Mercurial > emacs
diff etc/OOOONEWS @ 25853:e96ffe544684
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| author | Dave Love <fx@gnu.org> |
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| date | Sun, 03 Oct 1999 12:39:42 +0000 |
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--- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/etc/OOOONEWS Sun Oct 03 12:39:42 1999 +0000 @@ -0,0 +1,1348 @@ +GNU Emacs NEWS -- history of user-visible changes. 26-Mar-1986 +Copyright (C) 1986 Richard M. Stallman. +See the end for copying conditions. + +For older news, see the file OOOOONEWS. + +Changes in Emacs 17 + +* Frustrated? + +Try M-x doctor. + +* Bored? + +Try M-x hanoi. + +* Brain-damaged? + +Try M-x yow. + +* Sun3, Tahoe, Apollo, HP9000s300, Celerity, NCR Tower 32, + Sequent, Stride, Encore, Plexus and AT&T 7300 machines supported. + +The Tahoe, Sun3, Sequent and Celerity use 4.2. In regard to the +Apollo, see the file APOLLO in this directory. NCR Tower32, +HP9000s300, Stride and Nu run forms of System V. System V rel 2 also +works on Vaxes now. See etc/MACHINES. + +* System V Unix supported, including subprocesses. + +It should be possible now to bring up Emacs on a machine running +mere unameliorated system V Unix with no major work; just possible bug +fixes. But you can expect to find a handful of those on any machine +that Emacs has not been run on before. + +* Berkeley 4.1 Unix supported. + +See etc/MACHINES. + +* Portable `alloca' provided. + +Emacs can now run on machines that do not and cannot support the library +subroutine `alloca' in the canonical fashion, using an `alloca' emulation +written in C. + +* On-line manual. + +Info now contains an Emacs manual, with essentially the same text +as in the printed manual. + +The manual can now be printed with a standard TeX. + +Nicely typeset and printed copies of the manual are available +from the Free Software Foundation. + +* Backup file version numbers. + +Emacs now supports version numbers in backup files. + +The first time you save a particular file in one editing session, +the old file is copied or renamed to serve as a backup file. +In the past, the name for the backup file was made by appending `~' +to the end of the original file name. + +Now the backup file name can instead be made by appending ".~NN~" to +the original file name, where NN stands for a numeric version. Each +time this is done, the new version number is one higher than the +highest previously used. + +Thus, the active, current file does not have a version number. +Only the backups have them. + +This feature is controlled by the variable `version-control'. If it +is `nil', as normally, then numbered backups are made only for files +that already have numbered backups. Backup names with just `~' are +used for files that have no numbered backups. + +If `version-control' is `never', then the backup file's name is +made with just `~' in any case. + +If `version-control' is not `nil' or `never', numbered backups are +made unconditionally. + +To prevent unlimited consumption of disk space, Emacs can delete +old backup versions automatically. Generally Emacs keeps the first +few backups and the latest few backups, deleting any in between. +This happens every time a new backup is made. The two variables that +control the deletion are `kept-old-versions' and `kept-new-versions'. +Their values are, respectively, the number of oldest backups to keep +and the number of newest ones to keep, each time a new backup is made. +The value of `kept-new-versions' includes the backup just created. +By default, both values are 2. + +If `trim-versions-without-asking' is non-`nil', the excess middle versions +are deleted without a murmur. If it is `nil', the default, then you +are asked whether the excess middle versions should really be deleted. + +Dired has a new command `.' which marks for deletion all but the latest +and oldest few of every numeric series of backups. `kept-old-versions' +controls the number of oldest versions to keep, and `dired-kept-versions' +controls the number of latest versions to keep. A numeric argument to +the `.' command, if positive, specifies the number of latest versions +to keep, overriding `dired-kept-versions'. A negative argument specifies +the number of oldest versions to keep, using minus the argument to override +`kept-old-versions'. + +* Immediate conflict detection. + +Emacs now locks the files it is modifying, so that if +you start to modify within Emacs a file that is being +modified in another Emacs, you get an immediate warning. + +The warning gives you three choices: +1. Give up, and do not make any changes. +2. Make changes anyway at your own risk. +3. Make changes anyway, and record yourself as + the person locking the file (instead of whoever + was previously recorded.) + +Just visiting a file does not lock it. It is locked +when you try to change the buffer that is visiting the file. +Saving the file unlocks it until you make another change. + +Locking is done by writing a lock file in a special designated +directory. If such a directory is not provided and told to +Emacs as part of configuring it for your machine, the lock feature +is turned off. + +* M-x recover-file. + +This command is used to get a file back from an auto-save +(after a system crash, for example). It takes a file name +as argument and visits that file, but gets the data from the +file's last auto save rather than from the file itself. + +* M-x normal-mode. + +This command resets the current buffer's major mode and local +variables to be as specified by the visit filename, the -*- line +and/or the Local Variables: block at the end of the buffer. +It is the same thing normally done when a file is first visited. + +* Echo area messages disappear shortly if minibuffer is in use. + +Any message in the echo area disappears after 2 seconds +if the minibuffer is active. This allows the minibuffer +to become visible again. + +* C-z on System V runs a subshell. + +On systems which do not allow programs to be suspended, the C-z command +forks a subshell that talks directly to the terminal, and then waits +for the subshell to exit. This gets almost the effect of suspending +in that you can run other programs and then return to Emacs. However, +you cannot log out from the subshell. + +* C-c is always a prefix character. + +Also, subcommands of C-c which are letters are always +reserved for the user. No standard Emacs major mode +defines any of them. + +* Picture mode C-c commands changed. + +The old C-c k command is now C-c C-w. +The old C-c y command is now C-c