Mercurial > emacs
diff etc/OOOOONEWS @ 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/OOOOONEWS Sun Oct 03 12:39:42 1999 +0000 @@ -0,0 +1,1165 @@ +Old GNU Emacs NEWS -- history of user-visible changes thru version 15. +Copyright (C) 1985 Richard M. Stallman. +See the end for copying conditions. + +Changes in Emacs 15 + +* Emacs now runs on Sun and Megatest 68000 systems; + also on at least one 16000 system running 4.2. + +* Emacs now alters the output-start and output-stop characters + to prevent C-s and C-q from being considered as flow control + by cretinous rlogin software in 4.2. + +* It is now possible convert Mocklisp code (for Gosling Emacs) to Lisp code + that can run in GNU Emacs. M-x convert-mocklisp-buffer + converts the contents of the current buffer from Mocklisp to + GNU Emacs Lisp. You should then save the converted buffer with C-x C-w + under a name ending in ".el" + + There are probably some Mocklisp constructs that are not handled. + If you encounter one, feel free to report the failure as a bug. + The construct will be handled in a future Emacs release, if that is not + not too hard to do. + + Note that lisp code converted from Mocklisp code will not necessarily + run as fast as code specifically written for GNU Emacs, nor will it use + the many features of GNU Emacs which are not present in Gosling's emacs. + (In particular, the byte-compiler (m-x byte-compile-file) knows little + about compilation of code directly converted from mocklisp.) + It is envisaged that old mocklisp code will be incrementally converted + to GNU lisp code, with M-x convert-mocklisp-buffer being the first + step in this process. + +* Control-x n (narrow-to-region) is now by default a disabled command. + + This means that, if you issue this command, it will ask whether + you really mean it. You have the opportunity to enable the + command permanently at that time, so you will not be asked again. + This will place the form "(put 'narrow-to-region 'disabled nil)" in your + .emacs file. + +* Tags now prompts for the tag table file name to use. + + All the tags commands ask for the tag table file name + if you have not yet specified one. + + Also, the command M-x visit-tag-table can now be used to + specify the tag table file name initially, or to switch + to a new tag table. + +* If truncate-partial-width-windows is non-nil (as it intially is), + all windows less than the full screen width (that is, + made by side-by-side splitting) truncate lines rather than continuing + them. + +* Emacs now checks for Lisp stack overflow to avoid fatal errors. + The depth in eval, apply and funcall may not exceed max-lisp-eval-depth. + The depth in variable bindings and unwind-protects may not exceed + max-specpdl-size. If either limit is exceeded, an error occurs. + You can set the limits to larger values if you wish, but if you make them + too large, you are vulnerable to a fatal error if you invoke + Lisp code that does infinite recursion. + +* New hooks find-file-hook and write-file-hook. + Both of these variables if non-nil should be functions of no arguments. + At the time they are called (current-buffer) will be the buffer being + read or written respectively. + + find-file-hook is called whenever a file is read into its own buffer, + such as by calling find-file, revert-buffer, etc. It is not called by + functions such as insert-file which do not read the file into a buffer of + its own. + find-file-hook is called after the file has been read in and its + local variables (if any) have been processed. + + write-file-hook is called just before writing out a file from a buffer. + +* The initial value of shell-prompt-pattern is now "^[^#$%>]*[#$%>] *" + +* If the .emacs file sets inhibit-startup-message to non-nil, + the messages normally printed by Emacs at startup time + are inhibited. + +* Facility for run-time conditionalization on the basis of emacs features. + + The new variable features is a list of symbols which represent "features" + of the executing emacs, for use in run-time conditionalization. + + The function featurep of one argument may be used to test for the + presence of a feature. It is just the same as + (not (null (memq FEATURE features))) where FEATURE is its argument. + For example, (if (featurep 'magic-window-hack) + (transmogrify-window 'vertical) + (split-window-vertically)) + + The function provide of one argument "announces" that FEATURE is present. + It is much the same as (if (not (featurep FEATURE)) + (setq features (cons FEATURE features))) + + The function require with arguments FEATURE and FILE-NAME loads FILE-NAME + (which should contain the form (provide FEATURE)) unless FEATURE is present. + It is much the same as (if (not (featurep FEATURE)) + (progn (load FILE-NAME) + (if (not featurep FEATURE) (error ...)))) + FILE-NAME is optional and defaults to FEATURE. + +* New function load-average. + + This returns a list of three integers, which are + the current 1 minute, 5 minute and 15 minute load averages, + each multiplied by a hundred (since normally they are floating + point numbers). + +* Per-terminal libraries loaded automatically. + + Emacs when starting up on terminal type T automatically loads + a library named term-T. T is the value of the TERM environment variable. + Thus, on terminal type vt100, Emacs would do (load "term-vt100" t t). + Such libraries are good places to set the character translation table. + + It is a bad idea to redefine lots of commands in a per-terminal library, + since this affects all users. Instead, define a command to do the + redefinitions and let the user's init file, which is loaded later, + call that command or not, as the user prefers. + +* Programmer's note: detecting killed buffers. + + Buffers are eliminated by explicitly killing them, using + the function kill-buffer. This does not eliminate or affect + the pointers to the buffer which may exist in list structure. + If you have a pointer to a buffer and wish to tell whether + the buffer has been killed, use the function buffer-name. + It returns nil on a killed buffer, and a string on a live buffer. + +* New ways to access the last command input character. + + The function last-key-struck, which used to return the last + input character that was read by command input, is eliminated. + Instead, you can find this information as the value of the + variable last-command-char. (This variable used to be called + last-key). + + Another new variable, last-input-char, holds the last character + read from the command input stream regardless of what it was + read for. last-input-char and last-command-char are different + only inside a command that has called read-char to read input. + +* The new switch -kill causes Emacs to exit after processing the + preceding command line arguments. Thus, + emacs -l lib data -e do-it -kill + means to load lib, find file data, call do-it on no arguments, + and then exit. + +* The config.h file has been modularized. + + Options that depend on the machine you are running on are defined + in a file whose name starts with "m-", such as m-vax.h. + Options that depend on the operating system software version you are + running on are defined in a file whose name starts with "s-", + such as s-bsd4.2.h. + + config.h includes one m- file and one s- file. It also defines a + few other options whose values do not follow from the machine type + and system type being used. Installers normally will have to + select the correct m- and s- files but will never have to change their + contents. + +* Termcap AL and DL strings are understood. + + If the termcap entry defines AL and DL strings, for insertion + and deletion of multiple lines in one blow, Emacs now uses them. + This matters most on certain bit map display terminals for which + scrolling is comparatively slow. + +* Bias against scrolling screen far on fast terminals. + + Emacs now prefers to redraw a few lines rather than + shift them a long distance on the screen, when the terminal is fast. + +* New major mode, mim-mode. + + This major mode is for editing MDL code. Perhaps a MDL + user can explain why it is not called mdl-mode. + You must load the library mim-mode explicitly to use this. + +* GNU documentation formatter `texinfo'. + + The `texinfo' library defines a format for documentation + files which can be passed through Tex to make a printed manual + or passed through texinfo to make an Info file. Texinfo is + documented fully by its own Info file; compare this file + with its source, texinfo.texinfo, for additional guidance. + + All documentation files for GNU utilities should be written + in texinfo input format. + + Tex processing of texinfo files requires the Botex macro package. + This is not ready for distribution yet, but will appear at + a later time. + +* New function read-from-string (emacs 15.29) + + read-from-string takes three arguments: a string to read from, + and optionally start and end indices which delimit a substring + from which to read. (They default to 0 and the length of the string, + respectively.) + + This function returns a cons cell whose car is the object produced + by reading from the string and whose cdr is a number giving the + index in the string of the first character not read. That index may + be passed as the second argument to a later call to read-from-string + to read the next form represented by the string. + + In addition, the function read now accepts a string as its argument. + In this case, it calls read-from-string on the whole string, and + returns the car of the result. (ie the actual object read.) + +Changes in Emacs 14 + +* Completion now prints various messages such as [Sole Completion] + or [Next Character Not Unique] to describe the results obtained. + These messages appear after the text in the minibuffer, and remain + on the screen until a few seconds go by or you type a key. + +* The buffer-read-only flag is implemented. + Setting or binding this per-buffer variable to a non-nil value + makes illegal any operation which would modify the textual content of + the buffer. (Such operations signal a buffer-read-only error) + The read-only state of a buffer may be altered using toggle-read-only + (C-x C-q) + The buffers used by Rmail, Dired, Rnews, and Info are now read-only + by default to prevent accidental damage to the information in those + buffers. + +* Functions car-safe and cdr-safe. + These functions are like car and cdr when the argument is a cons. + Given an argument not a cons, car-safe always returns nil, with + no error; the same for cdr-safe. + +* The new function user-real-login-name returns the name corresponding + to the real uid of the Emacs process. This is usually the same + as what user-login-name returns; however, when Emacs is invoked + from su, user-real-login-name returns "root" but user-login-name + returns the name of the user who invoked su. + +Changes in Emacs 13 + +* There is a new version numbering scheme. + + What used to be the first version number, which was 1, + has been discarded since it does not seem that I need three + levels of version number. + + However, a new third version number has been added to represent + changes by user sites. This number will always be zero in + Emacs when I distribute it; it will be incremented each time + Emacs is built at another site. + +* There is now a reader syntax for Meta characters: + \M-CHAR means CHAR or'ed with the Meta bit. For example: + + ?\M-x is (+ ?x 128) + ?\M-\n is (+ ?\n 128) + ?\M-\^f is (+ ?\^f 128) + + This syntax can be used in strings too. Note, however, that + Meta characters are not meaningful in key sequences being passed + to define-key or lookup-key; you must use ESC characters (\e) + in them instead. + + ?\C- can be used likewise for control characters. (13.9) + +* Installation change + The string "../lisp" now adds to the front of the load-path + used for searching for Lisp files during Emacs initialization. + It used to replace the path specified in paths.h entirely. + Now the directory ../lisp is searched first and the directoris + specified in paths.h are searched afterward. + +Changes in Emacs 1.12 + +* There is a new installation procedure. + See the file INSTALL that comes in the top level + directory in the tar file or tape. + +* The Meta key is now supported on terminals that have it. + This is a shift key which causes the high bit to be turned on + in all input characters typed while it is held down. + + read-char now returns a value in the range 128-255 if + a Meta character is typed. When interpreted as command + input, a Meta character is equivalent to a two character + sequence, the meta prefix character followed by the un-metized + character (Meta-G unmetized is G). + + The meta prefix character + is specified by the value of the variable meta-prefix-char. + If this character (normally Escape) has been redefined locally + with a non-prefix definition (such as happens in completing + minibuffers) then the local redefinition is suppressed when + the character is not the last one in a key sequence. + So the local redefinition is effective if you type the character + explicitly, but not effective if the character comes from + the use of the Meta key. + +* `-' is no longer a completion command in the minibuffer. + It is an ordinary self-inserting character. + +* The list load-path of directories load to search for Lisp files + is now controlled by the EMACSLOADPATH environment variable +[[ Note this was originally EMACS-LOAD-PATH and has been changed + again; sh does not deal properly with hyphens in env variable names]] + rather than the EPATH environment variable. This is to avoid + conflicts with other Emacses. + + While Emacs is being built initially, the load-path + is now just ("../lisp"), ignoring paths.h. It does not + ignore EMACSLOADPATH, however; you should avoid having + this variable set while building Emacs. + +* You can now specify a translation table for keyboard + input characters, as a way of exchanging or substituting + keys on the keyboard. + + If the value of keyboard-translate-table is a string, + every character received from the keyboard is used as an + index in that string, and the character at that index in + the string is used as input instead of what was actually + typed. If the actual input character is >= the length of + the string, it is used unchanged. + + One way this feature can be used is to fix bad keyboard + designes. For example, on some terminals, Delete is + Shift-Underscore. Since Delete is a more useful character + than Underscore, it is an improvement to make the unshifted + character Delete and the shifted one Underscore. This can + be done with + + ;; First make a translate table that does the identity translation. + (setq keyboard-translate-table (make-string 128 0)) + (let ((i 0)) + (while (< i 128) + (aset keyboard-translate-table i i) + (setq i (1+ i)))) + + ;; Now alter translations of some characters. + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\_ ?\^?) + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\^? ?\_) + + If your terminal has a Meta key and can therefore send + codes up to 255, Meta characters are translated through + elements 128 through 255 of the translate table, and therefore + are translated independently of the corresponding non-Meta + characters. You must therefore establish translations + independently for the Meta characters if you want them too: + + ;; First make a translate table that does the identity translation. + (setq keyboard-translate-table (make-string 256 0)) + (let ((i 0)) + (while (< i 256) + (aset keyboard-translate-table i i) + (setq i (1+ i)))) + + ;; Now alter translations of some characters. + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\_ ?\^?) + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\^? ?\_) + + ;; Now alter translations of some Meta characters. + (aset keyboard-translate-table (+ 128 ?\_) (+ 128 ?\^?)) + (aset keyboard-translate-table (+ 128 ?\^?) (+ 128 ?\_)) + +* (process-kill-without-query PROCESS) + +This marks the process so that, when you kill Emacs, +you will not on its account be queried about active subprocesses. + +Changes in Emacs 1.11 + +* The commands C-c and C-z have been interchanged, + for greater compatibility with normal Unix usage. + C-z now runs suspend-emacs and C-c runs exit-recursive-edit. + +* The value returned by file-name-directory now ends + with a slash. (file-name-directory "foo/bar") => "foo/". + This avoids confusing results when dealing with files + in the root directory. + + The value of the per-buffer variable default-directory + is also supposed to have a final slash now. + +* There are now variables to control the switches passed to + `ls' by the C-x C-d command (list-directory). + list-directory-brief-switches is a string, initially "-CF", + used for brief listings, and list-directory-verbose-switches + is a string, initially "-l", used for verbose ones. + +* For Ann Arbor Ambassador terminals, the termcap "ti" string + is now used to initialize the screen geometry on entry to Emacs, + and the "te" string is used to set it back on exit. + If the termcap entry does not define the "ti" or "te" string, + Emacs does what it used to do. + +Changes in Emacs 1.10 + +* GNU Emacs has been made almost 1/3 smaller. + It now dumps out as only 530kbytes on Vax 4.2bsd. + +* The term "checkpoint" has been replaced by "auto save" + throughout the function names, variable names and documentation + of GNU Emacs. + +* The function load now tries appending ".elc" and ".el" + to the specified filename BEFORE it tries the filename + without change. + +* rmail now makes the mode line display the total number + of messages and the current message number. + The "f" command now means forward a message to another user. + The command to search through all messages for a string is now "F". + The "u" command now means to move back to the previous + message and undelete it. To undelete the selected message, use Meta-u. + +* The hyphen character is now equivalent to a Space while + in completing minibuffers. Both mean to complete an additional word. + +* The Lisp function error now takes args like format + which are used to construct the error message. + +* Redisplay will refuse to start its display at the end of the buffer. + It will pick a new place to display from, rather than use that. + +* The value returned by garbage-collect has been changed. + Its first element is no longer a number but a cons, + whose car is the number of cons cells now in use, + and whose cdr is the number of cons cells that have been + made but are now free. + The second element is similar but describes symbols rather than cons cells. + The third element is similar but describes markers. + +* The variable buffer-name has been eliminated. + The function buffer-name still exists. This is to prevent + user programs from changing buffer names without going + through the rename-buffer function. + +Changes in Emacs 1.9 + +* When a fill prefix is in effect, paragraphs are started + or separated by lines that do not start with the fill prefix. + Also, a line which consists of the fill prefix followed by + white space separates paragraphs. + +* C-x C-v runs the new function find-alternate-file. + It finds the specified file, switches to that buffer, + and kills the previous current buffer. (It requires + confirmation if that buffer had changes.) This is + most useful after you find the wrong file due to a typo. + +* Exiting the minibuffer moves the cursor to column 0, + to show you that it has really been exited. + +* Meta-g (fill-region) now fills each paragraph in the + region individually. To fill the region as if it were + a single paragraph (for when the paragraph-delimiting mechanism + does the wrong thing), use fill-region-as-paragraph. + +* Tab in text mode now runs the function tab-to-tab-stop. + A new mode called indented-text-mode is like text-mode + except that in it Tab runs the function indent-relative, + which indents the line under the previous line. + If auto fill is enabled while in indented-text-mode, + the new lines that it makes are indented. + +* Functions kill-rectangle and yank-rectangle. + kill-rectangle deletes the rectangle specified by dot and mark + (or by two arguments) and saves it in the variable killed-rectangle. + yank-rectangle inserts the rectangle in that variable. + + Tab characters in a rectangle being saved are replaced + by spaces in such a way that their appearance will + not be changed if the rectangle is later reinserted + at a different column position. + +* `+' in a regular expression now means + to repeat the previous expression one or more times. + `?' means to repeat it zero or one time. + They are in all regards like `*' except for the + number of repetitions they match. + + \< in a regular expression now matches the null string + when it is at the beginning of a word; \> matches + the null string at the end of a word. + +* C-x p narrows the buffer so that only the current page + is visible. + +* C-x ) with argument repeats the kbd macro just + defined that many times, counting the definition + as one repetition. + +* C-x ( with argument begins defining a kbd macro + starting with the last one defined. It executes that + previous kbd macro initially, just as if you began + by typing it over again. + +* C-x q command queries the user during kbd macro execution. + With prefix argument, enters recursive edit, + reading keyboard commands even within a kbd macro. + You can give different commands each time the macro executes. + Without prefix argument, reads a character. Your options are: + Space -- execute the rest of the macro. + Delete -- skip the rest of the macro; start next repetition. + C-d -- skip rest of the macro and don't repeat it any more. + C-r -- enter a recursive edit, then on exit ask again for a character + C-l -- redisplay screen and ask again." + +* write-kbd-macro and append-kbd-macro are used to save + a kbd macro definition in a file (as Lisp code to + redefine the macro when the file is loaded). + These commands differ in that write-kbd-macro + discards the previous contents of the file. + If given a prefix argument, both commands + record the keys which invoke the macro as well as the + macro's definition. + +* The variable global-minor-modes is used to display + strings in the mode line of all buffers. It should be + a list of elements thaht are conses whose cdrs are strings + to be displayed. This complements the variable + minor-modes, which has the same effect but has a separate + value in each buffer. + +* C-x = describes horizontal scrolling in effect, if any. + +* Return now auto-fills the line it is ending, in auto fill mode. + Space with zero as argument auto-fills the line before it + just like Space without an argument. + +Changes in Emacs 1.8 + +This release mostly fixes bugs. There are a few new features: + +* apropos now sorts the symbols before displaying them. + Also, it returns a list of the symbols found. + + apropos now accepts a second arg PRED which should be a function + of one argument; if PRED is non-nil, each symbol is tested + with PRED and only symbols for which PRED returns non-nil + appear in the output or the returned list. + + If the third argument to apropos is non-nil, apropos does not + display anything; it merely returns the list of symbols found. + + C-h a now runs the new function command-apropos rather than + apropos, and shows only symbols with definitions as commands. + +* M-x shell sends the command + if (-f ~/.emacs_NAME)source ~/.emacs_NAME + invisibly to the shell when it starts. Here NAME + is replaced by the name of shell used, + as it came from your ESHELL or SHELL environment variable + but with directory name, if any, removed. + +* M-, now runs the command tags-loop-continue, which is used + to resume a terminated tags-search or tags-query-replace. + +Changes in Emacs 1.7 + +It's Beat CCA Week. + +* The initial buffer is now called "*scratch*" instead of "scratch", + so that all buffer names used automatically by Emacs now have *'s. + +* Undo information is now stored separately for each buffer. + The Undo command (C-x u) always applies to the current + buffer only. + + C-_ is now a synonym for C-x u. + + (buffer-flush-undo BUFFER) causes undo information not to + be kept for BUFFER, and frees the space that would have + been used to hold it. In any case, no undo information is + kept for buffers whose names start with spaces. (These + buffers also do not appear in the C-x C-b display.) + +* Rectangle operations are now implemented. + C-x r stores the rectangle described by dot and mark + into a register; it reads the register name from the keyboard. + C-x g, the command to insert the contents of a register, + can be used to reinsert the rectangle elsewhere. + + Other rectangle commands include + open-rectangle: + insert a blank rectangle in the position and size + described by dot and mark, at its corners; + the existing text is pushed to the right. + clear-rectangle: + replace the rectangle described by dot ane mark + with blanks. The previous text is deleted. + delete-rectangle: + delete the text of the specified rectangle, + moving the text beyond it on each line leftward. + +* Side-by-side windows are allowed. Use C-x 5 to split the + current window into two windows side by side. + C-x } makes the selected window ARG columns wider at the + expense of the windows at its sides. C-x { makes the selected + window ARG columns narrower. An argument to C-x 5 specifies + how many columns to give to the leftmost of the two windows made. + + C-x 2 now accepts a numeric argument to specify the number of + lines to give to the uppermost of the two windows it makes. + +* Horizontal scrolling of the lines in a window is now implemented. + C-x < (scroll-left) scrolls all displayed lines left, + with the numeric argument (default 1) saying how far to scroll. + When the window is scrolled left, some amount of the beginning + of each nonempty line is replaced by an "$". + C-x > scrolls right. If a window has no text hidden at the left + margin, it cannot be scrolled any farther right than that. + When nonzero leftwards scrolling is in effect in a window. + lines are automatically truncated at the window's right margin + regardless of the value of the variable truncate-lines in the + buffer being displayed. + +* C-x C-d now uses the default output format of `ls', + which gives just file names in multiple columns. + C-u C-x C-d passes the -l switch to `ls'. + +* C-t at the end of a line now exchanges the two preceding characters. + + All the transpose commands now interpret zero as an argument + to mean to transpose the textual unit after or around dot + with the one after or around the mark. + +* M-! executes a shell command in an inferior shell + and displays the output from it. With a prefix argument, + it inserts the output in the current buffer after dot + and sets the mark after the output. The shell command + gets /dev/null as its standard input. + + M-| is like M-! but passes the contents of the region + as input to the shell command. A prefix argument makes + the output from the command replace the contents of the region. + +* The mode line will now say "Def" after the major mode + while a keyboard macro is being defined. + +* The variable fill-prefix is now used by Meta-q. + Meta-q removes the fill prefix from lines that start with it + before filling, and inserts the fill prefix on each line + after filling. + + The command C-x . sets the fill prefix equal to the text + on the current line before dot. + +* The new command Meta-j (indent-new-comment-line), + is like Linefeed (indent-new-line) except when dot is inside a comment; + in that case, Meta-j inserts a comment starter on the new line, + indented under the comment starter above. It also inserts + a comment terminator at the end of the line above, + if the language being edited calls for one. + +* Rmail should work correctly now, and has some C-h m documentation. + +Changes in Emacs 1.6 + +* save-buffers-kill-emacs is now on C-x C-c + while C-x C-z does suspend-emacs. This is to make + C-x C-c like the normal Unix meaning of C-c + and C-x C-z linke the normal Unix meaning of C-z. + +* M-ESC (eval-expression) is now a disabled command by default. + This prevents users who type ESC ESC accidentally from + getting confusing results. Put + (put 'eval-expression 'disabled nil) + in your ~/.emacs file to enable the command. + +* Self-inserting text is grouped into bunches for undoing. + Each C-x u command undoes up to 20 consecutive self-inserting + characters. + +* Help f now uses as a default the function being called + in the innermost Lisp expression that dot is in. + This makes it more convenient to use while writing + Lisp code to run in Emacs. + (If the text around dot does not appear to be a call + to a Lisp function, there is no default.) + + Likewise, Help v uses the symbol around or before dot + as a default, if that is a variable name. + +* Commands that read filenames now insert the default + directory in the minibuffer, to become part of your input. + This allows you to see what the default is. + You may type a filename which goes at the end of the + default directory, or you may edit the default directory + as you like to create the input you want to give. + You may also type an absolute pathname (starting with /) + or refer to a home directory (input starting with ~) + after the default; the presence of // or /~ causes + everything up through the slash that precedes your + type-in to be ignored. + + Returning the default directory without change, + including the terminating slash, requests the use + of the default file name (usually the visited file's name). + + Set the variable insert-default-directory to nil + to turn off this feature. + +* M-x shell now uses the environment variable ESHELL, + if it exists, as the file name of the shell to run. + If there is no ESHELL variable, the SHELL variable is used. + This is because some shells do not work properly as inferiors + of Emacs (or anything like Emacs). + +* A new variable minor-modes now exists, with a separate value + in each buffer. Its value should be an alist of elements + (MODE-FUNCTION-SYMBOL . PRETTY-NAME-STRING), one for each + minor mode that is turned on in the buffer. The pretty + name strings are displayed in the mode line after the name of the + major mode (with spaces between them). The mode function + symbols should be symbols whose function definitions will + turn on the minor mode if given 1 as an argument; they are present + so that Help m can find their documentation strings. + +* The format of tag table files has been changed. + The new format enables Emacs to find tags much faster. + + A new program, etags, exists to make the kind of + tag table that Emacs wants. etags is invoked just + like ctags; in fact, if you give it any switches, + it does exactly what ctags would do. Give it the + empty switch ("-") to make it act like ctags with no switches. + + etags names the tag table file "TAGS" rather than "tags", + so that these tag tables and the standard Unix ones + can coexist. + + The tags library can no longer use standard ctags-style + tag tables files. + +* The file of Lisp code Emacs reads on startup is now + called ~/.emacs rather than ~/.emacs_pro. + +* copy-file now gives the copied file the same mode bits + as the original file. + +* Output from a process inserted into the process's buffer + no longer sets the buffer's mark. Instead it sets a + marker associated with the process to point to the end + of the inserted text. You can access this marker with + (process-mark PROCESS) + and then either examine its position with marker-position + or set its position with set-marker. + +* completing-read takes a new optional fifth argument which, + if non-nil, should be a string of text to insert into + the minibuffer before reading user commands. + +* The Lisp function elt now exists: + (elt ARRAY N) is like (aref ARRAY N), + (elt LIST N) is like (nth N LIST). + +* rplaca is now a synonym for setcar, and rplacd for setcdr. + eql is now a synonym for eq; it turns out that the Common Lisp + distinction between eq and eql is insignificant in Emacs. + numberp is a new synonym for integerp. + +* auto-save has been renamed to auto-save-mode. + +* Auto save file names for buffers are now created by the + function make-auto-save-file-name. This is so you can + redefine that function to change the way auto save file names + are chosen. + +* expand-file-name no longer discards a final slash. + (expand-file-name "foo" "/lose") => "/lose/foo" + (expand-file-name "foo/" "/lose") => "/lose/foo/" + + Also, expand-file-name no longer substitutes $ constructs. + A new function substitute-in-file-name does this. Reading + a file name with read-file-name or the `f' or`F' option + of interactive calling uses substitute-in-file-name + on the file name that was read and returns the result. + + All I/O primitives including insert-file-contents and + delete-file call expand-file-name on the file name supplied. + This change makes them considerably faster in the usual case. + +* Interactive calling spec strings allow the new code letter 'D' + which means to read a directory name. It is like 'f' except + that the default if the user makes no change in the minibuffer + is to return the current default directory rather than the + current visited file name. + +Changes in Emacs 1.5 + +* suspend-emacs now accepts an optional argument + which is a string to be stuffed as terminal input + to be read by Emacs's superior shell after Emacs exits. + + A library called ledit exists which uses this feature + to transmit text to a Lisp job running as a sibling of + Emacs. + +* If find-file is given the name of a directory, + it automatically invokes dired on that directory + rather than reading in the binary data that make up + the actual contents of the directory according to Unix. + +* Saving an Emacs buffer now preserves the file modes + of any previously existing file with the same name. + This works using new Lisp functions file-modes and + set-file-modes, which can be used to read or set the mode + bits of any file. + +* The Lisp function cond now exists, with its traditional meaning. + +* defvar and defconst now permit the documentation string + to be omitted. defvar also permits the initial value + to be omitted; then it acts only as a comment. + +Changes in Emacs 1.4 + +* Auto-filling now normally indents the new line it creates + by calling indent-according-to-mode. This function, meanwhile, + has in Fundamental and Text modes the effect of making the line + have an indentation of the value of left-margin, a per-buffer variable. + + Tab no longer precisely does indent-according-to-mode; + it does that in all modes that supply their own indentation routine, + but in Fundamental, Text and allied modes it inserts a tab character. + +* The command M-x grep now invokes grep (on arguments + supplied by the user) and reads the output from grep + asynchronously into a buffer. The command C-x ` can + be used to move to the lines that grep has found. + This is an adaptation of the mechanism used for + running compilations and finding the loci of error messages. + + You can now use C-x ` even while grep or compilation + is proceeding; as more matches or error messages arrive, + C-x ` will parse them and be able to find them. + +* M-x mail now provides a command to send the message + and "exit"--that is, return to the previously selected + buffer. It is C-z C-z. + +* Tab in C mode now tries harder to adapt to all indentation styles. + If the line being indented is a statement that is not the first + one in the containing compound-statement, it is aligned under + the beginning of the first statement. + +* The functions screen-width and screen-height return the + total width and height of the screen as it is now being used. + set-screen-width and set-screen-height tell Emacs how big + to assume the screen is; they each take one argument, + an integer. + +* The Lisp function 'function' now exists. function is the + same as quote, except that it serves as a signal to the + Lisp compiler that the argument should be compiled as + a function. Example: + (mapcar (function (lambda (x) (+ x 5))) list) + +* The function set-key has been renamed to global-set-key. + undefine-key and local-undefine-key has been renamed to + global-unset-key and local-unset-key. + +* Emacs now collects input from asynchronous subprocesses + while waiting in the functions sleep-for and sit-for. + +* Shell mode's Newline command attempts to distinguish subshell + prompts from user input when issued in the middle of the buffer. + It no longer reexecutes from dot to the end of the line; + it reeexecutes the entire line minus any prompt. + The prompt is recognized by searching for the value of + shell-prompt-pattern, starting from the beginning of the line. + Anything thus skipped is not reexecuted. + +Changes in Emacs 1.3 + +* An undo facility exists now. Type C-x u to undo a batch of + changes (usually one command's changes, but some commands + such as query-replace divide their changes into multiple + batches. You can repeat C-x u to undo further. As long + as no commands other than C-x u intervene, each one undoes + another batch. A numeric argument to C-x u acts as a repeat + count. + + If you keep on undoing, eventually you may be told that + you have used up all the recorded undo information. + Some actions, such as reading in files, discard all + undo information. + + The undo information is not currently stored separately + for each buffer, so it is mainly good if you do something + totally spastic. [This has since been fixed.] + +* A learn-by-doing tutorial introduction to Emacs now exists. + Type C-h t to enter it. + +* An Info documentation browser exists. Do M-x info to enter it. + It contains a tutorial introduction so that no more documentation + is needed here. As of now, the only documentation in it + is that of Info itself. + +* Help k and Help c are now different. Help c prints just the + name of the function which the specified key invokes. Help k + prints the documentation of the function as well. + +* A document of the differences between GNU Emacs and Twenex Emacs + now exists. It is called DIFF, in the same directory as this file. + +* C mode can now indent comments better, including multi-line ones. + Meta-Control-q now reindents comment lines within the expression + being aligned. + +* Insertion of a close-parenthesis now shows the matching open-parenthesis + even if it is off screen, by printing the text following it on its line + in the minibuffer. + +* A file can now contain a list of local variable values + to be in effect when the file is edited. See the file DIFF + in the same directory as this file for full details. + +* A function nth is defined. It means the same thing as in Common Lisp. + +* The function install-command has been renamed to set-key. + It now takes the key sequence as the first argument + and the definition for it as the second argument. + Likewise, local-install-command has been renamed to local-set-key. + +Changes in Emacs 1.2 + +* A Lisp single-stepping and debugging facility exists. + To cause the debugger to be entered when an error + occurs, set the variable debug-on-error non-nil. + + To cause the debugger to be entered whenever function foo + is called, do (debug-on-entry 'foo). To cancel this, + do (cancel-debug-on-entry 'foo). debug-on-entry does + not work for primitives (written in C), only functions + written in Lisp. Most standard Emacs commands are in Lisp. + + When the debugger is entered, the selected window shows + a buffer called " *Backtrace" which displays a series + of stack frames, most recently entered first. For each + frame, the function name called is shown, usually followed + by the argument values unless arguments are still being + calculated. At the beginning of the buffer is a description + of why the debugger was entered: function entry, function exit, + error, or simply that the user called the function `debug'. + + To exit the debugger and return to top level, type `q'. + + In the debugger, you can evaluate Lisp expressions by + typing `e'. This is equivalent to `M-ESC'. + + When the debugger is entered due to an error, that is + all you can do. When it is entered due to function entry + (such as, requested by debug-on-entry), you have two + options: + Continue execution and reenter debugger after the + completion of the function being entered. Type `c'. + Continue execution but enter the debugger before + the next subexpression. Type `d'. + + You will see that some stack frames are marked with *. + This means the debugger will be entered when those + frames exit. You will see the value being returned + in the first line of the backtrace buffer. Your options: + Continue execution, and return that value. Type `c'. + Continue execution, and return a specified value. Type `r'. + + You can mark a frame to enter the debugger on exit + with the `b' command, or clear such a mark with `u'. + +* Lisp macros now exist. + For example, you can write + (defmacro cadr (arg) (list 'car (list 'cdr arg))) + and then the expression + (cadr foo) + will expand into + (car (cdr foo)) + +Changes in Emacs 1.1 + +* The initial buffer is now called "scratch" and is in a + new major mode, Lisp Interaction mode. This mode is + intended for typing Lisp expressions, evaluating them, + and having the values printed into the buffer. + + Type Linefeed after a Lisp expression, to evaluate the + expression and have its value printed into the buffer, + advancing dot. + + The other commands of Lisp mode are available. + +* The C-x C-e command for evaluating the Lisp expression + before dot has been changed to print the value in the + minibuffer line rather than insert it in the buffer. + A numeric argument causes the printed value to appear + in the buffer instead. + +* In Lisp mode, the command M-C-x evaluates the defun + containing or following dot. The value is printed in + the minibuffer. + +* The value of a Lisp expression evaluated using M-ESC + is now printed in the minibuffer. + +* M-q now runs fill-paragraph, independent of major mode. + +* C-h m now prints documentation on the current buffer's + major mode. What it prints is the documentation of the + major mode name as a function. All major modes have been + equipped with documentation that describes all commands + peculiar to the major mode, for this purpose. + +* You can display a Unix manual entry with + the M-x manual-entry command. + +* You can run a shell, displaying its output in a buffer, + with the M-x shell command. The Return key sends input + to the subshell. Output is printed inserted automatically + in the buffer. Commands C-c, C-d, C-u, C-w and C-z are redefined + for controlling the subshell and its subjobs. + "cd", "pushd" and "popd" commands are recognized as you + enter them, so that the default directory of the Emacs buffer + always remains the same as that of the subshell. + +* C-x $ (that's a real dollar sign) controls line-hiding based + on indentation. With a numeric arg N > 0, it causes all lines + indented by N or more columns to become invisible. + They are, effectively, tacked onto the preceding line, where + they are represented by " ..." on the screen. + (The end of the preceding visible line corresponds to a + screen cursor position before the "...". Anywhere in the + invisible lines that follow appears on the screen as a cursor + position after the "...".) + Currently, all editing commands treat invisible lines just + like visible ones, except for C-n and C-p, which have special + code to count visible lines only. + C-x $ with no argument turns off this mode, which in any case + is remembered separately for each buffer. + +* Outline mode is another form of selective display. + It is a major mode invoked with M-x outline-mode. + It is intended for editing files that are structured as + outlines, with heading lines (lines that begin with one + or more asterisks) and text lines (all other lines). + The number of asterisks in a heading line are its level; + the subheadings of a heading line are all following heading + lines at higher levels, until but not including the next + heading line at the same or a lower level, regardless + of intervening text lines. + + In outline mode, you have commands to hide (remove from display) + or show the text or subheadings under each heading line + independently. Hidden text or subheadings are invisibly + attached to the end of the preceding heading line, so that + if you kill the hading line and yank it back elsewhere + all the invisible lines accompany it. + + All editing commands treat hidden outline-mode lines + as part of the preceding visible line. + +* C-x C-z runs save-buffers-kill-emacs + offers to save each file buffer, then exits. + +* C-c's function is now called suspend-emacs. + +* The command C-x m runs mail, which switches to a buffer *mail* + and lets you compose a message to send. C-x 4 m runs mail in + another window. Type C-z C-s in the mail buffer to send the + message according to what you have entered in the buffer. + + You must separate the headers from the message text with + an empty line. + +* You can now dired partial directories (specified with names + containing *'s, etc, all processed by the shell). Also, you + can dired more than one directory; dired names the buffer + according to the filespec or directory name. Reinvoking + dired on a directory already direded just switches back to + the same directory used last time; do M-x revert if you want + to read in the current contents of the directory. + + C-x d runs dired, and C-x 4 d runs dired in another window. + + C-x C-d (list-directory) also allows partial directories now. + +Lisp programming changes + +* t as an output stream now means "print to the minibuffer". + If there is already text in the minibuffer printed via t + as an output stream, the new text is appended to the old + (or is truncated and lost at the margin). If the minibuffer + contains text put there for some other reason, it is cleared + first. + + t is now the top-level value of standard-output. + + t as an input stream now means "read via the minibuffer". + The minibuffer is used to read a line of input, with editing, + and this line is then parsed. Any excess not used by `read' + is ignored; each `read' from t reads fresh input. + t is now the top-level value of standard-input. + +* A marker may be used as an input stream or an output stream. + The effect is to grab input from where the marker points, + advancing it over the characters read, or to insert output + at the marker and advance it. + +* Output from an asynchronous subprocess is now inserted at + the end of the associated buffer, not at the buffer's dot, + and the buffer's mark is set to the end of the inserted output + each time output is inserted. + +* (pos-visible-in-window-p POS WINDOW) + returns t if position POS in WINDOW's buffer is in the range + that is being displayed in WINDOW; nil if it is scrolled + vertically out of visibility. + + If display in WINDOW is not currently up to date, this function + calculates carefully whether POS would appear if display were + done immediately based on the current (window-start WINDOW). + + POS defaults to (dot), and WINDOW to (selected-window). + +* Variable buffer-alist replaced by function (buffer-list). + The actual alist of buffers used internally by Emacs is now + no longer accessible, to prevent the user from crashing Emacs + by modifying it. The function buffer-list returns a list + of all existing buffers. Modifying this list cannot hurt anything + as a new list is constructed by each call to buffer-list. + +* load now takes an optional third argument NOMSG which, if non-nil, + prevents load from printing a message when it starts and when + it is done. + +* byte-recompile-directory is a new function which finds all + the .elc files in a directory, and regenerates each one which + is older than the corresponding .el (Lisp source) file. + +---------------------------------------------------------------------- +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: