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author | Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de> |
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date | Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:10:38 +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, 2001, @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. @setfilename ../../info/modes @node Modes, Documentation, Keymaps, Top @chapter Major and Minor Modes @cindex mode A @dfn{mode} is a set of definitions that customize Emacs and can be turned on and off while you edit. There are two varieties of modes: @dfn{major modes}, which are mutually exclusive and used for editing particular kinds of text, and @dfn{minor modes}, which provide features that users can enable individually. This chapter describes how to write both major and minor modes, how to indicate them in the mode line, and how they run hooks supplied by the user. For related topics such as keymaps and syntax tables, see @ref{Keymaps}, and @ref{Syntax Tables}. @menu * Hooks:: How to use hooks; how to write code that provides hooks. * Major Modes:: Defining major modes. * Minor Modes:: Defining minor modes. * Mode Line Format:: Customizing the text that appears in the mode line. * Imenu:: How a mode can provide a menu of definitions in the buffer. * Font Lock Mode:: How modes can highlight text according to syntax. * Desktop Save Mode:: How modes can have buffer state saved between Emacs sessions. @end menu @node Hooks @section Hooks @cindex hooks A @dfn{hook} is a variable where you can store a function or functions to be called on a particular occasion by an existing program. Emacs provides hooks for the sake of customization. Most often, hooks are set up in the init file (@pxref{Init File}), but Lisp programs can set them also. @xref{Standard Hooks}, for a list of standard hook variables. @cindex normal hook Most of the hooks in Emacs are @dfn{normal hooks}. These variables contain lists of functions to be called with no arguments. By convention, whenever the hook name ends in @samp{-hook}, that tells you it is normal. We try to make all hooks normal, as much as possible, so that you can use them in a uniform way. Every major mode function is supposed to run a normal hook called the @dfn{mode hook} as the one of the last steps of initialization. This makes it easy for a user to customize the behavior of the mode, by overriding the buffer-local variable assignments already made by the mode. Most minor mode functions also run a mode hook at the end. But hooks are used in other contexts too. For example, the hook @code{suspend-hook} runs just before Emacs suspends itself (@pxref{Suspending Emacs}). The recommended way to add a hook function to a normal hook is by calling @code{add-hook} (see below). The hook functions may be any of the valid kinds of functions that @code{funcall} accepts (@pxref{What Is a Function}). Most normal hook variables are initially void; @code{add-hook} knows how to deal with this. You can add hooks either globally or buffer-locally with @code{add-hook}. @cindex abnormal hook If the hook variable's name does not end with @samp{-hook}, that indicates it is probably an @dfn{abnormal hook}. That means the hook functions are called with arguments, or their return values are used in some way. The hook's documentation says how the functions are called. You can use @code{add-hook} to add a function to an abnormal hook, but you must write the function to follow the hook's calling convention. By convention, abnormal hook names end in @samp{-functions} or @samp{-hooks}. If the variable's name ends in @samp{-function}, then its value is just a single function, not a list of functions. @menu * Running Hooks:: How to run a hook. * Setting Hooks:: How to put functions on a hook, or remove them. @end menu @node Running Hooks @subsection Running Hooks At the appropriate times, Emacs uses the @code{run-hooks} function and the other functions below to run particular hooks. @defun run-hooks &rest hookvars This function takes one or more normal hook variable names as arguments, and runs each hook in turn. Each argument should be a symbol that is a normal hook variable. These arguments are processed in the order specified. If a hook variable has a non-@code{nil} value, that value should be a list of functions. @code{run-hooks} calls all the functions, one by one, with no arguments. The hook variable's value can also be a single function---either a lambda expression or a symbol with a function definition---which @code{run-hooks} calls. But this usage is obsolete. @end defun @defun run-hook-with-args hook &rest args This function is the way to run an abnormal hook and always call all of the hook functions. It calls each of the hook functions one by one, passing each of them the arguments @var{args}. @end defun @defun run-hook-with-args-until-failure hook &rest args This function is the way to run an abnormal hook until one of the hook functions fails. It calls each of the hook functions, passing each of them the arguments @var{args}, until some hook function returns @code{nil}. It then stops and returns @code{nil}. If none of the hook functions return @code{nil}, it returns a non-@code{nil} value. @end defun @defun run-hook-with-args-until-success hook &rest args This function is the way to run an abnormal hook until a hook function succeeds. It calls each of the hook functions, passing each of them the arguments @var{args}, until some hook function returns non-@code{nil}. Then it stops, and returns whatever was returned by the last hook function that was called. If all hook functions return @code{nil}, it returns @code{nil} as well. @end defun @node Setting Hooks @subsection Setting Hooks Here's an example that uses a mode hook to turn on Auto Fill mode when in Lisp Interaction mode: @example (add-hook 'lisp-interaction-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill) @end example @defun add-hook hook function &optional append local This function is the handy way to add function @var{function} to hook variable @var{hook}. You can use it for abnormal hooks as well as for normal hooks. @var{function} can be any Lisp function that can accept the proper number of arguments for @var{hook}. For example, @example (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'my-text-hook-function) @end example @noindent adds @code{my-text-hook-function} to the hook called @code{text-mode-hook}. If @var{function} is already present in @var{hook} (comparing using @code{equal}), then @code{add-hook} does not add it a second time. If @var{function} has a non-@code{nil} property @code{permanent-local-hook}, then @code{kill-all-local-variables} (or changing major modes) won't delete it from the hook variable's local value. It is best to design your hook functions so that the order in which they are executed does not matter. Any dependence on the order is ``asking for trouble.'' However, the order is predictable: normally, @var{function} goes at the front of the hook list, so it will be executed first (barring another @code{add-hook} call). If the optional argument @var{append} is non-@code{nil}, the new hook function goes at the end of the hook list and will be executed last. @code{add-hook} can handle the cases where @var{hook} is void or its value is a single function; it sets or changes the value to a list of functions. If @var{local} is non-@code{nil}, that says to add @var{function} to the buffer-local hook list instead of to the global hook list. If needed, this makes the hook buffer-local and adds @code{t} to the buffer-local value. The latter acts as a flag to run the hook functions in the default value as well as in the local value. @end defun @defun remove-hook hook function &optional local This function removes @var{function} from the hook variable @var{hook}. It compares @var{function} with elements of @var{hook} using @code{equal}, so it works for both symbols and lambda expressions. If @var{local} is non-@code{nil}, that says to remove @var{function} from the buffer-local hook list instead of from the global hook list. @end defun @node Major Modes @section Major Modes @cindex major mode Major modes specialize Emacs for editing particular kinds of text. Each buffer has only one major mode at a time. For each major mode there is a function to switch to that mode in the current buffer; its name should end in @samp{-mode}. These functions work by setting buffer-local variable bindings and other data associated with the buffer, such as a local keymap. The effect lasts until you switch to another major mode in the same buffer. @menu * Major Mode Basics:: * Major Mode Conventions:: Coding conventions for keymaps, etc. * Auto Major Mode:: How Emacs chooses the major mode automatically. * Mode Help:: Finding out how to use a mode. * Derived Modes:: Defining a new major mode based on another major mode. * Generic Modes:: Defining a simple major mode that supports comment syntax and Font Lock mode. * Mode Hooks:: Hooks run at the end of major mode functions. * Example Major Modes:: Text mode and Lisp modes. @end menu @node Major Mode Basics @subsection Major Mode Basics @cindex Fundamental mode The least specialized major mode is called @dfn{Fundamental mode}. This mode has no mode-specific definitions or variable settings, so each Emacs command behaves in its default manner, and each option is in its default state. All other major modes redefine various keys and options. For example, Lisp Interaction mode provides special key bindings for @kbd{C-j} (@code{eval-print-last-sexp}), @key{TAB} (@code{lisp-indent-line}), and other keys. When you need to write several editing commands to help you perform a specialized editing task, creating a new major mode is usually a good idea. In practice, writing a major mode is easy (in contrast to writing a minor mode, which is often difficult). If the new mode is similar to an old one, it is often unwise to modify the old one to serve two purposes, since it may become harder to use and maintain. Instead, copy and rename an existing major mode definition and alter the copy---or use @code{define-derived-mode} to define a @dfn{derived mode} (@pxref{Derived Modes}). For example, Rmail Edit mode is a major mode that is very similar to Text mode except that it provides two additional commands. Its definition is distinct from that of Text mode, but uses that of Text mode. Even if the new mode is not an obvious derivative of any other mode, it is convenient to use @code{define-derived-mode} with a @code{nil} parent argument, since it automatically enforces the most important coding conventions for you. For a very simple programming language major mode that handles comments and fontification, you can use @code{define-generic-mode}. @xref{Generic Modes}. Rmail Edit mode offers an example of changing the major mode temporarily for a buffer, so it can be edited in a different way (with ordinary Emacs commands rather than Rmail commands). In such cases, the temporary major mode usually provides a command to switch back to the buffer's usual mode (Rmail mode, in this case). You might be tempted to present the temporary redefinitions inside a recursive edit and restore the usual ones when the user exits; but this is a bad idea because it constrains the user's options when it is done in more than one buffer: recursive edits must be exited most-recently-entered first. Using an alternative major mode avoids this limitation. @xref{Recursive Editing}. The standard GNU Emacs Lisp library directory tree contains the code for several major modes, in files such as @file{text-mode.el}, @file{texinfo.el}, @file{lisp-mode.el}, @file{c-mode.el}, and @file{rmail.el}. They are found in various subdirectories of the @file{lisp} directory. You can study these libraries to see how modes are written. Text mode is perhaps the simplest major mode aside from Fundamental mode. Rmail mode is a complicated and specialized mode. @node Major Mode Conventions @subsection Major Mode Conventions @cindex major mode conventions @cindex conventions for writing major modes The code for existing major modes follows various coding conventions, including conventions for local keymap and syntax table initialization, global names, and hooks. Please follow these conventions when you define a new major mode. (Fundamental mode is an exception to many of these conventions, because its definition is to present the global state of Emacs.) This list of conventions is only partial, because each major mode should aim for consistency in general with other Emacs major modes. This makes Emacs as a whole more coherent. It is impossible to list here all the possible points where this issue might come up; if the Emacs developers point out an area where your major mode deviates from the usual conventions, please make it compatible. @itemize @bullet @item Define a command whose name ends in @samp{-mode}, with no arguments, that switches to the new mode in the current buffer. This command should set up the keymap, syntax table, and buffer-local variables in an existing buffer, without changing the buffer's contents. @item Write a documentation string for this command that describes the special commands available in this mode. @kbd{C-h m} (@code{describe-mode}) in your mode will display this string. The documentation string may include the special documentation substrings, @samp{\[@var{command}]}, @samp{\@{@var{keymap}@}}, and @samp{\<@var{keymap}>}, which enable the documentation to adapt automatically to the user's own key bindings. @xref{Keys in Documentation}. @item The major mode command should start by calling @code{kill-all-local-variables}. This runs the normal hook @code{change-major-mode-hook}, then gets rid of the buffer-local variables of the major mode previously in effect. @xref{Creating Buffer-Local}. @item The major mode command should set the variable @code{major-mode} to the major mode command symbol. This is how @code{describe-mode} discovers which documentation to print. @item The major mode command should set the variable @code{mode-name} to the ``pretty'' name of the mode, usually a string (but see @ref{Mode Line Data}, for other possible forms). The name of the mode appears in the mode line. @item @cindex functions in modes Since all global names are in the same name space, all the global variables, constants, and functions that are part of the mode should have names that start with the major mode name (or with an abbreviation of it if the name is long). @xref{Coding Conventions}. @item In a major mode for editing some kind of structured text, such as a programming language, indentation of text according to structure is probably useful. So the mode should set @code{indent-line-function} to a suitable function, and probably customize other variables for indentation. @item @cindex keymaps in modes The major mode should usually have its own keymap, which is used as the local keymap in all buffers in that mode. The major mode command should call @code{use-local-map} to install this local map. @xref{Active Keymaps}, for more information. This keymap should be stored permanently in a global variable named @code{@var{modename}-mode-map}. Normally the library that defines the mode sets this variable. @xref{Tips for Defining}, for advice about how to write the code to set up the mode's keymap variable. @item The key sequences bound in a major mode keymap should usually start with @kbd{C-c}, followed by a control character, a digit, or @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{:} or @kbd{;}. The other punctuation characters are reserved for minor modes, and ordinary letters are reserved for users. A major mode can also rebind the keys @kbd{M-n}, @kbd{M-p} and @kbd{M-s}. The bindings for @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p} should normally be some kind of ``moving forward and backward,'' but this does not necessarily mean cursor motion. It is legitimate for a major mode to rebind a standard key sequence if it provides a command that does ``the same job'' in a way better suited to the text this mode is used for. For example, a major mode for editing a programming language might redefine @kbd{C-M-a} to ``move to the beginning of a function'' in a way that works better for that language. It is also legitimate for a major mode to rebind a standard key sequence