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annotate doc/lispref/os.texi @ 87616:a669d2c949ae
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author | Juanma Barranquero <lekktu@gmail.com> |
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date | Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:10:29 +0000 |
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84093 | 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/os |
84093 | 7 @node System Interface, Antinews, Display, Top |
8 @chapter Operating System Interface | |
9 | |
10 This chapter is about starting and getting out of Emacs, access to | |
11 values in the operating system environment, and terminal input, output, | |
12 and flow control. | |
13 | |
14 @xref{Building Emacs}, for related information. See also | |
15 @ref{Display}, for additional operating system status information | |
16 pertaining to the terminal and the screen. | |
17 | |
18 @menu | |
19 * Starting Up:: Customizing Emacs startup processing. | |
20 * Getting Out:: How exiting works (permanent or temporary). | |
21 * System Environment:: Distinguish the name and kind of system. | |
22 * User Identification:: Finding the name and user id of the user. | |
23 * Time of Day:: Getting the current time. | |
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24 * Time Conversion:: Converting a time from numeric form to |
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25 calendrical data and vice versa. |
84093 | 26 * Time Parsing:: Converting a time from numeric form to text |
27 and vice versa. | |
28 * Processor Run Time:: Getting the run time used by Emacs. | |
29 * Time Calculations:: Adding, subtracting, comparing times, etc. | |
30 * Timers:: Setting a timer to call a function at a certain time. | |
31 * Idle Timers:: Setting a timer to call a function when Emacs has | |
32 been idle for a certain length of time. | |
33 * Terminal Input:: Accessing and recording terminal input. | |
34 * Terminal Output:: Controlling and recording terminal output. | |
35 * Sound Output:: Playing sounds on the computer's speaker. | |
36 * X11 Keysyms:: Operating on key symbols for X Windows | |
37 * Batch Mode:: Running Emacs without terminal interaction. | |
38 * Session Management:: Saving and restoring state with X Session Management. | |
39 @end menu | |
40 | |
41 @node Starting Up | |
42 @section Starting Up Emacs | |
43 | |
44 This section describes what Emacs does when it is started, and how you | |
45 can customize these actions. | |
46 | |
47 @menu | |
48 * Startup Summary:: Sequence of actions Emacs performs at startup. | |
49 * Init File:: Details on reading the init file (@file{.emacs}). | |
50 * Terminal-Specific:: How the terminal-specific Lisp file is read. | |
51 * Command-Line Arguments:: How command-line arguments are processed, | |
52 and how you can customize them. | |
53 @end menu | |
54 | |
55 @node Startup Summary | |
56 @subsection Summary: Sequence of Actions at Startup | |
57 @cindex initialization of Emacs | |
58 @cindex startup of Emacs | |
59 @cindex @file{startup.el} | |
60 | |
61 The order of operations performed (in @file{startup.el}) by Emacs when | |
62 it is started up is as follows: | |
63 | |
64 @enumerate | |
65 @item | |
66 It adds subdirectories to @code{load-path}, by running the file named | |
67 @file{subdirs.el} in each directory in the list. Normally this file | |
68 adds the directory's subdirectories to the list, and these will be | |
69 scanned in their turn. The files @file{subdirs.el} are normally | |
70 generated automatically by Emacs installation. | |
71 | |
72 @item | |
73 It sets the language environment and the terminal coding system, | |
74 if requested by environment variables such as @code{LANG}. | |
75 | |
76 @item | |
77 It loads the initialization library for the window system, if you are | |
78 using a window system. This library's name is | |
79 @file{term/@var{windowsystem}-win.el}. | |
80 | |
81 @item | |
82 It processes the initial options. (Some of them are handled | |
83 even earlier than this.) | |
84 | |
85 @item | |
86 It initializes the window frame and faces, if appropriate. | |
87 | |
88 @item | |
89 It runs the normal hook @code{before-init-hook}. | |
90 | |
91 @item | |
92 It loads the library @file{site-start} (if any), unless the option | |
93 @samp{-Q} (or @samp{--no-site-file}) was specified. The library's file | |
94 name is usually @file{site-start.el}. | |
95 @cindex @file{site-start.el} | |
96 | |
97 @item | |
98 It loads your init file (usually @file{~/.emacs}), unless the option | |
99 @samp{-q} (or @samp{--no-init-file}), @samp{-Q}, or @samp{--batch} was | |
100 specified on the command line. The @samp{-u} option can specify | |
101 another user whose home directory should be used instead of @file{~}. | |
102 | |
103 @item | |
104 It loads the library @file{default} (if any), unless | |
105 @code{inhibit-default-init} is non-@code{nil}. (This is not done in | |
106 @samp{-batch} mode, or if @samp{-Q} or @samp{-q} was specified on the | |
107 command line.) The library's file name is usually @file{default.el}. | |
108 @cindex @file{default.el} | |
109 | |
110 @item | |
111 It runs the normal hook @code{after-init-hook}. | |
112 | |
113 @item | |
114 It sets the major mode according to @code{initial-major-mode}, provided | |
115 the buffer @samp{*scratch*} is still current and still in Fundamental | |
116 mode. | |
117 | |
118 @item | |
119 It loads the terminal-specific Lisp file, if any, except when in batch | |
120 mode or using a window system. | |
121 | |
122 @item | |
123 It displays the initial echo area message, unless you have suppressed | |
124 that with @code{inhibit-startup-echo-area-message}. | |
125 | |
126 @item | |
127 It processes the action arguments from the command line. | |
128 | |
129 @item | |
130 It runs @code{emacs-startup-hook} and then @code{term-setup-hook}. | |
131 | |
132 @item | |
133 It calls @code{frame-notice-user-settings}, which modifies the | |
134 parameters of the selected frame according to whatever the init files | |
135 specify. | |
136 | |
137 @item | |
138 It runs @code{window-setup-hook}. @xref{Window Systems}. | |
139 | |
140 @item | |
141 It displays copyleft, nonwarranty, and basic use information, provided | |
142 the value of @code{inhibit-startup-message} is @code{nil}, you didn't | |
143 specify @samp{--no-splash} or @samp{-Q}. | |
144 @end enumerate | |
145 | |
146 @defopt inhibit-startup-message | |
147 This variable inhibits the initial startup messages (the nonwarranty, | |
148 etc.). If it is non-@code{nil}, then the messages are not printed. | |
149 | |
150 This variable exists so you can set it in your personal init file, once | |
151 you are familiar with the contents of the startup message. Do not set | |
152 this variable in the init file of a new user, or in a way that affects | |
153 more than one user, because that would prevent new users from receiving | |
154 the information they are supposed to see. | |
155 @end defopt | |
156 | |
157 @defopt inhibit-startup-echo-area-message | |
158 This variable controls the display of the startup echo area message. | |
159 You can suppress the startup echo area message by adding text with this | |
160 form to your init file: | |
161 | |
162 @example | |
163 (setq inhibit-startup-echo-area-message | |
164 "@var{your-login-name}") | |
165 @end example | |
166 | |
167 Emacs explicitly checks for an expression as shown above in your init | |
168 file; your login name must appear in the expression as a Lisp string | |
169 constant. Other methods of setting | |
170 @code{inhibit-startup-echo-area-message} to the same value do not | |
171 inhibit the startup message. | |
172 | |
173 This way, you can easily inhibit the message for yourself if you wish, | |
174 but thoughtless copying of your init file will not inhibit the message | |
175 for someone else. | |
176 @end defopt | |
177 | |
178 @node Init File | |
179 @subsection The Init File, @file{.emacs} | |
180 @cindex init file | |
181 @cindex @file{.emacs} | |
182 | |
183 When you start Emacs, it normally attempts to load your @dfn{init | |
184 file}, a file in your home directory. Its normal name is | |
185 @file{.emacs}, but you can also call it @file{.emacs.el}. | |
186 Alternatively, you can use a file named @file{init.el} in a | |
187 subdirectory @file{.emacs.d}. Whichever place you use, you can also | |
188 compile the file (@pxref{Byte Compilation}); then the actual file | |
189 loaded will be @file{.emacs.elc} or @file{init.elc}. | |
190 | |
191 The command-line switches @samp{-q}, @samp{-Q}, and @samp{-u} | |
192 control whether and where to find the init file; @samp{-q} (and the | |
193 stronger @samp{-Q}) says not to load an init file, while @samp{-u | |
194 @var{user}} says to load @var{user}'s init file instead of yours. | |
195 @xref{Entering Emacs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. If neither | |
196 option is specified, Emacs uses the @code{LOGNAME} environment | |
197 variable, or the @code{USER} (most systems) or @code{USERNAME} (MS | |
198 systems) variable, to find your home directory and thus your init | |
199 file; this way, even if you have su'd, Emacs still loads your own init | |
200 file. If those environment variables are absent, though, Emacs uses | |
201 your user-id to find your home directory. | |
202 | |
203 @cindex default init file | |
204 A site may have a @dfn{default init file}, which is the library | |
205 named @file{default.el}. Emacs finds the @file{default.el} file | |
206 through the standard search path for libraries (@pxref{How Programs Do | |
207 Loading}). The Emacs distribution does not come with this file; sites | |
208 may provide one for local customizations. If the default init file | |
209 exists, it is loaded whenever you start Emacs, except in batch mode or | |
210 if @samp{-q} (or @samp{-Q}) is specified. But your own personal init | |
211 file, if any, is loaded first; if it sets @code{inhibit-default-init} | |
212 to a non-@code{nil} value, then Emacs does not subsequently load the | |
213 @file{default.el} file. | |
214 | |
215 Another file for site-customization is @file{site-start.el}. Emacs | |
216 loads this @emph{before} the user's init file. You can inhibit the | |
217 loading of this file with the option @samp{--no-site-file}. | |
218 | |
219 @defvar site-run-file | |
220 This variable specifies the site-customization file to load before the | |
221 user's init file. Its normal value is @code{"site-start"}. The only | |
222 way you can change it with real effect is to do so before dumping | |
223 Emacs. | |
224 @end defvar | |
225 | |
226 @xref{Init Examples,, Init File Examples, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for | |
227 examples of how to make various commonly desired customizations in your | |
228 @file{.emacs} file. | |
229 | |
230 @defopt inhibit-default-init | |
231 This variable prevents Emacs from loading the default initialization | |
232 library file for your session of Emacs. If its value is non-@code{nil}, | |
233 then the default library is not loaded. The default value is | |
234 @code{nil}. | |
235 @end defopt | |
236 | |
237 @defvar before-init-hook | |
238 This normal hook is run, once, just before loading all the init files | |
239 (the user's init file, @file{default.el}, and/or @file{site-start.el}). | |
