comparison man/custom.texi @ 90377:482dfed28bee

Revision: [e-mail]/emacs--unicode--0--patch-51 Merge from emacs--devo--0 Patches applied: * emacs--devo--0 (patch 188-189) - Update from CVS - Merge from gnus--rel--5.10 * gnus--rel--5.10 (patch 73) - Update from CVS

90376:1ad066d533a9

@node Customization, Quitting, Amusements, Top
@chapter Customization
@cindex customization

  This chapter talks about various topics relevant to adapting the
behavior of Emacs in minor ways.
@iftex
See @cite{The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}
@end iftex
@ifnottex
@xref{Top, Emacs Lisp, Emacs Lisp, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
Reference Manual},
@end ifnottex
for how to make more far-reaching changes.  @xref{X Resources},
for information on using X resources to customize Emacs.

  Customization that you do within Emacs normally affects only the
particular Emacs session that you do it in---it does not persist
between sessions unless you save the customization in a file such as
@file{.emacs} or @file{.Xdefaults} that will affect future sessions.
@xref{Init File}.  In the customization buffer, when you save
customizations for future sessions, this actually works by editing
@file{.emacs} for you.

  Another means of customization is the keyboard macro, which is a
sequence of keystrokes to be replayed with a single command.

  Minor modes are optional features which you can turn on or off.  For
example, Auto Fill mode is a minor mode in which @key{SPC} breaks lines
between words as you type.  All the minor modes are independent of each
other and of the selected major mode.  Most minor modes say in the mode
line when they are on; for example, @samp{Fill} in the mode line means
that Auto Fill mode is on.

  Append @code{-mode} to the name of a minor mode to get the name of a
command that turns the mode on or off.  Thus, the command to
enable or disable Auto Fill mode is called @code{auto-fill-mode}.  These
commands are usually invoked with @kbd{M-x}, but you can bind keys to them
if you wish.  With no argument, the function turns the mode on if it was
off and off if it was on.  This is known as @dfn{toggling}.  A positive
argument always turns the mode on, and an explicit zero argument or a
negative argument always turns it off.

  Some minor modes are global: while enabled, they affect everything
you do in the Emacs session, in all buffers.  Other minor modes are
buffer-local; they apply only to the current buffer, so you can enable
the mode in certain buffers and not others.

minor modes with a local variables list, because most minor modes are
a matter of user preference---other users editing the same file might
not want the same minor modes you prefer.

  The most useful buffer-local minor modes include Abbrev mode, Auto
Fill mode, Auto Save mode, Font-Lock mode, Glasses mode, ISO Accents
mode, Outline minor mode, Overwrite mode, and Binary Overwrite mode.

  Abbrev mode allows you to define abbreviations that automatically expand
as you type them.  For example, @samp{amd} might expand to @samp{abbrev
mode}.  @xref{Abbrevs}, for full information.

  Auto Fill mode allows you to enter filled text without breaking lines
explicitly.  Emacs inserts newlines as necessary to prevent lines from
becoming too long.  @xref{Filling}.

  Auto Save mode causes the contents of a buffer to be saved
periodically to reduce the amount of work you can lose in case of a
system crash.  @xref{Auto Save}.

  Enriched mode enables editing and saving of formatted text.
@xref{Formatted Text}.

  Flyspell mode automatically highlights misspelled words.
@xref{Spelling}.

  Font-Lock mode automatically highlights certain textual units found in
programs, such as comments, strings, and function names being defined.
This requires a graphical display that can show multiple fonts.
@xref{Faces}.

  ISO Accents mode makes the characters @samp{`}, @samp{'}, @samp{"},
@samp{^}, @samp{/} and @samp{~} combine with the following letter, to
produce an accented letter in the ISO Latin-1 character set.  The
newer and more general feature of input methods more or less
supersedes ISO Accents mode.  @xref{Unibyte Mode}.

  Outline minor mode provides the same facilities as the major mode
called Outline mode; but since it is a minor mode instead, you can
combine it with any major mode.  @xref{Outline Mode}.

  @kbd{M-x customize-browse} is another way to browse the available
settings.  This command creates a special customization buffer which
shows only the names of groups and settings, and puts them in a
structure.

  In this buffer, you can show the contents of a group by invoking
@samp{[+]}.  When the group contents are visible, this button changes to
@samp{[-]}; invoking that hides the group contents.

  Each setting in this buffer has a link which says @samp{[Group]},
@samp{[Option]} or @samp{[Face]}.  Invoking this link creates an
ordinary customization buffer showing just that group and its
contents, just that user option, or just that face.  This is the way
to change settings that you find with @kbd{M-x customize-browse}.

  If you can guess part of the name of the settings you are interested
in, @kbd{M-x customize-apropos} is another way to search for settings.
However, unlike @code{customize} and @code{customize-browse},
@code{customize-apropos} can only find groups and settings that are

@smallexample
[State]: EDITED, shown value does not take effect until you set or @r{@dots{}}
                                                           save it.
@end smallexample

@cindex settings, how to set
  Editing the value does not actually set the variable.  To do that,
you must @dfn{set} the variable.  To do this, invoke the
@samp{[State]} button and choose @samp{Set for Current Session}.

instance, to specify a function instead of a pair of coding systems.

To delete an association from the list, invoke the @samp{[DEL]} button
for that item.  To add an association, invoke @samp{[INS]} at the
position where you want to add it.  There is an @samp{[INS]} button
between each pair of association, another at the beginning and another
at the end, so you can add the new association at any position in the
list.

@kindex TAB @r{(customization buffer)}
@kindex S-TAB @r{(customization buffer)}
@findex widget-forward

customization buffer in this session.  If you customize a variable
and then reset it, which discards the customized value,
you can get the customized value back again with this operation.
@end table

@cindex comments on customized options
  Sometimes it is useful to record a comment about a specific
customization.  Use the @samp{Add Comment} item from the
@samp{[State]} menu to create a field for entering the comment.  The
comment you enter will be saved, and displayed again if you again view
the same variable in a customization buffer, even in another session.

buffer according to the setting of the option
@code{custom-buffer-done-kill}; the default is to bury the buffer.
Each of the other buttons performs an operation---set, save or
reset---on each of the settings in the buffer that could meaningfully
be set, saved or reset.  They do not operate on settings whose values
are hidden, nor on subgroups not visible in the buffer.