whose standard meaning is rarely useful in that mode. For instance, minibuffer modes rebind @kbd{M-r}, whose standard meaning is rarely of any use in the minibuffer. Major modes such as Dired or Rmail that do not allow self-insertion of text can reasonably redefine letters and other printing characters as special commands. @item Major modes modes for editing text should not define @key{RET} to do anything other than insert a newline. However, it is ok for specialized modes for text that users don't directly edit, such as Dired and Info modes, to redefine @key{RET} to do something entirely different. @item Major modes should not alter options that are primarily a matter of user preference, such as whether Auto-Fill mode is enabled. Leave this to each user to decide. However, a major mode should customize other variables so that Auto-Fill mode will work usefully @emph{if} the user decides to use it. @item @cindex syntax tables in modes The mode may have its own syntax table or may share one with other related modes. If it has its own syntax table, it should store this in a variable named @code{@var{modename}-mode-syntax-table}. @xref{Syntax Tables}. @item If the mode handles a language that has a syntax for comments, it should set the variables that define the comment syntax. @xref{Options for Comments,, Options Controlling Comments, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. @item @cindex abbrev tables in modes The mode may have its own abbrev table or may share one with other related modes. If it has its own abbrev table, it should store this in a variable named @code{@var{modename}-mode-abbrev-table}. If the major mode command defines any abbrevs itself, it should pass @code{t} for the @var{system-flag} argument to @code{define-abbrev}. @xref{Defining Abbrevs}. @item The mode should specify how to do highlighting for Font Lock mode, by setting up a buffer-local value for the variable @code{font-lock-defaults} (@pxref{Font Lock Mode}). @item The mode should specify how Imenu should find the definitions or sections of a buffer, by setting up a buffer-local value for the variable @code{imenu-generic-expression}, for the two variables @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} and @code{imenu-extract-index-name-function}, or for the variable @code{imenu-create-index-function} (@pxref{Imenu}). @item The mode can specify a local value for @code{eldoc-documentation-function} to tell ElDoc mode how to handle this mode. @item Use @code{defvar} or @code{defcustom} to set mode-related variables, so that they are not reinitialized if they already have a value. (Such reinitialization could discard customizations made by the user.) @item @cindex buffer-local variables in modes To make a buffer-local binding for an Emacs customization variable, use @code{make-local-variable} in the major mode command, not @code{make-variable-buffer-local}. The latter function would make the variable local to every buffer in which it is subsequently set, which would affect buffers that do not use this mode. It is undesirable for a mode to have such global effects. @xref{Buffer-Local Variables}. With rare exceptions, the only reasonable way to use @code{make-variable-buffer-local} in a Lisp package is for a variable which is used only within that package. Using it on a variable used by other packages would interfere with them. @item @cindex mode hook @cindex major mode hook Each major mode should have a normal @dfn{mode hook} named @code{@var{modename}-mode-hook}. The very last thing the major mode command should do is to call @code{run-mode-hooks}. This runs the mode hook, and then runs the normal hook @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. @xref{Mode Hooks}. @item The major mode command may start by calling some other major mode command (called the @dfn{parent mode}) and then alter some of its settings. A mode that does this is called a @dfn{derived mode}. The recommended way to define one is to use @code{define-derived-mode}, but this is not required. Such a mode should call the parent mode command inside a @code{delay-mode-hooks} form. (Using @code{define-derived-mode} does this automatically.) @xref{Derived Modes}, and @ref{Mode Hooks}. @item If something special should be done if the user switches a buffer from this mode to any other major mode, this mode can set up a buffer-local value for @code{change-major-mode-hook} (@pxref{Creating Buffer-Local}). @item If this mode is appropriate only for specially-prepared text, then the major mode command symbol should have a property named @code{mode-class} with value @code{special}, put on as follows: @kindex mode-class @r{(property)} @cindex @code{special} @example (put 'funny-mode 'mode-class 'special) @end example @noindent This tells Emacs that new buffers created while the current buffer is in Funny mode should not inherit Funny mode, in case @code{default-major-mode} is @code{nil}. Modes such as Dired, Rmail, and Buffer List use this feature. @item If you want to make the new mode the default for files with certain recognizable names, add an element to @code{auto-mode-alist} to select the mode for those file names (@pxref{Auto Major Mode}). If you define the mode command to autoload, you should add this element in the same file that calls @code{autoload}. If you use an autoload cookie for the mode command, you can also use an autoload cookie for the form that adds the element (@pxref{autoload cookie}). If you do not autoload the mode command, it is sufficient to add the element in the file that contains the mode definition. @item In the comments that document the file, you should provide a sample @code{autoload} form and an example of how to add to @code{auto-mode-alist}, that users can include in their init files (@pxref{Init File}). @item @cindex mode loading The top-level forms in the file defining the mode should be written so that they may be evaluated more than once without adverse consequences. Even if you never load the file more than once, someone else will. @end itemize @node Auto Major Mode @subsection How Emacs Chooses a Major Mode @cindex major mode, automatic selection Based on information in the file name or in the file itself, Emacs automatically selects a major mode for the new buffer when a file is visited. It also processes local variables specified in the file text. @deffn Command fundamental-mode Fundamental mode is a major mode that is not specialized for anything in particular. Other major modes are defined in effect by comparison with this one---their definitions say what to change, starting from Fundamental mode. The @code{fundamental-mode} function does @emph{not} run any mode hooks; you're not supposed to customize it. (If you want Emacs to behave differently in Fundamental mode, change the @emph{global} state of Emacs.) @end deffn @deffn Command normal-mode &optional find-file This function establishes the proper major mode and buffer-local variable bindings for the current buffer. First it calls @code{set-auto-mode} (see below), then it runs @code{hack-local-variables} to parse, and bind or evaluate as appropriate, the file's local variables (@pxref{File Local Variables}). If the @var{find-file} argument to @code{normal-mode} is non-@code{nil}, @code{normal-mode} assumes that the @code{find-file} function is calling it. In this case, it may process local variables in the @samp{-*-} line or at the end of the file. The variable @code{enable-local-variables} controls whether to do so. @xref{File Variables, , Local Variables in Files, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for the syntax of the local variables section of a file. If you run @code{normal-mode} interactively, the argument @var{find-file} is normally @code{nil}. In this case, @code{normal-mode} unconditionally processes any file local variables. If @code{normal-mode} processes the local variables list and this list specifies a major mode, that mode overrides any mode chosen by @code{set-auto-mode}. If neither @code{set-auto-mode} nor @code{hack-local-variables} specify a major mode, the buffer stays in the major mode determined by @code{default-major-mode} (see below). @cindex file mode specification error @code{normal-mode} uses @code{condition-case} around the call to the major mode function, so errors are caught and reported as a @samp{File mode specification error}, followed by the original error message. @end deffn @defun set-auto-mode &optional keep-mode-if-same @cindex visited file mode This function selects the major mode that is appropriate for the current buffer. It bases its decision (in order of precedence) on the @w{@samp{-*-}} line, on the @w{@samp{#!}} line (using @code{interpreter-mode-alist}), on the text at the beginning of the buffer (using @code{magic-mode-alist}), and finally on the visited file name (using @code{auto-mode-alist}). @xref{Choosing Modes, , How Major Modes are Chosen, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. However, this function does not look for the @samp{mode:} local variable near the end of a file; the @code{hack-local-variables} function does that. If @code{enable-local-variables} is @code{nil}, @code{set-auto-mode} does not check the @w{@samp{-*-}} line for a mode tag either. If @var{keep-mode-if-same} is non-@code{nil}, this function does not call the mode command if the buffer is already in the proper major mode. For instance, @code{set-visited-file-name} sets this to @code{t} to avoid killing buffer local variables that the user may have set. @end defun @defopt default-major-mode This variable holds the default major mode for new buffers. The standard value is @code{fundamental-mode}. If the value of @code{default-major-mode} is @code{nil}, Emacs uses the (previously) current buffer's major mode as the default major mode of a new buffer. However, if that major mode symbol has a @code{mode-class} property with value @code{special}, then it is not used for new buffers; Fundamental mode is used instead. The modes that have this property are those such as Dired and Rmail that are useful only with text that has been specially prepared. @end defopt @defun set-buffer-major-mode buffer This function sets the major mode of @var{buffer} to the value of @code{default-major-mode}; if that variable is @code{nil}, it uses the current buffer's major mode (if that is suitable). As an exception, if @var{buffer}'s name is @samp{*scratch*}, it sets the mode to @code{initial-major-mode}. The low-level primitives for creating buffers do not use this function, but medium-level commands such as @code{switch-to-buffer} and @code{find-file-noselect} use it whenever they create buffers. @end defun @defopt initial-major-mode @cindex @samp{*scratch*} The value of this variable determines the major mode of the initial @samp{*scratch*} buffer. The value should be a symbol that is a major mode command. The default value is @code{lisp-interaction-mode}. @end defopt @defvar interpreter-mode-alist This variable specifies major modes to use for scripts that specify a command interpreter in a @samp{#!} line. Its value is an alist with elements of the form @code{(@var{interpreter} . @var{mode})}; for example, @code{("perl" . perl-mode)} is one element present by default. The element says to use mode @var{mode} if the file specifies an interpreter which matches @var{interpreter}. @end defvar @defvar magic-mode-alist This variable's value is an alist with elements of the form @code{(@var{regexp} . @var{function})}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression and @var{function} is a function or @code{nil}. After visiting a file, @code{set-auto-mode} calls @var{function} if the text at the beginning of the buffer matches @var{regexp} and @var{function} is non-@code{nil}; if @var{function} is @code{nil}, @code{auto-mode-alist} gets to decide the mode. @end defvar @defvar magic-fallback-mode-alist This works like @code{magic-mode-alist}, except that it is handled only if @code{auto-mode-alist} does not specify a mode for this file. @end defvar @defvar auto-mode-alist This variable contains an association list of file name patterns (regular expressions) and corresponding major mode commands. Usually, the file name patterns test for suffixes, such as @samp{.el} and @samp{.c}, but this need not be the case. An ordinary element of the alist looks like @code{(@var{regexp} . @var{mode-function})}. For example, @smallexample @group (("\\`/tmp/fol/" . text-mode) ("\\.texinfo\\'" . texinfo-mode) ("\\.texi\\'" . texinfo-mode) @end group @group ("\\.el\\'" . emacs-lisp-mode) ("\\.c\\'" . c-mode) ("\\.h\\'" . c-mode) @dots{}) @end group @end smallexample When you visit a file whose expanded file name (@pxref{File Name Expansion}), with version numbers and backup suffixes removed using @code{file-name-sans-versions} (@pxref{File Name Components}), matches a @var{regexp}, @code{set-auto-mode} calls the corresponding @var{mode-function}. This feature enables Emacs to select the proper major mode for most files. If an element of @code{auto-mode-alist} has the form @code{(@var{regexp} @var{function} t)}, then after calling @var{function}, Emacs searches @code{auto-mode-alist} again for a match against the portion of the file name that did not match before. This feature is useful for uncompression packages: an entry of the form @code{("\\.gz\\'" @var{function} t)} can uncompress the file and then put the uncompressed file in the proper mode according to the name sans @samp{.gz}. Here is an example of how to prepend several pattern pairs to @code{auto-mode-alist}. (You might use this sort of expression in your init file.) @smallexample @group (setq auto-mode-alist (append ;; @r{File name (within directory) starts with a dot.} '(("/\\.[^/]*\\'" . fundamental-mode) ;; @r{File name has no dot.} ("/[^\\./]*\\'" . fundamental-mode) ;; @r{File name ends in @samp{.C}.} ("\\.C\\'" . c++-mode)) auto-mode-alist)) @end group @end smallexample @end defvar @node Mode Help @subsection Getting Help about a Major Mode @cindex mode help @cindex help for major mode @cindex documentation for major mode The @code{describe-mode} function is used to provide information about major modes. It is normally called with @kbd{C-h m}. The @code{describe-mode} function uses the value of @code{major-mode}, which is why every major mode function needs to set the @code{major-mode} variable. @deffn Command describe-mode This function displays the documentation of the current major mode. The @code{describe-mode} function calls the @code{documentation} function using the value of @code{major-mode} as an argument. Thus, it displays the documentation string of the major mode function. (@xref{Accessing Documentation}.) @end deffn @defvar major-mode This buffer-local variable holds the symbol for the current buffer's major mode. This symbol should have a function definition that is the command to switch to that major mode. The @code{describe-mode} function uses the documentation string of the function as the documentation of the major mode. @end defvar @node Derived Modes @subsection Defining Derived Modes @cindex derived mode It's often useful to define a new major mode in terms of an existing one. An easy way to do this is to use @code{define-derived-mode}. @defmac define-derived-mode variant parent name docstring keyword-args@dots{} body@dots{} This construct defines @var{variant} as a major mode command, using @var{name} as the string form of the mode name. @var{variant} and @var{parent} should be unquoted symbols. The new command @var{variant} is defined to call the function @var{parent}, then override certain aspects of that parent mode: @itemize @bullet @item The new mode has its own sparse keymap, named @code{@var{variant}-map}. @code{define-derived-mode} makes the parent mode's keymap the parent of the new map, unless @code{@var{variant}-map} is already set and already has a parent. @item The new mode has its own syntax table, kept in the variable @code{@var{variant}-syntax-table}, unless you override this using the @code{:syntax-table} keyword (see below). @code{define-derived-mode} makes the parent mode's syntax-table the parent of @code{@var{variant}-syntax-table}, unless the latter is already set and already has a parent different from the standard syntax table. @item The new mode has its own abbrev table, kept in the variable @code{@var{variant}-abbrev-table}, unless you override this using the @code{:abbrev-table} keyword (see below). @item The new mode has its own mode hook, @code{@var{variant}-hook}. It runs this hook, after running the hooks of its ancestor modes, with @code{run-mode-hooks}, as the last thing it does. @xref{Mode Hooks}. @end itemize In addition, you can specify how to override other aspects of @var{parent} with @var{body}. The command @var{variant} evaluates the forms in @var{body} after setting up all its usual overrides, just before running the mode hooks. You can also specify @code{nil} for @var{parent}. This gives the new mode no parent. Then @code{define-derived-mode} behaves as described above, but, of course, omits all actions connected with @var{parent}. The argument @var{docstring} specifies the documentation string for the new mode. @code{define-derived-mode} adds some general information about the mode's hook, followed by the mode's keymap, at the end of this docstring. If you omit @var{docstring}, @code{define-derived-mode} generates a documentation string. The @var{keyword-args} are pairs of keywords and values. The values are evaluated. The following keywords are currently supported: @table @code @item :syntax-table You can use this to explicitly specify a syntax table for the new mode. If you specify a @code{nil} value, the new mode uses the same syntax table as @var{parent}, or the standard syntax table if @var{parent} is @code{nil}. (Note that this does @emph{not} follow the convention used for non-keyword arguments that a @code{nil} value is equivalent with not specifying the argument.) @item :abbrev-table You can use this to explicitly specify an abbrev table for the new mode. If you specify a @code{nil} value, the new mode uses the same abbrev table as @var{parent}, or @code{fundamental-mode-abbrev-table} if @var{parent} is @code{nil}. (Again, a @code{nil} value is @emph{not} equivalent to not specifying this keyword.) @item :group If this is specified, the value should be the customization group for this mode. (Not all major modes have one.) Only the (still experimental and unadvertised) command @code{customize-mode} currently uses this. @code{define-derived-mode} does @emph{not} automatically define the specified customization group. @end table Here is a hypothetical example: @example (define-derived-mode hypertext-mode text-mode "Hypertext" "Major mode for hypertext. \\@{hypertext-mode-map@}" (setq case-fold-search nil)) (define-key hypertext-mode-map [down-mouse-3] 'do-hyper-link) @end example Do not write an @code{interactive} spec in the definition; @code{define-derived-mode} does that automatically. @end defmac @node Generic Modes @subsection Generic Modes @cindex generic mode @dfn{Generic modes} are simple major modes with basic support for comment syntax and Font Lock mode. To define a generic mode, use the macro @code{define-generic-mode}. See the file @file{generic-x.el} for some examples of the use of @code{define-generic-mode}. @defmac define-generic-mode mode comment-list keyword-list font-lock-list auto-mode-list function-list &optional docstring This macro defines a generic mode command named @var{mode} (a symbol, not quoted). The optional argument @var{docstring} is the documentation for the mode command. If you do not supply it, @code{define-generic-mode} generates one by default. The argument @var{comment-list} is a list in which each element is either a character, a string of one or two characters, or a cons cell. A character or a string is set up in the mode's syntax table as a ``comment starter.'' If the entry is a cons cell, the @sc{car} is set up as a ``comment starter'' and the @sc{cdr} as a ``comment ender.'' (Use @code{nil} for the latter if you want comments to end at the end of the line.) Note that the syntax table mechanism has limitations about what comment starters and enders are actually possible. @xref{Syntax Tables}. The argument @var{keyword-list} is a list of keywords to highlight with @code{font-lock-keyword-face}. Each keyword should be a string. Meanwhile, @var{font-lock-list} is a list of additional expressions to highlight. Each element of this list should have the same form as an element of @code{font-lock-keywords}. @xref{Search-based Fontification}. The argument @var{auto-mode-list} is a list of regular expressions to add to the variable @code{auto-mode-alist}. They are added by the execution of the @code{define-generic-mode} form, not by expanding the macro call. Finally, @var{function-list} is a list of functions for the mode command to call for additional setup. It calls these functions just before it runs the mode hook variable @code{@var{mode}-hook}. @end defmac @node Mode Hooks @subsection Mode Hooks Every major mode function should finish by running its mode hook and the mode-independent normal hook @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. It does this by calling @code{run-mode-hooks}. If the major mode is a derived mode, that is if it calls another major mode (the parent mode) in its body, it should do this inside @code{delay-mode-hooks} so that the parent won't run these hooks itself. Instead, the derived mode's call to @code{run-mode-hooks} runs the parent's mode hook too. @xref{Major Mode Conventions}. Emacs versions before Emacs 22 did not have @code{delay-mode-hooks}. When user-implemented major modes have not been updated to use it, they won't entirely follow these conventions: they may run the parent's mode hook too early, or fail to run @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. If you encounter such a major mode, please correct it to follow these conventions. When you defined a major mode using @code{define-derived-mode}, it automatically makes sure these conventions are followed. If you define a major mode ``by hand,'' not using @code{define-derived-mode}, use the following functions to handle these conventions automatically. @defun run-mode-hooks &rest hookvars Major modes should run their mode hook using this function. It is similar to @code{run-hooks} (@pxref{Hooks}), but it also runs @code{after-change-major-mode-hook}. When this function is called during the execution of a @code{delay-mode-hooks} form, it does not run the hooks immediately. Instead, it arranges for the next call to @code{run-mode-hooks} to run them. @end defun @defmac delay-mode-hooks body@dots{} When one major mode command calls another, it should do so inside of @code{delay-mode-hooks}. This macro executes @var{body}, but tells all @code{run-mode-hooks} calls during the execution of @var{body} to delay running their hooks. The hooks will actually run during the next call to @code{run-mode-hooks} after the end of the @code{delay-mode-hooks} construct. @end defmac @defvar after-change-major-mode-hook This is a normal hook run by @code{run-mode-hooks}. It is run at the very end of every properly-written major mode function. @end defvar @node Example Major Modes @subsection Major Mode Examples Text mode is perhaps the simplest mode besides Fundamental mode. Here are excerpts from @file{text-mode.el} that illustrate many of the conventions listed above: @smallexample @group ;; @r{Create the syntax table for this mode.} (defvar text-mode-syntax-table (let ((st (make-syntax-table))) (modify-syntax-entry ?\" ". " st) (modify-syntax-entry ?\\ ". " st) ;; Add `p' so M-c on `hello' leads to `Hello', not `hello'. (modify-syntax-entry ?' "w p" st) st) "Syntax table used while in `text-mode'.") @end group ;; @r{Create the keymap for this mode.} @group (defvar text-mode-map (let ((map (make-sparse-keymap))) (define-key map "\e\t" 'ispell-complete-word) (define-key map "\es" 'center-line) (define-key map "\eS" 'center-paragraph) map) "Keymap for `text-mode'. Many other modes, such as Mail mode, Outline mode and Indented Text mode, inherit all the commands defined in this map.") @end group @end smallexample Here is how the actual mode command is defined now: @smallexample @group (define-derived-mode text-mode nil "Text" "Major mode for editing text written for humans to read. In this mode, paragraphs are delimited only by blank or white lines. You can thus get the full benefit of adaptive filling (see the variable `adaptive-fill-mode'). \\@{text-mode-map@} Turning on Text mode runs the normal hook `text-mode-hook'." @end group @group (make-local-variable 'text-mode-variant) (setq text-mode-variant t) ;; @r{These two lines are a feature added recently.} (set (make-local-variable 'require-final-newline) mode-require-final-newline) (set (make-local-variable 'indent-line-function) 'indent-relative)) @end group @end smallexample @noindent (The last line is redundant nowadays, since @code{indent-relative} is the default value, and we'll delete it in a future version.) Here is how it was defined formerly, before @code{define-derived-mode} existed: @smallexample @group ;; @r{This isn't needed nowadays, since @code{define-derived-mode} does it.} (defvar text-mode-abbrev-table nil "Abbrev table used while in text mode.") (define-abbrev-table 'text-mode-abbrev-table ()) @end group @group (defun text-mode () "Major mode for editing text intended for humans to read... Special commands: \\@{text-mode-map@} @end group @group Turning on text-mode runs the hook `text-mode-hook'." (interactive) (kill-all-local-variables) (use-local-map text-mode-map) @end group @group (setq local-abbrev-table text-mode-abbrev-table) (set-syntax-table text-mode-syntax-table) @end group @group ;; @r{These four lines are absent from the current version} ;; @r{not because this is done some other way, but rather} ;; @r{because nowadays Text mode uses the normal definition of paragraphs.} (make-local-variable 'paragraph-start) (setq paragraph-start (concat "[ \t]*$\\|" page-delimiter)) (make-local-variable 'paragraph-separate) (setq paragraph-separate paragraph-start) (make-local-variable 'indent-line-function) (setq indent-line-function 'indent-relative-maybe) @end group @group (setq mode-name "Text") (setq major-mode 'text-mode) (run-mode-hooks 'text-mode-hook)) ; @r{Finally, this permits the user to} ; @r{customize the mode with a hook.} @end group @end smallexample @cindex @file{lisp-mode.el} The three Lisp modes (Lisp mode, Emacs Lisp mode, and Lisp Interaction mode) have more features than Text mode and the code is correspondingly more complicated. Here are excerpts from @file{lisp-mode.el} that illustrate how these modes are written. @cindex syntax table example @smallexample @group ;; @r{Create mode-specific table variables.} (defvar lisp-mode-syntax-table nil "") (defvar lisp-mode-abbrev-table nil "") @end group @group (defvar emacs-lisp-mode-syntax-table (let ((table (make-syntax-table))) (let ((i 0)) @end group @group ;; @r{Set syntax of chars up to @samp{0} to say they are} ;; @r{part of symbol names but not words.} ;; @r{(The digit @samp{0} is @code{48} in the @acronym{ASCII} character set.)} (while (< i ?0) (modify-syntax-entry i "_ " table) (setq i (1+ i))) ;; @r{@dots{} similar code follows for other character ranges.} @end group @group ;; @r{Then set the syntax codes for characters that are special in Lisp.} (modify-syntax-entry ? " " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?\t " " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?\f " " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?\n "> " table) @end group @group ;; @r{Give CR the same syntax as newline, for selective-display.} (modify-syntax-entry ?\^m "> " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?\; "< " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?` "' " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?' "' " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?, "' " table) @end group @group ;; @r{@dots{}likewise for many other characters@dots{}} (modify-syntax-entry ?\( "() " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?\) ")( " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?\[ "(] " table) (modify-syntax-entry ?\] ")[ " table)) table)) @end group @group ;; @r{Create an abbrev table for lisp-mode.} (define-abbrev-table 'lisp-mode-abbrev-table ()) @end group @end smallexample The three modes for Lisp share much of their code. For instance, each calls the following function to set various variables: @smallexample @group (defun lisp-mode-variables (lisp-syntax) (when lisp-syntax (set-syntax-table lisp-mode-syntax-table)) (setq local-abbrev-table lisp-mode-abbrev-table) @dots{} @end group @end smallexample In Lisp and most programming languages, we want the paragraph commands to treat only blank lines as paragraph separators. And the modes should understand the Lisp conventions for comments. The rest of @code{lisp-mode-variables} sets this up: @smallexample @group (make-local-variable 'paragraph-start) (setq paragraph-start (concat page-delimiter "\\|$" )) (make-local-variable 'paragraph-separate) (setq paragraph-separate paragraph-start) @dots{} @end group @group (make-local-variable 'comment-indent-function) (setq comment-indent-function 'lisp-comment-indent)) @dots{} @end group @end smallexample Each of the different Lisp modes has a slightly different keymap. For example, Lisp mode binds @kbd{C-c C-z} to @code{run-lisp}, but the other Lisp modes do not. However, all Lisp modes have some commands in common. The following code sets up the common commands: @smallexample @group (defvar shared-lisp-mode-map () "Keymap for commands shared by all sorts of Lisp modes.") ;; @r{Putting this @code{if} after the @code{defvar} is an older style.} (if shared-lisp-mode-map () (setq shared-lisp-mode-map (make-sparse-keymap)) (define-key shared-lisp-mode-map "\e\C-q" 'indent-sexp) (define-key shared-lisp-mode-map "\177" 'backward-delete-char-untabify)) @end group @end smallexample @noindent And here is the code to set up the keymap for Lisp mode: @smallexample @group (defvar lisp-mode-map () "Keymap for ordinary Lisp mode...") (if lisp-mode-map () (setq lisp-mode-map (make-sparse-keymap)) (set-keymap-parent lisp-mode-map shared-lisp-mode-map) (define-key lisp-mode-map "\e\C-x" 'lisp-eval-defun) (define-key lisp-mode-map "\C-c\C-z" 'run-lisp)) @end group @end smallexample Finally, here is the complete major mode function definition for Lisp mode. @smallexample @group (defun lisp-mode () "Major mode for editing Lisp code for Lisps other than GNU Emacs Lisp. Commands: Delete converts tabs to spaces as it moves back. Blank lines separate paragraphs. Semicolons start comments. \\@{lisp-mode-map@} Note that `run-lisp' may be used either to start an inferior Lisp job or to switch back to an existing one. @end group @group Entry to this mode calls the value of `lisp-mode-hook' if that value is non-nil." (interactive) (kill-all-local-variables) @end group @group (use-local-map lisp-mode-map) ; @r{Select the mode's keymap.} (setq major-mode 'lisp-mode) ; @r{This is how @code{describe-mode}} ; @r{finds out what to describe.} (setq mode-name "Lisp") ; @r{This goes into the mode line.} (lisp-mode-variables t) ; @r{This defines various variables.} (make-local-variable 'comment-start-skip) (setq comment-start-skip "\\(\\(^\\|[^\\\\\n]\\)\\(\\\\\\\\\\)*\\)\\(;+\\|#|\\) *") (make-local-variable 'font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search) (setq font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search t) @end group @group (setq imenu-case-fold-search t) (set-syntax-table lisp-mode-syntax-table) (run-mode-hooks 'lisp-mode-hook)) ; @r{This permits the user to use a} ; @r{hook to customize the mode.