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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
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2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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4 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
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5 @setfilename ../info/tips
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6 @node Tips, GNU Emacs Internals, Calendar, Top
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7 @appendix Tips and Conventions
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8 @cindex tips
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9 @cindex standards of coding style
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10 @cindex coding standards
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11
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12 This chapter describes no additional features of Emacs Lisp. Instead
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13 it gives advice on making effective use of the features described in the
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14 previous chapters, and describes conventions Emacs Lisp programmers
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15 should follow.
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16
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17 @menu
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18 * Coding Conventions:: Conventions for clean and robust programs.
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19 * Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast.
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20 * Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings.
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21 * Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments.
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22 * Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages.
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23 @end menu
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24
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25 @node Coding Conventions
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26 @section Emacs Lisp Coding Conventions
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27
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28 Here are conventions that you should follow when writing Emacs Lisp
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29 code intended for widespread use:
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30
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31 @itemize @bullet
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32 @item
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33 Since all global variables share the same name space, and all functions
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34 share another name space, you should choose a short word to distinguish
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35 your program from other Lisp programs. Then take care to begin the
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36 names of all global variables, constants, and functions with the chosen
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37 prefix. This helps avoid name conflicts.
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38
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39 This recommendation applies even to names for traditional Lisp
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40 primitives that are not primitives in Emacs Lisp---even to @code{cadr}.
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41 Believe it or not, there is more than one plausible way to define
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42 @code{cadr}. Play it safe; append your name prefix to produce a name
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43 like @code{foo-cadr} or @code{mylib-cadr} instead.
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44
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45 If you write a function that you think ought to be added to Emacs under
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46 a certain name, such as @code{twiddle-files}, don't call it by that name
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47 in your program. Call it @code{mylib-twiddle-files} in your program,
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48 and send mail to @samp{bug-gnu-emacs@@prep.ai.mit.edu} suggesting we add
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49 it to Emacs. If and when we do, we can change the name easily enough.
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50
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51 If one prefix is insufficient, your package may use two or three
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52 alternative common prefixes, so long as they make sense.
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53
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54 Separate the prefix from the rest of the symbol name with a hyphen,
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55 @samp{-}. This will be consistent with Emacs itself and with most Emacs
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56 Lisp programs.
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57
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58 @item
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59 It is often useful to put a call to @code{provide} in each separate
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60 library program, at least if there is more than one entry point to the
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61 program.
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62
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63 @item
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64 If a file requires certain other library programs to be loaded
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65 beforehand, then the comments at the beginning of the file should say
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66 so. Also, use @code{require} to make sure they are loaded.
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67
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68 @item
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69 If one file @var{foo} uses a macro defined in another file @var{bar},
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70 @var{foo} should contain this expression before the first use of the
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71 macro:
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72
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73 @example
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74 (eval-when-compile (require '@var{bar}))
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75 @end example
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76
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77 @noindent
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78 (And @var{bar} should contain @code{(provide '@var{bar})}, to make the
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79 @code{require} work.) This will cause @var{bar} to be loaded when you
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80 byte-compile @var{foo}. Otherwise, you risk compiling @var{foo} without
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81 the necessary macro loaded, and that would produce compiled code that
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82 won't work right. @xref{Compiling Macros}.
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83
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84 Using @code{eval-when-compile} avoids loading @var{bar} when
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85 the compiled version of @var{foo} is @emph{used}.
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86
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87 @item
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88 When defining a major mode, please follow the major mode
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89 conventions. @xref{Major Mode Conventions}.
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90
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91 @item
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92 When defining a minor mode, please follow the minor mode
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93 conventions. @xref{Minor Mode Conventions}.
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94
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95 @item
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96 If the purpose of a function is to tell you whether a certain condition
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97 is true or false, give the function a name that ends in @samp{p}. If
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98 the name is one word, add just @samp{p}; if the name is multiple words,
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99 add @samp{-p}. Examples are @code{framep} and @code{frame-live-p}.
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100
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101 @item
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102 If a user option variable records a true-or-false condition, give it a
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103 name that ends in @samp{-flag}.