240 (The only way to change it with real effect is before dumping Emacs.) | |
241 @end defvar | |
242 | |
243 @defvar after-init-hook | |
244 This normal hook is run, once, just after loading all the init files | |
245 (the user's init file, @file{default.el}, and/or @file{site-start.el}), | |
246 before loading the terminal-specific library and processing the | |
247 command-line action arguments. | |
248 @end defvar | |
249 | |
250 @defvar emacs-startup-hook | |
251 This normal hook is run, once, just after handling the command line | |
252 arguments, just before @code{term-setup-hook}. | |
253 @end defvar | |
254 | |
255 @defvar user-init-file | |
256 This variable holds the absolute file name of the user's init file. If the | |
257 actual init file loaded is a compiled file, such as @file{.emacs.elc}, | |
258 the value refers to the corresponding source file. | |
259 @end defvar | |
260 | |
261 @defvar user-emacs-directory | |
262 This variable holds the name of the @file{.emacs.d} directory. It is | |
263 ordinarily @file{~/.emacs.d}, but differs on some platforms. | |
264 @end defvar | |
265 | |
266 @node Terminal-Specific | |
267 @subsection Terminal-Specific Initialization | |
268 @cindex terminal-specific initialization | |
269 | |
270 Each terminal type can have its own Lisp library that Emacs loads when | |
271 run on that type of terminal. The library's name is constructed by | |
272 concatenating the value of the variable @code{term-file-prefix} and the | |
273 terminal type (specified by the environment variable @code{TERM}). | |
274 Normally, @code{term-file-prefix} has the value | |
275 @code{"term/"}; changing this is not recommended. Emacs finds the file | |
276 in the normal manner, by searching the @code{load-path} directories, and | |
277 trying the @samp{.elc} and @samp{.el} suffixes. | |
278 | |
279 @cindex Termcap | |
280 The usual function of a terminal-specific library is to enable | |
281 special keys to send sequences that Emacs can recognize. It may also | |
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282 need to set or add to @code{input-decode-map} if the Termcap or |
84093 | 283 Terminfo entry does not specify all the terminal's function keys. |
284 @xref{Terminal Input}. | |
285 | |
286 When the name of the terminal type contains a hyphen, and no library | |
287 is found whose name is identical to the terminal's name, Emacs strips | |
288 from the terminal's name the last hyphen and everything that follows | |
289 it, and tries again. This process is repeated until Emacs finds a | |
290 matching library or until there are no more hyphens in the name (the | |
291 latter means the terminal doesn't have any library specific to it). | |
292 Thus, for example, if there are no @samp{aaa-48} and @samp{aaa-30} | |
293 libraries, Emacs will try the same library @file{term/aaa.el} for | |
294 terminal types @samp{aaa-48} and @samp{aaa-30-rv}. If necessary, the | |
295 library can evaluate @code{(getenv "TERM")} to find the full name of | |
296 the terminal type.@refill | |
297 | |
298 Your init file can prevent the loading of the | |
299 terminal-specific library by setting the variable | |
300 @code{term-file-prefix} to @code{nil}. This feature is useful when | |
301 experimenting with your own peculiar customizations. | |
302 | |
303 You can also arrange to override some of the actions of the | |
304 terminal-specific library by setting the variable | |
305 @code{term-setup-hook}. This is a normal hook which Emacs runs using | |
306 @code{run-hooks} at the end of Emacs initialization, after loading both | |
307 your init file and any terminal-specific libraries. You can | |
308 use this variable to define initializations for terminals that do not | |
309 have their own libraries. @xref{Hooks}. | |
310 | |
311 @defvar term-file-prefix | |
312 @cindex @code{TERM} environment variable | |
313 If the @code{term-file-prefix} variable is non-@code{nil}, Emacs loads | |
314 a terminal-specific initialization file as follows: | |
315 | |
316 @example | |
317 (load (concat term-file-prefix (getenv "TERM"))) | |
318 @end example | |
319 | |
320 @noindent | |
321 You may set the @code{term-file-prefix} variable to @code{nil} in your | |
322 init file if you do not wish to load the | |
323 terminal-initialization file. To do this, put the following in | |
324 your init file: @code{(setq term-file-prefix nil)}. | |
325 | |
326 On MS-DOS, if the environment variable @code{TERM} is not set, Emacs | |
327 uses @samp{internal} as the terminal type. | |
328 @end defvar | |
329 | |
330 @defvar term-setup-hook | |
331 This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs after loading your | |
332 init file, the default initialization file (if any) and the | |
333 terminal-specific Lisp file. | |
334 | |
335 You can use @code{term-setup-hook} to override the definitions made by a | |
336 terminal-specific file. | |
337 @end defvar | |
338 | |
339 See @code{window-setup-hook} in @ref{Window Systems}, for a related | |
340 feature. | |
341 | |
342 @node Command-Line Arguments | |
343 @subsection Command-Line Arguments | |
344 @cindex command-line arguments | |
345 | |
346 You can use command-line arguments to request various actions when you | |
347 start Emacs. Since you do not need to start Emacs more than once per | |
348 day, and will often leave your Emacs session running longer than that, | |
349 command-line arguments are hardly ever used. As a practical matter, it | |
350 is best to avoid making the habit of using them, since this habit would | |
351 encourage you to kill and restart Emacs unnecessarily often. These | |
352 options exist for two reasons: to be compatible with other editors (for | |
353 invocation by other programs) and to enable shell scripts to run | |
354 specific Lisp programs. | |
355 | |
356 This section describes how Emacs processes command-line arguments, | |
357 and how you can customize them. | |
358 | |
359 @ignore | |
360 (Note that some other editors require you to start afresh each time | |
361 you want to edit a file. With this kind of editor, you will probably | |
362 specify the file as a command-line argument. The recommended way to | |
363 use GNU Emacs is to start it only once, just after you log in, and do | |
364 all your editing in the same Emacs process. Each time you want to edit | |
365 a different file, you visit it with the existing Emacs, which eventually | |
366 comes to have many files in it ready for editing. Usually you do not | |
367 kill the Emacs until you are about to log out.) | |
368 @end ignore | |
369 | |
370 @defun command-line | |
371 This function parses the command line that Emacs was called with, | |
372 processes it, loads the user's init file and displays the | |
373 startup messages. | |
374 @end defun | |
375 | |
376 @defvar command-line-processed | |
377 The value of this variable is @code{t} once the command line has been | |
378 processed. | |
379 | |
380 If you redump Emacs by calling @code{dump-emacs}, you may wish to set | |
381 this variable to @code{nil} first in order to cause the new dumped Emacs | |
382 to process its new command-line arguments. | |
383 @end defvar | |
384 | |
385 @defvar command-switch-alist | |
386 @cindex switches on command line | |
387 @cindex options on command line | |
388 @cindex command-line options | |
389 The value of this variable is an alist of user-defined command-line | |
390 options and associated handler functions. This variable exists so you | |
391 can add elements to it. | |
392 | |
393 A @dfn{command-line option} is an argument on the command line, which | |
394 has the form: | |
395 | |
396 @example | |
397 -@var{option} | |
398 @end example | |
399 | |
400 The elements of the @code{command-switch-alist} look like this: | |
401 | |
402 @example | |
403 (@var{option} . @var{handler-function}) | |
404 @end example | |
405 | |
406 The @sc{car}, @var{option}, is a string, the name of a command-line | |
407 option (not including the initial hyphen). The @var{handler-function} | |
408 is called to handle @var{option}, and receives the option name as its | |
409 sole argument. | |
410 | |
411 In some cases, the option is followed in the command line by an | |
412 argument. In these cases, the @var{handler-function} can find all the | |
413 remaining command-line arguments in the variable | |
414 @code{command-line-args-left}. (The entire list of command-line | |
415 arguments is in @code{command-line-args}.) | |
416 | |
417 The command-line arguments are parsed by the @code{command-line-1} | |
418 function in the @file{startup.el} file. See also @ref{Emacs | |
419 Invocation, , Command Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation, emacs, The | |
420 GNU Emacs Manual}. | |
421 @end defvar | |
422 | |
423 @defvar command-line-args | |
424 The value of this variable is the list of command-line arguments passed | |
425 to Emacs. | |
426 @end defvar | |
427 | |
428 @defvar command-line-functions | |
429 This variable's value is a list of functions for handling an | |
430 unrecognized command-line argument. Each time the next argument to be | |
431 processed has no special meaning, the functions in this list are called, | |
432 in order of appearance, until one of them returns a non-@code{nil} | |
433 value. | |
434 | |
435 These functions are called with no arguments. They can access the | |
436 command-line argument under consideration through the variable | |
437 @code{argi}, which is bound temporarily at this point. The remaining | |
438 arguments (not including the current one) are in the variable | |
439 @code{command-line-args-left}. | |
440 | |
441 When a function recognizes and processes the argument in @code{argi}, it | |
442 should return a non-@code{nil} value to say it has dealt with that | |
443 argument. If it has also dealt with some of the following arguments, it | |
444 can indicate that by deleting them from @code{command-line-args-left}. | |
445 | |
446 If all of these functions return @code{nil}, then the argument is used | |
447 as a file name to visit. | |
448 @end defvar | |
449 | |
450 @node Getting Out | |
451 @section Getting Out of Emacs | |
452 @cindex exiting Emacs | |
453 | |
454 There are two ways to get out of Emacs: you can kill the Emacs job, | |
455 which exits permanently, or you can suspend it, which permits you to | |
456 reenter the Emacs process later. As a practical matter, you seldom kill | |
457 Emacs---only when you are about to log out. Suspending is much more | |
458 common. | |
459 | |
460 @menu | |
461 * Killing Emacs:: Exiting Emacs irreversibly. | |
462 * Suspending Emacs:: Exiting Emacs reversibly. | |
463 @end menu | |
464 | |
465 @node Killing Emacs | |
466 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
467 @subsection Killing Emacs | |
468 @cindex killing Emacs | |
469 | |
470 Killing Emacs means ending the execution of the Emacs process. The | |
471 parent process normally resumes control. The low-level primitive for | |
472 killing Emacs is @code{kill-emacs}. | |
473 | |
474 @defun kill-emacs &optional exit-data | |
475 This function exits the Emacs process and kills it. | |
476 | |
477 If @var{exit-data} is an integer, then it is used as the exit status | |
478 of the Emacs process. (This is useful primarily in batch operation; see | |
479 @ref{Batch Mode}.) | |
480 | |
481 If @var{exit-data} is a string, its contents are stuffed into the | |
