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Revision: emacs@sv.gnu.org/emacs--unicode--0--patch-257
author | Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> |
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date | Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:22:07 +0000 |
parents | 5039706521c9 |
children | 591c29778a30 |
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--- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/doc/lispref/display.texi Thu Oct 11 16:22:07 2007 +0000 @@ -0,0 +1,5456 @@ +@c -*-texinfo-*- +@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. +@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, +@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. +@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. +@setfilename ../../info/display +@node Display, System Interface, Processes, Top +@chapter Emacs Display + + This chapter describes a number of features related to the display +that Emacs presents to the user. + +@menu +* Refresh Screen:: Clearing the screen and redrawing everything on it. +* Forcing Redisplay:: Forcing redisplay. +* Truncation:: Folding or wrapping long text lines. +* The Echo Area:: Displaying messages at the bottom of the screen. +* Warnings:: Displaying warning messages for the user. +* Invisible Text:: Hiding part of the buffer text. +* Selective Display:: Hiding part of the buffer text (the old way). +* Temporary Displays:: Displays that go away automatically. +* Overlays:: Use overlays to highlight parts of the buffer. +* Width:: How wide a character or string is on the screen. +* Line Height:: Controlling the height of lines. +* Faces:: A face defines a graphics style for text characters: + font, colors, etc. +* Fringes:: Controlling window fringes. +* Scroll Bars:: Controlling vertical scroll bars. +* Display Property:: Enabling special display features. +* Images:: Displaying images in Emacs buffers. +* Buttons:: Adding clickable buttons to Emacs buffers. +* Abstract Display:: Emacs' Widget for Object Collections. +* Blinking:: How Emacs shows the matching open parenthesis. +* Usual Display:: The usual conventions for displaying nonprinting chars. +* Display Tables:: How to specify other conventions. +* Beeping:: Audible signal to the user. +* Window Systems:: Which window system is being used. +@end menu + +@node Refresh Screen +@section Refreshing the Screen + + The function @code{redraw-frame} clears and redisplays the entire +contents of a given frame (@pxref{Frames}). This is useful if the +screen is corrupted. + +@c Emacs 19 feature +@defun redraw-frame frame +This function clears and redisplays frame @var{frame}. +@end defun + + Even more powerful is @code{redraw-display}: + +@deffn Command redraw-display +This function clears and redisplays all visible frames. +@end deffn + + This function calls for redisplay of certain windows, the next time +redisplay is done, but does not clear them first. + +@defun force-window-update &optional object +This function forces some or all windows to be updated on next redisplay. +If @var{object} is a window, it forces redisplay of that window. If +@var{object} is a buffer or buffer name, it forces redisplay of all +windows displaying that buffer. If @var{object} is @code{nil} (or +omitted), it forces redisplay of all windows. +@end defun + + Processing user input takes absolute priority over redisplay. If you +call these functions when input is available, they do nothing +immediately, but a full redisplay does happen eventually---after all the +input has been processed. + + Normally, suspending and resuming Emacs also refreshes the screen. +Some terminal emulators record separate contents for display-oriented +programs such as Emacs and for ordinary sequential display. If you are +using such a terminal, you might want to inhibit the redisplay on +resumption. + +@defvar no-redraw-on-reenter +@cindex suspend (cf. @code{no-redraw-on-reenter}) +@cindex resume (cf. @code{no-redraw-on-reenter}) +This variable controls whether Emacs redraws the entire screen after it +has been suspended and resumed. Non-@code{nil} means there is no need +to redraw, @code{nil} means redrawing is needed. The default is @code{nil}. +@end defvar + +@node Forcing Redisplay +@section Forcing Redisplay +@cindex forcing redisplay + + Emacs redisplay normally stops if input arrives, and does not happen +at all if input is available before it starts. Most of the time, this +is exactly what you want. However, you can prevent preemption by +binding @code{redisplay-dont-pause} to a non-@code{nil} value. + +@defvar redisplay-preemption-period +This variable specifies how many seconds Emacs waits between checks +for new input during redisplay. (The default is 0.1 seconds.) If +input has arrived when Emacs checks, it pre-empts redisplay and +processes the available input before trying again to redisplay. + +If this variable is @code{nil}, Emacs does not check for input during +redisplay, and redisplay cannot be preempted by input. + +This variable is only obeyed on graphical terminals. For +text terminals, see @ref{Terminal Output}. +@end defvar + +@defvar redisplay-dont-pause +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, pending input does not +prevent or halt redisplay; redisplay occurs, and finishes, +regardless of whether input is available. +@end defvar + +@defun redisplay &optional force +This function performs an immediate redisplay provided there are no +pending input events. This is equivalent to @code{(sit-for 0)}. + +If the optional argument @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, it forces an +immediate and complete redisplay even if input is available. + +Returns @code{t} if redisplay was performed, or @code{nil} otherwise. +@end defun + +@node Truncation +@section Truncation +@cindex line wrapping +@cindex line truncation +@cindex continuation lines +@cindex @samp{$} in display +@cindex @samp{\} in display + + When a line of text extends beyond the right edge of a window, Emacs +can @dfn{continue} the line (make it ``wrap'' to the next screen +line), or @dfn{truncate} the line (limit it to one screen line). The +additional screen lines used to display a long text line are called +@dfn{continuation} lines. Continuation is not the same as filling; +continuation happens on the screen only, not in the buffer contents, +and it breaks a line precisely at the right margin, not at a word +boundary. @xref{Filling}. + + On a graphical display, tiny arrow images in the window fringes +indicate truncated and continued lines (@pxref{Fringes}). On a text +terminal, a @samp{$} in the rightmost column of the window indicates +truncation; a @samp{\} on the rightmost column indicates a line that +``wraps.'' (The display table can specify alternate characters to use +for this; @pxref{Display Tables}). + +@defopt truncate-lines +This buffer-local variable controls how Emacs displays lines that extend +beyond the right edge of the window. The default is @code{nil}, which +specifies continuation. If the value is non-@code{nil}, then these +lines are truncated. + +If the variable @code{truncate-partial-width-windows} is non-@code{nil}, +then truncation is always used for side-by-side windows (within one +frame) regardless of the value of @code{truncate-lines}. +@end defopt + +@defopt default-truncate-lines +This variable is the default value for @code{truncate-lines}, for +buffers that do not have buffer-local values for it. +@end defopt + +@defopt truncate-partial-width-windows +This variable controls display of lines that extend beyond the right +edge of the window, in side-by-side windows (@pxref{Splitting Windows}). +If it is non-@code{nil}, these lines are truncated; otherwise, +@code{truncate-lines} says what to do with them. +@end defopt + + When horizontal scrolling (@pxref{Horizontal Scrolling}) is in use in +a window, that forces truncation. + + If your buffer contains @emph{very} long lines, and you use +continuation to display them, just thinking about them can make Emacs +redisplay slow. The column computation and indentation functions also +become slow. Then you might find it advisable to set +@code{cache-long-line-scans} to @code{t}. + +@defvar cache-long-line-scans +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, various indentation and motion +functions, and Emacs redisplay, cache the results of scanning the +buffer, and consult the cache to avoid rescanning regions of the buffer +unless they are modified. + +Turning on the cache slows down processing of short lines somewhat. + +This variable is automatically buffer-local in every buffer. +@end defvar + +@node The Echo Area +@section The Echo Area +@cindex error display +@cindex echo area + + The @dfn{echo area} is used for displaying error messages +(@pxref{Errors}), for messages made with the @code{message} primitive, +and for echoing keystrokes. It is not the same as the minibuffer, +despite the fact that the minibuffer appears (when active) in the same +place on the screen as the echo area. The @cite{GNU Emacs Manual} +specifies the rules for resolving conflicts between the echo area and +the minibuffer for use of that screen space (@pxref{Minibuffer,, The +Minibuffer, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). + + You can write output in the echo area by using the Lisp printing +functions with @code{t} as the stream (@pxref{Output Functions}), or +explicitly. + +@menu +* Displaying Messages:: Explicitly displaying text in the echo area. +* Progress:: Informing user about progress of a long operation. +* Logging Messages:: Echo area messages are logged for the user. +* Echo Area Customization:: Controlling the echo area. +@end menu + +@node Displaying Messages +@subsection Displaying Messages in the Echo Area +@cindex display message in echo area + + This section describes the functions for explicitly producing echo +area messages. Many other Emacs features display messages there, too. + +@defun message format-string &rest arguments +This function displays a message in the echo area. The argument +@var{format-string} is similar to a C language @code{printf} format +string. See @code{format} in @ref{Formatting Strings}, for the details +on the conversion specifications. @code{message} returns the +constructed string. + +In batch mode, @code{message} prints the message text on the standard +error stream, followed by a newline. + +If @var{format-string}, or strings among the @var{arguments}, have +@code{face} text properties, these affect the way the message is displayed. + +@c Emacs 19 feature +If @var{format-string} is @code{nil} or the empty string, +@code{message} clears the echo area; if the echo area has been +expanded automatically, this brings it back to its normal size. +If the minibuffer is active, this brings the minibuffer contents back +onto the screen immediately. + +@example +@group +(message "Minibuffer depth is %d." + (minibuffer-depth)) + @print{} Minibuffer depth is 0. +@result{} "Minibuffer depth is 0." +@end group + +@group +---------- Echo Area ---------- +Minibuffer depth is 0. +---------- Echo Area ---------- +@end group +@end example + +To automatically display a message in the echo area or in a pop-buffer, +depending on its size, use @code{display-message-or-buffer} (see below). +@end defun + +@defmac with-temp-message message &rest body +This construct displays a message in the echo area temporarily, during +the execution of @var{body}. It displays @var{message}, executes +@var{body}, then returns the value of the last body form while restoring +the previous echo area contents. +@end defmac + +@defun message-or-box format-string &rest arguments +This function displays a message like @code{message}, but may display it +in a dialog box instead of the echo area. If this function is called in +a command that was invoked using the mouse---more precisely, if +@code{last-nonmenu-event} (@pxref{Command Loop Info}) is either +@code{nil} or a list---then it uses a dialog box or pop-up menu to +display the message. Otherwise, it uses the echo area. (This is the +same criterion that @code{y-or-n-p} uses to make a similar decision; see +@ref{Yes-or-No Queries}.) + +You can force use of the mouse or of the echo area by binding +@code{last-nonmenu-event} to a suitable value around the call. +@end defun + +@defun message-box format-string &rest arguments +@anchor{message-box} +This function displays a message like @code{message}, but uses a dialog +box (or a pop-up menu) whenever that is possible. If it is impossible +to use a dialog box or pop-up menu, because the terminal does not +support them, then @code{message-box} uses the echo area, like +@code{message}. +@end defun + +@defun display-message-or-buffer message &optional buffer-name not-this-window frame +This function displays the message @var{message}, which may be either a +string or a buffer. If it is shorter than the maximum height of the +echo area, as defined by @code{max-mini-window-height}, it is displayed +in the echo area, using @code{message}. Otherwise, +@code{display-buffer} is used to show it in a pop-up buffer. + +Returns either the string shown in the echo area, or when a pop-up +buffer is used, the window used to display it. + +If @var{message} is a string, then the optional argument +@var{buffer-name} is the name of the buffer used to display it when a +pop-up buffer is used, defaulting to @samp{*Message*}. In the case +where @var{message} is a string and displayed in the echo area, it is +not specified whether the contents are inserted into the buffer anyway. + +The optional arguments @var{not-this-window} and @var{frame} are as for +@code{display-buffer}, and only used if a buffer is displayed. +@end defun + +@defun current-message +This function returns the message currently being displayed in the +echo area, or @code{nil} if there is none. +@end defun + +@node Progress +@subsection Reporting Operation Progress +@cindex progress reporting + + When an operation can take a while to finish, you should inform the +user about the progress it makes. This way the user can estimate +remaining time and clearly see that Emacs is busy working, not hung. + + Functions listed in this section provide simple and efficient way of +reporting operation progress. Here is a working example that does +nothing useful: + +@smallexample +(let ((progress-reporter + (make-progress-reporter "Collecting mana for Emacs..." + 0 500))) + (dotimes (k 500) + (sit-for 0.01) + (progress-reporter-update progress-reporter k)) + (progress-reporter-done progress-reporter)) +@end smallexample + +@defun make-progress-reporter message min-value max-value &optional current-value min-change min-time +This function creates and returns a @dfn{progress reporter}---an +object you will use as an argument for all other functions listed +here. The idea is to precompute as much data as possible to make +progress reporting very fast. + +When this progress reporter is subsequently used, it will display +@var{message} in the echo area, followed by progress percentage. +@var{message} is treated as a simple string. If you need it to depend +on a filename, for instance, use @code{format} before calling this +function. + +@var{min-value} and @var{max-value} arguments stand for starting and +final states of your operation. For instance, if you scan a buffer, +they should be the results of @code{point-min} and @code{point-max} +correspondingly. It is required that @var{max-value} is greater than +@var{min-value}. If you create progress reporter when some part of +the operation has already been completed, then specify +@var{current-value} argument. But normally you should omit it or set +it to @code{nil}---it will default to @var{min-value} then. + +Remaining arguments control the rate of echo area updates. Progress +reporter will wait for at least @var{min-change} more percents of the +operation to be completed before printing next message. +@var{min-time} specifies the minimum time in seconds to pass between +successive prints. It can be fractional. Depending on Emacs and +system capabilities, progress reporter may or may not respect this +last argument or do it with varying precision. Default value for +@var{min-change} is 1 (one percent), for @var{min-time}---0.2 +(seconds.) + +This function calls @code{progress-reporter-update}, so the first +message is printed immediately. +@end defun + +@defun progress-reporter-update reporter value +This function does the main work of reporting progress of your +operation. It displays the message of @var{reporter}, followed by +progress percentage determined by @var{value}. If percentage is zero, +or close enough according to the @var{min-change} and @var{min-time} +arguments, then it is omitted from the output. + +@var{reporter} must be the result of a call to +@code{make-progress-reporter}. @var{value} specifies the current +state of your operation and must be between @var{min-value} and +@var{max-value} (inclusive) as passed to +@code{make-progress-reporter}. For instance, if you scan a buffer, +then @var{value} should be the result of a call to @code{point}. + +This function respects @var{min-change} and @var{min-time} as passed +to @code{make-progress-reporter} and so does not output new messages +on every invocation. It is thus very fast and normally you should not +try to reduce the number of calls to it: resulting overhead will most +likely negate your effort. +@end defun + +@defun progress-reporter-force-update reporter value &optional new-message +This function is similar to @code{progress-reporter-update} except +that it prints a message in the echo area unconditionally. + +The first two arguments have the same meaning as for +@code{progress-reporter-update}. Optional @var{new-message} allows +you to change the message of the @var{reporter}. Since this functions +always updates the echo area, such a change will be immediately +presented to the user. +@end defun + +@defun progress-reporter-done reporter +This function should be called when the operation is finished. It +prints the message of @var{reporter} followed by word ``done'' in the +echo area. + +You should always call this function and not hope for +@code{progress-reporter-update} to print ``100%.'' Firstly, it may +never print it, there are many good reasons for this not to happen. +Secondly, ``done'' is more explicit. +@end defun + +@defmac dotimes-with-progress-reporter (var count [result]) message body@dots{} +This is a convenience macro that works the same way as @code{dotimes} +does, but also reports loop progress using the functions described +above. It allows you to save some typing. + +You can rewrite the example in the beginning of this node using +this macro this way: + +@example +(dotimes-with-progress-reporter + (k 500) + "Collecting some mana for Emacs..." + (sit-for 0.01)) +@end example +@end defmac + +@node Logging Messages +@subsection Logging Messages in @samp{*Messages*} +@cindex logging echo-area messages + + Almost all the messages displayed in the echo area are also recorded +in the @samp{*Messages*} buffer so that the user can refer back to +them. This includes all the messages that are output with +@code{message}. + +@defopt message-log-max +This variable specifies how many lines to keep in the @samp{*Messages*} +buffer. The value @code{t} means there is no limit on how many lines to +keep. The value @code{nil} disables message logging entirely. Here's +how to display a message and prevent it from being logged: + +@example +(let (message-log-max) + (message @dots{})) +@end example +@end defopt + + To make @samp{*Messages*} more convenient for the user, the logging +facility combines successive identical messages. It also combines +successive related messages for the sake of two cases: question +followed by answer, and a series of progress messages. + + A ``question followed by an answer'' means two messages like the +ones produced by @code{y-or-n-p}: the first is @samp{@var{question}}, +and the second is @samp{@var{question}...@var{answer}}. The first +message conveys no additional information beyond what's in the second, +so logging the second message discards the first from the log. + + A ``series of progress messages'' means successive messages like +those produced by @code{make-progress-reporter}. They have the form +@samp{@var{base}...@var{how-far}}, where @var{base} is the same each +time, while @var{how-far} varies. Logging each message in the series +discards the previous one, provided they are consecutive. + + The functions @code{make-progress-reporter} and @code{y-or-n-p} +don't have to do anything special to activate the message log +combination feature. It operates whenever two consecutive messages +are logged that share a common prefix ending in @samp{...}. + +@node Echo Area Customization +@subsection Echo Area Customization + + These variables control details of how the echo area works. + +@defvar cursor-in-echo-area +This variable controls where the cursor appears when a message is +displayed in the echo area. If it is non-@code{nil}, then the cursor +appears at the end of the message. Otherwise, the cursor appears at +point---not in the echo area at all. + +The value is normally @code{nil}; Lisp programs bind it to @code{t} +for brief periods of time. +@end defvar + +@defvar echo-area-clear-hook +This normal hook is run whenever the echo area is cleared---either by +@code{(message nil)} or for any other reason. +@end defvar + +@defvar echo-keystrokes +This variable determines how much time should elapse before command +characters echo. Its value must be an integer or floating point number, +which specifies the +number of seconds to wait before echoing. If the user types a prefix +key (such as @kbd{C-x}) and then delays this many seconds before +continuing, the prefix key is echoed in the echo area. (Once echoing +begins in a key sequence, all subsequent characters in the same key +sequence are echoed immediately.) + +If the value is zero, then command input is not echoed. +@end defvar + +@defvar message-truncate-lines +Normally, displaying a long message resizes the echo area to display +the entire message. But if the variable @code{message-truncate-lines} +is non-@code{nil}, the echo area does not resize, and the message is +truncated to fit it, as in Emacs 20 and before. +@end defvar + + The variable @code{max-mini-window-height}, which specifies the +maximum height for resizing minibuffer windows, also applies to the +echo area (which is really a special use of the minibuffer window. +@xref{Minibuffer Misc}. + +@node Warnings +@section Reporting Warnings +@cindex warnings + + @dfn{Warnings} are a facility for a program to inform the user of a +possible problem, but continue running. + +@menu +* Warning Basics:: Warnings concepts and functions to report them. +* Warning Variables:: Variables programs bind to customize their warnings. +* Warning Options:: Variables users set to control display of warnings. +@end menu + +@node Warning Basics +@subsection Warning Basics +@cindex severity level + + Every warning has a textual message, which explains the problem for +the user, and a @dfn{severity level} which is a symbol. Here are the +possible severity levels, in order of decreasing severity, and their +meanings: + +@table @code +@item :emergency +A problem that will seriously impair Emacs operation soon +if you do not attend to it promptly. +@item :error +A report of data or circumstances that are inherently wrong. +@item :warning +A report of data or circumstances that are not inherently wrong, but +raise suspicion of a possible problem. +@item :debug +A report of information that may be useful if you are debugging. +@end table + + When your program encounters invalid input data, it can either +signal a Lisp error by calling @code{error} or @code{signal} or report +a warning with severity @code{:error}. Signaling a Lisp error is the +easiest thing to do, but it means the program cannot continue +processing. If you want to take the trouble to implement a way to +continue processing despite the bad data, then reporting a warning of +severity @code{:error} is the right way to inform the user of the +problem. For instance, the Emacs Lisp byte compiler can report an +error that way and continue compiling other functions. (If the +program signals a Lisp error and then handles it with +@code{condition-case}, the user won't see the error message; it could +show the message to the user by reporting it as a warning.) + +@cindex warning type + Each warning has a @dfn{warning type} to classify it. The type is a +list of symbols. The first symbol should be the custom group that you +use for the program's user options. For example, byte compiler +warnings use the warning type @code{(bytecomp)}. You can also +subcategorize the warnings, if you wish, by using more symbols in the +list. + +@defun display-warning type message &optional level buffer-name +This function reports a warning, using @var{message} as the message +and @var{type} as the warning type. @var{level} should be the +severity level, with @code{:warning} being the default. + +@var{buffer-name}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the name of the buffer +for logging the warning. By default, it is @samp{*Warnings*}. +@end defun + +@defun lwarn type level message &rest args +This function reports a warning using the value of @code{(format +@var{message} @var{args}...)} as the message. In other respects it is +equivalent to @code{display-warning}. +@end defun + +@defun warn message &rest args +This function reports a warning using the value of @code{(format +@var{message} @var{args}...)