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annotate doc/lispref/internals.texi @ 98978:f570df2cc52d
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author | Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> |
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date | Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:46:08 +0000 |
parents | 436d98f3ba22 |
children | cb5d2387102c |
rev | line source |
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84076 | 1 @c -*-texinfo-*- |
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. | |
3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, | |
87649 | 4 @c 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
84076 | 5 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. |
84116
0ba80d073e27
(setfilename): Go up one more level to ../../info.
Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org>
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84076
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6 @setfilename ../../info/internals |
84076 | 7 @node GNU Emacs Internals, Standard Errors, Tips, Top |
8 @comment node-name, next, previous, up | |
9 @appendix GNU Emacs Internals | |
10 | |
11 This chapter describes how the runnable Emacs executable is dumped with | |
12 the preloaded Lisp libraries in it, how storage is allocated, and some | |
13 internal aspects of GNU Emacs that may be of interest to C programmers. | |
14 | |
15 @menu | |
16 * Building Emacs:: How the dumped Emacs is made. | |
17 * Pure Storage:: A kludge to make preloaded Lisp functions sharable. | |
18 * Garbage Collection:: Reclaiming space for Lisp objects no longer used. | |
19 * Memory Usage:: Info about total size of Lisp objects made so far. | |
20 * Writing Emacs Primitives:: Writing C code for Emacs. | |
21 * Object Internals:: Data formats of buffers, windows, processes. | |
22 @end menu | |
23 | |
24 @node Building Emacs | |
25 @appendixsec Building Emacs | |
26 @cindex building Emacs | |
27 @pindex temacs | |
28 | |
29 This section explains the steps involved in building the Emacs | |
30 executable. You don't have to know this material to build and install | |
31 Emacs, since the makefiles do all these things automatically. This | |
32 information is pertinent to Emacs maintenance. | |
33 | |
34 Compilation of the C source files in the @file{src} directory | |
35 produces an executable file called @file{temacs}, also called a | |
36 @dfn{bare impure Emacs}. It contains the Emacs Lisp interpreter and I/O | |
37 routines, but not the editing commands. | |
38 | |
39 @cindex @file{loadup.el} | |
40 The command @w{@samp{temacs -l loadup}} uses @file{temacs} to create | |
41 the real runnable Emacs executable. These arguments direct | |
42 @file{temacs} to evaluate the Lisp files specified in the file | |
43 @file{loadup.el}. These files set up the normal Emacs editing | |
44 environment, resulting in an Emacs that is still impure but no longer | |
45 bare. | |
46 | |
47 @cindex dumping Emacs | |
48 It takes a substantial time to load the standard Lisp files. Luckily, | |
49 you don't have to do this each time you run Emacs; @file{temacs} can | |
50 dump out an executable program called @file{emacs} that has these files | |
51 preloaded. @file{emacs} starts more quickly because it does not need to | |
52 load the files. This is the Emacs executable that is normally | |
53 installed. | |
54 | |
55 To create @file{emacs}, use the command @samp{temacs -batch -l loadup | |
56 dump}. The purpose of @samp{-batch} here is to prevent @file{temacs} | |
57 from trying to initialize any of its data on the terminal; this ensures | |
58 that the tables of terminal information are empty in the dumped Emacs. | |
59 The argument @samp{dump} tells @file{loadup.el} to dump a new executable | |
60 named @file{emacs}. | |
61 | |
62 Some operating systems don't support dumping. On those systems, you | |
63 must start Emacs with the @samp{temacs -l loadup} command each time you | |
64 use it. This takes a substantial time, but since you need to start | |
65 Emacs once a day at most---or once a week if you never log out---the | |
66 extra time is not too severe a problem. | |
67 | |
68 @cindex @file{site-load.el} | |
69 | |
70 You can specify additional files to preload by writing a library named | |
71 @file{site-load.el} that loads them. You may need to add a definition | |
72 | |
73 @example | |
74 #define SITELOAD_PURESIZE_EXTRA @var{n} | |
75 @end example | |
76 | |
77 @noindent | |
78 to make @var{n} added bytes of pure space to hold the additional files. | |
79 (Try adding increments of 20000 until it is big enough.) However, the | |
80 advantage of preloading additional files decreases as machines get | |
81 faster. On modern machines, it is usually not advisable. | |
82 | |
83 After @file{loadup.el} reads @file{site-load.el}, it finds the | |
84 documentation strings for primitive and preloaded functions (and | |
85 variables) in the file @file{etc/DOC} where they are stored, by | |
86 calling @code{Snarf-documentation} (@pxref{Definition of | |
87 Snarf-documentation,, Accessing Documentation}). | |
88 | |
89 @cindex @file{site-init.el} | |
90 @cindex preloading additional functions and variables | |
91 You can specify other Lisp expressions to execute just before dumping | |
92 by putting them in a library named @file{site-init.el}. This file is | |
93 executed after the documentation strings are found. | |
94 | |
95 If you want to preload function or variable definitions, there are | |
96 three ways you can do this and make their documentation strings | |
97 accessible when you subsequently run Emacs: | |
98 | |
99 @itemize @bullet | |
100 @item | |
101 Arrange to scan these files when producing the @file{etc/DOC} file, | |
102 and load them with @file{site-load.el}. | |
103 | |
104 @item | |
105 Load the files with @file{site-init.el}, then copy the files into the | |
106 installation directory for Lisp files when you install Emacs. | |
107 | |
108 @item | |
109 Specify a non-@code{nil} value for | |
110 @code{byte-compile-dynamic-docstrings} as a local variable in each of these | |
111 files, and load them with either @file{site-load.el} or | |
112 @file{site-init.el}. (This method has the drawback that the | |
113 documentation strings take up space in Emacs all the time.) | |
114 @end itemize | |
115 | |
116 It is not advisable to put anything in @file{site-load.el} or | |
117 @file{site-init.el} that would alter any of the features that users | |
118 expect in an ordinary unmodified Emacs. If you feel you must override | |
119 normal features for your site, do it with @file{default.el}, so that | |
120 users can override your changes if they wish. @xref{Startup Summary}. | |
121 | |
122 In a package that can be preloaded, it is sometimes useful to | |
123 specify a computation to be done when Emacs subsequently starts up. | |
124 For this, use @code{eval-at-startup}: | |
125 | |
126 @defmac eval-at-startup body@dots{} | |
127 This evaluates the @var{body} forms, either immediately if running in | |
128 an Emacs that has already started up, or later when Emacs does start | |
129 up. Since the value of the @var{body} forms is not necessarily | |
130 available when the @code{eval-at-startup} form is run, that form | |
131 always returns @code{nil}. | |
132 @end defmac | |
133 | |
134 @defun dump-emacs to-file from-file | |
135 @cindex unexec | |
136 This function dumps the current state of Emacs into an executable file | |
137 @var{to-file}. It takes symbols from @var{from-file} (this is normally | |
138 the executable file @file{temacs}). | |
139 | |
140 If you want to use this function in an Emacs that was already dumped, | |
141 you must run Emacs with @samp{-batch}. | |
142 @end defun | |
143 | |
144 @node Pure Storage | |
145 @appendixsec Pure Storage | |
146 @cindex pure storage | |
147 | |
148 Emacs Lisp uses two kinds of storage for user-created Lisp objects: | |
149 @dfn{normal storage} and @dfn{pure storage}. Normal storage is where | |
150 all the new data created during an Emacs session are kept; see the | |
151 following section for information on normal storage. Pure storage is | |
152 used for certain data in the preloaded standard Lisp files---data that | |
153 should never change during actual use of Emacs. | |
154 | |
155 Pure storage is allocated only while @file{temacs} is loading the | |