} @end group @end smallexample @node Minor Modes @section Minor Modes @cindex minor mode A @dfn{minor mode} provides features that users may enable or disable independently of the choice of major mode. Minor modes can be enabled individually or in combination. Minor modes would be better named ``generally available, optional feature modes,'' except that such a name would be unwieldy. A minor mode is not usually meant as a variation of a single major mode. Usually they are general and can apply to many major modes. For example, Auto Fill mode works with any major mode that permits text insertion. To be general, a minor mode must be effectively independent of the things major modes do. A minor mode is often much more difficult to implement than a major mode. One reason is that you should be able to activate and deactivate minor modes in any order. A minor mode should be able to have its desired effect regardless of the major mode and regardless of the other minor modes in effect. Often the biggest problem in implementing a minor mode is finding a way to insert the necessary hook into the rest of Emacs. Minor mode keymaps make this easier than it used to be. @defvar minor-mode-list The value of this variable is a list of all minor mode commands. @end defvar @menu * Minor Mode Conventions:: Tips for writing a minor mode. * Keymaps and Minor Modes:: How a minor mode can have its own keymap. * Defining Minor Modes:: A convenient facility for defining minor modes. @end menu @node Minor Mode Conventions @subsection Conventions for Writing Minor Modes @cindex minor mode conventions @cindex conventions for writing minor modes There are conventions for writing minor modes just as there are for major modes. Several of the major mode conventions apply to minor modes as well: those regarding the name of the mode initialization function, the names of global symbols, the use of a hook at the end of the initialization function, and the use of keymaps and other tables. In addition, there are several conventions that are specific to minor modes. (The easiest way to follow all the conventions is to use the macro @code{define-minor-mode}; @ref{Defining Minor Modes}.) @itemize @bullet @item @cindex mode variable Make a variable whose name ends in @samp{-mode} to control the minor mode. We call this the @dfn{mode variable}. The minor mode command should set this variable (@code{nil} to disable; anything else to enable). If possible, implement the mode so that setting the variable automatically enables or disables the mode. Then the minor mode command does not need to do anything except set the variable. This variable is used in conjunction with the @code{minor-mode-alist} to display the minor mode name in the mode line. It can also enable or disable a minor mode keymap. Individual commands or hooks can also check the variable's value. If you want the minor mode to be enabled separately in each buffer, make the variable buffer-local. @item Define a command whose name is the same as the mode variable. Its job is to enable and disable the mode by setting the variable. The command should accept one optional argument. If the argument is @code{nil}, it should toggle the mode (turn it on if it is off, and off if it is on). It should turn the mode on if the argument is a positive integer, the symbol @code{t}, or a list whose @sc{car} is one of those. It should turn the mode off if the argument is a negative integer or zero, the symbol @code{-}, or a list whose @sc{car} is a negative integer or zero. The meaning of other arguments is not specified. Here is an example taken from the definition of @code{transient-mark-mode}. It shows the use of @code{transient-mark-mode} as a variable that enables or disables the mode's behavior, and also shows the proper way to toggle, enable or disable the minor mode based on the raw prefix argument value. @smallexample @group (setq transient-mark-mode (if (null arg) (not transient-mark-mode) (> (prefix-numeric-value arg) 0))) @end group @end smallexample @item Add an element to @code{minor-mode-alist} for each minor mode (@pxref{Definition of minor-mode-alist}), if you want to indicate the minor mode in the mode line. This element should be a list of the following form: @smallexample (@var{mode-variable} @var{string}) @end smallexample Here @var{mode-variable} is the variable that controls enabling of the minor mode, and @var{string} is a short string, starting with a space, to represent the mode in the mode line. These strings must be short so that there is room for several of them at once. When you add an element to @code{minor-mode-alist}, use @code{assq} to check for an existing element, to avoid duplication. For example: @smallexample @group (unless (assq 'leif-mode minor-mode-alist) (setq minor-mode-alist (cons '(leif-mode " Leif") minor-mode-alist))) @end group @end smallexample @noindent or like this, using @code{add-to-list} (@pxref{List Variables}): @smallexample @group (add-to-list 'minor-mode-alist '(leif-mode " Leif")) @end group @end smallexample @end itemize Global minor modes distributed with Emacs should if possible support enabling and disabling via Custom (@pxref{Customization}). To do this, the first step is to define the mode variable with @code{defcustom}, and specify @code{:type boolean}. If just setting the variable is not sufficient to enable the mode, you should also specify a @code{:set} method which enables the mode by invoking the mode command. Note in the variable's documentation string that setting the variable other than via Custom may not take effect. Also mark the definition with an autoload cookie (@pxref{autoload cookie}), and specify a @code{:require} so that customizing the variable will load the library that defines the mode. This will copy suitable definitions into @file{loaddefs.el} so that users can use @code{customize-option} to enable the mode. For example: @smallexample @group ;;;###autoload (defcustom msb-mode nil "Toggle msb-mode. Setting this variable directly does not take effect; use either \\[customize] or the function `msb-mode'." :set 'custom-set-minor-mode :initialize 'custom-initialize-default :version "20.4" :type 'boolean :group 'msb :require 'msb) @end group @end smallexample @node Keymaps and Minor Modes @subsection Keymaps and Minor Modes Each minor mode can have its own keymap, which is active when the mode is enabled. To set up a keymap for a minor mode, add an element to the alist @code{minor-mode-map-alist}. @xref{Definition of minor-mode-map-alist}. @cindex @code{self-insert-command}, minor modes One use of minor mode keymaps is to modify the behavior of certain self-inserting characters so that they do something else as well as self-insert. In general, this is the only way to do that, since the facilities for customizing @code{self-insert-command} are limited to special cases (designed for abbrevs and Auto Fill mode). (Do not try substituting your own definition of @code{self-insert-command} for the standard one. The editor command loop handles this function specially.) The key sequences bound in a minor mode should consist of @kbd{C-c} followed by one of @kbd{.,/?`'"[]\|~!#$%^&*()-_+=}. (The other punctuation characters are reserved for major modes.) @node Defining Minor Modes @subsection Defining Minor Modes The macro @code{define-minor-mode} offers a convenient way of implementing a mode in one self-contained definition. @defmac define-minor-mode mode doc [init-value [lighter [keymap]]] keyword-args@dots{} body@dots{} This macro defines a new minor mode whose name is @var{mode} (a symbol). It defines a command named @var{mode} to toggle the minor mode, with @var{doc} as its documentation string. It also defines a variable named @var{mode}, which is set to @code{t} or @code{nil} by enabling or disabling the mode. The variable is initialized to @var{init-value}. Except in unusual circumstances (see below), this value must be @code{nil}. The string @var{lighter} says what to display in the mode line when the mode is enabled; if it is @code{nil}, the mode is not displayed in the mode line. The optional argument @var{keymap} specifies the keymap for the minor mode. It can be a variable name, whose value is the keymap, or it can be an alist specifying bindings in this form: @example (@var{key-sequence} . @var{definition}) @end example The above three arguments @var{init-value}, @var{lighter}, and @var{keymap} can be (partially) omitted when @var{keyword-args} are used. The @var{keyword-args} consist of keywords followed by corresponding values. A few keywords have special meanings: @table @code @item :group @var{group} Custom group name to use in all generated @code{defcustom} forms. Defaults to @var{mode} without the possible trailing @samp{-mode}. @strong{Warning:} don't use this default group name unless you have written a @code{defgroup} to define that group properly. @xref{Group Definitions}. @item :global @var{global} If non-@code{nil}, this specifies that the minor mode should be global rather than buffer-local. It defaults to @code{nil}. One of the effects of making a minor mode global is that the @var{mode} variable becomes a customization variable. Toggling it through the Custom interface turns the mode on and off, and its value can be saved for future Emacs sessions (@pxref{Saving Customizations,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. For the saved variable to work, you should ensure that the @code{define-minor-mode} form is evaluated each time Emacs starts; for packages that are not part of Emacs, the easiest way to do this is to specify a @code{:require} keyword. @item :init-value @var{init-value} This is equivalent to specifying @var{init-value} positionally. @item :lighter @var{lighter} This is equivalent to specifying @var{lighter} positionally. @item :keymap @var{keymap} This is equivalent to specifying @var{keymap} positionally. @end table Any other keyword arguments are passed directly to the @code{defcustom} generated for the variable @var{mode}. The command named @var{mode} first performs the standard actions such as setting the variable named @var{mode} and then executes the @var{body} forms, if any. It finishes by running the mode hook variable @code{@var{mode}-hook}. @end defmac The initial value must be @code{nil} except in cases where (1) the mode is preloaded in Emacs, or (2) it is painless for loading to enable the mode even though the user did not request it. For instance, if the mode has no effect unless something else is enabled, and will always be loaded by that time, enabling it by default is harmless. But these are unusual circumstances. Normally, the initial value must be @code{nil}. @findex easy-mmode-define-minor-mode The name @code{easy-mmode-define-minor-mode} is an alias for this macro. Here is an example of using @code{define-minor-mode}: @smallexample (define-minor-mode hungry-mode "Toggle Hungry mode. With no argument, this command toggles the mode. Non-null prefix argument turns on the mode. Null prefix argument turns off the mode. When Hungry mode is enabled, the control delete key gobbles all preceding whitespace except the last. See the command \\[hungry-electric-delete]." ;; The initial value. nil ;; The indicator for the mode line. " Hungry" ;; The minor mode bindings. '(("\C-\^?" . hungry-electric-delete)) :group 'hunger) @end smallexample @noindent This defines a minor mode named ``Hungry mode,'' a command named @code{hungry-mode} to toggle it, a variable named @code{hungry-mode} which indicates whether the mode is enabled, and a variable named @code{hungry-mode-map} which holds the keymap that is active when the mode is enabled. It initializes the keymap with a key binding for @kbd{C-@key{DEL}}. It puts the variable @code{hungry-mode} into custom group @code{hunger}. There are no @var{body} forms---many minor modes don't need any. Here's an equivalent way to write it: @smallexample (define-minor-mode hungry-mode "Toggle Hungry mode. With no argument, this command toggles the mode. Non-null prefix argument turns on the mode. Null prefix argument turns off the mode. When Hungry mode is enabled, the control delete key gobbles all preceding whitespace except the last. See the command \\[hungry-electric-delete]." ;; The initial value. :init-value nil ;; The indicator for the mode line. :lighter " Hungry" ;; The minor mode bindings. :keymap '(("\C-\^?" . hungry-electric-delete) ("\C-\M-\^?" . (lambda () (interactive) (hungry-electric-delete t)))) :group 'hunger) @end smallexample @defmac define-globalized-minor-mode global-mode mode turn-on keyword-args@dots{} This defines a global toggle named @var{global-mode} whose meaning is to enable or disable the buffer-local minor mode @var{mode} in all buffers. To turn on the minor mode in a buffer, it uses the function @var{turn-on}; to turn off the minor mode, it calls @code{mode} with @minus{}1 as argument. Globally enabling the mode also affects buffers subsequently created by visiting files, and buffers that use a major mode other than Fundamental mode; but it does not detect the creation of a new buffer in Fundamental mode. This defines the customization option @var{global-mode} (@pxref{Customization}), which can be toggled in the Custom interface to turn the minor mode on and off. As with @code{define-minor-mode}, you should ensure that the @code{define-globalized-minor-mode} form is evaluated each time Emacs starts, for example by providing a @code{:require} keyword. Use @code{:group @var{group}} in @var{keyword-args} to specify the custom group for the mode variable of the global minor mode. @end defmac @node Mode Line Format @section Mode-Line Format @cindex mode line Each Emacs window (aside from minibuffer windows) typically has a mode line at the bottom, which displays status information about the buffer displayed in the window. The mode line contains information about the buffer, such as its name, associated file, depth of recursive editing, and major and minor modes. A window can also have a @dfn{header line}, which is much like the mode line but appears at the top of the window. This section describes how to control the contents of the mode line and header line. We include it in this chapter because much of the information displayed in the mode line relates to the enabled major and minor modes. @menu * Base: Mode Line Basics. Basic ideas of mode line control. * Data: Mode Line Data. The data structure that controls the mode line. * Top: Mode Line Top. The top level variable, mode-line-format. * Mode Line Variables:: Variables used in that data structure. * %-Constructs:: Putting information into a mode line. * Properties in Mode:: Using text properties in the mode line. * Header Lines:: Like a mode line, but at the top. * Emulating Mode Line:: Formatting text as the mode line would. @end menu @node Mode Line Basics @subsection Mode Line Basics @code{mode-line-format} is a buffer-local variable that holds a @dfn{mode line construct}, a kind of template, which controls what is displayed on the mode line of the current buffer. The value of @code{header-line-format} specifies the buffer's header line in the same way. All windows for the same buffer use the same @code{mode-line-format} and @code{header-line-format}. For efficiency, Emacs does not continuously recompute the mode line and header line of a window. It does so when circumstances appear to call for it---for instance, if you change the window configuration, switch buffers, narrow or widen the buffer, scroll, or change the buffer's modification status. If you modify any of the variables referenced by @code{mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Variables}), or any other variables and data structures that affect how text is displayed (@pxref{Display}), you may want to force an update of the mode line so as to display the new information or display it in the new way. @defun force-mode-line-update &optional all Force redisplay of the current buffer's mode line and header line. The next redisplay will update the mode line and header line based on the latest values of all relevant variables. With optional non-@code{nil} @var{all}, force redisplay of all mode lines and header lines. This function also forces recomputation of the menu bar menus and the frame title. @end defun The selected window's mode line is usually displayed in a different color using the face @code{mode-line}. Other windows' mode lines appear in the face @code{mode-line-inactive} instead. @xref{Faces}. @node Mode Line Data @subsection The Data Structure of the Mode Line @cindex mode-line construct The mode-line contents are controlled by a data structure called a @dfn{mode-line construct}, made up of lists, strings, symbols, and numbers kept in buffer-local variables. Each data type has a specific meaning for the mode-line appearance, as described below. The same data structure is used for constructing frame titles (@pxref{Frame Titles}) and header lines (@pxref{Header Lines}). A mode-line construct may be as simple as a fixed string of text, but it usually specifies how to combine fixed strings with variables' values to construct the text. Many of these variables are themselves defined to have mode-line constructs as their values. Here are the meanings of various data types as mode-line constructs: @table @code @cindex percent symbol in mode line @item @var{string} A string as a mode-line construct appears verbatim except for @dfn{@code{%}-constructs} in it. These stand for substitution of other data; see @ref{%-Constructs}. If parts of the string have @code{face} properties, they control display of the text just as they would text in the buffer. Any characters which have no @code{face} properties are displayed, by default, in the face @code{mode-line} or @code{mode-line-inactive} (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). The @code{help-echo} and @code{local-map} properties in @var{string} have special meanings. @xref{Properties in Mode}. @item @var{symbol} A symbol as a mode-line construct stands for its value. The value of @var{symbol} is used as a mode-line construct, in place of @var{symbol}. However, the symbols @code{t} and @code{nil} are ignored, as is any symbol whose value is void. There is one exception: if the value of @var{symbol} is a string, it is displayed verbatim: the @code{%}-constructs are not recognized. Unless @var{symbol} is marked as ``risky'' (i.e., it has a non-@code{nil} @code{risky-local-variable} property), all text properties specified in @var{symbol}'s value are ignored. This includes the text properties of strings in @var{symbol}'s value, as well as all @code{:eval} and @code{:propertize} forms in it. (The reason for this is security: non-risky variables could be set automatically from file variables without prompting the user.) @item (@var{string} @var{rest}@dots{}) @itemx (@var{list} @var{rest}@dots{}) A list whose first element is a string or list means to process all the elements recursively and concatenate the results. This is the most common form of mode-line construct. @item (:eval @var{form}) A list whose first element is the symbol @code{:eval} says to evaluate @var{form}, and use the result as a string to display. Make sure this evaluation cannot load any files, as doing so could cause infinite recursion. @item (:propertize @var{elt} @var{props}@dots{}) A list whose first element is the symbol @code{:propertize} says to process the mode-line construct @var{elt} recursively, then add the text properties specified by @var{props} to the result. The argument @var{props} should consist of zero or more pairs @var{text-property} @var{value}. (This feature is new as of Emacs 22.1.) @item (@var{symbol} @var{then} @var{else}) A list whose first element is a symbol that is not a keyword specifies a conditional. Its meaning depends on the value of @var{symbol}. If @var{symbol} has a non-@code{nil} value, the second element, @var{then}, is processed recursively as a mode-line element. Otherwise, the third element, @var{else}, is processed recursively. You may omit @var{else}; then the mode-line element displays nothing if the value of @var{symbol} is @code{nil} or void. @item (@var{width} @var{rest}@dots{}) A list whose first element is an integer specifies truncation or padding of the results of @var{rest}. The remaining elements @var{rest} are processed recursively as mode-line constructs and concatenated together. When @var{width} is positive, the result is space filled on the right if its width is less than @var{width}. When @var{width} is negative, the result is truncated on the right to @minus{}@var{width} columns if its width exceeds @minus{}@var{width}. For example, the usual way to show what percentage of a buffer is above the top of the window is to use a list like this: @code{(-3 "%p")}. @end table @node Mode Line Top @subsection The Top Level of Mode Line Control The variable in overall control of the mode line is @code{mode-line-format}. @defvar mode-line-format The value of this variable is a mode-line construct that controls the contents of the mode-line. It is always buffer-local in all buffers. If you set this variable to @code{nil} in a buffer, that buffer does not have a mode line. (A window that is just one line tall never displays a mode line.) @end defvar The default value of @code{mode-line-format} is designed to use the values of other variables such as @code{mode-line-position} and @code{mode-line-modes} (which in turn incorporates the values of the variables @code{mode-name} and @code{minor-mode-alist}). Very few modes need to alter @code{mode-line-format} itself. For most purposes, it is sufficient to alter some of the variables that @code{mode-line-format} either directly or indirectly refers to. If you do alter @code{mode-line-format} itself, the new value should use the same variables that appear in the default value (@pxref{Mode Line Variables}), rather than duplicating their contents or displaying the information in another fashion. This way, customizations made by the user or by Lisp programs (such as @code{display-time} and major modes) via changes to those variables remain effective. Here is an example of a @code{mode-line-format} that might be useful for @code{shell-mode}, since it contains the host name and default directory. @example @group (setq mode-line-format (list "-" 'mode-line-mule-info 'mode-line-modified 'mode-line-frame-identification "%b--" @end group @group ;; @r{Note that this is evaluated while making the list.} ;; @r{It makes a mode-line construct which is just a string.} (getenv "HOST") @end group ":" 'default-directory " " 'global-mode-string " %[(" '(:eval (mode-line-mode-name)) 'mode-line-process 'minor-mode-alist "%n" ")%]--" @group '(which-func-mode ("" which-func-format "--")) '(line-number-mode "L%l--") '(column-number-mode "C%c--") '(-3 "%p") "-%-")) @end group @end example @noindent (The variables @code{line-number-mode}, @code{column-number-mode} and @code{which-func-mode} enable particular minor modes; as usual, these variable names are also the minor mode command names.) @node Mode Line Variables @subsection Variables Used in the Mode Line This section describes variables incorporated by the standard value of @code{mode-line-format} into the text of the mode line. There is nothing inherently special about these variables; any other variables could have the same effects on the mode line if @code{mode-line-format}'s value were changed to use them. However, various parts of Emacs set these variables on the understanding that they will control parts of the mode line; therefore, practically speaking, it is essential for the mode line to use them. @defvar mode-line-mule-info This variable holds the value of the mode-line construct that displays information about the language environment, buffer coding system, and current input method. @xref{Non-ASCII Characters}. @end defvar @defvar mode-line-modified This variable holds the value of the mode-line construct that displays whether the current buffer is modified. The default value of @code{mode-line-modified} is @code{("%1*%1+")}. This means that the mode line displays @samp{**} if the buffer is modified, @samp{--} if the buffer is not modified, @samp{%%} if the buffer is read only, and @samp{%*} if the buffer is read only and modified. Changing this variable does not force an update of the mode line. @end defvar @defvar mode-line-frame-identification This variable identifies the current frame. The default value is @code{" "} if you are using a window system which can show multiple frames, or @code{"-%F "} on an ordinary terminal which shows only one frame at a time. @end defvar @defvar mode-line-buffer-identification This variable identifies the buffer being displayed in the window. Its default value is @code{("%12b")}, which displays the buffer name, padded with spaces to at least 12 columns. @end defvar @defvar mode-line-position This variable indicates the position in the buffer. Here is a simplified version of its default value. The actual default value also specifies addition of the @code{help-echo} text property. @example @group ((-3 "%p") (size-indication-mode (8 " of %I")) @end group @group (line-number-mode ((column-number-mode (10 " (%l,%c)") (6 " L%l"))) ((column-number-mode (5 " C%c"))))) @end group @end example This means that @code{mode-line-position} displays at least the buffer percentage and possibly the buffer size, the line number and the column number. @end defvar @defvar vc-mode The variable @code{vc-mode}, buffer-local in each buffer, records whether the buffer's visited file is maintained with version control, and, if so, which kind. Its value is a string that appears in the mode line, or @code{nil} for no version control. @end defvar @defvar mode-line-modes This variable displays the buffer's major and minor modes. Here is a simplified version of its default value. The real default value also specifies addition of text properties. @example @group ("%[(" mode-name mode-line-process minor-mode-alist "%n" ")%]--") @end group @end example So @code{mode-line-modes} normally also displays the recursive editing level, information on the process status and whether narrowing is in effect. @end defvar The following three variables are used in @code{mode-line-modes}: @defvar mode-name This buffer-local variable holds the ``pretty'' name of the current buffer's major mode. Each major mode should set this variable so that the mode name will appear in the mode line. The value does not have to be a string, but can use any of the data types valid in a mode-line construct (@pxref{Mode Line Data}). To compute the string that will identify the mode name in the mode line, use @code{format-mode-line} (@pxref{Emulating Mode Line}). @end defvar @defvar mode-line-process This buffer-local variable contains the mode-line information on process status in modes used for communicating with subprocesses. It is displayed immediately following the major mode name, with no intervening space. For example, its value in the @samp{*shell*} buffer is @code{(":%s")}, which allows the shell to display its status along with the major mode as: @samp{(Shell:run)}. Normally this variable is @code{nil}. @end defvar @defvar minor-mode-alist @anchor{Definition of minor-mode-alist} This variable holds an association list whose elements specify how the mode line should indicate that a minor mode is active. Each element of the @code{minor-mode-alist} should be a two-element list: @example (@var{minor-mode-variable} @var{mode-line-string}) @end example More generally, @var{mode-line-string} can be any mode-line spec. It appears in the mode line when the value of @var{minor-mode-variable} is non-@code{nil}, and not otherwise. These strings should begin with spaces so that they don't run together. Conventionally, the @var{minor-mode-variable} for a specific mode is set to a non-@code{nil} value when that minor mode is activated. @code{minor-mode-alist} itself is not buffer-local. Each variable mentioned in the alist should be buffer-local if its minor mode can be enabled separately in each buffer. @end defvar @defvar global-mode-string This variable holds a mode-line spec that, by default, appears in the mode line just after the @code{which-func-mode} minor mode if set, else after @code{mode-line-modes}. The command @code{display-time} sets @code{global-mode-string} to refer to the variable @code{display-time-string}, which holds a string containing the time and load information. The @samp{%M} construct substitutes the value of @code{global-mode-string}, but that is obsolete, since the variable is included in the mode line from @code{mode-line-format}. @end defvar The variable @code{default-mode-line-format} is where @code{mode-line-format} usually gets its value: @defvar default-mode-line-format This variable holds the default @code{mode-line-format} for buffers that do not override it. This is the same as @code{(default-value 'mode-line-format)}. Here is a simplified version of the default value of @code{default-mode-line-format}. The real default value also specifies addition of text properties. @example @group ("-" mode-line-mule-info mode-line-modified mode-line-frame-identification mode-line-buffer-identification @end group " " mode-line-position (vc-mode vc-mode) " " @group mode-line-modes (which-func-mode ("" which-func-format "--")) (global-mode-string ("--" global-mode-string)) "-%-") @end group @end example @end defvar @node %-Constructs @subsection @code{%}-Constructs in the Mode Line Strings used as mode-line constructs can use certain @code{%}-constructs to substitute various kinds of data. Here is a list of the defined @code{%}-constructs, and what they mean. In any construct except @samp{%%}, you can add a decimal integer after the @samp{%} to specify a minimum field width. If the width is less, the field is padded with spaces to the right. @table @code @item %b The current buffer name, obtained with the @code{buffer-name} function. @xref{Buffer Names}. @item %c The current column number of point. @item %e When Emacs is nearly out of memory for Lisp objects, a brief message saying so. Otherwise, this is empty. @item %f The visited file name, obtained with the @code{buffer-file-name} function. @xref{Buffer File Name}. @item %F The title (only on a window system) or the name of the selected frame. @xref{Basic Parameters}. @item %i The size of the accessible part of the current buffer; basically @code{(- (point-max) (point-min))}. @item %I Like @samp{%i}, but the size is printed in a more readable way by using @samp{k} for 10^3, @samp{M} for 10^6, @samp{G} for 10^9, etc., to abbreviate. @item %l The current line number of point, counting within the accessible portion of the buffer. @item %n @samp{Narrow} when narrowing is in effect; nothing otherwise (see @code{narrow-to-region} in @ref{Narrowing}). @item %p The percentage of the buffer text above the @strong{top} of window, or @samp{Top}, @samp{Bottom} or @samp{All}. Note that the default mode-line specification truncates this to three characters. @item %P The percentage of the buffer text that is above the @strong{bottom} of the window (which includes the text visible in the window, as well as the text above the top), plus @samp{Top} if the top of the buffer is visible on screen; or @samp{Bottom} or @samp{All}. @item %s The status of the subprocess belonging to the current buffer, obtained with @code{process-status}. @xref{Process Information}. @item %t Whether the visited file is a text file or a binary file. This is a meaningful distinction only on certain operating systems (@pxref{MS-DOS File Types}). @item %z The mnemonics of keyboard, terminal, and buffer coding systems. @item %Z Like @samp{%z}, but including the end-of-line format. @item %* @samp{%} if the buffer is read only (see @code{buffer-read-only}); @* @samp{*} if the buffer is modified (see @code{buffer-modified-p}); @* @samp{-} otherwise. @xref{Buffer Modification}. @item %+ @samp{*} if the buffer is modified (see @code{buffer-modified-p}); @* @samp{%} if the buffer is read only (see @code{buffer-read-only}); @* @samp{-} otherwise. This differs from @samp{%*} only for a modified read-only buffer. @xref{Buffer Modification}. @item %& @samp{*} if the buffer is modified, and @samp{-} otherwise. @item %[ An indication of the depth of recursive editing levels (not counting minibuffer levels): one @samp{[} for each editing level. @xref{Recursive Editing}. @item %] One @samp{]} for each recursive editing level (not counting minibuffer levels). @item %- Dashes sufficient to fill the remainder of the mode line. @item %% The character @samp{%}---this is how to include a literal @samp{%} in a string in which @code{%}-constructs are allowed. @end table The following two @code{%}-constructs are still supported, but they are obsolete, since you can get the same results with the variables @code{mode-name} and @code{global-mode-string}. @table @code @item %m The value of @code{mode-name}. @item %M The value of @code{global-mode-string}. @end table @node Properties in Mode @subsection Properties in the Mode Line @cindex text properties in the mode line Certain text properties are meaningful in the mode line. The @code{face} property affects the appearance of text; the @code{help-echo} property associates help strings with the text, and @code{local-map} can make the text mouse-sensitive. There are four ways to specify text properties for text in the mode line: @enumerate @item Put a string with a text property directly into the mode-line data structure. @item Put a text property on a mode-line %-construct such as @samp{%12b}; then the expansion of the %-construct will have that same text