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author | Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org> |
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date | Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:55:37 +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, 2000, 2001, @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. @setfilename ../../info/display @node Display, System Interface, Processes, Top @chapter Emacs Display This chapter describes a number of features related to the display that Emacs presents to the user. @menu * Refresh Screen:: Clearing the screen and redrawing everything on it. * Forcing Redisplay:: Forcing redisplay. * Truncation:: Folding or wrapping long text lines. * The Echo Area:: Displaying messages at the bottom of the screen. * Warnings:: Displaying warning messages for the user. * Invisible Text:: Hiding part of the buffer text. * Selective Display:: Hiding part of the buffer text (the old way). * Temporary Displays:: Displays that go away automatically. * Overlays:: Use overlays to highlight parts of the buffer. * Width:: How wide a character or string is on the screen. * Line Height:: Controlling the height of lines. * Faces:: A face defines a graphics style for text characters: font, colors, etc. * Fringes:: Controlling window fringes. * Scroll Bars:: Controlling vertical scroll bars. * Display Property:: Enabling special display features. * Images:: Displaying images in Emacs buffers. * Buttons:: Adding clickable buttons to Emacs buffers. * Abstract Display:: Emacs' Widget for Object Collections. * Blinking:: How Emacs shows the matching open parenthesis. * Usual Display:: The usual conventions for displaying nonprinting chars. * Display Tables:: How to specify other conventions. * Beeping:: Audible signal to the user. * Window Systems:: Which window system is being used. @end menu @node Refresh Screen @section Refreshing the Screen The function @code{redraw-frame} clears and redisplays the entire contents of a given frame (@pxref{Frames}). This is useful if the screen is corrupted. @c Emacs 19 feature @defun redraw-frame frame This function clears and redisplays frame @var{frame}. @end defun Even more powerful is @code{redraw-display}: @deffn Command redraw-display This function clears and redisplays all visible frames. @end deffn In Emacs, processing user input takes priority over redisplay. If you call these functions when input is available, they don't redisplay immediately, but the requested redisplay does happen eventually---after all the input has been processed. Normally, suspending and resuming Emacs also refreshes the screen. Some terminal emulators record separate contents for display-oriented programs such as Emacs and for ordinary sequential display. If you are using such a terminal, you might want to inhibit the redisplay on resumption. @defvar no-redraw-on-reenter @cindex suspend (cf. @code{no-redraw-on-reenter}) @cindex resume (cf. @code{no-redraw-on-reenter}) This variable controls whether Emacs redraws the entire screen after it has been suspended and resumed. Non-@code{nil} means there is no need to redraw, @code{nil} means redrawing is needed. The default is @code{nil}. @end defvar @node Forcing Redisplay @section Forcing Redisplay @cindex forcing redisplay Emacs normally tries to redisplay the screen whenever it waits for input. With this function you can request an immediate attempt to redisplay, in the middle of Lisp code, without actually waiting for input. @defun redisplay &optional force This function tries immediately to redisplay, provided there are no pending input events. It is equivalent to @code{(sit-for 0)}. If the optional argument @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, it does all pending redisplay work even if input is available, with no pre-emption. The function returns @code{t} if it actually tried to redisplay, and @code{nil} otherwise. A value of @code{t} does not mean that redisplay proceeded to completion; it could have been pre-empted by newly arriving terminal input. @end defun @code{redisplay} with no argument tries immediately to redisplay, but has no effect on the usual rules for what parts of the screen to redisplay. By contrast, the following function adds certain windows to the pending redisplay work (as if their contents had completely changed), but doesn't immediately try to do any redisplay work. @defun force-window-update &optional object This function forces some or all windows to be updated on next redisplay. If @var{object} is a window, it requires eventual redisplay of that window. If @var{object} is a buffer or buffer name, it requires eventual redisplay of all windows displaying that buffer. If @var{object} is @code{nil} (or omitted), it requires eventual redisplay of all windows. @end defun @code{force-window-update} does not do a redisplay immediately. (Emacs will do that when it waits for input.) Rather, its effect is to put more work on the queue to be done by redisplay whenever there is a chance. Emacs redisplay normally stops if input arrives, and does not happen at all if input is available before it starts. Most of the time, this is exactly what you want. However, you can prevent preemption by binding @code{redisplay-dont-pause} to a non-@code{nil} value. @defvar redisplay-dont-pause If this variable is non-@code{nil}, pending input does not prevent or halt redisplay; redisplay occurs, and finishes, regardless of whether input is available. @end defvar @defvar redisplay-preemption-period This variable specifies how many seconds Emacs waits between checks for new input during redisplay. (The default is 0.1 seconds.) If input has arrived when Emacs checks, it pre-empts redisplay and processes the available input before trying again to redisplay. If this variable is @code{nil}, Emacs does not check for input during redisplay, and redisplay cannot be preempted by input. This variable is only obeyed on graphical terminals. For text terminals, see @ref{Terminal Output}. @end defvar @node Truncation @section Truncation @cindex line wrapping @cindex line truncation @cindex continuation lines @cindex @samp{$} in display @cindex @samp{\} in display When a line of text extends beyond the right edge of a window, Emacs can @dfn{continue} the line (make it ``wrap'' to the next screen line), or @dfn{truncate} the line (limit it to one screen line). The additional screen lines used to display a long text line are called @dfn{continuation} lines. Continuation is not the same as filling; continuation happens on the screen only, not in the buffer contents, and it breaks a line precisely at the right margin, not at a word boundary. @xref{Filling}. On a graphical display, tiny arrow images in the window fringes indicate truncated and continued lines (@pxref{Fringes}). On a text terminal, a @samp{$} in the rightmost column of the window indicates truncation; a @samp{\} on the rightmost column indicates a line that ``wraps.'' (The display table can specify alternate characters to use for this; @pxref{Display Tables}). @defopt truncate-lines This buffer-local variable controls how Emacs displays lines that extend beyond the right edge of the window. The default is @code{nil}, which specifies continuation. If the value is non-@code{nil}, then these lines are truncated. If the variable @code{truncate-partial-width-windows} is non-@code{nil}, then truncation is always used for side-by-side windows (within one frame) regardless of the value of @code{truncate-lines}. @end defopt @defopt default-truncate-lines This variable is the default value for @code{truncate-lines}, for buffers that do not have buffer-local values for it. @end defopt @defopt truncate-partial-width-windows This variable controls display of lines that extend beyond the right edge of the window, in side-by-side windows (@pxref{Splitting Windows}). If it is non-@code{nil}, these lines are truncated; otherwise, @code{truncate-lines} says what to do with them. @end defopt When horizontal scrolling (@pxref{Horizontal Scrolling}) is in use in a window, that forces truncation. @defvar wrap-prefix If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, the prefix it defines will be added at display-time to the beginning of every continuation line due to text wrapping (so if lines are truncated, the wrap-prefix is never used). It may be a string, an image, or a stretch-glyph such as used by the `display' text-property. @xref{Display Property}. A wrap-prefix may also be specified for regions of text using the @code{wrap-prefix} text-property (which takes precedence over the value of the @code{wrap-prefix} variable). @xref{Special Properties}. @end defvar @defvar line-prefix If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, the prefix it defines will be added at display-time to the beginning of every non-continuation line It may be a string, an image, or a stretch-glyph such as used by the `display' text-property. @xref{Display Property}. A line-prefix may also be specified for regions of text using the @code{line-prefix} text-property (which takes precedence over the value of the @code{line-prefix} variable). @xref{Special Properties}. @end defvar If your buffer contains @emph{very} long lines, and you use continuation to display them, just thinking about them can make Emacs redisplay slow. The column computation and indentation functions also become slow. Then you might find it advisable to set @code{cache-long-line-scans} to @code{t}. @defvar cache-long-line-scans If this variable is non-@code{nil}, various indentation and motion functions, and Emacs redisplay, cache the results of scanning the buffer, and consult the cache to avoid rescanning regions of the buffer unless they are modified. Turning on the cache slows down processing of short lines somewhat. This variable is automatically buffer-local in every buffer. @end defvar @node The Echo Area @section The Echo Area @cindex error display @cindex echo area The @dfn{echo area} is used for displaying error messages (@pxref{Errors}), for messages made with the @code{message} primitive, and for echoing keystrokes. It is not the same as the minibuffer, despite the fact that the minibuffer appears (when active) in the same place on the screen as the echo