comparison doc/misc/faq.texi @ 103418:1df3381b5a57

(Setting up a customization file): Grammar fix. Customize is no longer "new". (Displaying the current line or column): Line-number mode is on by default. Don't mention `column' package. Mention linum.el. (Turning on abbrevs by default): Explain how to do it for buffers, modes, and everywhere. (Associating modes with files): Use add-to-list. Don't mention Emacs 19. (Highlighting a region): On by default since 23.1. (Replacing highlighted text): Update doc quote. (Working with unprintable characters): Don't mention search-quote-char. (Using an already running Emacs process): Gnuclient is probably not an enhancement these days. (Indenting switch statements): Remove mention of pre-Emacs 20. (Horizontal scrolling): Abbreviate Emacs 20 description. (Replacing text across multiple files): Fix name of dired command. (Disabling backups): Use require not load.

103417:5cf7afafabf1

@c ------------------------------------------------------------
@node Status of Emacs
@chapter Status of Emacs
@cindex Status of Emacs

This chapter gives you basic information about Emacs, including its
latest version status.

@menu
* Origin of the term Emacs::
* Latest version of Emacs::
* New in Emacs 20::

@cindex Init file, setting up
@cindex Customization file, setting up

@inforef{Init File, Init File, emacs}.

In general, new Emacs users should not have @file{.emacs} files, because
it causes confusing non-standard behavior.  Then they send questions to
@email{help-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} asking why Emacs isn't behaving as
documented.

Beginning with version 20.1, Emacs includes the new Customize facility
(@pxref{Using Customize}).  This allows users who are unfamiliar with
Emacs Lisp to modify their @file{.emacs} files in a relatively
straightforward way, using menus rather than Lisp code.  Most packages
support Customize as of this writing.

While Customize might indeed make it easier to configure Emacs,
consider taking a bit of time to learn Emacs Lisp and modifying your
@file{.emacs} directly.  Simple configuration options are described
rather completely in @inforef{Init File, Init File, emacs}, for users

@cindex Displaying the current line or column
@cindex Line number, displaying the current
@cindex Column, displaying the current
@cindex @code{mode-line-format}

To have Emacs automatically display the current line number of the point
in the mode line, do @kbd{M-x line-number-mode}.  You can also put the
form

@lisp
(setq line-number-mode t)
@end lisp

@noindent
in your @file{.emacs} file to achieve this whenever you start Emacs.
(Line number display is on by default, unless your site-specific
initialization disables it.) Note that Emacs will not display the line
number if the buffer's size in bytes is larger than the value of the
variable @code{line-number-display-limit}.

You can similarly display the current column with
@kbd{M-x column-number-mode}, or by putting the form

@lisp
(setq column-number-mode t)
@end lisp

@noindent
in your @file{.emacs} file.

The @code{"%c"} format specifier in the variable @code{mode-line-format}
will insert the current column's value into the mode line.  See the
documentation for @code{mode-line-format} (using @kbd{C-h v
mode-line-format @key{RET}}) for more information on how to set and use
this variable.

Users of all Emacs versions can display the current column using the
@samp{column} package written by @email{abraham@@dina.kvl.dk, Per
Abrahamsen}.  @xref{Packages that do not come with Emacs}, for
instructions on how to get it.

@cindex Set number capability in @code{vi} emulators
None of the @code{vi} emulation modes provide the ``set number''
capability of @code{vi} (as far as we know).  The @samp{setnu} package
written by @email{kyle@@wonderworks.com, Kyle Jones} provides this
feature.  So too does @samp{wb-line-number}, written by
@email{naoki.y.nakamura@@nifty.com, Naoki Nakamura}.

@node Displaying the current file name in the titlebar
@section How can I modify the titlebar to contain the current file name?
@cindex Titlebar, displaying the current file name in
@cindex File name, displaying in the titlebar

@node Turning on abbrevs by default
@section How do I turn on abbrevs by default just in mode @var{mymode}?
@cindex Abbrevs, turning on by default

Put this in your @file{.emacs} file:

@lisp
(condition-case ()
   (quietly-read-abbrev-file)
  (file-error nil))

(add-hook '@var{mymode}-mode-hook
          (lambda ()
           (setq abbrev-mode t)))
@end lisp

Starting with Emacs 22, the standard abbrevs file is read automatically
at startup, so the first of these two forms becomes unnecessary.