482 terminal input buffer so that the shell (or whatever program next reads | |
483 input) can read them. | |
484 @end defun | |
485 | |
486 All the information in the Emacs process, aside from files that have | |
487 been saved, is lost when the Emacs process is killed. Because killing | |
488 Emacs inadvertently can lose a lot of work, Emacs queries for | |
489 confirmation before actually terminating if you have buffers that need | |
490 saving or subprocesses that are running. This is done in the function | |
491 @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs}, the higher level function from which | |
492 @code{kill-emacs} is usually called. | |
493 | |
494 @defvar kill-emacs-query-functions | |
495 After asking the standard questions, @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs} | |
496 calls the functions in the list @code{kill-emacs-query-functions}, in | |
497 order of appearance, with no arguments. These functions can ask for | |
498 additional confirmation from the user. If any of them returns | |
499 @code{nil}, @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs} does not kill Emacs, and | |
500 does not run the remaining functions in this hook. Calling | |
501 @code{kill-emacs} directly does not run this hook. | |
502 @end defvar | |
503 | |
504 @defvar kill-emacs-hook | |
505 This variable is a normal hook; once @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs} is | |
506 finished with all file saving and confirmation, it calls | |
507 @code{kill-emacs} which runs the functions in this hook. | |
508 @code{kill-emacs} does not run this hook in batch mode. | |
509 | |
510 @code{kill-emacs} may be invoked directly (that is not via | |
511 @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs}) if the terminal is disconnected, or in | |
512 similar situations where interaction with the user is not possible. | |
513 Thus, if your hook needs to interact with the user, put it on | |
514 @code{kill-emacs-query-functions}; if it needs to run regardless of | |
515 how Emacs is killed, put it on @code{kill-emacs-hook}. | |
516 @end defvar | |
517 | |
518 @node Suspending Emacs | |
519 @subsection Suspending Emacs | |
520 @cindex suspending Emacs | |
521 | |
522 @dfn{Suspending Emacs} means stopping Emacs temporarily and returning | |
523 control to its superior process, which is usually the shell. This | |
524 allows you to resume editing later in the same Emacs process, with the | |
525 same buffers, the same kill ring, the same undo history, and so on. To | |
526 resume Emacs, use the appropriate command in the parent shell---most | |
527 likely @code{fg}. | |
528 | |
529 Some operating systems do not support suspension of jobs; on these | |
530 systems, ``suspension'' actually creates a new shell temporarily as a | |
531 subprocess of Emacs. Then you would exit the shell to return to Emacs. | |
532 | |
533 Suspension is not useful with window systems, because the Emacs job | |
534 may not have a parent that can resume it again, and in any case you can | |
535 give input to some other job such as a shell merely by moving to a | |
536 different window. Therefore, suspending is not allowed when Emacs is using | |
537 a window system (X, MS Windows, or Mac). | |
538 | |
539 @defun suspend-emacs &optional string | |
540 This function stops Emacs and returns control to the superior process. | |
541 If and when the superior process resumes Emacs, @code{suspend-emacs} | |
542 returns @code{nil} to its caller in Lisp. | |
543 | |
544 If @var{string} is non-@code{nil}, its characters are sent to be read | |
545 as terminal input by Emacs's superior shell. The characters in | |
546 @var{string} are not echoed by the superior shell; only the results | |
547 appear. | |
548 | |
549 Before suspending, @code{suspend-emacs} runs the normal hook | |
550 @code{suspend-hook}. | |
551 | |
552 After the user resumes Emacs, @code{suspend-emacs} runs the normal hook | |
553 @code{suspend-resume-hook}. @xref{Hooks}. | |
554 | |
555 The next redisplay after resumption will redraw the entire screen, | |
556 unless the variable @code{no-redraw-on-reenter} is non-@code{nil} | |
557 (@pxref{Refresh Screen}). | |
558 | |
559 In the following example, note that @samp{pwd} is not echoed after | |
560 Emacs is suspended. But it is read and executed by the shell. | |
561 | |
562 @smallexample | |
563 @group | |
564 (suspend-emacs) | |
565 @result{} nil | |
566 @end group | |
567 | |
568 @group | |
569 (add-hook 'suspend-hook | |
570 (function (lambda () | |
571 (or (y-or-n-p | |
572 "Really suspend? ") | |
573 (error "Suspend canceled"))))) | |
574 @result{} (lambda nil | |
575 (or (y-or-n-p "Really suspend? ") | |
576 (error "Suspend canceled"))) | |
577 @end group | |
578 @group | |
579 (add-hook 'suspend-resume-hook | |
580 (function (lambda () (message "Resumed!")))) | |
581 @result{} (lambda nil (message "Resumed!")) | |
582 @end group | |
583 @group | |
584 (suspend-emacs "pwd") | |
585 @result{} nil | |
586 @end group | |
587 @group | |
588 ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ---------- | |
589 Really suspend? @kbd{y} | |
590 ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ---------- | |
591 @end group | |
592 | |
593 @group | |
594 ---------- Parent Shell ---------- | |
595 lewis@@slug[23] % /user/lewis/manual | |
596 lewis@@slug[24] % fg | |
597 @end group | |
598 | |
599 @group | |
600 ---------- Echo Area ---------- | |
601 Resumed! | |
602 @end group | |
603 @end smallexample | |
604 @end defun | |
605 | |
606 @defvar suspend-hook | |
607 This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs before suspending. | |
608 @end defvar | |
609 | |
610 @defvar suspend-resume-hook | |
611 This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs on resuming | |
612 after a suspension. | |
613 @end defvar | |
614 | |
615 @node System Environment | |
616 @section Operating System Environment | |
617 @cindex operating system environment | |
618 | |
619 Emacs provides access to variables in the operating system environment | |
620 through various functions. These variables include the name of the | |
621 system, the user's @acronym{UID}, and so on. | |
622 | |
623 @defvar system-configuration | |
624 This variable holds the standard GNU configuration name for the | |
625 hardware/software configuration of your system, as a string. The | |
626 convenient way to test parts of this string is with | |
627 @code{string-match}. | |
628 @end defvar | |
629 | |
630 @cindex system type and name | |
631 @defvar system-type | |
632 The value of this variable is a symbol indicating the type of operating | |
633 system Emacs is operating on. Here is a table of the possible values: | |
634 | |
635 @table @code | |
636 @item alpha-vms | |
637 VMS on the Alpha. | |
638 | |
639 @item aix-v3 | |
640 AIX. | |
641 | |
642 @item berkeley-unix | |
643 Berkeley BSD. | |
644 | |
645 @item cygwin | |
646 Cygwin. | |
647 | |
648 @item gnu | |
649 the GNU system (using the GNU kernel, which consists of the HURD and Mach). | |
650 | |
651 @item gnu/linux | |
652 A GNU/Linux system---that is, a variant GNU system, using the Linux | |
653 kernel. (These systems are the ones people often call ``Linux,'' but | |
654 actually Linux is just the kernel, not the whole system.) | |
655 | |
656 @item hpux | |
657 Hewlett-Packard HPUX operating system. | |
658 | |
659 @item irix | |
660 Silicon Graphics Irix system. | |
661 | |
662 @item ms-dos | |
663 Microsoft MS-DOS ``operating system.'' Emacs compiled with DJGPP for | |
664 MS-DOS binds @code{system-type} to @code{ms-dos} even when you run it on | |
665 MS-Windows. | |
666 | |
667 @item next-mach | |
668 NeXT Mach-based system. | |
669 | |
670 @item usg-unix-v | |
671 AT&T System V. | |
672 | |
673 @item vax-vms | |
674 VAX VMS. | |
675 | |
676 @item windows-nt | |
677 Microsoft windows NT. The same executable supports Windows 9X, but the | |
678 value of @code{system-type} is @code{windows-nt} in either case. | |
679 | |
680 @end table | |
681 | |
682 We do not wish to add new symbols to make finer distinctions unless it | |
683 is absolutely necessary! In fact, we hope to eliminate some of these | |
684 alternatives in the future. We recommend using | |
685 @code{system-configuration} to distinguish between different operating | |
686 systems. | |
687 @end defvar | |
688 | |
689 @defun system-name | |
690 This function returns the name of the machine you are running on. | |
691 @example | |
692 (system-name) | |
693 @result{} "www.gnu.org" | |
694 @end example | |
695 @end defun | |
696 | |
697 The symbol @code{system-name} is a variable as well as a function. In | |
698 fact, the function returns whatever value the variable | |
699 @code{system-name} currently holds. Thus, you can set the variable | |
700 @code{system-name} in case Emacs is confused about the name of your | |
701 system. The variable is also useful for constructing frame titles | |
702 (@pxref{Frame Titles}). | |
703 | |
704 @defvar mail-host-address | |
705 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it is used instead of | |
706 @code{system-name} for purposes of generating email addresses. For | |
707 example, it is used when constructing the default value of | |
708 @code{user-mail-address}. @xref{User Identification}. (Since this is | |
709 done when Emacs starts up, the value actually used is the one saved when | |
710 Emacs was dumped. @xref{Building Emacs}.) | |
711 @end defvar | |
712 | |
713 @deffn Command getenv var | |
714 @cindex environment variable access | |
715 This function returns the value of the environment variable @var{var}, | |
716 as a string. @var{var} should be a string. If @var{var} is undefined | |
717 in the environment, @code{getenv} returns @code{nil}. If returns | |
718 @samp{""} if @var{var} is set but null. Within Emacs, the environment | |
719 variable values are kept in the Lisp variable @code{process-environment}. | |
720 | |
721 @example | |
722 @group | |
723 (getenv "USER") | |
724 @result{} "lewis" | |
725 @end group | |
726 | |
727 @group | |
728 lewis@@slug[10] % printenv | |
729 PATH=.:/user/lewis/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin | |
730 USER=lewis | |
731 @end group | |
732 @group | |
733 TERM=ibmapa16 | |
734 SHELL=/bin/csh | |
735 HOME=/user/lewis | |
736 @end group | |
737 @end example | |
738 @end deffn | |
739 | |
740 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
741 @deffn Command setenv variable &optional value | |
742 This command sets the value of the environment variable named | |
743 @var{variable} to @var{value}. @var{variable} should be a string. | |
744 Internally, Emacs Lisp can handle any string. However, normally | |
745 @var{variable} should be a valid shell identifier, that is, a sequence | |
746 of letters, digits and underscores, starting with a letter or | |
747 underscore. Otherwise, errors may occur if subprocesses of Emacs try | |
748 to access the value of @var{variable}. If @var{value} is omitted or | |
749 @code{nil}, @code{setenv} removes @var{variable} from the environment. | |
750 Otherwise, @var{value} should be a string. | |
751 | |
752 @code{setenv} works by modifying @code{process-environment}; binding | |
753 that variable with @code{let} is also reasonable practice. | |
754 | |
755 @code{setenv} returns the new value of @var{variable}, or @code{nil} | |
756 if it removed @var{variable} from the environment. | |
757 @end deffn | |
