annotate man/mini.texi @ 27159:aed144e8d42d

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author Kenichi Handa <handa@m17n.org>
date Wed, 05 Jan 2000 07:14:45 +0000
parents ac7e9e5e2ccb
children 99ca9ac9c31a
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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
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4 @node Minibuffer, M-x, Basic, Top
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5 @chapter The Minibuffer
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6 @cindex minibuffer
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7
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8 The @dfn{minibuffer} is the facility used by Emacs commands to read
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9 arguments more complicated than a single number. Minibuffer arguments
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10 can be file names, buffer names, Lisp function names, Emacs command
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11 names, Lisp expressions, and many other things, depending on the command
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12 reading the argument. You can use the usual Emacs editing commands in
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13 the minibuffer to edit the argument text.
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14
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15 @cindex prompt
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16 When the minibuffer is in use, it appears in the echo area, and the
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17 terminal's cursor moves there. The beginning of the minibuffer line
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18 displays a @dfn{prompt} which says what kind of input you should supply and
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19 how it will be used. Often this prompt is derived from the name of the
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20 command that the argument is for. The prompt normally ends with a colon.
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21
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22 @cindex default argument
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23 Sometimes a @dfn{default argument} appears in parentheses after the
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24 colon; it too is part of the prompt. The default will be used as the
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25 argument value if you enter an empty argument (for example, just type
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26 @key{RET}). For example, commands that read buffer names always show a
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27 default, which is the name of the buffer that will be used if you type
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28 just @key{RET}.
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29
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30 The simplest way to enter a minibuffer argument is to type the text
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31 you want, terminated by @key{RET} which exits the minibuffer. You can
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32 cancel the command that wants the argument, and get out of the
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33 minibuffer, by typing @kbd{C-g}.
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34
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35 Since the minibuffer uses the screen space of the echo area, it can
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36 conflict with other ways Emacs customarily uses the echo area. Here is how
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37 Emacs handles such conflicts:
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38
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39 @itemize @bullet
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40 @item
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41 If a command gets an error while you are in the minibuffer, this does
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42 not cancel the minibuffer. However, the echo area is needed for the
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43 error message and therefore the minibuffer itself is hidden for a
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44 while. It comes back after a few seconds, or as soon as you type
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45 anything.
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46
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47 @item
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48 If in the minibuffer you use a command whose purpose is to print a
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49 message in the echo area, such as @kbd{C-x =}, the message is printed
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50 normally, and the minibuffer is hidden for a while. It comes back
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51 after a few seconds, or as soon as you type anything.
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52
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53 @item
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54 Echoing of keystrokes does not take place while the minibuffer is in
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55 use.
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56 @end itemize
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57
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58 @menu
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59 * File: Minibuffer File. Entering file names with the minibuffer.
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60 * Edit: Minibuffer Edit. How to edit in the minibuffer.
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61 * Completion:: An abbreviation facility for minibuffer input.
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62 * Minibuffer History:: Reusing recent minibuffer arguments.
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63 * Repetition:: Re-executing commands that used the minibuffer.
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64 @end menu
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65
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66 @node Minibuffer File
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67 @section Minibuffers for File Names
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68
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69 Sometimes the minibuffer starts out with text in it. For example, when
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70 you are supposed to give a file name, the minibuffer starts out containing
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71 the @dfn{default directory}, which ends with a slash. This is to inform
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72 you which directory the file will be found in if you do not specify a
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73 directory.
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74
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75 @c Separate paragraph to clean up ugly pagebreak--rms
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76 @need 1500
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77 For example, the minibuffer might start out with these contents:
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78
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79 @example
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80 Find File: /u2/emacs/src/
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81 @end example
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82
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83 @noindent
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84 where @samp{Find File:@: } is the prompt. Typing @kbd{buffer.c}
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85 specifies the file @file{/u2/emacs/src/buffer.c}. To find files in
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86 nearby directories, use @kbd{..}; thus, if you type
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87 @kbd{../lisp/simple.el}, you will get the file named
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88 @file{/u2/emacs/lisp/simple.el}. Alternatively, you can kill with
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89 @kbd{M-@key{DEL}} the directory names you don't want (@pxref{Words}).
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90
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91 If you don't want any of the default, you can kill it with @kbd{C-a
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92 C-k}. But you don't need to kill the default; you can simply ignore it.