@node Associating modes with files
@section How do I make Emacs use a certain major mode for certain files?
@cindex Associating modes with files
@cindex File extensions and modes

If you want to use a certain mode @var{foo} for all files whose names end
with the extension @file{.@var{bar}}, this will do it for you:

@lisp
(setq auto-mode-alist (cons '("\\.@var{bar}\\'" . @var{foo}-mode) auto-mode-alist))
@end lisp

Otherwise put this somewhere in the first line of any file you want to
edit in the mode @var{foo} (in the second line, if the first line begins
with @samp{#!}):

@example
-*- @var{foo} -*-
@end example

@cindex Major mode for shell scripts
Beginning with Emacs 19, the variable @code{interpreter-mode-alist}
specifies which mode to use when loading a shell script.  (Emacs
determines which interpreter you're using by examining the first line of
the script.)  Use @kbd{C-h v} (or @kbd{M-x describe-variable})
on @code{interpreter-mode-alist} to learn more.

@node Highlighting a region
@section How can I highlight a region of text in Emacs?
@cindex Highlighting text
@cindex Text, highlighting

You can cause the region to be highlighted when the mark is active by
including

@lisp
(transient-mark-mode t)
@end lisp

@noindent
in your @file{.emacs} file.

@node Replacing highlighted text
@section How can I replace highlighted text with what I type?
@cindex @code{delete-selection-mode}
@cindex Replacing highlighted text

According to the documentation string for @code{delete-selection-mode}
(which you can read using @kbd{M-x describe-function @key{RET}
delete-selection-mode @key{RET}}):

@quotation
When ON, typed text replaces the selection if the selection is active.
When OFF, typed text is just inserted at point.
@end quotation

This mode also allows you to delete (not kill) the highlighted region by
pressing @key{DEL}.

@cindex @code{case-fold-search}
@cindex Case sensitivity of searches
@cindex Searching without case sensitivity
@cindex Ignoring case in searches

For searching, the value of the variable @code{case-fold-search}
determines whether they are case sensitive:

@lisp
(setq case-fold-search nil) ; make searches case sensitive
(setq case-fold-search t)   ; make searches case insensitive
@end lisp

@cindex Eight-bit characters, working with
@cindex Searching for unprintable characters
@cindex Regexps and unprintable characters

To search for a single character that appears in the buffer as, for
example, @samp{\237}, you can type @kbd{C-s C-q 2 3 7}.  (This assumes
the value of @code{search-quote-char} is 17 (i.e., @kbd{C-q}).)
Searching for @strong{all} unprintable characters is best done with a
regular expression (@dfn{regexp}) search.  The easiest regexp to use for
the unprintable chars is the complement of the regexp for the printable
chars.

@kbd{M-x server-edit}) to indicate this.  If there is another buffer
requested by @code{emacsclient}, Emacs will switch to it; otherwise
@code{emacsclient} will exit, signaling the calling program to continue.

@cindex @code{gnuserv}
There is an enhanced version of @samp{emacsclient} called
@samp{gnuserv}, written by @email{ange@@hplb.hpl.hp.com, Andy Norman}
(@pxref{Packages that do not come with Emacs}).  @samp{gnuserv} uses
Internet domain sockets, so it can work across most network connections.

The most recent @samp{gnuserv} package is available at

      x3;
  @}
@}
@end example

The solution at first appears to be: set @code{c-indent-level} to 4 and
@code{c-label-offset} to -2.  However, this will give you an indentation
spacing of four instead of two.

The @emph{real} solution is to use @code{cc-mode} (the default mode for
C programming in Emacs 20 and later) and add the following line to your
@file{.emacs}:

@lisp
(c-set-offset 'case-label '+)
@end lisp

There appears to be no way to do this with the old @code{c-mode}.

@node Customizing C and C++ indentation
@section How to customize indentation in C, C@t{++}, and Java buffers?
@cindex Indentation, how to customize
@cindex Customize indentation

Note that this is overridden by the variable
@code{truncate-partial-width-windows} if that variable is non-nil
and the current buffer is not full-frame width.

In Emacs 20, use the @code{hscroll-mode}.  Here is some information from
the documentation, available by typing @kbd{C-h f hscroll-mode @key{RET}}:

Automatically scroll horizontally when the point moves off the
left or right edge of the window.

@itemize @minus
@item
Type @kbd{M-x hscroll-mode} to enable it in the current buffer.

@item
Type @kbd{M-x hscroll-global-mode} to enable it in every buffer.

@item
@code{turn-on-hscroll} is useful in mode hooks as in:

@lisp
(add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-hscroll)
@end lisp

@item
@code{hscroll-margin} controls how close the cursor can get to the
edge of the window.