758 | |
759 @defvar process-environment | |
760 This variable is a list of strings, each describing one environment | |
761 variable. The functions @code{getenv} and @code{setenv} work by means | |
762 of this variable. | |
763 | |
764 @smallexample | |
765 @group | |
766 process-environment | |
767 @result{} ("l=/usr/stanford/lib/gnuemacs/lisp" | |
768 "PATH=.:/user/lewis/bin:/usr/class:/nfsusr/local/bin" | |
769 "USER=lewis" | |
770 @end group | |
771 @group | |
772 "TERM=ibmapa16" | |
773 "SHELL=/bin/csh" | |
774 "HOME=/user/lewis") | |
775 @end group | |
776 @end smallexample | |
777 | |
778 If @code{process-environment} contains ``duplicate'' elements that | |
779 specify the same environment variable, the first of these elements | |
780 specifies the variable, and the other ``duplicates'' are ignored. | |
781 @end defvar | |
782 | |
783 @defvar path-separator | |
784 This variable holds a string which says which character separates | |
785 directories in a search path (as found in an environment variable). Its | |
786 value is @code{":"} for Unix and GNU systems, and @code{";"} for MS-DOS | |
787 and MS-Windows. | |
788 @end defvar | |
789 | |
790 @defun parse-colon-path path | |
791 This function takes a search path string such as would be the value of | |
792 the @code{PATH} environment variable, and splits it at the separators, | |
793 returning a list of directory names. @code{nil} in this list stands for | |
794 ``use the current directory.'' Although the function's name says | |
795 ``colon,'' it actually uses the value of @code{path-separator}. | |
796 | |
797 @example | |
798 (parse-colon-path ":/foo:/bar") | |
799 @result{} (nil "/foo/" "/bar/") | |
800 @end example | |
801 @end defun | |
802 | |
803 @defvar invocation-name | |
804 This variable holds the program name under which Emacs was invoked. The | |
805 value is a string, and does not include a directory name. | |
806 @end defvar | |
807 | |
808 @defvar invocation-directory | |
809 This variable holds the directory from which the Emacs executable was | |
810 invoked, or perhaps @code{nil} if that directory cannot be determined. | |
811 @end defvar | |
812 | |
813 @defvar installation-directory | |
814 If non-@code{nil}, this is a directory within which to look for the | |
815 @file{lib-src} and @file{etc} subdirectories. This is non-@code{nil} | |
816 when Emacs can't find those directories in their standard installed | |
817 locations, but can find them in a directory related somehow to the one | |
818 containing the Emacs executable. | |
819 @end defvar | |
820 | |
821 @defun load-average &optional use-float | |
822 This function returns the current 1-minute, 5-minute, and 15-minute load | |
823 averages, in a list. | |
824 | |
825 By default, the values are integers that are 100 times the system load | |
826 averages, which indicate the average number of processes trying to run. | |
827 If @var{use-float} is non-@code{nil}, then they are returned | |
828 as floating point numbers and without multiplying by 100. | |
829 | |
830 If it is impossible to obtain the load average, this function signals | |
831 an error. On some platforms, access to load averages requires | |
832 installing Emacs as setuid or setgid so that it can read kernel | |
833 information, and that usually isn't advisable. | |
834 | |
835 If the 1-minute load average is available, but the 5- or 15-minute | |
836 averages are not, this function returns a shortened list containing | |
837 the available averages. | |
838 | |
839 @example | |
840 @group | |
841 (load-average) | |
842 @result{} (169 48 36) | |
843 @end group | |
844 @group | |
845 (load-average t) | |
846 @result{} (1.69 0.48 0.36) | |
847 @end group | |
848 | |
849 @group | |
850 lewis@@rocky[5] % uptime | |
851 11:55am up 1 day, 19:37, 3 users, | |
852 load average: 1.69, 0.48, 0.36 | |
853 @end group | |
854 @end example | |
855 @end defun | |
856 | |
857 @defun emacs-pid | |
858 This function returns the process @acronym{ID} of the Emacs process, | |
859 as an integer. | |
860 @end defun | |
861 | |
862 @defvar tty-erase-char | |
863 This variable holds the erase character that was selected | |
864 in the system's terminal driver, before Emacs was started. | |
865 The value is @code{nil} if Emacs is running under a window system. | |
866 @end defvar | |
867 | |
868 @defun setprv privilege-name &optional setp getprv | |
869 This function sets or resets a VMS privilege. (It does not exist on | |
870 other systems.) The first argument is the privilege name, as a string. | |
871 The second argument, @var{setp}, is @code{t} or @code{nil}, indicating | |
872 whether the privilege is to be turned on or off. Its default is | |
873 @code{nil}. The function returns @code{t} if successful, @code{nil} | |
874 otherwise. | |
875 | |
876 If the third argument, @var{getprv}, is non-@code{nil}, @code{setprv} | |
877 does not change the privilege, but returns @code{t} or @code{nil} | |
878 indicating whether the privilege is currently enabled. | |
879 @end defun | |
880 | |
881 @node User Identification | |
882 @section User Identification | |
883 @cindex user identification | |
884 | |
885 @defvar init-file-user | |
886 This variable says which user's init files should be used by | |
887 Emacs---or @code{nil} if none. @code{""} stands for the user who | |
888 originally logged in. The value reflects command-line options such as | |
889 @samp{-q} or @samp{-u @var{user}}. | |
890 | |
891 Lisp packages that load files of customizations, or any other sort of | |
892 user profile, should obey this variable in deciding where to find it. | |
893 They should load the profile of the user name found in this variable. | |
894 If @code{init-file-user} is @code{nil}, meaning that the @samp{-q} | |
895 option was used, then Lisp packages should not load any customization | |
896 files or user profile. | |
897 @end defvar | |
898 | |
899 @defvar user-mail-address | |
900 This holds the nominal email address of the user who is using Emacs. | |
901 Emacs normally sets this variable to a default value after reading your | |
902 init files, but not if you have already set it. So you can set the | |
903 variable to some other value in your init file if you do not | |
904 want to use the default value. | |
905 @end defvar | |
906 | |
907 @defun user-login-name &optional uid | |
908 If you don't specify @var{uid}, this function returns the name under | |
909 which the user is logged in. If the environment variable @code{LOGNAME} | |
910 is set, that value is used. Otherwise, if the environment variable | |
911 @code{USER} is set, that value is used. Otherwise, the value is based | |
912 on the effective @acronym{UID}, not the real @acronym{UID}. | |
913 | |
914 If you specify @var{uid}, the value is the user name that corresponds | |
915 to @var{uid} (which should be an integer), or @code{nil} if there is | |
916 no such user. | |
917 | |
918 @example | |
919 @group | |
920 (user-login-name) | |
921 @result{} "lewis" | |
922 @end group | |
923 @end example | |
924 @end defun | |
925 | |
926 @defun user-real-login-name | |
927 This function returns the user name corresponding to Emacs's real | |
928 @acronym{UID}. This ignores the effective @acronym{UID} and ignores the | |
929 environment variables @code{LOGNAME} and @code{USER}. | |
930 @end defun | |
931 | |
932 @defun user-full-name &optional uid | |
933 This function returns the full name of the logged-in user---or the value | |
934 of the environment variable @code{NAME}, if that is set. | |
935 | |
936 @c "Bil" is the correct spelling. | |
937 @example | |
938 @group | |
939 (user-full-name) | |
940 @result{} "Bil Lewis" | |
941 @end group | |
942 @end example | |
943 | |
944 If the Emacs job's user-id does not correspond to any known user (and | |
945 provided @code{NAME} is not set), the value is @code{"unknown"}. | |
946 | |
947 If @var{uid} is non-@code{nil}, then it should be a number (a user-id) | |
948 or a string (a login name). Then @code{user-full-name} returns the full | |
949 name corresponding to that user-id or login name. If you specify a | |
950 user-id or login name that isn't defined, it returns @code{nil}. | |
951 @end defun | |
952 | |
953 @vindex user-full-name | |
954 @vindex user-real-login-name | |
955 @vindex user-login-name | |
956 The symbols @code{user-login-name}, @code{user-real-login-name} and | |
957 @code{user-full-name} are variables as well as functions. The functions | |
958 return the same values that the variables hold. These variables allow | |
959 you to ``fake out'' Emacs by telling the functions what to return. The | |
960 variables are also useful for constructing frame titles (@pxref{Frame | |
961 Titles}). | |
962 | |
963 @defun user-real-uid | |
964 This function returns the real @acronym{UID} of the user. | |
965 The value may be a floating point number. | |
966 | |
967 @example | |
968 @group | |
969 (user-real-uid) | |
970 @result{} 19 | |
971 @end group | |
972 @end example | |
973 @end defun | |
974 | |
975 @defun user-uid | |
976 This function returns the effective @acronym{UID} of the user. | |
977 The value may be a floating point number. | |
978 @end defun | |
979 | |
980 @node Time of Day | |
981 @section Time of Day | |
982 | |
983 This section explains how to determine the current time and the time | |
984 zone. | |
985 | |
986 @defun current-time-string &optional time-value | |
987 This function returns the current time and date as a human-readable | |
988 string. The format of the string is unvarying; the number of characters | |
989 used for each part is always the same, so you can reliably use | |
990 @code{substring} to extract pieces of it. It is wise to count the | |
991 characters from the beginning of the string rather than from the end, as | |
992 additional information may some day be added at the end. | |
993 | |
994 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
995 The argument @var{time-value}, if given, specifies a time to format | |
996 instead of the current time. The argument should be a list whose first | |
997 two elements are integers. Thus, you can use times obtained from | |
998 @code{current-time} (see below) and from @code{file-attributes} | |
999 (@pxref{Definition of file-attributes}). @var{time-value} can also be | |
1000 a cons of two integers, but this is considered obsolete. | |
1001 | |
1002 @example | |
1003 @group | |
1004 (current-time-string) | |
1005 @result{} "Wed Oct 14 22:21:05 1987" | |
1006 @end group | |
1007 @end example | |
1008 @end defun | |
1009 | |
1010 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
1011 @defun current-time | |
1012 This function returns the system's time value as a list of three | |
1013 integers: @code{(@var{high} @var{low} @var{microsec})}. The integers | |
1014 @var{high} and @var{low} combine to give the number of seconds since | |
1015 0:00 January 1, 1970 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), which is | |
1016 @ifnottex | |
1017 @var{high} * 2**16 + @var{low}. | |
1018 @end ifnottex | |
1019 @tex | |
1020 $high*2^{16}+low$. | |
1021 @end tex | |
1022 | |
1023 The third element, @var{microsec}, gives the microseconds since the | |
1024 start of the current second (or 0 for systems that return time with | |
1025 the resolution of only one second). | |
1026 | |
1027 The first two elements can be compared with file time values such as you | |