} as the message, @code{(emacs)} as the +type, and @code{:warning} as the severity level. It exists for +compatibility only; we recommend not using it, because you should +specify a specific warning type. +@end defun + +@node Warning Variables +@subsection Warning Variables + + Programs can customize how their warnings appear by binding +the variables described in this section. + +@defvar warning-levels +This list defines the meaning and severity order of the warning +severity levels. Each element defines one severity level, +and they are arranged in order of decreasing severity. + +Each element has the form @code{(@var{level} @var{string} +@var{function})}, where @var{level} is the severity level it defines. +@var{string} specifies the textual description of this level. +@var{string} should use @samp{%s} to specify where to put the warning +type information, or it can omit the @samp{%s} so as not to include +that information. + +The optional @var{function}, if non-@code{nil}, is a function to call +with no arguments, to get the user's attention. + +Normally you should not change the value of this variable. +@end defvar + +@defvar warning-prefix-function +If non-@code{nil}, the value is a function to generate prefix text for +warnings. Programs can bind the variable to a suitable function. +@code{display-warning} calls this function with the warnings buffer +current, and the function can insert text in it. That text becomes +the beginning of the warning message. + +The function is called with two arguments, the severity level and its +entry in @code{warning-levels}. It should return a list to use as the +entry (this value need not be an actual member of +@code{warning-levels}). By constructing this value, the function can +change the severity of the warning, or specify different handling for +a given severity level. + +If the variable's value is @code{nil} then there is no function +to call. +@end defvar + +@defvar warning-series +Programs can bind this variable to @code{t} to say that the next +warning should begin a series. When several warnings form a series, +that means to leave point on the first warning of the series, rather +than keep moving it for each warning so that it appears on the last one. +The series ends when the local binding is unbound and +@code{warning-series} becomes @code{nil} again. + +The value can also be a symbol with a function definition. That is +equivalent to @code{t}, except that the next warning will also call +the function with no arguments with the warnings buffer current. The +function can insert text which will serve as a header for the series +of warnings. + +Once a series has begun, the value is a marker which points to the +buffer position in the warnings buffer of the start of the series. + +The variable's normal value is @code{nil}, which means to handle +each warning separately. +@end defvar + +@defvar warning-fill-prefix +When this variable is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a fill prefix to +use for filling each warning's text. +@end defvar + +@defvar warning-type-format +This variable specifies the format for displaying the warning type +in the warning message. The result of formatting the type this way +gets included in the message under the control of the string in the +entry in @code{warning-levels}. The default value is @code{" (%s)"}. +If you bind it to @code{""} then the warning type won't appear at +all. +@end defvar + +@node Warning Options +@subsection Warning Options + + These variables are used by users to control what happens +when a Lisp program reports a warning. + +@defopt warning-minimum-level +This user option specifies the minimum severity level that should be +shown immediately to the user. The default is @code{:warning}, which +means to immediately display all warnings except @code{:debug} +warnings. +@end defopt + +@defopt warning-minimum-log-level +This user option specifies the minimum severity level that should be +logged in the warnings buffer. The default is @code{:warning}, which +means to log all warnings except @code{:debug} warnings. +@end defopt + +@defopt warning-suppress-types +This list specifies which warning types should not be displayed +immediately for the user. Each element of the list should be a list +of symbols. If its elements match the first elements in a warning +type, then that warning is not displayed immediately. +@end defopt + +@defopt warning-suppress-log-types +This list specifies which warning types should not be logged in the +warnings buffer. Each element of the list should be a list of +symbols. If it matches the first few elements in a warning type, then +that warning is not logged. +@end defopt + +@node Invisible Text +@section Invisible Text + +@cindex invisible text +You can make characters @dfn{invisible}, so that they do not appear on +the screen, with the @code{invisible} property. This can be either a +text property (@pxref{Text Properties}) or a property of an overlay +(@pxref{Overlays}). Cursor motion also partly ignores these +characters; if the command loop finds point within them, it moves +point to the other side of them. + +In the simplest case, any non-@code{nil} @code{invisible} property makes +a character invisible. This is the default case---if you don't alter +the default value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}, this is how the +@code{invisible} property works. You should normally use @code{t} +as the value of the @code{invisible} property if you don't plan +to set @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} yourself. + +More generally, you can use the variable @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} +to control which values of the @code{invisible} property make text +invisible. This permits you to classify the text into different subsets +in advance, by giving them different @code{invisible} values, and +subsequently make various subsets visible or invisible by changing the +value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. + +Controlling visibility with @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} is +especially useful in a program to display the list of entries in a +database. It permits the implementation of convenient filtering +commands to view just a part of the entries in the database. Setting +this variable is very fast, much faster than scanning all the text in +the buffer looking for properties to change. + +@defvar buffer-invisibility-spec +This variable specifies which kinds of @code{invisible} properties +actually make a character invisible. Setting this variable makes it +buffer-local. + +@table @asis +@item @code{t} +A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property is +non-@code{nil}. This is the default. + +@item a list +Each element of the list specifies a criterion for invisibility; if a +character's @code{invisible} property fits any one of these criteria, +the character is invisible. The list can have two kinds of elements: + +@table @code +@item @var{atom} +A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property value +is @var{atom} or if it is a list with @var{atom} as a member. + +@item (@var{atom} . t) +A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property value is +@var{atom} or if it is a list with @var{atom} as a member. Moreover, +a sequence of such characters displays as an ellipsis. +@end table +@end table +@end defvar + + Two functions are specifically provided for adding elements to +@code{buffer-invisibility-spec} and removing elements from it. + +@defun add-to-invisibility-spec element +This function adds the element @var{element} to +@code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. If @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} +was @code{t}, it changes to a list, @code{(t)}, so that text whose +@code{invisible} property is @code{t} remains invisible. +@end defun + +@defun remove-from-invisibility-spec element +This removes the element @var{element} from +@code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. This does nothing if @var{element} +is not in the list. +@end defun + + A convention for use of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} is that a +major mode should use the mode's own name as an element of +@code{buffer-invisibility-spec} and as the value of the +@code{invisible} property: + +@example +;; @r{If you want to display an ellipsis:} +(add-to-invisibility-spec '(my-symbol . t)) +;; @r{If you don't want ellipsis:} +(add-to-invisibility-spec 'my-symbol) + +(overlay-put (make-overlay beginning end) + 'invisible 'my-symbol) + +;; @r{When done with the overlays:} +(remove-from-invisibility-spec '(my-symbol . t)) +;; @r{Or respectively:} +(remove-from-invisibility-spec 'my-symbol) +@end example + +@vindex line-move-ignore-invisible + Ordinarily, functions that operate on text or move point do not care +whether the text is invisible. The user-level line motion commands +explicitly ignore invisible newlines if +@code{line-move-ignore-invisible} is non-@code{nil} (the default), but +only because they are explicitly programmed to do so. + + However, if a command ends with point inside or immediately before +invisible text, the main editing loop moves point further forward or +further backward (in the same direction that the command already moved +it) until that condition is no longer true. Thus, if the command +moved point back into an invisible range, Emacs moves point back to +the beginning of that range, and then back one more character. If the +command moved point forward into an invisible range, Emacs moves point +forward up to the first visible character that follows the invisible +text. + + Incremental search can make invisible overlays visible temporarily +and/or permanently when a match includes invisible text. To enable +this, the overlay should have a non-@code{nil} +@code{isearch-open-invisible} property. The property value should be a +function to be called with the overlay as an argument. This function +should make the overlay visible permanently; it is used when the match +overlaps the overlay on exit from the search. + + During the search, such overlays are made temporarily visible by +temporarily modifying their invisible and intangible properties. If you +want this to be done differently for a certain overlay, give it an +@code{isearch-open-invisible-temporary} property which is a function. +The function is called with two arguments: the first is the overlay, and +the second is @code{nil} to make the overlay visible, or @code{t} to +make it invisible again. + +@node Selective Display +@section Selective Display +@c @cindex selective display Duplicates selective-display + + @dfn{Selective display} refers to a pair of related features for +hiding certain lines on the screen. + + The first variant, explicit selective display, is designed for use +in a Lisp program: it controls which lines are hidden by altering the +text. This kind of hiding in some ways resembles the effect of the +@code{invisible} property (@pxref{Invisible Text}), but the two +features are different and do not work the same way. + + In the second variant, the choice of lines to hide is made +automatically based on indentation. This variant is designed to be a +user-level feature. + + The way you control explicit selective display is by replacing a +newline (control-j) with a carriage return (control-m). The text that +was formerly a line following that newline is now hidden. Strictly +speaking, it is temporarily no longer a line at all, since only +newlines can separate lines; it is now part of the previous line. + + Selective display does not directly affect editing commands. For +example, @kbd{C-f} (@code{forward-char}) moves point unhesitatingly +into hidden text. However, the replacement of newline characters with +carriage return characters affects some editing commands. For +example, @code{next-line} skips hidden lines, since it searches only +for newlines. Modes that use selective display can also define +commands that take account of the newlines, or that control which +parts of the text are hidden. + + When you write a selectively displayed buffer into a file, all the +control-m's are output as newlines. This means that when you next read +in the file, it looks OK, with nothing hidden. The selective display +effect is seen only within Emacs. + +@defvar selective-display +This buffer-local variable enables selective display. This means that +lines, or portions of lines, may be made hidden. + +@itemize @bullet +@item +If the value of @code{selective-display} is @code{t}, then the character +control-m marks the start of hidden text; the control-m, and the rest +of the line following it, are not displayed. This is explicit selective +display. + +@item +If the value of @code{selective-display} is a positive integer, then +lines that start with more than that many columns of indentation are not +displayed. +@end itemize + +When some portion of a buffer is hidden, the vertical movement +commands operate as if that portion did not exist, allowing a single +@code{next-line} command to skip any number of hidden lines. +However, character movement commands (such as @code{forward-char}) do +not skip the hidden portion, and it is possible (if tricky) to insert +or delete text in an hidden portion. + +In the examples below, we show the @emph{display appearance} of the +buffer @code{foo}, which changes with the value of +@code{selective-display}. The @emph{contents} of the buffer do not +change. + +@example +@group +(setq selective-display nil) + @result{} nil + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +1 on this column + 2on this column + 3n this column + 3n this column + 2on this column +1 on this column +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(setq selective-display 2) + @result{} 2 + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +1 on this column + 2on this column + 2on this column +1 on this column +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end example +@end defvar + +@defvar selective-display-ellipses +If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays +@samp{@dots{}} at the end of a line that is followed by hidden text. +This example is a continuation of the previous one. + +@example +@group +(setq selective-display-ellipses t) + @result{} t + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +1 on this column + 2on this column ... + 2on this column +1 on this column +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end example + +You can use a display table to substitute other text for the ellipsis +(@samp{@dots{}}). @xref{Display Tables}. +@end defvar + +@node Temporary Displays +@section Temporary Displays + + Temporary displays are used by Lisp programs to put output into a +buffer and then present it to the user for perusal rather than for +editing. Many help commands use this feature. + +@defspec with-output-to-temp-buffer buffer-name forms@dots{} +This function executes @var{forms} while arranging to insert any output +they print into the buffer named @var{buffer-name}, which is first +created if necessary, and put into Help mode. Finally, the buffer is +displayed in some window, but not selected. + +If the @var{forms} do not change the major mode in the output buffer, +so that it is still Help mode at the end of their execution, then +@code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} makes this buffer read-only at the +end, and also scans it for function and variable names to make them +into clickable cross-references. @xref{Docstring hyperlinks, , Tips +for Documentation Strings}, in particular the item on hyperlinks in +documentation strings, for more details. + +The string @var{buffer-name} specifies the temporary buffer, which +need not already exist. The argument must be a string, not a buffer. +The buffer is erased initially (with no questions asked), and it is +marked as unmodified after @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} exits. + +@code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} binds @code{standard-output} to the +temporary buffer, then it evaluates the forms in @var{forms}. Output +using the Lisp output functions within @var{forms} goes by default to +that buffer (but screen display and messages in the echo area, although +they are ``output'' in the general sense of the word, are not affected). +@xref{Output Functions}. + +Several hooks are available for customizing the behavior +of this construct; they are listed below. + +The value of the last form in @var{forms} is returned. + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- + This is the contents of foo. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(with-output-to-temp-buffer "foo" + (print 20) + (print standard-output)) +@result{} #<buffer foo> + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +20 + +#<buffer foo> + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end example +@end defspec + +@defvar temp-buffer-show-function +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} +calls it as a function to do the job of displaying a help buffer. The +function gets one argument, which is the buffer it should display. + +It is a good idea for this function to run @code{temp-buffer-show-hook} +just as @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} normally would, inside of +@code{save-selected-window} and with the chosen window and buffer +selected. +@end defvar + +@defvar temp-buffer-setup-hook +This normal hook is run by @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} before +evaluating @var{body}. When the hook runs, the temporary buffer is +current. This hook is normally set up with a function to put the +buffer in Help mode. +@end defvar + +@defvar temp-buffer-show-hook +This normal hook is run by @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} after +displaying the temporary buffer. When the hook runs, the temporary buffer +is current, and the window it was displayed in is selected. This hook +is normally set up with a function to make the buffer read only, and +find function names and variable names in it, provided the major mode +is Help mode. +@end defvar + +@defun momentary-string-display string position &optional char message +This function momentarily displays @var{string} in the current buffer at +@var{position}. It has no effect on the undo list or on the buffer's +modification status. + +The momentary display remains until the next input event. If the next +input event is @var{char}, @code{momentary-string-display} ignores it +and returns. Otherwise, that event remains buffered for subsequent use +as input. Thus, typing @var{char} will simply remove the string from +the display, while typing (say) @kbd{C-f} will remove the string from +the display and later (presumably) move point forward. The argument +@var{char} is a space by default. + +The return value of @code{momentary-string-display} is not meaningful. + +If the string @var{string} does not contain control characters, you can +do the same job in a more general way by creating (and then subsequently +deleting) an overlay with a @code{before-string} property. +@xref{Overlay Properties}. + +If @var{message} is non-@code{nil}, it is displayed in the echo area +while @var{string} is displayed in the buffer. If it is @code{nil}, a +default message says to type @var{char} to continue. + +In this example, point is initially located at the beginning of the +second line: + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This is the contents of foo. +@point{}Second line. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(momentary-string-display + "**** Important Message! ****" + (point) ?\r + "Type RET when done reading") +@result{} t +@end group + +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This is the contents of foo. +**** Important Message! ****Second line. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- + +---------- Echo Area ---------- +Type RET when done reading +---------- Echo Area ---------- +@end group +@end example +@end defun + +@node Overlays +@section Overlays +@cindex overlays + +You can use @dfn{overlays} to alter the appearance of a buffer's text on +the screen, for the sake of presentation features. An overlay is an +object that belongs to a particular buffer, and has a specified +beginning and end. It also has properties that you can examine and set; +these affect the display of the text within the overlay. + +An overlay uses markers to record its beginning and end; thus, +editing the text of the buffer adjusts the beginning and end of each +overlay so that it stays with the text. When you create the overlay, +you can specify whether text inserted at the beginning should be +inside the overlay or outside, and likewise for the end of the overlay. + +@menu +* Managing Overlays:: Creating and moving overlays. +* Overlay Properties:: How to read and set properties. + What properties do to the screen display. +* Finding Overlays:: Searching for overlays. +@end menu + +@node Managing Overlays +@subsection Managing Overlays + + This section describes the functions to create, delete and move +overlays, and to examine their contents. Overlay changes are not +recorded in the buffer's undo list, since the overlays are not +part of the buffer's contents. + +@defun overlayp object +This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is an overlay. +@end defun + +@defun make-overlay start end &optional buffer front-advance rear-advance +This function creates and returns an overlay that belongs to +@var{buffer} and ranges from @var{start} to @var{end}. Both @var{start} +and @var{end} must specify buffer positions; they may be integers or +markers. If @var{buffer} is omitted, the overlay is created in the +current buffer. + +The arguments @var{front-advance} and @var{rear-advance} specify the +marker insertion type for the start of the overlay and for the end of +the overlay, respectively. @xref{Marker Insertion Types}. If they +are both @code{nil}, the default, then the overlay extends to include +any text inserted at the beginning, but not text inserted at the end. +If @var{front-advance} is non-@code{nil}, text inserted at the +beginning of the overlay is excluded from the overlay. If +@var{rear-advance} is non-@code{nil}, text inserted at the end of the +overlay is included in the overlay. +@end defun + +@defun overlay-start overlay +This function returns the position at which @var{overlay} starts, +as an integer. +@end defun + +@defun overlay-end overlay +This function returns the position at which @var{overlay} ends, +as an integer. +@end defun + +@defun overlay-buffer overlay +This function returns the buffer that @var{overlay} belongs to. It +returns @code{nil} if @var{overlay} has been deleted. +@end defun + +@defun delete-overlay overlay +This function deletes @var{overlay}. The overlay continues to exist as +a Lisp object, and its property list is unchanged, but it ceases to be +attached to the buffer it belonged to, and ceases to have any effect on +display. + +A deleted overlay is not permanently disconnected. You can give it a +position in a buffer again by calling @code{move-overlay}. +@end defun + +@defun move-overlay overlay start end &optional buffer +This function moves @var{overlay} to @var{buffer}, and places its bounds +at @var{start} and @var{end}. Both arguments @var{start} and @var{end} +must specify buffer positions; they may be integers or markers. + +If @var{buffer} is omitted, @var{overlay} stays in the same buffer it +was already associated with; if @var{overlay} was deleted, it goes into +the current buffer. + +The return value is @var{overlay}. + +This is the only valid way to change the endpoints of an overlay. Do +not try modifying the markers in the overlay by hand, as that fails to +update other vital data structures and can cause some overlays to be +``lost.'' +@end defun + +@defun remove-overlays &optional start end name value +This function removes all the overlays between @var{start} and +@var{end} whose property @var{name} has the value @var{value}. It can +move the endpoints of the overlays in the region, or split them. + +If @var{name} is omitted or @code{nil}, it means to delete all overlays in +the specified region. If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are omitted or +@code{nil}, that means the beginning and end of the buffer respectively. +Therefore, @code{(remove-overlays)} removes all the overlays in the +current buffer. +@end defun + + Here are some examples: + +@example +;; @r{Create an overlay.} +(setq foo (make-overlay 1 10)) + @result{} #<overlay from 1 to 10 in display.texi> +(overlay-start foo) + @result{} 1 +(overlay-end foo) + @result{} 10 +(overlay-buffer foo) + @result{} #<buffer display.texi> +;; @r{Give it a property we can check later.} +(overlay-put foo 'happy t) + @result{} t +;; @r{Verify the property is present.} +(overlay-get foo 'happy) + @result{} t +;; @r{Move the overlay.} +(move-overlay foo 5 20) + @result{} #<overlay from 5 to 20 in display.texi> +(overlay-start foo) + @result{} 5 +(overlay-end foo) + @result{} 20 +;; @r{Delete the overlay.} +(delete-overlay foo) + @result{} nil +;; @r{Verify it is deleted.} +foo + @result{} #<overlay in no buffer> +;; @r{A deleted overlay has no position.} +(overlay-start foo) + @result{} nil +(overlay-end foo) + @result{} nil +(overlay-buffer foo) + @result{} nil +;; @r{Undelete the overlay.} +(move-overlay foo 1 20) + @result{} #<overlay from 1 to 20 in display.texi> +;; @r{Verify the results.} +(overlay-start foo) + @result{} 1 +(overlay-end foo) + @result{} 20 +(overlay-buffer foo) + @result{} #<buffer display.texi> +;; @r{Moving and deleting the overlay does not change its properties.