@item
@code{hscroll-step-percent} controls how far to jump once we decide to do so.
@end itemize

@node Overwrite mode
@section How do I make Emacs ``typeover'' or ``overwrite'' instead of inserting?
@cindex @key{Insert}
@cindex @code{overwrite-mode}

@cindex Replacing strings across files
@cindex Multiple files, replacing across
@cindex Files, replacing strings across multiple
@cindex Recursive search/replace operations

As of Emacs 19.29, Dired mode (@kbd{M-x dired @key{RET}}, or @kbd{C-x
d}) supports the command @code{dired-do-query-replace} (@kbd{Q}), which
allows users to replace regular expressions in multiple files.

You can use this command to perform search/replace operations on
multiple files by following the following steps:

@itemize @bullet

load @code{dired-x} by adding the following to your @file{.emacs} file:

@lisp
(add-hook 'dired-load-hook
          (lambda ()
           (load "dired-x")))
@end lisp

With @code{dired-x} loaded, @kbd{M-o} toggles omitting in each dired buffer.
You can make omitting the default for new dired buffers by putting the
following in your @file{.emacs}:

103418:1df3381b5a57

@c ------------------------------------------------------------
@node Status of Emacs
@chapter Status of Emacs
@cindex Status of Emacs

This chapter gives you basic information about Emacs, including the
status of its latest version.

@menu
* Origin of the term Emacs::
* Latest version of Emacs::
* New in Emacs 20::

@cindex Init file, setting up
@cindex Customization file, setting up

@inforef{Init File, Init File, emacs}.

In general, new Emacs users should not be provided with @file{.emacs}
files, because this can cause confusing non-standard behavior.  Then
they send questions to @email{help-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} asking why Emacs
isn't behaving as documented.

Emacs includes the Customize facility (@pxref{Using Customize}).  This
allows users who are unfamiliar with Emacs Lisp to modify their
@file{.emacs} files in a relatively straightforward way, using menus
rather than Lisp code.

While Customize might indeed make it easier to configure Emacs,
consider taking a bit of time to learn Emacs Lisp and modifying your
@file{.emacs} directly.  Simple configuration options are described
rather completely in @inforef{Init File, Init File, emacs}, for users

@cindex Displaying the current line or column
@cindex Line number, displaying the current
@cindex Column, displaying the current
@cindex @code{mode-line-format}

By default, Emacs displays the current line number of the point in the
mode line.  You can toggle this feature off or on with the command
@kbd{M-x line-number-mode}, or by setting the variable
@code{line-number-mode}.  Note that Emacs will not display the line
number if the buffer's size in bytes is larger than the value of the
variable @code{line-number-display-limit}.

You can similarly display the current column with
@kbd{M-x column-number-mode}, or by putting the form

@lisp
(setq column-number-mode t)
@end lisp

@noindent
in your @file{.emacs} file.  This feature is off by default.

The @code{"%c"} format specifier in the variable @code{mode-line-format}
will insert the current column's value into the mode line.  See the
documentation for @code{mode-line-format} (using @kbd{C-h v
mode-line-format @key{RET}}) for more information on how to set and use
this variable.

@cindex Set number capability in @code{vi} emulators
The @samp{linum} package (distributed with Emacs since version 23.1)
displays line numbers in the left margin, like the ``set number''
capability of @code{vi}.  The packages @samp{setnu} and
@samp{wb-line-number} (not distributed with Emacs) also implement this
feature.

@node Displaying the current file name in the titlebar
@section How can I modify the titlebar to contain the current file name?
@cindex Titlebar, displaying the current file name in
@cindex File name, displaying in the titlebar

@node Turning on abbrevs by default
@section How do I turn on abbrevs by default just in mode @var{mymode}?
@cindex Abbrevs, turning on by default

Abbrev mode expands abbreviations as you type them.  To turn it on in a
specific buffer, use @kbd{M-x abbrev-mode}.  To turn it on in every
buffer by default, put this in your @file{.emacs} file:

@lisp
(setq-default abbrev-mode t)
@end lisp

@noindent To turn it on in a specific mode, use:

@lisp
(add-hook '@var{mymode}-mode-hook
          (lambda ()
           (setq abbrev-mode t)))
@end lisp

@noindent If your Emacs version is older then 22.1, you will also need to use:

@lisp
(condition-case ()
   (quietly-read-abbrev-file)
  (file-error nil))
@end lisp

@node Associating modes with files
@section How do I make Emacs use a certain major mode for certain files?
@cindex Associating modes with files
@cindex File extensions and modes

If you want to use a certain mode @var{foo} for all files whose names end
with the extension @file{.@var{bar}}, this will do it for you:

@lisp
(add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.@var{bar}\\'" . @var{foo}-mode))
@end lisp

Alternatively, put this somewhere in the first line of any file you want to
edit in the mode @var{foo} (in the second line, if the first line begins
with @samp{#!}):

@example
-*- @var{foo} -*-
@end example

@cindex Major mode for shell scripts
The variable @code{interpreter-mode-alist} specifies which mode to use
when loading an interpreted script (e.g. shell, python, etc.).  Emacs
determines which interpreter you're using by examining the first line of
the script.  Use @kbd{C-h v} (or @kbd{M-x describe-variable}) on
@code{interpreter-mode-alist} to learn more.