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93 Insert an absolute file name, one starting with a slash or a tilde,
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94 after the default directory. For example, to specify the file
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95 @file{/etc/termcap}, just insert that name, giving these minibuffer
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96 contents:
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97
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98 @example
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99 Find File: /u2/emacs/src//etc/termcap
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100 @end example
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101
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102 @noindent
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103 @cindex // in file name
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104 @cindex double slash in file name
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105 @cindex slashes repeated in file name
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106 GNU Emacs gives a special meaning to a double slash (which is not
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107 normally a useful thing to write): it means, ``ignore everything before
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108 the second slash in the pair.'' Thus, @samp{/u2/emacs/src/} is ignored
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109 in the example above, and you get the file @file{/etc/termcap}.
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110
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111 If you set @code{insert-default-directory} to @code{nil}, the default
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112 directory is not inserted in the minibuffer. This way, the minibuffer
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113 starts out empty. But the name you type, if relative, is still
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114 interpreted with respect to the same default directory.
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115
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116 @node Minibuffer Edit
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117 @section Editing in the Minibuffer
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118
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119 The minibuffer is an Emacs buffer (albeit a peculiar one), and the usual
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120 Emacs commands are available for editing the text of an argument you are
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121 entering.
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122
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123 Since @key{RET} in the minibuffer is defined to exit the minibuffer,
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124 you can't use it to insert a newline in the minibuffer. To do that,
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125 type @kbd{C-o} or @kbd{C-q C-j}. (Recall that a newline is really the
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126 character control-J.)
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127
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128 The minibuffer has its own window which always has space on the screen
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129 but acts as if it were not there when the minibuffer is not in use. When
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130 the minibuffer is in use, its window is just like the others; you can
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131 switch to another window with @kbd{C-x o}, edit text in other windows and
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132 perhaps even visit more files, before returning to the minibuffer to submit
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133 the argument. You can kill text in another window, return to the
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134 minibuffer window, and then yank the text to use it in the argument.
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135 @xref{Windows}.
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136
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137 @findex resize-minibuffer-mode
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138 @cindex Resize-Minibuffer mode
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139 @cindex mode, Resize-Minibuffer
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140 @cindex height of minibuffer
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141 @cindex size of minibuffer
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142 @cindex growing minibuffer
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143 There are some restrictions on the use of the minibuffer window,
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144 however. You cannot switch buffers in it---the minibuffer and its
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145 window are permanently attached. Also, you cannot split or kill the
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146 minibuffer window. But you can make it taller in the normal fashion
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147 with @kbd{C-x ^}. If you enable Resize-Minibuffer mode, then the
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148 minibuffer window expands vertically as necessary to hold the text that
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149 you put in the minibuffer. Use @kbd{M-x resize-minibuffer-mode} to
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150 enable or disable this minor mode (@pxref{Minor Modes}).
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151
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152 @vindex minibuffer-scroll-overlap
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153 Scrolling works specially in the minibuffer window. When the
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154 minibuffer is just one line high, and it contains a long line of text
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155 that won't fit on the screen, scrolling automatically maintains an
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156 overlap of a certain number of characters from one continuation line to
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157 the next. The variable @code{minibuffer-scroll-overlap} specifies how
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158 many characters of overlap; the default is 20.
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159
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160 If while in the minibuffer you issue a command that displays help text
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161 of any sort in another window, you can use the @kbd{C-M-v} command while
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162 in the minibuffer to scroll the help text. This lasts until you exit
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163 the minibuffer. This feature is especially useful if a completing
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164 minibuffer gives you a list of possible completions. @xref{Other Window}.
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165
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166 @vindex enable-recursive-minibuffers
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167 Emacs normally disallows most commands that use the minibuffer while
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168 the minibuffer is active. This rule is to prevent recursive minibuffers
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169 from confusing novice users. If you want to be able to use such
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170 commands in the minibuffer, set the variable
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171 @code{enable-recursive-minibuffers} to a non-@code{nil} value.
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172
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173 @node Completion
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174 @section Completion
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175 @cindex completion
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176
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177 For certain kinds of arguments, you can use @dfn{completion} to enter
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178 the argument value. Completion means that you type part of the
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179 argument, then Emacs visibly fills in the rest, or as much as
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180 can be determined from the part you have typed.
