lock-comment-face} and @code{font-lock-string-face} | |
2948 (@pxref{Faces for Font Lock}), or whatever | |
2949 @code{font-lock-syntactic-face-function} chooses. There are several | |
2950 variables that affect syntactic fontification; you should set them by | |
2951 means of @code{font-lock-defaults} (@pxref{Font Lock Basics}). | |
2952 | |
2953 @defvar font-lock-keywords-only | |
2954 Non-@code{nil} means Font Lock should not do syntactic fontification; | |
2955 it should only fontify based on @code{font-lock-keywords}. The normal | |
2956 way for a mode to set this variable to @code{t} is with | |
2957 @var{keywords-only} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. | |
2958 @end defvar | |
2959 | |
2960 @defvar font-lock-syntax-table | |
2961 This variable holds the syntax table to use for fontification of | |
2962 comments and strings. Specify it using @var{syntax-alist} in | |
2963 @code{font-lock-defaults}. If this is @code{nil}, fontification uses | |
2964 the buffer's syntax table. | |
2965 @end defvar | |
2966 | |
2967 @defvar font-lock-beginning-of-syntax-function | |
2968 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a function to move | |
2969 point back to a position that is syntactically at ``top level'' and | |
2970 outside of strings or comments. Font Lock uses this when necessary | |
2971 to get the right results for syntactic fontification. | |
2972 | |
2973 This function is called with no arguments. It should leave point at | |
2974 the beginning of any enclosing syntactic block. Typical values are | |
2975 @code{beginning-of-line} (used when the start of the line is known to | |
2976 be outside a syntactic block), or @code{beginning-of-defun} for | |
2977 programming modes, or @code{backward-paragraph} for textual modes. | |
2978 | |
2979 If the value is @code{nil}, Font Lock uses | |
2980 @code{syntax-begin-function} to move back outside of any comment, | |
2981 string, or sexp. This variable is semi-obsolete; we recommend setting | |
2982 @code{syntax-begin-function} instead. | |
2983 | |
2984 Specify this variable using @var{syntax-begin} in | |
2985 @code{font-lock-defaults}. | |
2986 @end defvar | |
2987 | |
2988 @defvar font-lock-syntactic-face-function | |
2989 A function to determine which face to use for a given syntactic | |
2990 element (a string or a comment). The function is called with one | |
2991 argument, the parse state at point returned by | |
2992 @code{parse-partial-sexp}, and should return a face. The default | |
2993 value returns @code{font-lock-comment-face} for comments and | |
2994 @code{font-lock-string-face} for strings. | |
2995 | |
2996 This can be used to highlighting different kinds of strings or | |
2997 comments differently. It is also sometimes abused together with | |
2998 @code{font-lock-syntactic-keywords} to highlight constructs that span | |
2999 multiple lines, but this is too esoteric to document here. | |
3000 | |
3001 Specify this variable using @var{other-vars} in | |
3002 @code{font-lock-defaults}. | |
3003 @end defvar | |
3004 | |
3005 @node Setting Syntax Properties | |
3006 @subsection Setting Syntax Properties | |
3007 | |
3008 Font Lock mode can be used to update @code{syntax-table} properties | |
3009 automatically (@pxref{Syntax Properties}). This is useful in | |
3010 languages for which a single syntax table by itself is not sufficient. | |
3011 | |
3012 @defvar font-lock-syntactic-keywords | |
3013 This variable enables and controls updating @code{syntax-table} | |
3014 properties by Font Lock. Its value should be a list of elements of | |
3015 this form: | |
3016 | |
3017 @example | |
3018 (@var{matcher} @var{subexp} @var{syntax} @var{override} @var{laxmatch}) | |
3019 @end example | |
3020 | |
3021 The parts of this element have the same meanings as in the corresponding | |
3022 sort of element of @code{font-lock-keywords}, | |
3023 | |
3024 @example | |
3025 (@var{matcher} @var{subexp} @var{facespec} @var{override} @var{laxmatch}) | |
3026 @end example | |