area. The @cite{GNU Emacs Manual} specifies the rules for resolving conflicts between the echo area and the minibuffer for use of that screen space (@pxref{Minibuffer,, The Minibuffer, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). You can write output in the echo area by using the Lisp printing functions with @code{t} as the stream (@pxref{Output Functions}), or explicitly. @menu * Displaying Messages:: Explicitly displaying text in the echo area. * Progress:: Informing user about progress of a long operation. * Logging Messages:: Echo area messages are logged for the user. * Echo Area Customization:: Controlling the echo area. @end menu @node Displaying Messages @subsection Displaying Messages in the Echo Area @cindex display message in echo area This section describes the functions for explicitly producing echo area messages. Many other Emacs features display messages there, too. @defun message format-string &rest arguments This function displays a message in the echo area. The argument @var{format-string} is similar to a C language @code{printf} format string. See @code{format} in @ref{Formatting Strings}, for the details on the conversion specifications. @code{message} returns the constructed string. In batch mode, @code{message} prints the message text on the standard error stream, followed by a newline. If @var{format-string}, or strings among the @var{arguments}, have @code{face} text properties, these affect the way the message is displayed. @c Emacs 19 feature If @var{format-string} is @code{nil} or the empty string, @code{message} clears the echo area; if the echo area has been expanded automatically, this brings it back to its normal size. If the minibuffer is active, this brings the minibuffer contents back onto the screen immediately. @example @group (message "Minibuffer depth is %d." (minibuffer-depth)) @print{} Minibuffer depth is 0. @result{} "Minibuffer depth is 0." @end group @group ---------- Echo Area ---------- Minibuffer depth is 0. ---------- Echo Area ---------- @end group @end example To automatically display a message in the echo area or in a pop-buffer, depending on its size, use @code{display-message-or-buffer} (see below). @end defun @defmac with-temp-message message &rest body This construct displays a message in the echo area temporarily, during the execution of @var{body}. It displays @var{message}, executes @var{body}, then returns the value of the last body form while restoring the previous echo area contents. @end defmac @defun message-or-box format-string &rest arguments This function displays a message like @code{message}, but may display it in a dialog box instead of the echo area. If this function is called in a command that was invoked using the mouse---more precisely, if @code{last-nonmenu-event} (@pxref{Command Loop Info}) is either @code{nil} or a list---then it uses a dialog box or pop-up menu to display the message. Otherwise, it uses the echo area. (This is the same criterion that @code{y-or-n-p} uses to make a similar decision; see @ref{Yes-or-No Queries}.) You can force use of the mouse or of the echo area by binding @code{last-nonmenu-event} to a suitable value around the call. @end defun @defun message-box format-string &rest arguments @anchor{message-box} This function displays a message like @code{message}, but uses a dialog box (or a pop-up menu) whenever that is possible. If it is impossible to use a dialog box or pop-up menu, because the terminal does not support them, then @code{message-box} uses the echo area, like @code{message}. @end defun @defun display-message-or-buffer message &optional buffer-name not-this-window frame This function displays the message @var{message}, which may be either a string or a buffer. If it is shorter than the maximum height of the echo area, as defined by @code{max-mini-window-height}, it is displayed in the echo area, using @code{message}. Otherwise, @code{display-buffer} is used to show it in a pop-up buffer. Returns either the string shown in the echo area, or when a pop-up buffer is used, the window used to display it. If @var{message} is a string, then the optional argument @var{buffer-name} is the name of the buffer used to display it when a pop-up buffer is used, defaulting to @samp{*Message*}. In the case where @var{message} is a string and displayed in the echo area, it is not specified whether the contents are inserted into the buffer anyway. The optional arguments @var{not-this-window} and @var{frame} are as for @code{display-buffer}, and only used if a buffer is displayed. @end defun @defun current-message This function returns the message currently being displayed in the echo area, or @code{nil} if there is none. @end defun @node Progress @subsection Reporting Operation Progress @cindex progress reporting When an operation can take a while to finish, you should inform the user about the progress it makes. This way the user can estimate remaining time and clearly see that Emacs is busy working, not hung. Functions listed in this section provide simple and efficient way of reporting operation progress. Here is a working example that does nothing useful: @smallexample (let ((progress-reporter (make-progress-reporter "Collecting mana for Emacs..." 0 500))) (dotimes (k 500) (sit-for 0.01) (progress-reporter-update progress-reporter k)) (progress-reporter-done progress-reporter)) @end smallexample @defun make-progress-reporter message min-value max-value &optional current-value min-change min-time This function creates and returns a @dfn{progress reporter}---an object you will use as an argument for all other functions listed here. The idea is to precompute as much data as possible to make progress reporting very fast. When this progress reporter is subsequently used, it will display @var{message} in the echo area, followed by progress percentage. @var{message} is treated as a simple string. If you need it to depend on a filename, for instance, use @code{format} before calling this function. @var{min-value} and @var{max-value} arguments stand for starting and final states of your operation. For instance, if you scan a buffer, they should be the results of @code{point-min} and @code{point-max} correspondingly. It is required that @var{max-value} is greater than @var{min-value}. If you create progress reporter when some part of the operation has already been completed, then specify @var{current-value} argument. But normally you should omit it or set it to @code{nil}---it will default to @var{min-value} then. Remaining arguments control the rate of echo area updates. Progress reporter will wait for at least @var{min-change} more percents of the operation to be completed before printing next message. @var{min-time} specifies the minimum time in seconds to pass between successive prints. It can be fractional. Depending on Emacs and system capabilities, progress reporter may or may not respect this last argument or do it with varying precision. Default value for @var{min-change} is 1 (one percent), for @var{min-time}---0.2 (seconds.) This function calls @code{progress-reporter-update}, so the first message is printed immediately. @end defun @defun progress-reporter-update reporter value This function does the main work of reporting progress of your operation. It displays the message of @var{reporter}, followed by progress percentage determined by @var{value}. If percentage is zero, or close enough according to the @var{min-change} and @var{min-time} arguments, then it is omitted from the output. @var{reporter} must be the result of a call to @code{make-progress-reporter}. @var{value} specifies the current state of your operation and must be between @var{min-value} and @var{max-value} (inclusive) as passed to @code{make-progress-reporter}. For instance, if you scan a buffer, then @var{value} should be the result of a call to @code{point}. This function respects @var{min-change} and @var{min-time} as passed to @code{make-progress-reporter} and so does not output new messages on every invocation. It is thus very fast and normally you should not try to reduce the number of calls to it: resulting overhead will most likely negate your effort. @end defun @defun progress-reporter-force-update reporter value &optional new-message This function is similar to @code{progress-reporter-update} except that it prints a message in the echo area unconditionally. The first two arguments have the same meaning as for @code{progress-reporter-update}. Optional @var{new-message} allows you to change the message of the @var{reporter}. Since this functions always updates the echo area, such a change will be immediately presented to the user. @end defun @defun progress-reporter-done reporter This function should be called when the operation is finished. It prints the message of @var{reporter} followed by word ``done'' in the echo area. You should always call this function and not hope for @code{progress-reporter-update} to print ``100%.'' Firstly, it may never print it, there are many good reasons for this not to happen. Secondly, ``done'' is more explicit. @end defun @defmac dotimes-with-progress-reporter (var count [result]) message body@dots{} This is a convenience macro that works the same way as @code{dotimes} does, but also reports loop progress using the functions described above. It allows you to save some typing. You can rewrite the example in the beginning of this node using this macro this way: @example (dotimes-with-progress-reporter (k 500) "Collecting some mana for Emacs..." (sit-for 0.01)) @end example @end defmac @node Logging Messages @subsection Logging Messages in @samp{*Messages*} @cindex logging echo-area messages Almost all the messages displayed in the echo area are also recorded in the @samp{*Messages*} buffer so that the user can refer back to them. This includes all the messages that are output with @code{message}. @defopt message-log-max This variable specifies how many lines to keep in the @samp{*Messages*} buffer. The value @code{t} means there is no limit on how many lines to keep. The value @code{nil} disables message logging entirely. Here's how to display a message and prevent it from being logged: @example (let (message-log-max) (message @dots{})) @end example @end defopt To make @samp{*Messages*} more convenient for the user, the logging facility combines successive identical messages. It also combines successive related messages for the sake of two cases: question followed by answer, and a series of progress messages. A ``question followed by an answer'' means two messages like the ones produced by @code{y-or-n-p}: the first is @samp{@var{question}}, and the second is @samp{@var{question}...