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181
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182 When completion is available, certain keys---@key{TAB}, @key{RET}, and
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183 @key{SPC}---are rebound to complete the text present in the minibuffer
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184 into a longer string that it stands for, by matching it against a set of
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185 @dfn{completion alternatives} provided by the command reading the
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186 argument. @kbd{?} is defined to display a list of possible completions
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187 of what you have inserted.
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188
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189 For example, when @kbd{M-x} uses the minibuffer to read the name of a
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190 command, it provides a list of all available Emacs command names to
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191 complete against. The completion keys match the text in the minibuffer
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192 against all the command names, find any additional name characters
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193 implied by the ones already present in the minibuffer, and add those
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194 characters to the ones you have given. This is what makes it possible
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195 to type @kbd{M-x ins @key{SPC} b @key{RET}} instead of @kbd{M-x
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196 insert-buffer @key{RET}} (for example).
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197
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198 Case is normally significant in completion, because it is significant
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199 in most of the names that you can complete (buffer names, file names and
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200 command names). Thus, @samp{fo} does not complete to @samp{Foo}.
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201 Completion does ignore case distinctions for certain arguments in which
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202 case does not matter.
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203
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204 @menu
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205 * Example: Completion Example.
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206 * Commands: Completion Commands.
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207 * Strict Completion::
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208 * Options: Completion Options.
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209 @end menu
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210
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211 @node Completion Example
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212 @subsection Completion Example
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213
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214 @kindex TAB @r{(completion)}
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215 @findex minibuffer-complete
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216 A concrete example may help here. If you type @kbd{M-x au @key{TAB}},
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217 the @key{TAB} looks for alternatives (in this case, command names) that
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218 start with @samp{au}. There are several, including
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219 @code{auto-fill-mode} and @code{auto-save-mode}---but they are all the
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220 same as far as @code{auto-}, so the @samp{au} in the minibuffer changes
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221 to @samp{auto-}.@refill
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222
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223 If you type @key{TAB} again immediately, there are multiple
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224 possibilities for the very next character---it could be any of
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225 @samp{cfilrs}---so no more characters are added; instead, @key{TAB}
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226 displays a list of all possible completions in another window.
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227
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228 If you go on to type @kbd{f @key{TAB}}, this @key{TAB} sees
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229 @samp{auto-f}. The only command name starting this way is
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230 @code{auto-fill-mode}, so completion fills in the rest of that. You now
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231 have @samp{auto-fill-mode} in the minibuffer after typing just @kbd{au
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232 @key{TAB} f @key{TAB}}. Note that @key{TAB} has this effect because in
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233 the minibuffer it is bound to the command @code{minibuffer-complete}
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234 when completion is available.
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235
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236 @node Completion Commands
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237 @subsection Completion Commands
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238
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239 Here is a list of the completion commands defined in the minibuffer
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240 when completion is available.
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241
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242 @table @kbd
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243 @item @key{TAB}
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244 Complete the text in the minibuffer as much as possible
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245 (@code{minibuffer-complete}).
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246 @item @key{SPC}
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247 Complete the minibuffer text, but don't go beyond one word
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248 (@code{minibuffer-complete-word}).
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249 @item @key{RET}
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250 Submit the text in the minibuffer as the argument, possibly completing
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251 first as described below (@code{minibuffer-complete-and-exit}).
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252 @item ?
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253 Print a list of all possible completions of the text in the minibuffer
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254 (@code{minibuffer-list-completions}).
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255 @end table
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256
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257 @kindex SPC
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258 @findex minibuffer-complete-word
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259 @key{SPC} completes much like @key{TAB}, but never goes beyond the
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260 next hyphen or space. If you have @samp{auto-f} in the minibuffer and
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261 type @key{SPC}, it finds that the completion is @samp{auto-fill-mode},
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262 but it stops completing after @samp{fill-}. This gives
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263 @samp{auto-fill-}. Another @key{SPC} at this point completes all the
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264 way to @samp{auto-fill-mode}. @key{SPC} in the minibuffer when
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265 completion is available runs the command
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266 @code{minibuffer-complete-word}.
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267
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268 Here are some commands you can use to choose a completion from a
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269 window that displays a list of completions:
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270
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271 @table @kbd
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272 @findex mouse-choose-completion
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273 @item Mouse-2
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274 Clicking mouse button 2 on a completion in the list of possible
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275 completions chooses that completion (@code{mouse-choose-completion}).