1028 get with the function @code{file-attributes}. | |
1029 @xref{Definition of file-attributes}. | |
1030 @end defun | |
1031 | |
1032 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
1033 @defun current-time-zone &optional time-value | |
1034 This function returns a list describing the time zone that the user is | |
1035 in. | |
1036 | |
1037 The value has the form @code{(@var{offset} @var{name})}. Here | |
1038 @var{offset} is an integer giving the number of seconds ahead of UTC | |
1039 (east of Greenwich). A negative value means west of Greenwich. The | |
1040 second element, @var{name}, is a string giving the name of the time | |
1041 zone. Both elements change when daylight saving time begins or ends; | |
1042 if the user has specified a time zone that does not use a seasonal time | |
1043 adjustment, then the value is constant through time. | |
1044 | |
1045 If the operating system doesn't supply all the information necessary to | |
1046 compute the value, the unknown elements of the list are @code{nil}. | |
1047 | |
1048 The argument @var{time-value}, if given, specifies a time to analyze | |
1049 instead of the current time. The argument should have the same form | |
1050 as for @code{current-time-string} (see above). Thus, you can use | |
1051 times obtained from @code{current-time} (see above) and from | |
1052 @code{file-attributes}. @xref{Definition of file-attributes}. | |
1053 @end defun | |
1054 | |
1055 @defun set-time-zone-rule tz | |
1056 This function specifies the local time zone according to @var{tz}. If | |
1057 @var{tz} is @code{nil}, that means to use an implementation-defined | |
1058 default time zone. If @var{tz} is @code{t}, that means to use | |
1059 Universal Time. Otherwise, @var{tz} should be a string specifying a | |
1060 time zone rule. | |
1061 @end defun | |
1062 | |
1063 @defun float-time &optional time-value | |
1064 This function returns the current time as a floating-point number of | |
1065 seconds since the epoch. The argument @var{time-value}, if given, | |
1066 specifies a time to convert instead of the current time. The argument | |
1067 should have the same form as for @code{current-time-string} (see | |
1068 above). Thus, it accepts the output of @code{current-time} and | |
1069 @code{file-attributes}. | |
1070 | |
1071 @emph{Warning}: Since the result is floating point, it may not be | |
1072 exact. Do not use this function if precise time stamps are required. | |
1073 @end defun | |
1074 | |
1075 @node Time Conversion | |
1076 @section Time Conversion | |
1077 | |
1078 These functions convert time values (lists of two or three integers) | |
1079 to calendrical information and vice versa. You can get time values | |
1080 from the functions @code{current-time} (@pxref{Time of Day}) and | |
1081 @code{file-attributes} (@pxref{Definition of file-attributes}). | |
1082 | |
1083 Many operating systems are limited to time values that contain 32 bits | |
1084 of information; these systems typically handle only the times from | |
1085 1901-12-13 20:45:52 UTC through 2038-01-19 03:14:07 UTC. However, some | |
1086 operating systems have larger time values, and can represent times far | |
1087 in the past or future. | |
1088 | |
1089 Time conversion functions always use the Gregorian calendar, even | |
1090 for dates before the Gregorian calendar was introduced. Year numbers | |
1091 count the number of years since the year 1 B.C., and do not skip zero | |
1092 as traditional Gregorian years do; for example, the year number | |
1093 @minus{}37 represents the Gregorian year 38 B.C@. | |
1094 | |
1095 @defun decode-time &optional time | |
1096 This function converts a time value into calendrical information. If | |
1097 you don't specify @var{time}, it decodes the current time. The return | |
1098 value is a list of nine elements, as follows: | |
1099 | |
1100 @example | |
1101 (@var{seconds} @var{minutes} @var{hour} @var{day} @var{month} @var{year} @var{dow} @var{dst} @var{zone}) | |
1102 @end example | |
1103 | |
1104 Here is what the elements mean: | |
1105 | |
1106 @table @var | |
1107 @item seconds | |
1108 The number of seconds past the minute, as an integer between 0 and 59. | |
1109 On some operating systems, this is 60 for leap seconds. | |
1110 @item minutes | |
1111 The number of minutes past the hour, as an integer between 0 and 59. | |
1112 @item hour | |
1113 The hour of the day, as an integer between 0 and 23. | |
1114 @item day | |
1115 The day of the month, as an integer between 1 and 31. | |
1116 @item month | |
1117 The month of the year, as an integer between 1 and 12. | |
1118 @item year | |
1119 The year, an integer typically greater than 1900. | |
1120 @item dow | |
1121 The day of week, as an integer between 0 and 6, where 0 stands for | |
1122 Sunday. | |
1123 @item dst | |
1124 @code{t} if daylight saving time is effect, otherwise @code{nil}. | |
1125 @item zone | |
1126 An integer indicating the time zone, as the number of seconds east of | |
1127 Greenwich. | |
1128 @end table | |
1129 | |
1130 @strong{Common Lisp Note:} Common Lisp has different meanings for | |
1131 @var{dow} and @var{zone}. | |
1132 @end defun | |
1133 | |
1134 @defun encode-time seconds minutes hour day month year &optional zone | |
1135 This function is the inverse of @code{decode-time}. It converts seven | |
1136 items of calendrical data into a time value. For the meanings of the | |
1137 arguments, see the table above under @code{decode-time}. | |
1138 | |
1139 Year numbers less than 100 are not treated specially. If you want them | |
1140 to stand for years above 1900, or years above 2000, you must alter them | |
1141 yourself before you call @code{encode-time}. | |
1142 | |
1143 The optional argument @var{zone} defaults to the current time zone and | |
1144 its daylight saving time rules. If specified, it can be either a list | |
1145 (as you would get from @code{current-time-zone}), a string as in the | |
1146 @code{TZ} environment variable, @code{t} for Universal Time, or an | |
1147 integer (as you would get from @code{decode-time}). The specified | |
1148 zone is used without any further alteration for daylight saving time. | |
1149 | |
1150 If you pass more than seven arguments to @code{encode-time}, the first | |
1151 six are used as @var{seconds} through @var{year}, the last argument is | |
1152 used as @var{zone}, and the arguments in between are ignored. This | |
1153 feature makes it possible to use the elements of a list returned by | |
1154 @code{decode-time} as the arguments to @code{encode-time}, like this: | |
1155 | |
1156 @example | |
1157 (apply 'encode-time (decode-time @dots{})) | |
1158 @end example | |
1159 | |
1160 You can perform simple date arithmetic by using out-of-range values for | |
1161 the @var{seconds}, @var{minutes}, @var{hour}, @var{day}, and @var{month} | |
1162 arguments; for example, day 0 means the day preceding the given month. | |
1163 | |
1164 The operating system puts limits on the range of possible time values; | |
1165 if you try to encode a time that is out of range, an error results. | |
1166 For instance, years before 1970 do not work on some systems; | |
1167 on others, years as early as 1901 do work. | |
1168 @end defun | |
1169 | |
1170 @node Time Parsing | |
1171 @section Parsing and Formatting Times | |
1172 | |
1173 These functions convert time values (lists of two or three integers) | |
1174 to text in a string, and vice versa. | |
1175 | |
1176 @defun date-to-time string | |
1177 This function parses the time-string @var{string} and returns the | |
1178 corresponding time value. | |
1179 @end defun | |
1180 | |
1181 @defun format-time-string format-string &optional time universal | |
1182 This function converts @var{time} (or the current time, if @var{time} is | |
1183 omitted) to a string according to @var{format-string}. The argument | |
1184 @var{format-string} may contain @samp{%}-sequences which say to | |
1185 substitute parts of the time. Here is a table of what the | |
1186 @samp{%}-sequences mean: | |
1187 | |
1188 @table @samp | |
1189 @item %a | |
1190 This stands for the abbreviated name of the day of week. | |
1191 @item %A | |
1192 This stands for the full name of the day of week. | |
1193 @item %b | |
1194 This stands for the abbreviated name of the month. | |
1195 @item %B | |
1196 This stands for the full name of the month. | |
1197 @item %c | |
1198 This is a synonym for @samp{%x %X}. | |
1199 @item %C | |
1200 This has a locale-specific meaning. In the default locale (named C), it | |
1201 is equivalent to @samp{%A, %B %e, %Y}. | |
1202 @item %d | |
1203 This stands for the day of month, zero-padded. | |
1204 @item %D | |
1205 This is a synonym for @samp{%m/%d/%y}. | |
1206 @item %e | |
1207 This stands for the day of month, blank-padded. | |
1208 @item %h | |
1209 This is a synonym for @samp{%b}. | |
1210 @item %H | |
1211 This stands for the hour (00-23). | |
1212 @item %I | |
1213 This stands for the hour (01-12). | |
1214 @item %j | |
1215 This stands for the day of the year (001-366). | |
1216 @item %k | |
1217 This stands for the hour (0-23), blank padded. | |
1218 @item %l | |
1219 This stands for the hour (1-12), blank padded. | |
1220 @item %m | |
1221 This stands for the month (01-12). | |
1222 @item %M | |
1223 This stands for the minute (00-59). | |
1224 @item %n | |
1225 This stands for a newline. | |
1226 @item %p | |
1227 This stands for @samp{AM} or @samp{PM}, as appropriate. | |
1228 @item %r | |
1229 This is a synonym for @samp{%I:%M:%S %p}. | |
1230 @item %R | |
1231 This is a synonym for @samp{%H:%M}. | |
1232 @item %S | |
1233 This stands for the seconds (00-59). | |
1234 @item %t | |
1235 This stands for a tab character. | |
1236 @item %T | |
1237 This is a synonym for @samp{%H:%M:%S}. | |
1238 @item %U | |
1239 This stands for the week of the year (01-52), assuming that weeks | |
1240 start on Sunday. | |
1241 @item %w | |
1242 This stands for the numeric day of week (0-6). Sunday is day 0. | |
1243 @item %W | |
1244 This stands for the week of the year (01-52), assuming that weeks | |
1245 start on Monday. | |
1246 @item %x | |
1247 This has a locale-specific meaning. In the default locale (named | |
1248 @samp{C}), it is equivalent to @samp{%D}. | |
1249 @item %X | |
1250 This has a locale-specific meaning. In the default locale (named | |
1251 @samp{C}), it is equivalent to @samp{%T}. | |
1252 @item %y | |
1253 This stands for the year without century (00-99). | |
1254 @item %Y | |
1255 This stands for the year with century. | |
1256 @item %Z | |
1257 This stands for the time zone abbreviation (e.g., @samp{EST}). | |
1258 @item %z | |
1259 This stands for the time zone numerical offset (e.g., @samp{-0500}). | |
1260 @end table | |
1261 | |
1262 You can also specify the field width and type of padding for any of | |
1263 these @samp{%}-sequences. This works as in @code{printf}: you write | |
1264 the field width as digits in the middle of a @samp{%}-sequences. If you | |
1265 start the field width with @samp{0}, it means to pad with zeros. If you | |
1266 start the field width with @samp{_}, it means to pad with spaces. | |
1267 | |
1268 For example, @samp{%S} specifies the number of seconds since the minute; | |
1269 @samp{%03S} means to pad this with zeros to 3 positions, @samp{%_3S} to | |
1270 pad with spaces to 3 positions. Plain @samp{%3S} pads with zeros, | |
1271 because that is how @samp{%S} normally pads to two positions. | |