156 standard preloaded Lisp libraries. In the file @file{emacs}, it is | |
157 marked as read-only (on operating systems that permit this), so that | |
158 the memory space can be shared by all the Emacs jobs running on the | |
159 machine at once. Pure storage is not expandable; a fixed amount is | |
160 allocated when Emacs is compiled, and if that is not sufficient for | |
161 the preloaded libraries, @file{temacs} allocates dynamic memory for | |
162 the part that didn't fit. If that happens, you should increase the | |
163 compilation parameter @code{PURESIZE} in the file | |
164 @file{src/puresize.h} and rebuild Emacs, even though the resulting | |
165 image will work: garbage collection is disabled in this situation, | |
166 causing a memory leak. Such an overflow normally won't happen unless you | |
167 try to preload additional libraries or add features to the standard | |
168 ones. Emacs will display a warning about the overflow when it | |
169 starts. | |
170 | |
171 @defun purecopy object | |
172 This function makes a copy in pure storage of @var{object}, and returns | |
173 it. It copies a string by simply making a new string with the same | |
174 characters, but without text properties, in pure storage. It | |
175 recursively copies the contents of vectors and cons cells. It does | |
176 not make copies of other objects such as symbols, but just returns | |
177 them unchanged. It signals an error if asked to copy markers. | |
178 | |
179 This function is a no-op except while Emacs is being built and dumped; | |
180 it is usually called only in the file @file{emacs/lisp/loaddefs.el}, but | |
181 a few packages call it just in case you decide to preload them. | |
182 @end defun | |
183 | |
184 @defvar pure-bytes-used | |
185 The value of this variable is the number of bytes of pure storage | |
186 allocated so far. Typically, in a dumped Emacs, this number is very | |
187 close to the total amount of pure storage available---if it were not, | |
188 we would preallocate less. | |
189 @end defvar | |
190 | |
191 @defvar purify-flag | |
192 This variable determines whether @code{defun} should make a copy of the | |
193 function definition in pure storage. If it is non-@code{nil}, then the | |
194 function definition is copied into pure storage. | |
195 | |
196 This flag is @code{t} while loading all of the basic functions for | |
197 building Emacs initially (allowing those functions to be sharable and | |
198 non-collectible). Dumping Emacs as an executable always writes | |
199 @code{nil} in this variable, regardless of the value it actually has | |
200 before and after dumping. | |
201 | |
202 You should not change this flag in a running Emacs. | |
203 @end defvar | |
204 | |
205 @node Garbage Collection | |
206 @appendixsec Garbage Collection | |
207 @cindex garbage collection | |
208 | |
209 @cindex memory allocation | |
210 When a program creates a list or the user defines a new function (such | |
211 as by loading a library), that data is placed in normal storage. If | |
212 normal storage runs low, then Emacs asks the operating system to | |
213 allocate more memory in blocks of 1k bytes. Each block is used for one | |
214 type of Lisp object, so symbols, cons cells, markers, etc., are | |
215 segregated in distinct blocks in memory. (Vectors, long strings, | |
216 buffers and certain other editing types, which are fairly large, are | |
217 allocated in individual blocks, one per object, while small strings are | |
218 packed into blocks of 8k bytes.) | |
219 | |
220 It is quite common to use some storage for a while, then release it by | |
221 (for example) killing a buffer or deleting the last pointer to an | |
222 object. Emacs provides a @dfn{garbage collector} to reclaim this | |
223 abandoned storage. (This name is traditional, but ``garbage recycler'' | |
224 might be a more intuitive metaphor for this facility.) | |
225 | |
226 The garbage collector operates by finding and marking all Lisp objects | |
227 that are still accessible to Lisp programs. To begin with, it assumes | |
228 all the symbols, their values and associated function definitions, and | |
229 any data presently on the stack, are accessible. Any objects that can | |
230 be reached indirectly through other accessible objects are also | |
231 accessible. | |
232 | |
233 When marking is finished, all objects still unmarked are garbage. No | |
234 matter what the Lisp program or the user does, it is impossible to refer | |
235 to them, since there is no longer a way to reach them. Their space | |
236 might as well be reused, since no one will miss them. The second | |
237 (``sweep'') phase of the garbage collector arranges to reuse them. | |
238 | |
239 @c ??? Maybe add something describing weak hash tables here? | |
240 | |
241 @cindex free list | |
242 The sweep phase puts unused cons cells onto a @dfn{free list} | |
243 for future allocation; likewise for symbols and markers. It compacts | |
244 the accessible strings so they occupy fewer 8k blocks; then it frees the | |
245 other 8k blocks. Vectors, buffers, windows, and other large objects are | |
246 individually allocated and freed using @code{malloc} and @code{free}. | |
247 | |
248 @cindex CL note---allocate more storage | |
249 @quotation | |
250 @b{Common Lisp note:} Unlike other Lisps, GNU Emacs Lisp does not | |
251 call the garbage collector when the free list is empty. Instead, it | |
252 simply requests the operating system to allocate more storage, and | |
253 processing continues until @code{gc-cons-threshold} bytes have been | |
254 used. | |
255 | |
256 This means that you can make sure that the garbage collector will not | |
257 run during a certain portion of a Lisp program by calling the garbage | |
258 collector explicitly just before it (provided that portion of the | |
259 program does not use so much space as to force a second garbage | |
260 collection). | |
261 @end quotation | |
262 | |
263 @deffn Command garbage-collect | |
264 This command runs a garbage collection, and returns information on | |
265 the amount of space in use. (Garbage collection can also occur | |
266 spontaneously if you use more than @code{gc-cons-threshold} bytes of | |
267 Lisp data since the previous garbage collection.) | |
268 | |
269 @code{garbage-collect} returns a list containing the following | |
270 information: | |
271 | |
272 @example | |
273 @group | |
274 ((@var{used-conses} . @var{free-conses}) | |
275 (@var{used-syms} . @var{free-syms}) | |
276 @end group | |
277 (@var{used-miscs} . @var{free-miscs}) | |
278 @var{used-string-chars} | |
279 @var{used-vector-slots} | |
280 (@var{used-floats} . @var{free-floats}) | |
281 (@var{used-intervals} . @var{free-intervals}) | |
282 (@var{used-strings} . @var{free-strings})) | |
283 @end example | |
284 | |
285 Here is an example: | |
286 | |
287 @example | |
288 @group | |
289 (garbage-collect) | |
290 @result{} ((106886 . 13184) (9769 . 0) | |
291 (7731 . 4651) 347543 121628 | |
292 (31 . 94) (1273 . 168) | |
293 (25474 . 3569)) | |
294 @end group | |
295 @end example | |
296 | |
297 Here is a table explaining each element: | |
298 | |
299 @table @var | |
300 @item used-conses | |
301 The number of cons cells in use. | |
302 | |
303 @item free-conses | |
304 The number of cons cells for which space has been obtained from the | |
305 operating system, but that are not currently being used. | |
306 | |
307 @item used-syms | |
308 The number of symbols in use. | |
309 | |
310 @item free-syms | |
311 The number of symbols for which space has been obtained from the | |
312 operating system, but that are not currently being used. | |
313 | |
314 @item used-miscs | |
315 The number of miscellaneous objects in use. These include markers and | |
316 overlays, plus certain objects not visible to users. | |
317 | |
318 @item free-miscs | |
319 The number of miscellaneous objects for which space has been obtained | |
320 from the operating system, but that are not currently being used. | |
321 | |
322 @item used-string-chars | |
323 The total size of all strings, in characters. | |
324 | |
325 @item used-vector-slots | |
326 The total number of elements of existing vectors. | |
327 | |
328 @item used-floats | |
329 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
330 The number of floats in use. | |
331 | |
332 @item free-floats | |
333 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
334 The number of floats for which space has been obtained from the | |