@var{answer}}. The first message conveys no additional information beyond what's in the second, so logging the second message discards the first from the log. A ``series of progress messages'' means successive messages like those produced by @code{make-progress-reporter}. They have the form @samp{@var{base}...@var{how-far}}, where @var{base} is the same each time, while @var{how-far} varies. Logging each message in the series discards the previous one, provided they are consecutive. The functions @code{make-progress-reporter} and @code{y-or-n-p} don't have to do anything special to activate the message log combination feature. It operates whenever two consecutive messages are logged that share a common prefix ending in @samp{...}. @node Echo Area Customization @subsection Echo Area Customization These variables control details of how the echo area works. @defvar cursor-in-echo-area This variable controls where the cursor appears when a message is displayed in the echo area. If it is non-@code{nil}, then the cursor appears at the end of the message. Otherwise, the cursor appears at point---not in the echo area at all. The value is normally @code{nil}; Lisp programs bind it to @code{t} for brief periods of time. @end defvar @defvar echo-area-clear-hook This normal hook is run whenever the echo area is cleared---either by @code{(message nil)} or for any other reason. @end defvar @defvar echo-keystrokes This variable determines how much time should elapse before command characters echo. Its value must be an integer or floating point number, which specifies the number of seconds to wait before echoing. If the user types a prefix key (such as @kbd{C-x}) and then delays this many seconds before continuing, the prefix key is echoed in the echo area. (Once echoing begins in a key sequence, all subsequent characters in the same key sequence are echoed immediately.) If the value is zero, then command input is not echoed. @end defvar @defvar message-truncate-lines Normally, displaying a long message resizes the echo area to display the entire message. But if the variable @code{message-truncate-lines} is non-@code{nil}, the echo area does not resize, and the message is truncated to fit it, as in Emacs 20 and before. @end defvar The variable @code{max-mini-window-height}, which specifies the maximum height for resizing minibuffer windows, also applies to the echo area (which is really a special use of the minibuffer window. @xref{Minibuffer Misc}. @node Warnings @section Reporting Warnings @cindex warnings @dfn{Warnings} are a facility for a program to inform the user of a possible problem, but continue running. @menu * Warning Basics:: Warnings concepts and functions to report them. * Warning Variables:: Variables programs bind to customize their warnings. * Warning Options:: Variables users set to control display of warnings. @end menu @node Warning Basics @subsection Warning Basics @cindex severity level Every warning has a textual message, which explains the problem for the user, and a @dfn{severity level} which is a symbol. Here are the possible severity levels, in order of decreasing severity, and their meanings: @table @code @item :emergency A problem that will seriously impair Emacs operation soon if you do not attend to it promptly. @item :error A report of data or circumstances that are inherently wrong. @item :warning A report of data or circumstances that are not inherently wrong, but raise suspicion of a possible problem. @item :debug A report of information that may be useful if you are debugging. @end table When your program encounters invalid input data, it can either signal a Lisp error by calling @code{error} or @code{signal} or report a warning with severity @code{:error}. Signaling a Lisp error is the easiest thing to do, but it means the program cannot continue processing. If you want to take the trouble to implement a way to continue processing despite the bad data, then reporting a warning of severity @code{:error} is the right way to inform the user of the problem. For instance, the Emacs Lisp byte compiler can report an error that way and continue compiling other functions. (If the program signals a Lisp error and then handles it with @code{condition-case}, the user won't see the error message; it could show the message to the user by reporting it as a warning.) @cindex warning type Each warning has a @dfn{warning type} to classify it. The type is a list of symbols. The first symbol should be the custom group that you use for the program's user options. For example, byte compiler warnings use the warning type @code{(bytecomp)}. You can also subcategorize the warnings, if you wish, by using more symbols in the list. @defun display-warning type message &optional level buffer-name This function reports a warning, using @var{message} as the message and @var{type} as the warning type. @var{level} should be the severity level, with @code{:warning} being the default. @var{buffer-name}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the name of the buffer for logging the warning. By default, it is @samp{*Warnings*}. @end defun @defun lwarn type level message &rest args This function reports a warning using the value of @code{(format @var{message} @var{args}...)} as the message. In other respects it is equivalent to @code{display-warning}. @end defun @defun warn message &rest args This function reports a warning using the value of @code{(format @var{message} @var{args}...)} as the message, @code{(emacs)} as the type, and @code{:warning} as the severity level. It exists for compatibility only; we recommend not using it, because you should specify a specific warning type. @end defun @node Warning Variables @subsection Warning Variables Programs can customize how their warnings appear by binding the variables described in this section. @defvar warning-levels This list defines the meaning and severity order of the warning severity levels. Each element defines one severity level, and they are arranged in order of decreasing severity. Each element has the form @code{(@var{level} @var{string} @var{function})}, where @var{level} is the severity level it defines. @var{string} specifies the textual description of this level. @var{string} should use @samp{%s} to specify where to put the warning type information, or it can omit the @samp{%s} so as not to include that information. The optional @var{function}, if non-@code{nil}, is a function to call with no arguments, to get the user's attention. Normally you should not change the value of this variable. @end defvar @defvar warning-prefix-function If non-@code{nil}, the value is a function to generate prefix text for warnings. Programs can bind the variable to a suitable function. @code{display-warning} calls this function with the warnings buffer current, and the function can insert text in it. That text becomes the beginning of the warning message. The function is called with two arguments, the severity level and its entry in @code{warning-levels}. It should return a list to use as the entry (this value need not be an actual member of @code{warning-levels}). By constructing this value, the function can change the severity of the warning, or specify different handling for a given severity level. If the variable's value is @code{nil} then there is no function to call. @end defvar @defvar warning-series Programs can bind this variable to @code{t} to say that the next warning should begin a series. When several warnings form a series, that means to leave point on the first warning of the series, rather than keep moving it for each warning so that it appears on the last one. The series ends when the local binding is unbound and @code{warning-series} becomes @code{nil} again. The value can also be a symbol with a function definition. That is equivalent to @code{t}, except that the next warning will also call the function with no arguments with the warnings buffer current. The function can insert text which will serve as a header for the series of warnings. Once a series has begun, the value is a marker which points to the buffer position in the warnings buffer of the start of the series. The variable's normal value is @code{nil}, which means to handle each warning separately. @end defvar @defvar warning-fill-prefix When this variable is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a fill prefix to use for filling each warning's text. @end defvar @defvar warning-type-format This variable specifies the format for displaying the warning type in the warning message. The result of formatting the type this way gets included in the message under the control of the string in the entry in @code{warning-levels}. The default value is @code{" (%s)"}. If you bind it to @code{""} then the warning type won't appear at all. @end defvar @node Warning Options @subsection Warning Options These variables are used by users to control what happens when a Lisp program reports a warning. @defopt warning-minimum-level This user option specifies the minimum severity level that should be shown immediately to the user. The default is @code{:warning}, which means to immediately display all warnings except @code{:debug} warnings. @end defopt @defopt warning-minimum-log-level This user option specifies the minimum severity level that should be logged in the warnings buffer. The default is @code{:warning}, which means to log all warnings except @code{:debug} warnings. @end defopt @defopt warning-suppress-types This list specifies which warning types should not be displayed immediately for the user. Each element of the list should be a list of symbols. If its elements match the first elements in a warning type, then that warning is not displayed immediately. @end defopt @defopt warning-suppress-log-types This list specifies which warning types should not be logged in the warnings buffer. Each