1272 | |
1273 The characters @samp{E} and @samp{O} act as modifiers when used between | |
1274 @samp{%} and one of the letters in the table above. @samp{E} specifies | |
1275 using the current locale's ``alternative'' version of the date and time. | |
1276 In a Japanese locale, for example, @code{%Ex} might yield a date format | |
1277 based on the Japanese Emperors' reigns. @samp{E} is allowed in | |
1278 @samp{%Ec}, @samp{%EC}, @samp{%Ex}, @samp{%EX}, @samp{%Ey}, and | |
1279 @samp{%EY}. | |
1280 | |
1281 @samp{O} means to use the current locale's ``alternative'' | |
1282 representation of numbers, instead of the ordinary decimal digits. This | |
1283 is allowed with most letters, all the ones that output numbers. | |
1284 | |
1285 If @var{universal} is non-@code{nil}, that means to describe the time as | |
1286 Universal Time; @code{nil} means describe it using what Emacs believes | |
1287 is the local time zone (see @code{current-time-zone}). | |
1288 | |
1289 This function uses the C library function @code{strftime} | |
1290 (@pxref{Formatting Calendar Time,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference | |
1291 Manual}) to do most of the work. In order to communicate with that | |
1292 function, it first encodes its argument using the coding system | |
1293 specified by @code{locale-coding-system} (@pxref{Locales}); after | |
1294 @code{strftime} returns the resulting string, | |
1295 @code{format-time-string} decodes the string using that same coding | |
1296 system. | |
1297 @end defun | |
1298 | |
1299 @defun seconds-to-time seconds | |
1300 This function converts @var{seconds}, a floating point number of | |
1301 seconds since the epoch, to a time value and returns that. To perform | |
1302 the inverse conversion, use @code{float-time}. | |
1303 @end defun | |
1304 | |
1305 @node Processor Run Time | |
1306 @section Processor Run time | |
1307 @cindex processor run time | |
1308 | |
1309 @defun get-internal-run-time | |
1310 This function returns the processor run time used by Emacs as a list | |
1311 of three integers: @code{(@var{high} @var{low} @var{microsec})}. The | |
1312 integers @var{high} and @var{low} combine to give the number of | |
1313 seconds, which is | |
1314 @ifnottex | |
1315 @var{high} * 2**16 + @var{low}. | |
1316 @end ifnottex | |
1317 @tex | |
1318 $high*2^{16}+low$. | |
1319 @end tex | |
1320 | |
1321 The third element, @var{microsec}, gives the microseconds (or 0 for | |
1322 systems that return time with the resolution of only one second). | |
1323 | |
1324 If the system doesn't provide a way to determine the processor run | |
1325 time, get-internal-run-time returns the same time as current-time. | |
1326 @end defun | |
1327 | |
1328 @node Time Calculations | |
1329 @section Time Calculations | |
1330 | |
1331 These functions perform calendrical computations using time values | |
1332 (the kind of list that @code{current-time} returns). | |
1333 | |
1334 @defun time-less-p t1 t2 | |
1335 This returns @code{t} if time value @var{t1} is less than time value | |
1336 @var{t2}. | |
1337 @end defun | |
1338 | |
1339 @defun time-subtract t1 t2 | |
1340 This returns the time difference @var{t1} @minus{} @var{t2} between | |
1341 two time values, in the same format as a time value. | |
1342 @end defun | |
1343 | |
1344 @defun time-add t1 t2 | |
1345 This returns the sum of two time values, one of which ought to | |
1346 represent a time difference rather than a point in time. | |
1347 Here is how to add a number of seconds to a time value: | |
1348 | |
1349 @example | |
1350 (time-add @var{time} (seconds-to-time @var{seconds})) | |
1351 @end example | |
1352 @end defun | |
1353 | |
1354 @defun time-to-days time | |
1355 This function returns the number of days between the beginning of year | |
1356 1 and @var{time}. | |
1357 @end defun | |
1358 | |
1359 @defun time-to-day-in-year time | |
1360 This returns the day number within the year corresponding to @var{time}. | |
1361 @end defun | |
1362 | |
1363 @defun date-leap-year-p year | |
1364 This function returns @code{t} if @var{year} is a leap year. | |
1365 @end defun | |
1366 | |
1367 @node Timers | |
1368 @section Timers for Delayed Execution | |
1369 @cindex timer | |
1370 | |
1371 You can set up a @dfn{timer} to call a function at a specified | |
1372 future time or after a certain length of idleness. | |
1373 | |
1374 Emacs cannot run timers at any arbitrary point in a Lisp program; it | |
1375 can run them only when Emacs could accept output from a subprocess: | |
1376 namely, while waiting or inside certain primitive functions such as | |
1377 @code{sit-for} or @code{read-event} which @emph{can} wait. Therefore, a | |
1378 timer's execution may be delayed if Emacs is busy. However, the time of | |
1379 execution is very precise if Emacs is idle. | |
1380 | |
1381 Emacs binds @code{inhibit-quit} to @code{t} before calling the timer | |
1382 function, because quitting out of many timer functions can leave | |
1383 things in an inconsistent state. This is normally unproblematical | |
1384 because most timer functions don't do a lot of work. Indeed, for a | |
1385 timer to call a function that takes substantial time to run is likely | |
1386 to be annoying. If a timer function needs to allow quitting, it | |
1387 should use @code{with-local-quit} (@pxref{Quitting}). For example, if | |
1388 a timer function calls @code{accept-process-output} to receive output | |
1389 from an external process, that call should be wrapped inside | |
1390 @code{with-local-quit}, to ensure that @kbd{C-g} works if the external | |
1391 process hangs. | |
1392 | |
1393 It is usually a bad idea for timer functions to alter buffer | |
1394 contents. When they do, they usually should call @code{undo-boundary} | |
1395 both before and after changing the buffer, to separate the timer's | |
1396 changes from user commands' changes and prevent a single undo entry | |
1397 from growing to be quite large. | |
1398 | |
1399 Timer functions should also avoid calling functions that cause Emacs | |
1400 to wait, such as @code{sit-for} (@pxref{Waiting}). This can lead to | |
1401 unpredictable effects, since other timers (or even the same timer) can | |
1402 run while waiting. If a timer function needs to perform an action | |
1403 after a certain time has elapsed, it can do this by scheduling a new | |
1404 timer. | |
1405 | |
1406 If a timer function calls functions that can change the match data, | |
1407 it should save and restore the match data. @xref{Saving Match Data}. | |
1408 | |
1409 @deffn Command run-at-time time repeat function &rest args | |
1410 This sets up a timer that calls the function @var{function} with | |
1411 arguments @var{args} at time @var{time}. If @var{repeat} is a number | |
1412 (integer or floating point), the timer is scheduled to run again every | |
1413 @var{repeat} seconds after @var{time}. If @var{repeat} is @code{nil}, | |
1414 the timer runs only once. | |
1415 | |
1416 @var{time} may specify an absolute or a relative time. | |
1417 | |
1418 Absolute times may be specified using a string with a limited variety | |
1419 of formats, and are taken to be times @emph{today}, even if already in | |
1420 the past. The recognized forms are @samp{@var{xxxx}}, | |
1421 @samp{@var{x}:@var{xx}}, or @samp{@var{xx}:@var{xx}} (military time), | |
1422 and @samp{@var{xx}am}, @samp{@var{xx}AM}, @samp{@var{xx}pm}, | |
1423 @samp{@var{xx}PM}, @samp{@var{xx}:@var{xx}am}, | |
1424 @samp{@var{xx}:@var{xx}AM}, @samp{@var{xx}:@var{xx}pm}, or | |
1425 @samp{@var{xx}:@var{xx}PM}. A period can be used instead of a colon | |
1426 to separate the hour and minute parts. | |
1427 | |
1428 To specify a relative time as a string, use numbers followed by units. | |
1429 For example: | |
1430 | |
1431 @table @samp | |
1432 @item 1 min | |
1433 denotes 1 minute from now. | |
1434 @item 1 min 5 sec | |
1435 denotes 65 seconds from now. | |
1436 @item 1 min 2 sec 3 hour 4 day 5 week 6 fortnight 7 month 8 year | |
1437 denotes exactly 103 months, 123 days, and 10862 seconds from now. | |
1438 @end table | |
1439 | |
1440 For relative time values, Emacs considers a month to be exactly thirty | |
1441 days, and a year to be exactly 365.25 days. | |
1442 | |
1443 Not all convenient formats are strings. If @var{time} is a number | |
1444 (integer or floating point), that specifies a relative time measured in | |
1445 seconds. The result of @code{encode-time} can also be used to specify | |
1446 an absolute value for @var{time}. | |
1447 | |
1448 In most cases, @var{repeat} has no effect on when @emph{first} call | |
1449 takes place---@var{time} alone specifies that. There is one exception: | |
1450 if @var{time} is @code{t}, then the timer runs whenever the time is a | |
1451 multiple of @var{repeat} seconds after the epoch. This is useful for | |
1452 functions like @code{display-time}. | |
1453 | |
1454 The function @code{run-at-time} returns a timer value that identifies | |
1455 the particular scheduled future action. You can use this value to call | |
1456 @code{cancel-timer} (see below). | |
1457 @end deffn | |
1458 | |
1459 A repeating timer nominally ought to run every @var{repeat} seconds, | |
1460 but remember that any invocation of a timer can be late. Lateness of | |
1461 one repetition has no effect on the scheduled time of the next | |
1462 repetition. For instance, if Emacs is busy computing for long enough | |
1463 to cover three scheduled repetitions of the timer, and then starts to | |
1464 wait, it will immediately call the timer function three times in | |
1465 immediate succession (presuming no other timers trigger before or | |
1466 between them). If you want a timer to run again no less than @var{n} | |
1467 seconds after the last invocation, don't use the @var{repeat} argument. | |
1468 Instead, the timer function should explicitly reschedule the timer. | |
1469 | |
1470 @defvar timer-max-repeats | |
1471 This variable's value specifies the maximum number of times to repeat | |
1472 calling a timer function in a row, when many previously scheduled | |
1473 calls were unavoidably delayed. | |
1474 @end defvar | |
1475 | |
1476 @defmac with-timeout (seconds timeout-forms@dots{}) body@dots{} | |
1477 Execute @var{body}, but give up after @var{seconds} seconds. If | |
1478 @var{body} finishes before the time is up, @code{with-timeout} returns | |
1479 the value of the last form in @var{body}. If, however, the execution of | |
1480 @var{body} is cut short by the timeout, then @code{with-timeout} | |
1481 executes all the @var{timeout-forms} and returns the value of the last | |
1482 of them. | |
1483 | |
1484 This macro works by setting a timer to run after @var{seconds} seconds. If | |
1485 @var{body} finishes before that time, it cancels the timer. If the | |
1486 timer actually runs, it terminates execution of @var{body}, then | |
1487 executes @var{timeout-forms}. | |
1488 | |
1489 Since timers can run within a Lisp program only when the program calls a | |
1490 primitive that can wait, @code{with-timeout} cannot stop executing | |
1491 @var{body} while it is in the midst of a computation---only when it | |
1492 calls one of those primitives. So use @code{with-timeout} only with a | |
1493 @var{body} that waits for input, not one that does a long computation. | |
1494 @end defmac | |
1495 | |