C-x. + +* Shell mode commands changed. + +All the special commands of Shell mode are now moved onto +the C-c prefix. Most are not changed aside from that. +Thus, the old Shell mode C-c command (kill current job) +is now C-c C-c; the old C-z (suspend current job) is now C-c C-z, +etc. + +The old C-x commands are now C-c commands. C-x C-k (kill output) +is now C-c C-o, and C-x C-v (show output) is now C-c C-r. + +The old M-= (copy previous input) command is now C-c C-y. + +* Shell mode recognizes aliases for `pushd', `popd' and `cd'. + +Shell mode now uses the variable `shell-pushd-regexp' as a +regular expression to recognize any command name that is +equivalent to a `pushd' command. By default it is set up +to recognize just `pushd' itself. If you use aliases for +`pushd', change the regexp to recognize them as well. + +There are also `shell-popd-regexp' to recognize commands +with the effect of a `popd', and `shell-cd-regexp' to recognize +commands with the effect of a `cd'. + +* "Exit" command in certain modes now C-c C-c. + +These include electric buffer menu mode, electric command history +mode, Info node edit mode, and Rmail edit mode. In all these +modes, the command to exit used to be just C-c. + +* Outline mode changes. + +Lines that are not heading lines are now called "body" lines. +The command `hide-text' is renamed to `hide-body'. +The key M-H is renamed to C-c C-h. +The key M-S is renamed to C-c C-s. +The key M-s is renamed to C-c C-i. + +Changes of line visibility are no longer undoable. As a result, +they no longer use up undo memory and no longer interfere with +undoing earlier commands. + +* Rmail changes. + +The s and q commands now both expunge deleted messages before saving; +use C-x C-s to save without expunging. + +The u command now undeletes the current message if it is deleted; +otherwise, it backs up as far as necessary to reach a deleted message, +and undeletes that one. The u command in the summary behaves likewise, +but considers only messages listed in the summary. The M-u command +has been eliminated. + +The o and C-o keys' meanings are interchanged. +o now outputs to an Rmail file, and C-o to a Unix mail file. + +The F command (rmail-find) is renamed to M-s (rmail-search). +Various new commands and features exist; see the Emacs manual. + +* Local bindings described first in describe-bindings. + +* [...], {...} now balance in Fundamental mode. + +* Nroff mode and TeX mode. + +The are two new major modes for editing nroff input and TeX input. +See the Emacs manual for full information. + +* New C indentation style variable `c-brace-imaginary-offset'. + +The value of `c-brace-imaginary-offset', normally zero, controls the +indentation of a statement inside a brace-group where the open-brace +is not the first thing on a line. The value says where the open-brace +is imagined to be, relative to the first nonblank character on the line. + +* Dired improvements. + +Dired now normally keeps the cursor at the beginning of the file name, +not at the beginning of the line. The most used motion commands are +redefined in Dired to position the cursor this way. + +`n' and `p' are now equivalent in dired to `C-n' and `C-p'. + +If any files to be deleted cannot be deleted, their names are +printed in an error message. + +If the `v' command is invoked on a file which is a directory, +dired is run on that directory. + +* `visit-tag-table' renamed `visit-tags-table'. + +This is so apropos of `tags' finds everything you need to +know about in connection with Tags. + +* `mh-e' library uses C-c as prefix. + +All the special commands of `mh-rmail' now are placed on a +C-c prefix rather than on the C-x prefix. This is for +consistency with other special modes with their own commands. + +* M-$ or `spell-word' checks word before point. + +It used to check the word after point. + +* Quitting during autoloading no longer causes trouble. + +Now, when a file is autoloaded, all function redefinitions +and `provide' calls are recorded and are undone if you quit +before the file is finished loading. + +As a result, it no longer happens that some of the entry points +which are normally autoloading have been defined already, but the +entire file is not really present to support them. + +* `else' can now be indented correctly in C mode. + +TAB in C mode now knows which `if' statement an `else' matches +up with, and can indent the `else' correctly under the `if', +even if the `if' contained such things as another `if' statement, +or a `while' or `for' statement, with no braces around it. + +* `batch-byte-compile' + +Runs byte-compile-file on the files specified on the command line. +All the rest of the command line arguments are taken as files to +compile (or, if directories, to do byte-recompile-directory on). +Must be used only with -batch, and kills emacs on completion. +Each file will be processed even if an error occurred previously. +For example, invoke `emacs -batch -f batch-byte-compile *.el'. + +* `-batch' changes. + +`-batch' now implies `-q': no init file is loaded by Emacs when +`-batch' is used. Also, no `term/TERMTYPE.el' file is loaded. Auto +saving is not done except in buffers in which it is explicitly +requested. Also, many echo-area printouts describing what is going on +are inhibited in batch mode, so that the only output you get is the +output you program specifically. + +One echo-area message that is not suppressed is the one that says +that a file is being loaded. That is because you can prevent this +message by passing `t' as the third argument to `load'. + +* Display of search string in incremental search. + +Now, when you type C-s or C-r to reuse the previous search +string, that search string is displayed immediately in the echo area. + +Three dots are displayed after the search string while search +is actually going on. + +* View commands. + +The commands C-x ], C-x [, C-x /, C-x j and C-x o are now +available inside `view-buffer' and `view-file', with their +normal meanings. + +* Full-width windows preferred. + +The ``other-window'' commands prefer other full width windows, +and will split only full width windows. + +* M-x rename-file can copy if necessary. + +When used between different file systems, since actual renaming does +not work, the old file will be copied and deleted. + +* Within C-x ESC, you can pick the command to repeat. + +While editing a previous command to be repeated, inside C-x ESC, +you can now use the commands M-p and M-n to pick an earlier or +later command to repeat. M-n picks the next earlier command +and M-p picks the next later one. The new command appears in +the minibuffer, and you can go ahead and edit it, and repeat it +when you exit the minibuffer. + +Using M-n or M-p within C-x ESC is like having used a different +numeric argument when you ran C-x ESC in the first place. + +The command you finally execute using C-x ESC is added to the +front of the command history, unless it is identical with the +first thing in the command history. + +* Use C-c C-c to exit from editing within Info. + +It used to be C-z for this. Somehow this use of C-z was +left out when all the others were moved. The intention is that +C-z should always suspend Emacs. + +* Default arg to C-x < and C-x > now window width minus 2. + +These commands, which scroll the current window horizontally +by a specified number of columns, now scroll a considerable +distance rather than a single column if used with no argument. + +* Auto Save Files Deleted. + +The default value of `delete-auto-save-files' is now `t', so that +when you save a file for real, its auto save file is deleted. + +* Rnews changes. + +The N, P and J keys in Rnews are renamed to M-n, M-p and M-j. +These keys move among newsgroups. + +The n and p keys for moving sequentially between news articles now +accept repeat count arguments, and the + and - keys, made redundant by +this change, are eliminated. + +The s command for outputting the current article to a file +is renamed as o, to be compatible with Rmail. + +* Sendmail changes. + +If you have a ~/.mailrc file, Emacs searches it for mailing address +aliases, and these aliases are expanded when you send mail in Emacs. + +Fcc fields can now be used in the headers in the *mail* buffer +to specify files in which copies of the message should be put. +The message is written into those files in Unix mail file format. +The message as sent does not contain any Fcc fields in its header. +You can use any number of Fcc fields, but only one file name in each one. +The variable `mail-archive-file-name', if non-`nil', can be a string +which is a file name; an Fcc to that file will be inserted in every +message when you begin to compose it. + +A new command C-c q now exists in Mail mode. It fills the +paragraphs of an old message that had been inserted with C-c y. + +When the *mail* buffer is put in Mail mode, text-mode-hook +is now run in addition to mail-mode-hook. text-mode-hook +is run first. + +The new variable `mail-header-separator' now specifies the string +to use on the line that goes between the headers and the message text. +By default it is still "--text follows this line--". + +* Command history truncated automatically. + +Just before each garbage collection, all but the last 30 elements +of the command history are discarded. + +Incompatible Lisp Programming Changes in Emacs 17 + +* `"e' no longer supported. + +This feature, which allowed Lisp functions to take arguments +that were not evaluated, has been eliminated, because it is +inescapably hard to make the compiler work properly with such +functions. + +You should use macros instead. A simple way to change any +code that uses `"e' is to replace + + (defun foo ("e x y z) ... + +with + + (defmacro foo (x y z) + (list 'foo-1 (list 'quote x) (list 'quote y) (list 'quote z))) + + (defun foo-1 (x y z) ... + +* Functions `region-to-string' and `region-around-match' removed. + +These functions were made for compatibility with Gosling Emacs, but it +turns out to be undesirable to use them in GNU Emacs because they use +the mark. They have been eliminated from Emacs proper, but are +present in mlsupport.el for the sake of converted mocklisp programs. + +If you were using `region-to-string', you should instead use +`buffer-substring'; then you can pass the bounds as arguments and +can avoid setting the mark. + +If you were using `region-around-match', you can use instead +the two functions `match-beginning' and `match-end'. These give +you one bound at a time, as a numeric value, without changing +point or the mark. + +* Function `function-type' removed. + +This just appeared not to be very useful. It can easily be written in +Lisp if you happen to want it. Just use `symbol-function' to get the +function definition of a symbol, and look at its data type or its car +if it is a list. + +* Variable `buffer-number' removed. + +You can still use the function `buffer-number' to find out +a buffer's unique number (assigned in order of creation). + +* Variable `executing-macro' renamed `executing-kbd-macro'. + +This variable is the currently executing keyboard macro, as +a string, or `nil' when no keyboard macro is being executed. + +* Loading term/$TERM. + +The library term/$TERM (where $TERM get replaced by your terminal +type), which is done by Emacs automatically when it starts up, now +happens after the user's .emacs file is loaded. + +In previous versions of Emacs, these files had names of the form +term-$TERM; thus, for example, term-vt100.el, but now they live +in a special subdirectory named term, and have names like +term/vt100.el. + +* `command-history' format changed. + +The elements of this list are now Lisp expressions which can +be evaluated directly to repeat a command. + +* Unused editing commands removed. + +The functions `forward-to-word', `backward-to-word', +`upcase-char', `mark-beginning-of-buffer' and `mark-end-of-buffer' +have been removed. Their definitions can be found in file +lisp/unused.el if you need them. + +Upward Compatible Lisp Programming Changes in Emacs 17 + +* You can now continue after errors and quits. + +When the debugger is entered because of a C-g, due to +a non-`nil' value of `debug-on-quit', the `c' command in the debugger +resumes execution of the code that was running when the quit happened. +Use the `q' command to go ahead and quit. + +The same applies to some kinds of errors, but not all. Errors +signaled with the Lisp function `signal' can be continued; the `c' +command causes `signal' to return. The `r' command causes `signal' to +return the value you specify. The `c' command is equivalent to `r' +with the value `nil'. + +For a `wrong-type-argument' error, the value returned with the `r' +command is used in place of the invalid argument. If this new value +is not valid, another error occurs. + +Errors signaled with the function `error' cannot be continued. +If you try to continue, the error just happens again. + +* `dot' renamed `point'. + +The word `dot' has been replaced with `point' in all +function and variable names, including: + + point, point-min, point-max, + point-marker, point-min-marker, point-max-marker, + window-point, set-window-point, + point-to-register, register-to-point, + exchange-point-and-mark. + +The old names are still supported, for now. + +* `string-match' records position of end of match. + +After a successful call to `string-match', `(match-end 0)' will +return the index in the string of the first character after the match. +Also, `match-begin' and `match-end' with nonzero arguments can be +used to find the indices of beginnings and ends of substrings matched +by subpatterns surrounded by parentheses. + +* New function `insert-before-markers'. + +This function is just like `insert' except in the handling of any +relocatable markers that are located at the point of insertion. +With `insert', such markers end up pointing before the inserted text. +With `insert-before-markers', they end up pointing after the inserted +text. + +* New function `copy-alist'. + +This function takes one argument, a list, and makes a disjoint copy +of the alist structure. The list itself is copied, and each element +that is a cons cell is copied, but the cars and cdrs of elements +remain shared with the original argument. + +This is what it takes to get two alists disjoint enough that changes +in one do not change the result of `assq' on the other. + +* New function `copy-keymap'. + +This function takes a keymap as argument and returns a new keymap +containing initially the same bindings. Rebindings in either one of +them will not alter the bindings in the other. + +* New function `copy-syntax-table'. + +This function takes a syntax table as argument and returns a new +syntax table containing initially the same syntax settings. Changes +in either one of them will not alter the other. + +* Randomizing the random numbers. + +`(random t)' causes the random number generator's seed to be set +based on the current time and Emacs's process id. + +* Third argument to `modify-syntax-entry'. + +The optional third argument to `modify-syntax-entry', if specified +should be a syntax table. The modification is made in that syntax table +rather than in the current syntax table. + +* New function `run-hooks'. + +This function takes any number of symbols as arguments. +It processes the symbols in order. For each symbol which +has a value (as a variable) that is non-nil, the value is +called as a function, with no arguments. + +This is useful in major mode commands. + +* Second arg to `switch-to-buffer'. + +If this function is given a non-`nil' second argument, then the +selection being done is not recorded on the selection history. +The buffer's position in the history remains unchanged. This +feature is used by the view commands, so that the selection history +after exiting from viewing is the same as it was before. + +* Second arg to `display-buffer' and `pop-to-buffer'. + +These two functions both accept an optional second argument which +defaults to `nil'. If the argument is not `nil', it means that +another window (not the selected one) must be found or created to +display the specified buffer in, even if it is already shown in +the selected window. + +This feature is used by `switch-to-buffer-other-window'. + +* New variable `completion-ignore-case'. + +If this variable is non-`nil', completion allows strings +in different cases to be considered matching. The global value +is `nil' + +This variable exists for the sake of commands that are completing +an argument in which case is not significant. It is possible +to change the value globally, but you might not like the consequences +in the many situations (buffer names, command names, file names) +where case makes a difference. + +* Major modes related to Text mode call text-mode-hook, then their own hooks. + +For example, turning on Outline mode first calls the value of +`text-mode-hook' as a function, if it exists and is non-`nil', +and then does likewise for the variable `outline-mode-hook'. + +* Defining new command line switches. + +You can define a new command line switch in your .emacs file +by putting elements on the value of `command-switch-alist'. +Each element of this list should look like + (SWITCHSTRING . FUNCTION) +where SWITCHSTRING is a string containing the switch to be +defined, such as "-foo", and FUNCTION is a function to be called +if such an argument is found in the command line. FUNCTION +receives the command line argument, a string, as its argument. + +To implement a switch that uses up one or more following arguments, +use the fact that the remaining command line arguments are kept +as a list in the variable `command-line-args'. FUNCTION can +examine this variable, and do + (setq command-line-args (cdr command-line-args) +to "use up" an argument. + +* New variable `load-in-progress'. + +This variable is non-`nil' when a file of Lisp code is being read +and executed by `load'. + +* New variable `print-length'. + +The value of this variable is normally `nil'. It may instead be +a number; in that case, when a list is printed by `prin1' or +`princ' only that many initial elements are printed; the rest are +replaced by `...'. + +* New variable `find-file-not-found-hook'. + +If `find-file' or any of its variants is used on a nonexistent file, +the value of `find-file-not-found-hook' is called (if it is not `nil') +with no arguments, after creating an empty buffer. The file's name +can be found as the value of `buffer-file-name'. + +* Processes without buffers. + +In the function `start-process', you can now specify `nil' as +the process's buffer. You can also set a process's buffer to `nil' +using `set-process-buffer'. + +The reason you might want to do this is to prevent the process +from being killed because any particular buffer is killed. +When a process has a buffer, killing that buffer kills the +process too. + +When a process has no buffer, its output is lost unless it has a +filter, and no indication of its being stopped or killed is given +unless it has a sentinel. + +* New function `user-variable-p'. `v' arg prompting changed. + +This function takes a symbol as argument and returns `t' if +the symbol is defined as a user option variable. This means +that it has a `variable-documentation' property whose value is +a string starting with `*'. + +Code `v' in an interactive arg reading string now accepts +user variables only, and completion is limited to the space of +user variables. + +The function `read-variable' also now accepts and completes +over user variables only. + +* CBREAK mode input is the default in Unix 4.3 bsd. + +In Berkeley 4.3 Unix, there are sufficient features for Emacs to +work fully correctly using CBREAK mode and not using SIGIO. +Therefore, this mode is the