@c -*-texinfo-*-@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002,@c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.@setfilename ../../info/tips@node Tips, GNU Emacs Internals, GPL, Top@appendix Tips and Conventions@cindex tips for writing Lisp@cindex standards of coding style@cindex coding standards This chapter describes no additional features of Emacs Lisp. Insteadit gives advice on making effective use of the features described in theprevious chapters, and describes conventions Emacs Lisp programmersshould follow. You can automatically check some of the conventions described below byrunning the command @kbd{M-x checkdoc RET} when visiting a Lisp file.It cannot check all of the conventions, and not all the warnings itgives necessarily correspond to problems, but it is worth examining themall.@menu* Coding Conventions:: Conventions for clean and robust programs.* Key Binding Conventions:: Which keys should be bound by which programs.* Programming Tips:: Making Emacs code fit smoothly in Emacs.* Compilation Tips:: Making compiled code run fast.* Warning Tips:: Turning off compiler warnings.* Documentation Tips:: Writing readable documentation strings.* Comment Tips:: Conventions for writing comments.* Library Headers:: Standard headers for library packages.@end menu@node Coding Conventions@section Emacs Lisp Coding Conventions@cindex coding conventions in Emacs Lisp Here are conventions that you should follow when writing Emacs Lispcode intended for widespread use:@itemize @bullet@itemSimply loading the package should not change Emacs's editing behavior.Include a command or commands to enable and disable the feature,or to invoke it.This convention is mandatory for any file that includes customdefinitions. If fixing such a file to follow this convention requiresan incompatible change, go ahead and make the incompatible change;don't postpone it.@itemSince all global variables share the same name space, and allfunctions share another name space, you should choose a short word todistinguish your program from other Lisp programs@footnote{Thebenefits of a Common Lisp-style package system are considered not tooutweigh the costs.}. Then take care to begin the names of all globalvariables, constants, and functions in your program with the chosenprefix. This helps avoid name conflicts.Occasionally, for a command name intended for users to use, it is moreconvenient if some words come before the package's name prefix. Andconstructs that define functions, variables, etc., work better if theystart with @samp{defun} or @samp{defvar}, so put the name prefix lateron in the name.This recommendation applies even to names for traditional Lispprimitives that are not primitives in Emacs Lisp---such as@code{copy-list}. Believe it or not, there is more than one plausibleway to define @code{copy-list}. Play it safe; append your name prefixto produce a name like @code{foo-copy-list} or @code{mylib-copy-list}instead.If you write a function that you think ought to be added to Emacs undera certain name, such as @code{twiddle-files}, don't call it by that namein your program. Call it @code{mylib-twiddle-files} in your program,and send mail to @samp{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} suggesting we addit to Emacs. If and when we do, we can change the name easily enough.If one prefix is insufficient, your package can use two or threealternative common prefixes, so long as they make sense.Separate the prefix from the rest of the symbol name with a hyphen,@samp{-}. This will be consistent with Emacs itself and with most EmacsLisp programs.@itemPut a call to @code{provide} at the end of each separate Lisp file.@itemIf a file requires certain other Lisp programs to be loadedbeforehand, then the comments at the beginning of the file should sayso. Also, use @code{require} to make sure they are loaded.@itemIf one file @var{foo} uses a macro defined in another file @var{bar},@var{foo} should contain this expression before the first use of themacro:@example(eval-when-compile (require '@var{bar}))@end example@noindent(And the library @var{bar} should contain @code{(provide '@var{bar})},to make the @code{require} work.) This will cause @var{bar} to beloaded when you byte-compile @var{foo}. Otherwise, you risk compiling@var{foo} without the necessary macro loaded, and that would producecompiled code that won't work right. @xref{Compiling Macros}.Using @code{eval-when-compile} avoids loading @var{bar} whenthe compiled version of @var{foo} is @emph{used}.@itemPlease don't require the @code{cl} package of Common Lisp extensions atrun time. Use of this package is optional, and it is not part of thestandard Emacs namespace. If your package loads @code{cl} at run time,that could cause name clashes for users who don't use that package.However, there is no problem with using the @code{cl} package atcompile time, with @code{(eval-when-compile (require 'cl))}. That'ssufficient for using the macros in the @code{cl} package, because thecompiler expands them before generating the byte-code.@itemWhen defining a major mode, please follow the major modeconventions. @xref{Major Mode Conventions}.