comparison lispintro/emacs-lisp-intro.texi @ 53099:0d765aaa0e44

In node defvar and asterisk, following suggestions by Juri Linkov <[e-mail]>, describe using the set-variable command to set values temporarily and to show a list of variables by using completion.

53098:dc99e50c977c

@c clear print-postscript-figures
@c ---------

@comment %**end of header

@set edition-number 2.11
@set update-date 2003 Nov 16

@ignore
 ## Summary of shell commands to create various output formats:

    ## Info output

In the past, Emacs used the @code{defvar} special form both for
internal variables that you would not expect a user to change and for
variables that you do expect a user to change.  Although you can still
use @code{defvar} for user customizable variables, please use
@code{defcustom} instead, since that special form provides a path into
the Customization commands.  (@xref{defcustom, , Setting Variables
with @code{defcustom}}.)

When you specified a variable using the @code{defvar} special form,
you could distinguish a readily settable variable from others by
typing an asterisk, @samp{*}, in the first column of its documentation
string.  For example:

  "*Buffer name for `shell-command' @dots{} error output.
@dots{} ")
@end group
@end smallexample

@ignore
@c commented out on 2003 Nov 17, since edit-options no longer described

@noindent
This means that you could (and still can) use the @code{edit-options}
command to change the value of
@code{shell-command-default-error-buffer} temporarily.

@findex edit-options
However, options set using @code{edit-options} are set only for the
duration of your editing session.  The new values are not saved
between sessions.  Each time Emacs starts, it reads the original
value, unless you change the value within your @file{.emacs} file,
either by setting it manually or by using @code{customize}.
@xref{Emacs Initialization, , Your @file{.emacs} File}.

For me, the major use of the @code{edit-options} command is to suggest
variables that I might want to set in my @file{.emacs} file.  I urge
you to look through the list.
@end ignore

@node copy-region-as-kill, cons & search-fwd Review, defvar, Cutting & Storing Text
@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@section @code{copy-region-as-kill}
@findex copy-region-as-kill

@smallexample
(custom-set-variables '(eval-expression-print-length nil))
@end smallexample

@noindent
(@xref{defcustom, , Setting Variables with @code{defcustom}}.
Then evaluate the @code{lengths-list-file} expression.)

@need 1200
The lengths' list for @file{debug.el} takes less than a second to
produce and looks like this:

@noindent
The name of the variable is @code{text-mode-hook}; it has no default
value; and its documentation string tells you what it does.

The @code{:type} keyword tells Emacs what kind of data
@code{text-mode-hook} should be set to and how to display the value in
a Customization buffer.

The @code{:options} keyword specifies a suggested list of values for
the variable.  Currently, you can use @code{:options} only for a hook.
The list is only a suggestion; it is not exclusive; a person who sets
the variable may set it to other values; the list shown following the

53099:0d765aaa0e44

@c clear print-postscript-figures
@c ---------

@comment %**end of header

@set edition-number 2.12
@set update-date 2003 Nov 19

@ignore
 ## Summary of shell commands to create various output formats:

    ## Info output

In the past, Emacs used the @code{defvar} special form both for
internal variables that you would not expect a user to change and for
variables that you do expect a user to change.  Although you can still
use @code{defvar} for user customizable variables, please use
@code{defcustom} instead, since that special form provides a path into
the Customization commands.  (@xref{defcustom, , Specifying Variables
using @code{defcustom}}.)

When you specified a variable using the @code{defvar} special form,
you could distinguish a readily settable variable from others by
typing an asterisk, @samp{*}, in the first column of its documentation
string.  For example:

  "*Buffer name for `shell-command' @dots{} error output.
@dots{} ")
@end group
@end smallexample

@findex set-variable
@noindent
You could (and still can) use the @code{set-variable} command to
change the value of @code{shell-command-default-error-buffer}
temporarily.  However, options set using @code{set-variable} are set
only for the duration of your editing session.  The new values are not
saved between sessions.  Each time Emacs starts, it reads the original
value, unless you change the value within your @file{.emacs} file,
either by setting it manually or by using @code{customize}.
@xref{Emacs Initialization, , Your @file{.emacs} File}.

For me, the major use of the @code{set-variable} command is to suggest
variables that I might want to set in my @file{.emacs} file.  There
are now more than 700 such variables --- far too many to remember
readily.  Fortunately, you can press @key{TAB} after calling the
@code{M-x set-variable} command to see the list of variables.
(@xref{Examining, , Examining and Setting Variables, emacs,
The GNU Emacs Manual}.)

@node copy-region-as-kill, cons & search-fwd Review, defvar, Cutting & Storing Text
@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@section @code{copy-region-as-kill}
@findex copy-region-as-kill

@smallexample
(custom-set-variables '(eval-expression-print-length nil))
@end smallexample

@noindent
(@xref{defcustom, , Specifying Variables using @code{defcustom}}.)
Then evaluate the @code{lengths-list-file} expression.)

@need 1200
The lengths' list for @file{debug.el} takes less than a second to
produce and looks like this:

@noindent
The name of the variable is @code{text-mode-hook}; it has no default
value; and its documentation string tells you what it does.

The @code{:type} keyword tells Emacs the kind of data to which
@code{text-mode-hook} should be set and how to display the value in a
Customization buffer.

The @code{:options} keyword specifies a suggested list of values for
the variable.  Currently, you can use @code{:options} only for a hook.
The list is only a suggestion; it is not exclusive; a person who sets
the variable may set it to other values; the list shown following the