default when running under 4.3. +This mode corresponds to `nil' as the first argument to +`set-input-mode'. You can still select either mode by calling +that function. + +* Information on memory usage. + +The new variable `data-bytes-used' contains the number +of bytes of impure space allocated in Emacs. +`data-bytes-free' contains the number of additional bytes +Emacs could allocate. Note that space formerly allocated +and freed again still counts as `used', since it is still +in Emacs's address space. + +* No limit on size of output from `format'. + +The string output from `format' used to be truncated to +100 characters in length. Now it can have any length. + +* New errors `void-variable' and `void-function' replace `void-symbol'. + +This change makes it possible to have error messages that +clearly distinguish undefined variables from undefined functions. +It also allows `condition-case' to handle one case without the other. + +* `replace-match' handling of `\'. + +In `replace-match', when the replacement is not literal, +`\' in the replacement string is always treated as an +escape marker. The only two special `\' constructs +are `\&' and `\DIGIT', so `\' followed by anything other than +`&' or a digit has no effect. `\\' is necessary to include +a `\' in the replacement text. + +This level of escaping is comparable with what goes on in +a regular expression. It is over and above the level of `\' +escaping that goes on when strings are read in Lisp syntax. + +* New error `invalid-regexp'. + +A regexp search signals this type of error if the argument does +not meet the rules for regexp syntax. + +* `kill-emacs' with argument. + +If the argument is a number, it is returned as the exit status code +of the Emacs process. If the argument is a string, its contents +are stuffed as pending terminal input, to be read by another program +after Emacs is dead. + +* New fifth argument to `subst-char-in-region'. + +This argument is optional and defaults to `nil'. If it is not `nil', +then the substitutions made by this function are not recorded +in the Undo mechanism. + +This feature should be used with great care. It is now used +by Outline mode to make lines visible or invisible. + +* ` *Backtrace*' buffer renamed to `*Backtrace*'. + +As a result, you can now reselect this buffer easily if you switch to +another while in the debugger. + +Exiting from the debugger kills the `*Backtrace*' buffer, so you will +not try to give commands in it when no longer really in the debugger. + +* New function `switch-to-buffer-other-window'. + +This is the new primitive to select a specified buffer (the +argument) in another window. It is not quite the same as +`pop-to-buffer', because it is guaranteed to create another +window (assuming there is room on the screen) so that it can +leave the current window's old buffer displayed as well. + +All functions to select a buffer in another window should +do so by calling this new function. + +* New variable `minibuffer-help-form'. + +At entry to the minibuffer, the variable `help-form' is bound +to the value of `minibuffer-help-form'. + +`help-form' is expected at all times to contain either `nil' +or an expression to be executed when C-h is typed (overriding +teh definition of C-h as a command). `minibuffer-help-form' +can be used to provide a different default way of handling +C-h while in the minibuffer. + +* New \{...} documentation construct. + +It is now possible to set up the documentation string for +a major mode in such a way that it always describes the contents +of the major mode's keymap, as it has been customized. +To do this, include in the documentation string the characters `\{' +followed by the name of the variable containing the keymap, +terminated with `}'. (The `\' at the beginning probably needs to +be quoted with a second `\', to include it in the doc string.) +This construct is normally used on a line by itself, with no blank +lines before or after. + +For example, the documentation string for the function `c-mode' contains + ... + Paragraphs are separated by blank lines only. + Delete converts tabs to spaces as it moves back. + \\{c-mode-map} + Variables controlling indentation style: + ... + +* New character syntax class "punctuation". + +Punctuation characters behave like whitespace in word and +list parsing, but can be distinguished in regexps and in the +function `char-syntax'. Punctuation syntax is represented by +a period in `modify-syntax-entry'. + +* `auto-mode-alist' no longer needs entries for backup-file names, + +Backup suffixes of all kinds are now stripped from a file's name +before searching `auto-mode-alist'. + +Changes in Emacs 16 + +* No special code for Ambassadors, VT-100's and Concept-100's. + +Emacs now controls these terminals based on the termcap entry, like +all other terminals. Formerly it did not refer to the termcap entries +for those terminal types, and often the termcap entries for those +terminals are wrong or inadequate. If you experience worse behavior +on these terminals than in version 15, you can probably correct it by +fixing up the termcap entry. See ./TERMS for more info. + +See ./TERMS in any case if you find that some terminal does not work +right with Emacs now. + +* Minibuffer default completion character is TAB (and not ESC). + +So that ESC can be used in minibuffer for more useful prefix commands. + +* C-z suspends Emacs in all modes. + +Formerly, C-z was redefined for other purposes by certain modes, +such as Buffer Menu mode. Now other keys are used for those purposes, +to keep the meaning of C-z uniform. + +* C-x ESC (repeat-complex-command) allows editing the command it repeats. + +Instead of asking for confirmation to re-execute a command from the +command history, the command is placed, in its Lisp form, into the +minibuffer for editing. You can confirm by typing RETURN, change some +arguments and then confirm, or abort with C-g. + +* Incremental search does less redisplay on slow terminals. + +If the terminal baud rate is <= the value of `isearch-slow-speed', +incremental searching outside the text on the screen creates +a single-line window and uses that to display the line on which +a match has been found. Exiting or quitting the search restores +the previous window configuration and redisplays the window you +were searching in. + +The initial value of `isearch-slow-speed' is 1200. + +This feature is courtesy of crl@purdue. + +* Recursive minibuffers not allowed. + +If the minibuffer window is selected, most commands that would +use the minibuffer gets an error instead. (Specific commands +may