@node Saving Customizations
@subsection Saving Customizations

@vindex custom-file
  The customization buffer normally saves customizations in
@file{~/.emacs}.  If you wish, you can save customizations in another
file instead.  To make this work, your @file{~/.emacs} should set
@code{custom-file} to the name of that file.  Then you should load the
file by calling @code{load}.  For example:

@example
(setq custom-file "~/.emacs-custom.el")
(load custom-file)
@end example

  You can also use @code{custom-file} to specify different
customization files for different Emacs versions, like this:

@example
(cond ((< emacs-major-version 21)
       ;; @r{Emacs 20 customization.}
       (setq custom-file "~/.custom-20.el"))

on the character after point.

@findex customize-group
  You can also set up the customization buffer with a specific group,
using @kbd{M-x customize-group}.  The immediate contents of the chosen
group, including variables, faces, and other groups, all appear
as well (even if not already loaded).  However, the subgroups' own
contents are not included.

@findex customize-apropos
  To control more precisely what to customize, you can use @kbd{M-x
customize-apropos}.  You specify a regular expression as argument;
then all @emph{loaded} settings and groups whose names match this
regular expression are set up in the customization buffer.  If you
specify an empty regular expression, this includes @emph{all} loaded
groups and settings---which takes a long time to set up.

@findex customize-changed
  When you upgrade to a new Emacs version, you might want to customize
new settings and settings whose meanings or default values have
changed.  To do this, use @kbd{M-x customize-changed} and
specify a previous Emacs version number using the minibuffer.  It
creates a customization buffer which shows all the settings and groups
whose definitions have been changed since the specified version, loading
them if necessary.

@findex customize-saved
@findex customize-customized
  If you change settings and then decide the change was a mistake, you
can use two special commands to revisit your previous changes.  Use

also import the variables and faces that you have set using Customize
by visiting the ``special'' theme named @samp{user}.  This theme, which
records all the options that you set in the ordinary customization
buffer, is always enabled, and always takes precedence over all other
enabled Custom themes.  Additionally, the @samp{user} theme is
recorded in your @file{.emacs} file, rather than a
@file{user-theme.el} file.

@vindex custom-enabled-themes
  Once you have defined a Custom theme, you can use it by customizing
the variable @code{custom-enabled-themes}.  This is a list of Custom

@findex enable-theme
@findex disable-theme
  You can temporarily enable a Custom theme with @kbd{M-x
enable-theme}.  This prompts for a theme name in the minibuffer, loads
the theme from the theme file if necessary, and enables the theme.
You can @dfn{disabled} any enabled theme with the command @kbd{M-x
disable-theme}; this returns the options specified in the theme to
their original values.  To re-enable the theme, type @kbd{M-x
enable-theme} again.  If a theme file is changed during your Emacs
session, you can reload it by typing @kbd{M-x load-theme}.  (This also
enables the theme.)

variable names consist of words separated by hyphens.  A variable can
have a documentation string which describes what kind of value it should
have and how the value will be used.

  Emacs Lisp allows any variable (with a few exceptions) to have any
kind of value, but most variables that Emacs uses need a value of a
certain type.  Often the value should always be a string, or should
always be a number.  Sometimes we say that a certain feature is turned
on if a variable is ``non-@code{nil},'' meaning that if the variable's
value is @code{nil}, the feature is off, but the feature is on for
@emph{any} other value.  The conventional value to use to turn on the
feature---since you have to pick one particular value when you set the
variable---is @code{t}.

  Emacs uses many Lisp variables for internal record keeping, but the
most interesting variables for a non-programmer user are those meant
for users to change---the @dfn{user options}.

  Each user option that you can set with the customization buffer is
in fact a Lisp variable.  Emacs does not (usually) change the values
of these variables; instead, you set the values, and thereby alter and
control the behavior of certain Emacs commands.  Use of the
customization buffer is explained above (@pxref{Easy Customization});
here we describe other aspects of Emacs variables.

@menu

@noindent
displays something like this:

@smallexample
fill-column's value is 70

Documentation:
*Column beyond which automatic line-wrapping should happen.
Automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion.
@end smallexample

@noindent
The star at the beginning of the documentation indicates that this
variable is a user option.  @kbd{C-h v} is not restricted to user
options; it allows any variable name.

@findex set-variable
  The most convenient way to set a specific user option variable is
with @kbd{M-x set-variable}.  This reads the variable name with the
minibuffer (with completion), and then reads a Lisp expression for the
new value using the minibuffer a second time (you can insert the old
value into the minibuffer for editing via @kbd{M-n}).  For example,

@example

@code{find-file-not-found-functions} (@pxref{Visiting}) is abnormal because
as soon as one hook function returns a non-@code{nil} value, the rest
are not called at all.  The documentation of each abnormal hook variable
explains in detail what is peculiar about it.

  You can set a hook variable with @code{setq} like any other Lisp
variable, but the recommended way to add a hook function to a hook
(either normal or abnormal) is by calling @code{add-hook}.  You can
specify any valid Lisp function as the hook function, provided it can
handle the proper number of arguments (zero arguments, in the case of
a normal hook).  Of course, not every Lisp function is @emph{useful}
in any particular hook.

  For example, here's how to set up a hook to turn on Auto Fill mode
when entering Text mode and other modes based on Text mode:

@example

  It is best to design your hook functions so that the order in which
they are executed does not matter.  Any dependence on the order is
``asking for trouble.''  However, the order is predictable: the most
recently added hook functions are executed first.

  If you play with adding various different versions of a hook
function by calling @code{add-hook} over and over, remember that all
the versions you added will remain in the hook variable together.  You
can clear out individual functions with @code{remove-hook}, or do
@code{(setq @var{hook-variable} nil)} to remove everything.

@node Locals
@subsection Local Variables

@table @kbd

value in other buffers.  A few variables are always local in every
buffer.  Every other Emacs variable has a @dfn{global} value which is in
effect in all buffers that have not made the variable local.

@findex make-local-variable
  @kbd{M-x make-local-variable} reads the name of a variable and makes it
local to the current buffer.  Further changes in this buffer will not
affect others, and further changes in the global value will not affect this
buffer.