property. @item Use a @code{(:propertize @var{elt} @var{props}@dots{})} construct to give @var{elt} a text property specified by @var{props}. @item Use a list containing @code{:eval @var{form}} in the mode-line data structure, and make @var{form} evaluate to a string that has a text property. @end enumerate You can use the @code{local-map} property to specify a keymap. This keymap only takes real effect for mouse clicks; binding character keys and function keys to it has no effect, since it is impossible to move point into the mode line. When the mode line refers to a variable which does not have a non-@code{nil} @code{risky-local-variable} property, any text properties given or specified within that variable's values are ignored. This is because such properties could otherwise specify functions to be called, and those functions could come from file local variables. @node Header Lines @subsection Window Header Lines @cindex header line (of a window) @cindex window header line A window can have a @dfn{header line} at the top, just as it can have a mode line at the bottom. The header line feature works just like the mode-line feature, except that it's controlled by different variables. @defvar header-line-format This variable, local in every buffer, specifies how to display the header line, for windows displaying the buffer. The format of the value is the same as for @code{mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Data}). @end defvar @defvar default-header-line-format This variable holds the default @code{header-line-format} for buffers that do not override it. This is the same as @code{(default-value 'header-line-format)}. It is normally @code{nil}, so that ordinary buffers have no header line. @end defvar A window that is just one line tall never displays a header line. A window that is two lines tall cannot display both a mode line and a header line at once; if it has a mode line, then it does not display a header line. @node Emulating Mode Line @subsection Emulating Mode-Line Formatting You can use the function @code{format-mode-line} to compute the text that would appear in a mode line or header line based on a certain mode-line specification. @defun format-mode-line format &optional face window buffer This function formats a line of text according to @var{format} as if it were generating the mode line for @var{window}, but instead of displaying the text in the mode line or the header line, it returns the text as a string. The argument @var{window} defaults to the selected window. If @var{buffer} is non-@code{nil}, all the information used is taken from @var{buffer}; by default, it comes from @var{window}'s buffer. The value string normally has text properties that correspond to the faces, keymaps, etc., that the mode line would have. And any character for which no @code{face} property is specified gets a default value which is usually @var{face}. (If @var{face} is @code{t}, that stands for either @code{mode-line} if @var{window} is selected, otherwise @code{mode-line-inactive}. If @var{face} is @code{nil} or omitted, that stands for no face property.) However, if @var{face} is an integer, the value has no text properties. For example, @code{(format-mode-line header-line-format)} returns the text that would appear in the selected window's header line (@code{""} if it has no header line). @code{(format-mode-line header-line-format 'header-line)} returns the same text, with each character carrying the face that it will have in the header line itself. @end defun @node Imenu @section Imenu @cindex Imenu @dfn{Imenu} is a feature that lets users select a definition or section in the buffer, from a menu which lists all of them, to go directly to that location in the buffer. Imenu works by constructing a buffer index which lists the names and buffer positions of the definitions, or other named portions of the buffer; then the user can choose one of them and move point to it. Major modes can add a menu bar item to use Imenu using @code{imenu-add-to-menubar}. @defun imenu-add-to-menubar name This function defines a local menu bar item named @var{name} to run Imenu. @end defun The user-level commands for using Imenu are described in the Emacs Manual (@pxref{Imenu,, Imenu, emacs, the Emacs Manual}). This section explains how to customize Imenu's method of finding definitions or buffer portions for a particular major mode. The usual and simplest way is to set the variable @code{imenu-generic-expression}: @defvar imenu-generic-expression This variable, if non-@code{nil}, is a list that specifies regular expressions for finding definitions for Imenu. Simple elements of @code{imenu-generic-expression} look like this: @example (@var{menu-title} @var{regexp} @var{index}) @end example Here, if @var{menu-title} is non-@code{nil}, it says that the matches for this element should go in a submenu of the buffer index; @var{menu-title} itself specifies the name for the submenu. If @var{menu-title} is @code{nil}, the matches for this element go directly in the top level of the buffer index. The second item in the list, @var{regexp}, is a regular expression (@pxref{Regular Expressions}); anything in the buffer that it matches is considered a definition, something to mention in the buffer index. The third item, @var{index}, is a non-negative integer that indicates which subexpression in @var{regexp} matches the definition's name. An element can also look like this: @example (@var{menu-title} @var{regexp} @var{index} @var{function} @var{arguments}@dots{}) @end example Each match for this element creates an index item, and when the index item is selected by the user, it calls @var{function} with arguments consisting of the item name, the buffer position, and @var{arguments}. For Emacs Lisp mode, @code{imenu-generic-expression} could look like this: @c should probably use imenu-syntax-alist and \\sw rather than [-A-Za-z0-9+] @example @group ((nil "^\\s-*(def\\(un\\|subst\\|macro\\|advice\\)\ \\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)" 2) @end group @group ("*Vars*" "^\\s-*(def\\(var\\|const\\)\ \\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)" 2) @end group @group ("*Types*" "^\\s-*\ (def\\(type\\|struct\\|class\\|ine-condition\\)\ \\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)" 2)) @end group @end example Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. @end defvar @defvar imenu-case-fold-search This variable controls whether matching against the regular expressions in the value of @code{imenu-generic-expression} is case-sensitive: @code{t}, the default, means matching should ignore case. Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. @end defvar @defvar imenu-syntax-alist This variable is an alist of syntax table modifiers to use while processing @code{imenu-generic-expression}, to override the syntax table of the current buffer. Each element should have this form: @example (@var{characters} . @var{syntax-description}) @end example The @sc{car}, @var{characters}, can be either a character or a string. The element says to give that character or characters the syntax specified by @var{syntax-description}, which is passed to @code{modify-syntax-entry} (@pxref{Syntax Table Functions}). This feature is typically used to give word syntax to characters which normally have symbol syntax, and thus to simplify @code{imenu-generic-expression} and speed up matching. For example, Fortran mode uses it this way: @example (setq imenu-syntax-alist '(("_$" . "w"))) @end example The @code{imenu-generic-expression} regular expressions can then use @samp{\\sw+} instead of @samp{\\(\\sw\\|\\s_\\)+}. Note that this technique may be inconvenient when the mode needs to limit the initial character of a name to a smaller set of characters than are allowed in the rest of a name. Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. @end defvar Another way to customize Imenu for a major mode is to set the variables @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} and @code{imenu-extract-index-name-function}: @defvar imenu-prev-index-position-function If this variable is non-@code{nil}, its value should be a function that finds the next ``definition'' to put in the buffer index, scanning backward in the buffer from point. It should return @code{nil} if it doesn't find another ``definition'' before point. Otherwise it should leave point at the place it finds a ``definition'' and return any non-@code{nil} value. Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. @end defvar @defvar imenu-extract-index-name-function If this variable is non-@code{nil}, its value should be a function to return the name for a definition, assuming point is in that definition as the @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} function would leave it. Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. @end defvar The last way to customize Imenu for a major mode is to set the variable @code{imenu-create-index-function}: @defvar imenu-create-index-function This variable specifies the function to use for creating a buffer index. The function should take no arguments, and return an index alist for the current buffer. It is called within @code{save-excursion}, so where it leaves point makes no difference. The index alist can have three types of elements. Simple elements look like this: @example (@var{index-name} . @var{index-position}) @end example Selecting a simple element has the effect of moving to position @var{index-position} in the buffer. Special elements look like this: @example (@var{index-name} @var{index-position} @var{function} @var{arguments}@dots{}) @end example Selecting a special element performs: @example (funcall @var{function} @var{index-name} @var{index-position} @var{arguments}@dots{}) @end example A nested sub-alist element looks like this: @example (@var{menu-title} @var{sub-alist}) @end example It creates the submenu @var{menu-title} specified by @var{sub-alist}. The default value of @code{imenu-create-index-function} is @code{imenu-default-create-index-function}. This function calls the value of @code{imenu-prev-index-position-function} and the value of @code{imenu-extract-index-name-function} to produce the index alist. However, if either of these two variables is @code{nil}, the default function uses @code{imenu-generic-expression} instead. Setting this variable makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. @end defvar @node Font Lock Mode @section Font Lock Mode @cindex Font Lock mode @dfn{Font Lock mode} is a feature that automatically attaches @code{face} properties to certain parts of the buffer based on their syntactic role. How it parses the buffer depends on the major mode; most major modes define syntactic criteria for which faces to use in which contexts. This section explains how to customize Font Lock for a particular major mode. Font Lock mode finds text to highlight in two ways: through syntactic parsing based on the syntax table, and through searching (usually for regular expressions). Syntactic fontification happens first; it finds comments and string constants and highlights them. Search-based fontification happens second. @menu * Font Lock Basics:: Overview of customizing Font Lock. * Search-based Fontification:: Fontification based on regexps. * Customizing Keywords:: Customizing search-based fontification. * Other Font Lock Variables:: Additional customization facilities. * Levels of Font Lock:: Each mode can define alternative levels so that the user can select more or less. * Precalculated Fontification:: How Lisp programs that produce the buffer contents can also specify how to fontify it. * Faces for Font Lock:: Special faces specifically for Font Lock. * Syntactic Font Lock:: Fontification based on syntax tables. * Setting Syntax Properties:: Defining character syntax based on context using the Font Lock mechanism. * Multiline Font Lock:: How to coerce Font Lock into properly highlighting multiline constructs. @end menu @node Font Lock Basics @subsection Font Lock Basics There are several variables that control how Font Lock mode highlights text. But major modes should not set any of these variables directly. Instead, they should set @code{font-lock-defaults} as a buffer-local variable. The value assigned to this variable is used, if and when Font Lock mode is enabled, to set all the other variables. @defvar font-lock-defaults This variable is set by major modes, as a buffer-local variable, to specify how to fontify text in that mode. It automatically becomes buffer-local when you set it. If its value is @code{nil}, Font-Lock mode does no highlighting, and you can use the @samp{Faces} menu (under @samp{Edit} and then @samp{Text Properties} in the menu bar) to assign faces explicitly to text in the buffer. If non-@code{nil}, the value should look like this: @example (@var{keywords} [@var{keywords-only} [@var{case-fold} [@var{syntax-alist} [@var{syntax-begin} @var{other-vars}@dots{}]]]]) @end example The first element, @var{keywords}, indirectly specifies the value of @code{font-lock-keywords} which directs search-based fontification. It can be a symbol, a variable or a function whose value is the list to use for @code{font-lock-keywords}. It can also be a list of several such symbols, one for each possible level of fontification. The first symbol specifies the @samp{mode default} level of fontification, the next symbol level 1 fontification, the next level 2, and so on. The @samp{mode default} level is normally the same as level 1. It is used when @code{font-lock-maximum-decoration} has a @code{nil} value. @xref{Levels of Font Lock}. The second element, @var{keywords-only}, specifies the value of the variable @code{font-lock-keywords-only}. If this is omitted or @code{nil}, syntactic fontification (of strings and comments) is also performed. If this is non-@code{nil}, such fontification is not performed. @xref{Syntactic Font Lock}. The third element, @var{case-fold}, specifies the value of @code{font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search}. If it is non-@code{nil}, Font Lock mode ignores case when searching as directed by @code{font-lock-keywords}. If the fourth element, @var{syntax-alist}, is non-@code{nil}, it should be a list of cons cells of the form @code{(@var{char-or-string} . @var{string})}. These are used to set up a syntax table for syntactic fontification (@pxref{Syntax Table Functions}). The resulting syntax table is stored in @code{font-lock-syntax-table}. The fifth element, @var{syntax-begin}, specifies the value of @code{font-lock-beginning-of-syntax-function}. We recommend setting this variable to @code{nil} and using @code{syntax-begin-function} instead. All the remaining elements (if any) are collectively called @var{other-vars}. Each of these elements should have the form @code{(@var{variable} . @var{value})}---which means, make @var{variable} buffer-local and then set it to @var{value}. You can use these @var{other-vars} to set other variables that affect fontification, aside from those you can control with the first five elements. @xref{Other Font Lock Variables}. @end defvar If your mode fontifies text explicitly by adding @code{font-lock-face} properties, it can specify @code{(nil t)} for @code{font-lock-defaults} to turn off all automatic fontification. However, this is not required; it is possible to fontify some things using @code{font-lock-face} properties and set up automatic fontification for other parts of the text. @node Search-based Fontification @subsection Search-based Fontification The most important variable for customizing Font Lock mode is @code{font-lock-keywords}. It specifies the search criteria for search-based fontification. You should specify the value of this variable with @var{keywords} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. @defvar font-lock-keywords This variable's value is a list of the keywords to highlight. Be careful when composing regular expressions for this list; a poorly written pattern can dramatically slow things down! @end defvar Each element of @code{font-lock-keywords} specifies how to find certain cases of text, and how to highlight those cases. Font Lock mode processes the elements of @code{font-lock-keywords} one by one, and for each element, it finds and handles all matches. Ordinarily, once part of the text has been fontified already, this cannot be overridden by a subsequent match in the same text; but you can specify different behavior using the @var{override} element of a @var{subexp-highlighter}. Each element of @code{font-lock-keywords} should have one of these forms: @table @code @item @var{regexp} Highlight all matches for @var{regexp} using @code{font-lock-keyword-face}. For example, @example ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of the word @samp{foo}} ;; @r{using @code{font-lock-keyword-face}.} "\\<foo\\>" @end example The function @code{regexp-opt} (@pxref{Regexp Functions}) is useful for calculating optimal regular expressions to match a number of different keywords. @item @var{function} Find text by calling @var{function}, and highlight the matches it finds using @code{font-lock-keyword-face}. When @var{function} is called, it receives one argument, the limit of the search; it should begin searching at point, and not search beyond the limit. It should return non-@code{nil} if it succeeds, and set the match data to describe the match that was found. Returning @code{nil} indicates failure of the search. Fontification will call @var{function} repeatedly with the same limit, and with point where the previous invocation left it, until @var{function} fails. On failure, @var{function} need not reset point in any particular way. @item (@var{matcher} . @var{subexp}) In this kind of element, @var{matcher} is either a regular expression or a function, as described above. The @sc{cdr}, @var{subexp}, specifies which subexpression of @var{matcher} should be highlighted (instead of the entire text that @var{matcher} matched). @example ;; @r{Highlight the @samp{bar} in each occurrence of @samp{fubar},} ;; @r{using @code{font-lock-keyword-face}.} ("fu\\(bar\\)" . 1) @end example If you use @code{regexp-opt} to produce the regular expression @var{matcher}, you can use @code{regexp-opt-depth} (@pxref{Regexp Functions}) to calculate the value for @var{subexp}. @item (@var{matcher} . @var{facespec}) In this kind of element, @var{facespec} is an expression whose value specifies the face to use for highlighting. In the simplest case, @var{facespec} is a Lisp variable (a symbol) whose value is a face name. @example ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of @samp{fubar},} ;; @r{using the face which is the value of @code{fubar-face}.} ("fubar" . fubar-face) @end example However, @var{facespec} can also evaluate to a list of this form: @example (face @var{face} @var{prop1} @var{val1} @var{prop2} @var{val2}@dots{}) @end example @noindent to specify the face @var{face} and various additional text properties to put on the text that matches. If you do this, be sure to add the other text property names that you set in this way to the value of @code{font-lock-extra-managed-props} so that the properties will also be cleared out when they are no longer appropriate. Alternatively, you can set the variable @code{font-lock-unfontify-region-function} to a function that clears these properties. @xref{Other Font Lock Variables}. @item (@var{matcher} . @var{subexp-highlighter}) In this kind of element, @var{subexp-highlighter} is a list which specifies how to highlight matches found by @var{matcher}. It has the form: @example (@var{subexp} @var{facespec} [@var{override} [@var{laxmatch}]]) @end example The @sc{car}, @var{subexp}, is an integer specifying which subexpression of the match to fontify (0 means the entire matching text). The second subelement, @var{facespec}, is an expression whose value specifies the face, as described above. The last two values in @var{subexp-highlighter}, @var{override} and @var{laxmatch}, are optional flags. If @var{override} is @code{t}, this element can override existing fontification made by previous elements of @code{font-lock-keywords}. If it is @code{keep}, then each character is fontified if it has not been fontified already by some other element. If it is @code{prepend}, the face specified by @var{facespec} is added to the beginning of the @code{font-lock-face} property. If it is @code{append}, the face is added to the end of the @code{font-lock-face} property. If @var{laxmatch} is non-@code{nil}, it means there should be no error if there is no subexpression numbered @var{subexp} in @var{matcher}. Obviously, fontification of the subexpression numbered @var{subexp} will not occur. However, fontification of other subexpressions (and other regexps) will continue. If @var{laxmatch} is @code{nil}, and the specified subexpression is missing, then an error is signaled which terminates search-based fontification. Here are some examples of elements of this kind, and what they do: @smallexample ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of either @samp{foo} or @samp{bar}, using} ;; @r{@code{foo-bar-face}, even if they have already been highlighted.} ;; @r{@code{foo-bar-face} should be a variable whose value is a face.} ("foo\\|bar" 0 foo-bar-face t) ;; @r{Highlight the first subexpression within each occurrence} ;; @r{that the function @code{fubar-match} finds,} ;; @r{using the face which is the value of @code{fubar-face}.} (fubar-match 1 fubar-face) @end smallexample @item (@var{matcher} . @var{anchored-highlighter}) In this kind of element, @var{anchored-highlighter} specifies how to highlight text that follows a match found by @var{matcher}. So a match found by @var{matcher} acts as the anchor for further searches specified by @var{anchored-highlighter}. @var{anchored-highlighter} is a list of the following form: @example (@var{anchored-matcher} @var{pre-form} @var{post-form} @var{subexp-highlighters}@dots{}) @end example Here, @var{anchored-matcher}, like @var{matcher}, is either a regular expression or a function. After a match of @var{matcher} is found, point is at the end of the match. Now, Font Lock evaluates the form @var{pre-form}. Then it searches for matches of @var{anchored-matcher} and uses @var{subexp-highlighters} to highlight these. A @var{subexp-highlighter} is as described above. Finally, Font Lock evaluates @var{post-form}. The forms @var{pre-form} and @var{post-form} can be used to initialize before, and cleanup after, @var{anchored-matcher} is used. Typically, @var{pre-form} is used to move point to some position relative to the match of @var{matcher}, before starting with @var{anchored-matcher}. @var{post-form} might be used to move back, before resuming with @var{matcher}. After Font Lock evaluates @var{pre-form}, it does not search for @var{anchored-matcher} beyond the end of the line. However, if @var{pre-form} returns a buffer position that is greater than the position of point after @var{pre-form} is evaluated, then the position returned by @var{pre-form} is used as the limit of the search instead. It is generally a bad idea to return a position greater than the end of the line; in other words, the @var{anchored-matcher} search should not span lines. For example, @smallexample ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of the word @samp{item} following} ;; @r{an occurrence of the word @samp{anchor} (on the same line)} ;; @r{in the value of @code{item-face}.} ("\\<anchor\\>" "\\<item\\>" nil nil (0 item-face)) @end smallexample Here, @var{pre-form} and @var{post-form} are @code{nil}. Therefore searching for @samp{item} starts at the end of the match of @samp{anchor}, and searching for subsequent instances of @samp{anchor} resumes from where searching for @samp{item} concluded. @item (@var{matcher} @var{highlighters}@dots{}) This sort of element specifies several @var{highlighter} lists for a single @var{matcher}. A @var{highlighter} list can be of the type @var{subexp-highlighter} or @var{anchored-highlighter} as described above. For example, @smallexample ;; @r{Highlight occurrences of the word @samp{anchor} in the value} ;; @r{of @code{anchor-face}, and subsequent occurrences of the word} ;; @r{@samp{item} (on the same line) in the value of @code{item-face}.} ("\\<anchor\\>" (0 anchor-face) ("\\<item\\>" nil nil (0 item-face))) @end smallexample @item (eval . @var{form}) Here @var{form} is an expression to be evaluated the first time this value of @code{font-lock-keywords} is used in a buffer. Its value should have one of the forms described in this table. @end table @strong{Warning:} Do not design an element of @code{font-lock-keywords} to match text which spans lines; this does not work reliably. For details, see @xref{Multiline Font Lock}. You can use @var{case-fold} in @code{font-lock-defaults} to specify the value of @code{font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search} which says whether search-based fontification should be case-insensitive. @defvar font-lock-keywords-case-fold-search Non-@code{nil} means that regular expression matching for the sake of @code{font-lock-keywords} should be case-insensitive. @end defvar @node Customizing Keywords @subsection Customizing Search-Based Fontification You can use @code{font-lock-add-keywords} to add additional search-based fontification rules to a major mode, and @code{font-lock-remove-keywords} to removes rules. @defun font-lock-add-keywords mode keywords &optional how This function adds highlighting @var{keywords}, for the current buffer or for major mode @var{mode}. The argument @var{keywords} should be a list with the same format as the variable @code{font-lock-keywords}. If @var{mode} is a symbol which is a major mode command name, such as @code{c-mode}, the effect is that enabling Font Lock mode in @var{mode} will add @var{keywords} to @code{font-lock-keywords}. Calling with a non-@code{nil} value of @var{mode} is correct only in your @file{~/.emacs} file. If @var{mode} is @code{nil}, this function adds @var{keywords} to @code{font-lock-keywords} in the current buffer. This way of calling @code{font-lock-add-keywords} is usually used in mode hook functions. By default, @var{keywords} are added at the beginning of @code{font-lock-keywords}. If the optional argument @var{how} is @code{set}, they are used to replace the value of @code{font-lock-keywords}. If @var{how} is any other non-@code{nil} value, they are added at the end of @code{font-lock-keywords}. Some modes provide specialized support you can use in additional highlighting patterns. See the variables @code{c-font-lock-extra-types}, @code{c++-font-lock-extra-types}, and @code{java-font-lock-extra-types}, for example. @strong{Warning:} major mode functions must not call @code{font-lock-add-keywords} under any circumstances, either directly or indirectly, except through their mode hooks. (Doing so would lead to incorrect behavior for some minor modes.) They should set up their rules for search-based fontification by setting @code{font-lock-keywords}. @end defun @defun font-lock-remove-keywords mode keywords This function removes @var{keywords} from @code{font-lock-keywords} for the current buffer or for major mode @var{mode}. As in @code{font-lock-add-keywords}, @var{mode} should be a major mode command name or @code{nil}. All the caveats and requirements for @code{font-lock-add-keywords} apply here too. @end defun For example, this code @smallexample (font-lock-add-keywords 'c-mode '(("\\<\\(FIXME\\):" 1 font-lock-warning-face prepend) ("\\<\\(and\\|or\\|not\\)\\>" . font-lock-keyword-face))) @end smallexample @noindent adds two fontification patterns for C mode: one to fontify the word @samp{FIXME}, even in comments, and another to fontify the words @samp{and}, @samp{or} and @samp{not} as keywords. @noindent That example affects only C mode proper. To add the same patterns to C mode @emph{and} all modes derived from it, do this instead: @smallexample (add-hook 'c-mode-hook (lambda () (font-lock-add-keywords nil '(("\\<\\(FIXME\\):" 1 font-lock-warning-face prepend) ("\\<\\(and\\|or\\|not\\)\\>" . font-lock-keyword-face))))) @end smallexample @node Other Font Lock Variables @subsection Other Font Lock Variables This section describes additional variables that a major mode can set by means of @var{other-vars} in @code{font-lock-defaults} (@pxref{Font Lock Basics}). @defvar font-lock-mark-block-function If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a function that is called with no arguments, to choose an enclosing range of text for refontification for the command @kbd{M-o M-o} (@code{font-lock-fontify-block}). The function should report its choice by placing the region around it. A good choice is a range of text large enough to give proper results, but not too large so that refontification becomes slow. Typical values are @code{mark-defun} for programming modes or @code{mark-paragraph} for textual modes. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-extra-managed-props This variable specifies additional properties (other than @code{font-lock-face}) that are being managed by Font Lock mode. It is used by @code{font-lock-default-unfontify-region}, which normally only manages the @code{font-lock-face} property. If you want Font Lock to manage other properties as well, you must specify them in a @var{facespec} in @code{font-lock-keywords} as well as add them to this list. @xref{Search-based Fontification}. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-fontify-buffer-function Function to use for fontifying the buffer. The default value is @code{font-lock-default-fontify-buffer}. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-unfontify-buffer-function Function to use for unfontifying the buffer. This is used when turning off Font Lock mode. The default value is @code{font-lock-default-unfontify-buffer}. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-fontify-region-function Function to use for fontifying a region. It should take two arguments, the beginning and end of the region, and an optional third argument @var{verbose}. If @var{verbose} is non-@code{nil}, the function should print status messages. The default value is @code{font-lock-default-fontify-region}. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-unfontify-region-function Function to use for unfontifying a region. It should take two arguments, the beginning and end of the region. The default value is @code{font-lock-default-unfontify-region}. @end defvar @defun jit-lock-register function &optional contextual This function tells Font Lock mode to run the Lisp function @var{function} any time it has to fontify or refontify part of the current buffer. It calls @var{function} before calling the default fontification functions, and gives it two arguments, @var{start} and @var{end}, which specify the region to be fontified or refontified. The optional argument @var{contextual}, if non-@code{nil}, forces Font Lock mode to always refontify a syntactically relevant part of the buffer, and not just the modified lines. This argument can usually be omitted. @end defun @defun jit-lock-unregister function If @var{function} was previously registered as a fontification function using @code{jit-lock-register}, this function unregisters it. @end defun @node Levels of Font Lock @subsection Levels of Font Lock Many major modes offer three different levels of fontification. You can define multiple levels by using a list of symbols for @var{keywords} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. Each symbol specifies one level of fontification; it is up to the user to choose one of these levels, normally by setting @code{font-lock-maximum-decoration} (@pxref{Font Lock,,, emacs, the GNU Emacs Manual}). The chosen level's symbol value is used to initialize @code{font-lock-keywords}. Here are the conventions for how to define the levels of fontification: @itemize @bullet @item Level 1: highlight function declarations, file directives (such as include or import directives), strings and comments. The idea is speed, so only the most important and top-level components are fontified. @item Level 2: in addition to level 1, highlight all language keywords, including type names that act like keywords, as well as named constant values. The idea is that all keywords (either syntactic or semantic) should be fontified appropriately. @item Level 3: in addition to level 2, highlight the symbols being defined in function and variable declarations, and all builtin function names, wherever they appear. @end itemize @node Precalculated Fontification @subsection Precalculated Fontification In addition to using @code{font-lock-defaults} for search-based fontification, you may use the special character property @code{font-lock-face} (@pxref{Special Properties}). This property acts just like the explicit @code{face} property, but its activation is toggled when the user calls @kbd{M-x font-lock-mode}. Using @code{font-lock-face} is especially convenient for special modes which construct their text programmatically, such as @code{list-buffers} and @code{occur}. If your mode does not use any of the other machinery of Font Lock (i.e. it only uses the @code{font-lock-face} property), it should not set the variable @code{font-lock-defaults}. @node Faces for Font Lock @subsection Faces for Font Lock @cindex faces for font lock @cindex font lock faces You can make Font Lock mode use any face, but several faces are defined specifically for Font Lock mode. Each of these symbols is both a face name, and a variable whose default value is the symbol itself. Thus, the default value of @code{font-lock-comment-face} is @code{font-lock-comment-face}. This means you can write @code{font-lock-comment-face} in a context such as @code{font-lock-keywords} where a face-name-valued expression is used. @table @code @item font-lock-comment-face @vindex font-lock-comment-face Used (typically) for comments. @item font-lock-comment-delimiter-face @vindex font-lock-comment-delimiter-face Used (typically) for comments delimiters. @item font-lock-doc-face @vindex font-lock-doc-face Used (typically) for documentation strings in the code. @item font-lock-string-face @vindex font-lock-string-face Used (typically) for string constants. @item font-lock-keyword-face @vindex font-lock-keyword-face Used (typically) for keywords---names that have special syntactic significance, like @code{for} and @code{if} in C. @item font-lock-builtin-face @vindex font-lock-builtin-face Used (typically) for built-in function names. @item font-lock-function-name-face @vindex font-lock-function-name-face Used (typically) for the name of a function being defined or declared, in a function definition or declaration. @item font-lock-variable-name-face @vindex font-lock-variable-name-face Used (typically) for the name of a variable being defined or declared, in a variable definition or declaration. @item font-lock-type-face @vindex font-lock-type-face Used (typically) for names of user-defined data types, where they are defined and where they are used. @item font-lock-constant-face @vindex font-lock-constant-face Used (typically) for constant names. @item font-lock-preprocessor-face @vindex font-lock-preprocessor-face Used (typically) for preprocessor commands. @item font-lock-negation-char-face @vindex font-lock-negation-char-face Used (typically) for easily-overlooked negation characters. @item font-lock-warning-face @vindex font-lock-warning-face Used (typically) for constructs that are peculiar, or that greatly change the meaning of other text. For example, this is used for @samp{;;;###autoload} cookies in Emacs Lisp, and for @code{#error} directives in C. @end table @node Syntactic Font Lock @subsection Syntactic Font Lock @cindex syntactic font lock Syntactic fontification uses the syntax table to find comments and string constants (@pxref{Syntax Tables}). It highlights them using @code{font-lock-comment-face} and @code{font-lock-string-face} (@pxref{Faces for Font Lock}), or whatever @code{font-lock-syntactic-face-function} chooses. There are several variables that affect syntactic fontification; you should set them by means of @code{font-lock-defaults} (@pxref{Font Lock Basics}). @defvar font-lock-keywords-only Non-@code{nil} means Font Lock should not do syntactic fontification; it should only fontify based on @code{font-lock-keywords}. The normal way for a mode to set this variable to @code{t} is with @var{keywords-only} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-syntax-table This variable holds the syntax table to use for fontification of comments and strings. Specify it using @var{syntax-alist} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. If this is @code{nil}, fontification uses the buffer's syntax table. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-beginning-of-syntax-function If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a function to move point back to a position that is syntactically at ``top level'' and outside of strings or comments. Font Lock uses this when necessary to get the right results for syntactic fontification. This function is called with no arguments. It should leave point at the beginning of any enclosing syntactic block. Typical values are @code{beginning-of-line} (used when the start of the line is known to be outside a syntactic block), or @code{beginning-of-defun} for programming modes, or @code{backward-paragraph} for textual modes. If the value is @code{nil}, Font Lock uses @code{syntax-begin-function} to move back outside of any comment, string, or sexp. This variable is semi-obsolete; we recommend setting @code{syntax-begin-function} instead. Specify this variable using @var{syntax-begin} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. @end defvar @defvar font-lock-syntactic-face-function A function to determine which face to use for a given syntactic element (a string or a comment). The function is called with one argument, the parse state at point returned by @code{parse-partial-sexp}, and should return a face. The default value returns @code{font-lock-comment-face} for comments and @code{font-lock-string-face} for strings. This can be used to highlighting different kinds of strings or comments differently. It is also sometimes abused together with @code{font-lock-syntactic-keywords} to highlight constructs that span multiple lines, but this is too esoteric to document here. Specify this variable using @var{other-vars} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. @end defvar @node Setting Syntax Properties @subsection Setting Syntax Properties Font Lock mode can be used to update @code{syntax-table} properties automatically (@pxref{Syntax Properties}). This is useful in languages for which a single syntax table by itself is not sufficient. @defvar font-lock-syntactic-keywords This variable enables and controls updating @code{syntax-table} properties by Font Lock. Its value should be a list of elements of this form: @example (@var{matcher} @var{subexp} @var{syntax} @var{override} @var{laxmatch}) @end example The parts of this element have the same meanings as in the corresponding sort of element of @code{font-lock-keywords}, @example (@var{matcher} @var{subexp} @var{facespec} @var{override} @var{laxmatch}) @end example However, instead of specifying the value @var{facespec} to use for the @code{face} property, it specifies the value @var{syntax} to use for the @code{syntax-table} property. Here, @var{syntax} can be a string (as taken by @code{modify-syntax-entry}), a syntax table, a cons cell (as returned by @code{string-to-syntax}), or an expression whose value is one of those two types. @var{override} cannot be @code{prepend} or @code{append}. For example, an element of the form: @example ("\\$\\(#\\)" 1 ".") @end example highlights syntactically a hash character when following a dollar character, with a SYNTAX of @code{"."} (meaning punctuation syntax). Assuming that the buffer syntax table specifies hash characters to have comment start syntax, the element will only highlight hash characters that do not follow dollar characters as comments syntactically. An element of the form: @example ("\\('\\).\\('\\)" (1 "\"") (2 "\"")) @end example highlights syntactically both single quotes which surround a single character, with a SYNTAX of @code{"\""} (meaning string quote syntax). Assuming that the buffer syntax table does not specify single quotes to have quote syntax, the element will only highlight single quotes of the form @samp{'@var{c}'} as strings syntactically. Other forms, such as @samp{foo'bar} or @samp{'fubar'}, will not be highlighted as strings. Major modes normally set this variable with @var{other-vars} in @code{font-lock-defaults}. @end defvar @node Multiline Font Lock @subsection Multiline Font Lock Constructs @cindex multiline font lock Normally, elements of @code{font-lock-keywords} should not match across multiple lines; that doesn't work reliably, because Font Lock usually scans just part of the buffer, and it can miss a multi-line construct that crosses the line boundary where the scan starts. (The scan normally starts at the beginning of a line.) Making elements that match multiline constructs work properly has two aspects: correct @emph{identification} and correct @emph{rehighlighting}. The first means that Font Lock finds all multiline constructs. The second means that Font Lock will correctly rehighlight all the relevant text when a multiline construct is changed---for example, if some of the text that was previously part of a multiline construct ceases to be part of it. The two aspects are closely related, and often getting one of them to work will appear to make the other also work. However, for reliable results you must attend explicitly to both aspects. There are three ways to ensure correct identification of multiline constructs: @itemize @item Add a function to @code{font-lock-extend-region-functions} that does the @emph{identification} and extends the scan so that the scanned text never starts or ends in the middle of a multiline construct. @item Use the @code{font-lock-fontify-region-function} hook similarly to extend the scan so that the scanned text never starts or ends in the middle of a multiline construct. @item Somehow identify the multiline construct right when it gets inserted into the buffer (or at any point after that but before font-lock tries to highlight it), and mark it with a @code{font-lock-multiline} which will instruct font-lock not to start or end the scan in the middle of the construct. @end itemize There are three ways to do rehighlighting of multiline constructs: @itemize @item Place a @code{font-lock-multiline} property on the construct. This will rehighlight the whole construct if any part of it is changed. In some cases you can do this automatically by setting the @code{font-lock-multiline} variable, which see. @item Make sure @code{jit-lock-contextually} is set and rely on it doing its job. This will only rehighlight the part of the construct that follows the actual change, and will do it after a short delay. This only works if the highlighting of the various parts of your multiline construct never depends on text in subsequent lines. Since @code{jit-lock-contextually} is activated by default, this can be an attractive solution. @item Place a @code{jit-lock-defer-multiline} property on the construct. This works only if @code{jit-lock-contextually} is used, and with the same delay before rehighlighting, but like @code{font-lock-multiline}, it also handles the case where highlighting depends on subsequent lines. @end itemize @menu * Font Lock Multiline:: Marking multiline chunks with a text property * Region to Fontify:: Controlling which region gets refontified after a buffer change. @end menu @node Font Lock Multiline @subsubsection Font Lock Multiline One way to ensure reliable rehighlighting of multiline Font Lock constructs is to put on them the text property @code{font-lock-multiline}. It should be present and non-@code{nil} for text that is part of a multiline construct. When Font Lock is about to highlight a range of text, it first extends the boundaries of the range as necessary so that they do not fall within text marked with the @code{font-lock-multiline} property. Then it removes any @code{font-lock-multiline} properties from the range, and highlights it. The highlighting specification (mostly @code{font-lock-keywords}) must reinstall this property each time, whenever it is appropriate. @strong{Warning:} don't use the @code{font-lock-multiline} property on large ranges of text, because that will make rehighlighting slow. @defvar font-lock-multiline If the @code{font-lock-multiline} variable is set to @code{t}, Font Lock will try to add the @code{font-lock-multiline} property automatically on multiline constructs. This is not a universal solution, however, since it slows down Font Lock somewhat. It can miss some multiline constructs, or make the property larger or smaller than necessary. For elements whose @var{matcher} is a function, the function should ensure that submatch 0 covers the whole relevant multiline construct, even if only a small subpart will be highlighted. It is often just as easy to add the @code{font-lock-multiline} property by hand. @end defvar The @code{font-lock-multiline} property is meant to ensure proper refontification; it does not automatically identify new multiline constructs. Identifying the requires that Font-Lock operate on large enough chunks at a time. This will happen by accident on many cases, which may give the impression that multiline constructs magically work. If you set the @code{font-lock-multiline} variable non-@code{nil}, this impression will be even stronger, since the highlighting of those constructs which are found will be properly updated from then on. But that does not work reliably. To find multiline constructs reliably, you must either manually place the @code{font-lock-multiline} property on the text before Font-Lock looks at it, or use @code{font-lock-fontify-region-function}. @node Region to Fontify @subsubsection Region to Fontify after a Buffer Change When a buffer is changed, the region that Font Lock refontifies is by default the smallest sequence of whole lines that spans the change. While this works well most of the time, sometimes it doesn't---for example, when a change alters the syntactic meaning of text on an earlier line. You can enlarge (or even reduce) the region to fontify by setting one the following variables: @defvar font-lock-extend-after-change-region-function This buffer-local variable is either @code{nil} or a function for Font-Lock to call to determine the region to scan and fontify. The function is given three parameters, the standard @var{beg}, @var{end}, and @var{old-len} from after-change-functions (@pxref{Change Hooks}). It should return either a cons of the beginning and end buffer positions (in that order) of the region to fontify, or @code{nil} (which means choose the region in the standard way). This function needs to preserve point, the match-data, and the current restriction. The region it returns may start or end in the middle of a line. Since this function is called after every buffer change, it should be reasonably fast. @end defvar @node Desktop Save Mode @section Desktop Save Mode @cindex desktop save mode @dfn{Desktop Save Mode} is a feature to save the state of Emacs from one session to another. The user-level commands for using Desktop Save Mode are described in the GNU Emacs Manual (@pxref{Saving Emacs Sessions,,, emacs, the GNU Emacs Manual}). Modes whose buffers visit a file, don't have to do anything to use this feature. For buffers not visiting a file to have their state saved, the major mode must bind the buffer local variable @code{desktop-save-buffer} to a non-@code{nil} value. @defvar desktop-save-buffer If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, the buffer will have its state saved in the desktop file at desktop save. If the value is a function, it is called at desktop save with argument @var{desktop-dirname}, and its value is saved in the desktop file along with the state of the buffer for which it was called. When file names are returned as part of the auxiliary information, they should be formatted using the call @example (desktop-file-name @var{file-name} @var{desktop-dirname}) @end example @end defvar For buffers not visiting a file to be restored, the major mode must define a function to do the job, and that function must be listed in the alist @code{desktop-buffer-mode-handlers}. @defvar desktop-buffer-mode-handlers Alist with elements @example (@var{major-mode} . @var{restore-buffer-function}) @end example The function @var{restore-buffer-function} will be called with argument list @example (@var{buffer-file-name} @var{buffer-name} @var{desktop-buffer-misc}) @end example and it should return the restored buffer. Here @var{desktop-buffer-misc} is the value returned by the function optionally bound to @code{desktop-save-buffer}. @end defvar @ignore arch-tag: 4c7bff41-36e6-4da6-9e7f-9b9289e27c8e @end ignore