3027 | |
3028 However, instead of specifying the value @var{facespec} to use for the | |
3029 @code{face} property, it specifies the value @var{syntax} to use for | |
3030 the @code{syntax-table} property. Here, @var{syntax} can be a string | |
3031 (as taken by @code{modify-syntax-entry}), a syntax table, a cons cell | |
3032 (as returned by @code{string-to-syntax}), or an expression whose value | |
3033 is one of those two types. @var{override} cannot be @code{prepend} or | |
3034 @code{append}. | |
3035 | |
3036 For example, an element of the form: | |
3037 | |
3038 @example | |
3039 ("\\$\\(#\\)" 1 ".") | |
3040 @end example | |
3041 | |
3042 highlights syntactically a hash character when following a dollar | |
3043 character, with a SYNTAX of @code{"."} (meaning punctuation syntax). | |
3044 Assuming that the buffer syntax table specifies hash characters to | |
3045 have comment start syntax, the element will only highlight hash | |
3046 characters that do not follow dollar characters as comments | |
3047 syntactically. | |
3048 | |
3049 An element of the form: | |
3050 | |
3051 @example | |
3052 ("\\('\\).\\('\\)" | |
3053 (1 "\"") | |
3054 (2 "\"")) | |
3055 @end example | |
3056 | |
3057 highlights syntactically both single quotes which surround a single | |
3058 character, with a SYNTAX of @code{"\""} (meaning string quote syntax). | |
3059 Assuming that the buffer syntax table does not specify single quotes | |
3060 to have quote syntax, the element will only highlight single quotes of | |
3061 the form @samp{'@var{c}'} as strings syntactically. Other forms, such | |
3062 as @samp{foo'bar} or @samp{'fubar'}, will not be highlighted as | |
3063 strings. | |
3064 | |
3065 Major modes normally set this variable with @var{other-vars} in | |
3066 @code{font-lock-defaults}. | |
3067 @end defvar | |
3068 | |
3069 @node Multiline Font Lock | |
3070 @subsection Multiline Font Lock Constructs | |
3071 @cindex multiline font lock | |
3072 | |
3073 Normally, elements of @code{font-lock-keywords} should not match | |
3074 across multiple lines; that doesn't work reliably, because Font Lock | |
3075 usually scans just part of the buffer, and it can miss a multi-line | |
3076 construct that crosses the line boundary where the scan starts. (The | |
3077 scan normally starts at the beginning of a line.) | |
3078 | |
3079 Making elements that match multiline constructs work properly has | |
3080 two aspects: correct @emph{identification} and correct | |
3081 @emph{rehighlighting}. The first means that Font Lock finds all | |
3082 multiline constructs. The second means that Font Lock will correctly | |
3083 rehighlight all the relevant text when a multiline construct is | |
3084 changed---for example, if some of the text that was previously part of | |
3085 a multiline construct ceases to be part of it. The two aspects are | |
3086 closely related, and often getting one of them to work will appear to | |
3087 make the other also work. However, for reliable results you must | |
3088 attend explicitly to both aspects. | |
3089 | |
3090 There are three ways to ensure correct identification of multiline | |
3091 constructs: | |
3092 | |
3093 @itemize | |
3094 @item | |
3095 Add a function to @code{font-lock-extend-region-functions} that does | |
3096 the @emph{identification} and extends the scan so that the scanned | |
3097 text never starts or ends in the middle of a multiline construct. | |
3098 @item | |
3099 Use the @code{font-lock-fontify-region-function} hook similarly to | |
3100 extend the scan so that the scanned text never starts or ends in the | |
3101 middle of a multiline construct. | |
3102 @item | |
3103 Somehow identify the multiline construct right when it gets inserted | |
3104 into the buffer (or at any point after that but before font-lock | |
3105 tries to highlight it), and mark it with a @code{font-lock-multiline} | |
3106 which will instruct font-lock not to start or end the scan in the | |
3107 middle of the construct. | |