335 operating system, but that are not currently being used. | |
336 | |
337 @item used-intervals | |
338 The number of intervals in use. Intervals are an internal | |
339 data structure used for representing text properties. | |
340 | |
341 @item free-intervals | |
342 The number of intervals for which space has been obtained | |
343 from the operating system, but that are not currently being used. | |
344 | |
345 @item used-strings | |
346 The number of strings in use. | |
347 | |
348 @item free-strings | |
349 The number of string headers for which the space was obtained from the | |
350 operating system, but which are currently not in use. (A string | |
351 object consists of a header and the storage for the string text | |
352 itself; the latter is only allocated when the string is created.) | |
353 @end table | |
354 | |
355 If there was overflow in pure space (see the previous section), | |
356 @code{garbage-collect} returns @code{nil}, because a real garbage | |
357 collection can not be done in this situation. | |
358 @end deffn | |
359 | |
360 @defopt garbage-collection-messages | |
361 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Emacs displays a message at the | |
362 beginning and end of garbage collection. The default value is | |
363 @code{nil}, meaning there are no such messages. | |
364 @end defopt | |
365 | |
366 @defvar post-gc-hook | |
367 This is a normal hook that is run at the end of garbage collection. | |
368 Garbage collection is inhibited while the hook functions run, so be | |
369 careful writing them. | |
370 @end defvar | |
371 | |
372 @defopt gc-cons-threshold | |
373 The value of this variable is the number of bytes of storage that must | |
374 be allocated for Lisp objects after one garbage collection in order to | |
375 trigger another garbage collection. A cons cell counts as eight bytes, | |
376 a string as one byte per character plus a few bytes of overhead, and so | |
377 on; space allocated to the contents of buffers does not count. Note | |
378 that the subsequent garbage collection does not happen immediately when | |
379 the threshold is exhausted, but only the next time the Lisp evaluator is | |
380 called. | |
381 | |
382 The initial threshold value is 400,000. If you specify a larger | |
383 value, garbage collection will happen less often. This reduces the | |
384 amount of time spent garbage collecting, but increases total memory use. | |
385 You may want to do this when running a program that creates lots of | |
386 Lisp data. | |
387 | |
388 You can make collections more frequent by specifying a smaller value, | |
389 down to 10,000. A value less than 10,000 will remain in effect only | |
390 until the subsequent garbage collection, at which time | |
391 @code{garbage-collect} will set the threshold back to 10,000. | |
392 @end defopt | |
393 | |
394 @defopt gc-cons-percentage | |
395 The value of this variable specifies the amount of consing before a | |
396 garbage collection occurs, as a fraction of the current heap size. | |
397 This criterion and @code{gc-cons-threshold} apply in parallel, and | |
398 garbage collection occurs only when both criteria are satisfied. | |
399 | |
400 As the heap size increases, the time to perform a garbage collection | |
401 increases. Thus, it can be desirable to do them less frequently in | |
402 proportion. | |
403 @end defopt | |
404 | |
405 The value returned by @code{garbage-collect} describes the amount of | |
406 memory used by Lisp data, broken down by data type. By contrast, the | |
407 function @code{memory-limit} provides information on the total amount of | |
408 memory Emacs is currently using. | |
409 | |
410 @c Emacs 19 feature | |
411 @defun memory-limit | |
412 This function returns the address of the last byte Emacs has allocated, | |
413 divided by 1024. We divide the value by 1024 to make sure it fits in a | |
414 Lisp integer. | |
415 | |
416 You can use this to get a general idea of how your actions affect the | |
417 memory usage. | |
418 @end defun | |
419 | |
420 @defvar memory-full | |
421 This variable is @code{t} if Emacs is close to out of memory for Lisp | |
422 objects, and @code{nil} otherwise. | |
423 @end defvar | |
424 | |
425 @defun memory-use-counts | |
426 This returns a list of numbers that count the number of objects | |
427 created in this Emacs session. Each of these counters increments for | |
428 a certain kind of object. See the documentation string for details. | |
429 @end defun | |
430 | |
431 @defvar gcs-done | |
432 This variable contains the total number of garbage collections | |
433 done so far in this Emacs session. | |
434 @end defvar | |
435 | |
436 @defvar gc-elapsed | |
437 This variable contains the total number of seconds of elapsed time | |
438 during garbage collection so far in this Emacs session, as a floating | |
439 point number. | |
440 @end defvar | |
441 | |
442 @node Memory Usage | |
443 @section Memory Usage | |
444 @cindex memory usage | |
445 | |
446 These functions and variables give information about the total amount | |
447 of memory allocation that Emacs has done, broken down by data type. | |
448 Note the difference between these and the values returned by | |
449 @code{(garbage-collect)}; those count objects that currently exist, but | |
450 these count the number or size of all allocations, including those for | |
451 objects that have since been freed. | |
452 | |
453 @defvar cons-cells-consed | |
454 The total number of cons cells that have been allocated so far | |
455 in this Emacs session. | |
456 @end defvar | |
457 | |
458 @defvar floats-consed | |
459 The total number of floats that have been allocated so far | |
460 in this Emacs session. | |
461 @end defvar | |
462 | |
463 @defvar vector-cells-consed | |
464 The total number of vector cells that have been allocated so far | |
465 in this Emacs session. | |
466 @end defvar | |
467 | |
468 @defvar symbols-consed | |
469 The total number of symbols that have been allocated so far | |
470 in this Emacs session. | |
471 @end defvar | |
472 | |
473 @defvar string-chars-consed | |
474 The total number of string characters that have been allocated so far | |
475 in this Emacs session. | |
476 @end defvar | |
477 | |
478 @defvar misc-objects-consed | |
479 The total number of miscellaneous objects that have been allocated so | |
480 far in this Emacs session. These include markers and overlays, plus | |
481 certain objects not visible to users. | |
482 @end defvar | |
483 | |
484 @defvar intervals-consed | |
485 The total number of intervals that have been allocated so far | |
486 in this Emacs session. | |
487 @end defvar | |
488 | |
489 @defvar strings-consed | |
490 The total number of strings that have been allocated so far in this | |
491 Emacs session. | |
492 @end defvar | |
493 | |
494 @node Writing Emacs Primitives | |
495 @appendixsec Writing Emacs Primitives | |
496 @cindex primitive function internals | |
497 @cindex writing Emacs primitives | |
498 | |
499 Lisp primitives are Lisp functions implemented in C. The details of | |
500 interfacing the C function so that Lisp can call it are handled by a few | |
501 C macros. The only way to really understand how to write new C code is | |
502 to read the source, but we can explain some things here. | |
503 | |
504 An example of a special form is the definition of @code{or}, from | |
505 @file{eval.c}. (An ordinary function would have the same general | |
506 appearance.) | |
507 | |
508 @cindex garbage collection protection | |
509 @smallexample | |
510 @group | |
511 DEFUN ("or", For, Sor, 0, UNEVALLED, 0, | |
512 doc: /* Eval args until one of them yields non-nil, then return that | |
513 value. The remaining args are not evalled at all. | |
514 If all args return nil, return nil. | |
515 @end group | |
516 @group | |
517 usage: (or CONDITIONS ...) */) | |
518 (args) | |
519 Lisp_Object args; | |
520 @{ | |
521 register Lisp_Object val = Qnil; | |
522 struct gcpro gcpro1; | |
523 @end group | |
524 | |
525 @group | |
526 GCPRO1 (args); | |
527 @end group | |
528 | |
529 @group | |
530 while (CONSP (args)) | |
531 @{ | |
532 val = Feval (XCAR (args)); | |
533 if (!NILP (val)) | |
534 break; | |
535 args = XCDR (args); | |
536 @} | |
537 @end group | |
538 | |
539 @group | |
540 UNGCPRO; | |
541 return val; | |
542 @} | |
543 @end group | |
544 @end smallexample | |
545 | |