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104
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105 @item
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106 Please do not define @kbd{C-c @var{letter}} as a key in your major
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107 modes. These sequences are reserved for users; they are the
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108 @strong{only} sequences reserved for users, so we cannot do without
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109 them.
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110
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111 Instead, define sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a control
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112 character, a digit, or certain punctuation characters. These sequences
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113 are reserved for major modes.
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114
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115 Changing all the major modes in Emacs 18 so they would follow this
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116 convention was a lot of work. Abandoning this convention would make
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117 that work go to waste, and inconvenience users.
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118
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119 @item
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120 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}},
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121 @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;} are also reserved for major modes.
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122
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123 @item
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124 Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by any other punctuation
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125 character are allocated for minor modes. Using them in a major mode is
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126 not absolutely prohibited, but if you do that, the major mode binding
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127 may be shadowed from time to time by minor modes.
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128
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129 @item
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130 You should not bind @kbd{C-h} following any prefix character (including
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131 @kbd{C-c}). If you don't bind @kbd{C-h}, it is automatically available
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132 as a help character for listing the subcommands of the prefix character.
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133
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134 @item
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135 You should not bind a key sequence ending in @key{ESC} except following
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136 another @key{ESC}. (That is, it is ok to bind a sequence ending in
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137 @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.)
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138
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139 The reason for this rule is that a non-prefix binding for @key{ESC} in
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140 any context prevents recognition of escape sequences as function keys in
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141 that context.
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142
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143 @item
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144 Applications should not bind mouse events based on button 1 with the
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145 shift key held down. These events include @kbd{S-mouse-1},
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146 @kbd{M-S-mouse-1}, @kbd{C-S-mouse-1}, and so on. They are reserved for
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147 users.
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148
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149 @item
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150 Modes should redefine @kbd{mouse-2} as a command to follow some sort of
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151 reference in the text of a buffer, if users usually would not want to
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152 alter the text in that buffer by hand. Modes such as Dired, Info,
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153 Compilation, and Occur redefine it in this way.
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154
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155 @item
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156 When a package provides a modification of ordinary Emacs behavior, it is
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157 good to include a command to enable and disable the feature, Provide a
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158 command named @code{@var{whatever}-mode} which turns the feature on or
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159 off, and make it autoload (@pxref{Autoload}). Design the package so
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160 that simply loading it has no visible effect---that should not enable
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161 the feature. Users will request the feature by invoking the command.
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162
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163 @item
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164 It is a bad idea to define aliases for the Emacs primitives. Use the
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165 standard names instead.
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166
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167 @item
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168 Redefining (or advising) an Emacs primitive is discouraged. It may do
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169 the right thing for a particular program, but there is no telling what
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170 other programs might break as a result.
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171
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172 @item
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173 If a file does replace any of the functions or library programs of
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174 standard Emacs, prominent comments at the beginning of the file should
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175 say which functions are replaced, and how the behavior of the
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176 replacements differs from that of the originals.
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177
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178 @item
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179 Please keep the names of your Emacs Lisp source files to 13 characters
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180 or less. This way, if the files are compiled, the compiled files' names
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181 will be 14 characters or less, which is short enough to fit on all kinds
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182 of Unix systems.
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183
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184 @item
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185 Don't use @code{next-line} or @code{previous-line} in programs; nearly
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186 always, @code{forward-line} is more convenient as well as more
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187 predictable and robust. @xref{Text Lines}.
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188
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189 @item
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190 Don't call functions that set the mark, unless setting the mark is one
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191 of the intended features of your program. The mark is a user-level
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192 feature, so it is incorrect to change the mark except to supply a value
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193 for the user's benefit. @xref{The Mark}.
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194
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195 In particular, don't use these functions:
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196
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197 @itemize @bullet
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198 @item
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199 @code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{end-of-buffer}
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200 @item
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201 @code{replace-string}, @code{replace-regexp}
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202 @end itemize
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203
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204 If you just want to move point, or replace a certain string, without any
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205 of the other features intended for interactive users, you can replace
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206 these functions with one or two lines of simple Lisp code.