} +(overlay-get foo 'happy) + @result{} t +@end example + + Emacs stores the overlays of each buffer in two lists, divided +around an arbitrary ``center position.'' One list extends backwards +through the buffer from that center position, and the other extends +forwards from that center position. The center position can be anywhere +in the buffer. + +@defun overlay-recenter pos +This function recenters the overlays of the current buffer around +position @var{pos}. That makes overlay lookup faster for positions +near @var{pos}, but slower for positions far away from @var{pos}. +@end defun + + A loop that scans the buffer forwards, creating overlays, can run +faster if you do @code{(overlay-recenter (point-max))} first. + +@node Overlay Properties +@subsection Overlay Properties + + Overlay properties are like text properties in that the properties that +alter how a character is displayed can come from either source. But in +most respects they are different. @xref{Text Properties}, for comparison. + + Text properties are considered a part of the text; overlays and +their properties are specifically considered not to be part of the +text. Thus, copying text between various buffers and strings +preserves text properties, but does not try to preserve overlays. +Changing a buffer's text properties marks the buffer as modified, +while moving an overlay or changing its properties does not. Unlike +text property changes, overlay property changes are not recorded in +the buffer's undo list. + + Since more than one overlay can specify a property value for the +same character, Emacs lets you specify a priority value of each +overlay. You should not make assumptions about which overlay will +prevail when there is a conflict and they have the same priority. + + These functions read and set the properties of an overlay: + +@defun overlay-get overlay prop +This function returns the value of property @var{prop} recorded in +@var{overlay}, if any. If @var{overlay} does not record any value for +that property, but it does have a @code{category} property which is a +symbol, that symbol's @var{prop} property is used. Otherwise, the value +is @code{nil}. +@end defun + +@defun overlay-put overlay prop value +This function sets the value of property @var{prop} recorded in +@var{overlay} to @var{value}. It returns @var{value}. +@end defun + +@defun overlay-properties overlay +This returns a copy of the property list of @var{overlay}. +@end defun + + See also the function @code{get-char-property} which checks both +overlay properties and text properties for a given character. +@xref{Examining Properties}. + + Many overlay properties have special meanings; here is a table +of them: + +@table @code +@item priority +@kindex priority @r{(overlay property)} +This property's value (which should be a nonnegative integer number) +determines the priority of the overlay. No priority, or @code{nil}, +means zero. + +The priority matters when two or more overlays cover the same +character and both specify the same property; the one whose +@code{priority} value is larger overrides the other. For the +@code{face} property, the higher priority overlay's value does not +completely override the other value; instead, its face attributes +override the face attributes of the lower priority @code{face} +property. + +Currently, all overlays take priority over text properties. Please +avoid using negative priority values, as we have not yet decided just +what they should mean. + +@item window +@kindex window @r{(overlay property)} +If the @code{window} property is non-@code{nil}, then the overlay +applies only on that window. + +@item category +@kindex category @r{(overlay property)} +If an overlay has a @code{category} property, we call it the +@dfn{category} of the overlay. It should be a symbol. The properties +of the symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the overlay. + +@item face +@kindex face @r{(overlay property)} +This property controls the way text is displayed---for example, which +font and which colors. @xref{Faces}, for more information. + +In the simplest case, the value is a face name. It can also be a list; +then each element can be any of these possibilities: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +A face name (a symbol or string). + +@item +A property list of face attributes. This has the form (@var{keyword} +@var{value} @dots{}), where each @var{keyword} is a face attribute +name and @var{value} is a meaningful value for that attribute. With +this feature, you do not need to create a face each time you want to +specify a particular attribute for certain text. @xref{Face +Attributes}. + +@item +A cons cell, either of the form @code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})} or +@code{(background-color . @var{color-name})}. These elements specify +just the foreground color or just the background color. + +@code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})} has the same effect as +@code{(:foreground @var{color-name})}; likewise for the background. +@end itemize + +@item mouse-face +@kindex mouse-face @r{(overlay property)} +This property is used instead of @code{face} when the mouse is within +the range of the overlay. + +@item display +@kindex display @r{(overlay property)} +This property activates various features that change the +way text is displayed. For example, it can make text appear taller +or shorter, higher or lower, wider or narrower, or replaced with an image. +@xref{Display Property}. + +@item help-echo +@kindex help-echo @r{(overlay property)} +If an overlay has a @code{help-echo} property, then when you move the +mouse onto the text in the overlay, Emacs displays a help string in the +echo area, or in the tooltip window. For details see @ref{Text +help-echo}. + +@item modification-hooks +@kindex modification-hooks @r{(overlay property)} +This property's value is a list of functions to be called if any +character within the overlay is changed or if text is inserted strictly +within the overlay. + +The hook functions are called both before and after each change. +If the functions save the information they receive, and compare notes +between calls, they can determine exactly what change has been made +in the buffer text. + +When called before a change, each function receives four arguments: the +overlay, @code{nil}, and the beginning and end of the text range to be +modified. + +When called after a change, each function receives five arguments: the +overlay, @code{t}, the beginning and end of the text range just +modified, and the length of the pre-change text replaced by that range. +(For an insertion, the pre-change length is zero; for a deletion, that +length is the number of characters deleted, and the post-change +beginning and end are equal.) + +If these functions modify the buffer, they should bind +@code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{t} around doing so, to +avoid confusing the internal mechanism that calls these hooks. + +Text properties also support the @code{modification-hooks} property, +but the details are somewhat different (@pxref{Special Properties}). + +@item insert-in-front-hooks +@kindex insert-in-front-hooks @r{(overlay property)} +This property's value is a list of functions to be called before and +after inserting text right at the beginning of the overlay. The calling +conventions are the same as for the @code{modification-hooks} functions. + +@item insert-behind-hooks +@kindex insert-behind-hooks @r{(overlay property)} +This property's value is a list of functions to be called before and +after inserting text right at the end of the overlay. The calling +conventions are the same as for the @code{modification-hooks} functions. + +@item invisible +@kindex invisible @r{(overlay property)} +The @code{invisible} property can make the text in the overlay +invisible, which means that it does not appear on the screen. +@xref{Invisible Text}, for details. + +@item intangible +@kindex intangible @r{(overlay property)} +The @code{intangible} property on an overlay works just like the +@code{intangible} text property. @xref{Special Properties}, for details. + +@item isearch-open-invisible +This property tells incremental search how to make an invisible overlay +visible, permanently, if the final match overlaps it. @xref{Invisible +Text}. + +@item isearch-open-invisible-temporary +This property tells incremental search how to make an invisible overlay +visible, temporarily, during the search. @xref{Invisible Text}. + +@item before-string +@kindex before-string @r{(overlay property)} +This property's value is a string to add to the display at the beginning +of the overlay. The string does not appear in the buffer in any +sense---only on the screen. + +@item after-string +@kindex after-string @r{(overlay property)} +This property's value is a string to add to the display at the end of +the overlay. The string does not appear in the buffer in any +sense---only on the screen. + +@item evaporate +@kindex evaporate @r{(overlay property)} +If this property is non-@code{nil}, the overlay is deleted automatically +if it becomes empty (i.e., if its length becomes zero). If you give +an empty overlay a non-@code{nil} @code{evaporate} property, that deletes +it immediately. + +@item local-map +@cindex keymap of character (and overlays) +@kindex local-map @r{(overlay property)} +If this property is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a keymap for a portion +of the text. The property's value replaces the buffer's local map, when +the character after point is within the overlay. @xref{Active Keymaps}. + +@item keymap +@kindex keymap @r{(overlay property)} +The @code{keymap} property is similar to @code{local-map} but overrides the +buffer's local map (and the map specified by the @code{local-map} +property) rather than replacing it. +@end table + +@node Finding Overlays +@subsection Searching for Overlays + +@defun overlays-at pos +This function returns a list of all the overlays that cover the +character at position @var{pos} in the current buffer. The list is in +no particular order. An overlay contains position @var{pos} if it +begins at or before @var{pos}, and ends after @var{pos}. + +To illustrate usage, here is a Lisp function that returns a list of the +overlays that specify property @var{prop} for the character at point: + +@smallexample +(defun find-overlays-specifying (prop) + (let ((overlays (overlays-at (point))) + found) + (while overlays + (let ((overlay (car overlays))) + (if (overlay-get overlay prop) + (setq found (cons overlay found)))) + (setq overlays (cdr overlays))) + found)) +@end smallexample +@end defun + +@defun overlays-in beg end +This function returns a list of the overlays that overlap the region +@var{beg} through @var{end}. ``Overlap'' means that at least one +character is contained within the overlay and also contained within the +specified region; however, empty overlays are included in the result if +they are located at @var{beg}, or strictly between @var{beg} and @var{end}. +@end defun + +@defun next-overlay-change pos +This function returns the buffer position of the next beginning or end +of an overlay, after @var{pos}. If there is none, it returns +@code{(point-max)}. +@end defun + +@defun previous-overlay-change pos +This function returns the buffer position of the previous beginning or +end of an overlay, before @var{pos}. If there is none, it returns +@code{(point-min)}. +@end defun + + As an example, here's a simplified (and inefficient) version of the +primitive function @code{next-single-char-property-change} +(@pxref{Property Search}). It searches forward from position +@var{pos} for the next position where the value of a given property +@code{prop}, as obtained from either overlays or text properties, +changes. + +@smallexample +(defun next-single-char-property-change (position prop) + (save-excursion + (goto-char position) + (let ((propval (get-char-property (point) prop))) + (while (and (not (eobp)) + (eq (get-char-property (point) prop) propval)) + (goto-char (min (next-overlay-change (point)) + (next-single-property-change (point) prop))))) + (point))) +@end smallexample + +@node Width +@section Width + +Since not all characters have the same width, these functions let you +check the width of a character. @xref{Primitive Indent}, and +@ref{Screen Lines}, for related functions. + +@defun char-width char +This function returns the width in columns of the character @var{char}, +if it were displayed in the current buffer and the selected window. +@end defun + +@defun string-width string +This function returns the width in columns of the string @var{string}, +if it were displayed in the current buffer and the selected window. +@end defun + +@defun truncate-string-to-width string width &optional start-column padding ellipsis +This function returns the part of @var{string} that fits within +@var{width} columns, as a new string. + +If @var{string} does not reach @var{width}, then the result ends where +@var{string} ends. If one multi-column character in @var{string} +extends across the column @var{width}, that character is not included in +the result. Thus, the result can fall short of @var{width} but cannot +go beyond it. + +The optional argument @var{start-column} specifies the starting column. +If this is non-@code{nil}, then the first @var{start-column} columns of +the string are omitted from the value. If one multi-column character in +@var{string} extends across the column @var{start-column}, that +character is not included. + +The optional argument @var{padding}, if non-@code{nil}, is a padding +character added at the beginning and end of the result string, to extend +it to exactly @var{width} columns. The padding character is used at the +end of the result if it falls short of @var{width}. It is also used at +the beginning of the result if one multi-column character in +@var{string} extends across the column @var{start-column}. + +If @var{ellipsis} is non-@code{nil}, it should be a string which will +replace the end of @var{str} (including any padding) if it extends +beyond @var{end-column}, unless the display width of @var{str} is +equal to or less than the display width of @var{ellipsis}. If +@var{ellipsis} is non-@code{nil} and not a string, it stands for +@code{"..."}. + +@example +(truncate-string-to-width "\tab\t" 12 4) + @result{} "ab" +(truncate-string-to-width "\tab\t" 12 4 ?\s) + @result{} " ab " +@end example +@end defun + +@node Line Height +@section Line Height +@cindex line height + + The total height of each display line consists of the height of the +contents of the line, plus optional additional vertical line spacing +above or below the display line. + + The height of the line contents is the maximum height of any +character or image on that display line, including the final newline +if there is one. (A display line that is continued doesn't include a +final newline.) That is the default line height, if you do nothing to +specify a greater height. (In the most common case, this equals the +height of the default frame font.) + + There are several ways to explicitly specify a larger line height, +either by specifying an absolute height for the display line, or by +specifying vertical space. However, no matter what you specify, the +actual line height can never be less than the default. + +@kindex line-height @r{(text property)} + A newline can have a @code{line-height} text or overlay property +that controls the total height of the display line ending in that +newline. + + If the property value is @code{t}, the newline character has no +effect on the displayed height of the line---the visible contents +alone determine the height. This is useful for tiling small images +(or image slices) without adding blank areas between the images. + + If the property value is a list of the form @code{(@var{height} +@var{total})}, that adds extra space @emph{below} the display line. +First Emacs uses @var{height} as a height spec to control extra space +@emph{above} the line; then it adds enough space @emph{below} the line +to bring the total line height up to @var{total}. In this case, the +other ways to specify the line spacing are ignored. + + Any other kind of property value is a height spec, which translates +into a number---the specified line height. There are several ways to +write a height spec; here's how each of them translates into a number: + +@table @code +@item @var{integer} +If the height spec is a positive integer, the height value is that integer. +@item @var{float} +If the height spec is a float, @var{float}, the numeric height value +is @var{float} times the frame's default line height. +@item (@var{face} . @var{ratio}) +If the height spec is a cons of the format shown, the numeric height +is @var{ratio} times the height of face @var{face}. @var{ratio} can +be any type of number, or @code{nil} which means a ratio of 1. +If @var{face} is @code{t}, it refers to the current face. +@item (nil . @var{ratio}) +If the height spec is a cons of the format shown, the numeric height +is @var{ratio} times the height of the contents of the line. +@end table + + Thus, any valid height spec determines the height in pixels, one way +or another. If the line contents' height is less than that, Emacs +adds extra vertical space above the line to achieve the specified +total height. + + If you don't specify the @code{line-height} property, the line's +height consists of the contents' height plus the line spacing. +There are several ways to specify the line spacing for different +parts of Emacs text. + +@vindex default-line-spacing + You can specify the line spacing for all lines in a frame with the +@code{line-spacing} frame parameter (@pxref{Layout Parameters}). +However, if the variable @code{default-line-spacing} is +non-@code{nil}, it overrides the frame's @code{line-spacing} +parameter. An integer value specifies the number of pixels put below +lines on graphical displays. A floating point number specifies the +spacing relative to the frame's default line height. + +@vindex line-spacing + You can specify the line spacing for all lines in a buffer via the +buffer-local @code{line-spacing} variable. An integer value specifies +the number of pixels put below lines on graphical displays. A floating +point number specifies the spacing relative to the default frame line +height. This overrides line spacings specified for the frame. + +@kindex line-spacing @r{(text property)} + Finally, a newline can have a @code{line-spacing} text or overlay +property that overrides the default frame line spacing and the buffer +local @code{line-spacing} variable, for the display line ending in +that newline. + + One way or another, these mechanisms specify a Lisp value for the +spacing of each line. The value is a height spec, and it translates +into a Lisp value as described above. However, in this case the +numeric height value specifies the line spacing, rather than the line +height. + +@node Faces +@section Faces +@cindex faces + + A @dfn{face} is a named collection of graphical attributes: font +family, foreground color, background color, optional underlining, and +many others. Faces are used in Emacs to control the style of display of +particular parts of the text or the frame. @xref{Standard Faces,,, +emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for the list of faces Emacs normally +comes with. + +@cindex face id +Each face has its own @dfn{face number}, which distinguishes faces at +low levels within Emacs. However, for most purposes, you refer to +faces in Lisp programs by the symbols that name them. + +@defun facep object +This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a face name string +or symbol (or if it is a vector of the kind used internally to record +face data). It returns @code{nil} otherwise. +@end defun + +Each face name is meaningful for all frames, and by default it has the +same meaning in all frames. But you can arrange to give a particular +face name a special meaning in one frame if you wish. + +@menu +* Defining Faces:: How to define a face with @code{defface}. +* Face Attributes:: What is in a face? +* Attribute Functions:: Functions to examine and set face attributes. +* Displaying Faces:: How Emacs combines the faces specified for a character. +* Font Selection:: Finding the best available font for a face. +* Face Functions:: How to define and examine faces. +* Auto Faces:: Hook for automatic face assignment. +* Font Lookup:: Looking up the names of available fonts + and information about them. +* Fontsets:: A fontset is a collection of fonts + that handle a range of character sets. +@end menu + +@node Defining Faces +@subsection Defining Faces + + The way to define a new face is with @code{defface}. This creates a +kind of customization item (@pxref{Customization}) which the user can +customize using the Customization buffer (@pxref{Easy Customization,,, +emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). + +@defmac defface face spec doc [keyword value]@dots{} +This declares @var{face} as a customizable face that defaults +according to @var{spec}. You should not quote the symbol @var{face}, +and it should not end in @samp{-face} (that would be redundant). The +argument @var{doc} specifies the face documentation. The keywords you +can use in @code{defface} are the same as in @code{defgroup} and +@code{defcustom} (@pxref{Common Keywords}). + +When @code{defface} executes, it defines the face according to +@var{spec}, then uses any customizations that were read from the +init file (@pxref{Init File}) to override that specification. + +When you evaluate a @code{defface} form with @kbd{C-M-x} in Emacs +Lisp mode (@code{eval-defun}), a special feature of @code{eval-defun} +overrides any customizations of the face. This way, the face reflects +exactly what the @code{defface} says. + +The purpose of @var{spec} is to specify how the face should appear on +different kinds of terminals. It should be an alist whose elements +have the form @code{(@var{display} @var{atts})}. Each element's +@sc{car}, @var{display}, specifies a class of terminals. (The first +element, if its @sc{car} is @code{default}, is special---it specifies +defaults for the remaining elements). The element's @sc{cadr}, +@var{atts}, is a list of face attributes and their values; it +specifies what the face should look like on that kind of terminal. +The possible attributes are defined in the value of +@code{custom-face-attributes}. + +The @var{display} part of an element of @var{spec} determines which +frames the element matches. If more than one element of @var{spec} +matches a given frame, the first element that matches is the one used +for that frame. There are three possibilities for @var{display}: + +@table @asis +@item @code{default} +This element of @var{spec} doesn't match any frames; instead, it +specifies defaults that apply to all frames. This kind of element, if +used, must be the first element of @var{spec}. Each of the following +elements can override any or all of these defaults. + +@item @code{t} +This element of @var{spec} matches all frames. Therefore, any +subsequent elements of @var{spec} are never used. Normally +@code{t} is used in the last (or only) element of @var{spec}. + +@item a list +If @var{display} is a list, each element should have the form +@code{(@var{characteristic} @var{value}@dots{})}. Here +@var{characteristic} specifies a way of classifying frames, and the +@var{value}s are possible classifications which @var{display} should +apply to. Here are the possible values of @var{characteristic}: + +@table @code +@item type +The kind of window system the frame uses---either @code{graphic} (any +graphics-capable display), @code{x}, @code{pc} (for the MS-DOS console), +@code{w32} (for MS Windows 9X/NT/2K/XP), @code{mac} (for the Macintosh +display), or @code{tty} (a non-graphics-capable display). +@xref{Window Systems, window-system}. + +@item class +What kinds of colors the frame supports---either @code{color}, +@code{grayscale}, or @code{mono}. + +@item background +The kind of background---either @code{light} or @code{dark}. + +@item min-colors +An integer that represents the minimum number of colors the frame +should support. This matches a frame if its +@code{display-color-cells} value is at least the specified integer. + +@item supports +Whether or not the frame can display the face attributes given in +@var{value}@dots{} (@pxref{Face Attributes}). See the documentation +for the function @code{display-supports-face-attributes-p} for more +information on exactly how this testing is done. @xref{Display Face +Attribute Testing}. +@end table + +If an element of @var{display} specifies more than one @var{value} for a +given @var{characteristic}, any of those values is acceptable. If +@var{display} has more than one element, each element should specify a +different @var{characteristic}; then @emph{each} characteristic of the +frame must match one of the @var{value}s specified for it in +@var{display}. +@end table +@end defmac + + Here's how the standard face @code{region} is defined: + +@example +@group +(defface region + '((((class color) (min-colors 88) (background dark)) + :background "blue3") +@end group + (((class color) (min-colors 88) (background light)) + :background "lightgoldenrod2") + (((class color) (min-colors 16) (background dark)) + :background "blue3") + (((class color) (min-colors 16) (background light)) + :background "lightgoldenrod2") + (((class color) (min-colors 8)) + :background "blue" :foreground "white") + (((type tty) (class mono)) + :inverse-video t) + (t :background "gray")) +@group + "Basic face for highlighting the region." + :group 'basic-faces) +@end group +@end example + + Internally, @code{defface} uses the symbol property +@code{face-defface-spec} to record the face attributes specified in +@code{defface}, @code{saved-face} for the attributes saved by the user +with the customization buffer, @code{customized-face} for the +attributes customized by the user for the current session, but not +saved, and @code{face-documentation} for the documentation string. + +@defopt frame-background-mode +This option, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the background type to use for +interpreting face definitions. If it is @code{dark}, then Emacs treats +all frames as if they had a dark background, regardless of their actual +background colors. If it is @code{light}, then Emacs treats all frames +as if they had a light background. +@end defopt + +@node Face Attributes +@subsection Face Attributes +@cindex face attributes + + The effect of using a face is determined by a fixed set of @dfn{face +attributes}. This table lists all the face attributes, and what they +mean. You can specify more than one face for a given piece of text; +Emacs merges the attributes of all the faces to determine how to +display the text. @xref{Displaying Faces}. + + Any attribute in a face can have the value @code{unspecified}. This +means the face doesn't specify that attribute. In face merging, when +the first face fails to specify a particular attribute, that means the +next face gets a chance. However, the @code{default} face must +specify all attributes. + + Some of these font attributes are meaningful only on certain kinds of +displays---if your display cannot handle a certain attribute, the +attribute is ignored. (The attributes @code{:family}, @code{:width}, +@code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} correspond to parts of +an X Logical Font Descriptor.) + +@table @code +@item :family +Font family name, or fontset name (@pxref{Fontsets}). If you specify a +font family name, the wild-card characters @samp{*} and @samp{?