@findex make-variable-buffer-local
@cindex per-buffer variables
  @kbd{M-x make-variable-buffer-local} reads the name of a variable and
changes the future behavior of the variable so that it will become local
automatically when it is set.  More precisely, once a variable has been
marked in this way, the usual ways of setting the variable automatically
do @code{make-local-variable} first.  We call such variables
@dfn{per-buffer} variables.

  Major modes (@pxref{Major Modes}) always make variables local to the
buffer before setting the variables.  This is why changing major modes
in one buffer has no effect on other buffers.  Minor modes also work by
setting variables---normally, each minor mode has one controlling
variable which is non-@code{nil} when the mode is enabled (@pxref{Minor
Modes}).  For most minor modes, the controlling variable is per buffer.

  Emacs contains a number of variables that are always per-buffer.
These include @code{abbrev-mode}, @code{auto-fill-function},
@code{case-fold-search}, @code{comment-column}, @code{ctl-arrow},
@code{fill-column}, @code{fill-prefix}, @code{indent-tabs-mode},
@code{left-margin}, @code{mode-line-format}, @code{overwrite-mode},
@code{selective-display-ellipses}, @code{selective-display},
@code{tab-width}, and @code{truncate-lines}.  Some other variables are
always local in every buffer, but they are used for internal
purposes.@refill

  A few variables cannot be local to a buffer because they are always
local to each display instead (@pxref{Multiple Displays}).  If you try to
make one of these variables buffer-local, you'll get an error message.

@findex kill-local-variable
  @kbd{M-x kill-local-variable} reads the name of a variable and makes
it cease to be local to the current buffer.  The global value of the
variable henceforth is in effect in this buffer.  Setting the major mode
kills all the local variables of the buffer except for a few variables
specially marked as @dfn{permanent locals}.

@findex setq-default
  To set the global value of a variable, regardless of whether the
variable has a local value in the current buffer, you can use the Lisp

  The @code{eval} pseudo-variable, described below, can be specified in
the first line as well.

@cindex shell scripts, and local file variables
  In shell scripts, the first line is used to identify the script
interpreter, so you cannot put any local variables there.  To accommodate
for this, when Emacs visits a shell script, it looks for local variable
specifications in the @emph{second} line.

  A @dfn{local variables list} goes near the end of the file, in the
last page.  (It is often best to put it on a page by itself.)  The local
variables list starts with a line containing the string @samp{Local
Variables:}, and ends with a line containing the string @samp{End:}.  In

;;; comment-start: ";;; "  ***
;;; comment-end:"***" ***
;;; End: ***
@end example

  As you see, each line starts with the prefix @samp{;;; } and each line
ends with the suffix @samp{ ***}.  Emacs recognizes these as the prefix
and suffix based on the first line of the list, by finding them
surrounding the magic string @samp{Local Variables:}; then it
automatically discards them from the other lines of the list.

  The usual reason for using a prefix and/or suffix is to embed the
local variables list in a comment, so it won't confuse other programs

  You can use the @code{mode} ``variable'' to set minor modes as well
as the major modes; in fact, you can use it more than once, first to
set the major mode and then to set minor modes which are specific to
particular buffers.  But most minor modes should not be specified in
the file at all, regardless of how, because they represent user
preferences.

  For example, you may be tempted to try to turn on Auto Fill mode with
a local variable list.  That is a mistake.  The choice of Auto Fill mode
or not is a matter of individual taste, not a matter of the contents of
particular files.  If you want to use Auto Fill, set up major mode hooks

(@pxref{Initial Options}), it can't really ask you, so it assumes the
answer @samp{n}.

  Emacs normally recognizes certain variables/value pairs as safe.
For instance, it is safe to give @code{comment-column} or
@code{fill-column} any integer value.  If a file specifies only safe
variable/value pairs, Emacs does not ask for confirmation before
setting them.  Otherwise, you can tell Emacs to record that all the
variable/value pairs in the file are safe, by typing @kbd{!} at the
confirmation prompt.  When Emacs encounters these variable/value pairs
subsequently, in the same file or others, it will assume they are
safe.

@vindex safe-local-variable-values

for @code{enable-local-variables}.  The default is @code{maybe}, which
is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, so normally Emacs does ask for
confirmation about processes @code{eval} variables.

@vindex safe-local-eval-forms
  The @code{safe-local-eval-forms} is a customizable list of eval
forms which are safe to eval, so Emacs should not ask for
confirmation to evaluate these forms.

@node Key Bindings
@section Customizing Key Bindings
@cindex key bindings

and @dfn{keymaps}, which record key bindings.  It also explains how
to customize key bindings.

  Recall that a command is a Lisp function whose definition provides for
interactive use.  Like every Lisp function, a command has a function
name which usually consists of lower-case letters and hyphens.

@menu
* Keymaps::             Generalities.  The global keymap.
* Prefix Keymaps::      Keymaps for prefix keys.
* Local Keymaps::       Major and minor modes have their own keymaps.

@cindex minor mode keymap
  Minor modes can also have local keymaps.  Whenever a minor mode is
in effect, the definitions in its keymap override both the major
mode's local keymap and the global keymap.

@vindex c-mode-map
@vindex lisp-mode-map
  The local keymaps for Lisp mode and several other major modes always
exist even when not in use.  These are kept in variables named
@code{lisp-mode-map} and so on.  For major modes less often used, the
local keymap is normally constructed only when the mode is used for the
first time in a session.  This is to save space.  If you wish to change
one of these keymaps, you must use the major mode's @dfn{mode
hook}---see below.

  All minor mode keymaps are created in advance.  There is no way to
defer their creation until the first time the minor mode is enabled.

  A local keymap can locally redefine a key as a prefix key by defining
it as a prefix keymap.  If the key is also defined globally as a prefix,
then its local and global definitions (both keymaps) effectively
combine: both of them are used to look up the event that follows the
prefix key.  Thus, if the mode's local keymap defines @kbd{C-c} as

  Another way to think of this is that Emacs handles a multi-event key
sequence by looking in several keymaps, one by one, for a binding of the
whole key sequence.  First it checks the minor mode keymaps for minor
modes that are enabled, then it checks the major mode's keymap, and then
it checks the global keymap.  This is not precisely how key lookup
works, but it's good enough for understanding ordinary circumstances.