element of the list should be a list of symbols. If it matches the first few elements in a warning type, then that warning is not logged. @end defopt @node Invisible Text @section Invisible Text @cindex invisible text You can make characters @dfn{invisible}, so that they do not appear on the screen, with the @code{invisible} property. This can be either a text property (@pxref{Text Properties}) or a property of an overlay (@pxref{Overlays}). Cursor motion also partly ignores these characters; if the command loop finds point within them, it moves point to the other side of them. In the simplest case, any non-@code{nil} @code{invisible} property makes a character invisible. This is the default case---if you don't alter the default value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}, this is how the @code{invisible} property works. You should normally use @code{t} as the value of the @code{invisible} property if you don't plan to set @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} yourself. More generally, you can use the variable @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} to control which values of the @code{invisible} property make text invisible. This permits you to classify the text into different subsets in advance, by giving them different @code{invisible} values, and subsequently make various subsets visible or invisible by changing the value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. Controlling visibility with @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} is especially useful in a program to display the list of entries in a database. It permits the implementation of convenient filtering commands to view just a part of the entries in the database. Setting this variable is very fast, much faster than scanning all the text in the buffer looking for properties to change. @defvar buffer-invisibility-spec This variable specifies which kinds of @code{invisible} properties actually make a character invisible. Setting this variable makes it buffer-local. @table @asis @item @code{t} A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property is non-@code{nil}. This is the default. @item a list Each element of the list specifies a criterion for invisibility; if a character's @code{invisible} property fits any one of these criteria, the character is invisible. The list can have two kinds of elements: @table @code @item @var{atom} A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property value is @var{atom} or if it is a list with @var{atom} as a member. @item (@var{atom} . t) A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property value is @var{atom} or if it is a list with @var{atom} as a member. Moreover, a sequence of such characters displays as an ellipsis. @end table @end table @end defvar Two functions are specifically provided for adding elements to @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} and removing elements from it. @defun add-to-invisibility-spec element This function adds the element @var{element} to @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. If @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} was @code{t}, it changes to a list, @code{(t)}, so that text whose @code{invisible} property is @code{t} remains invisible. @end defun @defun remove-from-invisibility-spec element This removes the element @var{element} from @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. This does nothing if @var{element} is not in the list. @end defun A convention for use of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} is that a major mode should use the mode's own name as an element of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} and as the value of the @code{invisible} property: @example ;; @r{If you want to display an ellipsis:} (add-to-invisibility-spec '(my-symbol . t)) ;; @r{If you don't want ellipsis:} (add-to-invisibility-spec 'my-symbol) (overlay-put (make-overlay beginning end) 'invisible 'my-symbol) ;; @r{When done with the overlays:} (remove-from-invisibility-spec '(my-symbol . t)) ;; @r{Or respectively:} (remove-from-invisibility-spec 'my-symbol) @end example @vindex line-move-ignore-invisible Ordinarily, functions that operate on text or move point do not care whether the text is invisible. The user-level line motion commands explicitly ignore invisible newlines if @code{line-move-ignore-invisible} is non-@code{nil} (the default), but only because they are explicitly programmed to do so. However, if a command ends with point inside or immediately before invisible text, the main editing loop moves point further forward or further backward (in the same direction that the command already moved it) until that condition is no longer true. Thus, if the command moved point back into an invisible range, Emacs moves point back to the beginning of that range, and then back one more character. If the command moved point forward into an invisible range, Emacs moves point forward up to the first visible character that follows the invisible text. Incremental search can make invisible overlays visible temporarily and/or permanently when a match includes invisible text. To enable this, the overlay should have a non-@code{nil} @code{isearch-open-invisible} property. The property value should be a function to be called with the overlay as an argument. This function should make the overlay visible permanently; it is used when the match overlaps the overlay on exit from the search. During the search, such overlays are made temporarily visible by temporarily modifying their invisible and intangible properties. If you want this to be done differently for a certain overlay, give it an @code{isearch-open-invisible-temporary} property which is a function. The function is called with two arguments: the first is the overlay, and the second is @code{nil} to make the overlay visible, or @code{t} to make it invisible again. @node Selective Display @section Selective Display @c @cindex selective display Duplicates selective-display @dfn{Selective display} refers to a pair of related features for hiding certain lines on the screen. The first variant, explicit selective display, is designed for use in a Lisp program: it controls which lines are hidden by altering the text. This kind of hiding in some ways resembles the effect of the @code{invisible} property (@pxref{Invisible Text}), but the two features are different and do not work the same way. In the second variant, the choice of lines to hide is made automatically based on indentation. This variant is designed to be a user-level feature. The way you control explicit selective display is by replacing a newline (control-j) with a carriage return (control-m). The text that was formerly a line following that newline is now hidden. Strictly speaking, it is temporarily no longer a line at all, since only newlines can separate lines; it is now part of the previous line. Selective display does not directly affect editing commands. For example, @kbd{C-f} (@code{forward-char}) moves point unhesitatingly into hidden text. However, the replacement of newline characters with carriage return characters affects some editing commands. For example, @code{next-line} skips hidden lines, since it searches only for newlines. Modes that use selective display can also define commands that take account of the newlines, or that control which parts of the text are hidden. When you write a selectively displayed buffer into a file, all the control-m's are output as newlines. This means that when you next read in the file, it looks OK, with nothing hidden. The selective display effect is seen only within Emacs. @defvar selective-display This buffer-local variable enables selective display. This means that lines, or portions of lines, may be made hidden. @itemize @bullet @item If the value of @code{selective-display} is @code{t}, then the character control-m marks the start of hidden text; the control-m, and the rest of the line following it, are not displayed. This is explicit selective display. @item If the value of @code{selective-display} is a positive integer, then lines that start with more than that many columns of indentation are not displayed. @end itemize When some portion of a buffer is hidden, the vertical movement commands operate as if that portion did not exist, allowing a single @code{next-line} command to skip any number of hidden lines. However, character movement commands (such as @code{forward-char}) do not skip the hidden portion, and it is possible (if tricky) to insert or delete text in an hidden portion. In the examples below, we show the @emph{display appearance} of the buffer @code{foo}, which changes with the value of @code{selective-display}. The @emph{contents} of the buffer do not change. @example @group (setq selective-display nil) @result{} nil ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- 1 on this column 2on this column 3n this column 3n this column 2on this column 1 on this column ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- @end group @group (setq selective-display 2) @result{} 2 ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- 1 on this column 2on this column 2on this column 1 on this column ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- @end group @end example @end defvar @defvar selective-display-ellipses If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays @samp{@dots{}} at the end of a line that is followed by hidden text. This example is a continuation of the previous one. @example @group (setq selective-display-ellipses t) @result{} t ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- 1 on this column 2on this column ... 