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207
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208 @item
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209 Use lists rather than vectors, except when there is a particular reason
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210 to use a vector. Lisp has more facilities for manipulating lists than
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211 for vectors, and working with lists is usually more convenient.
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212
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213 Vectors are advantageous for tables that are substantial in size and are
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214 accessed in random order (not searched front to back), provided there is
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215 no need to insert or delete elements (only lists allow that).
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216
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217 @item
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218 The recommended way to print a message in the echo area is with
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219 the @code{message} function, not @code{princ}. @xref{The Echo Area}.
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220
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221 @item
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222 When you encounter an error condition, call the function @code{error}
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223 (or @code{signal}). The function @code{error} does not return.
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224 @xref{Signaling Errors}.
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225
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226 Do not use @code{message}, @code{throw}, @code{sleep-for},
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227 or @code{beep} to report errors.
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228
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229 @item
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230 An error message should start with a capital letter but should not end
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231 with a period.
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232
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233 @item
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234 Many commands that take a long time to execute display a message that
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235 says @samp{Operating...} when they start, and change it to
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236 @samp{Operating...done} when they finish. Please keep the style of
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237 these messages uniform: @emph{no} space around the ellipsis, and
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238 @emph{no} period at the end.
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239
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240 @item
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241 Try to avoid using recursive edits. Instead, do what the Rmail @kbd{e}
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242 command does: use a new local keymap that contains one command defined
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243 to switch back to the old local keymap. Or do what the
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244 @code{edit-options} command does: switch to another buffer and let the
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245 user switch back at will. @xref{Recursive Editing}.
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246
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247 @item
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248 In some other systems there is a convention of choosing variable names
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249 that begin and end with @samp{*}. We don't use that convention in Emacs
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250 Lisp, so please don't use it in your programs. (Emacs uses such names
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251 only for program-generated buffers.) The users will find Emacs more
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252 coherent if all libraries use the same conventions.
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253
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254 @item
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255 Try to avoid compiler warnings about undefined free variables, by adding
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256 @code{defvar} definitions for these variables.
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257
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258 If you bind a variable in one function, and use it or set it in another
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259 function, the compiler warns about the latter function unless the
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260 variable has a definition. But often these variables have short names,
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261 and it is not clean for Lisp packages to define such variables names.
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262 Therefore, you should rename the variable to start with the name prefix
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263 used for the other functions and variables in your package.
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264
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265 @item
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266 Indent each function with @kbd{C-M-q} (@code{indent-sexp}) using the
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267 default indentation parameters.
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268
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269 @item
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270 Don't make a habit of putting close-parentheses on lines by themselves;
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271 Lisp programmers find this disconcerting. Once in a while, when there
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272 is a sequence of many consecutive close-parentheses, it may make sense
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273 to split them in one or two significant places.
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274
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275 @item
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276 Please put a copyright notice on the file if you give copies to anyone.
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277 Use the same lines that appear at the top of the Lisp files in Emacs
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278 itself. If you have not signed papers to assign the copyright to the
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279 Foundation, then place your name in the copyright notice in place of the
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280 Foundation's name.
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281 @end itemize
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282
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283 @node Compilation Tips
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284 @section Tips for Making Compiled Code Fast
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285 @cindex execution speed
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286 @cindex speedups
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287
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288 Here are ways of improving the execution speed of byte-compiled
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289 Lisp programs.
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290
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291 @itemize @bullet
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292 @item
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293 @cindex profiling
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294 @cindex timing programs
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295 @cindex @file{profile.el}
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296 Use the @file{profile} library to profile your program. See the file
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297 @file{profile.el} for instructions.
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298
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299 @item
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300 Use iteration rather than recursion whenever possible.
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301 Function calls are slow in Emacs Lisp even when a compiled function
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302 is calling another compiled function.
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303
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304 @item
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305 Using the primitive list-searching functions @code{memq}, @code{member},
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306 @code{assq}, or @code{assoc} is even faster than explicit iteration. It
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307 may be worth rearranging a data structure so that one of these primitive
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308 search functions can be used.