@node Highlighting a region
@section How can I highlight a region of text in Emacs?
@cindex Highlighting text
@cindex Text, highlighting

You can cause the region to be highlighted when the mark is active by
including

@lisp
(transient-mark-mode 1)
@end lisp

@noindent
in your @file{.emacs} file.  Since Emacs 23.1, this feature is on by default.

@node Replacing highlighted text
@section How can I replace highlighted text with what I type?
@cindex @code{delete-selection-mode}
@cindex Replacing highlighted text

According to the documentation string for @code{delete-selection-mode}
(which you can read using @kbd{M-x describe-function @key{RET}
delete-selection-mode @key{RET}}):

@quotation
When Delete Selection mode is enabled, Transient Mark mode is also
enabled and typed text replaces the selection if the selection is
active.  Otherwise, typed text is just inserted at point regardless of
any selection.
@end quotation

This mode also allows you to delete (not kill) the highlighted region by
pressing @key{DEL}.

@cindex @code{case-fold-search}
@cindex Case sensitivity of searches
@cindex Searching without case sensitivity
@cindex Ignoring case in searches

@c FIXME
The value of the variable @code{case-fold-search} determines whether
searches are case sensitive:

@lisp
(setq case-fold-search nil) ; make searches case sensitive
(setq case-fold-search t)   ; make searches case insensitive
@end lisp

@cindex Eight-bit characters, working with
@cindex Searching for unprintable characters
@cindex Regexps and unprintable characters

To search for a single character that appears in the buffer as, for
example, @samp{\237}, you can type @kbd{C-s C-q 2 3 7}.
Searching for @strong{all} unprintable characters is best done with a
regular expression (@dfn{regexp}) search.  The easiest regexp to use for
the unprintable chars is the complement of the regexp for the printable
chars.

@kbd{M-x server-edit}) to indicate this.  If there is another buffer
requested by @code{emacsclient}, Emacs will switch to it; otherwise
@code{emacsclient} will exit, signaling the calling program to continue.

@cindex @code{gnuserv}
There is an alternative version of @samp{emacsclient} called
@samp{gnuserv}, written by @email{ange@@hplb.hpl.hp.com, Andy Norman}
(@pxref{Packages that do not come with Emacs}).  @samp{gnuserv} uses
Internet domain sockets, so it can work across most network connections.

The most recent @samp{gnuserv} package is available at

      x3;
  @}
@}
@end example

@noindent To achieve this, add the following line to your @file{.emacs}:

@lisp
(c-set-offset 'case-label '+)
@end lisp

@node Customizing C and C++ indentation
@section How to customize indentation in C, C@t{++}, and Java buffers?
@cindex Indentation, how to customize
@cindex Customize indentation

Note that this is overridden by the variable
@code{truncate-partial-width-windows} if that variable is non-nil
and the current buffer is not full-frame width.

In Emacs 20, use @code{hscroll-mode}.

@node Overwrite mode
@section How do I make Emacs ``typeover'' or ``overwrite'' instead of inserting?
@cindex @key{Insert}
@cindex @code{overwrite-mode}

@cindex Replacing strings across files
@cindex Multiple files, replacing across
@cindex Files, replacing strings across multiple
@cindex Recursive search/replace operations

Dired mode (@kbd{M-x dired @key{RET}}, or @kbd{C-x d}) supports the
command @code{dired-do-query-replace-regexp} (@kbd{Q}), which allows
users to replace regular expressions in multiple files.

You can use this command to perform search/replace operations on
multiple files by following the following steps:

@itemize @bullet

load @code{dired-x} by adding the following to your @file{.emacs} file:

@lisp
(add-hook 'dired-load-hook
          (lambda ()
           (require 'dired-x)))
@end lisp

With @code{dired-x} loaded, @kbd{M-o} toggles omitting in each dired buffer.
You can make omitting the default for new dired buffers by putting the
following in your @file{.emacs}: