@c -*-texinfo-*-@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2004@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.@setfilename ../info/help@node Documentation, Files, Modes, Top@chapter Documentation@cindex documentation strings GNU Emacs Lisp has convenient on-line help facilities, most of whichderive their information from the documentation strings associated withfunctions and variables. This chapter describes how to write gooddocumentation strings for your Lisp programs, as well as how to writeprograms to access documentation. Note that the documentation strings for Emacs are not the same thingas the Emacs manual. Manuals have their own source files, written inthe Texinfo language; documentation strings are specified in thedefinitions of the functions and variables they apply to. A collectionof documentation strings is not sufficient as a manual because a goodmanual is not organized in that fashion; it is organized in terms oftopics of discussion.@menu* Documentation Basics:: Good style for doc strings. Where to put them. How Emacs stores them.* Accessing Documentation:: How Lisp programs can access doc strings.* Keys in Documentation:: Substituting current key bindings.* Describing Characters:: Making printable descriptions of non-printing characters and key sequences.* Help Functions:: Subroutines used by Emacs help facilities.@end menu@node Documentation Basics@comment node-name, next, previous, up@section Documentation Basics@cindex documentation conventions@cindex writing a documentation string@cindex string, writing a doc string A documentation string is written using the Lisp syntax for strings,with double-quote characters surrounding the text of the string. Thisis because it really is a Lisp string object. The string serves asdocumentation when it is written in the proper place in the definitionof a function or variable. In a function definition, the documentationstring follows the argument list. In a variable definition, thedocumentation string follows the initial value of the variable. When you write a documentation string, make the first line acomplete sentence (or two complete sentences) since some commands,such as @code{apropos}, show only the first line of a multi-linedocumentation string. Also, you should not indent the second line ofa documentation string, if it has one, because that looks odd when youuse @kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) or @kbd{C-h v}(@code{describe-variable}) to view the documentation string. Thereare many other conventions for doc strings; see @ref{DocumentationTips}. Documentation strings can contain several special substrings, whichstand for key bindings to be looked up in the current keymaps when thedocumentation is displayed. This allows documentation strings to referto the keys for related commands and be accurate even when a userrearranges the key bindings. (@xref{Keys in Documentation}.) In Emacs Lisp, a documentation string is accessible through thefunction or variable that it describes:@itemize @bullet@item@kindex function-documentationThe documentation for a function is usually stored in the functiondefinition itself (@pxref{Lambda Expressions}). The function@code{documentation} knows how to extract it. You can also putfunction documentation in the @code{function-documentation} propertyof the function name. That is useful with definitions such askeyboard macros that can't hold a documentation string.@item@kindex variable-documentationThe documentation for a variable is stored in the variable's propertylist under the property name @code{variable-documentation}. Thefunction @code{documentation-property} knows how to retrieve it.@end itemize@cindex @file{DOC} (documentation) file@cindex @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}@cindex @file{etc/DOC-@var{version}}To save space, the documentation for preloaded functions and variables(including primitive functions and autoloaded functions) is stored inthe file @file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}---not inside Emacs. Thedocumentation strings for functions and variables loaded during theEmacs session from byte-compiled files are stored in those files(@pxref{Docs and Compilation}).The data structure inside Emacs has an integer offset into the file, ora list containing a file name and an integer, in place of thedocumentation string. The functions @code{documentation} and@code{documentation-property} use that information to fetch thedocumentation string from the appropriate file; this is transparent tothe user. For information on the uses of documentation strings, see @ref{Help, ,Help, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.@c Wordy to prevent overfull hbox. --rjc 15mar92 The @file{emacs/lib-src} directory contains two utilities that you canuse to print nice-looking hardcopy for the file@file{emacs/etc/DOC-@var{version}}. These are @file{sorted-doc} and@file{digest-doc}.@node Accessing Documentation@section Access to Documentation Strings@defun documentation-property symbol property &optional verbatimThis function returns the documentation string that is recorded in@var{symbol}'s property list under property @var{property}. Itretrieves the text from a file if the value calls for that. If theproperty value isn't @code{nil}, isn't a string, and doesn't refer totext in a file, then it is evaluated to obtain a string.The last thing this function does is pass the string through@code{substitute-command-keys} to substitute actual key bindings,unless @var{verbatim} is non-@code{nil}.@smallexample@group(documentation-property 'command-line-processed 'variable-documentation) @result{} "Non-nil once command line has been processed"@end group@group(symbol-plist 'command-line-processed) @result{} (variable-documentation 188902)@end group@end smallexample@end defun@defun documentation function &optional verbatimThis function returns the documentation string of @var{function}.If @var{function} is a symbol, this function first looks for the@code{function-documentation} property of that symbol; if that has anon-@code{nil} value, the documentation comes from that value (if thevalue is not a string, it is evaluated). If @var{function} is not asymbol, or if it has no @code{function-documentation} property, then@code{documentation} extracts the documentation string from the actualfunction definition, reading it from a file if called for.Finally, unless @var{verbatim} is non-@code{nil}, it calls@code{substitute-command-keys} so as to return a value containing theactual (current) key bindings.The function @code{documentation} signals a @code{void-function} errorif @var{function} has no function definition. However, it is OK ifthe function definition has no documentation string. In that case,@code{documentation} returns @code{nil}.@end defun@c Wordy to prevent overfull hboxes. --rjc 15mar92Here is an example of using the two functions, @code{documentation} and@code{documentation-property}, to display the documentation strings forseveral symbols in a @samp{*Help*} buffer.@anchor{describe-symbols example}@smallexample@group(defun describe-symbols (pattern) "Describe the Emacs Lisp symbols matching PATTERN.All symbols that have PATTERN in their name are describedin the `*Help*' buffer." (interactive "sDescribe symbols matching: ") (let ((describe-func (function (lambda (s)@end group@group ;; @r{Print description of symbol.} (if (fboundp s) ; @r{It is a function.} (princ (format "%s\t%s\n%s\n\n" s (if (commandp s) (let ((keys (where-is-internal s))) (if keys (concat "Keys: " (mapconcat 'key-description keys " ")) "Keys: none")) "Function")@end group@group (or (documentation s) "not documented")))) (if (boundp s) ; @r{It is a variable.}@end group@group (princ (format "%s\t%s\n%s\n\n" s (if (user-variable-p s) "Option " "Variable")@end group@group (or (documentation-property s 'variable-documentation) "not documented"))))))) sym-list)@end group@group ;; @r{Build a list of symbols that match pattern.} (mapatoms (function (lambda (sym) (if (string-match pattern (symbol-name sym)) (setq sym-list (cons sym sym-list))))))@end group@group ;; @r{Display the data.} (with-output-to-temp-buffer "*Help*" (mapcar describe-func (sort sym-list 'string<)) (print-help-return-message))))@end group@end smallexample The @code{describe-symbols} function works like @code{apropos},but provides more information.@smallexample@group(describe-symbols "goal")---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------goal-column Option*Semipermanent goal column for vertical motion, as set by @dots{}@end group@c Do not blithely break or fill these lines.@c That makes them incorrect.@groupset-goal-column Keys: C-x C-nSet the current horizontal position as a goal for C-n and C-p.@end group@c DO NOT put a blank line here! That is factually inaccurate!@groupThose commands will move to this position in the line moved torather than trying to keep the same horizontal position.With a non-nil argument, clears out the goal columnso that C-n and C-p resume vertical motion.The goal column is stored in the variable `goal-column'.@end group@grouptemporary-goal-column VariableCurrent goal column for vertical motion.It is the column where point wasat the start of current run of vertical motion commands.When the `track-eol' feature is doing its job, the value is 9999.---------- Buffer: *Help* ----------@end group@end smallexampleThe asterisk @samp{*} as the first character of a variable's doc string,as shown above for the @code{goal-column} variable, means that it is auser option; see the description of @code{defvar} in @ref{DefiningVariables}.@defun Snarf-documentation filename@anchor{Definition of Snarf-documentation}This function is used only during Emacs initialization, just beforethe runnable Emacs is dumped. It finds the file offsets of thedocumentation strings stored in the file @var{filename}, and recordsthem in the in-core function definitions and variable property lists inplace of the actual strings. @xref{Building Emacs}.Emacs reads the file @var{filename} from the @file{emacs/etc} directory.When the dumped Emacs is later executed, the same file will be lookedfor in the directory @code{doc-directory}. Usually @var{filename} is@code{"DOC-@var{version}"}.@end defun@c Emacs 19 feature@defvar doc-directoryThis variable holds the name of the directory which should contain thefile @code{"DOC-@var{version}"} that contains documentation strings forbuilt-in and preloaded functions and variables.In most cases, this is the same as @code{data-directory}. They may bedifferent when you run Emacs from the directory where you built it,without actually installing it. @xref{Definition of data-directory}.In older Emacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.@end defvar@node Keys in Documentation@section Substituting Key Bindings in Documentation@cindex documentation, keys in@cindex keys in documentation strings@cindex substituting keys in documentation When documentation strings refer to key sequences, they should use thecurrent, actual key bindings. They can do so using certain special textsequences described below. Accessing documentation strings in the usualway substitutes current key binding information for these specialsequences. This works by calling @code{substitute-command-keys}. Youcan also call that function yourself. Here is a list of the special sequences and what they mean:@table @code@item \[@var{command}]stands for a key sequence that will invoke @var{command}, or @samp{M-x@var{command}} if @var{command} has no key bindings.@item \@{@var{mapvar}@}stands for a summary of the keymap which is the value of the variable@var{mapvar}. The summary is made using @code{describe-bindings}.@item \<@var{mapvar}>stands for no text itself. It is used only for a side effect: itspecifies @var{mapvar}'s value as the keymap for any following@samp{\[@var{command}]} sequences in this documentation string.@item \=quotes the following character and is discarded; thus, @samp{\=\[} puts@samp{\[} into the output, and @samp{\=\=} puts @samp{\=} into theoutput.@end table@strong{Please note:} Each @samp{\} must be doubled when written in astring in Emacs Lisp.@defun substitute-command-keys stringThis function scans @var{string} for the above special sequences andreplaces them by what they stand for, returning the result as a string.This permits display of documentation that refers accurately to theuser's own customized key bindings.@end defun Here are examples of the special sequences:@smallexample@group(substitute-command-keys "To abort recursive edit, type: \\[abort-recursive-edit]")@result{} "To abort recursive edit, type: C-]"@end group@group(substitute-command-keys "The keys that are defined for the minibuffer here are: \\@{minibuffer-local-must-match-map@}")@result{} "The keys that are defined for the minibuffer here are:@end group? minibuffer-completion-helpSPC minibuffer-complete-wordTAB minibuffer-completeC-j minibuffer-complete-and-exitRET minibuffer-complete-and-exitC-g abort-recursive-edit"@group(substitute-command-keys "To abort a recursive edit from the minibuffer, type\\\<minibuffer-local-must-match-map>\\[abort-recursive-edit].")@result{} "To abort a recursive edit from the minibuffer, type C-g."@end group@end smallexample@node Describing Characters@section Describing Characters for Help Messages These functions convert events, key sequences, or characters totextual descriptions. These descriptions are useful for includingarbitrary text characters or key sequences in messages, because theyconvert non-printing and whitespace characters to sequences of printingcharacters. The description of a non-whitespace printing character isthe character itself.@defun key-description sequence &optional prefix@cindex Emacs event standard notationThis function returns a string containing the Emacs standard notationfor the input events in @var{sequence}. If @var{prefix} isnon-@code{nil}, it is a sequence of input events leading up to@var{sequence} and is included in the return value. Both argumentsmay be strings, vectors or lists. @xref{Input Events}, for moreinformation about valid events.@smallexample@group(key-description [?\M-3 delete]) @result{} "M-3 <delete>"@end group@group(key-description [delete] "\M-3") @result{} "M-3 <delete>"@end group@end smallexample See also the examples for @code{single-key-description}, below.@end defun@defun single-key-description event &optional no-angles@cindex event printing@cindex character printing@cindex control character printing@cindex meta character printingThis function returns a string describing @var{event} in the standardEmacs notation for keyboard input. A normal printing characterappears as itself, but a control character turns into a stringstarting with @samp{C-}, a meta character turns into a string startingwith @samp{M-}, and space, tab, etc.@: appear as @samp{SPC},@samp{TAB}, etc. A function key symbol appears inside angle brackets@samp{<@dots{}>}. An event that is a list appears as the name of thesymbol in the @sc{car} of the list, inside angle brackets.If the optional argument @var{no-angles} is non-@code{nil}, the anglebrackets around function keys and event symbols are omitted; this isfor compatibility with old versions of Emacs which didn't use thebrackets.@smallexample@group(single-key-description ?\C-x) @result{} "C-x"@end group@group(key-description "\C-x \M-y \n \t \r \f123") @result{} "C-x SPC M-y SPC C-j SPC TAB SPC RET SPC C-l 1 2 3"@end group@group(single-key-description 'delete) @result{} "<delete>"@end group@group(single-key-description 'C-mouse-1) @result{} "<C-mouse-1>"@end group@group(single-key-description 'C-mouse-1 t) @result{} "C-mouse-1"@end group@end smallexample@end defun@defun text-char-description characterThis function returns a string describing @var{character} in thestandard Emacs notation for characters that appear in text---like@code{single-key-description}, except that control characters arerepresented with a leading caret (which is how control characters inEmacs buffers are usually displayed). Another difference is that@code{text-char-description} recognizes the 2**7 bit as the Metacharacter, whereas @code{single-key-description} uses the 2**27 bitfor Meta.@smallexample@group(text-char-description ?\C-c) @result{} "^C"@end group@group(text-char-description ?\M-m) @result{} "\xed"@end group@group(text-char-description ?\C-\M-m) @result{} "\x8d"@end group@group(text-char-description (+ 128 ?m)) @result{} "M-m"@end group@group(text-char-description (+ 128 ?\C-m)) @result{} "M-^M"@end group@end smallexample@end defun@defun read-kbd-macro string &optional need-vectorThis function is used mainly for operating on keyboard macros, but itcan also be used as a rough inverse for @code{key-description}. Youcall it with a string containing key descriptions, separated by spaces;it returns a string or vector containing the corresponding events.(This may or may not be a single valid key sequence, depending on whatevents you use; @pxref{Keymap Terminology}.) If @var{need-vector} isnon-@code{nil}, the return value is always a vector.@end defun@node Help Functions@section Help Functions Emacs provides a variety of on-line help functions, all accessible tothe user as subcommands of the prefix @kbd{C-h}. For more informationabout them, see @ref{Help, , Help, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. Herewe describe some program-level interfaces to the same information.@deffn Command apropos regexp &optional do-allThis function finds all ``meaningful'' symbols whose names contain amatch for the regular expression @var{regexp}, and returns a list ofthem, with associated documentation (@pxref{Regular Expressions}). Italso displays the symbols in a buffer named @samp{*Apropos*}, eachwith a one-line description taken from the beginning of itsdocumentation string. A symbol is ``meaningful'' if it has adefinition as a function, variable, or face, or has properties.@c Emacs 19 featureIf @var{do-all} is non-@code{nil}, or if the user option@code{apropos-do-all} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{apropos} alsoshows key bindings for the functions that are found; it also shows@emph{all} interned symbols, not just meaningful ones (and it liststhem in the return value as well).@end deffn@defvar help-mapThe value of this variable is a local keymap for characters following theHelp key, @kbd{C-h}.@end defvar@deffn {Prefix Command} help-commandThis symbol is not a function; its function definition cell holds thekeymap known as @code{help-map}. It is defined in @file{help.el} asfollows:@smallexample@group(define-key global-map (char-to-string help-char) 'help-command)(fset 'help-command help-map)@end group@end smallexample@end deffn@defun print-help-return-message &optional functionThis function builds a string that explains how to restore the previousstate of the windows after a help command. After building the message,it applies @var{function} to it if @var{function} is non-@code{nil}.Otherwise it calls @code{message} to display it in the echo area.This function expects to be called inside a@code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} special form, and expects@code{standard-output} to have the value bound by that special form.For an example of its use, see the long example in @ref{AccessingDocumentation}.@end defun@defvar help-charThe value of this variable is the help character---the character thatEmacs recognizes as meaning Help. By default, its value is 8, whichstands for @kbd{C-h}. When Emacs reads this character, if@code{help-form} is a non-@code{nil} Lisp expression, it evaluates thatexpression, and displays the result in a window if it is a string.Usually the value of @code{help-form} is @code{nil}. Then thehelp character has no special meaning at the level of command input, andit becomes part of a key sequence in the normal way. The standard keybinding of @kbd{C-h} is a prefix key for several general-purpose helpfeatures.The help character is special after prefix keys, too. If it has nobinding as a subcommand of the prefix key, it runs@code{describe-prefix-bindings}, which displays a list of all thesubcommands of the prefix key.@end defvar@defvar help-event-listThe value of this variable is a list of event types that serve asalternative ``help characters.'' These events are handled just like theevent specified by @code{help-char}.@end defvar@defvar help-formIf this variable is non-@code{nil}, its value is a form to evaluatewhenever the character @code{help-char} is read. If evaluating the formproduces a string, that string is displayed.A command that calls @code{read-event} or @code{read-char} probablyshould bind @code{help-form} to a non-@code{nil} expression while itdoes input. (The time when you should not do this is when @kbd{C-h} hassome other meaning.) Evaluating this expression should result in astring that explains what the input is for and how to enter it properly.Entry to the minibuffer binds this variable to the value of@code{minibuffer-help-form} (@pxref{Definition of minibuffer-help-form}).@end defvar@defvar prefix-help-commandThis variable holds a function to print help for a prefix key. Thefunction is called when the user types a prefix key followed by the helpcharacter, and the help character has no binding after that prefix. Thevariable's default value is @code{describe-prefix-bindings}.@end defvar@defun describe-prefix-bindingsThis function calls @code{describe-bindings} to display a list of allthe subcommands of the prefix key of the most recent key sequence. Theprefix described consists of all but the last event of that keysequence. (The last event is, presumably, the help character.)@end defun The following two functions are meant for modes that want to providehelp without relinquishing control, such as the ``electric'' modes.Their names begin with @samp{Helper} to distinguish them from theordinary help functions.@deffn Command Helper-describe-bindingsThis command pops up a window displaying a help buffer containing alisting of all of the key bindings from both the local and global keymaps.It works by calling @code{describe-bindings}.@end deffn@deffn Command Helper-helpThis command provides help for the current mode. It prompts the userin the minibuffer with the message @samp{Help (Type ? for furtheroptions)}, and then provides assistance in finding out what the keybindings are, and what the mode is intended for. It returns @code{nil}.This can be customized by changing the map @code{Helper-help-map}.@end deffn@c Emacs 19 feature@defvar data-directory@anchor{Definition of data-directory}This variable holds the name of the directory in which Emacs findscertain documentation and text files that come with Emacs. In olderEmacs versions, @code{exec-directory} was used for this.@end defvar@c Emacs 19 feature@defmac make-help-screen fname help-line help-text help-mapThis macro defines a help command named @var{fname} that acts like aprefix key that shows a list of the subcommands it offers.When invoked, @var{fname} displays @var{help-text} in a window, thenreads and executes a key sequence according to @var{help-map}. Thestring @var{help-text} should describe the bindings available in@var{help-map}.The command @var{fname} is defined to handle a few events itself, byscrolling the display of @var{help-text}. When @var{fname} reads one ofthose special events, it does the scrolling and then reads anotherevent. When it reads an event that is not one of those few, and whichhas a binding in @var{help-map}, it executes that key's binding andthen returns.The argument @var{help-line} should be a single-line summary of thealternatives in @var{help-map}. In the current version of Emacs, thisargument is used only if you set the option @code{three-step-help} to@code{t}.This macro is used in the command @code{help-for-help} which is thebinding of @kbd{C-h C-h}.@end defmac@defopt three-step-helpIf this variable is non-@code{nil}, commands defined with@code{make-help-screen} display their @var{help-line} strings in theecho area at first, and display the longer @var{help-text} strings onlyif the user types the help character again.@end defopt@ignore arch-tag: ba36b4c2-e60f-49e2-bc25-61158fdcd815@end ignore