1496 The function @code{y-or-n-p-with-timeout} provides a simple way to use | |
1497 a timer to avoid waiting too long for an answer. @xref{Yes-or-No | |
1498 Queries}. | |
1499 | |
1500 @defun cancel-timer timer | |
1501 This cancels the requested action for @var{timer}, which should be a | |
1502 timer---usually, one previously returned by @code{run-at-time} or | |
1503 @code{run-with-idle-timer}. This cancels the effect of that call to | |
1504 one of these functions; the arrival of the specified time will not | |
1505 cause anything special to happen. | |
1506 @end defun | |
1507 | |
1508 @node Idle Timers | |
1509 @section Idle Timers | |
1510 | |
1511 Here is how to set up a timer that runs when Emacs is idle for a | |
1512 certain length of time. Aside from how to set them up, idle timers | |
1513 work just like ordinary timers. | |
1514 | |
1515 @deffn Command run-with-idle-timer secs repeat function &rest args | |
1516 Set up a timer which runs when Emacs has been idle for @var{secs} | |
1517 seconds. The value of @var{secs} may be an integer or a floating point | |
1518 number; a value of the type returned by @code{current-idle-time} | |
1519 is also allowed. | |
1520 | |
1521 If @var{repeat} is @code{nil}, the timer runs just once, the first time | |
1522 Emacs remains idle for a long enough time. More often @var{repeat} is | |
1523 non-@code{nil}, which means to run the timer @emph{each time} Emacs | |
1524 remains idle for @var{secs} seconds. | |
1525 | |
1526 The function @code{run-with-idle-timer} returns a timer value which you | |
1527 can use in calling @code{cancel-timer} (@pxref{Timers}). | |
1528 @end deffn | |
1529 | |
1530 @cindex idleness | |
1531 Emacs becomes ``idle'' when it starts waiting for user input, and it | |
1532 remains idle until the user provides some input. If a timer is set for | |
1533 five seconds of idleness, it runs approximately five seconds after Emacs | |
1534 first becomes idle. Even if @var{repeat} is non-@code{nil}, this timer | |
1535 will not run again as long as Emacs remains idle, because the duration | |
1536 of idleness will continue to increase and will not go down to five | |
1537 seconds again. | |
1538 | |
1539 Emacs can do various things while idle: garbage collect, autosave or | |
1540 handle data from a subprocess. But these interludes during idleness do | |
1541 not interfere with idle timers, because they do not reset the clock of | |
1542 idleness to zero. An idle timer set for 600 seconds will run when ten | |
1543 minutes have elapsed since the last user command was finished, even if | |
1544 subprocess output has been accepted thousands of times within those ten | |
1545 minutes, and even if there have been garbage collections and autosaves. | |
1546 | |
1547 When the user supplies input, Emacs becomes non-idle while executing the | |
1548 input. Then it becomes idle again, and all the idle timers that are | |
1549 set up to repeat will subsequently run another time, one by one. | |
1550 | |
1551 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
1552 @defun current-idle-time | |
85688 | 1553 If Emacs is idle, this function returns the length of time Emacs has |
1554 been idle, as a list of three integers: @code{(@var{high} @var{low} | |
1555 @var{microsec})}. The integers @var{high} and @var{low} combine to | |
1556 give the number of seconds of idleness, which is | |
84093 | 1557 @ifnottex |
1558 @var{high} * 2**16 + @var{low}. | |
1559 @end ifnottex | |
1560 @tex | |
1561 $high*2^{16}+low$. | |
1562 @end tex | |
1563 | |
1564 The third element, @var{microsec}, gives the microseconds since the | |
1565 start of the current second (or 0 for systems that return time with | |
1566 the resolution of only one second). | |
1567 | |
85688 | 1568 When Emacs is not idle, @code{current-idle-time} returns @code{nil}. |
1569 This is a convenient way to test whether Emacs is idle. | |
1570 | |
84093 | 1571 The main use of this function is when an idle timer function wants to |
1572 ``take a break'' for a while. It can set up another idle timer to | |
1573 call the same function again, after a few seconds more idleness. | |
1574 Here's an example: | |
1575 | |
1576 @smallexample | |
1577 (defvar resume-timer nil | |
1578 "Timer that `timer-function' used to reschedule itself, or nil.") | |
1579 | |
1580 (defun timer-function () | |
1581 ;; @r{If the user types a command while @code{resume-timer}} | |
1582 ;; @r{is active, the next time this function is called from} | |
1583 ;; @r{its main idle timer, deactivate @code{resume-timer}.} | |
1584 (when resume-timer | |
1585 (cancel-timer resume-timer)) | |
1586 ...@var{do the work for a while}... | |
1587 (when @var{taking-a-break} | |
1588 (setq resume-timer | |
1589 (run-with-idle-timer | |
1590 ;; Compute an idle time @var{break-length} | |
1591 ;; more than the current value. | |
1592 (time-add (current-idle-time) | |
1593 (seconds-to-time @var{break-length})) | |
1594 nil | |
1595 'timer-function)))) | |
1596 @end smallexample | |
1597 @end defun | |
1598 | |
1599 Some idle timer functions in user Lisp packages have a loop that | |
1600 does a certain amount of processing each time around, and exits when | |
1601 @code{(input-pending-p)} is non-@code{nil}. That approach seems very | |
1602 natural but has two problems: | |
1603 | |
1604 @itemize | |
1605 @item | |
1606 It blocks out all process output (since Emacs accepts process output | |
1607 only while waiting). | |
1608 | |
1609 @item | |
1610 It blocks out any idle timers that ought to run during that time. | |
1611 @end itemize | |
1612 | |
1613 @noindent | |
1614 To avoid these problems, don't use that technique. Instead, write | |
1615 such idle timers to reschedule themselves after a brief pause, using | |
1616 the method in the @code{timer-function} example above. | |
1617 | |
1618 @node Terminal Input | |
1619 @section Terminal Input | |
1620 @cindex terminal input | |
1621 | |
1622 This section describes functions and variables for recording or | |
1623 manipulating terminal input. See @ref{Display}, for related | |
1624 functions. | |
1625 | |
1626 @menu | |
1627 * Input Modes:: Options for how input is processed. | |
1628 * Recording Input:: Saving histories of recent or all input events. | |
1629 @end menu | |
1630 | |
1631 @node Input Modes | |
1632 @subsection Input Modes | |
1633 @cindex input modes | |
1634 @cindex terminal input modes | |
1635 | |
1636 @defun set-input-mode interrupt flow meta &optional quit-char | |
1637 This function sets the mode for reading keyboard input. If | |
1638 @var{interrupt} is non-null, then Emacs uses input interrupts. If it is | |
1639 @code{nil}, then it uses @sc{cbreak} mode. The default setting is | |
1640 system-dependent. Some systems always use @sc{cbreak} mode regardless | |
1641 of what is specified. | |
1642 | |
1643 When Emacs communicates directly with X, it ignores this argument and | |
1644 uses interrupts if that is the way it knows how to communicate. | |
1645 | |
1646 If @var{flow} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs uses @sc{xon/xoff} | |
1647 (@kbd{C-q}, @kbd{C-s}) flow control for output to the terminal. This | |
1648 has no effect except in @sc{cbreak} mode. | |
1649 | |
1650 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
1651 The argument @var{meta} controls support for input character codes | |
1652 above 127. If @var{meta} is @code{t}, Emacs converts characters with | |
1653 the 8th bit set into Meta characters. If @var{meta} is @code{nil}, | |
1654 Emacs disregards the 8th bit; this is necessary when the terminal uses | |
1655 it as a parity bit. If @var{meta} is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, | |
1656 Emacs uses all 8 bits of input unchanged. This is good for terminals | |
1657 that use 8-bit character sets. | |
1658 | |
1659 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
1660 If @var{quit-char} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies the character to | |
1661 use for quitting. Normally this character is @kbd{C-g}. | |
1662 @xref{Quitting}. | |
1663 @end defun | |
1664 | |
1665 The @code{current-input-mode} function returns the input mode settings | |
1666 Emacs is currently using. | |
1667 | |
1668 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
1669 @defun current-input-mode | |
1670 This function returns the current mode for reading keyboard input. It | |
1671 returns a list, corresponding to the arguments of @code{set-input-mode}, | |
1672 of the form @code{(@var{interrupt} @var{flow} @var{meta} @var{quit})} in | |
1673 which: | |
1674 @table @var | |
1675 @item interrupt | |
1676 is non-@code{nil} when Emacs is using interrupt-driven input. If | |
1677 @code{nil}, Emacs is using @sc{cbreak} mode. | |
1678 @item flow | |
1679 is non-@code{nil} if Emacs uses @sc{xon/xoff} (@kbd{C-q}, @kbd{C-s}) | |
1680 flow control for output to the terminal. This value is meaningful only | |
1681 when @var{interrupt} is @code{nil}. | |
1682 @item meta | |
1683 is @code{t} if Emacs treats the eighth bit of input characters as | |
1684 the meta bit; @code{nil} means Emacs clears the eighth bit of every | |
1685 input character; any other value means Emacs uses all eight bits as the | |
1686 basic character code. | |
1687 @item quit | |
1688 is the character Emacs currently uses for quitting, usually @kbd{C-g}. | |
1689 @end table | |
1690 @end defun | |
1691 | |
1692 @node Recording Input | |
1693 @subsection Recording Input | |
1694 @cindex recording input | |
1695 | |
1696 @defun recent-keys | |
1697 This function returns a vector containing the last 300 input events from | |
1698 the keyboard or mouse. All input events are included, whether or not | |
1699 they were used as parts of key sequences. Thus, you always get the last | |
1700 100 input events, not counting events generated by keyboard macros. | |
1701 (These are excluded because they are less interesting for debugging; it | |
1702 should be enough to see the events that invoked the macros.) | |
1703 | |
1704 A call to @code{clear-this-command-keys} (@pxref{Command Loop Info}) | |
1705 causes this function to return an empty vector immediately afterward. | |
1706 @end defun | |
1707 | |
1708 @deffn Command open-dribble-file filename | |
1709 @cindex dribble file | |
1710 This function opens a @dfn{dribble file} named @var{filename}. When a | |
1711 dribble file is open, each input event from the keyboard or mouse (but | |
1712 not those from keyboard macros) is written in that file. A | |
1713 non-character event is expressed using its printed representation | |
1714 surrounded by @samp{<@dots{}>}. | |
1715 | |
1716 You close the dribble file by calling this function with an argument | |
1717 of @code{nil}. | |
1718 | |
1719 This function is normally used to record the input necessary to | |
1720 trigger an Emacs bug, for the sake of a bug report. | |
1721 | |
1722 @example | |
1723 @group | |
1724 (open-dribble-file "~/dribble") | |
1725 @result{} nil | |
1726 @end group | |
1727 @end example | |
1728 @end deffn | |
1729 | |
1730 See also the @code{open-termscript} function (@pxref{Terminal Output}). | |
1731 | |
1732 @node Terminal Output | |
1733 @section Terminal Output | |
1734 @cindex terminal output | |
1735 | |
1736 The terminal output functions send output to a text terminal, or keep | |
1737 track of output sent to the terminal. The variable @code{baud-rate} | |