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309
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310 @item
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311 Certain built-in functions are handled specially in byte-compiled code,
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312 avoiding the need for an ordinary function call. It is a good idea to
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313 use these functions rather than alternatives. To see whether a function
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314 is handled specially by the compiler, examine its @code{byte-compile}
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315 property. If the property is non-@code{nil}, then the function is
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316 handled specially.
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317
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318 For example, the following input will show you that @code{aref} is
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319 compiled specially (@pxref{Array Functions}) while @code{elt} is not
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320 (@pxref{Sequence Functions}):
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321
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322 @example
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323 @group
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324 (get 'aref 'byte-compile)
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325 @result{} byte-compile-two-args
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326 @end group
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327
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328 @group
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329 (get 'elt 'byte-compile)
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330 @result{} nil
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331 @end group
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332 @end example
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333
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334 @item
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335 If calling a small function accounts for a substantial part of your
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336 program's running time, make the function inline. This eliminates
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337 the function call overhead. Since making a function inline reduces
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338 the flexibility of changing the program, don't do it unless it gives
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339 a noticeable speedup in something slow enough that users care about
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340 the speed. @xref{Inline Functions}.
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341 @end itemize
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342
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343 @node Documentation Tips
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344 @section Tips for Documentation Strings
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345
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346 Here are some tips for the writing of documentation strings.
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347
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348 @itemize @bullet
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349 @item
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350 Every command, function, or variable intended for users to know about
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351 should have a documentation string.
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352
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353 @item
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354 An internal variable or subroutine of a Lisp program might as well have
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355 a documentation string. In earlier Emacs versions, you could save space
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356 by using a comment instead of a documentation string, but that is no
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357 longer the case.
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358
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359 @item
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360 The first line of the documentation string should consist of one or two
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361 complete sentences that stand on their own as a summary. @kbd{M-x
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362 apropos} displays just the first line, and if it doesn't stand on its
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363 own, the result looks bad. In particular, start the first line with a
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364 capital letter and end with a period.
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365
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366 The documentation string can have additional lines that expand on the
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367 details of how to use the function or variable. The additional lines
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368 should be made up of complete sentences also, but they may be filled if
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369 that looks good.
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370
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371 @item
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372 For consistency, phrase the verb in the first sentence of a
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373 documentation string as an infinitive with ``to'' omitted. For
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374 instance, use ``Return the cons of A and B.'' in preference to ``Returns
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375 the cons of A and B@.'' Usually it looks good to do likewise for the
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376 rest of the first paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs usually look better
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377 if they have proper subjects.
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378
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379 @item
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380 Write documentation strings in the active voice, not the passive, and in
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381 the present tense, not the future. For instance, use ``Return a list
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382 containing A and B.'' instead of ``A list containing A and B will be
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383 returned.''
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384
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385 @item
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386 Avoid using the word ``cause'' (or its equivalents) unnecessarily.
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387 Instead of, ``Cause Emacs to display text in boldface,'' write just
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388 ``Display text in boldface.''
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389
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390 @item
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391 Do not start or end a documentation string with whitespace.
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392
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393 @item
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394 Format the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window on an
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395 80-column screen. It is a good idea for most lines to be no wider than
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396 60 characters. The first line can be wider if necessary to fit the
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397 information that ought to be there.
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398
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399 However, rather than simply filling the entire documentation string, you
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400 can make it much more readable by choosing line breaks with care.
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401 Use blank lines between topics if the documentation string is long.
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402
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403 @item
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404 @strong{Do not} indent subsequent lines of a documentation string so
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405 that the text is lined up in the source code with the text of the first
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406 line. This looks nice in the source code, but looks bizarre when users
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407 view the documentation. Remember that the indentation before the
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408 starting double-quote is not part of the string!
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409
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410 @item
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411 When the user tries to use a disabled command, Emacs displays just the
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412 first paragraph of its documentation string---everything through the
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413 first blank line. If you wish, you can choose which information to
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414 include before the first blank line so as to make this display useful.