3108 @end itemize | |
3109 | |
3110 There are three ways to do rehighlighting of multiline constructs: | |
3111 | |
3112 @itemize | |
3113 @item | |
3114 Place a @code{font-lock-multiline} property on the construct. This | |
3115 will rehighlight the whole construct if any part of it is changed. In | |
3116 some cases you can do this automatically by setting the | |
3117 @code{font-lock-multiline} variable, which see. | |
3118 @item | |
3119 Make sure @code{jit-lock-contextually} is set and rely on it doing its | |
3120 job. This will only rehighlight the part of the construct that | |
3121 follows the actual change, and will do it after a short delay. | |
3122 This only works if the highlighting of the various parts of your | |
3123 multiline construct never depends on text in subsequent lines. | |
3124 Since @code{jit-lock-contextually} is activated by default, this can | |
3125 be an attractive solution. | |
3126 @item | |
3127 Place a @code{jit-lock-defer-multiline} property on the construct. | |
3128 This works only if @code{jit-lock-contextually} is used, and with the | |
3129 same delay before rehighlighting, but like @code{font-lock-multiline}, | |
3130 it also handles the case where highlighting depends on | |
3131 subsequent lines. | |
3132 @end itemize | |
3133 | |
3134 @menu | |
3135 * Font Lock Multiline:: Marking multiline chunks with a text property | |
3136 * Region to Fontify:: Controlling which region gets refontified | |
3137 after a buffer change. | |
3138 @end menu | |
3139 | |
3140 @node Font Lock Multiline | |
3141 @subsubsection Font Lock Multiline | |
3142 | |
3143 One way to ensure reliable rehighlighting of multiline Font Lock | |
3144 constructs is to put on them the text property @code{font-lock-multiline}. | |
3145 It should be present and non-@code{nil} for text that is part of a | |
3146 multiline construct. | |
3147 | |
3148 When Font Lock is about to highlight a range of text, it first | |
3149 extends the boundaries of the range as necessary so that they do not | |
3150 fall within text marked with the @code{font-lock-multiline} property. | |
3151 Then it removes any @code{font-lock-multiline} properties from the | |
3152 range, and highlights it. The highlighting specification (mostly | |
3153 @code{font-lock-keywords}) must reinstall this property each time, | |
3154 whenever it is appropriate. | |
3155 | |
3156 @strong{Warning:} don't use the @code{font-lock-multiline} property | |
3157 on large ranges of text, because that will make rehighlighting slow. | |
3158 | |
3159 @defvar font-lock-multiline | |
3160 If the @code{font-lock-multiline} variable is set to @code{t}, Font | |
3161 Lock will try to add the @code{font-lock-multiline} property | |
3162 automatically on multiline constructs. This is not a universal | |
3163 solution, however, since it slows down Font Lock somewhat. It can | |
3164 miss some multiline constructs, or make the property larger or smaller | |
3165 than necessary. | |
3166 | |
3167 For elements whose @var{matcher} is a function, the function should | |
3168 ensure that submatch 0 covers the whole relevant multiline construct, | |
3169 even if only a small subpart will be highlighted. It is often just as | |
3170 easy to add the @code{font-lock-multiline} property by hand. | |
3171 @end defvar | |
3172 | |
3173 The @code{font-lock-multiline} property is meant to ensure proper | |
3174 refontification; it does not automatically identify new multiline | |
3175 constructs. Identifying the requires that Font-Lock operate on large | |
3176 enough chunks at a time. This will happen by accident on many cases, | |
3177 which may give the impression that multiline constructs magically work. | |
3178 If you set the @code{font-lock-multiline} variable non-@code{nil}, | |
3179 this impression will be even stronger, since the highlighting of those | |
3180 constructs which are found will be properly updated from then on. | |
3181 But that does not work reliably. | |
3182 | |