546 @cindex @code{DEFUN}, C macro to define Lisp primitives | |
547 Let's start with a precise explanation of the arguments to the | |
548 @code{DEFUN} macro. Here is a template for them: | |
549 | |
550 @example | |
551 DEFUN (@var{lname}, @var{fname}, @var{sname}, @var{min}, @var{max}, @var{interactive}, @var{doc}) | |
552 @end example | |
553 | |
554 @table @var | |
555 @item lname | |
556 This is the name of the Lisp symbol to define as the function name; in | |
557 the example above, it is @code{or}. | |
558 | |
559 @item fname | |
560 This is the C function name for this function. This is | |
561 the name that is used in C code for calling the function. The name is, | |
562 by convention, @samp{F} prepended to the Lisp name, with all dashes | |
563 (@samp{-}) in the Lisp name changed to underscores. Thus, to call this | |
564 function from C code, call @code{For}. Remember that the arguments must | |
565 be of type @code{Lisp_Object}; various macros and functions for creating | |
566 values of type @code{Lisp_Object} are declared in the file | |
567 @file{lisp.h}. | |
568 | |
569 @item sname | |
570 This is a C variable name to use for a structure that holds the data for | |
571 the subr object that represents the function in Lisp. This structure | |
572 conveys the Lisp symbol name to the initialization routine that will | |
573 create the symbol and store the subr object as its definition. By | |
574 convention, this name is always @var{fname} with @samp{F} replaced with | |
575 @samp{S}. | |
576 | |
577 @item min | |
578 This is the minimum number of arguments that the function requires. The | |
579 function @code{or} allows a minimum of zero arguments. | |
580 | |
581 @item max | |
582 This is the maximum number of arguments that the function accepts, if | |
583 there is a fixed maximum. Alternatively, it can be @code{UNEVALLED}, | |
584 indicating a special form that receives unevaluated arguments, or | |
585 @code{MANY}, indicating an unlimited number of evaluated arguments (the | |
586 equivalent of @code{&rest}). Both @code{UNEVALLED} and @code{MANY} are | |
587 macros. If @var{max} is a number, it may not be less than @var{min} and | |
588 it may not be greater than eight. | |
589 | |
590 @item interactive | |
591 This is an interactive specification, a string such as might be used as | |
592 the argument of @code{interactive} in a Lisp function. In the case of | |
593 @code{or}, it is 0 (a null pointer), indicating that @code{or} cannot be | |
594 called interactively. A value of @code{""} indicates a function that | |
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595 should receive no arguments when called interactively. If the value |
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596 begins with a @samp{(}, the string is evaluated as a Lisp form. |
84076 | 597 |
598 @item doc | |
599 This is the documentation string. It uses C comment syntax rather | |
600 than C string syntax because comment syntax requires nothing special | |
601 to include multiple lines. The @samp{doc:} identifies the comment | |
602 that follows as the documentation string. The @samp{/*} and @samp{*/} | |
603 delimiters that begin and end the comment are not part of the | |
604 documentation string. | |
605 | |
606 If the last line of the documentation string begins with the keyword | |
607 @samp{usage:}, the rest of the line is treated as the argument list | |
608 for documentation purposes. This way, you can use different argument | |
609 names in the documentation string from the ones used in the C code. | |
610 @samp{usage:} is required if the function has an unlimited number of | |
611 arguments. | |
612 | |
613 All the usual rules for documentation strings in Lisp code | |
614 (@pxref{Documentation Tips}) apply to C code documentation strings | |
615 too. | |
616 @end table | |
617 | |
618 After the call to the @code{DEFUN} macro, you must write the argument | |
619 name list that every C function must have, followed by ordinary C | |
620 declarations for the arguments. For a function with a fixed maximum | |
621 number of arguments, declare a C argument for each Lisp argument, and | |
622 give them all type @code{Lisp_Object}. When a Lisp function has no | |
623 upper limit on the number of arguments, its implementation in C actually | |
624 receives exactly two arguments: the first is the number of Lisp | |
625 arguments, and the second is the address of a block containing their | |
626 values. They have types @code{int} and @w{@code{Lisp_Object *}}. | |
627 | |
628 @cindex @code{GCPRO} and @code{UNGCPRO} | |
629 @cindex protect C variables from garbage collection | |
630 Within the function @code{For} itself, note the use of the macros | |
631 @code{GCPRO1} and @code{UNGCPRO}. @code{GCPRO1} is used to | |
632 ``protect'' a variable from garbage collection---to inform the garbage | |
633 collector that it must look in that variable and regard its contents | |
634 as an accessible object. GC protection is necessary whenever you call | |
635 @code{Feval} or anything that can directly or indirectly call | |
636 @code{Feval}. At such a time, any Lisp object that this function may | |
637 refer to again must be protected somehow. | |
638 | |
639 It suffices to ensure that at least one pointer to each object is | |
640 GC-protected; that way, the object cannot be recycled, so all pointers | |
641 to it remain valid. Thus, a particular local variable can do without | |
642 protection if it is certain that the object it points to will be | |
643 preserved by some other pointer (such as another local variable which | |
644 has a @code{GCPRO})@footnote{Formerly, strings were a special | |
645 exception; in older Emacs versions, every local variable that might | |
646 point to a string needed a @code{GCPRO}.}. Otherwise, the local | |
647 variable needs a @code{GCPRO}. | |
648 | |
649 The macro @code{GCPRO1} protects just one local variable. If you | |
650 want to protect two variables, use @code{GCPRO2} instead; repeating | |
651 @code{GCPRO1} will not work. Macros @code{GCPRO3}, @code{GCPRO4}, | |
652 @code{GCPRO5}, and @code{GCPRO6} also exist. All these macros | |
653 implicitly use local variables such as @code{gcpro1}; you must declare | |
654 these explicitly, with type @code{struct gcpro}. Thus, if you use | |
655 @code{GCPRO2}, you must declare @code{gcpro1} and @code{gcpro2}. | |
656 Alas, we can't explain all the tricky details here. | |
657 | |
658 @code{UNGCPRO} cancels the protection of the variables that are | |
659 protected in the current function. It is necessary to do this | |
660 explicitly. | |
661 | |
662 Built-in functions that take a variable number of arguments actually | |
663 accept two arguments at the C level: the number of Lisp arguments, and | |
664 a @code{Lisp_Object *} pointer to a C vector containing those Lisp | |
665 arguments. This C vector may be part of a Lisp vector, but it need | |
666 not be. The responsibility for using @code{GCPRO} to protect the Lisp | |
667 arguments from GC if necessary rests with the caller in this case, | |
668 since the caller allocated or found the storage for them. | |
669 | |
670 You must not use C initializers for static or global variables unless | |
671 the variables are never written once Emacs is dumped. These variables | |
672 with initializers are allocated in an area of memory that becomes | |
673 read-only (on certain operating systems) as a result of dumping Emacs. | |
674 @xref{Pure Storage}. | |
675 | |
676 Do not use static variables within functions---place all static | |
677 variables at top level in the file. This is necessary because Emacs on | |
678 some operating systems defines the keyword @code{static} as a null | |
679 macro. (This definition is used because those systems put all variables | |
680 declared static in a place that becomes read-only after dumping, whether | |
681 they have initializers or not.) | |
682 | |
683 @cindex @code{defsubr}, Lisp symbol for a primitive | |
684 Defining the C function is not enough to make a Lisp primitive | |
685 available; you must also create the Lisp symbol for the primitive and | |
686 store a suitable subr object in its function cell. The code looks like | |
687 this: | |
688 | |
689 @example | |
690 defsubr (&@var{subr-structure-name}); | |
691 @end example | |
692 | |
693 @noindent | |
694 Here @var{subr-structure-name} is the name you used as the third | |