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415
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416 @item
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417 A variable's documentation string should start with @samp{*} if the
|
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418 variable is one that users would often want to set interactively. If
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419 the value is a long list, or a function, or if the variable would be set
|
|
420 only in init files, then don't start the documentation string with
|
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421 @samp{*}. @xref{Defining Variables}.
|
|
422
|
|
423 @item
|
|
424 The documentation string for a variable that is a yes-or-no flag should
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425 start with words such as ``Non-nil means@dots{}'', to make it clear that
|
|
426 all non-@code{nil} values are equivalent and indicate explicitly what
|
|
427 @code{nil} and non-@code{nil} mean.
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428
|
|
429 @item
|
|
430 When a function's documentation string mentions the value of an argument
|
|
431 of the function, use the argument name in capital letters as if it were
|
|
432 a name for that value. Thus, the documentation string of the function
|
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433 @code{/} refers to its second argument as @samp{DIVISOR}, because the
|
|
434 actual argument name is @code{divisor}.
|
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|
435
|
|
436 Also use all caps for meta-syntactic variables, such as when you show
|
|
437 the decomposition of a list or vector into subunits, some of which may
|
|
438 vary.
|
|
439
|
|
440 @item
|
|
441 @iftex
|
|
442 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
|
|
443 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
|
|
444 around it. For example: @samp{`lambda'}. There are two exceptions:
|
|
445 write @code{t} and @code{nil} without single-quotes.
|
|
446 @end iftex
|
|
447 @ifinfo
|
|
448 When a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as it
|
|
449 would be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotes
|
|
450 around it. For example: @samp{lambda}. There are two exceptions: write
|
|
451 t and nil without single-quotes. (In this manual, we normally do use
|
|
452 single-quotes for those symbols.)
|
|
453 @end ifinfo
|
|
454
|
|
455 @item
|
|
456 Don't write key sequences directly in documentation strings. Instead,
|
|
457 use the @samp{\\[@dots{}]} construct to stand for them. For example,
|
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|
458 instead of writing @samp{C-f}, write the construct
|
|
459 @samp{\\[forward-char]}. When Emacs displays the documentation string,
|
|
460 it substitutes whatever key is currently bound to @code{forward-char}.
|
|
461 (This is normally @samp{C-f}, but it may be some other character if the
|
|
462 user has moved key bindings.) @xref{Keys in Documentation}.
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|
463
|
|
464 @item
|
|
465 In documentation strings for a major mode, you will want to refer to the
|
|
466 key bindings of that mode's local map, rather than global ones.
|
|
467 Therefore, use the construct @samp{\\<@dots{}>} once in the
|
|
468 documentation string to specify which key map to use. Do this before
|
|
469 the first use of @samp{\\[@dots{}]}. The text inside the
|
|
470 @samp{\\<@dots{}>} should be the name of the variable containing the
|
|
471 local keymap for the major mode.
|
|
472
|
|
473 It is not practical to use @samp{\\[@dots{}]} very many times, because
|
|
474 display of the documentation string will become slow. So use this to
|
|
475 describe the most important commands in your major mode, and then use
|
|
476 @samp{\\@{@dots{}@}} to display the rest of the mode's keymap.
|
|
477 @end itemize
|
|
478
|
|
479 @node Comment Tips
|
|
480 @section Tips on Writing Comments
|
|
481
|
|
482 We recommend these conventions for where to put comments and how to
|
|
483 indent them:
|
|
484
|
|
485 @table @samp
|
|
486 @item ;
|
|
487 Comments that start with a single semicolon, @samp{;}, should all be
|
|
488 aligned to the same column on the right of the source code. Such
|
|
489 comments usually explain how the code on the same line does its job. In
|
|
490 Lisp mode and related modes, the @kbd{M-;} (@code{indent-for-comment})
|
|
491 command automatically inserts such a @samp{;} in the right place, or
|
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|
492 aligns such a comment if it is already present.