3183 To find multiline constructs reliably, you must either manually | |
3184 place the @code{font-lock-multiline} property on the text before | |
3185 Font-Lock looks at it, or use | |
3186 @code{font-lock-fontify-region-function}. | |
3187 | |
3188 @node Region to Fontify | |
3189 @subsubsection Region to Fontify after a Buffer Change | |
3190 | |
3191 When a buffer is changed, the region that Font Lock refontifies is | |
3192 by default the smallest sequence of whole lines that spans the change. | |
3193 While this works well most of the time, sometimes it doesn't---for | |
3194 example, when a change alters the syntactic meaning of text on an | |
3195 earlier line. | |
3196 | |
3197 You can enlarge (or even reduce) the region to fontify by setting | |
3198 one the following variables: | |
3199 | |
3200 @defvar font-lock-extend-after-change-region-function | |
3201 This buffer-local variable is either @code{nil} or a function for | |
3202 Font-Lock to call to determine the region to scan and fontify. | |
3203 | |
3204 The function is given three parameters, the standard @var{beg}, | |
3205 @var{end}, and @var{old-len} from after-change-functions | |
3206 (@pxref{Change Hooks}). It should return either a cons of the | |
3207 beginning and end buffer positions (in that order) of the region to | |
3208 fontify, or @code{nil} (which means choose the region in the standard | |
3209 way). This function needs to preserve point, the match-data, and the | |
3210 current restriction. The region it returns may start or end in the | |
3211 middle of a line. | |
3212 | |
3213 Since this function is called after every buffer change, it should be | |
3214 reasonably fast. | |
3215 @end defvar | |
3216 | |
3217 @node Desktop Save Mode | |
3218 @section Desktop Save Mode | |
3219 @cindex desktop save mode | |
3220 | |
3221 @dfn{Desktop Save Mode} is a feature to save the state of Emacs from | |
3222 one session to another. The user-level commands for using Desktop | |
3223 Save Mode are described in the GNU Emacs Manual (@pxref{Saving Emacs | |
3224 Sessions,,, emacs, the GNU Emacs Manual}). Modes whose buffers visit | |
3225 a file, don't have to do anything to use this feature. | |
3226 | |
3227 For buffers not visiting a file to have their state saved, the major | |
3228 mode must bind the buffer local variable @code{desktop-save-buffer} to | |
3229 a non-@code{nil} value. | |
3230 | |
3231 @defvar desktop-save-buffer | |
3232 If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, the buffer will have | |
3233 its state saved in the desktop file at desktop save. If the value is | |
3234 a function, it is called at desktop save with argument | |
3235 @var{desktop-dirname}, and its value is saved in the desktop file along | |
3236 with the state of the buffer for which it was called. When file names | |
3237 are returned as part of the auxiliary information, they should be | |
3238 formatted using the call | |
3239 | |
3240 @example | |
3241 (desktop-file-name @var{file-name} @var{desktop-dirname}) | |
3242 @end example | |
3243 | |
3244 @end defvar | |
3245 | |
3246 For buffers not visiting a file to be restored, the major mode must | |
3247 define a function to do the job, and that function must be listed in | |
3248 the alist @code{desktop-buffer-mode-handlers}. | |
3249 | |
3250 @defvar desktop-buffer-mode-handlers | |
3251 Alist with elements | |
3252 | |
3253 @example | |
3254 (@var{major-mode} . @var{restore-buffer-function}) | |
3255 @end example | |
3256 | |
3257 The function @var{restore-buffer-function} will be called with | |
3258 argument list | |
3259 | |
3260 @example | |
3261 (@var{buffer-file-name} @var{buffer-name} @var{desktop-buffer-misc}) | |
3262 @end example | |
3263 | |
3264 and it should return the restored buffer. | |
3265 Here @var{desktop-buffer-misc} is the value returned by the function | |
3266 optionally bound to @code{desktop-save-buffer}. | |
3267 @end defvar | |
3268 | |
3269 @ignore | |
3270 arch-tag: 4c7bff41-36e6-4da6-9e7f-9b9289e27c8e | |
3271 @end ignore |