1738 tells you what Emacs thinks is the output speed of the terminal. | |
1739 | |
1740 @defvar baud-rate | |
1741 This variable's value is the output speed of the terminal, as far as | |
1742 Emacs knows. Setting this variable does not change the speed of actual | |
1743 data transmission, but the value is used for calculations such as | |
1744 padding. | |
1745 | |
1746 It also affects decisions about whether to scroll part of the | |
1747 screen or repaint on text terminals. @xref{Forcing Redisplay}, | |
1748 for the corresponding functionality on graphical terminals. | |
1749 | |
1750 The value is measured in baud. | |
1751 @end defvar | |
1752 | |
1753 If you are running across a network, and different parts of the | |
1754 network work at different baud rates, the value returned by Emacs may be | |
1755 different from the value used by your local terminal. Some network | |
1756 protocols communicate the local terminal speed to the remote machine, so | |
1757 that Emacs and other programs can get the proper value, but others do | |
1758 not. If Emacs has the wrong value, it makes decisions that are less | |
1759 than optimal. To fix the problem, set @code{baud-rate}. | |
1760 | |
1761 @defun baud-rate | |
1762 This obsolete function returns the value of the variable | |
1763 @code{baud-rate}. | |
1764 @end defun | |
1765 | |
1766 @defun send-string-to-terminal string | |
1767 This function sends @var{string} to the terminal without alteration. | |
1768 Control characters in @var{string} have terminal-dependent effects. | |
1769 This function operates only on text terminals. | |
1770 | |
1771 One use of this function is to define function keys on terminals that | |
1772 have downloadable function key definitions. For example, this is how (on | |
1773 certain terminals) to define function key 4 to move forward four | |
1774 characters (by transmitting the characters @kbd{C-u C-f} to the | |
1775 computer): | |
1776 | |
1777 @example | |
1778 @group | |
1779 (send-string-to-terminal "\eF4\^U\^F") | |
1780 @result{} nil | |
1781 @end group | |
1782 @end example | |
1783 @end defun | |
1784 | |
1785 @deffn Command open-termscript filename | |
1786 @cindex termscript file | |
1787 This function is used to open a @dfn{termscript file} that will record | |
1788 all the characters sent by Emacs to the terminal. It returns | |
1789 @code{nil}. Termscript files are useful for investigating problems | |
1790 where Emacs garbles the screen, problems that are due to incorrect | |
1791 Termcap entries or to undesirable settings of terminal options more | |
1792 often than to actual Emacs bugs. Once you are certain which characters | |
1793 were actually output, you can determine reliably whether they correspond | |
1794 to the Termcap specifications in use. | |
1795 | |
1796 You close the termscript file by calling this function with an | |
1797 argument of @code{nil}. | |
1798 | |
1799 See also @code{open-dribble-file} in @ref{Recording Input}. | |
1800 | |
1801 @example | |
1802 @group | |
1803 (open-termscript "../junk/termscript") | |
1804 @result{} nil | |
1805 @end group | |
1806 @end example | |
1807 @end deffn | |
1808 | |
1809 @node Sound Output | |
1810 @section Sound Output | |
1811 @cindex sound | |
1812 | |
1813 To play sound using Emacs, use the function @code{play-sound}. Only | |
1814 certain systems are supported; if you call @code{play-sound} on a system | |
1815 which cannot really do the job, it gives an error. Emacs version 20 and | |
1816 earlier did not support sound at all. | |
1817 | |
1818 The sound must be stored as a file in RIFF-WAVE format (@samp{.wav}) | |
1819 or Sun Audio format (@samp{.au}). | |
1820 | |
1821 @defun play-sound sound | |
1822 This function plays a specified sound. The argument, @var{sound}, has | |
1823 the form @code{(sound @var{properties}...)}, where the @var{properties} | |
1824 consist of alternating keywords (particular symbols recognized | |
1825 specially) and values corresponding to them. | |
1826 | |
1827 Here is a table of the keywords that are currently meaningful in | |
1828 @var{sound}, and their meanings: | |
1829 | |
1830 @table @code | |
1831 @item :file @var{file} | |
1832 This specifies the file containing the sound to play. | |
1833 If the file name is not absolute, it is expanded against | |
1834 the directory @code{data-directory}. | |
1835 | |
1836 @item :data @var{data} | |
1837 This specifies the sound to play without need to refer to a file. The | |
1838 value, @var{data}, should be a string containing the same bytes as a | |
1839 sound file. We recommend using a unibyte string. | |
1840 | |
1841 @item :volume @var{volume} | |
1842 This specifies how loud to play the sound. It should be a number in the | |
1843 range of 0 to 1. The default is to use whatever volume has been | |
1844 specified before. | |
1845 | |
1846 @item :device @var{device} | |
1847 This specifies the system device on which to play the sound, as a | |
1848 string. The default device is system-dependent. | |
1849 @end table | |
1850 | |
1851 Before actually playing the sound, @code{play-sound} | |
1852 calls the functions in the list @code{play-sound-functions}. | |
1853 Each function is called with one argument, @var{sound}. | |
1854 @end defun | |
1855 | |
1856 @defun play-sound-file file &optional volume device | |
1857 This function is an alternative interface to playing a sound @var{file} | |
1858 specifying an optional @var{volume} and @var{device}. | |
1859 @end defun | |
1860 | |
1861 @defvar play-sound-functions | |
1862 A list of functions to be called before playing a sound. Each function | |
1863 is called with one argument, a property list that describes the sound. | |
1864 @end defvar | |
1865 | |
1866 @node X11 Keysyms | |
1867 @section Operating on X11 Keysyms | |
1868 @cindex X11 keysyms | |
1869 | |
1870 To define system-specific X11 keysyms, set the variable | |
1871 @code{system-key-alist}. | |
1872 | |
1873 @defvar system-key-alist | |
1874 This variable's value should be an alist with one element for each | |
1875 system-specific keysym. Each element has the form @code{(@var{code} | |
1876 . @var{symbol})}, where @var{code} is the numeric keysym code (not | |
1877 including the ``vendor specific'' bit, | |
1878 @ifnottex | |
1879 -2**28), | |
1880 @end ifnottex | |
1881 @tex | |
1882 $-2^{28}$), | |
1883 @end tex | |
1884 and @var{symbol} is the name for the function key. | |
1885 | |
1886 For example @code{(168 . mute-acute)} defines a system-specific key (used | |
1887 by HP X servers) whose numeric code is | |
1888 @ifnottex | |
1889 -2**28 | |
1890 @end ifnottex | |
1891 @tex | |
1892 $-2^{28}$ | |
1893 @end tex | |
1894 + 168. | |
1895 | |
1896 It is not crucial to exclude from the alist the keysyms of other X | |
1897 servers; those do no harm, as long as they don't conflict with the ones | |
1898 used by the X server actually in use. | |
1899 | |
1900 The variable is always local to the current terminal, and cannot be | |
1901 buffer-local. @xref{Multiple Displays}. | |
1902 @end defvar | |
1903 | |
1904 You can specify which keysyms Emacs should use for the Meta, Alt, Hyper, and Super modifiers by setting these variables: | |
1905 | |
1906 @defvar x-alt-keysym | |
1907 @defvarx x-meta-keysym | |
1908 @defvarx x-hyper-keysym | |
1909 @defvarx x-super-keysym | |
1910 The name of the keysym that should stand for the Alt modifier | |
1911 (respectively, for Meta, Hyper, and Super). For example, here is | |
1912 how to swap the Meta and Alt modifiers within Emacs: | |
1913 @lisp | |
1914 (setq x-alt-keysym 'meta) | |
1915 (setq x-meta-keysym 'alt) | |
1916 @end lisp | |
1917 @end defvar | |
1918 | |
1919 @node Batch Mode | |
1920 @section Batch Mode | |
1921 @cindex batch mode | |
1922 | |
1923 The command-line option @samp{-batch} causes Emacs to run | |
1924 noninteractively. In this mode, Emacs does not read commands from the | |
1925 terminal, it does not alter the terminal modes, and it does not expect | |
1926 to be outputting to an erasable screen. The idea is that you specify | |
1927 Lisp programs to run; when they are finished, Emacs should exit. The | |
1928 way to specify the programs to run is with @samp{-l @var{file}}, which | |
1929 loads the library named @var{file}, or @samp{-f @var{function}}, which | |
1930 calls @var{function} with no arguments, or @samp{--eval @var{form}}. | |
1931 | |
1932 Any Lisp program output that would normally go to the echo area, | |
1933 either using @code{message}, or using @code{prin1}, etc., with @code{t} | |
1934 as the stream, goes instead to Emacs's standard error descriptor when | |
1935 in batch mode. Similarly, input that would normally come from the | |
1936 minibuffer is read from the standard input descriptor. | |
1937 Thus, Emacs behaves much like a noninteractive | |
1938 application program. (The echo area output that Emacs itself normally | |
1939 generates, such as command echoing, is suppressed entirely.) | |
1940 | |
1941 @defvar noninteractive | |
1942 This variable is non-@code{nil} when Emacs is running in batch mode. | |
1943 @end defvar | |
1944 | |
1945 @node Session Management | |
1946 @section Session Management | |
1947 @cindex session manager | |
1948 | |
1949 Emacs supports the X Session Management Protocol for suspension and | |
1950 restart of applications. In the X Window System, a program called the | |
1951 @dfn{session manager} has the responsibility to keep track of the | |
1952 applications that are running. During shutdown, the session manager | |
1953 asks applications to save their state, and delays the actual shutdown | |
1954 until they respond. An application can also cancel the shutdown. | |
1955 | |
1956 When the session manager restarts a suspended session, it directs | |
1957 these applications to individually reload their saved state. It does | |
1958 this by specifying a special command-line argument that says what | |
1959 saved session to restore. For Emacs, this argument is @samp{--smid | |
1960 @var{session}}. | |
1961 | |
1962 @defvar emacs-save-session-functions | |
1963 Emacs supports saving state by using a hook called | |
1964 @code{emacs-save-session-functions}. Each function in this hook is | |
1965 called when the session manager tells Emacs that the window system is | |
1966 shutting down. The functions are called with no arguments and with the | |
1967 current buffer set to a temporary buffer. Each function can use | |
1968 @code{insert} to add Lisp code to this buffer. At the end, Emacs | |
1969 saves the buffer in a file that a subsequent Emacs invocation will | |
1970 load in order to restart the saved session. | |
1971 | |
1972 If a function in @code{emacs-save-session-functions} returns | |
1973 non-@code{nil}, Emacs tells the session manager to cancel the | |
1974 shutdown. | |
1975 @end defvar | |
1976 | |
1977 Here is an example that just inserts some text into @samp{*scratch*} when | |
1978 Emacs is restarted by the session manager. | |
1979 | |
1980 @example | |
1981 @group | |
1982 (add-hook 'emacs-save-session-functions 'save-yourself-test) | |
1983 @end group | |
1984 | |
1985 @group | |
1986 (defun save-yourself-test () | |
1987 (insert "(save-excursion | |
1988 (switch-to-buffer \"*scratch*\") | |
1989 (insert \"I am restored\"))") | |
1990 nil) | |
1991 @end group | |
1992 @end example | |
1993 | |
1994 @ignore | |
1995 arch-tag: 8378814a-30d7-467c-9615-74a80b9988a7 | |
1996 @end ignore |