} are +allowed. + +@item :width +Relative proportionate width, also known as the character set width or +set width. This should be one of the symbols @code{ultra-condensed}, +@code{extra-condensed}, @code{condensed}, @code{semi-condensed}, +@code{normal}, @code{semi-expanded}, @code{expanded}, +@code{extra-expanded}, or @code{ultra-expanded}. + +@item :height +Either the font height, an integer in units of 1/10 point, a floating +point number specifying the amount by which to scale the height of any +underlying face, or a function, which is called with the old height +(from the underlying face), and should return the new height. + +@item :weight +Font weight---a symbol from this series (from most dense to most faint): +@code{ultra-bold}, @code{extra-bold}, @code{bold}, @code{semi-bold}, +@code{normal}, @code{semi-light}, @code{light}, @code{extra-light}, +or @code{ultra-light}. + +On a text-only terminal, any weight greater than normal is displayed as +extra bright, and any weight less than normal is displayed as +half-bright (provided the terminal supports the feature). + +@item :slant +Font slant---one of the symbols @code{italic}, @code{oblique}, @code{normal}, +@code{reverse-italic}, or @code{reverse-oblique}. + +On a text-only terminal, slanted text is displayed as half-bright, if +the terminal supports the feature. + +@item :foreground +Foreground color, a string. The value can be a system-defined color +name, or a hexadecimal color specification of the form +@samp{#@var{rr}@var{gg}@var{bb}}. (@samp{#000000} is black, +@samp{#ff0000} is red, @samp{#00ff00} is green, @samp{#0000ff} is +blue, and @samp{#ffffff} is white.) + +@item :background +Background color, a string, like the foreground color. + +@item :inverse-video +Whether or not characters should be displayed in inverse video. The +value should be @code{t} (yes) or @code{nil} (no). + +@item :stipple +The background stipple, a bitmap. + +The value can be a string; that should be the name of a file containing +external-format X bitmap data. The file is found in the directories +listed in the variable @code{x-bitmap-file-path}. + +Alternatively, the value can specify the bitmap directly, with a list +of the form @code{(@var{width} @var{height} @var{data})}. Here, +@var{width} and @var{height} specify the size in pixels, and +@var{data} is a string containing the raw bits of the bitmap, row by +row. Each row occupies @math{(@var{width} + 7) / 8} consecutive bytes +in the string (which should be a unibyte string for best results). +This means that each row always occupies at least one whole byte. + +If the value is @code{nil}, that means use no stipple pattern. + +Normally you do not need to set the stipple attribute, because it is +used automatically to handle certain shades of gray. + +@item :underline +Whether or not characters should be underlined, and in what color. If +the value is @code{t}, underlining uses the foreground color of the +face. If the value is a string, underlining uses that color. The +value @code{nil} means do not underline. + +@item :overline +Whether or not characters should be overlined, and in what color. +The value is used like that of @code{:underline}. + +@item :strike-through +Whether or not characters should be strike-through, and in what +color. The value is used like that of @code{:underline}. + +@item :inherit +The name of a face from which to inherit attributes, or a list of face +names. Attributes from inherited faces are merged into the face like an +underlying face would be, with higher priority than underlying faces. +If a list of faces is used, attributes from faces earlier in the list +override those from later faces. + +@item :box +Whether or not a box should be drawn around characters, its color, the +width of the box lines, and 3D appearance. +@end table + + Here are the possible values of the @code{:box} attribute, and what +they mean: + +@table @asis +@item @code{nil} +Don't draw a box. + +@item @code{t} +Draw a box with lines of width 1, in the foreground color. + +@item @var{color} +Draw a box with lines of width 1, in color @var{color}. + +@item @code{(:line-width @var{width} :color @var{color} :style @var{style})} +This way you can explicitly specify all aspects of the box. The value +@var{width} specifies the width of the lines to draw; it defaults to 1. + +The value @var{color} specifies the color to draw with. The default is +the foreground color of the face for simple boxes, and the background +color of the face for 3D boxes. + +The value @var{style} specifies whether to draw a 3D box. If it is +@code{released-button}, the box looks like a 3D button that is not being +pressed. If it is @code{pressed-button}, the box looks like a 3D button +that is being pressed. If it is @code{nil} or omitted, a plain 2D box +is used. +@end table + + In older versions of Emacs, before @code{:family}, @code{:height}, +@code{:width}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} existed, these +attributes were used to specify the type face. They are now +semi-obsolete, but they still work: + +@table @code +@item :font +This attribute specifies the font name. + +@item :bold +A non-@code{nil} value specifies a bold font. + +@item :italic +A non-@code{nil} value specifies an italic font. +@end table + + For compatibility, you can still set these ``attributes,'' even +though they are not real face attributes. Here is what that does: + +@table @code +@item :font +You can specify an X font name as the ``value'' of this ``attribute''; +that sets the @code{:family}, @code{:width}, @code{:height}, +@code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} attributes according to the font name. + +If the value is a pattern with wildcards, the first font that matches +the pattern is used to set these attributes. + +@item :bold +A non-@code{nil} makes the face bold; @code{nil} makes it normal. +This actually works by setting the @code{:weight} attribute. + +@item :italic +A non-@code{nil} makes the face italic; @code{nil} makes it normal. +This actually works by setting the @code{:slant} attribute. +@end table + +@defvar x-bitmap-file-path +This variable specifies a list of directories for searching +for bitmap files, for the @code{:stipple} attribute. +@end defvar + +@defun bitmap-spec-p object +This returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a valid bitmap specification, +suitable for use with @code{:stipple} (see above). It returns +@code{nil} otherwise. +@end defun + +@node Attribute Functions +@subsection Face Attribute Functions + + This section describes the functions for accessing and modifying the +attributes of an existing face. + +@defun set-face-attribute face frame &rest arguments +This function sets one or more attributes of face @var{face} for frame +@var{frame}. The attributes you specify this way override whatever +the @code{defface} says. + +The extra arguments @var{arguments} specify the attributes to set, and +the values for them. They should consist of alternating attribute names +(such as @code{:family} or @code{:underline}) and corresponding values. +Thus, + +@example +(set-face-attribute 'foo nil + :width 'extended + :weight 'bold + :underline "red") +@end example + +@noindent +sets the attributes @code{:width}, @code{:weight} and @code{:underline} +to the corresponding values. + +If @var{frame} is @code{t}, this function sets the default attributes +for new frames. Default attribute values specified this way override +the @code{defface} for newly created frames. + +If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, this function sets the attributes for +all existing frames, and the default for new frames. +@end defun + +@defun face-attribute face attribute &optional frame inherit +This returns the value of the @var{attribute} attribute of face +@var{face} on @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, +that means the selected frame (@pxref{Input Focus}). + +If @var{frame} is @code{t}, this returns whatever new-frames default +value you previously specified with @code{set-face-attribute} for the +@var{attribute} attribute of @var{face}. If you have not specified +one, it returns @code{nil}. + +If @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only attributes directly defined by +@var{face} are considered, so the return value may be +@code{unspecified}, or a relative value. If @var{inherit} is +non-@code{nil}, @var{face}'s definition of @var{attribute} is merged +with the faces specified by its @code{:inherit} attribute; however the +return value may still be @code{unspecified} or relative. If +@var{inherit} is a face or a list of faces, then the result is further +merged with that face (or faces), until it becomes specified and +absolute. + +To ensure that the return value is always specified and absolute, use +a value of @code{default} for @var{inherit}; this will resolve any +unspecified or relative values by merging with the @code{default} face +(which is always completely specified). + +For example, + +@example +(face-attribute 'bold :weight) + @result{} bold +@end example +@end defun + +@defun face-attribute-relative-p attribute value +This function returns non-@code{nil} if @var{value}, when used as the +value of the face attribute @var{attribute}, is relative. This means +it would modify, rather than completely override, any value that comes +from a subsequent face in the face list or that is inherited from +another face. + +@code{unspecified} is a relative value for all attributes. +For @code{:height}, floating point values are also relative. + +For example: + +@example +(face-attribute-relative-p :height 2.0) + @result{} t +@end example +@end defun + +@defun merge-face-attribute attribute value1 value2 +If @var{value1} is a relative value for the face attribute +@var{attribute}, returns it merged with the underlying value +@var{value2}; otherwise, if @var{value1} is an absolute value for the +face attribute @var{attribute}, returns @var{value1} unchanged. +@end defun + + The functions above did not exist before Emacs 21. For compatibility +with older Emacs versions, you can use the following functions to set +and examine the face attributes which existed in those versions. +They use values of @code{t} and @code{nil} for @var{frame} +just like @code{set-face-attribute} and @code{face-attribute}. + +@defun set-face-foreground face color &optional frame +@defunx set-face-background face color &optional frame +These functions set the foreground (or background, respectively) color +of face @var{face} to @var{color}. The argument @var{color} should be a +string, the name of a color. + +Certain shades of gray are implemented by stipple patterns on +black-and-white screens. +@end defun + +@defun set-face-stipple face pattern &optional frame +This function sets the background stipple pattern of face @var{face} +to @var{pattern}. The argument @var{pattern} should be the name of a +stipple pattern defined by the X server, or actual bitmap data +(@pxref{Face Attributes}), or @code{nil} meaning don't use stipple. + +Normally there is no need to pay attention to stipple patterns, because +they are used automatically to handle certain shades of gray. +@end defun + +@defun set-face-font face font &optional frame +This function sets the font of face @var{face}. This actually sets +the attributes @code{:family}, @code{:width}, @code{:height}, +@code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} according to the font name +@var{font}. +@end defun + +@defun set-face-bold-p face bold-p &optional frame +This function specifies whether @var{face} should be bold. If +@var{bold-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means yes; @code{nil} means no. +This actually sets the @code{:weight} attribute. +@end defun + +@defun set-face-italic-p face italic-p &optional frame +This function specifies whether @var{face} should be italic. If +@var{italic-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means yes; @code{nil} means no. +This actually sets the @code{:slant} attribute. +@end defun + +@defun set-face-underline-p face underline &optional frame +This function sets the underline attribute of face @var{face}. +Non-@code{nil} means do underline; @code{nil} means don't. +If @var{underline} is a string, underline with that color. +@end defun + +@defun set-face-inverse-video-p face inverse-video-p &optional frame +This function sets the @code{:inverse-video} attribute of face +@var{face}. +@end defun + +@defun invert-face face &optional frame +This function swaps the foreground and background colors of face +@var{face}. +@end defun + + These functions examine the attributes of a face. If you don't +specify @var{frame}, they refer to the selected frame; @code{t} refers +to the default data for new frames. They return the symbol +@code{unspecified} if the face doesn't define any value for that +attribute. + +@defun face-foreground face &optional frame inherit +@defunx face-background face &optional frame inherit +These functions return the foreground color (or background color, +respectively) of face @var{face}, as a string. + +If @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only a color directly defined by the face is +returned. If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, any faces specified by its +@code{:inherit} attribute are considered as well, and if @var{inherit} +is a face or a list of faces, then they are also considered, until a +specified color is found. To ensure that the return value is always +specified, use a value of @code{default} for @var{inherit}. +@end defun + +@defun face-stipple face &optional frame inherit +This function returns the name of the background stipple pattern of face +@var{face}, or @code{nil} if it doesn't have one. + +If @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only a stipple directly defined by the +face is returned. If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, any faces +specified by its @code{:inherit} attribute are considered as well, and +if @var{inherit} is a face or a list of faces, then they are also +considered, until a specified stipple is found. To ensure that the +return value is always specified, use a value of @code{default} for +@var{inherit}. +@end defun + +@defun face-font face &optional frame +This function returns the name of the font of face @var{face}. +@end defun + +@defun face-bold-p face &optional frame +This function returns @code{t} if @var{face} is bold---that is, if it is +bolder than normal. It returns @code{nil} otherwise. +@end defun + +@defun face-italic-p face &optional frame +This function returns @code{t} if @var{face} is italic or oblique, +@code{nil} otherwise. +@end defun + +@defun face-underline-p face &optional frame +This function returns the @code{:underline} attribute of face @var{face}. +@end defun + +@defun face-inverse-video-p face &optional frame +This function returns the @code{:inverse-video} attribute of face @var{face}. +@end defun + +@node Displaying Faces +@subsection Displaying Faces + + Here are the ways to specify which faces to use for display of text: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +With defaults. The @code{default} face is used as the ultimate +default for all text. (In Emacs 19 and 20, the @code{default} +face is used only when no other face is specified.) + +@item +For a mode line or header line, the face @code{mode-line} or +@code{mode-line-inactive}, or @code{header-line}, is merged in just +before @code{default}. + +@item +With text properties. A character can have a @code{face} property; if +so, the faces and face attributes specified there apply. @xref{Special +Properties}. + +If the character has a @code{mouse-face} property, that is used instead +of the @code{face} property when the mouse is ``near enough'' to the +character. + +@item +With overlays. An overlay can have @code{face} and @code{mouse-face} +properties too; they apply to all the text covered by the overlay. + +@item +With a region that is active. In Transient Mark mode, the region is +highlighted with the face @code{region} (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, +emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). + +@item +With special glyphs. Each glyph can specify a particular face +number. @xref{Glyphs}. +@end itemize + + If these various sources together specify more than one face for a +particular character, Emacs merges the attributes of the various faces +specified. For each attribute, Emacs tries first the face of any +special glyph; then the face for region highlighting, if appropriate; +then the faces specified by overlays, followed by those specified by +text properties, then the @code{mode-line} or +@code{mode-line-inactive} or @code{header-line} face (if in a mode +line or a header line), and last the @code{default} face. + + When multiple overlays cover one character, an overlay with higher +priority overrides those with lower priority. @xref{Overlays}. + +@node Font Selection +@subsection Font Selection + + @dfn{Selecting a font} means mapping the specified face attributes for +a character to a font that is available on a particular display. The +face attributes, as determined by face merging, specify most of the +font choice, but not all. Part of the choice depends on what character +it is. + + If the face specifies a fontset name, that fontset determines a +pattern for fonts of the given charset. If the face specifies a font +family, a font pattern is constructed. + + Emacs tries to find an available font for the given face attributes +and character's registry and encoding. If there is a font that matches +exactly, it is used, of course. The hard case is when no available font +exactly fits the specification. Then Emacs looks for one that is +``close''---one attribute at a time. You can specify the order to +consider the attributes. In the case where a specified font family is +not available, you can specify a set of mappings for alternatives to +try. + +@defvar face-font-selection-order +This variable specifies the order of importance of the face attributes +@code{:width}, @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant}. The +value should be a list containing those four symbols, in order of +decreasing importance. + +Font selection first finds the best available matches for the first +attribute listed; then, among the fonts which are best in that way, it +searches for the best matches in the second attribute, and so on. + +The attributes @code{:weight} and @code{:width} have symbolic values in +a range centered around @code{normal}. Matches that are more extreme +(farther from @code{normal}) are somewhat preferred to matches that are +less extreme (closer to @code{normal}); this is designed to ensure that +non-normal faces contrast with normal ones, whenever possible. + +The default is @code{(:width :height :weight :slant)}, which means first +find the fonts closest to the specified @code{:width}, then---among the +fonts with that width---find a best match for the specified font height, +and so on. + +One example of a case where this variable makes a difference is when the +default font has no italic equivalent. With the default ordering, the +@code{italic} face will use a non-italic font that is similar to the +default one. But if you put @code{:slant} before @code{:height}, the +@code{italic} face will use an italic font, even if its height is not +quite right. +@end defvar + +@defvar face-font-family-alternatives +This variable lets you specify alternative font families to try, if a +given family is specified and doesn't exist. Each element should have +this form: + +@example +(@var{family} @var{alternate-families}@dots{}) +@end example + +If @var{family} is specified but not available, Emacs will try the other +families given in @var{alternate-families}, one by one, until it finds a +family that does exist. +@end defvar + +@defvar face-font-registry-alternatives +This variable lets you specify alternative font registries to try, if a +given registry is specified and doesn't exist. Each element should have +this form: + +@example +(@var{registry} @var{alternate-registries}@dots{}) +@end example + +If @var{registry} is specified but not available, Emacs will try the +other registries given in @var{alternate-registries}, one by one, +until it finds a registry that does exist. +@end defvar + + Emacs can make use of scalable fonts, but by default it does not use +them, since the use of too many or too big scalable fonts can crash +XFree86 servers. + +@defvar scalable-fonts-allowed +This variable controls which scalable fonts to use. A value of +@code{nil}, the default, means do not use scalable fonts. @code{t} +means to use any scalable font that seems appropriate for the text. + +Otherwise, the value must be a list of regular expressions. Then a +scalable font is enabled for use if its name matches any regular +expression in the list. For example, + +@example +(setq scalable-fonts-allowed '("muleindian-2$")) +@end example + +@noindent +allows the use of scalable fonts with registry @code{muleindian-2}. +@end defvar + +@defvar face-font-rescale-alist +This variable specifies scaling for certain faces. Its value should +be a list of elements of the form + +@example +(@var{fontname-regexp} . @var{scale-factor}) +@end example + +If @var{fontname-regexp} matches the font name that is about to be +used, this says to choose a larger similar font according to the +factor @var{scale-factor}. You would use this feature to normalize +the font size if certain fonts are bigger or smaller than their +nominal heights and widths would suggest. +@end defvar + +@node Face Functions +@subsection Functions for Working with Faces + + Here are additional functions for creating and working with faces. + +@defun make-face name +This function defines a new face named @var{name}, initially with all +attributes @code{nil}. It does nothing if there is already a face named +@var{name}. +@end defun + +@defun face-list +This function returns a list of all defined face names. +@end defun + +@defun copy-face old-face new-name &optional frame new-frame +This function defines a face named @var{new-name} as a copy of the existing +face named @var{old-face}. It creates the face @var{new-name} if that +doesn't already exist. + +If the optional argument @var{frame} is given, this function applies +only to that frame. Otherwise it applies to each frame individually, +copying attributes from @var{old-face} in each frame to @var{new-face} +in the same frame. + +If the optional argument @var{new-frame} is given, then @code{copy-face} +copies the attributes of @var{old-face} in @var{frame} to @var{new-name} +in @var{new-frame}. +@end defun + +@defun face-id face +This function returns the face number of face @var{face}. +@end defun + +@defun face-documentation face +This function returns the documentation string of face @var{face}, or +@code{nil} if none was specified for it. +@end defun + +@defun face-equal face1 face2 &optional frame +This returns @code{t} if the faces @var{face1} and @var{face2} have the +same attributes for display. +@end defun + +@defun face-differs-from-default-p face &optional frame +This returns non-@code{nil} if the face @var{face} displays +differently from the default face. +@end defun + +@cindex face alias +A @dfn{face alias} provides an equivalent name for a face. You can +define a face alias by giving the alias symbol the @code{face-alias} +property, with a value of the target face name. The following example +makes @code{modeline} an alias for the @code{mode-line} face. + +@example +(put 'modeline 'face-alias 'mode-line) +@end example + + +@node Auto Faces +@subsection Automatic Face Assignment +@cindex automatic face assignment +@cindex faces, automatic choice + + This hook is used for automatically assigning faces to text in the +buffer. It is part of the implementation of Jit-Lock mode, used by +Font-Lock. + +@defvar fontification-functions +This variable holds a list of functions that are called by Emacs +redisplay as needed to assign faces automatically to text in the buffer. + +The functions are called in the order listed, with one argument, a +buffer position @var{pos}. Each function should attempt to assign faces +to the text in the current buffer starting at @var{pos}. + +Each function should record the faces they assign by setting the +@code{face} property. It should also add a non-@code{nil} +@code{fontified} property for all the text it has assigned faces to. +That property tells redisplay that faces have been assigned to that text +already. + +It is probably a good idea for each function to do nothing if the +character after @var{pos} already has a non-@code{nil} @code{fontified} +property, but this is not required. If one function overrides the +assignments made by a previous one, the properties as they are +after the last function finishes are the ones that really matter. + +For efficiency, we recommend writing these functions so that they +usually assign faces to around 400 to 600 characters at each call. +@end defvar + +@node Font Lookup +@subsection Looking Up Fonts + +@defun x-list-fonts pattern &optional face frame maximum +This function returns a list of available font names that match +@var{pattern}. If the optional arguments @var{face} and @var{frame} are +specified, then the list is limited to fonts that are the same size as +@var{face} currently is on @var{frame}. + +The argument @var{pattern} should be a string, perhaps with wildcard +characters: the @samp{*} character matches any substring, and the +@samp{?} character matches any single character. Pattern matching +of font names ignores case. + +If you specify @var{face} and @var{frame}, @var{face} should be a face name +(a symbol) and @var{frame} should be a frame. + +The optional argument @var{maximum} sets a limit on how many fonts to +return. If this is non-@code{nil}, then the return value is truncated +after the first @var{maximum} matching fonts. Specifying a small value +for @var{maximum} can make this function much faster, in cases where +many fonts match the pattern. +@end defun + +@defun x-family-fonts &optional family frame +This function returns a list describing the available fonts for family +@var{family} on @var{frame}. If @var{family} is omitted or @code{nil}, +this list applies to all families, and therefore, it contains all +available fonts. Otherwise, @var{family} must be a string; it may +contain the wildcards @samp{?} and @samp{*}. + +The list describes the display that @var{frame} is on; if @var{frame} is +omitted or @code{nil}, it applies to the selected frame's display +(@pxref{Input Focus}). + +The list contains a vector of the following form for each font: + +@example +[@var{family} @var{width} @var{point-size} @var{weight} @var{slant} + @var{fixed-p} @var{full} @var{registry-and-encoding}] +@end example + +The first five elements correspond to face attributes; if you +specify these attributes for a face, it will use this font. + +The last three elements give additional information about the font. +@var{fixed-p} is non-@code{nil} if the font is fixed-pitch. +@var{full} is the full name of the font, and +@var{registry-and-encoding} is a string giving the registry and +encoding of the font. + +The result list is sorted according to the current face font sort order. +@end defun + +@defun x-font-family-list &optional frame +This function returns a list of the font families available for +@var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it +describes the selected frame's display (@pxref{Input Focus}). + +The value is a list of elements of this form: + +@example +(@var{family} . @var{fixed-p}) +@end example + +@noindent +Here @var{family} is a font family, and @var{fixed-p} is +non-@code{nil} if fonts of that family are fixed-pitch. +@end defun + +@defvar font-list-limit +This variable specifies maximum number of fonts to consider in font +matching. The function @code{x-family-fonts} will not return more than +that many fonts, and font selection will consider only that many fonts +when searching a matching font for face attributes. The default is +currently 100. +@end defvar + +@node Fontsets +@subsection Fontsets + + A @dfn{fontset} is a list of fonts, each assigned to a range of +character codes. An individual font cannot display the whole range of +characters that Emacs supports, but a fontset can. Fontsets have names, +just as fonts do, and you can use a fontset name in place of a font name +when you specify the ``font'' for a frame or a face. Here is +information about defining a fontset under Lisp program control. + +@defun create-fontset-from-fontset-spec fontset-spec &optional style-variant-p noerror +This function defines a new fontset according to the specification +string @var{fontset-spec}. The string should have this format: + +@smallexample +@var{fontpattern}, @r{[}@var{charsetname}:@var{fontname}@r{]@dots{}} +@end smallexample + +@noindent +Whitespace characters before and after the commas are ignored. + +The first part of the string, @var{fontpattern}, should have the form of +a standard X font name, except that the last two fields should be +@samp{fontset-@var{alias}}. + +The new fontset has two names, one long and one short. The long name is +@var{fontpattern} in its entirety. The short name is +@samp{fontset-@var{alias}}. You can refer to the fontset by either +name. If a fontset with the same name already exists, an error is +signaled, unless @var{noerror} is non-@code{nil}, in which case this +function does nothing. + +If optional argument @var{style-variant-p} is non-@code{nil}, that says +to create bold, italic and bold-italic variants of the fontset as well. +These variant fontsets do not have a short name, only a long one, which +is made by altering @var{fontpattern} to indicate the bold or italic +status. + +The specification string also says which fonts to use in the fontset. +See below for the details. +@end defun + + The construct @samp{@var{charset}:@var{font}} specifies which font to +use (in this fontset) for one particular character set. Here, +@var{charset} is the name of a character set, and @var{font} is the font +to use for that character set. You can use this construct any number of +times in the specification string. + + For the remaining character sets, those that you don't specify +explicitly, Emacs chooses a font based on @var{fontpattern}: it replaces +@samp{fontset-@var{alias}} with a value that names one character set. +For the @acronym{ASCII} character set, @samp{fontset-@var{alias}} is replaced +with @samp{ISO8859-1}. + + In addition, when several consecutive fields are wildcards, Emacs +collapses them into a single wildcard. This is to prevent use of +auto-scaled fonts. Fonts made by scaling larger fonts are not usable +for editing, and scaling a smaller font is not useful because it is +better to use the smaller font in its own size, which Emacs does. + + Thus if @var{fontpattern} is this, + +@example +-*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-*-*-*-*-fontset-24 +@end example + +@noindent +the font specification for @acronym{ASCII} characters would be this: + +@example +-*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-ISO8859-1 +@end example + +@noindent +and the font specification for Chinese GB2312 characters would be this: + +@example +-*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-gb2312*-* +@end example + + You may not have any Chinese font matching the above font +specification. Most X distributions include only Chinese fonts that +have @samp{song ti} or @samp{fangsong ti} in the @var{family} field. In +such a case, @samp{Fontset-@var{n}} can be specified as below: + +@smallexample +Emacs.Fontset-0: -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-*-*-*-*-fontset-24,\ + chinese-gb2312:-*-*-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-gb2312*-* +@end smallexample + +@noindent +Then, the font specifications for all but Chinese GB2312 characters have +@samp{fixed} in the @var{family} field, and the font specification for +Chinese GB2312 characters has a wild card @samp{*} in the @var{family} +field. + +@defun set-fontset-font name character fontname &optional frame +This function modifies the existing fontset @var{name} to +use the font name @var{fontname} for the character @var{character}. + +If @var{name} is @code{nil}, this function modifies the default +fontset, whose short name is @samp{fontset-default}. + +@var{character} may be a cons; @code{(@var{from} . @var{to})}, where +@var{from} and @var{to} are non-generic characters. In that case, use +@var{fontname} for all characters in the range @var{from} and @var{to} +(inclusive). + +@var{character} may be a charset. In that case, use +@var{fontname} for all character in the charsets. + +@var{fontname} may be a cons; @code{(@var{family} . @var{registry})}, +where @var{family} is a family name of a font (possibly including a +foundry name at the head), @var{registry} is a registry name of a font +(possibly including an encoding name at the tail). + +For instance, this changes the default fontset to use a font of which +registry name is @samp{JISX0208.1983} for all characters belonging to +the charset @code{japanese-jisx0208}. + +@smallexample +(set-fontset-font nil 'japanese-jisx0208 '(nil . "JISX0208.1983")) +@end smallexample +@end defun + +@defun char-displayable-p char +This function returns @code{t} if Emacs ought to be able to display +@var{char}. More precisely, if the selected frame's fontset has a +font to display the character set that @var{char} belongs to. + +Fontsets can specify a font on a per-character basis; when the fontset +does that, this function's value may not be accurate. +@end defun + +@node Fringes +@section Fringes +@cindex fringes + + The @dfn{fringes} of a window are thin vertical strips down the +sides that are used for displaying bitmaps that indicate truncation, +continuation, horizontal scrolling, and the overlay arrow. + +@menu +* Fringe Size/Pos:: Specifying where to put the window fringes. +* Fringe Indicators:: Displaying indicator icons in the window fringes. +* Fringe Cursors:: Displaying cursors in the right fringe. +* Fringe Bitmaps:: Specifying bitmaps for fringe indicators. +* Customizing Bitmaps:: Specifying your own bitmaps to use in the fringes. +* Overlay Arrow:: Display of an arrow to indicate position. +@end menu + +@node Fringe Size/Pos +@subsection Fringe Size and Position + + The following buffer-local variables control the position and width +of the window fringes. + +@defvar fringes-outside-margins +The fringes normally appear between the display margins and the window +text. If the value is non-@code{nil}, they appear outside the display +margins. @xref{Display Margins}. +@end defvar + +@defvar left-fringe-width +This variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the width of the left +fringe in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the left fringe +width from the window's frame. +@end defvar + +@defvar right-fringe-width +This variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the width of the right +fringe in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the right fringe +width from the window's frame. +@end defvar + + The values of these variables take effect when you display the +buffer in a window. If you change them while the buffer is visible, +you can call @code{set-window-buffer} to display it once again in the +same window, to make the changes take effect. + +@defun set-window-fringes window left &optional right outside-margins +This function sets the fringe widths of window @var{window}. +If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is used. + +The argument @var{left} specifies the width in pixels of the left +fringe, and likewise @var{right} for the right fringe. A value of +@code{nil} for either one stands for the default width. If +@var{outside-margins} is non-@code{nil}, that specifies that fringes +should appear outside of the display margins. +@end defun + +@defun window-fringes &optional window +This function returns information about the fringes of a window +@var{window}. If @var{window} is omitted or @code{nil}, the selected +window is used. The value has the form @code{(@var{left-width} +@var{right-width} @var{outside-margins})}. +@end defun + + +@node Fringe Indicators +@subsection Fringe Indicators +@cindex fringe indicators +@cindex indicators, fringe + + The @dfn{fringe indicators} are tiny icons Emacs displays in the +window fringe (on a graphic display) to indicate truncated or +continued lines, buffer boundaries, overlay arrow, etc. + +@defopt indicate-empty-lines +@cindex fringes, and empty line indication +When this is non-@code{nil}, Emacs displays a special glyph in the +fringe of each empty line at the end of the buffer, on graphical +displays. @xref{Fringes}. This variable is automatically +buffer-local in every buffer. +@end defopt + +@defvar indicate-buffer-boundaries +This buffer-local variable controls how the buffer boundaries and +window scrolling are indicated in the window fringes. + +Emacs can indicate the buffer boundaries---that is, the first and last +line in the buffer---with angle icons when they appear on the screen. +In addition, Emacs can display an up-arrow in the fringe to show +that there is text above the screen, and a down-arrow to show +there is text below the screen. + +There are three kinds of basic values: + +@table @asis +@item @code{nil} +Don't display any of these fringe icons. +@item @code{left} +Display the angle icons and arrows in the left fringe. +@item @code{right} +Display the angle icons and arrows in the right fringe. +@item any non-alist +Display the angle icons in the left fringe +and don't display the arrows. +@end table + +Otherwise the value should be an alist that specifies which fringe +indicators to display and where. Each element of the alist should +have the form @code{(@var{indicator} . @var{position})}. Here, +@var{indicator} is one of @code{top}, @code{bottom}, @code{up}, +@code{down}, and @code{t} (which covers all the icons not yet +specified), while @var{position} is one of @code{left}, @code{right} +and @code{nil}. + +For example, @code{((top . left) (t . right))} places the top angle +bitmap in left fringe, and the bottom angle bitmap as well as both +arrow bitmaps in right fringe. To show the angle bitmaps in the left +fringe, and no arrow bitmaps, use @code{((top . left) (bottom . left))}. +@end defvar + +@defvar default-indicate-buffer-boundaries +The value of this variable is the default value for +@code{indicate-buffer-boundaries} in buffers that do not override it. +@end defvar + +@defvar fringe-indicator-alist +This buffer-local variable specifies the mapping from logical fringe +indicators to the actual bitmaps displayed in the window fringes. + +These symbols identify the logical fringe indicators: + +@table @asis +@item Truncation and continuation line indicators: +@code{truncation}, @code{continuation}. + +@item Buffer position indicators: +@code{up}, @code{down}, +@code{top}, @code{bottom}, +@code{top-bottom}. + +@item Empty line indicator: +@code{empty-line}. + +@item Overlay arrow indicator: +@code{overlay-arrow}. + +@item Unknown bitmap indicator: +@code{unknown}. +@end table + + The value is an alist where each element @code{(@var{indicator} . @var{bitmaps})} +specifies the fringe bitmaps used to display a specific logical +fringe indicator. + +Here, @var{indicator} specifies the logical indicator type, and +@var{bitmaps} is list of symbols @code{(@var{left} @var{right} +[@var{left1} @var{right1}])} which specifies the actual bitmap shown +in the left or right fringe for the logical indicator. + +The @var{left} and @var{right} symbols specify the bitmaps shown in +the left and/or right fringe for the specific indicator. The +@var{left1} or @var{right1} bitmaps are used only for the `bottom' and +`top-bottom indicators when the last (only) line in has no final +newline. Alternatively, @var{bitmaps} may be a single symbol which is +used in both left and right fringes. + +When @code{fringe-indicator-alist} has a buffer-local value, and there +is no bitmap defined for a logical indicator, or the bitmap is +@code{t}, the corresponding value from the (non-local) +@code{default-fringe-indicator-alist} is used. + +To completely hide a specific indicator, set the bitmap to @code{nil}. +@end defvar + +@defvar default-fringe-indicator-alist +The value of this variable is the default value for +@code{fringe-indicator-alist} in buffers that do not override it. +@end defvar + +Standard fringe bitmaps for indicators: +@example +left-arrow right-arrow up-arrow down-arrow +left-curly-arrow right-curly-arrow +left-triangle right-triangle +top-left-angle top-right-angle +bottom-left-angle bottom-right-angle +left-bracket right-bracket +filled-rectangle hollow-rectangle +filled-square hollow-square +vertical-bar horizontal-bar +empty-line question-mark +@end example + +@node Fringe Cursors +@subsection Fringe Cursors +@cindex fringe cursors +@cindex cursor, fringe + + When a line is exactly as wide as the window, Emacs displays the +cursor in the right fringe instead of using two lines. Different +bitmaps are used to represent the cursor in the fringe depending on +the current buffer's cursor type. + +@table @asis +@item Logical cursor types: +@code{box} , @code{hollow}, @code{bar}, +@code{hbar}, @code{hollow-small}. +@end table + +The @code{hollow-small} type is used instead of @code{hollow} when the +normal @code{hollow-rectangle} bitmap is too tall to fit on a specific +display line. + +@defvar overflow-newline-into-fringe +If this is non-@code{nil}, lines exactly as wide as the window (not +counting the final newline character) are not continued. Instead, +when point is at the end of the line, the cursor appears in the right +fringe. +@end defvar + +@defvar fringe-cursor-alist +This variable specifies the mapping from logical cursor type to the +actual fringe bitmaps displayed in the right fringe. The value is an +alist where each element @code{(@var{cursor} . @var{bitmap})} specifies +the fringe bitmaps used to display a specific logical cursor type in +the fringe. Here, @var{cursor} specifies the logical cursor type and +@var{bitmap} is a symbol specifying the fringe bitmap to be displayed +for that logical cursor type. + +When @code{fringe-cursor-alist} has a buffer-local value, and there is +no bitmap defined for a cursor type, the corresponding value from the +(non-local) @code{default-fringes-indicator-alist} is used. +@end defvar + +@defvar default-fringes-cursor-alist +The value of this variable is the default value for +@code{fringe-cursor-alist} in buffers that do not override it. +@end defvar + +Standard bitmaps for displaying the cursor in right fringe: +@example +filled-rectangle hollow-rectangle filled-square hollow-square +vertical-bar horizontal-bar +@end example + + +@node Fringe Bitmaps +@subsection Fringe Bitmaps +@cindex fringe bitmaps +@cindex bitmaps, fringe + + The @dfn{fringe bitmaps} are the actual bitmaps which represent the +logical fringe indicators for truncated or continued lines, buffer +boundaries, overlay arrow, etc. Fringe bitmap symbols have their own +name space. The fringe bitmaps are shared by all frames and windows. +You can redefine the built-in fringe bitmaps, and you can define new +fringe bitmaps. + + The way to display a bitmap in the left or right fringes for a given +line in a window is by specifying the @code{display} property for one +of the characters that appears in it. Use a display specification of +the form @code{(left-fringe @var{bitmap} [@var{face}])} or +@code{(right-fringe @var{bitmap} [@var{face}])} (@pxref{Display +Property}). Here, @var{bitmap} is a symbol identifying the bitmap you +want, and @var{face} (which is optional) is the name of the face whose +colors should be used for displaying the bitmap, instead of the +default @code{fringe} face. @var{face} is automatically merged with +the @code{fringe} face, so normally @var{face} need only specify the +foreground color for the bitmap. + +@defun fringe-bitmaps-at-pos &optional pos window +This function returns the fringe bitmaps of the display line +containing position @var{pos} in window @var{window}. The return +value has the form @code{(@var{left} @var{right} @var{ov})}, where @var{left} +is the symbol for the fringe bitmap in the left fringe (or @code{nil} +if no bitmap), @var{right} is similar for the right fringe, and @var{ov} +is non-@code{nil} if there is an overlay arrow in the left fringe. + +The value is @code{nil} if @var{pos} is not visible in @var{window}. +If @var{window} is @code{nil}, that stands for the selected window. +If @var{pos} is @code{nil}, that stands for the value of point in +@var{window}. +@end defun + +@node Customizing Bitmaps +@subsection Customizing Fringe Bitmaps + +@defun define-fringe-bitmap bitmap bits &optional height width align +This function defines the symbol @var{bitmap} as a new fringe bitmap, +or replaces an existing bitmap with that name. + +The argument @var{bits} specifies the image to use. It should be +either a string or a vector of integers, where each element (an +integer) corresponds to one row of the bitmap. Each bit of an integer +corresponds to one pixel of the bitmap, where the low bit corresponds +to the rightmost pixel of the bitmap. + +The height is normally the length of @var{bits}. However, you +can specify a different height with non-@code{nil} @var{height}. The width +is normally 8, but you can specify a different width with non-@code{nil} +@var{width}. The width must be an integer between 1 and 16. + +The argument @var{align} specifies the positioning of the bitmap +relative to the range of rows where it is used; the default is to +center the bitmap. The allowed values are @code{top}, @code{center}, +or @code{bottom}. + +The @var{align} argument may also be a list @code{(@var{align} +@var{periodic})} where @var{align} is interpreted as described above. +If @var{periodic} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies that the rows in +@code{bits} should be repeated enough times to reach the specified +height. +@end defun + +@defun destroy-fringe-bitmap bitmap +This function destroy the fringe bitmap identified by @var{bitmap}. +If @var{bitmap} identifies a standard fringe bitmap, it actually +restores the standard definition of that bitmap, instead of +eliminating it entirely. +@end defun + +@defun set-fringe-bitmap-face bitmap &optional face +This sets the face for the fringe bitmap @var{bitmap} to @var{face}. +If @var{face} is @code{nil}, it selects the @code{fringe} face. The +bitmap's face controls the color to draw it in. + +@var{face} is merged with the @code{fringe} face, so normally +@var{face} should specify only the foreground color. +@end defun + +@node Overlay Arrow +@subsection The Overlay Arrow +@c @cindex overlay arrow Duplicates variable names + + The @dfn{overlay arrow} is useful for directing the user's attention +to a particular line in a buffer. For example, in the modes used for +interface to debuggers, the overlay arrow indicates the line of code +about to be executed. This feature has nothing to do with +@dfn{overlays} (@pxref{Overlays}). + +@defvar overlay-arrow-string +This variable holds the string to display to call attention to a +particular line, or @code{nil} if the arrow feature is not in use. +On a graphical display the contents of the string are ignored; instead a +glyph is displayed in the fringe area to the left of the display area. +@end defvar + +@defvar overlay-arrow-position +This variable holds a marker that indicates where to display the overlay +arrow. It should point at the beginning of a line. On a non-graphical +display the arrow text +appears at the beginning of that line, overlaying any text that would +otherwise appear. Since the arrow is usually short, and the line +usually begins with indentation, normally nothing significant is +overwritten. + +The overlay-arrow string is displayed in any given buffer if the value +of @code{overlay-arrow-position} in that buffer points into that +buffer. Thus, it is possible to display multiple overlay arrow strings +by creating buffer-local bindings of @code{overlay-arrow-position}. +However, it is usually cleaner to use +@code{overlay-arrow-variable-list} to achieve this result. +@c !!! overlay-arrow-position: but the overlay string may remain in the display +@c of some other buffer until an update is required. This should be fixed +@c now. Is it? +@end defvar + + You can do a similar job by creating an overlay with a +@code{before-string} property. @xref{Overlay Properties}. + + You can define multiple overlay arrows via the variable +@code{overlay-arrow-variable-list}. + +@defvar overlay-arrow-variable-list +This variable's value is a list of variables, each of which specifies +the position of an overlay arrow. The variable +@code{overlay-arrow-position} has its normal meaning because it is on +this list. +@end defvar + +Each variable on this list can have properties +@code{overlay-arrow-string} and @code{overlay-arrow-bitmap} that +specify an overlay arrow string (for text-only terminals) or fringe +bitmap (for graphical terminals) to display at the corresponding +overlay arrow position. If either property is not set, the default +@code{overlay-arrow-string} or @code{overlay-arrow} fringe indicator +is used. + +@node Scroll Bars +@section Scroll Bars +@cindex scroll bars + +Normally the frame parameter @code{vertical-scroll-bars} controls +whether the windows in the frame have vertical scroll bars, and +whether they are on the left or right. The frame parameter +@code{scroll-bar-width} specifies how wide they are (@code{nil} +meaning the default). @xref{Layout Parameters}. + +@defun frame-current-scroll-bars &optional frame +This function reports the scroll bar type settings for frame +@var{frame}. The value is a cons cell +@code{(@var{vertical-type} .@: @var{horizontal-type})}, where +@var{vertical-type} is either @code{left}, @code{right}, or @code{nil} +(which means no scroll bar.) @var{horizontal-type} is meant to +specify the horizontal scroll bar type, but since they are not +implemented, it is always @code{nil}. +@end defun + +@vindex vertical-scroll-bar + You can enable or disable scroll bars for a particular buffer, +by setting the variable @code{vertical-scroll-bar}. This variable +automatically becomes buffer-local when set. The possible values are +@code{left}, @code{right}, @code{t}, which means to use the +frame's default, and @code{nil} for no scroll bar. + + You can also control this for individual windows. Call the function +@code{set-window-scroll-bars} to specify what to do for a specific window: + +@defun set-window-scroll-bars window width &optional vertical-type horizontal-type +This function sets the width and type of scroll bars for window +@var{window}. + +@var{width} specifies the scroll bar width in pixels (@code{nil} means +use the width specified for the frame). @var{vertical-type} specifies +whether to have a vertical scroll bar and, if so, where. The possible +values are @code{left}, @code{right} and @code{nil}, just like the +values of the @code{vertical-scroll-bars} frame parameter. + +The argument @var{horizontal-type} is meant to specify whether and +where to have horizontal scroll bars, but since they are not +implemented, it has no effect. If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the +selected window is used. +@end defun + +@defun window-scroll-bars &optional window +Report the width and type of scroll bars specified for @var{window}. +If @var{window} is omitted or @code{nil}, the selected window is used. +The value is a list of the form @code{(@var{width} +@var{cols} @var{vertical-type} @var{horizontal-type})}. The value +@var{width} is the value that was specified for the width (which may +be @code{nil}); @var{cols} is the number of columns that the scroll +bar actually occupies. + +@var{horizontal-type} is not actually meaningful. +@end defun + +If you don't specify these values for a window with +@code{set-window-scroll-bars}, the buffer-local variables +@code{scroll-bar-mode} and @code{scroll-bar-width} in the buffer being +displayed control the window's vertical scroll bars. The function +@code{set-window-buffer} examines these variables. If you change them +in a buffer that is already visible in a window, you can make the +window take note of the new values by calling @code{set-window-buffer} +specifying the same buffer that is already displayed. + +@defvar scroll-bar-mode +This variable, always local in all buffers, controls whether and where +to put scroll bars in windows displaying the buffer. The possible values +are @code{nil} for no scroll bar, @code{left} to put a scroll bar on +the left, and @code{right} to put a scroll bar on the right. +@end defvar + +@defun window-current-scroll-bars &optional window +This function reports the scroll bar type for window @var{window}. +If @var{window} is omitted or @code{nil}, the selected window is used. +The value is a cons cell +@code{(@var{vertical-type} .@: @var{horizontal-type})}. Unlike +@code{window-scroll-bars}, this reports the scroll bar type actually +used, once frame defaults and @code{scroll-bar-mode} are taken into +account. +@end defun + +@defvar scroll-bar-width +This variable, always local in all buffers, specifies the width of the +buffer's scroll bars, measured in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means +to use the value specified by the frame. +@end defvar + +@node Display Property +@section The @code{display} Property +@cindex display specification +@kindex display @r{(text property)} + + The @code{display} text property (or overlay property) is used to +insert images into text, and also control other aspects of how text +displays. The value of the @code{display} property should be a +display specification, or a list or vector containing several display +specifications. Display specifications generally apply in parallel to +the text they cover. + + Some kinds of @code{display} specifications specify something to +display instead of the text that has the property. If a list of +display specifications includes more than one of this kind, the first +is effective and the rest are ignored. You cannot interactively move +point into the middle of the text that is thus replaced. + + For these specifications, ``the text that has the property'' means +all the consecutive characters that have the same Lisp object as their +@code{display} property; these characters are replaced as a single +unit. By contrast, characters that have similar but distinct Lisp +objects as their @code{display} properties are handled separately. +Here's a function that illustrates this point: + +@smallexample +(defun foo () + (goto-char (point-min)) + (dotimes (i 5) + (let ((string (concat "A"))) + (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point)) 'display string) + (forward-char 1) + (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point)) 'display string) + (forward-char 1)))) +@end smallexample + +@noindent +It gives each of the first ten characters in the buffer string +@code{"A"} as the @code{display} property, but they don't all get the +same string. The first two characters get the same string, so they +together are replaced with one @samp{A}. The next two characters get +a second string, so they together are replaced with one @samp{A}. +Likewise for each following pair of characters. Thus, the ten +characters appear as five A's. This function would have the same +results: + +@smallexample +(defun foo () + (goto-char (point-min)) + (dotimes (i 5) + (let ((string (concat "A"))) + (put-text-property (point) (+ 2 (point)) 'display string) + (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point)) 'display string) + (forward-char 2)))) +@end smallexample + +@noindent +This illustrates that what matters is the property value for +each character. If two consecutive characters have the same +object as the @code{display} property value, it's irrelevant +whether they got this property from a single call to +@code{put-text-property} or from two different calls. + + The rest of this section describes several kinds of +display specifications and what they mean. + +@menu +* Specified Space:: Displaying one space with a specified width. +* Pixel Specification:: Specifying space width or height in pixels. +* Other Display Specs:: Displaying an image; magnifying text; moving it + up or down on the page; adjusting the width + of spaces within text. +* Display Margins:: Displaying text or images to the side of the main text. +@end menu + +@node Specified Space +@subsection Specified Spaces +@cindex spaces, specified height or width +@cindex variable-width spaces + + To display a space of specified width and/or height, use a display +specification of the form @code{(space . @var{props})}, where +@var{props} is a property list (a list of alternating properties and +values). You can put this property on one or more consecutive +characters; a space of the specified height and width is displayed in +place of @emph{all} of those characters. These are the properties you +can use in @var{props} to specify the weight of the space: + +@table @code +@item :width @var{width} +If @var{width} is an integer or floating point number, it specifies +that the space width should be @var{width} times the normal character +width. @var{width} can also be a @dfn{pixel width} specification +(@pxref{Pixel Specification}). + +@item :relative-width @var{factor} +Specifies that the width of the stretch should be computed from the +first character in the group of consecutive characters that have the +same @code{display} property. The space width is the width of that +character, multiplied by @var{factor}. + +@item :align-to @var{hpos} +Specifies that the space should be wide enough to reach @var{hpos}. +If @var{hpos} is a number, it is measured in units of the normal +character width. @var{hpos} can also be a @dfn{pixel width} +specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}). +@end table + + You should use one and only one of the above properties. You can +also specify the height of the space, with these properties: + +@table @code +@item :height @var{height} +Specifies the height of the space. +If @var{height} is an integer or floating point number, it specifies +that the space height should be @var{height} times the normal character +height. The @var{height} may also be a @dfn{pixel height} specification +(@pxref{Pixel Specification}). + +@item :relative-height @var{factor} +Specifies the height of the space, multiplying the ordinary height +of the text having this display specification by @var{factor}. + +@item :ascent @var{ascent} +If the value of @var{ascent} is a non-negative number no greater than +100, it specifies that @var{ascent} percent of the height of the space +should be considered as the ascent of the space---that is, the part +above the baseline. The ascent may also be specified in pixel units +with a @dfn{pixel ascent} specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}). + +@end table + + Don't use both @code{:height} and @code{:relative-height} together. + + The @code{:width} and @code{:align-to} properties are supported on +non-graphic terminals, but the other space properties in this section +are not. + +@node Pixel Specification +@subsection Pixel Specification for Spaces +@cindex spaces, pixel specification + + The value of the @code{:width}, @code{:align-to}, @code{:height}, +and @code{:ascent} properties can be a special kind of expression that +is evaluated during redisplay. The result of the evaluation is used +as an absolute number of pixels. + + The following expressions are supported: + +@smallexample +@group + @var{expr} ::= @var{num} | (@var{num}) | @var{unit} | @var{elem} | @var{pos} | @var{image} | @var{form} + @var{num} ::= @var{integer} | @var{float} | @var{symbol} + @var{unit} ::= in | mm | cm | width | height +@end group +@group + @var{elem} ::= left-fringe | right-fringe | left-margin | right-margin + | scroll-bar | text + @var{pos} ::= left | center | right + @var{form} ::= (@var{num} . @var{expr}) | (@var{op} @var{expr} ...) + @var{op} ::= + | - +@end group +@end smallexample + + The form @var{num} specifies a fraction of the default frame font +height or width. The form @code{(@var{num})} specifies an absolute +number of pixels. If @var{num} is a symbol, @var{symbol}, its +buffer-local variable binding is used. + + The @code{in}, @code{mm}, and @code{cm} units specify the number of +pixels per inch, millimeter, and centimeter, respectively. The +@code{width} and @code{height} units correspond to the default width +and height of the current face. An image specification @code{image} +corresponds to the width or height of the image. + + The @code{left-fringe}, @code{right-fringe}, @code{left-margin}, +@code{right-margin}, @code{scroll-bar}, and @code{text} elements +specify to the width of the corresponding area of the window. + + The @code{left}, @code{center}, and @code{right} positions can be +used with @code{:align-to} to specify a position relative to the left +edge, center, or right edge of the text area. + + Any of the above window elements (except @code{text}) can also be +used with @code{:align-to} to specify that the position is relative to +the left edge of the given area. Once the base offset for a relative +position has been set (by the first occurrence of one of these +symbols), further occurrences of these symbols are interpreted as the +width of the specified area. For example, to align to the center of +the left-margin, use + +@example +:align-to (+ left-margin (0.5 . left-margin)) +@end example + + If no specific base offset is set for alignment, it is always relative +to the left edge of the text area. For example, @samp{:align-to 0} in a +header-line aligns with the first text column in the text area. + + A value of the form @code{(@var{num} . @var{expr})} stands for the +product of the values of @var{num} and @var{expr}. For example, +@code{(2 . in)} specifies a width of 2 inches, while @code{(0.5 . +@var{image})} specifies half the width (or height) of the specified +image. + + The form @code{(+ @var{expr} ...)