695 argument to @code{DEFUN}. | |
696 | |
697 If you add a new primitive to a file that already has Lisp primitives | |
698 defined in it, find the function (near the end of the file) named | |
699 @code{syms_of_@var{something}}, and add the call to @code{defsubr} | |
700 there. If the file doesn't have this function, or if you create a new | |
701 file, add to it a @code{syms_of_@var{filename}} (e.g., | |
702 @code{syms_of_myfile}). Then find the spot in @file{emacs.c} where all | |
703 of these functions are called, and add a call to | |
704 @code{syms_of_@var{filename}} there. | |
705 | |
706 @anchor{Defining Lisp variables in C} | |
707 @vindex byte-boolean-vars | |
708 @cindex defining Lisp variables in C | |
709 @cindex @code{DEFVAR_INT}, @code{DEFVAR_LISP}, @code{DEFVAR_BOOL} | |
710 The function @code{syms_of_@var{filename}} is also the place to define | |
711 any C variables that are to be visible as Lisp variables. | |
712 @code{DEFVAR_LISP} makes a C variable of type @code{Lisp_Object} visible | |
713 in Lisp. @code{DEFVAR_INT} makes a C variable of type @code{int} | |
714 visible in Lisp with a value that is always an integer. | |
715 @code{DEFVAR_BOOL} makes a C variable of type @code{int} visible in Lisp | |
716 with a value that is either @code{t} or @code{nil}. Note that variables | |
717 defined with @code{DEFVAR_BOOL} are automatically added to the list | |
718 @code{byte-boolean-vars} used by the byte compiler. | |
719 | |
720 @cindex @code{staticpro}, protection from GC | |
721 If you define a file-scope C variable of type @code{Lisp_Object}, | |
722 you must protect it from garbage-collection by calling @code{staticpro} | |
723 in @code{syms_of_@var{filename}}, like this: | |
724 | |
725 @example | |
726 staticpro (&@var{variable}); | |
727 @end example | |
728 | |
729 Here is another example function, with more complicated arguments. | |
730 This comes from the code in @file{window.c}, and it demonstrates the use | |
731 of macros and functions to manipulate Lisp objects. | |
732 | |
733 @smallexample | |
734 @group | |
735 DEFUN ("coordinates-in-window-p", Fcoordinates_in_window_p, | |
736 Scoordinates_in_window_p, 2, 2, | |
737 "xSpecify coordinate pair: \nXExpression which evals to window: ", | |
738 "Return non-nil if COORDINATES is in WINDOW.\n\ | |
739 COORDINATES is a cons of the form (X . Y), X and Y being distances\n\ | |
740 ... | |
741 @end group | |
742 @group | |
743 If they are on the border between WINDOW and its right sibling,\n\ | |
744 `vertical-line' is returned.") | |
745 (coordinates, window) | |
746 register Lisp_Object coordinates, window; | |
747 @{ | |
748 int x, y; | |
749 @end group | |
750 | |
751 @group | |
752 CHECK_LIVE_WINDOW (window, 0); | |
753 CHECK_CONS (coordinates, 1); | |
754 x = XINT (Fcar (coordinates)); | |
755 y = XINT (Fcdr (coordinates)); | |
756 @end group | |
757 | |
758 @group | |
759 switch (coordinates_in_window (XWINDOW (window), &x, &y)) | |
760 @{ | |
761 case 0: /* NOT in window at all. */ | |
762 return Qnil; | |
763 @end group | |
764 | |
765 @group | |
766 case 1: /* In text part of window. */ | |
767 return Fcons (make_number (x), make_number (y)); | |
768 @end group | |
769 | |
770 @group | |
771 case 2: /* In mode line of window. */ | |
772 return Qmode_line; | |
773 @end group | |
774 | |
775 @group | |
776 case 3: /* On right border of window. */ | |
777 return Qvertical_line; | |
778 @end group | |
779 | |
780 @group | |
781 default: | |
782 abort (); | |
783 @} | |
784 @} | |
785 @end group | |
786 @end smallexample | |
787 | |
788 Note that C code cannot call functions by name unless they are defined | |
789 in C. The way to call a function written in Lisp is to use | |
790 @code{Ffuncall}, which embodies the Lisp function @code{funcall}. Since | |
791 the Lisp function @code{funcall} accepts an unlimited number of | |
792 arguments, in C it takes two: the number of Lisp-level arguments, and a | |
793 one-dimensional array containing their values. The first Lisp-level | |
794 argument is the Lisp function to call, and the rest are the arguments to | |
795 pass to it. Since @code{Ffuncall} can call the evaluator, you must | |
796 protect pointers from garbage collection around the call to | |
797 @code{Ffuncall}. | |
798 | |
799 The C functions @code{call0}, @code{call1}, @code{call2}, and so on, | |
800 provide handy ways to call a Lisp function conveniently with a fixed | |
801 number of arguments. They work by calling @code{Ffuncall}. | |
802 | |
803 @file{eval.c} is a very good file to look through for examples; | |
804 @file{lisp.h} contains the definitions for some important macros and | |
805 functions. | |
806 | |
807 If you define a function which is side-effect free, update the code | |
808 in @file{byte-opt.el} which binds @code{side-effect-free-fns} and | |
809 @code{side-effect-and-error-free-fns} so that the compiler optimizer | |
810 knows about it. | |
811 | |
812 @node Object Internals | |
813 @appendixsec Object Internals | |
814 @cindex object internals | |
815 | |
816 GNU Emacs Lisp manipulates many different types of data. The actual | |
817 data are stored in a heap and the only access that programs have to it | |
818 is through pointers. Pointers are thirty-two bits wide in most | |
819 implementations. Depending on the operating system and type of machine | |
820 for which you compile Emacs, twenty-nine bits are used to address the | |
821 object, and the remaining three bits are used for the tag that | |
822 identifies the object's type. | |
823 | |
824 Because Lisp objects are represented as tagged pointers, it is always | |
825 possible to determine the Lisp data type of any object. The C data type | |
826 @code{Lisp_Object} can hold any Lisp object of any data type. Ordinary | |
827 variables have type @code{Lisp_Object}, which means they can hold any | |
828 type of Lisp value; you can determine the actual data type only at run | |
829 time. The same is true for function arguments; if you want a function | |
830 to accept only a certain type of argument, you must check the type | |
831 explicitly using a suitable predicate (@pxref{Type Predicates}). | |
832 @cindex type checking internals | |
833 | |
834 @menu | |
835 * Buffer Internals:: Components of a buffer structure. | |
836 * Window Internals:: Components of a window structure. | |
837 * Process Internals:: Components of a process structure. | |
838 @end menu | |
839 | |
840 @node Buffer Internals | |
841 @appendixsubsec Buffer Internals | |
842 @cindex internals, of buffer | |
843 @cindex buffer internals | |
844 | |
845 Buffers contain fields not directly accessible by the Lisp programmer. | |
846 We describe them here, naming them by the names used in the C code. | |
847 Many are accessible indirectly in Lisp programs via Lisp primitives. | |
848 | |
849 Two structures are used to represent buffers in C. The | |
850 @code{buffer_text} structure contains fields describing the text of a | |
851 buffer; the @code{buffer} structure holds other fields. In the case | |
852 of indirect buffers, two or more @code{buffer} structures reference | |
853 the same @code{buffer_text} structure. | |
854 | |
855 Here is a list of the @code{struct buffer_text} fields: | |
856 | |
857 @table @code | |
858 @item beg | |
859 This field contains the actual address of the buffer contents. | |
860 | |
861 @item gpt | |
862 This holds the character position of the gap in the buffer. | |
863 @xref{Buffer Gap}. | |
864 | |
865 @item z | |
866 This field contains the character position of the end of the buffer | |
867 text. | |
868 | |
869 @item gpt_byte | |
870 Contains the byte position of the gap. | |
871 | |
872 @item z_byte | |
873 Holds the byte position of the end of the buffer text. | |
874 | |
875 @item gap_size | |
876 Contains the size of buffer's gap. @xref{Buffer Gap}. | |
877 | |
878 @item modiff | |
879 This field counts buffer-modification events for this buffer. It is | |
880 incremented for each such event, and never otherwise changed. | |
881 | |
882 @item save_modiff | |
883 Contains the previous value of @code{modiff}, as of the last time a | |
884 buffer was visited or saved in a file. | |
885 | |
886 @item overlay_modiff | |
887 Counts modifications to overlays analogous to @code{modiff}. | |
888 | |
889 @item beg_unchanged | |
890 Holds the number of characters at the start of the text that are known | |