@cindex rebinding major mode keys
@findex define-key
  To change the local bindings of a major mode, you must change the
mode's local keymap.  Normally you must wait until the first time the
mode is used, because most major modes don't create their keymaps until
then.  If you want to specify something in your @file{~/.emacs} file to
change a major mode's bindings, you must use the mode's mode hook to
delay the change until the mode is first used.

  For example, the command @code{texinfo-mode} to select Texinfo mode
runs the hook @code{texinfo-mode-hook}.  Here's how you can use the hook
to add local bindings (not very useful, we admit) for @kbd{C-c n} and
@kbd{C-c p} in Texinfo mode:

             (define-key texinfo-mode-map "\C-cp"
                         'backward-paragraph)
             (define-key texinfo-mode-map "\C-cn"
                         'forward-paragraph)))
@end example

  @xref{Hooks}.

@node Minibuffer Maps
@subsection Minibuffer Keymaps

@cindex minibuffer keymaps

key to rebind.

  You can rebind a key that contains more than one event in the same
way.  Emacs keeps reading the key to rebind until it is a complete key
(that is, not a prefix key).  Thus, if you type @kbd{C-f} for
@var{key}, that's the end; the minibuffer is entered immediately to
read @var{cmd}.  But if you type @kbd{C-x}, another character is read;
if that is @kbd{4}, another character is read, and so on.  For
example,

@example
M-x global-set-key @key{RET} C-x 4 $ spell-other-window @key{RET}
@end example

definition (or lack of one) come back into effect in that major mode.

  If you have redefined (or undefined) a key and you subsequently wish
to retract the change, undefining the key will not do the job---you need
to redefine the key with its standard definition.  To find the name of
the standard definition of a key, go to a Fundamental mode buffer and
use @kbd{C-h c}.  The documentation of keys in this manual also lists
their command names.

  If you want to prevent yourself from invoking a command by mistake, it
is better to disable the command than to undefine the key.  A disabled
command is less work to invoke when you really want to.
@xref{Disabling}.

(global-set-key [?\C-x ?\e ?\e] 'repeat-complex-command)
@end example

@noindent
As you see, you represent a multi-character key sequence with a vector
by listing all of the characters in order within the square brackets that
delimit the vector.

  Language and coding systems can cause problems with key bindings
for non-@acronym{ASCII} characters.  @xref{Non-ASCII Rebinding}.

@node Function Keys

@node Non-ASCII Rebinding
@subsection Non-@acronym{ASCII} Characters on the Keyboard
@cindex rebinding non-@acronym{ASCII} keys
@cindex non-@acronym{ASCII} keys, binding

If your keyboard has keys that send non-@acronym{ASCII}
characters, such as accented letters, rebinding these keys
must be done by using a vector like this@footnote{Note that
you should avoid the string syntax for binding
non-@acronym{ASCII} characters, since they will be
interpreted as meta keys.  @xref{Strings of Events,,,elisp,
The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.}:

@example

@end example

@noindent
Type @kbd{C-q} followed by the key you want to bind, to insert @var{char}.

Since this puts a non-@acronym{ASCII} character in the @file{.emacs},
you should specify a coding system for that file that supports the
character in question.  @xref{Init Syntax}.

@strong{Warning:} if you change the keyboard encoding, or change
between multibyte and unibyte mode, or anything that would alter which
code @kbd{C-q} would insert for that character, you'll need to edit
the Lisp expression accordingly, to use the character code generated
by @kbd{C-q} in the new mode.

@node Disabling
@subsection Disabling Commands
@cindex disabled command

  Disabling a command marks the command as requiring confirmation before it
can be executed.  The purpose of disabling a command is to prevent
beginning users from executing it by accident and being confused.

  An attempt to invoke a disabled command interactively in Emacs
displays a window containing the command's name, its documentation, and
some instructions on what to do immediately; then Emacs asks for input
saying whether to execute the command as requested, enable it and
execute it, or cancel.  If you decide to enable the command, you are
asked whether to do this permanently or just for the current session.
(Enabling permanently works by automatically editing your @file{.emacs}
file.)  You can also type @kbd{!} to enable @emph{all} commands,
for the current session only.

  The direct mechanism for disabling a command is to put a
non-@code{nil} @code{disabled} property on the Lisp symbol for the
command.  Here is the Lisp program to do this:

@end example

@findex disable-command
@findex enable-command
  You can make a command disabled either by editing the @file{.emacs}
file directly or with the command @kbd{M-x disable-command}, which edits
the @file{.emacs} file for you.  Likewise, @kbd{M-x enable-command}
edits @file{.emacs} to enable a command permanently.  @xref{Init File}.

  If Emacs was invoked with the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file}
options (@pxref{Initial Options}), it will not edit your
@file{~/.emacs} init file.  This is because editing the init file from
such a session might overwrite the lines you might have on your init
file which enable and disable commands.

  Whether a command is disabled is independent of what key is used to
invoke it; disabling also applies if the command is invoked using
@kbd{M-x}.  Disabling a command has no effect on calling it as a
function from Lisp programs.

string quotes, and so on.  It does this by assigning each character to
one of fifteen-odd @dfn{syntax classes}.  In some cases it specifies
some additional information also.

  Each major mode has its own syntax table (though related major modes
sometimes share one syntax table) which it installs in each buffer
that uses the mode.  The syntax table installed in the current buffer
is the one that all commands use, so we call it ``the'' syntax table.

@kindex C-h s
@findex describe-syntax
  To display a description of the contents of the current syntax
table, type @kbd{C-h s} (@code{describe-syntax}).  The description of
each character includes both the string you would have to give to
@code{modify-syntax-entry} to set up that character's current syntax,
starting with the character which designates its syntax class, plus
some English text to explain its meaning.

  A syntax table is actually a Lisp object, a char-table, whose

a Meta character, as in @samp{\M-a} for @kbd{Meta-A} or @samp{\M-\C-a} for
@kbd{Control-Meta-A}.@refill

@cindex international characters in @file{.emacs}
@cindex non-@acronym{ASCII} characters in @file{.emacs}
If you want to include non-@acronym{ASCII} characters in strings in your init
file, you should consider putting a @w{@samp{-*-coding:
@var{coding-system}-*-}} tag on the first line which states the coding
system used to save your @file{.emacs}, as explained in @ref{Recognize
Coding}.  This is because the defaults for decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} text might
not yet be set up by the time Emacs reads those parts of your init file

@item
@vindex user-mail-address
Specify your own email address, if Emacs can't figure it out correctly.

