comparison lispref/text.texi @ 15760:0489cb739a5f

(Lazy Properties): New node. (buffer-undo-list): New type of element for marker adjustment.

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@example
(put-text-property @var{beg} @var{end} @var{property} @var{value})
@end example

@item @var{position}
This element indicates where point was at an earlier time.  Undoing this
element sets point to @var{position}.  Deletion normally creates an
element of this kind as well as a reinsertion element.

* Format Properties::           Properties for representing formatting of text.
* Sticky Properties::           How inserted text gets properties from
                                  neighboring text.
* Saving Properties::           Saving text properties in files, and reading
                                  them back.
* Not Intervals::		Why text properties do not use
				  Lisp-visible text intervals.
@end menu

@node Examining Properties

@xref{Format Conversion}, for a related feature.

@c ??? In next edition, merge this info Format Conversion.

@node Not Intervals
@subsection Why Text Properties are not Intervals
@cindex intervals

  Some editors that support adding attributes to text in the buffer do

15760:0489cb739a5f

@example
(put-text-property @var{beg} @var{end} @var{property} @var{value})
@end example

@item (@var{marker} . @var{adjustment})
This kind of element records the fact that the marker @var{marker} was
relocated due to deletion of surrounding text, and that it moved
@var{adjustment} character positions.  Undoing this element moves
@var{marker} @minus{} @var{adjustment} characters.

@item @var{position}
This element indicates where point was at an earlier time.  Undoing this
element sets point to @var{position}.  Deletion normally creates an
element of this kind as well as a reinsertion element.

* Format Properties::           Properties for representing formatting of text.
* Sticky Properties::           How inserted text gets properties from
                                  neighboring text.
* Saving Properties::           Saving text properties in files, and reading
                                  them back.
* Lazy Properties::             Computing text properties in a lazy fashion
                                  only when text is examined.
* Not Intervals::		Why text properties do not use
				  Lisp-visible text intervals.
@end menu

@node Examining Properties

@xref{Format Conversion}, for a related feature.

@c ??? In next edition, merge this info Format Conversion.

@node Lazy Properties
@subsection Lazy Computation of Text Properties

  Instead of computing text properties for all the text in the buffer,
you can arrange to compute the text properties for parts of the text
when and if something depends on them.

  The primitive that extracts text from the buffer along with its
properties is @code{buffer-substring}.  Before examining the properties,
this function runs the abnormal hook @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions}.

@defvar buffer-access-fontify-functions
This variable holds a list of functions for computing text properties.
Before @code{buffer-substring} copies the text and text properties for a
portion of the buffer, it calls all the functions in this list.  Each of
the functions receives two arguments that specify the range of the
buffer being accessed.  (The buffer itself is always the current
buffer.)
@end defvar

  The function @code{buffer-substring-no-properties} does not call these
functions, since it ignores text properties anyway.

  In order to prevent the hook functions from being called more than
once for the same part of the buffer, you can use the variable
@code{buffer-access-fontified-property}.

@defvar buffer-access-fontified-property
If this value's variable is non-@code{nil}, it is a symbol which is used
as a text property name.  A non-@code{nil} value for that text property
means, ``the other text properties for this character have already been
computed.''

If all the characters in the range specified for @code{buffer-substring}
have a non-@code{nil} value for this property, @code{buffer-substring}
does not call the @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions.  It
assumes these characters already have the right text properties, and
just copies the properties they already have.

The normal way to use this feature is that the
@code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions add this property, as
well as others, to the characters they operate on.  That way, they avoid
being called over and over for the same text.
@end defvar

@node Not Intervals
@subsection Why Text Properties are not Intervals
@cindex intervals

  Some editors that support adding attributes to text in the buffer do