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date | Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:12:09 +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, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, @c 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. @setfilename ../../info/abbrevs @node Abbrevs, Processes, Syntax Tables, Top @chapter Abbrevs and Abbrev Expansion @cindex abbrev @c @cindex abbrev table Redundant with "abbrev". An abbreviation or @dfn{abbrev} is a string of characters that may be expanded to a longer string. The user can insert the abbrev string and find it replaced automatically with the expansion of the abbrev. This saves typing. The set of abbrevs currently in effect is recorded in an @dfn{abbrev table}. Each buffer has a local abbrev table, but normally all buffers in the same major mode share one abbrev table. There is also a global abbrev table. Normally both are used. An abbrev table is represented as an obarray containing a symbol for each abbreviation. The symbol's name is the abbreviation; its value is the expansion; its function definition is the hook function to do the expansion (@pxref{Defining Abbrevs}); its property list cell typically contains various additional properties such as the use count, the number of times the abbreviation has been expanded, or whether the abbrev is a so-called ``system'' abbrev defined by a major mode rather than by the user (@pxref{Abbrev Properties}). Because the symbols used for abbrevs are not interned in the usual obarray, they will never appear as the result of reading a Lisp expression; in fact, normally they are never used except by the code that handles abbrevs. Therefore, it is safe to use them in an extremely nonstandard way. @xref{Creating Symbols}. For the user-level commands for abbrevs, see @ref{Abbrevs,, Abbrev Mode, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. @menu * Abbrev Mode:: Setting up Emacs for abbreviation. * Tables: Abbrev Tables. Creating and working with abbrev tables. * Defining Abbrevs:: Specifying abbreviations and their expansions. * Files: Abbrev Files. Saving abbrevs in files. * Expansion: Abbrev Expansion. Controlling expansion; expansion subroutines. * Standard Abbrev Tables:: Abbrev tables used by various major modes. * Abbrev Properties:: How to read and set abbrev properties. Which properties have which effect. * Abbrev Table Properties:: How to read and set abbrev table properties. Which properties have which effect. @end menu @node Abbrev Mode, Abbrev Tables, Abbrevs, Abbrevs @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Setting Up Abbrev Mode Abbrev mode is a minor mode controlled by the value of the variable @code{abbrev-mode}. @defvar abbrev-mode A non-@code{nil} value of this variable turns on the automatic expansion of abbrevs when their abbreviations are inserted into a buffer. If the value is @code{nil}, abbrevs may be defined, but they are not expanded automatically. This variable automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion. @end defvar @defvar default-abbrev-mode This is the value of @code{abbrev-mode} for buffers that do not override it. This is the same as @code{(default-value 'abbrev-mode)}. @end defvar @node Abbrev Tables, Defining Abbrevs, Abbrev Mode, Abbrevs @section Abbrev Tables This section describes how to create and manipulate abbrev tables. @defun make-abbrev-table &rest props This function creates and returns a new, empty abbrev table---an obarray containing no symbols. It is a vector filled with zeros. @var{props} is a property list that is applied to the new table (@pxref{Abbrev Table Properties}). @end defun @defun abbrev-table-p table Return non-@code{nil} is @var{table} is an abbrev table. @end defun @defun clear-abbrev-table table This function undefines all the abbrevs in abbrev table @var{table}, leaving it empty. It always returns @code{nil}. @end defun @defun copy-abbrev-table table This function returns a copy of abbrev table @var{table}---a new abbrev table that contains the same abbrev definitions. The only difference between @var{table} and the returned copy is that this function sets the property lists of all copied abbrevs to 0. @end defun @defun define-abbrev-table tabname definitions &optional docstring &rest props This function defines @var{tabname} (a symbol) as an abbrev table name, i.e., as a variable whose value is an abbrev table. It defines abbrevs in the table according to @var{definitions}, a list of elements of the form @code{(@var{abbrevname} @var{expansion} [@var{hook}] [@var{props}...])