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author | Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk> |
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date | Sun, 19 Mar 2006 19:59:17 +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, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, @c 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. @setfilename ../info/os @node System Interface, Antinews, Display, 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 startup 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. * Time Conversion:: Converting a time from numeric form to calendrical data, and vice versa). * Time Parsing:: Converting a time from numeric form to text and vice versa. * Processor Run Time:: Getting the run time used by Emacs. * Time Calculations:: Adding, subtracting, comparing times, etc. * 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. * Sound Output:: Playing sounds on the computer's speaker. * X11 Keysyms:: Operating on key symbols for X Windows * Batch Mode:: Running Emacs without terminal interaction. * Session Management:: Saving and restoring state with X Session Management. @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 * Startup Summary:: Sequence of actions Emacs performs at startup. * 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 Startup Summary @subsection Summary: Sequence of Actions at Startup @cindex initialization @cindex startup 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 adds subdirectories to @code{load-path}, by running the file named @file{subdirs.el} in each directory in the list. Normally this file adds the directory's subdirectories to the list, and these will be scanned in their turn. The files @file{subdirs.el} are normally generated automatically by Emacs installation. @item It sets the language environment and the terminal coding system, if requested by environment variables such as @code{LANG}. @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 processes the initial options. (Some of them are handled even earlier than this.) @item It initializes the window frame and faces, if appropriate. @item It runs the normal hook @code{before-init-hook}. @item It loads the library @file{site-start} (if any), unless the option @samp{-Q} (or @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 your init file (usually @file{~/.emacs}), unless the option @samp{-q} (or @samp{--no-init-file}), @samp{-Q}, or @samp{--batch} was specified on the command line. The @samp{-u} option can specify another user whose home directory should be used instead of @file{~}. @item It loads the library @file{default} (if any), unless @code{inhibit-default-init} is non-@code{nil}. (This is not done in @samp{-batch} mode, or if @samp{-Q} or @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 the action arguments from the command line. @item It runs @code{emacs-startup-hook} and then @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 the value of @code{inhibit-startup-message} is @code{nil}, you didn't specify @samp{--no-splash} or @samp{-Q}. @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 init file: @example (setq inhibit-startup-echo-area-message "@var{your-login-name}") @end example Emacs explicitly checks for an expression as shown above in your init file; your login name must appear in the expression as a Lisp string constant. Other methods of setting @code{inhibit-startup-echo-area-message} to the same value do not inhibit the startup message. This way, you can easily inhibit the message for yourself if you wish, but thoughtless copying of your init 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 your @dfn{init file}, a file in your home directory. Its normal name is @file{.emacs}, but you can also call it @file{.emacs.el}. Alternatively, you can use a file named @file{init.el} in a subdirectory @file{.emacs.d}. Whichever place you use, you can also compile the file (@pxref{Byte Compilation}); then the actual file loaded will be @file{.emacs.elc} or @file{init.elc}. The command-line switches @samp{-q}, @samp{-Q}, and @samp{-u} control whether and where to find the init file; @samp{-q} (and the stronger @samp{-Q}) says not to load an init file, while @samp{-u @var{user}} says to load @var{user}'s init file instead of yours. @xref{Entering Emacs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. If neither option is specified, Emacs uses the @code{LOGNAME} environment variable, or the @code{USER} (most systems) or @code{USERNAME} (MS systems) variable, to find your home directory and thus your init file; this way, even if you have su'd, Emacs still loads your own init file. If those environment variables are absent, though, Emacs uses your user-id to find your home directory. @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} (or @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}. @defvar site-run-file This variable specifies the site-customization file to load before the user's init file. Its normal value is @code{"site-start"}. The only way you can change it with real effect is to do so before dumping Emacs. @end defvar @xref{Init Examples,, 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 This normal hook is run, once, just before loading all the init files (the user's init file, @file{default.el}, and/or @file{site-start.el}). (The only way to change it with real effect is before dumping Emacs.) @end defvar @defvar after-init-hook This normal hook is run, once, just after loading all the init files (the user's init file, @file{default.el}, and/or @file{site-start.el}), before loading the terminal-specific library and processing the command-line action arguments. @end defvar @defvar emacs-startup-hook @tindex emacs-startup-hook This normal hook is run, once, just after handling the command line arguments, just before @code{term-setup-hook}. @end defvar @defvar user-init-file @tindex user-init-file This variable holds the absolute file name of the user's init file. If the actual init file loaded is a compiled file, such as @file{.emacs.elc}, the value refers to the corresponding source file. @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. The library's name is constructed by concatenating the value of the variable @code{term-file-prefix} and the terminal type (specified by the environment variable @code{TERM}). Normally, @code{term-file-prefix} has the value @code{"term/"}; changing this is not recommended. Emacs finds the file in the normal manner, by searching the @code{load-path} directories, and trying the @samp{.elc} and @samp{.el} suffixes. 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 init 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 init 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 init file if you do not wish to load the terminal-initialization file. To do this, put the following in your init file: @code{(setq term-file-prefix nil)}. On MS-DOS, if the environment variable @code{TERM} is not set, Emacs uses @samp{internal} as the terminal type. @end defvar @defvar term-setup-hook This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs after loading your init 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 init 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, which has 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 @sc{car}, @var{option}, is a string, the name of a command-line option (not including the initial hyphen). 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 Arguments, , Command Line 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}, which is bound temporarily at this point. 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 process 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}, the higher level function from which @code{kill-emacs} is usually called. @defvar kill-emacs-query-functions After asking the standard questions, @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs} calls the functions in the list @code{kill-emacs-query-functions}, in order of appearance, with no arguments. These functions can ask for additional confirmation from the user. If any of them returns @code{nil}, @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs} does not kill Emacs, and does not run the remaining functions in this hook. Calling @code{kill-emacs} directly does not run this hook. @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 calls @code{kill-emacs} which runs the functions in this hook. @code{kill-emacs} does not run this hook in batch mode. @code{kill-emacs} may be invoked directly (that is not via @code{save-buffers-kill-emacs}) if the terminal is disconnected, or in similar situations where interaction with the user is not possible. Thus, if your hook needs to interact with the user, put it on @code{kill-emacs-query-functions}; if it needs to run regardless of how Emacs is killed, put it on @code{kill-emacs-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, 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 using a window system (X or MS Windows). @defun suspend-emacs &optional 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}. 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 canceled"))))) @result{} (lambda nil (or (y-or-n-p "Really suspend? ") (error "Suspend canceled"))) @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 that Emacs runs before suspending. @end defvar @defvar suspend-resume-hook This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs on resuming after a suspension. @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 @acronym{UID}, and so on. @defvar system-configuration This variable holds the standard GNU 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 @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 possible values: @table @code @item alpha-vms VMS on the Alpha. @item aix-v3 AIX. @item berkeley-unix Berkeley BSD. @item cygwin Cygwin. @item dgux Data General DGUX operating system. @item gnu the GNU system (using the GNU kernel, which consists of the HURD and Mach). @item gnu/linux A GNU/Linux system---that is, a variant GNU system, using the Linux kernel. (These systems are the ones people often call ``Linux,'' but actually Linux is just the kernel, not the whole system.) @item hpux Hewlett-Packard HPUX operating system. @item irix Silicon Graphics Irix system. @item ms-dos Microsoft MS-DOS ``operating system.'' Emacs compiled with DJGPP for MS-DOS binds @code{system-type} to @code{ms-dos} even when you run it on MS-Windows. @item next-mach NeXT Mach-based 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 windows-nt Microsoft windows NT. The same executable supports Windows 9X, but the value of @code{system-type} is @code{windows-nt} in either case. @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 @defun system-name This function returns the name of the machine you are running on. @example (system-name) @result{} "www.gnu.org" @end example @end defun The symbol @code{system-name} is a variable as well as a function. In fact, the function returns whatever value the variable @code{system-name} currently holds. Thus, you can set the variable @code{system-name} in case Emacs is confused about the name of your system. The variable is also useful for constructing frame titles (@pxref{Frame Titles}). @defvar mail-host-address If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it is used instead of @code{system-name} for purposes of generating email addresses. For example, it is used when constructing the default value of @code{user-mail-address}. @xref{User Identification}. (Since this is done when Emacs starts up, the value actually used is the one saved when Emacs was dumped. @xref{Building Emacs}.) @end defvar @deffn Command getenv var @cindex environment variable access This function returns the value of the environment variable @var{var}, as a string. @var{var} should be a string. If @var{var} is undefined in the environment, @code{getenv} returns @code{nil}. If returns @samp{""} if @var{var} is set but null. 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 deffn @c Emacs 19 feature @deffn Command setenv variable &optional value This command sets the value of the environment variable named @var{variable} to @var{value}. @var{variable} should be a string. Internally, Emacs Lisp can handle any string. However, normally @var{variable} should be a valid shell identifier, that is, a sequence of letters, digits and underscores, starting with a letter or underscore. Otherwise, errors may occur if subprocesses of Emacs try to access the value of @var{variable}. If @var{value} is omitted or @code{nil}, @code{setenv} removes @var{variable} from the environment. Otherwise, @var{value} should be a string. @code{setenv} works by modifying @code{process-environment}; binding that variable with @code{let} is also reasonable practice. @code{setenv} returns the new value of @var{variable}, or @code{nil} if it removed @var{variable} from the environment. @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 If @code{process-environment} contains ``duplicate'' elements that specify the same environment variable, the first of these elements specifies the variable, and the other ``duplicates'' are ignored. @end defvar @defvar path-separator This variable holds a string which says which character separates directories in a search path (as found in an environment variable). Its value is @code{":"} for Unix and GNU systems, and @code{";"} for MS-DOS and MS-Windows. @end defvar @defun parse-colon-path path @tindex parse-colon-path This function takes a search path string such as would be the value of the @code{PATH} environment variable, and splits it at the separators, returning a list of directory names. @code{nil} in this list stands for ``use the current directory.'' Although the function's name says ``colon,'' it actually uses the value of @code{path-separator}. @example (parse-colon-path ":/foo:/bar") @result{} (nil "/foo/" "/bar/") @end example @end defun @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 &optional use-float This function returns the current 1-minute, 5-minute, and 15-minute load averages, in a list. By default, the values are integers that are 100 times the system load averages, which indicate the average number of processes trying to run. If @var{use-float} is non-@code{nil}, then they are returned as floating point numbers and without multiplying by 100. If it is impossible to obtain the load average, this function signals an error. On some platforms, access to load averages requires installing Emacs as setuid or setgid so that it can read kernel information, and that usually isn't advisable. If the 1-minute load average is available, but the 5- or 15-minute averages are not, this function returns a shortened list containing the available averages. @example @group (load-average) @result{} (169 48 36) @end group @group (load-average t) @result{} (1.69 0.48 0.36) @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 @acronym{ID} of the Emacs process, as an integer. @end defun @defvar tty-erase-char This variable holds the erase character that was selected in the system's terminal driver, before Emacs was started. The value is @code{nil} if Emacs is running under a window system. @end defvar @defun setprv privilege-name &optional setp getprv This function sets or resets a VMS privilege. (It does not exist on other systems.) The first argument 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 @defvar init-file-user This variable says which user's init files should be used by Emacs---or @code{nil} if none. @code{""} stands for the user who originally logged in. The value reflects command-line options such as @samp{-q} or @samp{-u @var{user}}. Lisp packages that load files of customizations, or any other sort of user profile, should obey this variable in deciding where to find it. They should load the profile of the user name found in this variable. If @code{init-file-user} is @code{nil}, meaning that the @samp{-q} option was used, then Lisp packages should not load any customization files or user profile. @end defvar @defvar user-mail-address This holds the nominal email address of the user who is using Emacs. Emacs normally sets this variable to a default value after reading your init files, but not if you have already set it. So you can set the variable to some other value in your init file if you do not want to use the default value. @end defvar @defun user-login-name &optional uid If you don't specify @var{uid}, 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 @acronym{UID}, not the real @acronym{UID}. If you specify @var{uid}, the value is the user name that corresponds to @var{uid} (which should be an integer), or @code{nil} if there is no such user. @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 @acronym{UID}. This ignores the effective @acronym{UID} and ignores the environment variables @code{LOGNAME} and @code{USER}. @end defun @defun user-full-name &optional uid This function returns the full name of the logged-in user---or the value of the environment variable @code{NAME}, if that is set. @c "Bil" is the correct spelling. @example @group (user-full-name) @result{} "Bil Lewis" @end group @end example If the Emacs job's user-id does not correspond to any known user (and provided @code{NAME} is not set), the value is @code{"unknown"}. If @var{uid} is non-@code{nil}, then it should be a number (a user-id) or a string (a login name). Then @code{user-full-name} returns the full name corresponding to that user-id or login name. If you specify a user-id or login name that isn't defined, it returns @code{nil}. @end defun @vindex user-full-name @vindex user-real-login-name @vindex user-login-name The symbols @code{user-login-name}, @code{user-real-login-name} and @code{user-full-name} are variables as well as functions. The functions return the same values that the variables hold. These variables allow you to ``fake out'' Emacs by telling the functions what to return. The variables are also useful for constructing frame titles (@pxref{Frame Titles}). @defun user-real-uid This function returns the real @acronym{UID} of the user. The value may be a floating point number. @example @group (user-real-uid) @result{} 19 @end group @end example @end defun @defun user-uid This function returns the effective @acronym{UID} of the user. The value may be a floating point number. @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 human-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. It is wise to count the characters from the beginning of the string rather than from the end, as additional information may some day 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 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{Definition of file-attributes}). @var{time-value} can also be a cons of two integers, but this is considered obsolete. @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 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), which is @ifnottex @var{high} * 2**16 + @var{low}. @end ifnottex @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 with the resolution of only one second). The first two elements can be compared with file time values such as you get with the function @code{file-attributes}. @xref{Definition of 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, the unknown 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 have the same form as for @code{current-time-string} (see above). Thus, you can use times obtained from @code{current-time} (see above) and from @code{file-attributes}. @xref{Definition of file-attributes}. @end defun @defun set-time-zone-rule tz This function specifies the local time zone according to @var{tz}. If @var{tz} is @code{nil}, that means to use an implementation-defined default time zone. If @var{tz} is @code{t}, that means to use Universal Time. Otherwise, @var{tz} should be a string specifying a time zone rule. @end defun @defun float-time &optional time-value This function returns the current time as a floating-point number of seconds since the epoch. The argument @var{time-value}, if given, specifies a time to convert instead of the current time. The argument should have the same form as for @code{current-time-string} (see above). Thus, it accepts the output of @code{current-time} and @code{file-attributes}. @emph{Warning}: Since the result is floating point, it may not be exact. Do not use this function if precise time stamps are required. @end defun @node Time Conversion @section Time Conversion These functions convert time values (lists of two or three integers) to calendrical information and vice versa. You can get time values from the functions @code{current-time} (@pxref{Time of Day}) and @code{file-attributes} (@pxref{Definition of file-attributes}). Many operating systems are limited to time values that contain 32 bits of information; these systems typically handle only the times from 1901-12-13 20:45:52 UTC through 2038-01-19 03:14:07 UTC. However, some operating systems have larger time values, and can represent times far in the past or future. Time conversion functions always use the Gregorian calendar, even for dates before the Gregorian calendar was introduced. Year numbers count the number of years since the year 1 B.C., and do not skip zero as traditional Gregorian years do; for example, the year number @minus{}37 represents the Gregorian year 38 B.C@. @defun decode-time &optional time This function converts a time value into calendrical information. If you don't specify @var{time}, it decodes the current time. The return value is a list of nine elements, as follows: @example (@var{seconds} @var{minutes} @var{hour} @var{day} @var{month} @var{year} @var{dow} @var{dst} @var{zone}) @end example Here is what the elements mean: @table @var @item seconds The number of seconds past the minute, as an integer between 0 and 59. On some operating systems, this is 60 for leap seconds. @item minutes The number of minutes past the hour, as an integer between 0 and 59. @item hour The hour of the day, as an integer between 0 and 23. @item day The day of the month, as an integer between 1 and 31. @item month The month of the year, as an integer between 1 and 12. @item year The year, an integer typically greater than 1900. @item dow The day of week, as an integer between 0 and 6, where 0 stands for Sunday. @item dst @code{t} if daylight savings time is effect, otherwise @code{nil}. @item zone An integer indicating the time zone, as the number of seconds east of Greenwich. @end table @strong{Common Lisp Note:} Common Lisp has different meanings for @var{dow} and @var{zone}. @end defun @defun encode-time seconds minutes hour day month year &optional zone This function is the inverse of @code{decode-time}. It converts seven items of calendrical data into a time value. For the meanings of the arguments, see the table above under @code{decode-time}. Year numbers less than 100 are not treated specially. If you want them to stand for years above 1900, or years above 2000, you must alter them yourself before you call @code{encode-time}. The optional argument @var{zone} defaults to the current time zone and its daylight savings time rules. If specified, it can be either a list (as you would get from @code{current-time-zone}), a string as in the @code{TZ} environment variable, @code{t} for Universal Time, or an integer (as you would get from @code{decode-time}). The specified zone is used without any further alteration for daylight savings time. If you pass more than seven arguments to @code{encode-time}, the first six are used as @var{seconds} through @var{year}, the last argument is used as @var{zone}, and the arguments in between are ignored. This feature makes it possible to use the elements of a list returned by @code{decode-time} as the arguments to @code{encode-time}, like this: @example (apply 'encode-time (decode-time @dots{})) @end example You can perform simple date arithmetic by using out-of-range values for the @var{seconds}, @var{minutes}, @var{hour}, @var{day}, and @var{month} arguments; for example, day 0 means the day preceding the given month. The operating system puts limits on the range of possible time values; if you try to encode a time that is out of range, an error results. For instance, years before 1970 do not work on some systems; on others, years as early as 1901 do work. @end defun @node Time Parsing @section Parsing and Formatting Times These functions convert time values (lists of two or three integers) to text in a string, and vice versa. @defun date-to-time string This function parses the time-string @var{string} and returns the corresponding time value. @end defun @defun format-time-string format-string &optional time universal This function converts @var{time} (or the current time, if @var{time} is omitted) to a string according to @var{format-string}. The argument @var{format-string} may contain @samp{%}-sequences which say to substitute parts of the time. Here is a table of what the @samp{%}-sequences mean: @table @samp @item %a This stands for the abbreviated name of the day of week. @item %A This stands for the full name of the day of week. @item %b This stands for the abbreviated name of the month. @item %B This stands for the full name of the month. @item %c This is a synonym for @samp{%x %X}. @item %C This has a locale-specific meaning. In the default locale (named C), it is equivalent to @samp{%A, %B %e, %Y}. @item %d This stands for the day of month, zero-padded. @item %D This is a synonym for @samp{%m/%d/%y}. @item %e This stands for the day of month, blank-padded. @item %h This is a synonym for @samp{%b}. @item %H This stands for the hour (00-23). @item %I This stands for the hour (01-12). @item %j This stands for the day of the year (001-366). @item %k This stands for the hour (0-23), blank padded. @item %l This stands for the hour (1-12), blank padded. @item %m This stands for the month (01-12). @item %M This stands for the minute (00-59). @item %n This stands for a newline. @item %p This stands for @samp{AM} or @samp{PM}, as appropriate. @item %r This is a synonym for @samp{%I:%M:%S %p}. @item %R This is a synonym for @samp{%H:%M}. @item %S This stands for the seconds (00-59). @item %t This stands for a tab character. @item %T This is a synonym for @samp{%H:%M:%S}. @item %U This stands for the week of the year (01-52), assuming that weeks start on Sunday. @item %w This stands for the numeric day of week (0-6). Sunday is day 0. @item %W This stands for the week of the year (01-52), assuming that weeks start on Monday. @item %x This has a locale-specific meaning. In the default locale (named @samp{C}), it is equivalent to @samp{%D}. @item %X This has a locale-specific meaning. In the default locale (named @samp{C}), it is equivalent to @samp{%T}. @item %y This stands for the year without century (00-99). @item %Y This stands for the year with century. @item %Z This stands for the time zone abbreviation. @end table You can also specify the field width and type of padding for any of these @samp{%}-sequences. This works as in @code{printf}: you write the field width as digits in the middle of a @samp{%}-sequences. If you start the field width with @samp{0}, it means to pad with zeros. If you start the field width with @samp{_}, it means to pad with spaces. For example, @samp{%S} specifies the number of seconds since the minute; @samp{%03S} means to pad this with zeros to 3 positions, @samp{%_3S} to pad with spaces to 3 positions. Plain @samp{%3S} pads with zeros, because that is how @samp{%S} normally pads to two positions. The characters @samp{E} and @samp{O} act as modifiers when used between @samp{%} and one of the letters in the table above. @samp{E} specifies using the current locale's ``alternative'' version of the date and time. In a Japanese locale, for example, @code{%Ex} might yield a date format based on the Japanese Emperors' reigns. @samp{E} is allowed in @samp{%Ec}, @samp{%EC}, @samp{%Ex}, @samp{%EX}, @samp{%Ey}, and @samp{%EY}. @samp{O} means to use the current locale's ``alternative'' representation of numbers, instead of the ordinary decimal digits. This is allowed with most letters, all the ones that output numbers. If @var{universal} is non-@code{nil}, that means to describe the time as Universal Time; @code{nil} means describe it using what Emacs believes is the local time zone (see @code{current-time-zone}). This function uses the C library function @code{strftime} to do most of the work. In order to communicate with that function, it first encodes its argument using the coding system specified by @code{locale-coding-system} (@pxref{Locales}); after @code{strftime} returns the resulting string, @code{format-time-string} decodes the string using that same coding system. @end defun @defun seconds-to-time seconds This function converts @var{seconds}, a floating point number of seconds since the epoch, to a time value and returns that. To perform the inverse conversion, use @code{float-time}. @end defun @node Processor Run Time @section Processor Run time @defun get-internal-run-time This function returns the processor run time used by Emacs 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, which is @ifnottex @var{high} * 2**16 + @var{low}. @end ifnottex @tex $high*2^{16}+low$. @end tex The third element, @var{microsec}, gives the microseconds (or 0 for systems that return time with the resolution of only one second). If the system doesn't provide a way to determine the processor run time, get-internal-run-time returns the same time as current-time. @end defun @node Time Calculations @section Time Calculations These functions perform calendrical computations using time values (the kind of list that @code{current-time} returns). @defun time-less-p t1 t2 This returns @code{t} if time value @var{t1} is less than time value @var{t2}. @end defun @defun time-subtract t1 t2 This returns the time difference @var{t1} @minus{} @var{t2} between two time values, in the same format as a time value. @end defun @defun time-add t1 t2 This returns the sum of two time values, one of which ought to represent a time difference rather than a point in time. Here is how to add a number of seconds to a time value: @example (time-add @var{time} (seconds-to-time @var{seconds})) @end example @end defun @defun time-to-days time This function returns the number of days between the beginning of year 1 and @var{time}. @end defun @defun time-to-day-in-year time This returns the day number within the year corresponding to @var{time}. @end defun @defun date-leap-year-p year This function returns @code{t} if @var{year} is a leap year. @end defun @node Timers @section Timers for Delayed Execution @cindex timer You can set up a @dfn{timer} to call a function at a specified future time or after a certain length of idleness. Emacs cannot run timers at any arbitrary point in a Lisp program; it can run them only when Emacs could accept output from a subprocess: namely, while waiting or inside certain primitive functions such as @code{sit-for} or @code{read-event} which @emph{can} wait. Therefore, a timer's execution may be delayed if Emacs is busy. However, the time of execution is very precise if Emacs is idle. Emacs binds @code{inhibit-quit} to @code{t} before calling the timer function, because quitting out of many timer functions can leave things in an inconsistent state. This is normally unproblematical because most timer functions don't do a lot of work. Indeed, for a timer to call a function that takes substantial time to run is likely to be annoying. It is usually a bad idea for timer functions to alter buffer contents. When they do, they usually should call @code{undo-boundary} both before and after changing the buffer, to separate the timer's changes from user commands' changes and prevent a single undo entry from growing to be quite large. If a timer function calls functions that can change the match data, it should save and restore the match data. @xref{Saving Match Data}. @deffn Command run-at-time time repeat function &rest args This sets up a timer that calls the function @var{function} with arguments @var{args} at time @var{time}. If @var{repeat} is a number (integer or floating point), the timer also runs every @var{repeat} seconds after that. If @var{repeat} is @code{nil}, the timer runs only once. @var{time} may specify an absolute or a relative time. Absolute times may be specified in a wide variety of formats; this function tries to accept all the commonly used date formats. The most convenient formats are strings. Valid such formats include these two, @example @var{year}-@var{month}-@var{day} @var{hour}:@var{min}:@var{sec} @var{timezone} @var{hour}:@var{min}:@var{sec} @var{timezone} @var{month}/@var{day}/@var{year} @end example @noindent where in both examples all fields are numbers; the format that @code{current-time-string} returns is also allowed, and many others as well. To specify a relative time as a string, 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 For relative time values, Emacs considers a month to be exactly thirty days, and a year to be exactly 365.25 days. Not all convenient formats are strings. If @var{time} is a number (integer or floating point), that specifies a relative time measured in seconds. In most cases, @var{repeat} has no effect on when @emph{first} call takes place---@var{time} alone specifies that. There is one exception: if @var{time} is @code{t}, then the timer runs whenever the time is a multiple of @var{repeat} seconds after the epoch. This is useful for functions like @code{display-time}. 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} (see below). @end deffn @defmac with-timeout (seconds timeout-forms@dots{}) body@dots{} Execute @var{body}, but give up after @var{seconds} seconds. If @var{body} finishes before the time is up, @code{with-timeout} returns the value of the last form in @var{body}. If, however, the execution of @var{body} is cut short by the timeout, then @code{with-timeout} executes all the @var{timeout-forms} and returns the value of the last of them. This macro works by setting a timer to run after @var{seconds} seconds. If @var{body} finishes before that time, it cancels the timer. If the timer actually runs, it terminates execution of @var{body}, then executes @var{timeout-forms}. Since timers can run within a Lisp program only when the program calls a primitive that can wait, @code{with-timeout} cannot stop executing @var{body} while it is in the midst of a computation---only when it calls one of those primitives. So use @code{with-timeout} only with a @var{body} that waits for input, not one that does a long computation. @end defmac The function @code{y-or-n-p-with-timeout} provides a simple way to use a timer to avoid waiting too long for an answer. @xref{Yes-or-No Queries}. @deffn Command run-with-idle-timer secs repeat function &rest args Set up a timer which runs when Emacs has been idle for @var{secs} seconds. The value of @var{secs} may be an integer or a floating point number. If @var{repeat} is @code{nil}, the timer runs just once, the first time Emacs remains idle for a long enough time. More often @var{repeat} is non-@code{nil}, which means to run the timer @emph{each time} Emacs remains idle for @var{secs} seconds. The function @code{run-with-idle-timer} returns a timer value which you can use in calling @code{cancel-timer} (see below). @end deffn @cindex idleness Emacs becomes ``idle'' when it starts waiting for user input, and it remains idle until the user provides some input. If a timer is set for five seconds of idleness, it runs approximately five seconds after Emacs first becomes idle. Even if @var{repeat} is non-@code{nil}, this timer will not run again as long as Emacs remains idle, because the duration of idleness will continue to increase and will not go down to five seconds again. Emacs can do various things while idle: garbage collect, autosave or handle data from a subprocess. But these interludes during idleness do not interfere with idle timers, because they do not reset the clock of idleness to zero. An idle timer set for 600 seconds will run when ten minutes have elapsed since the last user command was finished, even if subprocess output has been accepted thousands of times within those ten minutes, and even if there have been garbage collections and autosaves. When the user supplies input, Emacs becomes non-idle while executing the input. Then it becomes idle again, and all the idle timers that are set up to repeat will subsequently run another time, one by one. @defun cancel-timer timer Cancel the requested action for @var{timer}, which should be a value previously returned by @code{run-at-time} or @code{run-with-idle-timer}. This cancels the effect of that call to one of these functions; 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 &optional 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. The default setting is system-dependent. Some systems always use @sc{cbreak} mode regardless of what is specified. When Emacs communicates directly with X, it ignores this argument and uses interrupts if that is the way it knows how to communicate. 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. @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 that use 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 the 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 is meaningful only when @var{interrupt} is @code{nil}. @item meta is @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 @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. These features apply to each event in the order they are described here: each event is first modified according to @code{extra-keyboard-modifiers}, then translated through @code{keyboard-translate-table} (if applicable), and finally decoded with the specified keyboard coding system. If it is being read as part of a key sequence, it is then added to the sequence being read; then subsequences containing it are checked first with @code{function-key-map} and then with @code{key-translation-map}. @c Emacs 19 feature @defvar extra-keyboard-modifiers This variable lets Lisp programs ``press'' the modifier keys on the keyboard. The value is a character. Only the modifiers of the character matter. Each time the user types a keyboard key, it is altered as if those modifier keys were held down. For instance, if you bind @code{extra-keyboard-modifiers} to @code{?\C-\M-a}, then all keyboard input characters typed during the scope of the binding will have the control and meta modifiers applied to them. The character @code{?\C-@@}, equivalent to the integer 0, does not count as a control character for this purpose, but as a character with no modifiers. Thus, setting @code{extra-keyboard-modifiers} to zero cancels any modification. When using a window system, 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. Note that this variable applies only to events that really come from the keyboard, and has no effect on mouse events or any other events. @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 is normally a char-table, or else @code{nil}. (It can also be a string or vector, but this is considered obsolete.) If @code{keyboard-translate-table} is a char-table (@pxref{Char-Tables}), then each character read from the keyboard is looked up in this char-table. If the value found there is non-@code{nil}, then it is used instead of the actual input character. 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. Note also that this translation is done before the characters are supplied to input methods (@pxref{Input Methods}). Use @code{translation-table-for-input} (@pxref{Translation of Characters}), if you want to translate characters after input methods operate. @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 the keyboard translate table if necessary. @end defun Here's an example of using the @code{keyboard-translate-table} to make @kbd{C-x}, @kbd{C-c} and @kbd{C-v} perform the cut, copy and paste operations: @example (keyboard-translate ?\C-x 'control-x) (keyboard-translate ?\C-c 'control-c) (keyboard-translate ?\C-v 'control-v) (global-set-key [control-x] 'kill-region) (global-set-key [control-c] 'kill-ring-save) (global-set-key [control-v] 'yank) @end example @noindent On a graphical terminal that supports extended @acronym{ASCII} input, you can still get the standard Emacs meanings of one of those characters by typing it with the shift key. That makes it a different character as far as keyboard translation is concerned, but it has the same usual meaning. The remaining translation features translate subsequences of key sequences being read. They are implemented in @code{read-key-sequence} and have no effect on input read with @code{read-event}. @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 has the same structure as other keymaps, but is used differently: it specifies translations to make while reading key sequences, rather than bindings for key sequences. 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 @key{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---but if they do, the ordinary bindings take priority. 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}. @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 Non-prefix bindings in @code{key-translation-map} override actual key bindings. For example, if @kbd{C-x f} has a non-prefix binding in @code{key-translation-map}, that translation takes effect even though @kbd{C-x f} also has a key binding in the global map. @end itemize Note however that actual key bindings can have an effect on @code{key-translation-map}, even though they are overridden by it. Indeed, actual key bindings override @code{function-key-map} and thus may alter the key sequence that @code{key-translation-map} receives. Clearly, it is better to avoid this type of situation. 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 @group (defun hyperify (prompt) (let ((e (read-event))) (vector (if (numberp e) (logior (lsh 1 24) 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)))) @end group @group (if (symbolp e) symbol (cons symbol (cdr e))))) (define-key function-key-map "\C-ch" 'hyperify) @end group @end example Finally, if you have enabled keyboard character set decoding using @code{set-keyboard-coding-system}, decoding is done after the translations listed above. @xref{Terminal I/O Encoding}. In future Emacs versions, character set decoding may be done before the other translations. @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 input events, not counting events generated by keyboard macros. (These are excluded because they are less interesting for debugging; it should be enough to see the events that invoked the macros.) A call to @code{clear-this-command-keys} (@pxref{Command Loop Info}) causes this function to return an empty vector immediately afterward. @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 a text 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 obsolete function returns the value of the variable @code{baud-rate}. @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. This function operates only on text terminals. 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. You close the termscript file by calling this function with an argument of @code{nil}. See also @code{open-dribble-file} in @ref{Recording Input}. @example @group (open-termscript "../junk/termscript") @result{} nil @end group @end example @end deffn @node Sound Output @section Sound Output @cindex sound To play sound using Emacs, use the function @code{play-sound}. Only certain systems are supported; if you call @code{play-sound} on a system which cannot really do the job, it gives an error. Emacs version 20 and earlier did not support sound at all. The sound must be stored as a file in RIFF-WAVE format (@samp{.wav}) or Sun Audio format (@samp{.au}). @tindex play-sound @defun play-sound sound This function plays a specified sound. The argument, @var{sound}, has the form @code{(sound @var{properties}...)}, where the @var{properties} consist of alternating keywords (particular symbols recognized specially) and values corresponding to them. Here is a table of the keywords that are currently meaningful in @var{sound}, and their meanings: @table @code @item :file @var{file} This specifies the file containing the sound to play. If the file name is not absolute, it is expanded against the directory @code{data-directory}. @item :data @var{data} This specifies the sound to play without need to refer to a file. The value, @var{data}, should be a string containing the same bytes as a sound file. We recommend using a unibyte string. @item :volume @var{volume} This specifies how loud to play the sound. It should be a number in the range of 0 to 1. The default is to use whatever volume has been specified before. @item :device @var{device} This specifies the system device on which to play the sound, as a string. The default device is system-dependent. @end table Before actually playing the sound, @code{play-sound} calls the functions in the list @code{play-sound-functions}. Each function is called with one argument, @var{sound}. @end defun @defun play-sound-file file &optional volume device @tindex play-sound-file This function is an alternative interface to playing a sound @var{file} specifying an optional @var{volume} and @var{device}. @end defun @tindex play-sound-functions @defvar play-sound-functions A list of functions to be called before playing a sound. Each function is called with one argument, a property list that describes the sound. @end defvar @node X11 Keysyms @section Operating on 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. Each element has the form @code{(@var{code} . @var{symbol})}, where @var{code} is the numeric keysym code (not including the ``vendor specific'' bit, @ifnottex -2**28), @end ifnottex @tex $-2^{28}$), @end tex 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 @ifnottex -2**28 @end ifnottex @tex $-2^{28}$ @end tex + 168. It is not crucial to exclude from the alist the keysyms of other X servers; those do no harm, as long as they don't conflict with the ones used by the X server actually in use. The variable is always local to the current terminal, and cannot be buffer-local. @xref{Multiple Displays}. @end defvar You can specify which keysyms Emacs should use for the Meta, Alt, Hyper, and Super modifiers by setting these variables: @defvar x-alt-keysym @defvarx x-meta-keysym @defvarx x-hyper-keysym @defvarx x-super-keysym The name of the keysym that should stand for the Alt modifier (respectively, for Meta, Hyper, and Super). For example, here is how to swap the Meta and Alt modifiers within Emacs: @lisp (setq x-alt-keysym 'meta) (setq x-meta-keysym 'alt) @end lisp @end defvar @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}, or @samp{-f @var{function}}, which calls @var{function} with no arguments, or @samp{--eval @var{form}}. 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 error descriptor when in batch mode. Similarly, input that would normally come from the minibuffer is read from the standard input descriptor. 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 @node Session Management @section Session Management @cindex session manager Emacs supports the X Session Management Protocol for suspension and restart of applications. In the X Window System, a program called the @dfn{session manager} has the responsibility to keep track of the applications that are running. During shutdown, the session manager asks applications to save their state, and delays the actual shutdown until they respond. An application can also cancel the shutdown. When the session manager restarts a suspended session, it directs these applications to individually reload their saved state. It does this by specifying a special command-line argument that says what saved session to restore. For Emacs, this argument is @samp{--smid @var{session}}. @defvar emacs-save-session-functions @tindex emacs-save-session-functions Emacs supports saving state by using a hook called @code{emacs-save-session-functions}. Each function in this hook is called when the session manager tells Emacs that the window system is shutting down. The functions are called with no arguments and with the current buffer set to a temporary buffer. Each function can use @code{insert} to add Lisp code to this buffer. At the end, Emacs saves the buffer in a file that a subsequent Emacs invocation will load in order to restart the saved session. If a function in @code{emacs-save-session-functions} returns non-@code{nil}, Emacs tells the session manager to cancel the shutdown. @end defvar Here is an example that just inserts some text into @samp{*scratch*} when Emacs is restarted by the session manager. @example @group (add-hook 'emacs-save-session-functions 'save-yourself-test) @end group @group (defun save-yourself-test () (insert "(save-excursion (switch-to-buffer \"*scratch*\") (insert \"I am restored\"))") nil) @end group @end example @ignore arch-tag: 8378814a-30d7-467c-9615-74a80b9988a7 @end ignore