|
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|
493
|
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|
494 This and following examples are taken from the Emacs sources.
|
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|
495
|
|
496 @smallexample
|
|
497 @group
|
|
498 (setq base-version-list ; there was a base
|
|
499 (assoc (substring fn 0 start-vn) ; version to which
|
|
500 file-version-assoc-list)) ; this looks like
|
|
501 ; a subversion
|
|
502 @end group
|
|
503 @end smallexample
|
|
504
|
|
505 @item ;;
|
|
506 Comments that start with two semicolons, @samp{;;}, should be aligned to
|
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|
507 the same level of indentation as the code. Such comments usually
|
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|
508 describe the purpose of the following lines or the state of the program
|
|
509 at that point. For example:
|
|
510
|
|
511 @smallexample
|
|
512 @group
|
|
513 (prog1 (setq auto-fill-function
|
|
514 @dots{}
|
|
515 @dots{}
|
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|
516 ;; update mode line
|
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|
517 (force-mode-line-update)))
|
|
518 @end group
|
|
519 @end smallexample
|
|
520
|
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|
521 Every function that has no documentation string (because it is use only
|
|
522 internally within the package it belongs to), should have instead a
|
|
523 two-semicolon comment right before the function, explaining what the
|
|
524 function does and how to call it properly. Explain precisely what each
|
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|
525 argument means and how the function interprets its possible values.
|
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|
526
|
|
527 @item ;;;
|
|
528 Comments that start with three semicolons, @samp{;;;}, should start at
|
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|
529 the left margin. Such comments are used outside function definitions to
|
|
530 make general statements explaining the design principles of the program.
|
|
531 For example:
|
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|
532
|
|
533 @smallexample
|
|
534 @group
|
|
535 ;;; This Lisp code is run in Emacs
|
|
536 ;;; when it is to operate as a server
|
|
537 ;;; for other processes.
|
|
538 @end group
|
|
539 @end smallexample
|
|
540
|
7601
|
541 Another use for triple-semicolon comments is for commenting out lines
|
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|
542 within a function. We use triple-semicolons for this precisely so that
|
|
543 they remain at the left margin.
|
|
544
|
|
545 @smallexample
|
|
546 (defun foo (a)
|
|
547 ;;; This is no longer necessary.
|
|
548 ;;; (force-mode-line-update)
|
|
549 (message "Finished with %s" a))
|
|
550 @end smallexample
|
|
551
|
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|
552 @item ;;;;
|
|
553 Comments that start with four semicolons, @samp{;;;;}, should be aligned
|
|
554 to the left margin and are used for headings of major sections of a
|
|
555 program. For example:
|
|
556
|
|
557 @smallexample
|
|
558 ;;;; The kill ring
|
|
559 @end smallexample
|
|
560 @end table
|
|
561
|
|
562 @noindent
|
|
563 The indentation commands of the Lisp modes in Emacs, such as @kbd{M-;}
|
|
564 (@code{indent-for-comment}) and @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line})
|
|
565 automatically indent comments according to these conventions,
|
7601
|
566 depending on the number of semicolons. @xref{Comments,,
|
6552
|
567 Manipulating Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
|
|
568
|
|
569 @node Library Headers
|
|
570 @section Conventional Headers for Emacs Libraries
|
|
571 @cindex header comments
|
|
572 @cindex library header comments
|
|
573
|
|
574 Emacs 19 has conventions for using special comments in Lisp libraries
|
|
575 to divide them into sections and give information such as who wrote
|
|
576 them. This section explains these conventions. First, an example:
|
|
577
|
|
578 @smallexample
|
|
579 @group
|
|
580 ;;; lisp-mnt.el --- minor mode for Emacs Lisp maintainers
|
|
581
|
|
582 ;; Copyright (C) 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
|
|
583 @end group
|
|
584
|
|
585 ;; Author: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
|
|
586 ;; Maintainer: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
|
|
587 ;; Created: 14 Jul 1992
|
|
588 ;; Version: 1.2
|
|
589 @group
|
|
590 ;; Keywords: docs
|
|
591
|
|
592 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.