891 to be unchanged since the last redisplay that finished. | |
892 | |
893 @item end_unchanged | |
894 Holds the number of characters at the end of the text that are known to | |
895 be unchanged since the last redisplay that finished. | |
896 | |
897 @item unchanged_modified | |
898 Contains the value of @code{modiff} at the time of the last redisplay | |
899 that finished. If this value matches @code{modiff}, | |
900 @code{beg_unchanged} and @code{end_unchanged} contain no useful | |
901 information. | |
902 | |
903 @item overlay_unchanged_modified | |
904 Contains the value of @code{overlay_modiff} at the time of the last | |
905 redisplay that finished. If this value matches @code{overlay_modiff}, | |
906 @code{beg_unchanged} and @code{end_unchanged} contain no useful | |
907 information. | |
908 | |
909 @item markers | |
910 The markers that refer to this buffer. This is actually a single | |
911 marker, and successive elements in its marker @code{chain} are the other | |
912 markers referring to this buffer text. | |
913 | |
914 @item intervals | |
915 Contains the interval tree which records the text properties of this | |
916 buffer. | |
917 @end table | |
918 | |
919 The fields of @code{struct buffer} are: | |
920 | |
921 @table @code | |
922 @item next | |
923 Points to the next buffer, in the chain of all buffers including killed | |
924 buffers. This chain is used only for garbage collection, in order to | |
925 collect killed buffers properly. Note that vectors, and most kinds of | |
926 objects allocated as vectors, are all on one chain, but buffers are on a | |
927 separate chain of their own. | |
928 | |
929 @item own_text | |
930 This is a @code{struct buffer_text} structure. In an ordinary buffer, | |
931 it holds the buffer contents. In indirect buffers, this field is not | |
932 used. | |
933 | |
934 @item text | |
935 This points to the @code{buffer_text} structure that is used for this | |
936 buffer. In an ordinary buffer, this is the @code{own_text} field above. | |
937 In an indirect buffer, this is the @code{own_text} field of the base | |
938 buffer. | |
939 | |
940 @item pt | |
941 Contains the character position of point in a buffer. | |
942 | |
943 @item pt_byte | |
944 Contains the byte position of point in a buffer. | |
945 | |
946 @item begv | |
947 This field contains the character position of the beginning of the | |
948 accessible range of text in the buffer. | |
949 | |
950 @item begv_byte | |
951 This field contains the byte position of the beginning of the | |
952 accessible range of text in the buffer. | |
953 | |
954 @item zv | |
955 This field contains the character position of the end of the | |
956 accessible range of text in the buffer. | |
957 | |
958 @item zv_byte | |
959 This field contains the byte position of the end of the | |
960 accessible range of text in the buffer. | |
961 | |
962 @item base_buffer | |
963 In an indirect buffer, this points to the base buffer. In an ordinary | |
964 buffer, it is null. | |
965 | |
966 @item local_var_flags | |
967 This field contains flags indicating that certain variables are local in | |
968 this buffer. Such variables are declared in the C code using | |
969 @code{DEFVAR_PER_BUFFER}, and their buffer-local bindings are stored in | |
970 fields in the buffer structure itself. (Some of these fields are | |
971 described in this table.) | |
972 | |
973 @item modtime | |
974 This field contains the modification time of the visited file. It is | |
975 set when the file is written or read. Before writing the buffer into a | |
976 file, this field is compared to the modification time of the file to see | |
977 if the file has changed on disk. @xref{Buffer Modification}. | |
978 | |
979 @item auto_save_modified | |
980 This field contains the time when the buffer was last auto-saved. | |
981 | |
982 @item auto_save_failure_time | |
983 The time at which we detected a failure to auto-save, or -1 if we didn't | |
984 have a failure. | |
985 | |
986 @item last_window_start | |
987 This field contains the @code{window-start} position in the buffer as of | |
988 the last time the buffer was displayed in a window. | |
989 | |
990 @item clip_changed | |
991 This flag is set when narrowing changes in a buffer. | |
992 | |
993 @item prevent_redisplay_optimizations_p | |
994 this flag indicates that redisplay optimizations should not be used | |
995 to display this buffer. | |
996 | |
997 @item undo_list | |
998 This field points to the buffer's undo list. @xref{Undo}. | |
999 | |
1000 @item name | |
1001 The buffer name is a string that names the buffer. It is guaranteed to | |
1002 be unique. @xref{Buffer Names}. | |
1003 | |
1004 @item filename | |
1005 The name of the file visited in this buffer, or @code{nil}. | |
1006 | |
1007 @item directory | |
1008 The directory for expanding relative file names. | |
1009 | |
1010 @item save_length | |
1011 Length of the file this buffer is visiting, when last read or saved. | |
1012 This and other fields concerned with saving are not kept in the | |
1013 @code{buffer_text} structure because indirect buffers are never saved. | |
1014 | |
1015 @item auto_save_file_name | |
1016 File name used for auto-saving this buffer. This is not in the | |
1017 @code{buffer_text} because it's not used in indirect buffers at all. | |
1018 | |
1019 @item read_only | |
1020 Non-@code{nil} means this buffer is read-only. | |
1021 | |
1022 @item mark | |
1023 This field contains the mark for the buffer. The mark is a marker, | |
1024 hence it is also included on the list @code{markers}. @xref{The Mark}. | |
1025 | |
1026 @item local_var_alist | |
1027 This field contains the association list describing the buffer-local | |
1028 variable bindings of this buffer, not including the built-in | |
1029 buffer-local bindings that have special slots in the buffer object. | |
1030 (Those slots are omitted from this table.) @xref{Buffer-Local | |
1031 Variables}. | |
1032 | |
1033 @item major_mode | |
1034 Symbol naming the major mode of this buffer, e.g., @code{lisp-mode}. | |
1035 | |
1036 @item mode_name | |
1037 Pretty name of major mode, e.g., @code{"Lisp"}. | |
1038 | |
1039 @item mode_line_format | |
1040 Mode line element that controls the format of the mode line. If this | |
1041 is @code{nil}, no mode line will be displayed. | |
1042 | |
1043 @item header_line_format | |
1044 This field is analogous to @code{mode_line_format} for the mode | |
1045 line displayed at the top of windows. | |
1046 | |
1047 @item keymap | |
1048 This field holds the buffer's local keymap. @xref{Keymaps}. | |
1049 | |
1050 @item abbrev_table | |
1051 This buffer's local abbrevs. | |
1052 | |
1053 @item syntax_table | |
1054 This field contains the syntax table for the buffer. @xref{Syntax Tables}. | |
1055 | |
1056 @item category_table | |
1057 This field contains the category table for the buffer. | |
1058 | |
1059 @item case_fold_search | |
1060 The value of @code{case-fold-search} in this buffer. | |
1061 | |
1062 @item tab_width | |
1063 The value of @code{tab-width} in this buffer. | |
1064 | |
1065 @item fill_column | |
1066 The value of @code{fill-column} in this buffer. | |
1067 | |
1068 @item left_margin | |
1069 The value of @code{left-margin} in this buffer. | |
1070 | |
1071 @item auto_fill_function | |
1072 The value of @code{auto-fill-function} in this buffer. | |
1073 | |
1074 @item downcase_table | |
1075 This field contains the conversion table for converting text to lower case. | |
1076 @xref{Case Tables}. | |
1077 | |
1078 @item upcase_table | |
1079 This field contains the conversion table for converting text to upper case. | |
1080 @xref{Case Tables}. | |
1081 | |
1082 @item case_canon_table | |
1083 This field contains the conversion table for canonicalizing text for | |
1084 case-folding search. @xref{Case Tables}. | |
1085 | |
1086 @item case_eqv_table | |
1087 This field contains the equivalence table for case-folding search. | |
1088 @xref{Case Tables}. | |
1089 | |
1090 @item truncate_lines | |
1091 The value of @code{truncate-lines} in this buffer. | |
1092 | |
1093 @item ctl_arrow | |
1094 The value of @code{ctl-arrow} in this buffer. | |
1095 | |
1096 @item selective_display | |
1097 The value of @code{selective-display} in this buffer. | |
1098 | |
1099 @item selective_display_ellipsis | |
1100 The value of @code{selective-display-ellipsis} in this buffer. | |
1101 | |
1102 @item minor_modes | |