@example
(setq user-mail-address "coon@@yoyodyne.com")
@end example

Various Emacs packages that need your own email address use the value of
@code{user-mail-address}.

90377:482dfed28bee

@node Customization, Quitting, Amusements, Top
@chapter Customization
@cindex customization

  This chapter talks about various topics relevant to adapting the
behavior of Emacs in ways we have anticipated.
@iftex
See @cite{The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}
@end iftex
@ifnottex
@xref{Top, Emacs Lisp, Emacs Lisp, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
Reference Manual},
@end ifnottex
for how to make more far-reaching and open-ended changes.  @xref{X
Resources}, for information on using X resources to customize Emacs.

  Customization that you do within Emacs normally affects only the
particular Emacs session that you do it in---it does not persist
between sessions unless you save the customization in a file such as
your init file (@file{.emacs}) that will affect future sessions.
(@xref{Init File}.)  When you tell the customization buffer to save
customizations for future sessions, this actually works by editing
@file{.emacs} for you.

  Another means of customization is the keyboard macro, which is a
sequence of keystrokes to be replayed with a single command.

  Minor modes are optional features which you can turn on or off.  For
example, Auto Fill mode is a minor mode in which @key{SPC} breaks lines
between words as you type.  All the minor modes are independent of each
other and of the selected major mode.  Most minor modes say in the mode
line when they are enabled; for example, @samp{Fill} in the mode line means
that Auto Fill mode is enabled.

  You should append @code{-mode} to the name of a minor mode to
produce the name of the command that turns the mode on or off.  Thus,
the command to enable or disable Auto Fill mode is called
@code{auto-fill-mode}.  These commands are usually invoked with
@kbd{M-x}, but you can bind keys to them if you wish.

  With no argument, the minor mode function turns the mode on if it
was off, and off if it was on.  This is known as @dfn{toggling}.  A
positive argument always turns the mode on, and an explicit zero
argument or a negative argument always turns it off.

  Some minor modes are global: while enabled, they affect everything
you do in the Emacs session, in all buffers.  Other minor modes are
buffer-local; they apply only to the current buffer, so you can enable
the mode in certain buffers and not others.

minor modes with a local variables list, because most minor modes are
a matter of user preference---other users editing the same file might
not want the same minor modes you prefer.

  The most useful buffer-local minor modes include Abbrev mode, Auto
Fill mode, Auto Save mode, Font-Lock mode, Glasses mode, Outline minor
mode, Overwrite mode, and Binary Overwrite mode.

  Abbrev mode allows you to define abbreviations that automatically expand
as you type them.  For example, @samp{amd} might expand to @samp{abbrev
mode}.  @xref{Abbrevs}, for full information.

  Auto Fill mode allows you to enter filled text without breaking lines
explicitly.  Emacs inserts newlines as necessary to prevent lines from
becoming too long.  @xref{Filling}.

  Auto Save mode saves the buffer contents periodically to reduce the
amount of work you can lose in case of a crash.  @xref{Auto Save}.

  Enriched mode enables editing and saving of formatted text.
@xref{Formatted Text}.

  Flyspell mode automatically highlights misspelled words.
@xref{Spelling}.

  Font-Lock mode automatically highlights certain textual units found
in programs, such as comments, strings, and function names being
defined.  This requires a display that can show multiple fonts or
colors.  @xref{Faces}.

@ignore
  ISO Accents mode makes the characters @samp{`}, @samp{'}, @samp{"},
@samp{^}, @samp{/} and @samp{~} combine with the following letter, to
produce an accented letter in the ISO Latin-1 character set.  The
newer and more general feature of input methods more or less
supersedes ISO Accents mode.  @xref{Unibyte Mode}.
@end ignore

  Outline minor mode provides the same facilities as the major mode
called Outline mode; but since it is a minor mode instead, you can
combine it with any major mode.  @xref{Outline Mode}.

  @kbd{M-x customize-browse} is another way to browse the available
settings.  This command creates a special customization buffer which
shows only the names of groups and settings, and puts them in a
structure.

  In this buffer, you can show the contents of a group by invoking the
@samp{[+]} button.  When the group contents are visible, this button
changes to @samp{[-]}; invoking that hides the group contents again.

  Each group or setting in this buffer has a link which says
@samp{[Group]}, @samp{[Option]} or @samp{[Face]}.  Invoking this link
creates an ordinary customization buffer showing just that group and
its contents, just that user option, or just that face.  This is the
way to change settings that you find with @kbd{M-x customize-browse}.

  If you can guess part of the name of the settings you are interested
in, @kbd{M-x customize-apropos} is another way to search for settings.
However, unlike @code{customize} and @code{customize-browse},
@code{customize-apropos} can only find groups and settings that are

@smallexample
[State]: EDITED, shown value does not take effect until you set or @r{@dots{}}
                                                           save it.
@end smallexample

@cindex user options, how to set
@cindex variables, how to set
@cindex settings, how to set
  Editing the value does not actually set the variable.  To do that,
you must @dfn{set} the variable.  To do this, invoke the
@samp{[State]} button and choose @samp{Set for Current Session}.

instance, to specify a function instead of a pair of coding systems.

To delete an association from the list, invoke the @samp{[DEL]} button
for that item.  To add an association, invoke @samp{[INS]} at the
position where you want to add it.  There is an @samp{[INS]} button
between each pair of associations, another at the beginning and another
at the end, so you can add a new association at any position in the
list.

@kindex TAB @r{(customization buffer)}
@kindex S-TAB @r{(customization buffer)}
@findex widget-forward

customization buffer in this session.  If you customize a variable
and then reset it, which discards the customized value,
you can get the customized value back again with this operation.
@end table

@cindex comments on customized settings
  Sometimes it is useful to record a comment about a specific
customization.  Use the @samp{Add Comment} item from the
@samp{[State]} menu to create a field for entering the comment.  The
comment you enter will be saved, and displayed again if you again view
the same variable in a customization buffer, even in another session.

buffer according to the setting of the option
@code{custom-buffer-done-kill}; the default is to bury the buffer.
Each of the other buttons performs an operation---set, save or
reset---on each of the settings in the buffer that could meaningfully
be set, saved or reset.  They do not operate on settings whose values
are hidden, nor on subgroups which are hidden or not visible in the buffer.