override this feature and therefore still be allowed.) + +Strictly speaking, recursive entry to the minibuffer is still +possible, because you can switch to another window after +entering the minibuffer, and then minibuffer-using commands +are allowed. This is still allowed by a deliberate decision: +if you know enough to switch windows while in the minibuffer, +you can probably understand recursive minibuffers. + +This may be overridden by binding the variable +`enable-recursive-minibuffers' to t. + +* New major mode Emacs-Lisp mode, for editing Lisp code to run in Emacs. + +The mode in which emacs lisp files is edited is now called emacs-lisp-mode +and is distinct from lisp-mode. The latter is intended for use with +lisps external to emacs. + +The hook which is funcalled (if non-nil) on entry to elisp-mode is now +called emacs-lisp-mode-hook. A consequence of this changes is that +.emacs init files which set the value of lisp-mode-hook may need to be +changed to use the new names. + +* Correct matching of parentheses is checked on insertion. + +When you insert a close-paren, the matching open-paren +is checked for validity. The close paren must be the kind +of close-paren that the open-paren says it should match. +Otherwise, a warning message is printed. close-paren immediately +preceded by quoting backslash syntax character is not matched. + +This feature was originally written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* M-x list-command-history +* M-x command-history-mode +* M-x electric-command-history + +`list-command-history' displays forms from the command history subject +to user controlled filtering and limit on number of forms. It leaves +the buffer in `command-history-mode'. M-x command-history-mode +recomputes the command history each time it is invoked via +`list-command-history'. It is like Emacs-Lisp mode except that characters +don't insert themselves and provision is made for re-evaluating an +expression from the list. `electric-command-history' pops up a type +out window with the command history displayed. If the very next +character is Space, the window goes away and the previous window +configuration is restored. Otherwise you can move around in the +history and select an expression for evaluation *inside* the buffer +which invoked `electric-command-history'. The original window +configuration is restored on exit unless the command selected changes +it. + +* M-x edit-picture + +Enters a temporary major mode (the previous major mode is remembered +and can is restored on exit) designed for editing pictures and tables. +Printing characters replace rather than insert themselves with motion +afterwards that is user controlled (you can specify any of the 8 +compass directions). Special commands for movement are provided. +Special commands for hacking tabs and tab stops are provided. Special +commands for killing rectangles and overlaying them are provided. See +the documentation of function edit-picture for more details. + +Calls value of `edit-picture-hook' on entry if non-nil. + +* Stupid C-s/C-q `flow control' supported. + +Do (set-input-mode nil t) to tell Emacs to use CBREAK mode and interpret +C-s and C-q as flow control commands. (set-input-mode t nil) switches +back to interrupt-driven input. (set-input-mode nil nil) uses CBREAK +mode but no `flow control'; this may make it easier to run Emacs under +certain debuggers that have trouble dealing with inferiors that use SIGIO. + +CBREAK mode has certain inherent disadvantages, which are why it is +not the default: + + Meta-keys are ignored; CBREAK mode discards the 8th bit of + input characters. + + Control-G as keyboard input discards buffered output, + and therefore can cause incorrect screen updating. + +The use of `flow control' has its own additional disadvantage: the +characters C-s and C-q are not available as editing commands. You can +partially compensate for this by setting up a keyboard-translate-table +(see file ONEWS) that maps two other characters (such as C-^ and C-\) into +C-s and C-q. Of course, C-^ and C-\ are commonly used as escape +characters in remote-terminal programs. You really can't win except +by getting rid of this sort of `flow control.' + +The configuration switch CBREAK_INPUT is now eliminated. +INTERRUPT_INPUT exists only to specify the default mode of operation; +#define it to make interrupt-driven input the default. + +* Completion of directory names provides a slash. + +If file name completion yields the name of a directory, +a slash is appended to it. + +* Undo can clear modified-flag. + +If you undo changes in a buffer back to a state in which the +buffer was not considered "modified", then it is labelled as +once again "unmodified". + +* M-x run-lisp. + +This command creates an inferior Lisp process whose input and output +appear in the Emacs buffer named `*lisp*'. That buffer uses a major mode +called inferior-lisp-mode, which has many of the commands of lisp-mode +and those of shell-mode. Calls the value of shell-mode-hook and +lisp-mode-hook, in that order, if non-nil. + +Meanwhile, in lisp-mode, the command C-M-x is defined to +send the current defun as input to the `*lisp*' subprocess. + +* Mode line says `Narrow' when buffer is clipped. + +If a buffer has a clipping restriction (made by `narrow-to-region') +then its mode line contains the word `Narrow' after the major and +minor modes. + +* Mode line says `Abbrev' when abbrev mode is on. + +* add-change-log-entry takes prefix argument + +Giving a prefix argument makes it prompt for login name, full name, +and site name, with defaults. Otherwise the defaults are used +with no confirmation. + +* M-x view-buffer and M-x view-file + +view-buffer selects the named buffer, view-file finds the named file; the +resulting buffer is placed into view-mode (a recursive edit). The normal +emacs commands are not available. Instead a set of special commands is +provided which faclitate moving around in the buffer, searching and +scrolling by screenfuls. Exiting view-mode returns to the buffer in which +the view-file or view-buffer command was given. +Type ? or h when viewing for a complete list of view commands. +Each calls value of `view-hook' if non-nil on entry. + +written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* New key commands in dired. + +`v' views (like more) the file on the current line. +`#' marks auto-save files for deletion. +`~' marks backup files for deletion. +`r' renames a file and updates the directory listing if the +file is renamed to same directory. +`c' copies a file and updates the directory listing if the file is +copied to the same directory. + +* New function `electric-buffer-list'. + +This pops up a buffer describing the set of emacs buffers. +Immediately typing space makes the buffer list go away and returns +to the buffer and window which were previously selected. + +Otherwise one may use the c-p and c-n commands to move around in the +buffer-list buffer and type Space or C-z to select the buffer on the +cursor's line. There are a number of other commands which are the same +as those of buffer-menu-mode. + +This is a useful thing to bind to c-x c-b in your `.emacs' file if the +rather non-standard `electric' behaviour of the buffer list suits your taste. +Type C-h after invoking electric-buffer-list for more information. + +Calls value of `electric-buffer-menu-mode-hook' if non-nil on entry. +Calls value of `after-electric-buffer-menu' on exit (select) if non-nil. + +Changes in version 16 for mail reading and sending + +* sendmail prefix character is C-c (and not C-z). New command C-c w. + +For instance C-c C-c (or C-c C-s) sends mail now rather than C-z C-z. +C-c w inserts your `signature' (contents of ~/.signature) at the end +of mail. + +* New feature in C-c y command in sending mail. + +C-c y is the command to insert the message being replied to. +Normally it deletes most header fields and indents everything +by three spaces. + +Now, C-c y does not delete header fields or indent. +C-c y with any other numeric argument does delete most header +fields, but indents by the amount specified in the argument. + +* C-r command in Rmail edits current message. + +It does this by switching to a different major mode +which is nearly the same as Text mode. The only difference +between it and text mode are the two command C-c and C-]. +C-c is defined to switch back to Rmail mode, and C-] +is defined to restore the original contents of the message +and then switch back to Rmail mode. + +C-c and C-] are the only ways "back into Rmail", but you +can switch to other buffers and edit them as usual. +C-r in Rmail changes only the handling of the Rmail buffer. + +* Rmail command `t' toggles header display. + +Normally Rmail reformats messages to hide most header fields. +`t' switches to display of all the header fields of the +current message, as long as it remains current. +Another `t' switches back to the usual display. + +* Rmail command '>' goes to the last message. + +* Rmail commands `a' and `k' set message attributes. +`a' adds an attribute and `k' removes one. You specify +the attrbute by name. You can specify either a built-in +flag such as "deleted" or "filed", or a user-defined keyword +(anything not recognized as built-in). + +* Rmail commands `l' and `L' summarize by attributes. + +These commands create a summary with one line per message, +like `h', but they list only some of the messages. You +specify which attribute (for `l') or attributes (for `L') +the messages should have. + +* Rmail can parse mmdf mail files. + +* Interface to MH mail system. + +mh-e is a front end for GNU emacs and the MH mail system. It +provides a friendly and convient interface to the MH commands. + +To read mail, invoke mh-rmail. This will inc new mail and display the +scan listing on the screen. To see a summary of the mh-e commands, +type ?. Help is available through the usual facilities. + +To send mail, invoke mh-smail. + +mh-e requires a copy of MH.5 that has been compiled with the MHE +compiler switch. + +From larus@berkeley. + +New hooks and parameters in version 16 + +* New variable `blink-matching-paren-distance'. + +This is the maximum number of characters to search for +an open-paren to match an inserted close-paren. +The matching open-paren is shown and checked if it is found +within this distance. + +`nil' means search all the way to the beginning of the buffer. +In this case, a warning message is printed if no matching +open-paren is found. + +This feature was originally written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* New variable `find-file-run-dired' + +If nil, find-file will report an error if an attempt to visit a +directory is detected; otherwise, it runs dired on that directory. +The default is t. + +* Variable `dired-listing-switches' holds switches given to `ls' by dired. + +The value should be a string containing `-' followed by letters. +The letter `l' had better be included and letter 'F' had better be excluded! +The default is "-al". + +This feature was originally written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* New variable `display-time-day-and-date'. + +If this variable is set non-`nil', the function M-x display-time +displays the day and date, as well as the time. + +* New parameter `c-continued-statement-indent'. + +This controls the extra indentation given to a line +that continues a C statement started on the previous line. +By default it is 2, which is why you would see + + if (foo) + bar (); + + +* Changed meaning of `c-indent-level'. + +The value of `c-brace-offset' used to be +subtracted from the value of `c-indent-level' whenever +that value was used. Now it is not. + +As a result, `c-indent-level' is now the offset of +statements within a block, relative to the line containing +the open-brace that starts the block. + +* turn-on-auto-fill is useful value for text-mode-hook. + +(setq text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill) +is all you have to do to make sure Auto Fill mode is turned +on whenever you enter Text mode. + +* Parameter explicit-shell-file-name for M-x shell. + +This variable, if non-nil, specifies the file name to use +for the shell to run if you do M-x shell. + +Changes in version 16 affecting Lisp programming: + +* Documentation strings adapt to customization. + +Often the documentation string for a command wants to mention +another command. Simply stating the other command as a +character sequence has a disadvantage: if the user customizes +Emacs by moving that function to a different command, the +cross reference in the documentation becomes wrong. + +A new feature allows you to write the documentation string +using a function name, and the command to run that function +is looked up when the documentation is printed. + +If a documentation string contains `\[' (two characters) then +the following text, up to the next `]', is taken as a function name. +Instead of printing that function name, the command that runs it is printed. +(M-x is used to construct a command if no shorter one exists.) + +For example, instead of putting `C-n' in a documentation string +to refer to the C-n command, put in `\[next-line]'. (In practice +you will need to quote the backslash with another backslash, +due to the syntax for strings in Lisp and C.) + +To include the literal characters `\[' in a documentation string, +precede them with `\='. To include the characters `\=', precede +them with `\='. For example, "\\=\\= is the way to quote \\=\\[" +will come out as `\= is the way to quote \['. + +The new function `substitute-command-keys' takes a string possibly +contaning \[...] constructs and replaces those constructs with +the key sequences they currently stand for. + +* Primitives `find-line-comment' and `find-line-comment-body' flushed. + +Search for the value of `comment-start-skip' if you want to find +whether and where a line has a comment. + +* New function `auto-save-file-name-p' + +Should return non-`nil' iff given a string which is the name of an +auto-save file (sans directory name). If you redefine +`make-auto-save-file-name', you should redefine this accordingly. By +default, this function returns `t' for filenames beginning with +character `#'. + +* The value of `exec-directory' now ends in a slash. + +This is to be compatible with most directory names in GNU Emacs. + +* Dribble files and termscript files. + +(open-dribble-file FILE) opens a dribble file named FILE. When a +dribble file is open, every character Emacs reads from the terminal is +written to the dribble file. + +(open-termscript FILE) opens a termscript file named FILE. When a +termscript file is open, all characters sent to the terminal by Emacs +are also written in the termscript file. + +The two of these together are very useful for debugging Emacs problems +in redisplay. + +* Upper case command characters by default are same as lower case. + +If a character in a command is an upper case letter, and is not defined, +Emacs uses the definition of the corresponding lower case letter. +For example, if C-x U is not directly undefined, it is treated as +a synonym for C-x u (undo). + +* Undefined function errors versus undefined variable errors. + +Void-symbol errors now say "boundp" if the symbol's value was void +or "fboundp" if the function definition was void. + +* New function `bury-buffer'. + +The new function `bury-buffer' takes one argument, a buffer object, +and puts that buffer at the end of the internal list of buffers. +So it is the least preferred candidate for use as the default value +of C-x b, or for other-buffer to return. + +* Already-displayed buffers have low priority for display. + +When a buffer is chosen automatically for display, or to be the +default in C-x b, buffers already displayed in windows have lower +priority than buffers not currently visible. + +* `set-window-start' accepts a third argument NOFORCE. + +This argument, if non-nil, prevents the window's force_start flag +from being set. Setting the force_start flag causes the next +redisplay to insist on starting display at the specified starting +point, even if dot must be moved to get it onto the screen. + +* New function `send-string-to-terminal'. + +This function takes one argument, a string, and outputs its contents +to the terminal exactly as specified: control characters, escape +sequences, and all. + +* Keypad put in command mode. + +The terminal's keypad is now put into command mode, as opposed to +numeric mode, while Emacs is running. This is done by means of the +termcap `ks' and `ke' strings. + +* New function `generate-new-buffer' + +This function takes a string as an argument NAME and looks for a +creates and returns a buffer called NAME if one did not already exist. +Otherwise, it successively tries appending suffixes of the form "<1>", +"<2>" etc to NAME until it creates a string which does not name an +existing buffer. A new buffer with that name is the created and returned. + +* New function `prin1-to-string' +This function takes one argument, a lisp object, and returns a string +containing that object's printed representation, such as `prin1' +would output. + +* New function `read-from-minibuffer' +Lets you supply a prompt, initial-contents, a keymap, and specify +whether the result should be interpreted as a string or a lisp object. + +Old functions `read-minibuffer', `eval-minibuffer', `read-string' all +take second optional string argument which is initial contents of +minibuffer. + +* minibuffer variable names changed (names of keymaps) + +minibuf-local-map -> minibuffer-local-map +minibuf-local-ns-map -> minibuffer-local-ns-map +minibuf-local-completion-map -> minibuffer-local-completion-map +minibuf-local-must-match-map -> minibuffer-local-must-match-map + +Changes in version 16 affecting configuring and building Emacs + +* Configuration switch VT100_INVERSE eliminated. + +You can control the use of inverse video on any terminal by setting +the variable `inverse-video', or by changing the termcap entry. If +you like, set `inverse-video' in your `.emacs' file based on +examination of (getenv "TERM"). + +* New switch `-batch' makes Emacs run noninteractively. + +If the switch `-batch' is used, Emacs treats its standard output +and input like ordinary files (even if they are a terminal). +It does not display buffers or windows; the only output to standard output +is what would appear as messages in the echo area, and each +message is followed by a newline. + +The terminal modes are not changed, so that C-z and C-c retain +their normal Unix meanings. Emacs does still read commands from +the terminal, but the idea of `-batch' is that you use it with +other command line arguments that tell Emacs a complete task to perform, +including killing itself. `-kill' used as the last argument is a good +way to accomplish this. + +The Lisp variable `noninteractive' is now defined, to be `nil' +except when `-batch' has been specified. + +* Emacs can be built with output redirected to a file. + +This is because -batch (see above) is now used in building Emacs. + +For older news, see the file OOOONEWS. + +---------------------------------------------------------------------- +Copyright information: + +Copyright (C) 1985 Richard M. Stallman + + Permission is granted to anyone to make or distribute verbatim copies + of this document as received, in any medium, provided that the + copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved, + thus giving the recipient permission to redistribute in turn. + + Permission is granted to distribute modified versions + of this document, or of portions of it, + under the above conditions, provided also that they + carry prominent notices stating who last changed them. + +Local variables: +mode: text +end: