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author | Karl Heuer <kwzh@gnu.org> |
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date | Sat, 27 May 1995 00:36:25 +0000 |
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@c -*-texinfo-*- @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. @setfilename ../info/os @node System Interface, Display, Processes, Top @chapter Operating System Interface This chapter is about starting and getting out of Emacs, access to values in the operating system environment, and terminal input, output, and flow control. @xref{Building Emacs}, for related information. See also @ref{Display}, for additional operating system status information pertaining to the terminal and the screen. @menu * Starting Up:: Customizing Emacs start-up processing. * Getting Out:: How exiting works (permanent or temporary). * System Environment:: Distinguish the name and kind of system. * User Identification:: Finding the name and user id of the user. * Time of Day:: Getting the current time. * Timers:: Setting a timer to call a function at a certain time. * Terminal Input:: Recording terminal input for debugging. * Terminal Output:: Recording terminal output for debugging. * Special Keysyms:: Defining system-specific key symbols for X windows. * Flow Control:: How to turn output flow control on or off. * Batch Mode:: Running Emacs without terminal interaction. @end menu @node Starting Up @section Starting Up Emacs This section describes what Emacs does when it is started, and how you can customize these actions. @menu * Start-up Summary:: Sequence of actions Emacs performs at start-up. * Init File:: Details on reading the init file (@file{.emacs}). * Terminal-Specific:: How the terminal-specific Lisp file is read. * Command Line Arguments:: How command line arguments are processed, and how you can customize them. @end menu @node Start-up Summary @subsection Summary: Sequence of Actions at Start Up @cindex initialization @cindex start up of Emacs @cindex @file{startup.el} The order of operations performed (in @file{startup.el}) by Emacs when it is started up is as follows: @enumerate @item It loads the initialization library for the window system, if you are using a window system. This library's name is @file{term/@var{windowsystem}-win.el}. @item It initializes the X window frame and faces, if appropriate. @item It runs the normal hook @code{before-init-hook}. @item It loads the library @file{site-start}, unless the option @samp{-no-site-file} was specified. The library's file name is usually @file{site-start.el}. @cindex @file{site-start.el} @item It loads the file @file{~/.emacs} unless @samp{-q} was specified on the command line. (This is not done in @samp{-batch} mode.) The @samp{-u} option can specify the user name whose home directory should be used instead of @file{~}. @item It loads the library @file{default} unless @code{inhibit-default-init} is non-@code{nil}. (This is not done in @samp{-batch} mode or if @samp{-q} was specified on the command line.) The library's file name is usually @file{default.el}. @cindex @file{default.el} @item It runs the normal hook @code{after-init-hook}. @item It sets the major mode according to @code{initial-major-mode}, provided the buffer @samp{*scratch*} is still current and still in Fundamental mode. @item It loads the terminal-specific Lisp file, if any, except when in batch mode or using a window system. @item It displays the initial echo area message, unless you have suppressed that with @code{inhibit-startup-echo-area-message}. @item It processes any remaining command line arguments. @item It runs @code{term-setup-hook}. @item It calls @code{frame-notice-user-settings}, which modifies the parameters of the selected frame according to whatever the init files specify. @item It runs @code{window-setup-hook}. @xref{Window Systems}. @item It displays copyleft, nonwarranty, and basic use information, provided there were no remaining command line arguments (a few steps above) and the value of @code{inhibit-startup-message} is @code{nil}. @end enumerate @defopt inhibit-startup-message This variable inhibits the initial startup messages (the nonwarranty, etc.). If it is non-@code{nil}, then the messages are not printed. This variable exists so you can set it in your personal init file, once you are familiar with the contents of the startup message. Do not set this variable in the init file of a new user, or in a way that affects more than one user, because that would prevent new users from receiving the information they are supposed to see. @end defopt @defopt inhibit-startup-echo-area-message This variable controls the display of the startup echo area message. You can suppress the startup echo area message by adding text with this form to your @file{.emacs} file: @example (setq inhibit-startup-echo-area-message "@var{your-login-name}") @end example Simply setting @code{inhibit-startup-echo-area-message} to your login name is not sufficient to inhibit the message; Emacs explicitly checks whether @file{.emacs} contains an expression as shown above. Your login name must appear in the expression as a Lisp string constant. This way, you can easily inhibit the message for yourself if you wish, but thoughtless copying of your @file{.emacs} file will not inhibit the message for someone else. @end defopt @node Init File @subsection The Init File: @file{.emacs} @cindex init file @cindex @file{.emacs} When you start Emacs, it normally attempts to load the file @file{.emacs} from your home directory. This file, if it exists, must contain Lisp code. It is called your @dfn{init file}. The command line switches @samp{-q} and @samp{-u} affect the use of the init file; @samp{-q} says not to load an init file, and @samp{-u} says to load a specified user's init file instead of yours. @xref{Entering Emacs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. @cindex default init file A site may have a @dfn{default init file}, which is the library named @file{default.el}. Emacs finds the @file{default.el} file through the standard search path for libraries (@pxref{How Programs Do Loading}). The Emacs distribution does not come with this file; sites may provide one for local customizations. If the default init file exists, it is loaded whenever you start Emacs, except in batch mode or if @samp{-q} is specified. But your own personal init file, if any, is loaded first; if it sets @code{inhibit-default-init} to a non-@code{nil} value, then Emacs does not subsequently load the @file{default.el} file. Another file for site-customization is @file{site-start.el}. Emacs loads this @emph{before} the user's init file. You can inhibit the loading of this file with the option @samp{-no-site-file}. If there is a great deal of code in your @file{.emacs} file, you should move it into another file named @file{@var{something}.el}, byte-compile it (@pxref{Byte Compilation}), and make your @file{.emacs} file load the other file using @code{load} (@pxref{Loading}). @xref{Init File Examples,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for examples of how to make various commonly desired customizations in your @file{.emacs} file. @defopt inhibit-default-init This variable prevents Emacs from loading the default initialization library file for your session of Emacs. If its value is non-@code{nil}, then the default library is not loaded. The default value is @code{nil}. @end defopt @defvar before-init-hook @defvarx after-init-hook These two normal hooks are run just before, and just after, loading of the user's init file, @file{default.el}, and/or @file{site-start.el}. @end defvar @node Terminal-Specific @subsection Terminal-Specific Initialization @cindex terminal-specific initialization Each terminal type can have its own Lisp library that Emacs loads when run on that type of terminal. For a terminal type named @var{termtype}, the library is called @file{term/@var{termtype}}. Emacs finds the file by searching the @code{load-path} directories as it does for other files, and trying the @samp{.elc} and @samp{.el} suffixes. Normally, terminal-specific Lisp library is located in @file{emacs/lisp/term}, a subdirectory of the @file{emacs/lisp} directory in which most Emacs Lisp libraries are kept.@refill The library's name is constructed by concatenating the value of the variable @code{term-file-prefix} and the terminal type. Normally, @code{term-file-prefix} has the value @code{"term/"}; changing this is not recommended. The usual function of a terminal-specific library is to enable special keys to send sequences that Emacs can recognize. It may also need to set or add to @code{function-key-map} if the Termcap entry does not specify all the terminal's function keys. @xref{Terminal Input}. @cindex Termcap When the name of the terminal type contains a hyphen, only the part of the name before the first hyphen is significant in choosing the library name. Thus, terminal types @samp{aaa-48} and @samp{aaa-30-rv} both use the @file{term/aaa} library. If necessary, the library can evaluate @code{(getenv "TERM")} to find the full name of the terminal type.@refill Your @file{.emacs} file can prevent the loading of the terminal-specific library by setting the variable @code{term-file-prefix} to @code{nil}. This feature is useful when experimenting with your own peculiar customizations. You can also arrange to override some of the actions of the terminal-specific library by setting the variable @code{term-setup-hook}. This is a normal hook which Emacs runs using @code{run-hooks} at the end of Emacs initialization, after loading both your @file{.emacs} file and any terminal-specific libraries. You can use this variable to define initializations for terminals that do not have their own libraries. @xref{Hooks}. @defvar term-file-prefix @cindex @code{TERM} environment variable If the @code{term-file-prefix} variable is non-@code{nil}, Emacs loads a terminal-specific initialization file as follows: @example (load (concat term-file-prefix (getenv "TERM"))) @end example @noindent You may set the @code{term-file-prefix} variable to @code{nil} in your @file{.emacs} file if you do not wish to load the terminal-initialization file. To do this, put the following in your @file{.emacs} file: @code{(setq term-file-prefix nil)}. @end defvar @defvar term-setup-hook This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs after loading your @file{.emacs} file, the default initialization file (if any) and the terminal-specific Lisp file. You can use @code{term-setup-hook} to override the definitions made by a terminal-specific file. @end defvar See @code{window-setup-hook} in @ref{Window Systems}, for a related feature. @node Command Line Arguments @subsection Command Line Arguments @cindex command line arguments You can use command line arguments to request various actions when you start Emacs. Since you do not need to start Emacs more than once per day, and will often leave your Emacs session running longer than that, command line arguments are hardly ever used. As a practical matter, it is best to avoid making the habit of using them, since this habit would encourage you to kill and restart Emacs unnecessarily often. These options exist for two reasons: to be compatible with other editors (for invocation by other programs) and to enable shell scripts to run specific Lisp programs. This section describes how Emacs processes command line arguments, and how you can customize them. @ignore (Note that some other editors require you to start afresh each time you want to edit a file. With this kind of editor, you will probably specify the file as a command line argument. The recommended way to use GNU Emacs is to start it only once, just after you log in, and do all your editing in the same Emacs process. Each time you want to edit a different file, you visit it with the existing Emacs, which eventually comes to have many files in it ready for editing. Usually you do not kill the Emacs until you are about to log out.) @end ignore @defun command-line This function parses the command line that Emacs was called with, processes it, loads the user's @file{.emacs} file and displays the startup messages. @end defun @defvar command-line-processed The value of this variable is @code{t} once the command line has been processed. If you redump Emacs by calling @code{dump-emacs}, you may wish to set this variable to @code{nil} first in order to cause the new dumped Emacs to process its new command line arguments. @end defvar @defvar command-switch-alist @cindex switches on command line @cindex options on command line @cindex command line options The value of this variable is an alist of user-defined command-line options and associated handler functions. This variable exists so you can add elements to it. A @dfn{command line option} is an argument on the command line of the form: @example -@var{option} @end example The elements of the @code{command-switch-alist} look like this: @example (@var{option} . @var{handler-function}) @end example The @var{handler-function} is called to handle @var{option} and receives the option name as its sole argument. In some cases, the option is followed in the command line by an argument. In these cases, the @var{handler-function} can find all the remaining command-line arguments in the variable @code{command-line-args-left}. (The entire list of command-line arguments is in @code{command-line-args}.) The command line arguments are parsed by the @code{command-line-1} function in the @file{startup.el} file. See also @ref{Command Switches, , Command Line Switches and Arguments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. @end defvar @defvar command-line-args The value of this variable is the list of command line arguments passed to Emacs. @end defvar @defvar command-line-functions This variable's value is a list of functions for handling an unrecognized command-line argument. Each time the next argument to be processed has no special meaning, the functions in this list are called, in order of appearance, until one of them returns a non-@code{nil} value. These functions are called with no arguments. They can access the command-line argument under consideration through the variable @code{argi}. The remaining arguments (not including the current one) are in the variable @code{command-line-args-left}. When a function recognizes and processes the argument in @code{argi}, it should return a non-@code{nil} value to say it has dealt with that argument. If it has also dealt with some of the following arguments, it can indicate that by deleting them from @code{command-line-args-left}. If all of these functions return @code{nil}, then the argument is used as a file name to visit. @end defvar @node Getting Out @section Getting Out of Emacs @cindex exiting Emacs There are two ways to get out of Emacs: you can kill the Emacs job, which exits permanently, or you can suspend it, which permits you to reenter the Emacs process later. As a practical matter, you seldom kill Emacs---only when you are about to log out. Suspending is much more common. @menu * Killing Emacs:: Exiting Emacs irreversibly. * Suspending Emacs:: Exiting Emacs reversibly. @end menu @node Killing Emacs @comment node-name, next, previous, up @subsection Killing Emacs @cindex killing Emacs Killing Emacs means ending the execution of the Emacs process. The parent process normally resumes control. The low-level primitive for killing Emacs is @code{kill-emacs}. @defun kill-emacs &optional exit-data This function exits the Emacs process and kills it. If @var{exit-data} is an integer, then it is used as the exit status of the Emacs process. (This is useful primarily in batch operation; see @ref{Batch Mode}.) If @var{exit-data} is a string, its contents are stuffed into the terminal input buffer so that the shell (or whatever program next reads input) can read them. @end defun All the information in the Emacs process, aside from files that have been saved, is lost when the Emacs is killed. Because killing Emacs inadvertently can lose a lot of work, Emacs queries for confirmation before actually terminating if you have buffers that need saving or subprocesses that are running. This is done in the function @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs}. @defvar kill-emacs-query-functions After asking the standard questions, @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs} calls the functions in the list @code{kill-buffer-query-functions}, in order of appearance, with no arguments. These functions can ask for additional confirmation from the user. If any of them returns non-@code{nil}, Emacs is not killed. @end defvar @defvar kill-emacs-hook This variable is a normal hook; once @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs} is finished with all file saving and confirmation, it runs the functions in this hook. @end defvar @node Suspending Emacs @subsection Suspending Emacs @cindex suspending Emacs @dfn{Suspending Emacs} means stopping Emacs temporarily and returning control to its superior process, which is usually the shell. This allows you to resume editing later in the same Emacs process, with the same buffers, the same kill ring, the same undo history, and so on. To resume Emacs, use the appropriate command in the parent shell---most likely @code{fg}. Some operating systems do not support suspension of jobs; on these systems, ``suspension'' actually creates a new shell temporarily as a subprocess of Emacs. Then you would exit the shell to return to Emacs. Suspension is not useful with window systems such as X, because the Emacs job may not have a parent that can resume it again, and in any case you can give input to some other job such as a shell merely by moving to a different window. Therefore, suspending is not allowed when Emacs is an X client. @defun suspend-emacs string This function stops Emacs and returns control to the superior process. If and when the superior process resumes Emacs, @code{suspend-emacs} returns @code{nil} to its caller in Lisp. If @var{string} is non-@code{nil}, its characters are sent to be read as terminal input by Emacs's superior shell. The characters in @var{string} are not echoed by the superior shell; only the results appear. Before suspending, @code{suspend-emacs} runs the normal hook @code{suspend-hook}. In Emacs version 18, @code{suspend-hook} was not a normal hook; its value was a single function, and if its value was non-@code{nil}, then @code{suspend-emacs} returned immediately without actually suspending anything. After the user resumes Emacs, @code{suspend-emacs} runs the normal hook @code{suspend-resume-hook}. @xref{Hooks}. The next redisplay after resumption will redraw the entire screen, unless the variable @code{no-redraw-on-reenter} is non-@code{nil} (@pxref{Refresh Screen}). In the following example, note that @samp{pwd} is not echoed after Emacs is suspended. But it is read and executed by the shell. @smallexample @group (suspend-emacs) @result{} nil @end group @group (add-hook 'suspend-hook (function (lambda () (or (y-or-n-p "Really suspend? ") (error "Suspend cancelled"))))) @result{} (lambda nil (or (y-or-n-p "Really suspend? ") (error "Suspend cancelled"))) @end group @group (add-hook 'suspend-resume-hook (function (lambda () (message "Resumed!")))) @result{} (lambda nil (message "Resumed!")) @end group @group (suspend-emacs "pwd") @result{} nil @end group @group ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ---------- Really suspend? @kbd{y} ---------- Buffer: Minibuffer ---------- @end group @group ---------- Parent Shell ---------- lewis@@slug[23] % /user/lewis/manual lewis@@slug[24] % fg @end group @group ---------- Echo Area ---------- Resumed! @end group @end smallexample @end defun @defvar suspend-hook This variable is a normal hook run before suspending. @end defvar @defvar suspend-resume-hook This variable is a normal hook run after suspending. @end defvar @node System Environment @section Operating System Environment @cindex operating system environment Emacs provides access to variables in the operating system environment through various functions. These variables include the name of the system, the user's @sc{uid}, and so on. @defvar system-type The value of this variable is a symbol indicating the type of operating system Emacs is operating on. Here is a table of the symbols for the operating systems that Emacs can run on up to version 19.1. @table @code @item aix-v3 AIX. @item berkeley-unix Berkeley BSD. @item hpux Hewlett-Packard operating system. @item irix Silicon Graphics Irix system. @item linux The free Linux operating system. @item rtu Masscomp RTU, UCB universe. @item unisoft-unix UniSoft UniPlus. @item usg-unix-v AT&T System V. @item vax-vms VAX VMS. @item xenix SCO Xenix 386. @end table We do not wish to add new symbols to make finer distinctions unless it is absolutely necessary! In fact, we hope to eliminate some of these alternatives in the future. We recommend using @code{system-configuration} to distinguish between different operating systems. @end defvar @defvar system-configuration This variable holds the three-part configuration name for the hardware/software configuration of your system, as a string. The convenient way to test parts of this string is with @code{string-match}. @end defvar @defun system-name This function returns the name of the machine you are running on. @example (system-name) @result{} "prep.ai.mit.edu" @end example @end defun @defun getenv var @cindex environment variable access This function returns the value of the environment variable @var{var}, as a string. Within Emacs, the environment variable values are kept in the Lisp variable @code{process-environment}. @example @group (getenv "USER") @result{} "lewis" @end group @group lewis@@slug[10] % printenv PATH=.:/user/lewis/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin USER=lewis @end group @group TERM=ibmapa16 SHELL=/bin/csh HOME=/user/lewis @end group @end example @end defun @c Emacs 19 feature @deffn Command setenv variable value This command sets the value of the environment variable named @var{variable} to @var{value}. Both arguments should be strings. This function works by modifying @code{process-environment}; binding that variable with @code{let} is also reasonable practice. @end deffn @defvar process-environment This variable is a list of strings, each describing one environment variable. The functions @code{getenv} and @code{setenv} work by means of this variable. @smallexample @group process-environment @result{} ("l=/usr/stanford/lib/gnuemacs/lisp" "PATH=.:/user/lewis/bin:/usr/class:/nfsusr/local/bin" "USER=lewis" @end group @group "TERM=ibmapa16" "SHELL=/bin/csh" "HOME=/user/lewis") @end group @end smallexample @end defvar @defvar invocation-name This variable holds the program name under which Emacs was invoked. The value is a string, and does not include a directory name. @end defvar @defvar invocation-directory This variable holds the directory from which the Emacs executable was invoked, or perhaps @code{nil} if that directory cannot be determined. @end defvar @defvar installation-directory If non-@code{nil}, this is a directory within which to look for the @file{lib-src} and @file{etc} subdirectories. This is non-@code{nil} when Emacs can't find those directories in their standard installed locations, but can find them in a directory related somehow to the one containing the Emacs executable. @end defvar @defun load-average This function returns the current 1-minute, 5-minute and 15-minute load averages in a list. The values are integers that are 100 times the system load averages. (The load averages indicate the number of processes trying to run.) @example @group (load-average) @result{} (169 48 36) @end group @group lewis@@rocky[5] % uptime 11:55am up 1 day, 19:37, 3 users, load average: 1.69, 0.48, 0.36 @end group @end example @end defun @defun emacs-pid This function returns the process @sc{id} of the Emacs process. @end defun @defun setprv privilege-name &optional setp getprv This function sets or resets a VMS privilege. (It does not exist on Unix.) The first arg is the privilege name, as a string. The second argument, @var{setp}, is @code{t} or @code{nil}, indicating whether the privilege is to be turned on or off. Its default is @code{nil}. The function returns @code{t} if successful, @code{nil} otherwise. If the third argument, @var{getprv}, is non-@code{nil}, @code{setprv} does not change the privilege, but returns @code{t} or @code{nil} indicating whether the privilege is currently enabled. @end defun @node User Identification @section User Identification @defun user-login-name This function returns the name under which the user is logged in. If the environment variable @code{LOGNAME} is set, that value is used. Otherwise, if the environment variable @code{USER} is set, that value is used. Otherwise, the value is based on the effective @sc{uid}, not the real @sc{uid}. @example @group (user-login-name) @result{} "lewis" @end group @end example @end defun @defun user-real-login-name This function returns the user name corresponding to Emacs's real @sc{uid}. This ignores the effective @sc{uid} and ignores the environment variables @code{LOGNAME} and @code{USER}. @end defun @defun user-full-name This function returns the full name of the user. @example @group (user-full-name) @result{} "Bil Lewis" @end group @end example @end defun @defun user-real-uid This function returns the real @sc{uid} of the user. @example @group (user-real-uid) @result{} 19 @end group @end example @end defun @defun user-uid This function returns the effective @sc{uid} of the user. @end defun @node Time of Day @section Time of Day This section explains how to determine the current time and the time zone. @defun current-time-string &optional time-value This function returns the current time and date as a humanly-readable string. The format of the string is unvarying; the number of characters used for each part is always the same, so you can reliably use @code{substring} to extract pieces of it. However, it would be wise to count the characters from the beginning of the string rather than from the end, as additional information may be added at the end. @c Emacs 19 feature The argument @var{time-value}, if given, specifies a time to format instead of the current time. The argument should be a cons cell containing two integers, or a list whose first two elements are integers. Thus, you can use times obtained from @code{current-time} (see below) and from @code{file-attributes} (@pxref{File Attributes}). @example @group (current-time-string) @result{} "Wed Oct 14 22:21:05 1987" @end group @end example @end defun @c Emacs 19 feature @defun current-time This function returns the system's time value as a list of three integers: @code{(@var{high} @var{low} @var{microsec})}. The integers @var{high} and @var{low} combine to give the number of seconds since 0:00 January 1, 1970, which is @ifinfo @var{high} * 2**16 + @var{low}. @end ifinfo @tex $high*2^{16}+low$. @end tex The third element, @var{microsec}, gives the microseconds since the start of the current second (or 0 for systems that return time only on the resolution of a second). The first two elements can be compared with file time values such as you get with the function @code{file-attributes}. @xref{File Attributes}. @end defun @c Emacs 19 feature @defun current-time-zone &optional time-value This function returns a list describing the time zone that the user is in. The value has the form @code{(@var{offset} @var{name})}. Here @var{offset} is an integer giving the number of seconds ahead of UTC (east of Greenwich). A negative value means west of Greenwich. The second element, @var{name} is a string giving the name of the time zone. Both elements change when daylight savings time begins or ends; if the user has specified a time zone that does not use a seasonal time adjustment, then the value is constant through time. If the operating system doesn't supply all the information necessary to compute the value, both elements of the list are @code{nil}. The argument @var{time-value}, if given, specifies a time to analyze instead of the current time. The argument should be a cons cell containing two integers, or a list whose first two elements are integers. Thus, you can use times obtained from @code{current-time} (see below) and from @code{file-attributes} (@pxref{File Attributes}). @end defun @node Timers @section Timers You can set up a timer to call a function at a specified future time. @defun run-at-time time repeat function &rest args This function arranges to call @var{function} with arguments @var{args} at time @var{time}. The argument @var{function} is a function to call later, and @var{args} are the arguments to give it when it is called. The time @var{time} is specified as a string. Absolute times may be specified in a wide variety of formats; The form @samp{@var{hour}:@var{min}:@var{sec} @var{timezone} @var{month}/@var{day}/@var{year}}, where all fields are numbers, works; the format that @code{current-time-string} returns is also allowed. To specify a relative time, use numbers followed by units. For example: @table @samp @item 1 min denotes 1 minute from now. @item 1 min 5 sec denotes 65 seconds from now. @item 1 min 2 sec 3 hour 4 day 5 week 6 fortnight 7 month 8 year denotes exactly 103 months, 123 days, and 10862 seconds from now. @end table If @var{time} is an integer, that specifies a relative time measured in seconds. The argument @var{repeat} specifies how often to repeat the call. If @var{repeat} is @code{nil}, there are no repetitions; @var{function} is called just once, at @var{time}. If @var{repeat} is an integer, it specifies a repetition period measured in seconds. In any case, @var{repeat} has no effect on when @emph{first} call takes place---@var{time} specifies that. The function @code{run-at-time} returns a timer value that identifies the particular scheduled future action. You can use this value to call @code{cancel-timer}. @end defun @defun cancel-timer timer Cancel the requested action for @var{timer}, which should be a value previously returned by @code{run-at-time}. This cancels the effect of that call to @code{run-at-time}; the arrival of the specified time will not cause anything special to happen. @end defun @node Terminal Input @section Terminal Input @cindex terminal input This section describes functions and variables for recording or manipulating terminal input. See @ref{Display}, for related functions. @menu * Input Modes:: Options for how input is processed. * Translating Input:: Low level conversion of some characters or events into others. * Recording Input:: Saving histories of recent or all input events. @end menu @node Input Modes @subsection Input Modes @cindex input modes @cindex terminal input modes @defun set-input-mode interrupt flow meta quit-char This function sets the mode for reading keyboard input. If @var{interrupt} is non-null, then Emacs uses input interrupts. If it is @code{nil}, then it uses @sc{cbreak} mode. If @var{flow} is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs uses @sc{xon/xoff} (@kbd{C-q}, @kbd{C-s}) flow control for output to the terminal. This has no effect except in @sc{cbreak} mode. @xref{Flow Control}. The default setting is system dependent. Some systems always use @sc{cbreak} mode regardless of what is specified. @c Emacs 19 feature The argument @var{meta} controls support for input character codes above 127. If @var{meta} is @code{t}, Emacs converts characters with the 8th bit set into Meta characters. If @var{meta} is @code{nil}, Emacs disregards the 8th bit; this is necessary when the terminal uses it as a parity bit. If @var{meta} is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Emacs uses all 8 bits of input unchanged. This is good for terminals using European 8-bit character sets. @c Emacs 19 feature If @var{quit-char} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies the character to use for quitting. Normally this character is @kbd{C-g}. @xref{Quitting}. @end defun The @code{current-input-mode} function returns the input mode settings Emacs is currently using. @c Emacs 19 feature @defun current-input-mode This function returns current mode for reading keyboard input. It returns a list, corresponding to the arguments of @code{set-input-mode}, of the form @code{(@var{interrupt} @var{flow} @var{meta} @var{quit})} in which: @table @var @item interrupt is non-@code{nil} when Emacs is using interrupt-driven input. If @code{nil}, Emacs is using @sc{cbreak} mode. @item flow is non-@code{nil} if Emacs uses @sc{xon/xoff} (@kbd{C-q}, @kbd{C-s}) flow control for output to the terminal. This value has no effect unless @var{interrupt} is non-@code{nil}. @item meta is non-@code{t} if Emacs treats the eighth bit of input characters as the meta bit; @code{nil} means Emacs clears the eighth bit of every input character; any other value means Emacs uses all eight bits as the basic character code. @item quit is the character Emacs currently uses for quitting, usually @kbd{C-g}. @end table @end defun @defvar meta-flag This variable used to control whether to treat the eight bit in keyboard input characters as the @key{Meta} bit. @code{nil} meant no, and anything else meant yes. This variable existed in Emacs versions 18 and earlier but no longer exists in Emacs 19; use @code{set-input-mode} instead. @end defvar @node Translating Input @subsection Translating Input Events @cindex translating input events This section describes features for translating input events into other input events before they become part of key sequences. @c Emacs 19 feature @defvar extra-keyboard-modifiers This variable lets Lisp programs ``press'' the modifier keys on the keyboard. The value is a bit mask: @table @asis @item 1 The @key{SHIFT} key. @item 2 The @key{LOCK} key. @item 4 The @key{CTL} key. @item 8 The @key{META} key. @end table Each time the user types a keyboard key, it is altered as if the modifier keys specified in the bit mask were held down. When you use X windows, the program can ``press'' any of the modifier keys in this way. Otherwise, only the @key{CTL} and @key{META} keys can be virtually pressed. @end defvar @defvar keyboard-translate-table This variable is the translate table for keyboard characters. It lets you reshuffle the keys on the keyboard without changing any command bindings. Its value must be a string or @code{nil}. If @code{keyboard-translate-table} is a string, then each character read from the keyboard is looked up in this string and the character in the string is used instead. If the string is of length @var{n}, character codes @var{n} and up are untranslated. In the example below, we set @code{keyboard-translate-table} to a string of 128 characters. Then we fill it in to swap the characters @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-\} and the characters @kbd{C-q} and @kbd{C-^}. Subsequently, typing @kbd{C-\} has all the usual effects of typing @kbd{C-s}, and vice versa. (@xref{Flow Control} for more information on this subject.) @cindex flow control example @example @group (defun evade-flow-control () "Replace C-s with C-\ and C-q with C-^." (interactive) @end group @group (let ((the-table (make-string 128 0))) (let ((i 0)) (while (< i 128) (aset the-table i i) (setq i (1+ i)))) @end group ;; @r{Swap @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-\}.} (aset the-table ?\034 ?\^s) (aset the-table ?\^s ?\034) @group ;; @r{Swap @kbd{C-q} and @kbd{C-^}.} (aset the-table ?\036 ?\^q) (aset the-table ?\^q ?\036) (setq keyboard-translate-table the-table))) @end group @end example Note that this translation is the first thing that happens to a character after it is read from the terminal. Record-keeping features such as @code{recent-keys} and dribble files record the characters after translation. @end defvar @defun keyboard-translate from to This function modifies @code{keyboard-translate-table} to translate character code @var{from} into character code @var{to}. It creates or enlarges the translate table if necessary. @end defun @defvar function-key-map This variable holds a keymap that describes the character sequences sent by function keys on an ordinary character terminal. This keymap uses the same data structure as other keymaps, but is used differently: it specifies translations to make while reading events. If @code{function-key-map} ``binds'' a key sequence @var{k} to a vector @var{v}, then when @var{k} appears as a subsequence @emph{anywhere} in a key sequence, it is replaced with the events in @var{v}. For example, VT100 terminals send @kbd{@key{ESC} O P} when the keypad PF1 key is pressed. Therefore, we want Emacs to translate that sequence of events into the single event @code{pf1}. We accomplish this by ``binding'' @kbd{@key{ESC} O P} to @code{[pf1]} in @code{function-key-map}, when using a VT100. Thus, typing @kbd{C-c @key{PF1}} sends the character sequence @kbd{C-c @key{ESC} O P}; later the function @code{read-key-sequence} translates this back into @kbd{C-c @key{PF1}}, which it returns as the vector @code{[?\C-c pf1]}. Entries in @code{function-key-map} are ignored if they conflict with bindings made in the minor mode, local, or global keymaps. The intent is that the character sequences that function keys send should not have command bindings in their own right. The value of @code{function-key-map} is usually set up automatically according to the terminal's Terminfo or Termcap entry, but sometimes those need help from terminal-specific Lisp files. Emacs comes with terminal-specific files for many common terminals; their main purpose is to make entries in @code{function-key-map} beyond those that can be deduced from Termcap and Terminfo. @xref{Terminal-Specific}. Emacs versions 18 and earlier used totally different means of detecting the character sequences that represent function keys. @end defvar @defvar key-translation-map This variable is another keymap used just like @code{function-key-map} to translate input events into other events. It differs from @code{function-key-map} in two ways: @itemize @bullet @item @code{key-translation-map} goes to work after @code{function-key-map} is finished; it receives the results of translation by @code{function-key-map}. @item @code{key-translation-map} overrides actual key bindings. @end itemize The intent of @code{key-translation-map} is for users to map one character set to another, including ordinary characters normally bound to @code{self-insert-command}. @end defvar @cindex key translation function You can use @code{function-key-map} or @code{key-translation-map} for more than simple aliases, by using a function, instead of a key sequence, as the ``translation'' of a key. Then this function is called to compute the translation of that key. The key translation function receives one argument, which is the prompt that was specified in @code{read-key-sequence}---or @code{nil} if the key sequence is being read by the editor command loop. In most cases you can ignore the prompt value. If the function reads input itself, it can have the effect of altering the event that follows. For example, here's how to define @kbd{C-c h} to turn the character that follows into a Hyper character: @example (defun hyperify (prompt) (let ((e (read-event))) (vector (if (numberp e) (logior (lsh 1 20) e) (if (memq 'hyper (event-modifiers e)) e (add-event-modifier "H-" e)))))) (defun add-event-modifier (string e) (let ((symbol (if (symbolp e) e (car e)))) (setq symbol (intern (concat string (symbol-name symbol)))) (if (symbolp e) symbol (cons symbol (cdr e))))) (define-key function-key-map "\C-ch" 'hyperify) @end example @pindex iso-transl @cindex Latin-1 character set (input) @cindex ISO Latin-1 characters (input) The @file{iso-transl} library uses this feature to provide a way of inputting non-ASCII Latin-1 characters. @node Recording Input @subsection Recording Input @defun recent-keys This function returns a vector containing the last 100 input events from the keyboard or mouse. All input events are included, whether or not they were used as parts of key sequences. Thus, you always get the last 100 inputs, not counting keyboard macros. (Events from keyboard macros are excluded because they are less interesting for debugging; it should be enough to see the events that invoked the macros.) @end defun @deffn Command open-dribble-file filename @cindex dribble file This function opens a @dfn{dribble file} named @var{filename}. When a dribble file is open, each input event from the keyboard or mouse (but not those from keyboard macros) is written in that file. A non-character event is expressed using its printed representation surrounded by @samp{<@dots{}>}. You close the dribble file by calling this function with an argument of @code{nil}. This function is normally used to record the input necessary to trigger an Emacs bug, for the sake of a bug report. @example @group (open-dribble-file "~/dribble") @result{} nil @end group @end example @end deffn See also the @code{open-termscript} function (@pxref{Terminal Output}). @node Terminal Output @section Terminal Output @cindex terminal output The terminal output functions send output to the terminal or keep track of output sent to the terminal. The variable @code{baud-rate} tells you what Emacs thinks is the output speed of the terminal. @defvar baud-rate This variable's value is the output speed of the terminal, as far as Emacs knows. Setting this variable does not change the speed of actual data transmission, but the value is used for calculations such as padding. It also affects decisions about whether to scroll part of the screen or repaint---even when using a window system. (We designed it this way despite the fact that a window system has no true ``output speed'', to give you a way to tune these decisions.) The value is measured in baud. @end defvar If you are running across a network, and different parts of the network work at different baud rates, the value returned by Emacs may be different from the value used by your local terminal. Some network protocols communicate the local terminal speed to the remote machine, so that Emacs and other programs can get the proper value, but others do not. If Emacs has the wrong value, it makes decisions that are less than optimal. To fix the problem, set @code{baud-rate}. @defun baud-rate This function returns the value of the variable @code{baud-rate}. In Emacs versions 18 and earlier, this was the only way to find out the terminal speed. @end defun @defun send-string-to-terminal string This function sends @var{string} to the terminal without alteration. Control characters in @var{string} have terminal-dependent effects. One use of this function is to define function keys on terminals that have downloadable function key definitions. For example, this is how on certain terminals to define function key 4 to move forward four characters (by transmitting the characters @kbd{C-u C-f} to the computer): @example @group (send-string-to-terminal "\eF4\^U\^F") @result{} nil @end group @end example @end defun @deffn Command open-termscript filename @cindex termscript file This function is used to open a @dfn{termscript file} that will record all the characters sent by Emacs to the terminal. It returns @code{nil}. Termscript files are useful for investigating problems where Emacs garbles the screen, problems that are due to incorrect Termcap entries or to undesirable settings of terminal options more often than to actual Emacs bugs. Once you are certain which characters were actually output, you can determine reliably whether they correspond to the Termcap specifications in use. See also @code{open-dribble-file} in @ref{Terminal Input}. @example @group (open-termscript "../junk/termscript") @result{} nil @end group @end example @end deffn @node Special Keysyms @section System-Specific X11 Keysyms To define system-specific X11 keysyms, set the variable @code{system-key-alist}. @defvar system-key-alist This variable's value should be an alist with one element for each system-specific keysym. An element has this form: @code{(@var{code} . @var{symbol})}, where @var{code} is the numeric keysym code (not including the ``vendor specific'' bit, 1 << 28), and @var{symbol} is the name for the function key. For example @code{(168 . mute-acute)} defines a system-specific key used by HP X servers whose numeric code is (1 << 28) + 168. It is not a problem if the alist defines keysyms for other X servers, as long as they don't conflict with the ones used by the X server actually in use. @end defvar @node Flow Control @section Flow Control @cindex flow control characters This section attempts to answer the question ``Why does Emacs choose to use flow-control characters in its command character set?'' For a second view on this issue, read the comments on flow control in the @file{emacs/INSTALL} file from the distribution; for help with Termcap entries and DEC terminal concentrators, see @file{emacs/etc/TERMS}. @cindex @kbd{C-s} @cindex @kbd{C-q} At one time, most terminals did not need flow control, and none used @code{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} for flow control. Therefore, the choice of @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} as command characters was uncontroversial. Emacs, for economy of keystrokes and portability, used nearly all the @sc{ASCII} control characters, with mnemonic meanings when possible; thus, @kbd{C-s} for search and @kbd{C-q} for quote. Later, some terminals were introduced which required these characters for flow control. They were not very good terminals for full-screen editing, so Emacs maintainers did not pay attention. In later years, flow control with @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} became widespread among terminals, but by this time it was usually an option. And the majority of users, who can turn flow control off, were unwilling to switch to less mnemonic key bindings for the sake of flow control. So which usage is ``right'', Emacs's or that of some terminal and concentrator manufacturers? This question has no simple answer. One reason why we are reluctant to cater to the problems caused by @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} is that they are gratuitous. There are other techniques (albeit less common in practice) for flow control that preserve transparency of the character stream. Note also that their use for flow control is not an official standard. Interestingly, on the model 33 teletype with a paper tape punch (which is very old), @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} were sent by the computer to turn the punch on and off! GNU Emacs version 19 provides a convenient way of enabling flow control if you want it: call the function @code{enable-flow-control}. @defun enable-flow-control This function enables use of @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} for output flow control, and provides the characters @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^} as aliases for them using @code{keyboard-translate-table} (@pxref{Translating Input}). @end defun You can use the function @code{enable-flow-control-on} in your @file{.emacs} file to enable flow control automatically on certain terminal types. @defun enable-flow-control-on &rest termtypes This function enables flow control, and the aliases @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^}, if the terminal type is one of @var{termtypes}. For example: @smallexample (enable-flow-control-on "vt200" "vt300" "vt101" "vt131") @end smallexample @end defun Here is how @code{enable-flow-control} does its job: @enumerate @item @cindex @sc{cbreak} It sets @sc{cbreak} mode for terminal input, and tells the operating system to handle flow control, with @code{(set-input-mode nil t)}. @item It sets up @code{keyboard-translate-table} to translate @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^} into @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q}. Except at its very lowest level, Emacs never knows that the characters typed were anything but @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q}, so you can in effect type them as @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^} even when they are input for other commands. @xref{Translating Input}. @end enumerate If the terminal is the source of the flow control characters, then once you enable kernel flow control handling, you probably can make do with less padding than normal for that terminal. You can reduce the amount of padding by customizing the Termcap entry. You can also reduce it by setting @code{baud-rate} to a smaller value so that Emacs uses a smaller speed when calculating the padding needed. @xref{Terminal Output}. @node Batch Mode @section Batch Mode @cindex batch mode @cindex noninteractive use The command line option @samp{-batch} causes Emacs to run noninteractively. In this mode, Emacs does not read commands from the terminal, it does not alter the terminal modes, and it does not expect to be outputting to an erasable screen. The idea is that you specify Lisp programs to run; when they are finished, Emacs should exit. The way to specify the programs to run is with @samp{-l @var{file}}, which loads the library named @var{file}, and @samp{-f @var{function}}, which calls @var{function} with no arguments. Any Lisp program output that would normally go to the echo area, either using @code{message} or using @code{prin1}, etc., with @code{t} as the stream, goes instead to Emacs's standard output descriptor when in batch mode. Thus, Emacs behaves much like a noninteractive application program. (The echo area output that Emacs itself normally generates, such as command echoing, is suppressed entirely.) @defvar noninteractive This variable is non-@code{nil} when Emacs is running in batch mode. @end defvar