1103 An alist of the minor modes of this buffer. | |
1104 | |
1105 @item overwrite_mode | |
1106 The value of @code{overwrite_mode} in this buffer. | |
1107 | |
1108 @item abbrev_mode | |
1109 The value of @code{abbrev-mode} in this buffer. | |
1110 | |
1111 @item display_table | |
1112 This field contains the buffer's display table, or @code{nil} if it doesn't | |
1113 have one. @xref{Display Tables}. | |
1114 | |
1115 @item save_modified | |
1116 This field contains the time when the buffer was last saved, as an integer. | |
1117 @xref{Buffer Modification}. | |
1118 | |
1119 @item mark_active | |
1120 This field is non-@code{nil} if the buffer's mark is active. | |
1121 | |
1122 @item overlays_before | |
1123 This field holds a list of the overlays in this buffer that end at or | |
1124 before the current overlay center position. They are sorted in order of | |
1125 decreasing end position. | |
1126 | |
1127 @item overlays_after | |
1128 This field holds a list of the overlays in this buffer that end after | |
1129 the current overlay center position. They are sorted in order of | |
1130 increasing beginning position. | |
1131 | |
1132 @item overlay_center | |
1133 This field holds the current overlay center position. @xref{Overlays}. | |
1134 | |
1135 @item enable_multibyte_characters | |
1136 This field holds the buffer's local value of | |
1137 @code{enable-multibyte-characters}---either @code{t} or @code{nil}. | |
1138 | |
1139 @item buffer_file_coding_system | |
1140 The value of @code{buffer-file-coding-system} in this buffer. | |
1141 | |
1142 @item file_format | |
1143 The value of @code{buffer-file-format} in this buffer. | |
1144 | |
1145 @item auto_save_file_format | |
1146 The value of @code{buffer-auto-save-file-format} in this buffer. | |
1147 | |
1148 @item pt_marker | |
1149 In an indirect buffer, or a buffer that is the base of an indirect | |
1150 buffer, this holds a marker that records point for this buffer when the | |
1151 buffer is not current. | |
1152 | |
1153 @item begv_marker | |
1154 In an indirect buffer, or a buffer that is the base of an indirect | |
1155 buffer, this holds a marker that records @code{begv} for this buffer | |
1156 when the buffer is not current. | |
1157 | |
1158 @item zv_marker | |
1159 In an indirect buffer, or a buffer that is the base of an indirect | |
1160 buffer, this holds a marker that records @code{zv} for this buffer when | |
1161 the buffer is not current. | |
1162 | |
1163 @item file_truename | |
1164 The truename of the visited file, or @code{nil}. | |
1165 | |
1166 @item invisibility_spec | |
1167 The value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} in this buffer. | |
1168 | |
1169 @item last_selected_window | |
1170 This is the last window that was selected with this buffer in it, or @code{nil} | |
1171 if that window no longer displays this buffer. | |
1172 | |
1173 @item display_count | |
1174 This field is incremented each time the buffer is displayed in a window. | |
1175 | |
1176 @item left_margin_width | |
1177 The value of @code{left-margin-width} in this buffer. | |
1178 | |
1179 @item right_margin_width | |
1180 The value of @code{right-margin-width} in this buffer. | |
1181 | |
1182 @item indicate_empty_lines | |
1183 Non-@code{nil} means indicate empty lines (lines with no text) with a | |
1184 small bitmap in the fringe, when using a window system that can do it. | |
1185 | |
1186 @item display_time | |
1187 This holds a time stamp that is updated each time this buffer is | |
1188 displayed in a window. | |
1189 | |
1190 @item scroll_up_aggressively | |
1191 The value of @code{scroll-up-aggressively} in this buffer. | |
1192 | |
1193 @item scroll_down_aggressively | |
1194 The value of @code{scroll-down-aggressively} in this buffer. | |
1195 @end table | |
1196 | |
1197 @node Window Internals | |
1198 @appendixsubsec Window Internals | |
1199 @cindex internals, of window | |
1200 @cindex window internals | |
1201 | |
1202 Windows have the following accessible fields: | |
1203 | |
1204 @table @code | |
1205 @item frame | |
1206 The frame that this window is on. | |
1207 | |
1208 @item mini_p | |
1209 Non-@code{nil} if this window is a minibuffer window. | |
1210 | |
1211 @item parent | |
1212 Internally, Emacs arranges windows in a tree; each group of siblings has | |
1213 a parent window whose area includes all the siblings. This field points | |
1214 to a window's parent. | |
1215 | |
1216 Parent windows do not display buffers, and play little role in display | |
1217 except to shape their child windows. Emacs Lisp programs usually have | |
1218 no access to the parent windows; they operate on the windows at the | |
1219 leaves of the tree, which actually display buffers. | |
1220 | |
1221 The following four fields also describe the window tree structure. | |
1222 | |
1223 @item hchild | |
1224 In a window subdivided horizontally by child windows, the leftmost child. | |
1225 Otherwise, @code{nil}. | |
1226 | |
1227 @item vchild | |
1228 In a window subdivided vertically by child windows, the topmost child. | |
1229 Otherwise, @code{nil}. | |
1230 | |
1231 @item next | |
1232 The next sibling of this window. It is @code{nil} in a window that is | |
1233 the rightmost or bottommost of a group of siblings. | |
1234 | |
1235 @item prev | |
1236 The previous sibling of this window. It is @code{nil} in a window that | |
1237 is the leftmost or topmost of a group of siblings. | |
1238 | |
1239 @item left | |
1240 This is the left-hand edge of the window, measured in columns. (The | |
1241 leftmost column on the screen is @w{column 0}.) | |
1242 | |
1243 @item top | |
1244 This is the top edge of the window, measured in lines. (The top line on | |
1245 the screen is @w{line 0}.) | |
1246 | |
1247 @item height | |
1248 The height of the window, measured in lines. | |
1249 | |
1250 @item width | |
1251 The width of the window, measured in columns. This width includes the | |
1252 scroll bar and fringes, and/or the separator line on the right of the | |
1253 window (if any). | |
1254 | |
1255 @item buffer | |
1256 The buffer that the window is displaying. This may change often during | |
1257 the life of the window. | |
1258 | |
1259 @item start | |
1260 The position in the buffer that is the first character to be displayed | |
1261 in the window. | |
1262 | |
1263 @item pointm | |
1264 @cindex window point internals | |
1265 This is the value of point in the current buffer when this window is | |
1266 selected; when it is not selected, it retains its previous value. | |
1267 | |
1268 @item force_start | |
1269 If this flag is non-@code{nil}, it says that the window has been | |
1270 scrolled explicitly by the Lisp program. This affects what the next | |
1271 redisplay does if point is off the screen: instead of scrolling the | |
1272 window to show the text around point, it moves point to a location that | |
1273 is on the screen. | |
1274 | |
1275 @item frozen_window_start_p | |
1276 This field is set temporarily to 1 to indicate to redisplay that | |
1277 @code{start} of this window should not be changed, even if point | |
1278 gets invisible. | |
1279 | |
1280 @item start_at_line_beg | |
1281 Non-@code{nil} means current value of @code{start} was the beginning of a line | |
1282 when it was chosen. | |
1283 | |
1284 @item too_small_ok | |
1285 Non-@code{nil} means don't delete this window for becoming ``too small.'' | |
1286 | |
1287 @item height_fixed_p | |
1288 This field is temporarily set to 1 to fix the height of the selected | |
1289 window when the echo area is resized. | |
1290 | |
1291 @item use_time | |
1292 This is the last time that the window was selected. The function | |
1293 @code{get-lru-window} uses this field. | |
1294 | |
1295 @item sequence_number | |
1296 A unique number assigned to this window when it was created. | |
1297 | |
1298 @item last_modified | |
1299 The @code{modiff} field of the window's buffer, as of the last time | |
1300 a redisplay completed in this window. | |
1301 | |
1302 @item last_overlay_modified | |
1303 The @code{overlay_modiff} field of the window's buffer, as of the last | |
1304 time a redisplay completed in this window. | |
1305 | |
1306 @item last_point | |
1307 The buffer's value of point, as of the last time a redisplay completed | |
1308 in this window. | |
1309 | |
1310 @item last_had_star | |
1311 A non-@code{nil} value means the window's buffer was ``modified'' when the | |