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276 You normally use this command while point is in the minibuffer; but you
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277 must click in the list of completions, not in the minibuffer itself.
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278
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279 @findex switch-to-completions
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280 @item @key{PRIOR}
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281 @itemx M-v
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282 Typing @key{PRIOR} or @key{PAGE-UP}, or @kbd{M-v}, while in the
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283 minibuffer, selects the window showing the completion list buffer
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284 (@code{switch-to-completions}). This paves the way for using the
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285 commands below. (Selecting that window in the usual ways has the same
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286 effect, but this way is more convenient.)
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287
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288 @findex choose-completion
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289 @item @key{RET}
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290 Typing @key{RET} @emph{in the completion list buffer} chooses the
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291 completion that point is in or next to (@code{choose-completion}). To
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292 use this command, you must first switch windows to the window that shows
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293 the list of completions.
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294
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295 @findex next-completion
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296 @item @key{RIGHT}
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297 Typing the right-arrow key @key{RIGHT} @emph{in the completion list
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298 buffer} moves point to the following completion (@code{next-completion}).
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299
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300 @findex previous-completion
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301 @item @key{LEFT}
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302 Typing the left-arrow key @key{LEFT} @emph{in the completion list
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303 buffer} moves point toward the beginning of the buffer, to the previous
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304 completion (@code{previous-completion}).
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305 @end table
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306
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307 @node Strict Completion
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308 @subsection Strict Completion
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309
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310 There are three different ways that @key{RET} can work in completing
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311 minibuffers, depending on how the argument will be used.
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312
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313 @itemize @bullet
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314 @item
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315 @dfn{Strict} completion is used when it is meaningless to give any
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316 argument except one of the known alternatives. For example, when
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317 @kbd{C-x k} reads the name of a buffer to kill, it is meaningless to
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318 give anything but the name of an existing buffer. In strict
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319 completion, @key{RET} refuses to exit if the text in the minibuffer
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320 does not complete to an exact match.
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321
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322 @item
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323 @dfn{Cautious} completion is similar to strict completion, except that
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324 @key{RET} exits only if the text was an exact match already, not
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325 needing completion. If the text is not an exact match, @key{RET} does
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326 not exit, but it does complete the text. If it completes to an exact
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327 match, a second @key{RET} will exit.
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328
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329 Cautious completion is used for reading file names for files that must
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330 already exist.
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331
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332 @item
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333 @dfn{Permissive} completion is used when any string whatever is
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334 meaningful, and the list of completion alternatives is just a guide.
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335 For example, when @kbd{C-x C-f} reads the name of a file to visit, any
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336 file name is allowed, in case you want to create a file. In
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337 permissive completion, @key{RET} takes the text in the minibuffer
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338 exactly as given, without completing it.
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339 @end itemize
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340
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341 The completion commands display a list of all possible completions in
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342 a window whenever there is more than one possibility for the very next
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343 character. Also, typing @kbd{?} explicitly requests such a list. If
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344 the list of completions is long, you can scroll it with @kbd{C-M-v}
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345 (@pxref{Other Window}).
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346
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347 @node Completion Options
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348 @subsection Completion Options
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349
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350 @vindex completion-ignored-extensions
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351 When completion is done on file names, certain file names are usually
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352 ignored. The variable @code{completion-ignored-extensions} contains a
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353 list of strings; a file whose name ends in any of those strings is
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354 ignored as a possible completion. The standard value of this variable
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355 has several elements including @code{".o"}, @code{".elc"}, @code{".dvi"}
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356 and @code{"~"}. The effect is that, for example, @samp{foo} can
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357 complete to @samp{foo.c} even though @samp{foo.o} exists as well.
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358 However, if @emph{all} the possible completions end in ``ignored''
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359 strings, then they are not ignored. Ignored extensions do not apply to
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360 lists of completions---those always mention all possible completions.
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361
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362 @vindex completion-auto-help
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363 Normally, a completion command that finds the next character is undetermined
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364 automatically displays a list of all possible completions. If the variable
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365 @code{completion-auto-help} is set to @code{nil}, this does not happen,
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366 and you must type @kbd{?} to display the possible completions.
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367
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368 @pindex complete
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369 The @code{complete} library implements a more powerful kind of
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370 completion that can complete multiple words at a time. For example, it
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parents:
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371 can complete the command name abbreviation @code{p-b} into
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372 @code{print-buffer}, because no other command starts with two words
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373 whose initials are @samp{p} and @samp{b}. To use this library, put
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374 @code{(load "complete")} in your @file{~/.emacs} file (@pxref{Init
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375 File}).
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376
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377 @cindex Icomplete mode
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378 Icomplete mode presents a constantly-updated display that tells you
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379 what completions are available for the text you've entered so far. The
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380 command to enable or disable this minor mode is @kbd{M-x
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381 icomplete-mode}.
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382
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383 @node Minibuffer History
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384 @section Minibuffer History
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385 @cindex minibuffer history
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386 @cindex history of minibuffer input
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387
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388 Every argument that you enter with the minibuffer is saved on a
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389 @dfn{minibuffer history list} so that you can use it again later in
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390 another argument. Special commands load the text of an earlier argument
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391 in the minibuffer. They discard the old minibuffer contents, so you can
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392 think of them as moving through the history of previous arguments.
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393
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394 @table @kbd
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395 @item @key{UP}
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396 @itemx M-p
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397 Move to the next earlier argument string saved in the minibuffer history
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398 (@code{previous-history-element}).
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399 @item @key{DOWN}
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400 @itemx M-n
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401 Move to the next later argument string saved in the minibuffer history
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diff changeset
402 (@code{next-history-element}).
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diff changeset
403 @item M-r @var{regexp} @key{RET}
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404 Move to an earlier saved argument in the minibuffer history that has a
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diff changeset
405 match for @var{regexp} (@code{previous-matching-history-element}).
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diff changeset
406 @item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
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diff changeset
407 Move to a later saved argument in the minibuffer history that has a
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diff changeset
408 match for @var{regexp} (@code{next-matching-history-element}).
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diff changeset
409 @end table
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410
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411 @kindex M-p @r{(minibuffer history)}
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diff changeset
412 @kindex M-n @r{(minibuffer history)}
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diff changeset
413 @findex next-history-element
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diff changeset
414 @findex previous-history-element
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415 The simplest way to reuse the saved arguments in the history list is
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diff changeset
416 to move through the history list one element at a time. While in the
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diff changeset
417 minibuffer, use @kbd{M-p} or up-arrow (@code{previous-history-element})
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418 to ``move to'' the next earlier minibuffer input, and use @kbd{M-n} or
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diff changeset
419 down-arrow (@code{next-history-element}) to ``move to'' the next later
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diff changeset
420 input.
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421
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422 The previous input that you fetch from the history entirely replaces
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423 the contents of the minibuffer. To use it as the argument, exit the
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diff changeset
424 minibuffer as usual with @key{RET}. You can also edit the text before
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425 you reuse it; this does not change the history element that you
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426 ``moved'' to, but your new argument does go at the end of the history
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diff changeset
427 list in its own right.
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428
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429 For many minibuffer arguments there is a ``default'' value. In some
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430 cases, the minibuffer history commands know the default value. Then you
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parents:
diff changeset
431 can insert the default value into the minibuffer as text by using
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432 @kbd{M-n} to move ``into the future'' in the history. Eventually we
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parents:
diff changeset
433 hope to make this feature available whenever the minibuffer has a
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diff changeset
434 default value.
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parents:
diff changeset
435
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diff changeset
436 @findex previous-matching-history-element
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parents:
diff changeset
437 @findex next-matching-history-element
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diff changeset
438 @kindex M-r @r{(minibuffer history)}
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parents:
diff changeset
439 @kindex M-s @r{(minibuffer history)}
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parents:
diff changeset
440 There are also commands to search forward or backward through the
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diff changeset
441 history; they search for history elements that match a regular
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diff changeset
442 expression that you specify with the minibuffer. @kbd{M-r}
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parents:
diff changeset
443 (@code{previous-matching-history-element}) searches older elements in
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parents:
diff changeset
444 the history, while @kbd{M-s} (@code{next-matching-history-element})
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parents:
diff changeset
445 searches newer elements. By special dispensation, these commands can
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parents:
diff changeset
446 use the minibuffer to read their arguments even though you are already
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parents:
diff changeset
447 in the minibuffer when you issue them. As with incremental searching,
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parents:
diff changeset
448 an uppercase letter in the regular expression makes the search
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diff changeset
449 case-sensitive (@pxref{Search Case}).
