comparison man/autotype.texi @ 26463:2bf82b32f9f8

Fix makeinfo errors.

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  When you want Emacs to insert a form letter or a typical construct of the
programming language you are using, skeletons are a means of accomplishing
this.  Normally skeletons each have a command of their own, that, when called,
will insert the skeleton.  These commands can be issued in the usual ways
(@xref{(emacs)Commands}).  Modes that offer various skeletons will often
bind these to key-sequences on the @kbd{C-c} prefix, as well as having
an @cite{Insert} menu and maybe even predefined abbrevs for them
(@xref{Skeletons as Abbrevs}).

  The simplest kind of skeleton will simply insert some text indented
according to the major mode and leave the cursor at a likely place in the
middle.  Interactive skeletons may prompt you for a string that will be part
of the inserted text.

put it in the middle of a form letter.  Skeletons provide a means for
accomplishing this, and can even, in the case of programming languages,
reindent the wrapped code for you.

  Skeleton commands take an optional numeric prefix argument
(@xref{(emacs)Arguments}).  This is interpreted in two different ways depending
on whether the prefix is positive, i.e. forwards oriented or negative,
i.e. backwards oriented.

  A positive prefix means to wrap the skeleton around that many
following words.  This is accomplished by putting the words there where
the point is normally left after that skeleton is inserted (@xref{Using
Skeletons}).  The point (@xref{(emacs)Point}) is left at the next
interesting spot in the skeleton instead.

  A negative prefix means to do something similar with that many precedingly
marked interregions (@xref{(emacs)Mark}).  In the simplest case, if you type
@kbd{M--} just before issuing the skeleton command, that will wrap the
skeleton around the current region, just like a positive argument would have
wrapped it around a number of words.

  Smaller negative arguments will wrap that many interregions into successive

@node Skeletons as Abbrevs
@chapter Skeletons as Abbrev Expansions
@cindex skeletons as abbrevs

  Rather than use a keybinding for every skeleton command, you can also
define an abbreviation (@xref{(emacs)Defining Abbrevs}) that will expand
(@xref{(emacs)Expanding Abbrevs}) into the skeleton.

  Say you want @samp{ifst} to be an abbreviation for the C language if
statement.  You will tell Emacs that @samp{ifst} expands to the empty string
and then calls the skeleton command.  In Emacs-lisp you can say something like
@code{(define-abbrev c-mode-abbrev-table "ifst" "" 'c-if)}.  Or you can edit

  The macro @code{define-skeleton} defines a command for interpreting a
skeleton.  The first argument is the command name, the second is a
documentation string, and the rest is an interactor and any number of skeleton
elements together forming a skeleton.  This skeleton is assigned to a variable
of the same name as the command and can thus be overridden from your
@file{~/.emacs} file (@xref{(emacs)Init File}).



@node Inserting Pairs
@chapter Inserting Matching Pairs of Characters

typing some of the stranger programming language symbols makes you bend your
fingers backwards, this can be quite relieving too.

@findex pair-insert-maybe
@vindex pair
  This is done by binding the first key (@xref{(emacs)Rebinding}) of the
pair to @code{pair-insert-maybe} instead of @code{self-insert-command}.
The maybe comes from the fact that this at first surprising behaviour is
initially turned off.  To enable it, you must set @code{pair} to some
non-@code{nil} value.  And even then, a positive argument
(@xref{(emacs)Arguments}) will make this key behave like a self
inserting key (@xref{(emacs)Inserting Text}).

@findex pair-on-word
  While this breaks with the stated intention of always balancing pairs, it
turns out that one often doesn't want pairing to occur, when the following
character is part of a word.  If you want pairing to occur even then, set

  Pairing is possible for all visible characters.  By default the parenthesis
`(', the square bracket `[', the brace `@{', the pointed bracket `<' and the
backquote ``' will all pair to the symmetrical character.  All other
characters will pair themselves.  This behaviour can be modified by the
variable @code{pair-alist}.  This is in fact an alist of skeletons
(@xref{Skeleton Language}), with the first part of each sublist matching the
typed character.  This is the position of the interactor, but since pairs
don't need the @code{str} element, this is ignored.

  Some modes have bound the command @code{pair-insert-maybe} to relevant keys.
These modes also configure the pairs as appropriate.  For example, when typing

  @kbd{M-x auto-insert} will put some predefined text at the beginning of
the buffer.  The main application for this function, as its name suggests,
is to have it be called automatically every time an empty, and only an
empty file is visited.  This is accomplished by putting @code{(add-hook
'find-file-hooks 'auto-insert)} into your @file{~/.emacs} file
(@xref{(emacs)Init File}).

@vindex auto-insert-alist
  What gets inserted, if anything, is determined by the variable
@code{auto-insert-alist}.  The @code{car}s of this list are each either a mode
name, making an element applicable when a buffer is in that mode.  Or they

mode name or regexp as above and an additional descriptive string.

  When a matching element is found, the @code{cdr} says what to do.  It may
be a string, which is a file name, whose contents are to be inserted, if
that file is found in the directory @code{auto-insert-directory} or under a
absolute file name.  Or it can be a skeleton (@xref{Skeleton Language}) to
be inserted.

  It can also be a function, which allows doing various things.  The function
can simply insert some text, indeed, it can be skeleton command (@xref{Using
Skeletons}).  It can be a lambda function which will for example conditionally
call another function.  Or it can even reset the mode for the buffer. If you
want to perform several such actions in order, you use a vector, i.e. several
of the above elements between square brackets ([...]).

  Ada mode files call the Ada header skeleton command.  Emacs lisp source
files insert the usual header, with a copyright of your environment variable
@code{$ORGANIZATION} or else the FSF, and prompt for valid keywords describing
the contents.  Files in a @code{bin/} directory for which Emacs could
determine no specialised mode (@xref{(emacs)Choosing Modes}) are set to Shell script
mode.

@findex define-auto-insert
  In Lisp (@xref{(emacs)Init File}) you can use the function @code{define-auto-insert}
to add to or modify @code{auto-insert-alist}.  See its documentation with
@kbd{C-h f auto-insert-alist}.

@vindex auto-insert
  The variable @code{auto-insert} says what to do when @code{auto-insert} is

@findex copyright
  @kbd{M-x copyright} is a skeleton inserting command, that adds a copyright
notice at the point.  The ``by'' part is taken from your environment variable
@code{$ORGANIZATION} or if that isn't set you are prompted for it.  If the
buffer has a comment syntax (@xref{(emacs)Comments}), this is inserted as a comment.

@findex copyright-update
@vindex copyright-limit
@vindex copyright-current-year
  @kbd{M-x copyright-update} looks for a copyright notice in the first

The current year (variable @code{copyright-current-year}) is added to the
existing ones, in the same format as the preceding year, i.e. 1994, '94 or 94.
If a dash-separated year list up to last year is found, that is extended to
current year, else the year is added separated by a comma.  Or it replaces
them when this is called with a prefix argument.  If a header referring to a
wrong version of the GNU General Public License (@xref{(emacs)Copying}) is found,
that is updated too.

  An interesting application for this function is to have it be called
automatically every time a file is saved.  This is accomplished by putting
@code{(add-hook 'write-file-hooks 'copyright-update)} into your @file{~/.emacs}
file (@xref{(emacs)Init File}).

@vindex copyright-query
  The variable @code{copyright-query} controls whether to update the
copyright or whether to ask about it.  When this is @code{nil} updating is
only done with @kbd{M-x copyright-update}.  When this is @code{'function}

26463:2bf82b32f9f8

  When you want Emacs to insert a form letter or a typical construct of the
programming language you are using, skeletons are a means of accomplishing
this.  Normally skeletons each have a command of their own, that, when called,
will insert the skeleton.  These commands can be issued in the usual ways
(@pxref{(emacs)Commands}).  Modes that offer various skeletons will often
bind these to key-sequences on the @kbd{C-c} prefix, as well as having
an @cite{Insert} menu and maybe even predefined abbrevs for them
(@pxref{Skeletons as Abbrevs}).

  The simplest kind of skeleton will simply insert some text indented
according to the major mode and leave the cursor at a likely place in the
middle.  Interactive skeletons may prompt you for a string that will be part
of the inserted text.

put it in the middle of a form letter.  Skeletons provide a means for
accomplishing this, and can even, in the case of programming languages,
reindent the wrapped code for you.

  Skeleton commands take an optional numeric prefix argument
(@pxref{(emacs)Arguments}).  This is interpreted in two different ways depending
on whether the prefix is positive, i.e. forwards oriented or negative,
i.e. backwards oriented.

  A positive prefix means to wrap the skeleton around that many
following words.  This is accomplished by putting the words there where
the point is normally left after that skeleton is inserted (@pxref{Using
Skeletons}).  The point (@pxref{(emacs)Point}) is left at the next
interesting spot in the skeleton instead.

  A negative prefix means to do something similar with that many precedingly
marked interregions (@pxref{(emacs)Mark}).  In the simplest case, if you type
@kbd{M--} just before issuing the skeleton command, that will wrap the
skeleton around the current region, just like a positive argument would have
wrapped it around a number of words.

  Smaller negative arguments will wrap that many interregions into successive

@node Skeletons as Abbrevs
@chapter Skeletons as Abbrev Expansions
@cindex skeletons as abbrevs

  Rather than use a keybinding for every skeleton command, you can also
define an abbreviation (@pxref{(emacs)Defining Abbrevs}) that will expand
(@pxref{(emacs)Expanding Abbrevs}) into the skeleton.

  Say you want @samp{ifst} to be an abbreviation for the C language if
statement.  You will tell Emacs that @samp{ifst} expands to the empty string
and then calls the skeleton command.  In Emacs-lisp you can say something like
@code{(define-abbrev c-mode-abbrev-table "ifst" "" 'c-if)}.  Or you can edit

  The macro @code{define-skeleton} defines a command for interpreting a
skeleton.  The first argument is the command name, the second is a
documentation string, and the rest is an interactor and any number of skeleton
elements together forming a skeleton.  This skeleton is assigned to a variable
of the same name as the command and can thus be overridden from your
@file{~/.emacs} file (@pxref{(emacs)Init File}).



@node Inserting Pairs
@chapter Inserting Matching Pairs of Characters

typing some of the stranger programming language symbols makes you bend your
fingers backwards, this can be quite relieving too.

@findex pair-insert-maybe
@vindex pair
  This is done by binding the first key (@pxref{(emacs)Rebinding}) of the
pair to @code{pair-insert-maybe} instead of @code{self-insert-command}.
The maybe comes from the fact that this at first surprising behaviour is
initially turned off.  To enable it, you must set @code{pair} to some
non-@code{nil} value.  And even then, a positive argument
(@pxref{(emacs)Arguments}) will make this key behave like a self
inserting key (@pxref{(emacs)Inserting Text}).

@findex pair-on-word
  While this breaks with the stated intention of always balancing pairs, it
turns out that one often doesn't want pairing to occur, when the following
character is part of a word.  If you want pairing to occur even then, set

  Pairing is possible for all visible characters.  By default the parenthesis
`(', the square bracket `[', the brace `@{', the pointed bracket `<' and the
backquote ``' will all pair to the symmetrical character.  All other
characters will pair themselves.  This behaviour can be modified by the
variable @code{pair-alist}.  This is in fact an alist of skeletons
(@pxref{Skeleton Language}), with the first part of each sublist matching the
typed character.  This is the position of the interactor, but since pairs
don't need the @code{str} element, this is ignored.

  Some modes have bound the command @code{pair-insert-maybe} to relevant keys.
These modes also configure the pairs as appropriate.  For example, when typing

  @kbd{M-x auto-insert} will put some predefined text at the beginning of
the buffer.  The main application for this function, as its name suggests,
is to have it be called automatically every time an empty, and only an
empty file is visited.  This is accomplished by putting @code{(add-hook
'find-file-hooks 'auto-insert)} into your @file{~/.emacs} file
(@pxref{(emacs)Init File}).

@vindex auto-insert-alist
  What gets inserted, if anything, is determined by the variable
@code{auto-insert-alist}.  The @code{car}s of this list are each either a mode
name, making an element applicable when a buffer is in that mode.  Or they

mode name or regexp as above and an additional descriptive string.

  When a matching element is found, the @code{cdr} says what to do.  It may
be a string, which is a file name, whose contents are to be inserted, if
that file is found in the directory @code{auto-insert-directory} or under a
absolute file name.  Or it can be a skeleton (@pxref{Skeleton Language}) to
be inserted.

  It can also be a function, which allows doing various things.  The function
can simply insert some text, indeed, it can be skeleton command (@pxref{Using
Skeletons}).  It can be a lambda function which will for example conditionally
call another function.  Or it can even reset the mode for the buffer. If you
want to perform several such actions in order, you use a vector, i.e. several
of the above elements between square brackets ([...]).

  Ada mode files call the Ada header skeleton command.  Emacs lisp source
files insert the usual header, with a copyright of your environment variable
@code{$ORGANIZATION} or else the FSF, and prompt for valid keywords describing
the contents.  Files in a @code{bin/} directory for which Emacs could
determine no specialised mode (@pxref{(emacs)Choosing Modes}) are set to Shell script
mode.

@findex define-auto-insert
  In Lisp (@pxref{(emacs)Init File}) you can use the function @code{define-auto-insert}
to add to or modify @code{auto-insert-alist}.  See its documentation with
@kbd{C-h f auto-insert-alist}.

@vindex auto-insert
  The variable @code{auto-insert} says what to do when @code{auto-insert} is

@findex copyright
  @kbd{M-x copyright} is a skeleton inserting command, that adds a copyright
notice at the point.  The ``by'' part is taken from your environment variable
@code{$ORGANIZATION} or if that isn't set you are prompted for it.  If the
buffer has a comment syntax (@pxref{(emacs)Comments}), this is inserted as a comment.

@findex copyright-update
@vindex copyright-limit
@vindex copyright-current-year
  @kbd{M-x copyright-update} looks for a copyright notice in the first

The current year (variable @code{copyright-current-year}) is added to the
existing ones, in the same format as the preceding year, i.e. 1994, '94 or 94.
If a dash-separated year list up to last year is found, that is extended to
current year, else the year is added separated by a comma.  Or it replaces
them when this is called with a prefix argument.  If a header referring to a
wrong version of the GNU General Public License (@pxref{(emacs)Copying}) is found,
that is updated too.

  An interesting application for this function is to have it be called
automatically every time a file is saved.  This is accomplished by putting
@code{(add-hook 'write-file-hooks 'copyright-update)} into your @file{~/.emacs}
file (@pxref{(emacs)Init File}).

@vindex copyright-query
  The variable @code{copyright-query} controls whether to update the
copyright or whether to ask about it.  When this is @code{nil} updating is
only done with @kbd{M-x copyright-update}.  When this is @code{'function}