1312 window was last updated. | |
1313 | |
1314 @item vertical_scroll_bar | |
1315 This window's vertical scroll bar. | |
1316 | |
1317 @item left_margin_width | |
1318 The width of the left margin in this window, or @code{nil} not to | |
1319 specify it (in which case the buffer's value of @code{left-margin-width} | |
1320 is used. | |
1321 | |
1322 @item right_margin_width | |
1323 Likewise for the right margin. | |
1324 | |
1325 @ignore | |
1326 @item last_mark_x | |
1327 @item last_mark_y | |
1328 ???Not used. | |
1329 @end ignore | |
1330 | |
1331 @item window_end_pos | |
1332 This is computed as @code{z} minus the buffer position of the last glyph | |
1333 in the current matrix of the window. The value is only valid if | |
1334 @code{window_end_valid} is not @code{nil}. | |
1335 | |
1336 @item window_end_bytepos | |
1337 The byte position corresponding to @code{window_end_pos}. | |
1338 | |
1339 @item window_end_vpos | |
1340 The window-relative vertical position of the line containing | |
1341 @code{window_end_pos}. | |
1342 | |
1343 @item window_end_valid | |
1344 This field is set to a non-@code{nil} value if @code{window_end_pos} is truly | |
1345 valid. This is @code{nil} if nontrivial redisplay is preempted since in that | |
1346 case the display that @code{window_end_pos} was computed for did not get | |
1347 onto the screen. | |
1348 | |
1349 @item redisplay_end_trigger | |
1350 If redisplay in this window goes beyond this buffer position, it runs | |
1351 the @code{redisplay-end-trigger-hook}. | |
1352 | |
1353 @ignore | |
1354 @item orig_height | |
1355 @item orig_top | |
1356 ??? Are temporary storage areas. | |
1357 @end ignore | |
1358 | |
1359 @item cursor | |
1360 A structure describing where the cursor is in this window. | |
1361 | |
1362 @item last_cursor | |
1363 The value of @code{cursor} as of the last redisplay that finished. | |
1364 | |
1365 @item phys_cursor | |
1366 A structure describing where the cursor of this window physically is. | |
1367 | |
1368 @item phys_cursor_type | |
1369 The type of cursor that was last displayed on this window. | |
1370 | |
1371 @item phys_cursor_on_p | |
1372 This field is non-zero if the cursor is physically on. | |
1373 | |
1374 @item cursor_off_p | |
1375 Non-zero means the cursor in this window is logically on. | |
1376 | |
1377 @item last_cursor_off_p | |
1378 This field contains the value of @code{cursor_off_p} as of the time of | |
1379 the last redisplay. | |
1380 | |
1381 @item must_be_updated_p | |
1382 This is set to 1 during redisplay when this window must be updated. | |
1383 | |
1384 @item hscroll | |
1385 This is the number of columns that the display in the window is scrolled | |
1386 horizontally to the left. Normally, this is 0. | |
1387 | |
1388 @item vscroll | |
1389 Vertical scroll amount, in pixels. Normally, this is 0. | |
1390 | |
1391 @item dedicated | |
1392 Non-@code{nil} if this window is dedicated to its buffer. | |
1393 | |
1394 @item display_table | |
1395 The window's display table, or @code{nil} if none is specified for it. | |
1396 | |
1397 @item update_mode_line | |
1398 Non-@code{nil} means this window's mode line needs to be updated. | |
1399 | |
1400 @item base_line_number | |
1401 The line number of a certain position in the buffer, or @code{nil}. | |
1402 This is used for displaying the line number of point in the mode line. | |
1403 | |
1404 @item base_line_pos | |
1405 The position in the buffer for which the line number is known, or | |
1406 @code{nil} meaning none is known. | |
1407 | |
1408 @item region_showing | |
1409 If the region (or part of it) is highlighted in this window, this field | |
1410 holds the mark position that made one end of that region. Otherwise, | |
1411 this field is @code{nil}. | |
1412 | |
1413 @item column_number_displayed | |
1414 The column number currently displayed in this window's mode line, or @code{nil} | |
1415 if column numbers are not being displayed. | |
1416 | |
1417 @item current_matrix | |
1418 A glyph matrix describing the current display of this window. | |
1419 | |
1420 @item desired_matrix | |
1421 A glyph matrix describing the desired display of this window. | |
1422 @end table | |
1423 | |
1424 @node Process Internals | |
1425 @appendixsubsec Process Internals | |
1426 @cindex internals, of process | |
1427 @cindex process internals | |
1428 | |
1429 The fields of a process are: | |
1430 | |
1431 @table @code | |
1432 @item name | |
1433 A string, the name of the process. | |
1434 | |
1435 @item command | |
1436 A list containing the command arguments that were used to start this | |
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1437 process. For a network or serial process, it is @code{nil} if the |
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1438 process is running or @code{t} if the process is stopped. |
84076 | 1439 |
1440 @item filter | |
1441 A function used to accept output from the process instead of a buffer, | |
1442 or @code{nil}. | |
1443 | |
1444 @item sentinel | |
1445 A function called whenever the process receives a signal, or @code{nil}. | |
1446 | |
1447 @item buffer | |
1448 The associated buffer of the process. | |
1449 | |
1450 @item pid | |
1451 An integer, the operating system's process @acronym{ID}. | |
1452 | |
1453 @item childp | |
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1454 |
84076 | 1455 A flag, non-@code{nil} if this is really a child process. |
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1456 It is @code{nil} for a network or serial connection. |
84076 | 1457 |
1458 @item mark | |
1459 A marker indicating the position of the end of the last output from this | |
1460 process inserted into the buffer. This is often but not always the end | |
1461 of the buffer. | |
1462 | |
1463 @item kill_without_query | |
1464 If this is non-@code{nil}, killing Emacs while this process is still | |
1465 running does not ask for confirmation about killing the process. | |
1466 | |
1467 @item raw_status_low | |
1468 @itemx raw_status_high | |
1469 These two fields record 16 bits each of the process status returned by | |
1470 the @code{wait} system call. | |
1471 | |
1472 @item status | |
1473 The process status, as @code{process-status} should return it. | |
1474 | |
1475 @item tick | |
1476 @itemx update_tick | |
1477 If these two fields are not equal, a change in the status of the process | |
1478 needs to be reported, either by running the sentinel or by inserting a | |
1479 message in the process buffer. | |
1480 | |
1481 @item pty_flag | |
1482 Non-@code{nil} if communication with the subprocess uses a @acronym{PTY}; | |
1483 @code{nil} if it uses a pipe. | |
1484 | |
1485 @item infd | |
1486 The file descriptor for input from the process. | |
1487 | |
1488 @item outfd | |
1489 The file descriptor for output to the process. | |
1490 | |
1491 @item subtty | |
1492 The file descriptor for the terminal that the subprocess is using. (On | |
1493 some systems, there is no need to record this, so the value is | |
1494 @code{nil}.) | |
1495 | |
1496 @item tty_name | |
1497 The name of the terminal that the subprocess is using, | |
1498 or @code{nil} if it is using pipes. | |
1499 | |
1500 @item decode_coding_system | |
1501 Coding-system for decoding the input from this process. | |
1502 | |
1503 @item decoding_buf | |
1504 A working buffer for decoding. | |
1505 | |
1506 @item decoding_carryover | |
1507 Size of carryover in decoding. | |
1508 | |
1509 @item encode_coding_system | |
1510 Coding-system for encoding the output to this process. | |
1511 | |
1512 @item encoding_buf | |
1513 A working buffer for encoding. | |
1514 | |
1515 @item encoding_carryover | |
1516 Size of carryover in encoding. | |
1517 | |
1518 @item inherit_coding_system_flag | |
1519 Flag to set @code{coding-system} of the process buffer from the | |
1520 coding system used to decode process output. | |
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1521 |
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1522 @item type |
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1523 Symbol indicating the type of process: @code{real}, @code{network}, |
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1524 @code{serial} |
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1525 |
84076 | 1526 @end table |
1527 | |
1528 @ignore | |
1529 arch-tag: 4b2c33bc-d7e4-43f5-bc20-27c0db52a53e | |
1530 @end ignore |