@itemWhen defining a minor mode, please follow the minor modeconventions. @xref{Minor Mode Conventions}.@itemIf the purpose of a function is to tell you whether a certain conditionis true or false, give the function a name that ends in @samp{p}. Ifthe name is one word, add just @samp{p}; if the name is multiple words,add @samp{-p}. Examples are @code{framep} and @code{frame-live-p}.@itemIf a user option variable records a true-or-false condition, give it aname that ends in @samp{-flag}.@itemIf the purpose of a variable is to store a single function, give it aname that ends in @samp{-function}. If the purpose of a variable isto store a list of functions (i.e., the variable is a hook), pleasefollow the naming conventions for hooks. @xref{Hooks}.@item@cindex unloading packages, preparing forIf loading the file adds functions to hooks, define a function@code{@var{feature}-unload-hook}, where @var{feature} is the name ofthe feature the package provides, and make it undo any such changes.Using @code{unload-feature} to unload the file will run this function.@xref{Unloading}.@itemIt is a bad idea to define aliases for the Emacs primitives. Normallyyou should use the standard names instead. The case where an aliasmay be useful is where it facilitates backwards compatibility orportability.@itemIf a package needs to define an alias or a new function forcompatibility with some other version of Emacs, name it with the packageprefix, not with the raw name with which it occurs in the other version.Here is an example from Gnus, which provides many examples of suchcompatibility issues.@example(defalias 'gnus-point-at-bol (if (fboundp 'point-at-bol) 'point-at-bol 'line-beginning-position))@end example@itemRedefining (or advising) an Emacs primitive is a bad idea. It may dothe right thing for a particular program, but there is no telling whatother programs might break as a result. In any case, it is a problemfor debugging, because the advised function doesn't do what its sourcecode says it does. If the programmer investigating the problem isunaware that there is advice on the function, the experience can bevery frustrating.We hope to remove all the places in Emacs that advise primitives.In the mean time, please don't add any more.@itemIt is likewise a bad idea for one Lisp package to advise a functionin another Lisp package.@itemLikewise, avoid using @code{eval-after-load} (@pxref{Hooks forLoading}) in libraries and packages. This feature is meant forpersonal customizations; using it in a Lisp program is unclean,because it modifies the behavior of another Lisp file in a way that'snot visible in that file. This is an obstacle for debugging, muchlike advising a function in the other package.@itemIf a file does replace any of the functions or library programs ofstandard Emacs, prominent comments at the beginning of the file shouldsay which functions are replaced, and how the behavior of thereplacements differs from that of the originals.@itemConstructs that define a function or variable should be macros,not functions, and their names should start with @samp{def}.@itemA macro that defines a function or variable should have a name thatstarts with @samp{define-}. The macro should receive the name to bedefined as the first argument. That will help various tools find thedefinition automatically. Avoid constructing the names in the macroitself, since that would confuse these tools.@itemPlease keep the names of your Emacs Lisp source files to 13 charactersor less. This way, if the files are compiled, the compiled files' nameswill be 14 characters or less, which is short enough to fit on all kindsof Unix systems.@itemIn some other systems there is a convention of choosing variable namesthat begin and end with @samp{*}. We don't use that convention in EmacsLisp, so please don't use it in your programs. (Emacs uses such namesonly for special-purpose buffers.) The users will find Emacs morecoherent if all libraries use the same conventions.@itemIf your program contains non-ASCII characters in string or characterconstants, you should make sure Emacs always decodes these charactersthe same way, regardless of the user's settings. There are two waysto do that:@itemize -@itemUse coding system @code{emacs-mule}, and specify that for@code{coding} in the @samp{-*-} line or the local variables list.@example;; XXX.el -*- coding: emacs-mule; -*-@end example@itemUse one of the coding systems based on ISO 2022 (such asiso-8859-@var{n} and iso-2022-7bit), and specify it with @samp{!} atthe end for @code{coding}. (The @samp{!} turns off any possiblecharacter translation.)@example;; XXX.el -*- coding: iso-latin-2!; -*-@end example@end itemize@itemIndent each function with @kbd{C-M-q} (@code{indent-sexp}) using thedefault indentation parameters.@itemDon't make a habit of putting close-parentheses on lines by themselves;Lisp programmers find this disconcerting. Once in a while, when thereis a sequence of many consecutive close-parentheses, it may make senseto split the sequence in one or two significant places.