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diff changeset
450
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451 @ignore
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452 We may change the precise way these commands read their arguments.
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diff changeset
453 Perhaps they will search for a match for the string given so far in the
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parents:
diff changeset
454 minibuffer; perhaps they will search for a literal match rather than a
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parents:
diff changeset
455 regular expression match; perhaps they will only accept matches at the
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diff changeset
456 beginning of a history element; perhaps they will read the string to
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parents:
diff changeset
457 search for incrementally like @kbd{C-s}. To find out what interface is
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diff changeset
458 actually available, type @kbd{C-h f previous-matching-history-element}.
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diff changeset
459 @end ignore
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460
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461 All uses of the minibuffer record your input on a history list, but
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diff changeset
462 there are separate history lists for different kinds of arguments. For
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parents:
diff changeset
463 example, there is a list for file names, used by all the commands that
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parents:
diff changeset
464 read file names. (As a special feature, this history list records
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parents:
diff changeset
465 the absolute file name, no more and no less, even if that is not how
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466 you entered the file name.)
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diff changeset
467
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468 There are several other very specific history lists, including one for
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parents:
diff changeset
469 command names read by @kbd{M-x}, one for buffer names, one for arguments
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parents:
diff changeset
470 of commands like @code{query-replace}, and one for compilation commands
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diff changeset
471 read by @code{compile}. Finally, there is one ``miscellaneous'' history
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parents:
diff changeset
472 list that most minibuffer arguments use.
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parents:
diff changeset
473
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parents:
diff changeset
474 @vindex history-length
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diff changeset
475 The variable @code{history-length} specifies the maximum length of a
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parents:
diff changeset
476 minibuffer history list; once a list gets that long, the oldest element
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477 is deleted each time an element is added. If the value of
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478 @code{history-length} is @code{t}, though, there is no maximum length
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479 and elements are never deleted.
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480
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481 @node Repetition
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482 @section Repeating Minibuffer Commands
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483 @cindex command history
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484 @cindex history of commands
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485
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486 Every command that uses the minibuffer at least once is recorded on a
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487 special history list, together with the values of its arguments, so that
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488 you can repeat the entire command. In particular, every use of
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489 @kbd{M-x} is recorded there, since @kbd{M-x} uses the minibuffer to read
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490 the command name.
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491
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492 @findex list-command-history
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493 @c widecommands
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494 @table @kbd
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495 @item C-x @key{ESC} @key{ESC}
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496 Re-execute a recent minibuffer command (@code{repeat-complex-command}).
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497 @item M-x list-command-history
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498 Display the entire command history, showing all the commands
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499 @kbd{C-x @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} can repeat, most recent first.
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500 @end table
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501
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502 @kindex C-x ESC ESC
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503 @findex repeat-complex-command
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504 @kbd{C-x @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} is used to re-execute a recent
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505 minibuffer-using command. With no argument, it repeats the last such
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506 command. A numeric argument specifies which command to repeat; one
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507 means the last one, and larger numbers specify earlier ones.
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508
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509 @kbd{C-x @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} works by turning the previous command
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510 into a Lisp expression and then entering a minibuffer initialized with
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511 the text for that expression. If you type just @key{RET}, the command
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512 is repeated as before. You can also change the command by editing the
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513 Lisp expression. Whatever expression you finally submit is what will be
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514 executed. The repeated command is added to the front of the command
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515 history unless it is identical to the most recently executed command
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516 already there.
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517
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518 Even if you don't understand Lisp syntax, it will probably be obvious
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519 which command is displayed for repetition. If you do not change the
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520 text, it will repeat exactly as before.
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521
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522 Once inside the minibuffer for @kbd{C-x @key{ESC} @key{ESC}}, you can
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523 use the minibuffer history commands (@kbd{M-p}, @kbd{M-n}, @kbd{M-r},
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524 @kbd{M-s}; @pxref{Minibuffer History}) to move through the history list
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525 of saved entire commands. After finding the desired previous command,
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526 you can edit its expression as usual and then resubmit it by typing
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527 @key{RET} as usual.
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528
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529 @vindex command-history
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530 The list of previous minibuffer-using commands is stored as a Lisp
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531 list in the variable @code{command-history}. Each element is a Lisp
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532 expression which describes one command and its arguments. Lisp programs
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533 can re-execute a command by calling @code{eval} with the
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534 @code{command-history} element.