} adds up the value of the +expressions. The form @code{(- @var{expr} ...)} negates or subtracts +the value of the expressions. + +@node Other Display Specs +@subsection Other Display Specifications + + Here are the other sorts of display specifications that you can use +in the @code{display} text property. + +@table @code +@item @var{string} +Display @var{string} instead of the text that has this property. + +Recursive display specifications are not supported---@var{string}'s +@code{display} properties, if any, are not used. + +@item (image . @var{image-props}) +This kind of display specification is an image descriptor (@pxref{Images}). +When used as a display specification, it means to display the image +instead of the text that has the display specification. + +@item (slice @var{x} @var{y} @var{width} @var{height}) +This specification together with @code{image} specifies a @dfn{slice} +(a partial area) of the image to display. The elements @var{y} and +@var{x} specify the top left corner of the slice, within the image; +@var{width} and @var{height} specify the width and height of the +slice. Integer values are numbers of pixels. A floating point number +in the range 0.0--1.0 stands for that fraction of the width or height +of the entire image. + +@item ((margin nil) @var{string}) +A display specification of this form means to display @var{string} +instead of the text that has the display specification, at the same +position as that text. It is equivalent to using just @var{string}, +but it is done as a special case of marginal display (@pxref{Display +Margins}). + +@item (space-width @var{factor}) +This display specification affects all the space characters within the +text that has the specification. It displays all of these spaces +@var{factor} times as wide as normal. The element @var{factor} should +be an integer or float. Characters other than spaces are not affected +at all; in particular, this has no effect on tab characters. + +@item (height @var{height}) +This display specification makes the text taller or shorter. +Here are the possibilities for @var{height}: + +@table @asis +@item @code{(+ @var{n})} +This means to use a font that is @var{n} steps larger. A ``step'' is +defined by the set of available fonts---specifically, those that match +what was otherwise specified for this text, in all attributes except +height. Each size for which a suitable font is available counts as +another step. @var{n} should be an integer. + +@item @code{(- @var{n})} +This means to use a font that is @var{n} steps smaller. + +@item a number, @var{factor} +A number, @var{factor}, means to use a font that is @var{factor} times +as tall as the default font. + +@item a symbol, @var{function} +A symbol is a function to compute the height. It is called with the +current height as argument, and should return the new height to use. + +@item anything else, @var{form} +If the @var{height} value doesn't fit the previous possibilities, it is +a form. Emacs evaluates it to get the new height, with the symbol +@code{height} bound to the current specified font height. +@end table + +@item (raise @var{factor}) +This kind of display specification raises or lowers the text +it applies to, relative to the baseline of the line. + +@var{factor} must be a number, which is interpreted as a multiple of the +height of the affected text. If it is positive, that means to display +the characters raised. If it is negative, that means to display them +lower down. + +If the text also has a @code{height} display specification, that does +not affect the amount of raising or lowering, which is based on the +faces used for the text. +@end table + +@c We put all the `@code{(when ...)}' on one line to encourage +@c makeinfo's end-of-sentence heuristics to DTRT. Previously, the dot +@c was at eol; the info file ended up w/ two spaces rendered after it. + You can make any display specification conditional. To do that, +package it in another list of the form +@code{(when @var{condition} . @var{spec})}. +Then the specification @var{spec} applies only when +@var{condition} evaluates to a non-@code{nil} value. During the +evaluation, @code{object} is bound to the string or buffer having the +conditional @code{display} property. @code{position} and +@code{buffer-position} are bound to the position within @code{object} +and the buffer position where the @code{display} property was found, +respectively. Both positions can be different when @code{object} is a +string. + +@node Display Margins +@subsection Displaying in the Margins +@cindex display margins +@cindex margins, display + + A buffer can have blank areas called @dfn{display margins} on the left +and on the right. Ordinary text never appears in these areas, but you +can put things into the display margins using the @code{display} +property. + + To put text in the left or right display margin of the window, use a +display specification of the form @code{(margin right-margin)} or +@code{(margin left-margin)} on it. To put an image in a display margin, +use that display specification along with the display specification for +the image. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to make +text or images in the margin mouse-sensitive. + + If you put such a display specification directly on text in the +buffer, the specified margin display appears @emph{instead of} that +buffer text itself. To put something in the margin @emph{in +association with} certain buffer text without preventing or altering +the display of that text, put a @code{before-string} property on the +text and put the display specification on the contents of the +before-string. + + Before the display margins can display anything, you must give +them a nonzero width. The usual way to do that is to set these +variables: + +@defvar left-margin-width +This variable specifies the width of the left margin. +It is buffer-local in all buffers. +@end defvar + +@defvar right-margin-width +This variable specifies the width of the right margin. +It is buffer-local in all buffers. +@end defvar + + Setting these variables does not immediately affect the window. These +variables are checked when a new buffer is displayed in the window. +Thus, you can make changes take effect by calling +@code{set-window-buffer}. + + You can also set the margin widths immediately. + +@defun set-window-margins window left &optional right +This function specifies the margin widths for window @var{window}. +The argument @var{left} controls the left margin and +@var{right} controls the right margin (default @code{0}). +@end defun + +@defun window-margins &optional window +This function returns the left and right margins of @var{window} +as a cons cell of the form @code{(@var{left} . @var{right})}. +If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is used. +@end defun + +@node Images +@section Images +@cindex images in buffers + + To display an image in an Emacs buffer, you must first create an image +descriptor, then use it as a display specifier in the @code{display} +property of text that is displayed (@pxref{Display Property}). + + Emacs is usually able to display images when it is run on a +graphical terminal. Images cannot be displayed in a text terminal, on +certain graphical terminals that lack the support for this, or if +Emacs is compiled without image support. You can use the function +@code{display-images-p} to determine if images can in principle be +displayed (@pxref{Display Feature Testing}). + +@menu +* Image Formats:: Supported image formats. +* Image Descriptors:: How to specify an image for use in @code{:display}. +* XBM Images:: Special features for XBM format. +* XPM Images:: Special features for XPM format. +* GIF Images:: Special features for GIF format. +* PostScript Images:: Special features for PostScript format. +* Other Image Types:: Various other formats are supported. +* Defining Images:: Convenient ways to define an image for later use. +* Showing Images:: Convenient ways to display an image once it is defined. +* Image Cache:: Internal mechanisms of image display. +@end menu + +@node Image Formats +@subsection Image Formats +@cindex image formats +@cindex image types + + Emacs can display a number of different image formats; some of them +are supported only if particular support libraries are installed on +your machine. In some environments, Emacs can load image +libraries on demand; if so, the variable @code{image-library-alist} +can be used to modify the set of known names for these dynamic +libraries (though it is not possible to add new image formats). + + The supported image formats include XBM, XPM (this requires the +libraries @code{libXpm} version 3.4k and @code{libz}), GIF (requiring +@code{libungif} 4.1.0), PostScript, PBM, JPEG (requiring the +@code{libjpeg} library version v6a), TIFF (requiring @code{libtiff} +v3.4), PNG (requiring @code{libpng} 1.0.2), and SVG (requiring +@code{librsvg} 2.0.0). + + You specify one of these formats with an image type symbol. The image +type symbols are @code{xbm}, @code{xpm}, @code{gif}, @code{postscript}, +@code{pbm}, @code{jpeg}, @code{tiff}, @code{png}, and @code{svg}. + +@defvar image-types +This variable contains a list of those image type symbols that are +potentially supported in the current configuration. +@emph{Potentially} here means that Emacs knows about the image types, +not necessarily that they can be loaded (they could depend on +unavailable dynamic libraries, for example). + +To know which image types are really available, use +@code{image-type-available-p}. +@end defvar + +@defvar image-library-alist +This in an alist of image types vs external libraries needed to +display them. + +Each element is a list @code{(@var{image-type} @var{library}...)}, +where the car is a supported image format from @code{image-types}, and +the rest are strings giving alternate filenames for the corresponding +external libraries to load. + +Emacs tries to load the libraries in the order they appear on the +list; if none is loaded, the running session of Emacs won't support +the image type. @code{pbm} and @code{xbm} don't need to be listed; +they're always supported. + +This variable is ignored if the image libraries are statically linked +into Emacs. +@end defvar + +@defun image-type-available-p type +This function returns non-@code{nil} if image type @var{type} is +available, i.e., if images of this type can be loaded and displayed in +Emacs. @var{type} should be one of the types contained in +@code{image-types}. + +For image types whose support libraries are statically linked, this +function always returns @code{t}; for other image types, it returns +@code{t} if the dynamic library could be loaded, @code{nil} otherwise. +@end defun + +@node Image Descriptors +@subsection Image Descriptors +@cindex image descriptor + + An image description is a list of the form @code{(image . @var{props})}, +where @var{props} is a property list containing alternating keyword +symbols (symbols whose names start with a colon) and their values. +You can use any Lisp object as a property, but the only properties +that have any special meaning are certain symbols, all of them keywords. + + Every image descriptor must contain the property @code{:type +@var{type}} to specify the format of the image. The value of @var{type} +should be an image type symbol; for example, @code{xpm} for an image in +XPM format. + + Here is a list of other properties that are meaningful for all image +types: + +@table @code +@item :file @var{file} +The @code{:file} property says to load the image from file +@var{file}. If @var{file} is not an absolute file name, it is expanded +in @code{data-directory}. + +@item :data @var{data} +The @code{:data} property says the actual contents of the image. +Each image must use either @code{:data} or @code{:file}, but not both. +For most image types, the value of the @code{:data} property should be a +string containing the image data; we recommend using a unibyte string. + +Before using @code{:data}, look for further information in the section +below describing the specific image format. For some image types, +@code{:data} may not be supported; for some, it allows other data types; +for some, @code{:data} alone is not enough, so you need to use other +image properties along with @code{:data}. + +@item :margin @var{margin} +The @code{:margin} property specifies how many pixels to add as an +extra margin around the image. The value, @var{margin}, must be a +non-negative number, or a pair @code{(@var{x} . @var{y})} of such +numbers. If it is a pair, @var{x} specifies how many pixels to add +horizontally, and @var{y} specifies how many pixels to add vertically. +If @code{:margin} is not specified, the default is zero. + +@item :ascent @var{ascent} +The @code{:ascent} property specifies the amount of the image's +height to use for its ascent---that is, the part above the baseline. +The value, @var{ascent}, must be a number in the range 0 to 100, or +the symbol @code{center}. + +If @var{ascent} is a number, that percentage of the image's height is +used for its ascent. + +If @var{ascent} is @code{center}, the image is vertically centered +around a centerline which would be the vertical centerline of text drawn +at the position of the image, in the manner specified by the text +properties and overlays that apply to the image. + +If this property is omitted, it defaults to 50. + +@item :relief @var{relief} +The @code{:relief} property, if non-@code{nil}, adds a shadow rectangle +around the image. The value, @var{relief}, specifies the width of the +shadow lines, in pixels. If @var{relief} is negative, shadows are drawn +so that the image appears as a pressed button; otherwise, it appears as +an unpressed button. + +@item :conversion @var{algorithm} +The @code{:conversion} property, if non-@code{nil}, specifies a +conversion algorithm that should be applied to the image before it is +displayed; the value, @var{algorithm}, specifies which algorithm. + +@table @code +@item laplace +@itemx emboss +Specifies the Laplace edge detection algorithm, which blurs out small +differences in color while highlighting larger differences. People +sometimes consider this useful for displaying the image for a +``disabled'' button. + +@item (edge-detection :matrix @var{matrix} :color-adjust @var{adjust}) +Specifies a general edge-detection algorithm. @var{matrix} must be +either a nine-element list or a nine-element vector of numbers. A pixel +at position @math{x/y} in the transformed image is computed from +original pixels around that position. @var{matrix} specifies, for each +pixel in the neighborhood of @math{x/y}, a factor with which that pixel +will influence the transformed pixel; element @math{0} specifies the +factor for the pixel at @math{x-1/y-1}, element @math{1} the factor for +the pixel at @math{x/y-1} etc., as shown below: +@iftex +@tex +$$\pmatrix{x-1/y-1 & x/y-1 & x+1/y-1 \cr + x-1/y & x/y & x+1/y \cr + x-1/y+1& x/y+1 & x+1/y+1 \cr}$$ +@end tex +@end iftex +@ifnottex +@display + (x-1/y-1 x/y-1 x+1/y-1 + x-1/y x/y x+1/y + x-1/y+1 x/y+1 x+1/y+1) +@end display +@end ifnottex + +The resulting pixel is computed from the color intensity of the color +resulting from summing up the RGB values of surrounding pixels, +multiplied by the specified factors, and dividing that sum by the sum +of the factors' absolute values. + +Laplace edge-detection currently uses a matrix of +@iftex +@tex +$$\pmatrix{1 & 0 & 0 \cr + 0& 0 & 0 \cr + 9 & 9 & -1 \cr}$$ +@end tex +@end iftex +@ifnottex +@display + (1 0 0 + 0 0 0 + 9 9 -1) +@end display +@end ifnottex + +Emboss edge-detection uses a matrix of +@iftex +@tex +$$\pmatrix{ 2 & -1 & 0 \cr + -1 & 0 & 1 \cr + 0 & 1 & -2 \cr}$$ +@end tex +@end iftex +@ifnottex +@display + ( 2 -1 0 + -1 0 1 + 0 1 -2) +@end display +@end ifnottex + +@item disabled +Specifies transforming the image so that it looks ``disabled.'' +@end table + +@item :mask @var{mask} +If @var{mask} is @code{heuristic} or @code{(heuristic @var{bg})}, build +a clipping mask for the image, so that the background of a frame is +visible behind the image. If @var{bg} is not specified, or if @var{bg} +is @code{t}, determine the background color of the image by looking at +the four corners of the image, assuming the most frequently occurring +color from the corners is the background color of the image. Otherwise, +@var{bg} must be a list @code{(@var{red} @var{green} @var{blue})} +specifying the color to assume for the background of the image. + +If @var{mask} is @code{nil}, remove a mask from the image, if it has +one. Images in some formats include a mask which can be removed by +specifying @code{:mask nil}. + +@item :pointer @var{shape} +This specifies the pointer shape when the mouse pointer is over this +image. @xref{Pointer Shape}, for available pointer shapes. + +@item :map @var{map} +This associates an image map of @dfn{hot spots} with this image. + +An image map is an alist where each element has the format +@code{(@var{area} @var{id} @var{plist})}. An @var{area} is specified +as either a rectangle, a circle, or a polygon. + +A rectangle is a cons +@code{(rect . ((@var{x0} . @var{y0}) . (@var{x1} . @var{y1})))} +which specifies the pixel coordinates of the upper left and bottom right +corners of the rectangle area. + +A circle is a cons +@code{(circle . ((@var{x0} . @var{y0}) . @var{r}))} +which specifies the center and the radius of the circle; @var{r} may +be a float or integer. + +A polygon is a cons +@code{(poly . [@var{x0} @var{y0} @var{x1} @var{y1} ...])} +where each pair in the vector describes one corner in the polygon. + +When the mouse pointer lies on a hot-spot area of an image, the +@var{plist} of that hot-spot is consulted; if it contains a @code{help-echo} +property, that defines a tool-tip for the hot-spot, and if it contains +a @code{pointer} property, that defines the shape of the mouse cursor when +it is on the hot-spot. +@xref{Pointer Shape}, for available pointer shapes. + +When you click the mouse when the mouse pointer is over a hot-spot, an +event is composed by combining the @var{id} of the hot-spot with the +mouse event; for instance, @code{[area4 mouse-1]} if the hot-spot's +@var{id} is @code{area4}. +@end table + +@defun image-mask-p spec &optional frame +This function returns @code{t} if image @var{spec} has a mask bitmap. +@var{frame} is the frame on which the image will be displayed. +@var{frame} @code{nil} or omitted means to use the selected frame +(@pxref{Input Focus}). +@end defun + +@node XBM Images +@subsection XBM Images +@cindex XBM + + To use XBM format, specify @code{xbm} as the image type. This image +format doesn't require an external library, so images of this type are +always supported. + + Additional image properties supported for the @code{xbm} image type are: + +@table @code +@item :foreground @var{foreground} +The value, @var{foreground}, should be a string specifying the image +foreground color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is +used for each pixel in the XBM that is 1. The default is the frame's +foreground color. + +@item :background @var{background} +The value, @var{background}, should be a string specifying the image +background color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is +used for each pixel in the XBM that is 0. The default is the frame's +background color. +@end table + + If you specify an XBM image using data within Emacs instead of an +external file, use the following three properties: + +@table @code +@item :data @var{data} +The value, @var{data}, specifies the contents of the image. +There are three formats you can use for @var{data}: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +A vector of strings or bool-vectors, each specifying one line of the +image. Do specify @code{:height} and @code{:width}. + +@item +A string containing the same byte sequence as an XBM file would contain. +You must not specify @code{:height} and @code{:width} in this case, +because omitting them is what indicates the data has the format of an +XBM file. The file contents specify the height and width of the image. + +@item +A string or a bool-vector containing the bits of the image (plus perhaps +some extra bits at the end that will not be used). It should contain at +least @var{width} * @code{height} bits. In this case, you must specify +@code{:height} and @code{:width}, both to indicate that the string +contains just the bits rather than a whole XBM file, and to specify the +size of the image. +@end itemize + +@item :width @var{width} +The value, @var{width}, specifies the width of the image, in pixels. + +@item :height @var{height} +The value, @var{height}, specifies the height of the image, in pixels. +@end table + +@node XPM Images +@subsection XPM Images +@cindex XPM + + To use XPM format, specify @code{xpm} as the image type. The +additional image property @code{:color-symbols} is also meaningful with +the @code{xpm} image type: + +@table @code +@item :color-symbols @var{symbols} +The value, @var{symbols}, should be an alist whose elements have the +form @code{(@var{name} . @var{color})}. In each element, @var{name} is +the name of a color as it appears in the image file, and @var{color} +specifies the actual color to use for displaying that name. +@end table + +@node GIF Images +@subsection GIF Images +@cindex GIF + + For GIF images, specify image type @code{gif}. + +@table @code +@item :index @var{index} +You can use @code{:index} to specify one image from a GIF file that +contains more than one image. This property specifies use of image +number @var{index} from the file. If the GIF file doesn't contain an +image with index @var{index}, the image displays as a hollow box. +@end table + +@ignore +This could be used to implement limited support for animated GIFs. +For example, the following function displays a multi-image GIF file +at point-min in the current buffer, switching between sub-images +every 0.1 seconds. + +(defun show-anim (file max) + "Display multi-image GIF file FILE which contains MAX subimages." + (display-anim (current-buffer) file 0 max t)) + +(defun display-anim (buffer file idx max first-time) + (when (= idx max) + (setq idx 0)) + (let ((img (create-image file nil :image idx))) + (save-excursion + (set-buffer buffer) + (goto-char (point-min)) + (unless first-time (delete-char 1)) + (insert-image img)) + (run-with-timer 0.1 nil 'display-anim buffer file (1+ idx) max nil))) +@end ignore + +@node PostScript Images +@subsection PostScript Images +@cindex postscript images + + To use PostScript for an image, specify image type @code{postscript}. +This works only if you have Ghostscript installed. You must always use +these three properties: + +@table @code +@item :pt-width @var{width} +The value, @var{width}, specifies the width of the image measured in +points (1/72 inch). @var{width} must be an integer. + +@item :pt-height @var{height} +The value, @var{height}, specifies the height of the image in points +(1/72 inch). @var{height} must be an integer. + +@item :bounding-box @var{box} +The value, @var{box}, must be a list or vector of four integers, which +specifying the bounding box of the PostScript image, analogous to the +@samp{BoundingBox} comment found in PostScript files. + +@example +%%BoundingBox: 22 171 567 738 +@end example +@end table + + Displaying PostScript images from Lisp data is not currently +implemented, but it may be implemented by the time you read this. +See the @file{etc/NEWS} file to make sure. + +@node Other Image Types +@subsection Other Image Types +@cindex PBM + + For PBM images, specify image type @code{pbm}. Color, gray-scale and +monochromatic images are supported. For mono PBM images, two additional +image properties are supported. + +@table @code +@item :foreground @var{foreground} +The value, @var{foreground}, should be a string specifying the image +foreground color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is +used for each pixel in the XBM that is 1. The default is the frame's +foreground color. + +@item :background @var{background} +The value, @var{background}, should be a string specifying the image +background color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is +used for each pixel in the XBM that is 0. The default is the frame's +background color. +@end table + + For JPEG images, specify image type @code{jpeg}. + + For TIFF images, specify image type @code{tiff}. + + For PNG images, specify image type @code{png}. + + For SVG images, specify image type @code{svg}. + +@node Defining Images +@subsection Defining Images + + The functions @code{create-image}, @code{defimage} and +@code{find-image} provide convenient ways to create image descriptors. + +@defun create-image file-or-data &optional type data-p &rest props +This function creates and returns an image descriptor which uses the +data in @var{file-or-data}. @var{file-or-data} can be a file name or +a string containing the image data; @var{data-p} should be @code{nil} +for the former case, non-@code{nil} for the latter case. + +The optional argument @var{type} is a symbol specifying the image type. +If @var{type} is omitted or @code{nil}, @code{create-image} tries to +determine the image type from the file's first few bytes, or else +from the file's name. + +The remaining arguments, @var{props}, specify additional image +properties---for example, + +@example +(create-image "foo.xpm" 'xpm nil :heuristic-mask t) +@end example + +The function returns @code{nil} if images of this type are not +supported. Otherwise it returns an image descriptor. +@end defun + +@defmac defimage symbol specs &optional doc +This macro defines @var{symbol} as an image name. The arguments +@var{specs} is a list which specifies how to display the image. +The third argument, @var{doc}, is an optional documentation string. + +Each argument in @var{specs} has the form of a property list, and each +one should specify at least the @code{:type} property and either the +@code{:file} or the @code{:data} property. The value of @code{:type} +should be a symbol specifying the image type, the value of +@code{:file} is the file to load the image from, and the value of +@code{:data} is a string containing the actual image data. Here is an +example: + +@example +(defimage test-image + ((:type xpm :file "~/test1.xpm") + (:type xbm :file "~/test1.xbm"))) +@end example + +@code{defimage} tests each argument, one by one, to see if it is +usable---that is, if the type is supported and the file exists. The +first usable argument is used to make an image descriptor which is +stored in @var{symbol}. + +If none of the alternatives will work, then @var{symbol} is defined +as @code{nil}. +@end defmac + +@defun find-image specs +This function provides a convenient way to find an image satisfying one +of a list of image specifications @var{specs}. + +Each specification in @var{specs} is a property list with contents +depending on image type. All specifications must at least contain the +properties @code{:type @var{type}} and either @w{@code{:file @var{file}}} +or @w{@code{:data @var{DATA}}}, where @var{type} is a symbol specifying +the image type, e.g.