|
7601
|
593 @var{copying permissions}@dots{}
|
6552
|
594 @end group
|
|
595 @end smallexample
|
|
596
|
|
597 The very first line should have this format:
|
|
598
|
|
599 @example
|
|
600 ;;; @var{filename} --- @var{description}
|
|
601 @end example
|
|
602
|
|
603 @noindent
|
|
604 The description should be complete in one line.
|
|
605
|
|
606 After the copyright notice come several @dfn{header comment} lines,
|
6959
|
607 each beginning with @samp{;; @var{header-name}:}. Here is a table of
|
6552
|
608 the conventional possibilities for @var{header-name}:
|
|
609
|
|
610 @table @samp
|
|
611 @item Author
|
|
612 This line states the name and net address of at least the principal
|
|
613 author of the library.
|
|
614
|
|
615 If there are multiple authors, you can list them on continuation lines
|
6959
|
616 led by @code{;;} and a tab character, like this:
|
6552
|
617
|
|
618 @smallexample
|
|
619 @group
|
|
620 ;; Author: Ashwin Ram <Ram-Ashwin@@cs.yale.edu>
|
6959
|
621 ;; Dave Sill <de5@@ornl.gov>
|
|
622 ;; Dave Brennan <brennan@@hal.com>
|
|
623 ;; Eric Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>
|
6552
|
624 @end group
|
|
625 @end smallexample
|
|
626
|
|
627 @item Maintainer
|
|
628 This line should contain a single name/address as in the Author line, or
|
6959
|
629 an address only, or the string @samp{FSF}. If there is no maintainer
|
|
630 line, the person(s) in the Author field are presumed to be the
|
|
631 maintainers. The example above is mildly bogus because the maintainer
|
|
632 line is redundant.
|
6552
|
633
|
|
634 The idea behind the @samp{Author} and @samp{Maintainer} lines is to make
|
|
635 possible a Lisp function to ``send mail to the maintainer'' without
|
|
636 having to mine the name out by hand.
|
|
637
|
|
638 Be sure to surround the network address with @samp{<@dots{}>} if
|
|
639 you include the person's full name as well as the network address.
|
|
640
|
|
641 @item Created
|
|
642 This optional line gives the original creation date of the
|
|
643 file. For historical interest only.
|
|
644
|
|
645 @item Version
|
|
646 If you wish to record version numbers for the individual Lisp program, put
|
|
647 them in this line.
|
|
648
|
|
649 @item Adapted-By
|
|
650 In this header line, place the name of the person who adapted the
|
|
651 library for installation (to make it fit the style conventions, for
|
|
652 example).
|
|
653
|
|
654 @item Keywords
|
|
655 This line lists keywords for the @code{finder-by-keyword} help command.
|
|
656 This field is important; it's how people will find your package when
|
10229
|
657 they're looking for things by topic area. To separate the keywords, you
|
|
658 can use spaces, commas, or both.
|
6552
|
659 @end table
|
|
660
|
|
661 Just about every Lisp library ought to have the @samp{Author} and
|
|
662 @samp{Keywords} header comment lines. Use the others if they are
|
|
663 appropriate. You can also put in header lines with other header
|
|
664 names---they have no standard meanings, so they can't do any harm.
|
|
665
|
|
666 We use additional stylized comments to subdivide the contents of the
|
|
667 library file. Here is a table of them:
|
|
668
|
|
669 @table @samp
|
|
670 @item ;;; Commentary:
|
|
671 This begins introductory comments that explain how the library works.
|
|
672 It should come right after the copying permissions.
|
|
673
|
|
674 @item ;;; Change log:
|
|
675 This begins change log information stored in the library file (if you
|
|
676 store the change history there). For most of the Lisp
|
|
677 files distributed with Emacs, the change history is kept in the file
|
|
678 @file{ChangeLog} and not in the source file at all; these files do
|
|
679 not have a @samp{;;; Change log:} line.
|
|
680
|
|
681 @item ;;; Code:
|
|
682 This begins the actual code of the program.
|
|
683
|
|
684 @item ;;; @var{filename} ends here
|
|
685 This is the @dfn{footer line}; it appears at the very end of the file.
|
|
686 Its purpose is to enable people to detect truncated versions of the file
|
|
687 from the lack of a footer line.
|
|
688 @end table
|