@node Saving Customizations
@subsection Saving Customizations

  Saving customizations from the customization buffer works by writing
code that future sessions will read, code to set up those
customizations again.

@vindex custom-file
  Normally this saves customizations in your init file,
@file{~/.emacs}.  If you wish, you can save customizations in another
file instead.  To make this work, your @file{~/.emacs} should set
@code{custom-file} to the name of that file.  Then you should load the
file by calling @code{load}.  For example:

@example
(setq custom-file "~/.emacs-custom.el")
(load custom-file)
@end example

  You can use @code{custom-file} to specify different customization
files for different Emacs versions, like this:

@example
(cond ((< emacs-major-version 21)
       ;; @r{Emacs 20 customization.}
       (setq custom-file "~/.custom-20.el"))

on the character after point.

@findex customize-group
  You can also set up the customization buffer with a specific group,
using @kbd{M-x customize-group}.  The immediate contents of the chosen
group, including settings (variables and faces), and other groups, all
appear as well (even if not already loaded).  However, the subgroups'
own contents are not included.

@findex customize-apropos
  To control more precisely what to customize, you can use @kbd{M-x
customize-apropos}.  You specify a regular expression as argument;
then all @emph{loaded} settings and groups whose names match this
regular expression are set up in the customization buffer.  If you
specify an empty regular expression, this includes @emph{all} loaded
groups and settings---which takes a long time to set up.

@findex customize-changed
  When you upgrade to a new Emacs version, you might want to consider
customizing new settings, and settings whose meanings or default
values have changed.  To do this, use @kbd{M-x customize-changed} and
specify a previous Emacs version number using the minibuffer.  It
creates a customization buffer which shows all the settings and groups
whose definitions have been changed since the specified version,
loading them if necessary.

@findex customize-saved
@findex customize-customized
  If you change settings and then decide the change was a mistake, you
can use two special commands to revisit your previous changes.  Use

also import the variables and faces that you have set using Customize
by visiting the ``special'' theme named @samp{user}.  This theme, which
records all the options that you set in the ordinary customization
buffer, is always enabled, and always takes precedence over all other
enabled Custom themes.  Additionally, the @samp{user} theme is
recorded with code in your @file{.emacs} file, rather than a
@file{user-theme.el} file.

@vindex custom-enabled-themes
  Once you have defined a Custom theme, you can use it by customizing
the variable @code{custom-enabled-themes}.  This is a list of Custom

@findex enable-theme
@findex disable-theme
  You can temporarily enable a Custom theme with @kbd{M-x
enable-theme}.  This prompts for a theme name in the minibuffer, loads
the theme from the theme file if necessary, and enables the theme.
You can @dfn{disable} any enabled theme with the command @kbd{M-x
disable-theme}; this returns the options specified in the theme to
their original values.  To re-enable the theme, type @kbd{M-x
enable-theme} again.  If a theme file is changed during your Emacs
session, you can reload it by typing @kbd{M-x load-theme}.  (This also
enables the theme.)

variable names consist of words separated by hyphens.  A variable can
have a documentation string which describes what kind of value it should
have and how the value will be used.

  Emacs Lisp allows any variable (with a few exceptions) to have any
kind of value, but most variables that Emacs uses expect a value of a
certain type.  Often the value should always be a string, or should
always be a number.  Sometimes we say that a certain feature is turned
on if a variable is ``non-@code{nil},'' meaning that if the variable's
value is @code{nil}, the feature is off, but the feature is on for
@emph{any} other value.  The conventional value to use to turn on the
feature---since you have to pick one particular value when you set the
variable---is @code{t}.

  Emacs uses many Lisp variables for internal record keeping, but the
most interesting variables for a non-programmer user are those meant
for users to change---these are called @dfn{user options}.

  Each user option that you can set with the customization buffer is
in fact a Lisp variable.  Emacs does not (usually) change the values
of these variables on its own; instead, you set the values in order to
control the behavior of certain Emacs commands.  Use of the
customization buffer is explained above (@pxref{Easy Customization});
here we describe other aspects of Emacs variables.

@menu

@noindent
displays something like this:

@smallexample
fill-column is a variable defined in `C source code'.
fill-column's value is 70
Local in buffer custom.texi; global value is 70
Automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion.

Documentation:
*Column beyond which automatic line-wrapping should happen.
Interactively, you can set the buffer local value using C-x f.

You can customize this variable.
@end smallexample

@noindent
The line that says you can customize the variable indicates that this
variable is a user option.  (The star also indicates this, but it is
an obsolete indicator that may eventually disappear.)  @kbd{C-h v} is
not restricted to user options; it allows any variable name.

@findex set-variable
The most convenient way to set a specific user option variable is with
@kbd{M-x set-variable}.  This reads the variable name with the
minibuffer (with completion), and then reads a Lisp expression for the
new value using the minibuffer a second time (you can insert the old
value into the minibuffer for editing via @kbd{M-n}).  For example,

@example

@code{find-file-not-found-functions} (@pxref{Visiting}) is abnormal because
as soon as one hook function returns a non-@code{nil} value, the rest
are not called at all.  The documentation of each abnormal hook variable
explains in detail what is peculiar about it.

@findex add-hook
  You can set a hook variable with @code{setq} like any other Lisp
variable, but the recommended way to add a hook function to a hook
(either normal or abnormal) is by calling @code{add-hook}.
@xref{Hooks,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.

  For example, here's how to set up a hook to turn on Auto Fill mode
when entering Text mode and other modes based on Text mode:

@example

  It is best to design your hook functions so that the order in which
they are executed does not matter.  Any dependence on the order is
``asking for trouble.''  However, the order is predictable: the most
recently added hook functions are executed first.

@findex remove-hook
  If you play with adding various different versions of a hook
function by calling @code{add-hook} over and over, remember that all
the versions you added will remain in the hook variable together.  You
can clear out individual functions by calling @code{remove-hook}, or
do @code{(setq @var{hook-variable} nil)} to remove everything.