@: @code{xbm}, @var{file} is the file to load the +image from, and @var{data} is a string containing the actual image data. +The first specification in the list whose @var{type} is supported, and +@var{file} exists, is used to construct the image specification to be +returned. If no specification is satisfied, @code{nil} is returned. + +The image is looked for in @code{image-load-path}. +@end defun + +@defvar image-load-path +This variable's value is a list of locations in which to search for +image files. If an element is a string or a variable symbol whose +value is a string, the string is taken to be the name of a directory +to search. If an element is a variable symbol whose value is a list, +that is taken to be a list of directory names to search. + +The default is to search in the @file{images} subdirectory of the +directory specified by @code{data-directory}, then the directory +specified by @code{data-directory}, and finally in the directories in +@code{load-path}. Subdirectories are not automatically included in +the search, so if you put an image file in a subdirectory, you have to +supply the subdirectory name explicitly. For example, to find the +image @file{images/foo/bar.xpm} within @code{data-directory}, you +should specify the image as follows: + +@example +(defimage foo-image '((:type xpm :file "foo/bar.xpm"))) +@end example +@end defvar + +@defun image-load-path-for-library library image &optional path no-error +This function returns a suitable search path for images used by the +Lisp package @var{library}. + +The function searches for @var{image} first using @code{image-load-path}, +excluding @file{@code{data-directory}/images}, and then in +@code{load-path}, followed by a path suitable for @var{library}, which +includes @file{../../etc/images} and @file{../etc/images} relative to +the library file itself, and finally in +@file{@code{data-directory}/images}. + +Then this function returns a list of directories which contains first +the directory in which @var{image} was found, followed by the value of +@code{load-path}. If @var{path} is given, it is used instead of +@code{load-path}. + +If @var{no-error} is non-@code{nil} and a suitable path can't be +found, don't signal an error. Instead, return a list of directories as +before, except that @code{nil} appears in place of the image directory. + +Here is an example that uses a common idiom to provide compatibility +with versions of Emacs that lack the variable @code{image-load-path}: + +@example +(defvar image-load-path) ; shush compiler +(let* ((load-path (image-load-path-for-library + "mh-e" "mh-logo.xpm")) + (image-load-path (cons (car load-path) + (when (boundp 'image-load-path) + image-load-path)))) + (mh-tool-bar-folder-buttons-init)) +@end example +@end defun + +@node Showing Images +@subsection Showing Images + + You can use an image descriptor by setting up the @code{display} +property yourself, but it is easier to use the functions in this +section. + +@defun insert-image image &optional string area slice +This function inserts @var{image} in the current buffer at point. The +value @var{image} should be an image descriptor; it could be a value +returned by @code{create-image}, or the value of a symbol defined with +@code{defimage}. The argument @var{string} specifies the text to put +in the buffer to hold the image. If it is omitted or @code{nil}, +@code{insert-image} uses @code{" "} by default. + +The argument @var{area} specifies whether to put the image in a margin. +If it is @code{left-margin}, the image appears in the left margin; +@code{right-margin} specifies the right margin. If @var{area} is +@code{nil} or omitted, the image is displayed at point within the +buffer's text. + +The argument @var{slice} specifies a slice of the image to insert. If +@var{slice} is @code{nil} or omitted the whole image is inserted. +Otherwise, @var{slice} is a list @code{(@var{x} @var{y} @var{width} +@var{height})} which specifies the @var{x} and @var{y} positions and +@var{width} and @var{height} of the image area to insert. Integer +values are in units of pixels. A floating point number in the range +0.0--1.0 stands for that fraction of the width or height of the entire +image. + +Internally, this function inserts @var{string} in the buffer, and gives +it a @code{display} property which specifies @var{image}. @xref{Display +Property}. +@end defun + +@defun insert-sliced-image image &optional string area rows cols +This function inserts @var{image} in the current buffer at point, like +@code{insert-image}, but splits the image into @var{rows}x@var{cols} +equally sized slices. +@end defun + +@defun put-image image pos &optional string area +This function puts image @var{image} in front of @var{pos} in the +current buffer. The argument @var{pos} should be an integer or a +marker. It specifies the buffer position where the image should appear. +The argument @var{string} specifies the text that should hold the image +as an alternative to the default. + +The argument @var{image} must be an image descriptor, perhaps returned +by @code{create-image} or stored by @code{defimage}. + +The argument @var{area} specifies whether to put the image in a margin. +If it is @code{left-margin}, the image appears in the left margin; +@code{right-margin} specifies the right margin. If @var{area} is +@code{nil} or omitted, the image is displayed at point within the +buffer's text. + +Internally, this function creates an overlay, and gives it a +@code{before-string} property containing text that has a @code{display} +property whose value is the image. (Whew!) +@end defun + +@defun remove-images start end &optional buffer +This function removes images in @var{buffer} between positions +@var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{buffer} is omitted or @code{nil}, +images are removed from the current buffer. + +This removes only images that were put into @var{buffer} the way +@code{put-image} does it, not images that were inserted with +@code{insert-image} or in other ways. +@end defun + +@defun image-size spec &optional pixels frame +This function returns the size of an image as a pair +@w{@code{(@var{width} . @var{height})}}. @var{spec} is an image +specification. @var{pixels} non-@code{nil} means return sizes +measured in pixels, otherwise return sizes measured in canonical +character units (fractions of the width/height of the frame's default +font). @var{frame} is the frame on which the image will be displayed. +@var{frame} null or omitted means use the selected frame (@pxref{Input +Focus}). +@end defun + +@defvar max-image-size +This variable is used to define the maximum size of image that Emacs +will load. Emacs will refuse to load (and display) any image that is +larger than this limit. + +If the value is an integer, it directly specifies the maximum +image height and width, measured in pixels. If it is a floating +point number, it specifies the maximum image height and width +as a ratio to the frame height and width. If the value is +non-numeric, there is no explicit limit on the size of images. + +The purpose of this variable is to prevent unreasonably large images +from accidentally being loaded into Emacs. It only takes effect the +first time an image is loaded. Once an image is placed in the image +cache, it can always be displayed, even if the value of +@var{max-image-size} is subsequently changed (@pxref{Image Cache}). +@end defvar + +@node Image Cache +@subsection Image Cache +@cindex image cache + + Emacs stores images in an image cache so that it can display them +again more efficiently. When Emacs displays an image, it searches the +image cache for an existing image specification @code{equal} to the +desired specification. If a match is found, the image is displayed +from the cache; otherwise, Emacs loads the image normally. + + Occasionally, you may need to tell Emacs to refresh the images +associated with a given image specification. For example, suppose you +display an image using a specification that contains a @code{:file} +property. The image is loaded from the given file and stored in the +image cache. If you later display the image again, using the same +image specification, the image is displayed from the image cache. +Normally, this is not a problem. However, if the image file has +changed in the meantime, Emacs would be displaying the old version of +the image. In such a situation, it is necessary to ``refresh'' the +image using @code{image-refresh}. + +@defun image-refresh spec &optional frame +This function refreshes any images having image specifications +@code{equal} to @var{spec} on frame @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is +@code{nil}, the selected frame is used. If @var{frame} is @code{t}, +the refresh is applied to all existing frames. + +This works by removing all image with image specifications matching +@var{spec} from the image cache. Thus, the next time the image is +displayed, Emacs will load the image again. +@end defun + +@defun clear-image-cache &optional frame +This function clears the entire image cache. If @var{frame} is +non-@code{nil}, only the cache for that frame is cleared. Otherwise, +all frames' caches are cleared. +@end defun + +If an image in the image cache has not been displayed for a specified +period of time, Emacs removes it from the cache and frees the +associated memory. + +@defvar image-cache-eviction-delay +This variable specifies the number of seconds an image can remain in the +cache without being displayed. When an image is not displayed for this +length of time, Emacs removes it from the image cache. + +If the value is @code{nil}, Emacs does not remove images from the cache +except when you explicitly clear it. This mode can be useful for +debugging. +@end defvar + +@node Buttons +@section Buttons +@cindex buttons in buffers +@cindex clickable buttons in buffers + + The @emph{button} package defines functions for inserting and +manipulating clickable (with the mouse, or via keyboard commands) +buttons in Emacs buffers, such as might be used for help hyper-links, +etc. Emacs uses buttons for the hyper-links in help text and the like. + + A button is essentially a set of properties attached (via text +properties or overlays) to a region of text in an Emacs buffer. These +properties are called @dfn{button properties}. + + One of these properties (@code{action}) is a function, which will +be called when the user invokes it using the keyboard or the mouse. +The invoked function may then examine the button and use its other +properties as desired. + + In some ways the Emacs button package duplicates functionality offered +by the widget package (@pxref{Top, , Introduction, widget, The Emacs +Widget Library}), but the button package has the advantage that it is +much faster, much smaller, and much simpler to use (for elisp +programmers---for users, the result is about the same). The extra +speed and space savings are useful mainly if you need to create many +buttons in a buffer (for instance an @code{*Apropos*} buffer uses +buttons to make entries clickable, and may contain many thousands of +entries). + +@menu +* Button Properties:: Button properties with special meanings. +* Button Types:: Defining common properties for classes of buttons. +* Making Buttons:: Adding buttons to Emacs buffers. +* Manipulating Buttons:: Getting and setting properties of buttons. +* Button Buffer Commands:: Buffer-wide commands and bindings for buttons. +@end menu + +@node Button Properties +@subsection Button Properties +@cindex button properties + + Buttons have an associated list of properties defining their +appearance and behavior, and other arbitrary properties may be used +for application specific purposes. Some properties that have special +meaning to the button package include: + +@table @code +@item action +@kindex action @r{(button property)} +The function to call when the user invokes the button, which is passed +the single argument @var{button}. By default this is @code{ignore}, +which does nothing. + +@item mouse-action +@kindex mouse-action @r{(button property)} +This is similar to @code{action}, and when present, will be used +instead of @code{action} for button invocations resulting from +mouse-clicks (instead of the user hitting @key{RET}). If not +present, mouse-clicks use @code{action} instead. + +@item face +@kindex face @r{(button property)} +This is an Emacs face controlling how buttons of this type are +displayed; by default this is the @code{button} face. + +@item mouse-face +@kindex mouse-face @r{(button property)} +This is an additional face which controls appearance during +mouse-overs (merged with the usual button face); by default this is +the usual Emacs @code{highlight} face. + +@item keymap +@kindex keymap @r{(button property)} +The button's keymap, defining bindings active within the button +region. By default this is the usual button region keymap, stored +in the variable @code{button-map}, which defines @key{RET} and +@key{mouse-2} to invoke the button. + +@item type +@kindex type @r{(button property)} +The button-type of the button. When creating a button, this is +usually specified using the @code{:type} keyword argument. +@xref{Button Types}. + +@item help-echo +@kindex help-index @r{(button property)} +A string displayed by the Emacs tool-tip help system; by default, +@code{"mouse-2, RET: Push this button"}. + +@item follow-link +@kindex follow-link @r{(button property)} +The follow-link property, defining how a @key{Mouse-1} click behaves +on this button, @xref{Links and Mouse-1}. + +@item button +@kindex button @r{(button property)} +All buttons have a non-@code{nil} @code{button} property, which may be useful +in finding regions of text that comprise buttons (which is what the +standard button functions do). +@end table + + There are other properties defined for the regions of text in a +button, but these are not generally interesting for typical uses. + +@node Button Types +@subsection Button Types +@cindex button types + + Every button has a button @emph{type}, which defines default values +for the button's properties. Button types are arranged in a +hierarchy, with specialized types inheriting from more general types, +so that it's easy to define special-purpose types of buttons for +specific tasks. + +@defun define-button-type name &rest properties +Define a `button type' called @var{name}. The remaining arguments +form a sequence of @var{property value} pairs, specifying default +property values for buttons with this type (a button's type may be set +by giving it a @code{type} property when creating the button, using +the @code{:type} keyword argument). + +In addition, the keyword argument @code{:supertype} may be used to +specify a button-type from which @var{name} inherits its default +property values. Note that this inheritance happens only when +@var{name} is defined; subsequent changes to a supertype are not +reflected in its subtypes. +@end defun + + Using @code{define-button-type} to define default properties for +buttons is not necessary---buttons without any specified type use the +built-in button-type @code{button}---but it is encouraged, since +doing so usually makes the resulting code clearer and more efficient. + +@node Making Buttons +@subsection Making Buttons +@cindex making buttons + + Buttons are associated with a region of text, using an overlay or +text properties to hold button-specific information, all of which are +initialized from the button's type (which defaults to the built-in +button type @code{button}). Like all Emacs text, the appearance of +the button is governed by the @code{face} property; by default (via +the @code{face} property inherited from the @code{button} button-type) +this is a simple underline, like a typical web-page link. + + For convenience, there are two sorts of button-creation functions, +those that add button properties to an existing region of a buffer, +called @code{make-...button}, and those that also insert the button +text, called @code{insert-...button}. + + The button-creation functions all take the @code{&rest} argument +@var{properties}, which should be a sequence of @var{property value} +pairs, specifying properties to add to the button; see @ref{Button +Properties}. In addition, the keyword argument @code{:type} may be +used to specify a button-type from which to inherit other properties; +see @ref{Button Types}. Any properties not explicitly specified +during creation will be inherited from the button's type (if the type +defines such a property). + + The following functions add a button using an overlay +(@pxref{Overlays}) to hold the button properties: + +@defun make-button beg end &rest properties +This makes a button from @var{beg} to @var{end} in the +current buffer, and returns it. +@end defun + +@defun insert-button label &rest properties +This insert a button with the label @var{label} at point, +and returns it. +@end defun + + The following functions are similar, but use Emacs text properties +(@pxref{Text Properties}) to hold the button properties, making the +button actually part of the text instead of being a property of the +buffer. Buttons using text properties do not create markers into the +buffer, which is important for speed when you use extremely large +numbers of buttons. Both functions return the position of the start +of the new button: + +@defun make-text-button beg end &rest properties +This makes a button from @var{beg} to @var{end} in the current buffer, using +text properties. +@end defun + +@defun insert-text-button label &rest properties +This inserts a button with the label @var{label} at point, using text +properties. +@end defun + +@node Manipulating Buttons +@subsection Manipulating Buttons +@cindex manipulating buttons + +These are functions for getting and setting properties of buttons. +Often these are used by a button's invocation function to determine +what to do. + +Where a @var{button} parameter is specified, it means an object +referring to a specific button, either an overlay (for overlay +buttons), or a buffer-position or marker (for text property buttons). +Such an object is passed as the first argument to a button's +invocation function when it is invoked. + +@defun button-start button +Return the position at which @var{button} starts. +@end defun + +@defun button-end button +Return the position at which @var{button} ends. +@end defun + +@defun button-get button prop +Get the property of button @var{button} named @var{prop}. +@end defun + +@defun button-put button prop val +Set @var{button}'s @var{prop} property to @var{val}. +@end defun + +@defun button-activate button &optional use-mouse-action +Call @var{button}'s @code{action} property (i.e., invoke it). If +@var{use-mouse-action} is non-@code{nil}, try to invoke the button's +@code{mouse-action} property instead of @code{action}; if the button +has no @code{mouse-action} property, use @code{action} as normal. +@end defun + +@defun button-label button +Return @var{button}'s text label. +@end defun + +@defun button-type button +Return @var{button}'s button-type. +@end defun + +@defun button-has-type-p button type +Return @code{t} if @var{button} has button-type @var{type}, or one of +@var{type}'s subtypes. +@end defun + +@defun button-at pos +Return the button at position @var{pos} in the current buffer, or @code{nil}. +@end defun + +@defun button-type-put type prop val +Set the button-type @var{type}'s @var{prop} property to @var{val}. +@end defun + +@defun button-type-get type prop +Get the property of button-type @var{type} named @var{prop}. +@end defun + +@defun button-type-subtype-p type supertype +Return @code{t} if button-type @var{type} is a subtype of @var{supertype}. +@end defun + +@node Button Buffer Commands +@subsection Button Buffer Commands +@cindex button buffer commands + +These are commands and functions for locating and operating on +buttons in an Emacs buffer. + +@code{push-button} is the command that a user uses to actually `push' +a button, and is bound by default in the button itself to @key{RET} +and to @key{mouse-2} using a region-specific keymap. Commands +that are useful outside the buttons itself, such as +@code{forward-button} and @code{backward-button} are additionally +available in the keymap stored in @code{button-buffer-map}; a mode +which uses buttons may want to use @code{button-buffer-map} as a +parent keymap for its keymap. + +If the button has a non-@code{nil} @code{follow-link} property, and +@var{mouse-1-click-follows-link} is set, a quick @key{Mouse-1} click +will also activate the @code{push-button} command. +@xref{Links and Mouse-1}. + +@deffn Command push-button &optional pos use-mouse-action +Perform the action specified by a button at location @var{pos}. +@var{pos} may be either a buffer position or a mouse-event. If +@var{use-mouse-action} is non-@code{nil}, or @var{pos} is a +mouse-event (@pxref{Mouse Events}), try to invoke the button's +@code{mouse-action} property instead of @code{action}; if the button +has no @code{mouse-action} property, use @code{action} as normal. +@var{pos} defaults to point, except when @code{push-button} is invoked +interactively as the result of a mouse-event, in which case, the mouse +event's position is used. If there's no button at @var{pos}, do +nothing and return @code{nil}, otherwise return @code{t}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command forward-button n &optional wrap display-message +Move to the @var{n}th next button, or @var{n}th previous button if +@var{n} is negative. If @var{n} is zero, move to the start of any +button at point. If @var{wrap} is non-@code{nil}, moving past either +end of the buffer continues from the other end. If +@var{display-message} is non-@code{nil}, the button's help-echo string +is displayed. Any button with a non-@code{nil} @code{skip} property +is skipped over. Returns the button found. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command backward-button n &optional wrap display-message +Move to the @var{n}th previous button, or @var{n}th next button if +@var{n} is negative. If @var{n} is zero, move to the start of any +button at point. If @var{wrap} is non-@code{nil}, moving past either +end of the buffer continues from the other end. If +@var{display-message} is non-@code{nil}, the button's help-echo string +is displayed. Any button with a non-@code{nil} @code{skip} property +is skipped over. Returns the button found. +@end deffn + +@defun next-button pos &optional count-current +@defunx previous-button pos &optional count-current +Return the next button after (for @code{next-button} or before (for +@code{previous-button}) position @var{pos} in the current buffer. If +@var{count-current} is non-@code{nil}, count any button at @var{pos} +in the search, instead of starting at the next button. +@end defun + +@node Abstract Display +@section Abstract Display +@cindex ewoc +@cindex display, abstract +@cindex display, arbitrary objects +@cindex model/view/controller +@cindex view part, model/view/controller + + The Ewoc package constructs buffer text that represents a structure +of Lisp objects, and updates the text to follow changes in that +structure. This is like the ``view'' component in the +``model/view/controller'' design paradigm. + + An @dfn{ewoc} is a structure that organizes information required to +construct buffer text that represents certain Lisp data. The buffer +text of the ewoc has three parts, in order: first, fixed @dfn{header} +text; next, textual descriptions of a series of data elements (Lisp +objects that you specify); and last, fixed @dfn{footer} text. +Specifically, an ewoc contains information on: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +The buffer which its text is generated in. + +@item +The text's start position in the buffer. + +@item +The header and footer strings. + +@item +A doubly-linked chain of @dfn{nodes}, each of which contains: + +@itemize +@item +A @dfn{data element}, a single Lisp object. + +@item +Links to the preceding and following nodes in the chain. +@end itemize + +@item +A @dfn{pretty-printer} function which is responsible for +inserting the textual representation of a data +element value into the current buffer. +@end itemize + + Typically, you define an ewoc with @code{ewoc-create}, and then pass +the resulting ewoc structure to other functions in the Ewoc package to +build nodes within it, and display it in the buffer. Once it is +displayed in the buffer, other functions determine the correspondance +between buffer positions and nodes, move point from one node's textual +representation to another, and so forth. @xref{Abstract Display +Functions}. + + A node @dfn{encapsulates} a data element much the way a variable +holds a value. Normally, encapsulation occurs as a part of adding a +node to the ewoc. You can retrieve the data element value and place a +new value in its place, like so: + +@lisp +(ewoc-data @var{node}) +@result{} value + +(ewoc-set-data @var{node} @var{new-value}) +@result{} @var{new-value} +@end lisp + +@noindent +You can also use, as the data element value, a Lisp object (list or +vector) that is a container for the ``real'' value, or an index into +some other structure. The example (@pxref{Abstract Display Example}) +uses the latter approach. + + When the data changes, you will want to update the text in the +buffer. You can update all nodes by calling @code{ewoc-refresh}, or +just specific nodes using @code{ewoc-invalidate}, or all nodes +satisfying a predicate using @code{ewoc-map}. Alternatively, you can +delete invalid nodes using @code{ewoc-delete} or @code{ewoc-filter}, +and add new nodes in their place. Deleting a node from an ewoc deletes +its associated textual description from buffer, as well. + +@menu +* Abstract Display Functions:: +* Abstract Display Example:: +@end menu + +@node Abstract Display Functions +@subsection Abstract Display Functions + + In this subsection, @var{ewoc} and @var{node} stand for the +structures described above (@pxref{Abstract Display}), while +@var{data} stands for an arbitrary Lisp object used as a data element. + +@defun ewoc-create pretty-printer &optional header footer nosep +This constructs and returns a new ewoc, with no nodes (and thus no data +elements). @var{pretty-printer} should be a function that takes one +argument, a data element of the sort you plan to use in this ewoc, and +inserts its textual description at point using @code{insert} (and never +@code{insert-before-markers}, because that would interfere with the +Ewoc package's internal mechanisms). + +Normally, a newline is automatically inserted after the header, +the footer and every node's textual description. If @var{nosep} +is non-@code{nil}, no newline is inserted. This may be useful for +displaying an entire ewoc on a single line, for example, or for +making nodes ``invisible'' by arranging for @var{pretty-printer} +to do nothing for those nodes. + +An ewoc maintains its text in the buffer that is current when +you create it, so switch to the intended buffer before calling +@code{ewoc-create}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-buffer ewoc +This returns the buffer where @var{ewoc} maintains its text. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-get-hf ewoc +This returns a cons cell @code{(@var{header} . @var{footer})} +made from @var{ewoc}'s header and footer. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-set-hf ewoc header footer +This sets the header and footer of @var{ewoc} to the strings +@var{header} and @var{footer}, respectively. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-enter-first ewoc data +@defunx ewoc-enter-last ewoc data +These add a new node encapsulating @var{data}, putting it, respectively, +at the beginning or end of @var{ewoc}'s chain of nodes. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-enter-before ewoc node data +@defunx ewoc-enter-after ewoc node data +These add a new node encapsulating @var{data}, adding it to +@var{ewoc} before or after @var{node}, respectively. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-prev ewoc node +@defunx ewoc-next ewoc node +These return, respectively, the previous node and the next node of @var{node} +in @var{ewoc}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-nth ewoc n +This returns the node in @var{ewoc} found at zero-based index @var{n}. +A negative @var{n} means count from the end. @code{ewoc-nth} returns +@code{nil} if @var{n} is out of range. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-data node +This extracts the data encapsulated by @var{node} and returns it. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-set-data node data +This sets the data encapsulated by @var{node} to @var{data}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-locate ewoc &optional pos guess +This determines the node in @var{ewoc} which contains point (or +@var{pos} if specified), and returns that node. If @var{ewoc} has no +nodes, it returns @code{nil}. If @var{pos} is before the first node, +it returns the first node; if @var{pos} is after the last node, it returns +the last node. The optional third arg @var{guess} +should be a node that is likely to be near @var{pos}; this doesn't +alter the result, but makes the function run faster. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-location node +This returns the start position of @var{node}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-goto-prev ewoc arg +@defunx ewoc-goto-next ewoc arg +These move point to the previous or next, respectively, @var{arg}th node +in @var{ewoc}. @code{ewoc-goto-prev} does not move if it is already at +the first node or if @var{ewoc} is empty, whereas @code{ewoc-goto-next} +moves past the last node, returning @code{nil}. Excepting this special +case, these functions return the node moved to. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-goto-node ewoc node +This moves point to the start of @var{node} in @var{ewoc}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-refresh ewoc +This function regenerates the text of @var{ewoc}. It works by +deleting the text between the header and the footer, i.e., all the +data elements' representations, and then calling the pretty-printer +function for each node, one by one, in order. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-invalidate ewoc &rest nodes +This is similar to @code{ewoc-refresh}, except that only @var{nodes} in +@var{ewoc} are updated instead of the entire set. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-delete ewoc &rest nodes +This deletes each node in @var{nodes} from @var{ewoc}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-filter ewoc predicate &rest args +This calls @var{predicate} for each data element in @var{ewoc} and +deletes those nodes for which @var{predicate} returns @code{nil}. +Any @var{args} are passed to @var{predicate}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-collect ewoc predicate &rest args +This calls @var{predicate} for each data element in @var{ewoc} +and returns a list of those elements for which @var{predicate} +returns non-@code{nil}. The elements in the list are ordered +as in the buffer. Any @var{args} are passed to @var{predicate}. +@end defun + +@defun ewoc-map map-function ewoc &rest args +This calls @var{map-function} for each data element in @var{ewoc} and +updates those nodes for which @var{map-function} returns non-@code{nil}. +Any @var{args} are passed to @var{map-function}. +@end defun + +@node Abstract Display Example +@subsection Abstract Display Example + + Here is a simple example using functions of the ewoc package to +implement a ``color components display,'' an area in a buffer that +represents a vector of three integers (itself representing a 24-bit RGB +value) in various ways. + +@example +(setq colorcomp-ewoc nil + colorcomp-data nil + colorcomp-mode-map nil + colorcomp-labels ["Red" "Green" "Blue"]) + +(defun colorcomp-pp (data) + (if data + (let ((comp (aref colorcomp-data data))) + (insert (aref colorcomp-labels data) "\t: #x" + (format "%02X" comp) " " + (make-string (ash comp -2) ?#) "\n")) + (let ((cstr (format "#%02X%02X%02X" + (aref colorcomp-data 0) + (aref colorcomp-data 1) + (aref colorcomp-data 2))) + (samp " (sample text) ")) + (insert "Color\t: " + (propertize samp 'face `(foreground-color . ,cstr)) + (propertize samp 'face `(background-color . ,cstr)) + "\n")))) + +(defun colorcomp (color) + "Allow fiddling with COLOR in a new buffer. +The buffer is in Color Components mode." + (interactive "sColor (name or #RGB or #RRGGBB): ") + (when (string= "" color) + (setq color "green")) + (unless (color-values color) + (error "No such color: %S" color)) + (switch-to-buffer + (generate-new-buffer (format "originally: %s" color))) + (kill-all-local-variables) + (setq major-mode 'colorcomp-mode + mode-name "Color Components") + (use-local-map colorcomp-mode-map) + (erase-buffer) + (buffer-disable-undo) + (let ((data (apply 'vector (mapcar (lambda (n) (ash n -8)) + (color-values color)))) + (ewoc (ewoc-create 'colorcomp-pp + "\nColor Components\n\n" + (substitute-command-keys + "\n\\@{colorcomp-mode-map@}")))) + (set (make-local-variable 'colorcomp-data) data) + (set (make-local-variable 'colorcomp-ewoc) ewoc) + (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 0) + (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 1) + (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 2) + (ewoc-enter-last ewoc nil))) +@end example + +@cindex controller part, model/view/controller + This example can be extended to be a ``color selection widget'' (in +other words, the controller part of the ``model/view/controller'' +design paradigm) by defining commands to modify @code{colorcomp-data} +and to ``finish'' the selection process, and a keymap to tie it all +together conveniently. + +@smallexample +(defun colorcomp-mod (index limit delta) + (let ((cur (aref colorcomp-data index))) + (unless (= limit cur) + (aset colorcomp-data index (+ cur delta))) + (ewoc-invalidate + colorcomp-ewoc + (ewoc-nth colorcomp-ewoc index) + (ewoc-nth colorcomp-ewoc -1)))) + +(defun colorcomp-R-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 0 255 1)) +(defun colorcomp-G-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 1 255 1)) +(defun colorcomp-B-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 2 255 1)) +(defun colorcomp-R-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 0 0 -1)) +(defun colorcomp-G-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 1 0 -1)) +(defun colorcomp-B-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 2 0 -1)) + +(defun colorcomp-copy-as-kill-and-exit () + "Copy the color components into the kill ring and kill the buffer. +The string is formatted #RRGGBB (hash followed by six hex digits)." + (interactive) + (kill-new (format "#%02X%02X%02X" + (aref colorcomp-data 0) + (aref colorcomp-data 1) + (aref colorcomp-data 2))) + (kill-buffer nil)) + +(setq colorcomp-mode-map + (let ((m (make-sparse-keymap))) + (suppress-keymap m) + (define-key m "i" 'colorcomp-R-less) + (define-key m "o" 'colorcomp-R-more) + (define-key m "k" 'colorcomp-G-less) + (define-key m "l" 'colorcomp-G-more) + (define-key m "," 'colorcomp-B-less) + (define-key m "." 'colorcomp-B-more) + (define-key m " " 'colorcomp-copy-as-kill-and-exit) + m)) +@end smallexample + +Note that we never modify the data in each node, which is fixed when the +ewoc is created to be either @code{nil} or an index into the vector +@code{colorcomp-data}, the actual color components. + +@node Blinking +@section Blinking Parentheses +@cindex parenthesis matching +@cindex blinking parentheses +@cindex balancing parentheses + + This section describes the mechanism by which Emacs shows a matching +open parenthesis when the user inserts a close parenthesis. + +@defvar blink-paren-function +The value of this variable should be a function (of no arguments) to +be called whenever a character with close parenthesis syntax is inserted. +The value of @code{blink-paren-function} may be @code{nil}, in which +case nothing is done. +@end defvar + +@defopt blink-matching-paren +If this variable is @code{nil}, then @code{blink-matching-open} does +nothing. +@end defopt + +@defopt blink-matching-paren-distance +This variable specifies the maximum distance to scan for a matching +parenthesis before giving up. +@end defopt + +@defopt blink-matching-delay +This variable specifies the number of seconds for the cursor to remain +at the matching parenthesis. A fraction of a second often gives +good results, but the default is 1, which works on all systems. +@end defopt + +@deffn Command blink-matching-open +This function is the default value of @code{blink-paren-function}. It +assumes that point follows a character with close parenthesis syntax and +moves the cursor momentarily to the matching opening character. If that +character is not already on the screen, it displays the character's +context in the echo area. To avoid long delays, this function does not +search farther than @code{blink-matching-paren-distance} characters. + +Here is an example of calling this function explicitly. + +@smallexample +@group +(defun interactive-blink-matching-open () +@c Do not break this line! -- rms. +@c The first line of a doc string +@c must stand alone. + "Indicate momentarily the start of sexp before point." + (interactive) +@end group +@group + (let ((blink-matching-paren-distance + (buffer-size)) + (blink-matching-paren t)) + (blink-matching-open))) +@end group +@end smallexample +@end deffn + +@node Usual Display +@section Usual Display Conventions + + The usual display conventions define how to display each character +code. You can override these conventions by setting up a display table +(@pxref{Display Tables}). Here are the usual display conventions: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +Character codes 32 through 126 map to glyph codes 32 through 126. +Normally this means they display as themselves. + +@item +Character code 9 is a horizontal tab. It displays as whitespace +up to a position determined by @code{tab-width}. + +@item +Character code 10 is a newline. + +@item +All other codes in the range 0 through 31, and code 127, display in one +of two ways according to the value of @code{ctl-arrow}. If it is +non-@code{nil}, these codes map to sequences of two glyphs, where the +first glyph is the @acronym{ASCII} code for @samp{^}. (A display table can +specify a glyph to use instead of @samp{^}.) Otherwise, these codes map +just like the codes in the range 128 to 255. + +On MS-DOS terminals, Emacs arranges by default for the character code +127 to be mapped to the glyph code 127, which normally displays as an +empty polygon. This glyph is used to display non-@acronym{ASCII} characters +that the MS-DOS terminal doesn't support. @xref{MS-DOS and MULE,,, +emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. + +@item +Character codes 128 through 255 map to sequences of four glyphs, where +the first glyph is the @acronym{ASCII} code for @samp{\}, and the others are +digit characters representing the character code in octal. (A display +table can specify a glyph to use instead of @samp{\}.) + +@item +Multibyte character codes above 256 are displayed as themselves, or as a +question mark or empty box if the terminal cannot display that +character. +@end itemize + + The usual display conventions apply even when there is a display +table, for any character whose entry in the active display table is +@code{nil}. Thus, when you set up a display table, you need only +specify the characters for which you want special behavior. + + These display rules apply to carriage return (character code 13), when +it appears in the buffer. But that character may not appear in the +buffer where you expect it, if it was eliminated as part of end-of-line +conversion (@pxref{Coding System Basics}). + + These variables affect the way certain characters are displayed on the +screen. Since they change the number of columns the characters occupy, +they also affect the indentation functions. These variables also affect +how the mode line is displayed; if you want to force redisplay of the +mode line using the new values, call the function +@code{force-mode-line-update} (@pxref{Mode Line Format}). + +@defopt ctl-arrow +@cindex control characters in display +This buffer-local variable controls how control characters are +displayed. If it is non-@code{nil}, they are displayed as a caret +followed by the character: @samp{^A}. If it is @code{nil}, they are +displayed as a backslash followed by three octal digits: @samp{\001}. +@end defopt + +@c Following may have overfull hbox. +@defvar default-ctl-arrow +The value of this variable is the default value for @code{ctl-arrow} in +buffers that do not override it. @xref{Default Value}. +@end defvar + +@defopt tab-width +The value of this buffer-local variable is the spacing between tab +stops used for displaying tab characters in Emacs buffers. The value +is in units of columns, and the default is 8. Note that this feature +is completely independent of the user-settable tab stops used by the +command @code{tab-to-tab-stop}. @xref{Indent Tabs}. +@end defopt + +@node Display Tables +@section Display Tables + +@cindex display table +You can use the @dfn{display table} feature to control how all possible +character codes display on the screen. This is useful for displaying +European languages that have letters not in the @acronym{ASCII} character +set. + +The display table maps each character code into a sequence of +@dfn{glyphs}, each glyph being a graphic that takes up one character +position on the screen. You can also define how to display each glyph +on your terminal, using the @dfn{glyph table}. + +Display tables affect how the mode line is displayed; if you want to +force redisplay of the mode line using a new display table, call +@code{force-mode-line-update} (@pxref{Mode Line Format}). + +@menu +* Display Table Format:: What a display table consists of. +* Active Display Table:: How Emacs selects a display table to use. +* Glyphs:: How to define a glyph, and what glyphs mean. +@end menu + +@node Display Table Format +@subsection Display Table Format + + A display table is actually a char-table (@pxref{Char-Tables}) with +@code{display-table} as its subtype. + +@defun make-display-table +This creates and returns a display table. The table initially has +@code{nil} in all elements. +@end defun + + The ordinary elements of the display table are indexed by character +codes; the element at index @var{c} says how to display the character +code @var{c}. The value should be @code{nil} or a vector of the +glyphs to be output (@pxref{Glyphs}). @code{nil} says to display the +character @var{c} according to the usual display conventions +(@pxref{Usual Display}). + + @strong{Warning:} if you use the display table to change the display +of newline characters, the whole buffer will be displayed as one long +``line.'' + + The display table also has six ``extra slots'' which serve special +purposes. Here is a table of their meanings; @code{nil} in any slot +means to use the default for that slot, as stated below. + +@table @asis +@item 0 +The glyph for the end of a truncated screen line (the default for this +is @samp{$}). @xref{Glyphs}. On graphical terminals, Emacs uses +arrows in the fringes to indicate truncation, so the display table has +no effect. + +@item 1 +The glyph for the end of a continued line (the default is @samp{\}). +On graphical terminals, Emacs uses curved arrows in the fringes to +indicate continuation, so the display table has no effect. + +@item 2 +The glyph for indicating a character displayed as an octal character +code (the default is @samp{\}). + +@item 3 +The glyph for indicating a control character (the default is @samp{^}). + +@item 4 +A vector of glyphs for indicating the presence of invisible lines (the +default is @samp{...}). @xref{Selective Display}. + +@item 5 +The glyph used to draw the border between side-by-side windows (the +default is @samp{|}). @xref{Splitting Windows}. This takes effect only +when there are no scroll bars; if scroll bars are supported and in use, +a scroll bar separates the two windows. +@end table + + For example, here is how to construct a display table that mimics the +effect of setting @code{ctl-arrow} to a non-@code{nil} value: + +@example +(setq disptab (make-display-table)) +(let ((i 0)) + (while (< i 32) + (or (= i ?\t) (= i ?\n) + (aset disptab i (vector ?^ (+ i 64)))) + (setq i (1+ i))) + (aset disptab 127 (vector ?^ ??))) +@end example + +@defun display-table-slot display-table slot +This function returns the value of the extra slot @var{slot} of +@var{display-table}. The argument @var{slot} may be a number from 0 to +5 inclusive, or a slot name (symbol). Valid symbols are +@code{truncation}, @code{wrap}, @code{escape}, @code{control}, +@code{selective-display}, and @code{vertical-border}. +@end defun + +@defun set-display-table-slot display-table slot value +This function stores @var{value} in the extra slot @var{slot} of +@var{display-table}. The argument @var{slot} may be a number from 0 to +5 inclusive, or a slot name (symbol). Valid symbols are +@code{truncation}, @code{wrap}, @code{escape}, @code{control}, +@code{selective-display}, and @code{vertical-border}. +@end defun + +@defun describe-display-table display-table +This function displays a description of the display table +@var{display-table} in a help buffer. +@end defun + +@deffn Command describe-current-display-table +This command displays a description of the current display table in a +help buffer. +@end deffn + +@node Active Display Table +@subsection Active Display Table +@cindex active display table + + Each window can specify a display table, and so can each buffer. When +a buffer @var{b} is displayed in window @var{w}, display uses the +display table for window @var{w} if it has one; otherwise, the display +table for buffer @var{b} if it has one; otherwise, the standard display +table if any. The display table chosen is called the @dfn{active} +display table. + +@defun window-display-table &optional window +This function returns @var{window}'s display table, or @code{nil} +if @var{window} does not have an assigned display table. The default +for @var{window} is the selected window. +@end defun + +@defun set-window-display-table window table +This function sets the display table of @var{window} to @var{table}. +The argument @var{table} should be either a display table or +@code{nil}. +@end defun + +@defvar buffer-display-table +This variable is automatically buffer-local in all buffers; its value in +a particular buffer specifies the display table for that buffer. If it +is @code{nil}, that means the buffer does not have an assigned display +table. +@end defvar + +@defvar standard-display-table +This variable's value is the default display table, used whenever a +window has no display table and neither does the buffer displayed in +that window. This variable is @code{nil} by default. +@end defvar + + If there is no display table to use for a particular window---that is, +if the window specifies none, its buffer specifies none, and +@code{standard-display-table} is @code{nil}---then Emacs uses the usual +display conventions for all character codes in that window. @xref{Usual +Display}. + +A number of functions for changing the standard display table +are defined in the library @file{disp-table}. + +@node Glyphs +@subsection Glyphs + +@cindex glyph + A @dfn{glyph} is a generalization of a character; it stands for an +image that takes up a single character position on the screen. Normally +glyphs come from vectors in the display table (@pxref{Display Tables}). + + A glyph is represented in Lisp as a @dfn{glyph code}. A glyph code +can be @dfn{simple} or it can be defined by the @dfn{glyph table}. A +simple glyph code is just a way of specifying a character and a face +to output it in. @xref{Faces}. + + The following functions are used to manipulate simple glyph codes: + +@defun make-glyph-code char &optional face +This function returns a simple glyph code representing char @var{char} +with face @var{face}. +@end defun + +@defun glyph-char glyph +This function returns the character of simple glyph code @var{glyph}. +@end defun + +@defun glyph-face glyph +This function returns face of simple glyph code @var{glyph}, or +@code{nil} if @var{glyph} has the default face (face-id 0). +@end defun + + On character terminals, you can set up a @dfn{glyph table} to define +the meaning of glyph codes (represented as small integers). + +@defvar glyph-table +The value of this variable is the current glyph table. It should be +@code{nil} or a vector whose @var{g}th element defines glyph code +@var{g}. + +If a glyph code is greater than or equal to the length of the glyph +table, that code is automatically simple. If @code{glyph-table} is +@code{nil} then all glyph codes are simple. + +The glyph table is used only on character terminals. On graphical +displays, all glyph codes are simple. +@end defvar + + Here are the meaningful types of elements in the glyph table: + +@table @asis +@item @var{string} +Send the characters in @var{string} to the terminal to output +this glyph code. + +@item @var{code} +Define this glyph code as an alias for glyph code @var{code} created +by @code{make-glyph-code}. You can use such an alias to define a +small-numbered glyph code which specifies a character with a face. + +@item @code{nil} +This glyph code is simple. +@end table + +@defun create-glyph string +This function returns a newly-allocated glyph code which is set up to +display by sending @var{string} to the terminal. +@end defun + +@node Beeping +@section Beeping +@c @cindex beeping "beep" is adjacent +@cindex bell + + This section describes how to make Emacs ring the bell (or blink the +screen) to attract the user's attention. Be conservative about how +often you do this; frequent bells can become irritating. Also be +careful not to use just beeping when signaling an error is more +appropriate. (@xref{Errors}.) + +@defun ding &optional do-not-terminate +@cindex keyboard macro termination +This function beeps, or flashes the screen (see @code{visible-bell} below). +It also terminates any keyboard macro currently executing unless +@var{do-not-terminate} is non-@code{nil}. +@end defun + +@defun beep &optional do-not-terminate +This is a synonym for @code{ding}. +@end defun + +@defopt visible-bell +This variable determines whether Emacs should flash the screen to +represent a bell. Non-@code{nil} means yes, @code{nil} means no. This +is effective on graphical displays, and on text-only terminals +provided the terminal's Termcap entry defines the visible bell +capability (@samp{vb}). +@end defopt + +@defvar ring-bell-function +If this is non-@code{nil}, it specifies how Emacs should ``ring the +bell.'' Its value should be a function of no arguments. If this is +non-@code{nil}, it takes precedence over the @code{visible-bell} +variable. +@end defvar + +@node Window Systems +@section Window Systems + + Emacs works with several window systems, most notably the X Window +System. Both Emacs and X use the term ``window,'' but use it +differently. An Emacs frame is a single window as far as X is +concerned; the individual Emacs windows are not known to X at all. + +@defvar window-system +This variable tells Lisp programs what window system Emacs is running +under. The possible values are + +@table @code +@item x +@cindex X Window System +Emacs is displaying using X. +@item pc +Emacs is displaying using MS-DOS. +@item w32 +Emacs is displaying using Windows. +@item mac +Emacs is displaying using a Macintosh. +@item nil +Emacs is using a character-based terminal. +@end table +@end defvar + +@defvar window-setup-hook +This variable is a normal hook which Emacs runs after handling the +initialization files. Emacs runs this hook after it has completed +loading your init file, the default initialization file (if +any), and the terminal-specific Lisp code, and running the hook +@code{term-setup-hook}. + +This hook is used for internal purposes: setting up communication with +the window system, and creating the initial window. Users should not +interfere with it. +@end defvar + +@ignore + arch-tag: ffdf5714-7ecf-415b-9023-fbc6b409c2c6 +@end ignore