@itemPlease put a copyright notice and copying permission notice on thefile if you distribute copies. Use a notice like this one:@smallexample;; Copyright (C) @var{year} @var{name};; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or;; modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as;; published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of;; the License, or (at your option) any later version.;; This program is distributed in the hope that it will be;; useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied;; warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR;; PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public;; License along with this program; if not, write to the Free;; Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,;; Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA@end smallexampleIf you have signed papers to assign the copyright to the Foundation,then use @samp{Free Software Foundation, Inc.} as @var{name}.Otherwise, use your name. See also @xref{Library Headers}.@end itemize@node Key Binding Conventions@section Key Binding Conventions@cindex key binding, conventions for@itemize @bullet@item@cindex mouse-2@cindex references, followingSpecial major modes used for read-only text should usually redefine@kbd{mouse-2} and @key{RET} to trace some sort of reference in the text.Modes such as Dired, Info, Compilation, and Occur redefine it in thisway.In addition, they should mark the text as a kind of ``link'' so that@kbd{mouse-1} will follow it also. @xref{Links and Mouse-1}.@item@cindex reserved keys@cindex keys, reservedPlease do not define @kbd{C-c @var{letter}} as a key in Lisp programs.Sequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} and a letter (either upper or lowercase) are reserved for users; they are the @strong{only} sequencesreserved for users, so do not block them.Changing all the Emacs major modes to respect this convention was alot of work; abandoning this convention would make that work go towaste, and inconvenience users. Please comply with it.@itemFunction keys @key{F5} through @key{F9} without modifier keys arealso reserved for users to define.@itemApplications should not bind mouse events based on button 1 with theshift key held down. These events include @kbd{S-mouse-1},@kbd{M-S-mouse-1}, @kbd{C-S-mouse-1}, and so on. They are reserved forusers.@itemSequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by a control character or adigit are reserved for major modes.@itemSequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}},@kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;} are also reserved for major modes.@itemSequences consisting of @kbd{C-c} followed by any other punctuationcharacter are allocated for minor modes. Using them in a major mode isnot absolutely prohibited, but if you do that, the major mode bindingmay be shadowed from time to time by minor modes.@itemDo not bind @kbd{C-h} following any prefix character (including@kbd{C-c}). If you don't bind @kbd{C-h}, it is automatically availableas a help character for listing the subcommands of the prefix character.@itemDo not bind a key sequence ending in @key{ESC} except followinganother @key{ESC}. (That is, it is OK to bind a sequence ending in@kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}}.)The reason for this rule is that a non-prefix binding for @key{ESC} inany context prevents recognition of escape sequences as function keys inthat context.@itemAnything which acts like a temporary mode or state which the user canenter and leave should define @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} or@kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as a way to escape.For a state which accepts ordinary Emacs commands, or more generally anykind of state in which @key{ESC} followed by a function key or arrow keyis potentially meaningful, then you must not define @kbd{@key{ESC}@key{ESC}}, since that would preclude recognizing an escape sequenceafter @key{ESC}. In these states, you should define @kbd{@key{ESC}@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} as the way to escape. Otherwise, define@kbd{@key{ESC} @key{ESC}} instead.@end itemize@node Programming Tips@section Emacs Programming Tips@cindex programming conventions Following these conventions will make your program fit betterinto Emacs when it runs.@itemize @bullet@itemDon't use @code{next-line} or @code{previous-line} in programs; nearlyalways, @code{forward-line} is more convenient as well as morepredictable and robust. @xref{Text Lines}.@itemDon't call functions that set the mark, unless setting the mark is oneof the intended features of your program. The mark is a user-levelfeature, so it is incorrect to change the mark except to supply a valuefor the user's benefit. @xref{The Mark}.In particular, don't use any of these functions:@itemize @bullet@item@code{beginning-of-buffer}, @code{end-of-buffer}@item@code{replace-string}, @code{replace-regexp}@item@code{insert-file}, @code{insert-buffer}@end itemizeIf you just want to move point, or replace a certain string, or inserta file or buffer's contents, without any of the other featuresintended for interactive users, you can replace these functions withone or two lines of simple Lisp code.@itemUse lists rather than vectors, except when there is a particular reasonto use a vector. Lisp has more facilities for manipulating lists thanfor vectors, and working with lists is usually more convenient.Vectors are advantageous for tables that are substantial in size and areaccessed in random order (not searched front to back), provided there isno need to insert or delete elements (only lists allow that).@itemThe recommended way to show a message in the echo area is withthe @code{message} function, not @code{princ}. @xref{The Echo Area}.@itemWhen you encounter an error condition, call the function @code{error}(or @code{signal}). The function @code{error} does not return.@xref{Signaling Errors}.Do not use @code{message}, @code{throw}, @code{sleep-for},or @code{beep} to report errors.@itemAn error message should start with a capital letter but should not endwith a period.@itemA question asked in the minibuffer with @code{y-or-n-p} or@code{yes-or-no-p} should start with a capital letter and end with@samp{? }.@itemWhen you mention a default value in a minibuffer prompt,put it and the word @samp{default} inside parentheses.It should look like this:@exampleEnter the answer (default 42):@end example@itemIn @code{interactive}, if you use a Lisp expression to produce a listof arguments, don't try to provide the ``correct'' default values forregion or position arguments. Instead, provide @code{nil} for thosearguments if they were not specified, and have the function bodycompute the default value when the argument is @code{nil}. Forinstance, write this:@example(defun foo (pos) (interactive (list (if @var{specified} @var{specified-pos}))) (unless pos (setq pos @var{default-pos})) ...)@end example@noindentrather than this:@example(defun foo (pos) (interactive (list (if @var{specified} @var{specified-pos} @var{default-pos}))) ...)@end example@noindentThis is so that repetition of the command will recomputethese defaults based on the current circumstances.You do not need to take such precautions when you use interactivespecs @samp{d}, @samp{m} and @samp{r}, because they make specialarrangements to recompute the argument values on repetition of thecommand.@itemMany commands that take a long time to execute display a message thatsays something like @samp{Operating...} when they start, and change it to@samp{Operating...done} when they finish. Please keep the style ofthese messages uniform: @emph{no} space around the ellipsis, and@emph{no} period after @samp{done}.@itemTry to avoid using recursive edits. Instead, do what the Rmail @kbd{e}command does: use a new local keymap that contains one command definedto switch back to the old local keymap. Or do what the@code{edit-options} command does: switch to another buffer and let theuser switch back at will. @xref{Recursive Editing}.@end itemize@node Compilation Tips@section Tips for Making Compiled Code Fast@cindex execution speed@cindex speedups Here are ways of improving the execution speed of byte-compiledLisp programs.@itemize @bullet@item@cindex profiling@cindex timing programs@cindex @file{elp.el}Profile your program with the @file{elp} library. See the file@file{elp.el} for instructions.@item@cindex @file{benchmark.el}@cindex benchmarkingCheck the speed of individual Emacs Lisp forms using the@file{benchmark} library. See the functions @code{benchmark-run} and@code{benchmark-run-compiled} in @file{benchmark.el}.@itemUse iteration rather than recursion whenever possible.Function calls are slow in Emacs Lisp even when a compiled functionis calling another compiled function.@itemUsing the primitive list-searching functions @code{memq}, @code{member},@code{assq}, or @code{assoc} is even faster than explicit iteration. Itcan be worth rearranging a data structure so that one of these primitivesearch functions can be used.@itemCertain built-in functions are handled specially in byte-compiled code,avoiding the need for an ordinary function call. It is a good idea touse these functions rather than alternatives. To see whether a functionis handled specially by the compiler, examine its @code{byte-compile}property. If the property is non-@code{nil}, then the function ishandled specially.For example, the following input will show you that @code{aref} iscompiled specially (@pxref{Array Functions}):@example@group(get 'aref 'byte-compile) @result{} byte-compile-two-args@end group@end example@itemIf calling a small function accounts for a substantial part of yourprogram's running time, make the function inline. This eliminatesthe function call overhead. Since making a function inline reducesthe flexibility of changing the program, don't do it unless it givesa noticeable speedup in something slow enough that users care aboutthe speed. @xref{Inline Functions}.@end itemize@node Warning Tips@section Tips for Avoiding Compiler Warnings@cindex byte compiler warnings, how to avoid@itemize @bullet@itemTry to avoid compiler warnings about undefined free variables, by addingdummy @code{defvar} definitions for these variables, like this:@example(defvar foo)@end exampleSuch a definition has no effect except to tell the compilernot to warn about uses of the variable @code{foo} in this file.@itemIf you use many functions and variables from a certain file, you canadd a @code{require} for that package to avoid compilation warningsfor them. For instance,@example(eval-when-compile (require 'foo))@end example@itemIf you bind a variable in one function, and use it or set it inanother function, the compiler warns about the latter function unlessthe variable has a definition. But adding a definition would beunclean if the variable has a short name, since Lisp packages shouldnot define short variable names. The right thing to do is to renamethis variable to start with the name prefix used for the otherfunctions and variables in your package.@itemThe last resort for avoiding a warning, when you want to do somethingthat usually is a mistake but it's not a mistake in this one case,is to put a call to @code{with-no-warnings} around it.@end itemize@node Documentation Tips@section Tips for Documentation Strings@cindex documentation strings, conventions and tips@findex checkdoc-minor-mode Here are some tips and conventions for the writing of documentationstrings. You can check many of these conventions by running the command@kbd{M-x checkdoc-minor-mode}.@itemize @bullet@itemEvery command, function, or variable intended for users to know aboutshould have a documentation string.@itemAn internal variable or subroutine of a Lisp program might as well havea documentation string. In earlier Emacs versions, you could save spaceby using a comment instead of a documentation string, but that is nolonger the case---documentation strings now take up very little space ina running Emacs.@itemFormat the documentation string so that it fits in an Emacs window on an80-column screen. It is a good idea for most lines to be no wider than60 characters. The first line should not be wider than 67 charactersor it will look bad in the output of @code{apropos}.You can fill the text if that looks good. However, rather than blindlyfilling the entire documentation string, you can often make it much morereadable by choosing certain line breaks with care. Use blank linesbetween topics if the documentation string is long.@itemThe first line of the documentation string should consist of one or twocomplete sentences that stand on their own as a summary. @kbd{M-xapropos} displays just the first line, and if that line's contents don'tstand on their own, the result looks bad. In particular, start thefirst line with a capital letter and end with a period.For a function, the first line should briefly answer the question,``What does this function do?'' For a variable, the first line shouldbriefly answer the question, ``What does this value mean?''Don't limit the documentation string to one line; use as many lines asyou need to explain the details of how to use the function orvariable. Please use complete sentences for the rest of the text too.@itemWhen the user tries to use a disabled command, Emacs displays just thefirst paragraph of its documentation string---everything through thefirst blank line. If you wish, you can choose which information toinclude before the first blank line so as to make this display useful.@itemThe first line should mention all the important arguments of thefunction, and should mention them in the order that they are writtenin a function call. If the function has many arguments, then it isnot feasible to mention them all in the first line; in that case, thefirst line should mention the first few arguments, including the mostimportant arguments.@itemWhen a function's documentation string mentions the value of an argumentof the function, use the argument name in capital letters as if it werea name for that value. Thus, the documentation string of the function@code{eval} refers to its second argument as @samp{FORM}, because theactual argument name is @code{form}:@exampleEvaluate FORM and return its value.@end exampleAlso write metasyntactic variables in capital letters, such as when youshow the decomposition of a list or vector into subunits, some of whichmay vary. @samp{KEY} and @samp{VALUE} in the following exampleillustrate this practice:@exampleThe argument TABLE should be an alist whose elementshave the form (KEY . VALUE). Here, KEY is ...@end example@itemNever change the case of a Lisp symbol when you mention it in a docstring. If the symbol's name is @code{foo}, write ``foo,'' not``Foo'' (which is a different symbol).This might appear to contradict the policy of writing functionargument values, but there is no real contradiction; the argument@emph{value} is not the same thing as the @emph{symbol} which thefunction uses to hold the value.If this puts a lower-case letter at the beginning of a sentenceand that annoys you, rewrite the sentence so that the symbolis not at the start of it.@itemDo not start or end a documentation string with whitespace.@item@strong{Do not} indent subsequent lines of a documentation string sothat the text is lined up in the source code with the text of the firstline. This looks nice in the source code, but looks bizarre when usersview the documentation. Remember that the indentation before thestarting double-quote is not part of the string!@anchor{Docstring hyperlinks}@item@iftexWhen a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as itwould be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotesaround it. For example: @samp{`lambda'}. There are two exceptions:write @code{t} and @code{nil} without single-quotes.@end iftex@ifnottexWhen a documentation string refers to a Lisp symbol, write it as itwould be printed (which usually means in lower case), with single-quotesaround it. For example: @samp{lambda}. There are two exceptions: writet and nil without single-quotes. (In this manual, we use a differentconvention, with single-quotes for all symbols.)@end ifnottex@cindex hyperlinks in documentation stringsHelp mode automatically creates a hyperlink when a documentation stringuses a symbol name inside single quotes, if the symbol has either afunction or a variable definition. You do not need to do anythingspecial to make use of this feature. However, when a symbol has both afunction definition and a variable definition, and you want to refer tojust one of them, you can specify which one by writing one of the words@samp{variable}, @samp{option}, @samp{function}, or @samp{command},immediately before the symbol name. (Case makes no difference inrecognizing these indicator words.) For example, if you write@exampleThis function sets the variable `buffer-file-name'.@end example@noindentthen the hyperlink will refer only to the variable documentation of@code{buffer-file-name}, and not to its function documentation.If a symbol has a function definition and/or a variable definition, butthose are irrelevant to the use of the symbol that you are documenting,you can write the words @samp{symbol} or @samp{program} before thesymbol name to prevent making any hyperlink. For example,@exampleIf the argument KIND-OF-RESULT is the symbol `list',this function returns a list of all the objectsthat satisfy the criterion.@end example@noindentdoes not make a hyperlink to the documentation, irrelevant here, of thefunction @code{list}.Normally, no hyperlink is made for a variable without variabledocumentation. You can force a hyperlink for such variables bypreceding them with one of the words @samp{variable} or@samp{option}.Hyperlinks for faces are only made if the face name is preceded orfollowed by the word @samp{face}. In that case, only the facedocumentation will be shown, even if the symbol is also defined as avariable or as a function.To make a hyperlink to Info documentation, write the name of the Infonode (or anchor) in single quotes, preceded by @samp{info node},@samp{Info node}, @samp{info anchor} or @samp{Info anchor}. The Infofile name defaults to @samp{emacs}. For example,@smallexampleSee Info node `Font Lock' and Info node `(elisp)Font Lock Basics'.@end smallexampleFinally, to create a hyperlink to URLs, write the URL in singlequotes, preceded by @samp{URL}. For example,@smallexampleThe home page for the GNU project has more information (see URL`http://www.gnu.org/').@end smallexample@itemDon't write key sequences directly in documentation strings. Instead,use the @samp{\\[@dots{}]} construct to stand for them. For example,instead of writing @samp{C-f}, write the construct@samp{\\[forward-char]}. When Emacs displays the documentation string,it substitutes whatever key is currently bound to @code{forward-char}.(This is normally @samp{C-f}, but it may be some other character if theuser has moved key bindings.) @xref{Keys in Documentation}.@itemIn documentation strings for a major mode, you will want to refer to thekey bindings of that mode's local map, rather than global ones.Therefore, use the construct @samp{\\<@dots{}>} once in thedocumentation string to specify which key map to use. Do this beforethe first use of @samp{\\[@dots{}]}. The text inside the@samp{\\<@dots{}>} should be the name of the variable containing thelocal keymap for the major mode.It is not practical to use @samp{\\[@dots{}]} very many times, becausedisplay of the documentation string will become slow. So use this todescribe the most important commands in your major mode, and then use@samp{\\@{@dots{}@}} to display the rest of the mode's keymap.@itemFor consistency, phrase the verb in the first sentence of a function'sdocumentation string as an imperative---for instance, use ``Return thecons of A and B.'' in preference to ``Returns the cons of A and B@.''Usually it looks good to do likewise for the rest of the firstparagraph. Subsequent paragraphs usually look better if each sentenceis indicative and has a proper subject.@itemThe documentation string for a function that is a yes-or-no predicateshould start with words such as ``Return t if,'' to indicateexplicitly what constitutes ``truth.'' The word ``return'' avoidsstarting the sentence with lower-case ``t,'' which could be somewhatdistracting.@itemIf a line in a documentation string begins with an open-parenthesis,write a backslash before the open-parenthesis, like this:@exampleThe argument FOO can be either a number\(a buffer position) or a string (a file name).@end exampleThis prevents the open-parenthesis from being treated as the start of adefun (@pxref{Defuns,, Defuns, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).@itemWrite documentation strings in the active voice, not the passive, and inthe present tense, not the future. For instance, use ``Return a listcontaining A and B.'' instead of ``A list containing A and B will bereturned.''@itemAvoid using the word ``cause'' (or its equivalents) unnecessarily.Instead of, ``Cause Emacs to display text in boldface,'' write just``Display text in boldface.''@itemAvoid using ``iff'' (a mathematics term meaning ``if and only if''),since many people are unfamiliar with it and mistake it for a typo. Inmost cases, the meaning is clear with just ``if''. Otherwise, try tofind an alternate phrasing that conveys the meaning.@itemWhen a command is meaningful only in a certain mode or situation,do mention that in the documentation string. For example,the documentation of @code{dired-find-file} is:@exampleIn Dired, visit the file or directory named on this line.@end example@itemWhen you define a variable that users ought to set interactively, younormally should use @code{defcustom}. However, if for some reason youuse @code{defvar} instead, start the doc string with a @samp{*}.@xref{Defining Variables}.@itemThe documentation string for a variable that is a yes-or-no flag shouldstart with words such as ``Non-nil means,'' to make it clear thatall non-@code{nil} values are equivalent and indicate explicitly what@code{nil} and non-@code{nil} mean.@end itemize@node Comment Tips@section Tips on Writing Comments@cindex comments, Lisp convention for We recommend these conventions for where to put comments and how toindent them:@table @samp@item ;Comments that start with a single semicolon, @samp{;}, should all bealigned to the same column on the right of the source code. Suchcomments usually explain how the code on the same line does its job. InLisp mode and related modes, the @kbd{M-;} (@code{indent-for-comment})command automatically inserts such a @samp{;} in the right place, oraligns such a comment if it is already present.This and following examples are taken from the Emacs sources.@smallexample@group(setq base-version-list ; there was a base (assoc (substring fn 0 start-vn) ; version to which file-version-assoc-list)) ; this looks like ; a subversion@end group@end smallexample@item ;;Comments that start with two semicolons, @samp{;;}, should be aligned tothe same level of indentation as the code. Such comments usuallydescribe the purpose of the following lines or the state of the programat that point. For example:@smallexample@group(prog1 (setq auto-fill-function @dots{} @dots{} ;; update mode line (force-mode-line-update)))@end group@end smallexampleWe also normally use two semicolons for comments outside functions.@smallexample@group;; This Lisp code is run in Emacs;; when it is to operate as a server;; for other processes.@end group@end smallexampleEvery function that has no documentation string (presumably one that isused only internally within the package it belongs to), should insteadhave a two-semicolon comment right before the function, explaining whatthe function does and how to call it properly. Explain precisely whateach argument means and how the function interprets its possible values.@item ;;;Comments that start with three semicolons, @samp{;;;}, should start atthe left margin. These are used, occasionally, for comments withinfunctions that should start at the margin. We also use them sometimesfor comments that are between functions---whether to use two or threesemicolons depends on whether the comment should be considered a``heading'' by Outline minor mode. By default, comments starting withat least three semicolons (followed by a single space and anon-whitespace character) are considered headings, comments startingwith two or less are not.Another use for triple-semicolon comments is for commenting out lineswithin a function. We use three semicolons for this precisely so thatthey remain at the left margin. By default, Outline minor mode doesnot consider a comment to be a heading (even if it starts with atleast three semicolons) if the semicolons are followed by at least twospaces. Thus, if you add an introductory comment to the commented outcode, make sure to indent it by at least two spaces after the threesemicolons.@smallexample(defun foo (a);;; This is no longer necessary.;;; (force-mode-line-update) (message "Finished with %s" a))@end smallexampleWhen commenting out entire functions, use two semicolons.@item ;;;;Comments that start with four semicolons, @samp{;;;;}, should be alignedto the left margin and are used for headings of major sections of aprogram. For example:@smallexample;;;; The kill ring@end smallexample@end table@noindentThe indentation commands of the Lisp modes in Emacs, such as @kbd{M-;}(@code{indent-for-comment}) and @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line}),automatically indent comments according to these conventions,depending on the number of semicolons. @xref{Comments,,Manipulating Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.@node Library Headers@section Conventional Headers for Emacs Libraries@cindex header comments@cindex library header comments Emacs has conventions for using special comments in Lisp librariesto divide them into sections and give information such as who wrotethem. This section explains these conventions. We'll start with an example, a package that is included in the Emacsdistribution. Parts of this example reflect its status as part of Emacs; forexample, the copyright notice lists the Free Software Foundation as thecopyright holder, and the copying permission says the file is part ofEmacs. When you write a package and post it, the copyright holder wouldbe you (unless your employer claims to own it instead), and you shouldget the suggested copying permission from the end of the GNU GeneralPublic License itself. Don't say your file is part of Emacsif we haven't installed it in Emacs yet! With that warning out of the way, on to the example:@smallexample@group;;; lisp-mnt.el --- minor mode for Emacs Lisp maintainers;; Copyright (C) 1992 Free Software Foundation, Inc.@end group;; Author: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>;; Maintainer: Eric S. Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>;; Created: 14 Jul 1992;; Version: 1.2@group;; Keywords: docs;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.@dots{};; Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,;; Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.@end group@end smallexample The very first line should have this format:@example;;; @var{filename} --- @var{description}@end example@noindentThe description should be complete in one line. If the fileneeds a @samp{-*-} specification, put it after @var{description}. After the copyright notice come several @dfn{header comment} lines,each beginning with @samp{;; @var{header-name}:}. Here is a table ofthe conventional possibilities for @var{header-name}:@table @samp@item AuthorThis line states the name and net address of at least the principalauthor of the library.If there are multiple authors, you can list them on continuation linesled by @code{;;} and a tab character, like this:@smallexample@group;; Author: Ashwin Ram <Ram-Ashwin@@cs.yale.edu>;; Dave Sill <de5@@ornl.gov>;; Dave Brennan <brennan@@hal.com>;; Eric Raymond <esr@@snark.thyrsus.com>@end group@end smallexample@item MaintainerThis line should contain a single name/address as in the Author line, oran address only, or the string @samp{FSF}. If there is no maintainerline, the person(s) in the Author field are presumed to be themaintainers. The example above is mildly bogus because the maintainerline is redundant.The idea behind the @samp{Author} and @samp{Maintainer} lines is to makepossible a Lisp function to ``send mail to the maintainer'' withouthaving to mine the name out by hand.Be sure to surround the network address with @samp{<@dots{}>} ifyou include the person's full name as well as the network address.@item CreatedThis optional line gives the original creation date of thefile. For historical interest only.@item VersionIf you wish to record version numbers for the individual Lisp program, putthem in this line.@item Adapted-ByIn this header line, place the name of the person who adapted thelibrary for installation (to make it fit the style conventions, forexample).@item KeywordsThis line lists keywords for the @code{finder-by-keyword} help command.Please use that command to see a list of the meaningful keywords.This field is important; it's how people will find your package whenthey're looking for things by topic area. To separate the keywords, youcan use spaces, commas, or both.@end table Just about every Lisp library ought to have the @samp{Author} and@samp{Keywords} header comment lines. Use the others if they areappropriate. You can also put in header lines with other headernames---they have no standard meanings, so they can't do any harm. We use additional stylized comments to subdivide the contents of thelibrary file. These should be separated by blank lines from anythingelse. Here is a table of them:@table @samp@item ;;; Commentary:This begins introductory comments that explain how the library works.It should come right after the copying permissions, terminated by a@samp{Change Log}, @samp{History} or @samp{Code} comment line. Thistext is used by the Finder package, so it should make sense in thatcontext.@item ;;; Documentation:This was used in some files in place of @samp{;;; Commentary:},but it is deprecated.@item ;;; Change Log:This begins change log information stored in the library file (if youstore the change history there). For Lisp files distributed with Emacs,the change history is kept in the file @file{ChangeLog} and not in thesource file at all; these files generally do not have a @samp{;;; ChangeLog:} line. @samp{History} is an alternative to @samp{Change Log}.@item ;;; Code:This begins the actual code of the program.@item ;;; @var{filename} ends hereThis is the @dfn{footer line}; it appears at the very end of the file.Its purpose is to enable people to detect truncated versions of the filefrom the lack of a footer line.@end table@ignore arch-tag: 9ea911c2-6b1d-47dd-88b7-0a94e8b27c2e@end ignore