@node Locals
@subsection Local Variables

@table @kbd

value in other buffers.  A few variables are always local in every
buffer.  Every other Emacs variable has a @dfn{global} value which is in
effect in all buffers that have not made the variable local.

@findex make-local-variable
  @kbd{M-x make-local-variable} reads the name of a variable and makes
it local to the current buffer.  Changing its value subsequently in
this buffer will not affect others, and changes in its global value
will not affect this buffer.

@findex make-variable-buffer-local
@cindex per-buffer variables
  @kbd{M-x make-variable-buffer-local} marks a variable so it will
become local automatically whenever it is set.  More precisely, once a
variable has been marked in this way, the usual ways of setting the
variable automatically do @code{make-local-variable} first.  We call
such variables @dfn{per-buffer} variables.  Many variables in Emacs
are normally per-buffer; the variable's document string tells you when
this is so.  A per-buffer variable's global value is normally never
effective in any buffer, but it still has a meaning: it is the initial
value of the variable for each new buffer.

  Major modes (@pxref{Major Modes}) always make variables local to the
buffer before setting the variables.  This is why changing major modes
in one buffer has no effect on other buffers.  Minor modes also work
by setting variables---normally, each minor mode has one controlling
variable which is non-@code{nil} when the mode is enabled
(@pxref{Minor Modes}).  For many minor modes, the controlling variable
is per buffer, and thus always buffer-local.  Otherwise, you can make
it local in a specific buffer like any other variable.

  A few variables cannot be local to a buffer because they are always
local to each display instead (@pxref{Multiple Displays}).  If you try to
make one of these variables buffer-local, you'll get an error message.

@findex kill-local-variable
  @kbd{M-x kill-local-variable} makes a specified variable cease to be
local to the current buffer.  The global value of the variable
henceforth is in effect in this buffer.  Setting the major mode kills
all the local variables of the buffer except for a few variables
specially marked as @dfn{permanent locals}.

@findex setq-default
  To set the global value of a variable, regardless of whether the
variable has a local value in the current buffer, you can use the Lisp

  The @code{eval} pseudo-variable, described below, can be specified in
the first line as well.

@cindex shell scripts, and local file variables
  In shell scripts, the first line is used to identify the script
interpreter, so you cannot put any local variables there.  To
accommodate this, Emacs looks for local variable specifications in the
@emph{second} line when the first line specifies an interpreter.

  A @dfn{local variables list} goes near the end of the file, in the
last page.  (It is often best to put it on a page by itself.)  The local
variables list starts with a line containing the string @samp{Local
Variables:}, and ends with a line containing the string @samp{End:}.  In

;;; comment-start: ";;; "  ***
;;; comment-end:"***" ***
;;; End: ***
@end example

  Each line starts with the prefix @samp{;;; } and each line ends with
the suffix @samp{ ***}.  Emacs recognizes these as the prefix and
suffix based on the first line of the list, by finding them
surrounding the magic string @samp{Local Variables:}; then it
automatically discards them from the other lines of the list.

  The usual reason for using a prefix and/or suffix is to embed the
local variables list in a comment, so it won't confuse other programs

  You can use the @code{mode} ``variable'' to set minor modes as well
as the major modes; in fact, you can use it more than once, first to
set the major mode and then to set minor modes which are specific to
particular buffers.  But most minor modes should not be specified in
the file at all, because they represent user preferences.

  For example, you may be tempted to try to turn on Auto Fill mode with
a local variable list.  That is a mistake.  The choice of Auto Fill mode
or not is a matter of individual taste, not a matter of the contents of
particular files.  If you want to use Auto Fill, set up major mode hooks

(@pxref{Initial Options}), it can't really ask you, so it assumes the
answer @samp{n}.

  Emacs normally recognizes certain variables/value pairs as safe.
For instance, it is safe to give @code{comment-column} or
@code{fill-column} any integer value.  If a file specifies only
known-safe variable/value pairs, Emacs does not ask for confirmation
before setting them.  Otherwise, you can tell Emacs to record all the
variable/value pairs in this file as safe, by typing @kbd{!} at the
confirmation prompt.  When Emacs encounters these variable/value pairs
subsequently, in the same file or others, it will assume they are
safe.

@vindex safe-local-variable-values

for @code{enable-local-variables}.  The default is @code{maybe}, which
is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, so normally Emacs does ask for
confirmation about processes @code{eval} variables.

@vindex safe-local-eval-forms
  But there is an exception.  The @code{safe-local-eval-forms} is a
customizable list of eval forms which are safe.  Emacs does not ask
for confirmation when it finds these forms for the @code{eval}
variable.

@node Key Bindings
@section Customizing Key Bindings
@cindex key bindings

and @dfn{keymaps}, which record key bindings.  It also explains how
to customize key bindings.

  Recall that a command is a Lisp function whose definition provides for
interactive use.  Like every Lisp function, a command has a function
name, which usually consists of lower-case letters and hyphens.

@menu
* Keymaps::             Generalities.  The global keymap.
* Prefix Keymaps::      Keymaps for prefix keys.
* Local Keymaps::       Major and minor modes have their own keymaps.

@cindex minor mode keymap
  Minor modes can also have local keymaps.  Whenever a minor mode is
in effect, the definitions in its keymap override both the major
mode's local keymap and the global keymap.

  A local keymap can locally redefine a key as a prefix key by defining
it as a prefix keymap.  If the key is also defined globally as a prefix,
then its local and global definitions (both keymaps) effectively
combine: both of them are used to look up the event that follows the
prefix key.  Thus, if the mode's local keymap defines @kbd{C-c} as

  Another way to think of this is that Emacs handles a multi-event key
sequence by looking in several keymaps, one by one, for a binding of the
whole key sequence.  First it checks the minor mode keymaps for minor
modes that are enabled, then it checks the major mode's keymap, and then
it checks the global keymap.  This is not precisely how key lookup
works, but it's good enough for understanding the results in ordinary
circumstances.

@cindex rebinding major mode keys
  Most major modes construct their keymaps when the mode is used for
the first time in a session.  If you wish to change one of these
keymaps, you must use the major mode's @dfn{mode hook}
(@pxref{Hooks}).

@findex define-key
  For example, the command @code{texinfo-mode} to select Texinfo mode
runs the hook @code{texinfo-mode-hook}.  Here's how you can use the hook
to add local bindings (not very useful, we admit) for @kbd{C-c n} and
@kbd{C-c p} in Texinfo mode:

             (define-key texinfo-mode-map "\C-cp"
                         'backward-paragraph)
             (define-key texinfo-mode-map "\C-cn"
                         'forward-paragraph)))
@end example

@node Minibuffer Maps
@subsection Minibuffer Keymaps

@cindex minibuffer keymaps

key to rebind.

  You can rebind a key that contains more than one event in the same
way.  Emacs keeps reading the key to rebind until it is a complete key
(that is, not a prefix key).  Thus, if you type @kbd{C-f} for
@var{key}, that's the end; it enters the minibuffer immediately to
read @var{cmd}.  But if you type @kbd{C-x}, since that's a prefix, it
reads another character; if that is @kbd{4}, another prefix character,
it reads one more character, and so on.  For example,

@example
M-x global-set-key @key{RET} C-x 4 $ spell-other-window @key{RET}
@end example

definition (or lack of one) come back into effect in that major mode.

  If you have redefined (or undefined) a key and you subsequently wish
to retract the change, undefining the key will not do the job---you need
to redefine the key with its standard definition.  To find the name of
the standard definition of a key, go to a Fundamental mode buffer in a
fresh Emacs and use @kbd{C-h c}.  The documentation of keys in this
manual also lists their command names.

  If you want to prevent yourself from invoking a command by mistake, it
is better to disable the command than to undefine the key.  A disabled
command is less work to invoke when you really want to.
@xref{Disabling}.

(global-set-key [?\C-x ?\e ?\e] 'repeat-complex-command)
@end example

@noindent
As you see, you represent a multi-character key sequence with a vector
by listing all of the characters, in order, within the square brackets
that delimit the vector.

  Language and coding systems can cause problems with key bindings
for non-@acronym{ASCII} characters.  @xref{Non-ASCII Rebinding}.

@node Function Keys

@node Non-ASCII Rebinding
@subsection Non-@acronym{ASCII} Characters on the Keyboard
@cindex rebinding non-@acronym{ASCII} keys
@cindex non-@acronym{ASCII} keys, binding

  If your keyboard has keys that send non-@acronym{ASCII}
characters, such as accented letters, rebinding these keys
must be done by using a vector like this@footnote{You must
avoid the string syntax for binding
non-@acronym{ASCII} characters, since they will be
interpreted as meta keys.  @xref{Strings of Events,,,elisp,
The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.}:

@example

@end example

@noindent
Type @kbd{C-q} followed by the key you want to bind, to insert @var{char}.

  Since this puts a non-@acronym{ASCII} character in the @file{.emacs},
you should specify a coding system for that file that supports the
character in question.  @xref{Init Non-ASCII}.

  @strong{Warning:} if you change the keyboard encoding, or change
between multibyte and unibyte mode, or anything that would alter which
code @kbd{C-q} would insert for that character, you'll need to edit
the Lisp expression accordingly, to use the character code generated
by @kbd{C-q} in the new mode.

@node Disabling
@subsection Disabling Commands
@cindex disabled command

  Disabling a command menas it requires confirmation before it can be
executed.  The purpose of disabling a command is to prevent users from
executing it by accident and being confused.

  An attempt to invoke a disabled command interactively in Emacs
displays a window containing the command's name, its documentation,
and some instructions on what to do immediately; then Emacs asks for
input saying whether to execute the command as requested, enable it
and execute it, or cancel.  If you decide to enable the command, you
must then answer another question---whether to do this permanently, or
just for the current session.  (Enabling permanently works by
automatically editing your @file{.emacs} file.)  You can also type
@kbd{!} to enable @emph{all} commands, for the current session only.

  The direct mechanism for disabling a command is to put a
non-@code{nil} @code{disabled} property on the Lisp symbol for the
command.  Here is the Lisp program to do this:

@end example

@findex disable-command
@findex enable-command
  You can make a command disabled either by editing the @file{.emacs}
file directly, or with the command @kbd{M-x disable-command}, which edits
the @file{.emacs} file for you.  Likewise, @kbd{M-x enable-command}
edits @file{.emacs} to enable a command permanently.  @xref{Init File}.

  If Emacs was invoked with the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file}
options (@pxref{Initial Options}), it will not edit your
@file{~/.emacs} init file.  Doing so could lose information
because Emacs has not read your init file.

  Whether a command is disabled is independent of what key is used to
invoke it; disabling also applies if the command is invoked using
@kbd{M-x}.  Disabling a command has no effect on calling it as a
function from Lisp programs.

string quotes, and so on.  It does this by assigning each character to
one of fifteen-odd @dfn{syntax classes}.  In some cases it specifies
some additional information also.

  Each major mode has its own syntax table (though related major modes
sometimes share one syntax table), which it installs in each buffer
that uses the mode.  The syntax table installed in the current buffer
is the one that all commands use, so we call it ``the'' syntax table.

@kindex C-h s
@findex describe-syntax
  To display a description of the contents of the current syntax
table, type @kbd{C-h s} (@code{describe-syntax}).  The description of
each character includes the string you would have to give to
@code{modify-syntax-entry} to set up that character's current syntax,
starting with the character which designates its syntax class, plus
some English text to explain its meaning.

  A syntax table is actually a Lisp object, a char-table, whose

a Meta character, as in @samp{\M-a} for @kbd{Meta-A} or @samp{\M-\C-a} for
@kbd{Control-Meta-A}.@refill

@cindex international characters in @file{.emacs}
@cindex non-@acronym{ASCII} characters in @file{.emacs}
@anchor{Init Non-ASCII}If you want to include non-@acronym{ASCII}
characters in strings in your init
file, you should consider putting a @w{@samp{-*-coding:
@var{coding-system}-*-}} tag on the first line which states the coding
system used to save your @file{.emacs}, as explained in @ref{Recognize
Coding}.  This is because the defaults for decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} text might
not yet be set up by the time Emacs reads those parts of your init file

@item
@vindex user-mail-address
Specify your own email address, if Emacs can't figure it out correctly.

@example
(setq user-mail-address "rumsfeld@@torture.gov")
@end example

Various Emacs packages that need your own email address use the value of
@code{user-mail-address}.