}. These elements are passed as arguments to @code{define-abbrev}. The return value is always @code{nil}. The optional string @var{docstring} is the documentation string of the variable @var{tabname}. The property list @var{props} is applied to the abbrev table (@pxref{Abbrev Table Properties}). If this function is called more than once for the same @var{tabname}, subsequent calls add the definitions in @var{definitions} to @var{tabname}, rather than overriding the entire original contents. (A subsequent call only overrides abbrevs explicitly redefined or undefined in @var{definitions}.) @end defun @defvar abbrev-table-name-list This is a list of symbols whose values are abbrev tables. @code{define-abbrev-table} adds the new abbrev table name to this list. @end defvar @defun insert-abbrev-table-description name &optional human This function inserts before point a description of the abbrev table named @var{name}. The argument @var{name} is a symbol whose value is an abbrev table. The return value is always @code{nil}. If @var{human} is non-@code{nil}, the description is human-oriented. System abbrevs are listed and identified as such. Otherwise the description is a Lisp expression---a call to @code{define-abbrev-table} that would define @var{name} as it is currently defined, but without the system abbrevs. (The mode or package using @var{name} is supposed to add these to @var{name} separately.) @end defun @node Defining Abbrevs, Abbrev Files, Abbrev Tables, Abbrevs @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Defining Abbrevs @code{define-abbrev} is the low-level basic function for defining an abbrev in a specified abbrev table. When major modes predefine standard abbrevs, they should call @code{define-abbrev} and specify a @code{t} for the @code{:system} property. Be aware that any saved non-``system'' abbrevs are restored at startup, i.e. before some major modes are loaded. Major modes should therefore not assume that when they are first loaded their abbrev tables are empty. @defun define-abbrev table name expansion &optional hook &rest props This function defines an abbrev named @var{name}, in @var{table}, to expand to @var{expansion} and call @var{hook}, with properties @var{props} (@pxref{Abbrev Properties}). The return value is @var{name}. The @code{:system} property in @var{props} is treated specially here: if it has the value @code{force}, then it will overwrite an existing definition even for a non-``system'' abbrev of the same name. The argument @var{name} should be a string. The argument @var{expansion} is normally the desired expansion (a string), or @code{nil} to undefine the abbrev. If it is anything but a string or @code{nil}, then the abbreviation ``expands'' solely by running @var{hook}. The argument @var{hook} is a function or @code{nil}. If @var{hook} is non-@code{nil}, then it is called with no arguments after the abbrev is replaced with @var{expansion}; point is located at the end of @var{expansion} when @var{hook} is called. @cindex @code{no-self-insert} property If @var{hook} is a non-@code{nil} symbol whose @code{no-self-insert} property is non-@code{nil}, @var{hook} can explicitly control whether to insert the self-inserting input character that triggered the expansion. If @var{hook} returns non-@code{nil} in this case, that inhibits insertion of the character. By contrast, if @var{hook} returns @code{nil}, @code{expand-abbrev} also returns @code{nil}, as if expansion had not really occurred. Normally the function @code{define-abbrev} sets the variable @code{abbrevs-changed} to @code{t}, if it actually changes the abbrev. (This is so that some commands will offer to save the abbrevs.) It does not do this for a ``system'' abbrev, since those won't be saved anyway. @end defun @defopt only-global-abbrevs If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it means that the user plans to use global abbrevs only. This tells the commands that define mode-specific abbrevs to define global ones instead. This variable does not alter the behavior of the functions in this section; it is examined by their callers. @end defopt @node Abbrev Files, Abbrev Expansion, Defining Abbrevs, Abbrevs @section Saving Abbrevs in Files A file of saved abbrev definitions is actually a file of Lisp code. The abbrevs are saved in the form of a Lisp program to define the same abbrev tables with the same contents. Therefore, you can load the file with @code{load} (@pxref{How Programs Do Loading}). However, the function @code{quietly-read-abbrev-file} is provided as a more convenient interface. User-level facilities such as @code{save-some-buffers} can save abbrevs in a file automatically, under the control of variables described here. @defopt abbrev-file-name This is the default file name for reading and saving abbrevs. @end defopt @defun quietly-read-abbrev-file &optional filename This function reads abbrev definitions from a file named @var{filename}, previously written with @code{write-abbrev-file}. If @var{filename} is omitted or @code{nil}, the file specified in @code{abbrev-file-name} is used. @code{save-abbrevs} is set to @code{t} so that changes will be saved. This function does not display any messages. It returns @code{nil}. @end defun @defopt save-abbrevs A non-@code{nil} value for @code{save-abbrevs} means that Emacs should offer the user to save abbrevs when files are saved. If the value is @code{silently}, Emacs saves the abbrevs without asking the user. @code{abbrev-file-name} specifies the file to save the abbrevs in. @end defopt @defvar abbrevs-changed This variable is set non-@code{nil} by defining or altering any abbrevs (except ``system'' abbrevs). This serves as a flag for various Emacs commands to offer to save your abbrevs. @end defvar @deffn Command write-abbrev-file &optional filename Save all abbrev definitions (except ``system'' abbrevs), for all abbrev tables listed in @code{abbrev-table-name-list}, in the file @var{filename}, in the form of a Lisp program that when loaded will define the same abbrevs. If @var{filename} is @code{nil} or omitted, @code{abbrev-file-name} is used. This function returns @code{nil}. @end deffn @node Abbrev Expansion, Standard Abbrev Tables, Abbrev Files, Abbrevs @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Looking Up and Expanding Abbreviations Abbrevs are usually expanded by certain interactive commands, including @code{self-insert-command}. This section describes the subroutines used in writing such commands, as well as the variables they use for communication. @defun abbrev-symbol abbrev &optional table This function returns the symbol representing the abbrev named @var{abbrev}. The value returned is @code{nil} if that abbrev is not defined. The optional second argument @var{table} is the abbrev table to look it up in. If @var{table} is @code{nil}, this function tries first the current buffer's local abbrev table, and second the global abbrev table. @end defun @defun abbrev-expansion abbrev &optional table This function returns the string that @var{abbrev} would expand into (as defined by the abbrev tables used for the current buffer). If @var{abbrev} is not a valid abbrev, the function returns @code{nil}. The optional argument @var{table} specifies the abbrev table to use, as in @code{abbrev-symbol}. @end defun @deffn Command expand-abbrev This command expands the abbrev before point, if any. If point does not follow an abbrev, this command does nothing. The command returns the abbrev symbol if it did expansion, @code{nil} otherwise. If the abbrev symbol has a hook function which is a symbol whose @code{no-self-insert} property is non-@code{nil}, and if the hook function returns @code{nil} as its value, then @code{expand-abbrev} returns @code{nil} even though expansion did occur. @end deffn @deffn Command abbrev-prefix-mark &optional arg This command marks the current location of point as the beginning of an abbrev. The next call to @code{expand-abbrev} will use the text from here to point (where it is then) as the abbrev to expand, rather than using the previous word as usual. First, this command expands any abbrev before point, unless @var{arg} is non-@code{nil}. (Interactively, @var{arg} is the prefix argument.) Then it inserts a hyphen before point, to indicate the start of the next abbrev to be expanded. The actual expansion removes the hyphen. @end deffn @defopt abbrev-all-caps When this is set non-@code{nil}, an abbrev entered entirely in upper case is expanded using all upper case. Otherwise, an abbrev entered entirely in upper case is expanded by capitalizing each word of the expansion. @end defopt @defvar abbrev-start-location The value of this variable is a buffer position (an integer or a marker) for @code{expand-abbrev} to use as the start of the next abbrev to be expanded. The value can also be @code{nil}, which means to use the word before point instead. @code{abbrev-start-location} is set to @code{nil} each time @code{expand-abbrev} is called. This variable is also set by @code{abbrev-prefix-mark}. @end defvar @defvar abbrev-start-location-buffer The value of this variable is the buffer for which @code{abbrev-start-location} has been set. Trying to expand an abbrev in any other buffer clears @code{abbrev-start-location}. This variable is set by @code{abbrev-prefix-mark}. @end defvar @defvar last-abbrev This is the @code{abbrev-symbol} of the most recent abbrev expanded. This information is left by @code{expand-abbrev} for the sake of the @code{unexpand-abbrev} command (@pxref{Expanding Abbrevs,, Expanding Abbrevs, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). @end defvar @defvar last-abbrev-location This is the location of the most recent abbrev expanded. This contains information left by @code{expand-abbrev} for the sake of the @code{unexpand-abbrev} command. @end defvar @defvar last-abbrev-text This is the exact expansion text of the most recent abbrev expanded, after case conversion (if any). Its value is @code{nil} if the abbrev has already been unexpanded. This contains information left by @code{expand-abbrev} for the sake of the @code{unexpand-abbrev} command. @end defvar @defvar abbrev-expand-functions This is a special hook run @emph{around} the @code{expand-abbrev} function. Functions on this hook are called with a single argument which is a function that performs the normal abbrev expansion. The hook function can hence do anything it wants before and after performing the expansion. It can also choose not to call its argument and thus override the default behavior, or it may even call it several times. The function should return the abbrev symbol if expansion took place. @end defvar The following sample code shows a simple use of @code{abbrev-expand-functions}. It assumes that @code{foo-mode} is a mode for editing certain files in which lines that start with @samp{#} are comments. You want to use Text mode abbrevs for those lines. The regular local abbrev table, @code{foo-mode-abbrev-table} is appropriate for all other lines. Then you can put the following code in your @file{.emacs} file. @xref{Standard Abbrev Tables}, for the definitions of @code{local-abbrev-table} and @code{text-mode-abbrev-table}. @smallexample (defun foo-mode-abbrev-expand-function (expand) (if (not (save-excursion (forward-line 0) (eq (char-after) ?#))) ;; Performs normal expansion. (funcall expand) ;; We're inside a comment: use the text-mode abbrevs. (let ((local-abbrev-table text-mode-abbrev-table)) (funcall expand)))) (add-hook 'foo-mode-hook #'(lambda () (add-hook 'abbrev-expand-functions 'foo-mode-abbrev-expand-function nil t))) @end smallexample @node Standard Abbrev Tables, Abbrev Properties, Abbrev Expansion, Abbrevs @comment node-name, next, previous, up @section Standard Abbrev Tables Here we list the variables that hold the abbrev tables for the preloaded major modes of Emacs. @defvar global-abbrev-table This is the abbrev table for mode-independent abbrevs. The abbrevs defined in it apply to all buffers. Each buffer may also have a local abbrev table, whose abbrev definitions take precedence over those in the global table. @end defvar @defvar local-abbrev-table The value of this buffer-local variable is the (mode-specific) abbreviation table of the current buffer. It can also be a list of such tables. @end defvar @defvar abbrev-minor-mode-table-alist The value of this variable is a list of elements of the form @code{(@var{mode} . @var{abbrev-table})} where @var{mode} is the name of a variable: if the variable is bound to a non-@code{nil} value, then the @var{abbrev-table} is active, otherwise it is ignored. @var{abbrev-table} can also be a list of abbrev tables. @end defvar @defvar fundamental-mode-abbrev-table This is the local abbrev table used in Fundamental mode; in other words, it is the local abbrev table in all buffers in Fundamental mode. @end defvar @defvar text-mode-abbrev-table This is the local abbrev table used in Text mode. @end defvar @defvar lisp-mode-abbrev-table This is the local abbrev table used in Lisp mode and Emacs Lisp mode. @end defvar @node Abbrev Properties, Abbrev Table Properties, Standard Abbrev Tables, Abbrevs @section Abbrev Properties Abbrevs have properties, some of which influence the way they work. You can provide them as arguments to @code{define-abbrev} and you can manipulate them with the functions: @defun abbrev-put abbrev prop val Set the property @var{prop} of abbrev @var{abbrev} to value @var{val}. @end defun @defun abbrev-get abbrev prop Return the property @var{prop} of abbrev @var{abbrev}, or @code{nil} if the abbrev has no such property. @end defun The following properties have special meaning: @table @code @item :count This property counts the number of times the abbrev has been expanded. If not explicitly set, it is initialized to 0 by @code{define-abbrev}. @item :system If non-@code{nil}, this property marks the abbrev as a ``system'' abbrev. Such abbrevs will not be saved to @var{abbrev-file-name}. @item :enable-function If non-@code{nil}, this property should be a function of no arguments which returns @code{nil} if the abbrev should not be used and @code{t} otherwise. @item :case-fixed If non-@code{nil}, this property indicates that the case of the abbrev's name is significant and should only match a text with the same pattern of capitalization. It also disables the code that modifies the capitalization of the expansion. @end table @node Abbrev Table Properties, , Abbrev Properties, Abbrevs @section Abbrev Table Properties Like abbrevs, abble tables have properties, some of which influence the way they work. You can provide them as arguments to @code{define-abbrev-table} and you can manipulate them with the functions: @defun abbrev-table-put table prop val Set the property @var{prop} of abbrev table @var{table} to value @var{val}. @end defun @defun abbrev-table-get table prop Return the property @var{prop} of abbrev table @var{table}, or @code{nil} if the abbrev has no such property. @end defun The following properties have special meaning: @table @code @item :enable-function This is like the @code{:enable-function} abbrev property except that it applies to all abbrevs in the table and is used even before trying to find the abbrev before point so it can dynamically modify the abbrev table. @item :case-fixed This is like the @code{:case-fixed} abbrev property except that it applies to all abbrevs in the table. @item :regexp If non-@code{nil}, this property is a regular expression that indicates how to extract the name of the abbrev before point before looking it up in the table. When the regular expression matches before point, the abbrev name is expected to be in submatch 1. If this property is @code{nil}, @code{expand-function} defaults to @code{"\\<\\(\\w+\\)\\W"}. This property allows the use of abbrevs whose name contains characters of non-word syntax. @item :parents This property holds the list of tables from which to inherit other abbrevs. @item :abbrev-table-modiff This property holds a counter incremented each time a new abbrev is added to the table. @end table @ignore arch-tag: 5ffdbe08-2cd4-48ec-a5a8-080f95756eec @end ignore