2on this column 1 on this column ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- @end group @end example You can use a display table to substitute other text for the ellipsis (@samp{@dots{}}). @xref{Display Tables}. @end defvar @node Temporary Displays @section Temporary Displays Temporary displays are used by Lisp programs to put output into a buffer and then present it to the user for perusal rather than for editing. Many help commands use this feature. @defspec with-output-to-temp-buffer buffer-name forms@dots{} This function executes @var{forms} while arranging to insert any output they print into the buffer named @var{buffer-name}, which is first created if necessary, and put into Help mode. Finally, the buffer is displayed in some window, but not selected. If the @var{forms} do not change the major mode in the output buffer, so that it is still Help mode at the end of their execution, then @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} makes this buffer read-only at the end, and also scans it for function and variable names to make them into clickable cross-references. @xref{Docstring hyperlinks, , Tips for Documentation Strings}, in particular the item on hyperlinks in documentation strings, for more details. The string @var{buffer-name} specifies the temporary buffer, which need not already exist. The argument must be a string, not a buffer. The buffer is erased initially (with no questions asked), and it is marked as unmodified after @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} exits. @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} binds @code{standard-output} to the temporary buffer, then it evaluates the forms in @var{forms}. Output using the Lisp output functions within @var{forms} goes by default to that buffer (but screen display and messages in the echo area, although they are ``output'' in the general sense of the word, are not affected). @xref{Output Functions}. Several hooks are available for customizing the behavior of this construct; they are listed below. The value of the last form in @var{forms} is returned. @example @group ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- This is the contents of foo. ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- @end group @group (with-output-to-temp-buffer "foo" (print 20) (print standard-output)) @result{} #<buffer foo> ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- 20 #<buffer foo> ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- @end group @end example @end defspec @defvar temp-buffer-show-function If this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} calls it as a function to do the job of displaying a help buffer. The function gets one argument, which is the buffer it should display. It is a good idea for this function to run @code{temp-buffer-show-hook} just as @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} normally would, inside of @code{save-selected-window} and with the chosen window and buffer selected. @end defvar @defvar temp-buffer-setup-hook This normal hook is run by @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} before evaluating @var{body}. When the hook runs, the temporary buffer is current. This hook is normally set up with a function to put the buffer in Help mode. @end defvar @defvar temp-buffer-show-hook This normal hook is run by @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} after displaying the temporary buffer. When the hook runs, the temporary buffer is current, and the window it was displayed in is selected. This hook is normally set up with a function to make the buffer read only, and find function names and variable names in it, provided the major mode is Help mode. @end defvar @defun momentary-string-display string position &optional char message This function momentarily displays @var{string} in the current buffer at @var{position}. It has no effect on the undo list or on the buffer's modification status. The momentary display remains until the next input event. If the next input event is @var{char}, @code{momentary-string-display} ignores it and returns. Otherwise, that event remains buffered for subsequent use as input. Thus, typing @var{char} will simply remove the string from the display, while typing (say) @kbd{C-f} will remove the string from the display and later (presumably) move point forward. The argument @var{char} is a space by default. The return value of @code{momentary-string-display} is not meaningful. If the string @var{string} does not contain control characters, you can do the same job in a more general way by creating (and then subsequently deleting) an overlay with a @code{before-string} property. @xref{Overlay Properties}. If @var{message} is non-@code{nil}, it is displayed in the echo area while @var{string} is displayed in the buffer. If it is @code{nil}, a default message says to type @var{char} to continue. In this example, point is initially located at the beginning of the second line: @example @group ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- This is the contents of foo. @point{}Second line. ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- @end group @group (momentary-string-display "**** Important Message! ****" (point) ?\r "Type RET when done reading") @result{} t @end group @group ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- This is the contents of foo. **** Important Message! ****Second line. ---------- Buffer: foo ---------- ---------- Echo Area ---------- Type RET when done reading ---------- Echo Area ---------- @end group @end example @end defun @node Overlays @section Overlays @cindex overlays You can use @dfn{overlays} to alter the appearance of a buffer's text on the screen, for the sake of presentation features. An overlay is an object that belongs to a particular buffer, and has a specified beginning and end. It also has properties that you can examine and set; these affect the display of the text within the overlay. An overlay uses markers to record its beginning and end; thus, editing the text of the buffer adjusts the beginning and end of each overlay so that it stays with the text. When you create the overlay, you can specify whether text inserted at the beginning should be inside the overlay or outside, and likewise for the end of the overlay. @menu * Managing Overlays:: Creating and moving overlays. * Overlay Properties:: How to read and set properties. What properties do to the screen display. * Finding Overlays:: Searching for overlays. @end menu @node Managing Overlays @subsection Managing Overlays This section describes the functions to create, delete and move overlays, and to examine their contents. Overlay changes are not recorded in the buffer's undo list, since the overlays are not part of the buffer's contents. @defun overlayp object This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is an overlay. @end defun @defun make-overlay start end &optional buffer front-advance rear-advance This function creates and returns an overlay that belongs to @var{buffer} and ranges from @var{start} to @var{end}. Both @var{start} and @var{end} must specify buffer positions; they may be integers or markers. If @var{buffer} is omitted, the overlay is created in the current buffer. The arguments @var{front-advance} and @var{rear-advance} specify the marker insertion type for the start of the overlay and for the end of the overlay, respectively. @xref{Marker Insertion Types}. If they are both @code{nil}, the default, then the overlay extends to include any text inserted at the beginning, but not text inserted at the end. If @var{front-advance} is non-@code{nil}, text inserted at the beginning of the overlay is excluded from the overlay. If @var{rear-advance} is non-@code{nil}, text inserted at the end of the overlay is included in the overlay. @end defun @defun overlay-start overlay This function returns the position at which @var{overlay} starts, as an integer. @end defun @defun overlay-end overlay This function returns the position at which @var{overlay} ends, as an integer. @end defun @defun overlay-buffer overlay This function returns the buffer that @var{overlay} belongs to. It returns @code{nil} if @var{overlay} has been deleted. @end defun @defun delete-overlay overlay This function deletes @var{overlay}. The overlay continues to exist as a Lisp object, and its property list is unchanged, but it ceases to be attached to the buffer it belonged to, and ceases to have any effect on display. A deleted overlay is not permanently disconnected. You can give it a position in a buffer again by calling @code{move-overlay}. @end defun @defun move-overlay overlay start end &optional buffer This function moves @var{overlay} to @var{buffer}, and places its bounds at @var{start} and @var{end}. Both arguments @var{start} and @var{end} must specify buffer positions; they may be integers or markers. If @var{buffer} is omitted, @var{overlay} stays in the same buffer it was already associated with; if @var{overlay} was deleted, it goes into the current buffer. The return value is @var{overlay}. This is the only valid way to change the endpoints of an overlay. Do not try modifying the markers in the overlay by hand, as that fails to update other vital data structures and can cause some overlays to be ``lost.'' @end defun @defun remove-overlays &optional start end name value This function removes all the overlays between @var{start} and @var{end} whose property @var{name} has the value @var{value}. It can move the endpoints of the overlays in the region, or split them. If @var{name} is omitted or @code{nil}, it means to delete all overlays in the specified region. If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are omitted or @code{nil}, that means the beginning and end of the buffer respectively. Therefore, @code{(remove-overlays)} removes all the overlays in the current buffer. @end defun Here are some examples: @example ;; @r{Create an overlay.} (setq foo (make-overlay 1 10)) @result{} #<overlay from 1 to 10 in display.texi> (overlay-start foo) @result{} 1 (overlay-end foo) @result{} 10 (overlay-buffer foo) @result{} #<buffer display.texi> ;; @r{Give it a property we can check later.} (overlay-put foo 'happy t) @result{} t ;; @r{Verify the property is present.} (overlay-get foo 'happy) @result{} t ;; @r{Move the overlay.} (move-overlay foo 5 20) @result{} #<overlay from 5 to 20 in display.texi> (overlay-start foo) @result{} 5 (overlay-end foo) @result{} 20 ;; @r{Delete the overlay.} (delete-overlay foo) @result{} nil ;; @r{Verify it is deleted.} foo @result{} #<overlay in no buffer> ;; @r{A deleted overlay has no position.} (overlay-start foo) @result{} nil (overlay-end foo) @result{} nil (overlay-buffer foo) @result{} nil ;; @r{Undelete the overlay.} (move-overlay foo 1 20) @result{} #<overlay from 1 to 20 in display.texi> ;; @r{Verify the results.} (overlay-start foo) @result{} 1 (overlay-end foo) @result{} 20 (overlay-buffer foo) @result{} #<buffer display.texi> ;; @r{Moving and deleting the overlay does not change its properties.} (overlay-get foo 'happy) @result{} t @end example Emacs stores the overlays of each buffer in two lists, divided around an arbitrary ``center position.'' One list extends backwards through the buffer from that center position, and the other extends forwards from that center position. The center position can be anywhere in the buffer. @defun overlay-recenter pos This function recenters the overlays of the current buffer around position @var{pos}. That makes overlay lookup faster for positions near @var{pos}, but slower for positions far away from @var{pos}. @end defun A loop that scans the buffer forwards, creating overlays, can run faster if you do @code{(overlay-recenter (point-max))} first. @node Overlay Properties @subsection Overlay Properties Overlay properties are like text properties in that the properties that alter how a character is displayed can come from either source. But in most respects they are different. @xref{Text Properties}, for comparison. Text properties are considered a part of the text; overlays and their properties are specifically considered not to be part of the text. Thus, copying text between various buffers and strings preserves text properties, but does not try to preserve overlays. Changing a buffer's text properties marks the buffer as modified, while moving an overlay or changing its properties does not. Unlike text property changes, overlay property changes are not recorded in the buffer's undo list. Since more than one overlay can specify a property value for the same character, Emacs lets you specify a priority value of each overlay. You should not make assumptions about which overlay will prevail when there is a conflict and they have the same priority. These functions read and set the properties of an overlay: @defun overlay-get overlay prop This function returns the value of property @var{prop} recorded in @var{overlay}, if any. If @var{overlay} does not record any value for that property, but it does have a @code{category} property which is a symbol, that symbol's @var{prop} property is used. Otherwise, the value is @code{nil}. @end defun @defun overlay-put overlay prop value This function sets the value of property @var{prop} recorded in @var{overlay} to @var{value}. It returns @var{value}. @end defun @defun overlay-properties overlay This returns a copy of the property list of @var{overlay}. @end defun See also the function @code{get-char-property} which checks both overlay properties and text properties for a given character. @xref{Examining Properties}. Many overlay properties have special meanings; here is a table of them: @table @code @item priority @kindex priority @r{(overlay property)} This property's value (which should be a nonnegative integer number) determines the priority of the overlay. No priority, or @code{nil}, means zero. The priority matters when two or more overlays cover the same character and both specify the same property; the one whose @code{priority} value is larger overrides the other. For the @code{face} property, the higher priority overlay's value does not completely override the other value; instead, its face attributes override the face attributes of the lower priority @code{face} property. Currently, all overlays take priority over text properties. Please avoid using negative priority values, as we have not yet decided just what they should mean. @item window @kindex window @r{(overlay property)} If the @code{window} property is non-@code{nil}, then the overlay applies only on that window. @item category @kindex category @r{(overlay property)} If an overlay has a @code{category} property, we call it the @dfn{category} of the overlay. It should be a symbol. The properties of the symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the overlay. @item face @kindex face @r{(overlay property)} This property controls the way text is displayed---for example, which font and which colors. @xref{Faces}, for more information. In the simplest case, the value is a face name. It can also be a list; then each element can be any of these possibilities: @itemize @bullet @item A face name (a symbol or string). @item A property list of face attributes. This has the form (@var{keyword} @var{value} @dots{}), where each @var{keyword} is a face attribute name and @var{value} is a meaningful value for that attribute. With this feature, you do not need to create a face each time you want to specify a particular attribute for certain text. @xref{Face Attributes}. @item A cons cell, either of the form @code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})} or @code{(background-color . @var{color-name})}. These elements specify just the foreground color or just the background color. @code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})} has the same effect as @code{(:foreground @var{color-name})}; likewise for the background. @end itemize @item mouse-face @kindex mouse-face @r{(overlay property)} This property is used instead of @code{face} when the mouse is within the range of the overlay. @item display @kindex display @r{(overlay property)} This property activates various features that change the way text is displayed. For example, it can make text appear taller or shorter, higher or lower, wider or narrower, or replaced with an image. @xref{Display Property}. @item help-echo @kindex help-echo @r{(overlay property)} If an overlay has a @code{help-echo} property, then when you move the mouse onto the text in the overlay, Emacs displays a help string in the echo area, or in the tooltip window. For details see @ref{Text help-echo}. @item modification-hooks @kindex modification-hooks @r{(overlay property)} This property's value is a list of functions to be called if any character within the overlay is changed or if text is inserted strictly within the overlay. The hook functions are called both before and after each change. If the functions save the information they receive, and compare notes between calls, they can determine exactly what change has been made in the buffer text. When called before a change, each function receives four arguments: the overlay, @code{nil}, and the beginning and end of the text range to be modified. When called after a change, each function receives five arguments: the overlay, @code{t}, the beginning and end of the text range just modified, and the length of the pre-change text replaced by that range. (For an insertion, the pre-change length is zero; for a deletion, that length is the number of characters deleted, and the post-change beginning and end are equal.) If these functions modify the buffer, they should bind @code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{t} around doing so, to avoid confusing the internal mechanism that calls these hooks. Text properties also support the @code{modification-hooks} property, but the details are somewhat different (@pxref{Special Properties}). @item insert-in-front-hooks @kindex insert-in-front-hooks @r{(overlay property)} This property's value is a list of functions to be called before and after inserting text right at the beginning of the overlay. The calling conventions are the same as for the @code{modification-hooks} functions. @item insert-behind-hooks @kindex insert-behind-hooks @r{(overlay property)} This property's value is a list of functions to be called before and after inserting text right at the end of the overlay. The calling conventions are the same as for the @code{modification-hooks} functions. @item invisible @kindex invisible @r{(overlay property)} The @code{invisible} property can make the text in the overlay invisible, which means that it does not appear on the screen. @xref{Invisible Text}, for details. @item intangible @kindex intangible @r{(overlay property)} The @code{intangible} property on an overlay works just like the @code{intangible} text property. @xref{Special Properties}, for details. @item isearch-open-invisible This property tells incremental search how to make an invisible overlay visible, permanently, if the final match overlaps it. @xref{Invisible Text}. @item isearch-open-invisible-temporary This property tells incremental search how to make an invisible overlay visible, temporarily, during the search. @xref{Invisible Text}. @item before-string @kindex before-string @r{(overlay property)} This property's value is a string to add to the display at the beginning of the overlay. The string does not appear in the buffer in any sense---only on the screen. @item after-string @kindex after-string @r{(overlay property)} This property's value is a string to add to the display at the end of the overlay. The string does not appear in the buffer in any sense---only on the screen. @item evaporate @kindex evaporate @r{(overlay property)} If this property is non-@code{nil}, the overlay is deleted automatically if it becomes empty (i.e., if its length becomes zero). If you give an empty overlay a non-@code{nil} @code{evaporate} property, that deletes it immediately. @item local-map @cindex keymap of character (and overlays) @kindex local-map @r{(overlay property)} If this property is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a keymap for a portion of the text. The property's value replaces the buffer's local map, when the character after point is within the overlay. @xref{Active Keymaps}. @item keymap @kindex keymap @r{(overlay property)} The @code{keymap} property is similar to @code{local-map} but overrides the buffer's local map (and the map specified by the @code{local-map} property) rather than replacing it. @end table The @code{local-map} and @code{keymap} properties do not affect a string displayed by the @code{before-string}, @code{after-string}, or @code{display} properties. This is only relevant for mouse clicks and other mouse events that fall on the string, since point is never on the string. To bind special mouse events for the string, assign it a @code{local-map} or @code{keymap} text property. @xref{Special Properties}. @node Finding Overlays @subsection Searching for Overlays @defun overlays-at pos This function returns a list of all the overlays that cover the character at position @var{pos} in the current buffer. The list is in no particular order. An overlay contains position @var{pos} if it begins at or before @var{pos}, and ends after @var{pos}. To illustrate usage, here is a Lisp function that returns a list of the overlays that specify property @var{prop} for the character at point: @smallexample (defun find-overlays-specifying (prop) (let ((overlays (overlays-at (point))) found) (while overlays (let ((overlay (car overlays))) (if (overlay-get overlay prop) (setq found (cons overlay found)))) (setq overlays (cdr overlays))) found)) @end smallexample @end defun @defun overlays-in beg end This function returns a list of the overlays that overlap the region @var{beg} through @var{end}. ``Overlap'' means that at least one character is contained within the overlay and also contained within the specified region; however, empty overlays are included in the result if they are located at @var{beg}, strictly between @var{beg} and @var{end}, or at @var{end} when @var{end} denotes the position at the end of the buffer. @end defun @defun next-overlay-change pos This function returns the buffer position of the next beginning or end of an overlay, after @var{pos}. If there is none, it returns @code{(point-max)}. @end defun @defun previous-overlay-change pos This function returns the buffer position of the previous beginning or end of an overlay, before @var{pos}. If there is none, it returns @code{(point-min)}. @end defun As an example, here's a simplified (and inefficient) version of the primitive function @code{next-single-char-property-change} (@pxref{Property Search}). It searches forward from position @var{pos} for the next position where the value of a given property @code{prop}, as obtained from either overlays or text properties, changes. @smallexample (defun next-single-char-property-change (position prop) (save-excursion (goto-char position) (let ((propval (get-char-property (point) prop))) (while (and (not (eobp)) (eq (get-char-property (point) prop) propval)) (goto-char (min (next-overlay-change (point)) (next-single-property-change (point) prop))))) (point))) @end smallexample @node Width @section Width Since not all characters have the same width, these functions let you check the width of a character. @xref{Primitive Indent}, and @ref{Screen Lines}, for related functions. @defun char-width char This function returns the width in columns of the character @var{char}, if it were displayed in the current buffer and the selected window. @end defun @defun string-width string This function returns the width in columns of the string @var{string}, if it were displayed in the current buffer and the selected window. @end defun @defun truncate-string-to-width string width &optional start-column padding ellipsis This function returns the part of @var{string} that fits within @var{width} columns, as a new string. If @var{string} does not reach @var{width}, then the result ends where @var{string} ends. If one multi-column character in @var{string} extends across the column @var{width}, that character is not included in the result. Thus, the result can fall short of @var{width} but cannot go beyond it. The optional argument @var{start-column} specifies the starting column. If this is non-@code{nil}, then the first @var{start-column} columns of the string are omitted from the value. If one multi-column character in @var{string} extends across the column @var{start-column}, that character is not included. The optional argument @var{padding}, if non-@code{nil}, is a padding character added at the beginning and end of the result string, to extend it to exactly @var{width} columns. The padding character is used at the end of the result if it falls short of @var{width}. It is also used at the beginning of the result if one multi-column character in @var{string} extends across the column @var{start-column}. If @var{ellipsis} is non-@code{nil}, it should be a string which will replace the end of @var{str} (including any padding) if it extends beyond @var{end-column}, unless the display width of @var{str} is equal to or less than the display width of @var{ellipsis}. If @var{ellipsis} is non-@code{nil} and not a string, it stands for @code{"..."}. @example (truncate-string-to-width "\tab\t" 12 4) @result{} "ab" (truncate-string-to-width "\tab\t" 12 4 ?\s) @result{} " ab " @end example @end defun @node Line Height @section Line Height @cindex line height The total height of each display line consists of the height of the contents of the line, plus optional additional vertical line spacing above or below the display line. The height of the line contents is the maximum height of any character or image on that display line, including the final newline if there is one. (A display line that is continued doesn't include a final newline.) That is the default line height, if you do nothing to specify a greater height. (In the most common case, this equals the height of the default frame font.) There are several ways to explicitly specify a larger line height, either by specifying an absolute height for the display line, or by specifying vertical space. However, no matter what you specify, the actual line height can never be less than the default. @kindex line-height @r{(text property)} A newline can have a @code{line-height} text or overlay property that controls the total height of the display line ending in that newline. If the property value is @code{t}, the newline character has no effect on the displayed height of the line---the visible contents alone determine the height. This is useful for tiling small images (or image slices) without adding blank areas between the images. If the property value is a list of the form @code{(@var{height} @var{total})}, that adds extra space @emph{below} the display line. First Emacs uses @var{height} as a height spec to control extra space @emph{above} the line; then it adds enough space @emph{below} the line to bring the total line height up to @var{total}. In this case, the other ways to specify the line spacing are ignored. Any other kind of property value is a height spec, which translates into a number---the specified line height. There are several ways to write a height spec; here's how each of them translates into a number: @table @code @item @var{integer} If the height spec is a positive integer, the height value is that integer. @item @var{float} If the height spec is a float, @var{float}, the numeric height value is @var{float} times the frame's default line height. @item (@var{face} . @var{ratio}) If the height spec is a cons of the format shown, the numeric height is @var{ratio} times the height of face @var{face}. @var{ratio} can be any type of number, or @code{nil} which means a ratio of 1. If @var{face} is @code{t}, it refers to the current face. @item (nil . @var{ratio}) If the height spec is a cons of the format shown, the numeric height is @var{ratio} times the height of the contents of the line. @end table Thus, any valid height spec determines the height in pixels, one way or another. If the line contents' height is less than that, Emacs adds extra vertical space above the line to achieve the specified total height. If you don't specify the @code{line-height} property, the line's height consists of the contents' height plus the line spacing. There are several ways to specify the line spacing for different parts of Emacs text. @vindex default-line-spacing You can specify the line spacing for all lines in a frame with the @code{line-spacing} frame parameter (@pxref{Layout Parameters}). However, if the variable @code{default-line-spacing} is non-@code{nil}, it overrides the frame's @code{line-spacing} parameter. An integer value specifies the number of pixels put below lines on graphical displays. A floating point number specifies the spacing relative to the frame's default line height. @vindex line-spacing You can specify the line spacing for all lines in a buffer via the buffer-local @code{line-spacing} variable. An integer value specifies the number of pixels put below lines on graphical displays. A floating point number specifies the spacing relative to the default frame line height. This overrides line spacings specified for the frame. @kindex line-spacing @r{(text property)} Finally, a newline can have a @code{line-spacing} text or overlay property that overrides the default frame line spacing and the buffer local @code{line-spacing} variable, for the display line ending in that newline. One way or another, these mechanisms specify a Lisp value for the spacing of each line. The value is a height spec, and it translates into a Lisp value as described above. However, in this case the numeric height value specifies the line spacing, rather than the line height. @node Faces @section Faces @cindex faces A @dfn{face} is a named collection of graphical attributes: font family, foreground color, background color, optional underlining, and many others. Faces are used in Emacs to control the style of display of particular parts of the text or the frame. @xref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for the list of faces Emacs normally comes with. @cindex face id Each face has its own @dfn{face number}, which distinguishes faces at low levels within Emacs. However, for most purposes, you refer to faces in Lisp programs by the symbols that name them. @defun facep object This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a face name string or symbol. It returns @code{nil} otherwise. @end defun Each face name is meaningful for all frames, and by default it has the same meaning in all frames. But you can arrange to give a particular face name a special meaning in one frame if you wish. @menu * Defining Faces:: How to define a face with @code{defface}. * Face Attributes:: What is in a face? * Attribute Functions:: Functions to examine and set face attributes. * Displaying Faces:: How Emacs combines the faces specified for a character. * Font Selection:: Finding the best available font for a face. * Face Functions:: How to define and examine faces. * Auto Faces:: Hook for automatic face assignment. * Font Lookup:: Looking up the names of available fonts and information about them. * Fontsets:: A fontset is a collection of fonts that handle a range of character sets. @end menu @node Defining Faces @subsection Defining Faces The way to define a new face is with @code{defface}. This creates a kind of customization item (@pxref{Customization}) which the user can customize using the Customization buffer (@pxref{Easy Customization,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). @defmac defface face spec doc [keyword value]@dots{} This declares @var{face} as a customizable face that defaults according to @var{spec}. You should not quote the symbol @var{face}, and it should not end in @samp{-face} (that would be redundant). The argument @var{doc} specifies the face documentation. The keywords you can use in @code{defface} are the same as in @code{defgroup} and @code{defcustom} (@pxref{Common Keywords}). When @code{defface} executes, it defines the face according to @var{spec}, then uses any customizations that were read from the init file (@pxref{Init File}) to override that specification. When you evaluate a @code{defface} form with @kbd{C-M-x} in Emacs Lisp mode (@code{eval-defun}), a special feature of @code{eval-defun} overrides any customizations of the face. This way, the face reflects exactly what the @code{defface} says. The purpose of @var{spec} is to specify how the face should appear on different kinds of terminals. It should be an alist whose elements have the form @code{(@var{display} @var{atts})}. Each element's @sc{car}, @var{display}, specifies a class of terminals. (The first element, if its @sc{car} is @code{default}, is special---it specifies defaults for the remaining elements). The element's @sc{cadr}, @var{atts}, is a list of face attributes and their values; it specifies what the face should look like on that kind of terminal. The possible attributes are defined in the value of @code{custom-face-attributes}. The @var{display} part of an element of @var{spec} determines which frames the element matches. If more than one element of @var{spec} matches a given frame, the first element that matches is the one used for that frame. There are three possibilities for @var{display}: @table @asis @item @code{default} This element of @var{spec} doesn't match any frames; instead, it specifies defaults that apply to all frames. This kind of element, if used, must be the first element of @var{spec}. Each of the following elements can override any or all of these defaults. @item @code{t} This element of @var{spec} matches all frames. Therefore, any subsequent elements of @var{spec} are never used. Normally @code{t} is used in the last (or only) element of @var{spec}. @item a list If @var{display} is a list, each element should have the form @code{(@var{characteristic} @var{value}@dots{})}. Here @var{characteristic} specifies a way of classifying frames, and the @var{value}s are possible classifications which @var{display} should apply to. Here are the possible values of @var{characteristic}: @table @code @item type The kind of window system the frame uses---either @code{graphic} (any graphics-capable display), @code{x}, @code{pc} (for the MS-DOS console), @code{w32} (for MS Windows 9X/NT/2K/XP), or @code{tty} (a non-graphics-capable display). @xref{Window Systems, window-system}. @item class What kinds of colors the frame supports---either @code{color}, @code{grayscale}, or @code{mono}. @item background The kind of background---either @code{light} or @code{dark}. @item min-colors An integer that represents the minimum number of colors the frame should support. This matches a frame if its @code{display-color-cells} value is at least the specified integer. @item supports Whether or not the frame can display the face attributes given in @var{value}@dots{} (@pxref{Face Attributes}). See the documentation for the function @code{display-supports-face-attributes-p} for more information on exactly how this testing is done. @xref{Display Face Attribute Testing}. @end table If an element of @var{display} specifies more than one @var{value} for a given @var{characteristic}, any of those values is acceptable. If @var{display} has more than one element, each element should specify a different @var{characteristic}; then @emph{each} characteristic of the frame must match one of the @var{value}s specified for it in @var{display}. @end table @end defmac Here's how the standard face @code{region} is defined: @example @group (defface region '((((class color) (min-colors 88) (background dark)) :background "blue3") @end group (((class color) (min-colors 88) (background light)) :background "lightgoldenrod2") (((class color) (min-colors 16) (background dark)) :background "blue3") (((class color) (min-colors 16) (background light)) :background "lightgoldenrod2") (((class color) (min-colors 8)) :background "blue" :foreground "white") (((type tty) (class mono)) :inverse-video t) (t :background "gray")) @group "Basic face for highlighting the region." :group 'basic-faces) @end group @end example Internally, @code{defface} uses the symbol property @code{face-defface-spec} to record the face attributes specified in @code{defface}, @code{saved-face} for the attributes saved by the user with the customization buffer, @code{customized-face} for the attributes customized by the user for the current session, but not saved, and @code{face-documentation} for the documentation string. @defopt frame-background-mode This option, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the background type to use for interpreting face definitions. If it is @code{dark}, then Emacs treats all frames as if they had a dark background, regardless of their actual background colors. If it is @code{light}, then Emacs treats all frames as if they had a light background. @end defopt @node Face Attributes @subsection Face Attributes @cindex face attributes The effect of using a face is determined by a fixed set of @dfn{face attributes}. This table lists all the face attributes, and what they mean. You can specify more than one face for a given piece of text; Emacs merges the attributes of all the faces to determine how to display the text. @xref{Displaying Faces}. Any attribute in a face can have the value @code{unspecified}. This means the face doesn't specify that attribute. In face merging, when the first face fails to specify a particular attribute, that means the next face gets a chance. However, the @code{default} face must specify all attributes. Some of these font attributes are meaningful only on certain kinds of displays---if your display cannot handle a certain attribute, the attribute is ignored. (The attributes @code{:family}, @code{:width}, @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} correspond to parts of an X Logical Font Descriptor.) @table @code @item :family Font family name, or fontset name (@pxref{Fontsets}). If you specify a font family name, the wild-card characters @samp{*} and @samp{?} are allowed. @item :width Relative proportionate width, also known as the character set width or set width. This should be one of the symbols @code{ultra-condensed}, @code{extra-condensed}, @code{condensed}, @code{semi-condensed}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-expanded}, @code{expanded}, @code{extra-expanded}, or @code{ultra-expanded}. @item :height Either the font height, an integer in units of 1/10 point, a floating point number specifying the amount by which to scale the height of any underlying face, or a function, which is called with the old height (from the underlying face), and should return the new height. @item :weight Font weight---a symbol from this series (from most dense to most faint): @code{ultra-bold}, @code{extra-bold}, @code{bold}, @code{semi-bold}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-light}, @code{light}, @code{extra-light}, or @code{ultra-light}. On a text-only terminal, any weight greater than normal is displayed as extra bright, and any weight less than normal is displayed as half-bright (provided the terminal supports the feature). @item :slant Font slant---one of the symbols @code{italic}, @code{oblique}, @code{normal}, @code{reverse-italic}, or @code{reverse-oblique}. On a text-only terminal, slanted text is displayed as half-bright, if the terminal supports the feature. @item :foreground Foreground color, a string. The value can be a system-defined color name, or a hexadecimal color specification of the form @samp{#@var{rr}@var{gg}@var{bb}}. (@samp{#000000} is black, @samp{#ff0000} is red, @samp{#00ff00} is green, @samp{#0000ff} is blue, and @samp{#ffffff} is white.) @item :background Background color, a string, like the foreground color. @item :inverse-video Whether or not characters should be displayed in inverse video. The value should be @code{t} (yes) or @code{nil} (no). @item :stipple The background stipple, a bitmap. The value can be a string; that should be the name of a file containing external-format X bitmap data. The file is found in the directories listed in the variable @code{x-bitmap-file-path}. Alternatively, the value can specify the bitmap directly, with a list of the form @code{(@var{width} @var{height} @var{data})}. Here, @var{width} and @var{height} specify the size in pixels, and @var{data} is a string containing the raw bits of the bitmap, row by row. Each row occupies @math{(@var{width} + 7) / 8} consecutive bytes in the string (which should be a unibyte string for best results). This means that each row always occupies at least one whole byte. If the value is @code{nil}, that means use no stipple pattern. Normally you do not need to set the stipple attribute, because it is used automatically to handle certain shades of gray. @item :underline Whether or not characters should be underlined, and in what color. If the value is @code{t}, underlining uses the foreground color of the face. If the value is a string, underlining uses that color. The value @code{nil} means do not underline. @item :overline Whether or not characters should be overlined, and in what color. The value is used like that of @code{:underline}. @item :strike-through Whether or not characters should be strike-through, and in what color. The value is used like that of @code{:underline}. @item :inherit The name of a face from which to inherit attributes, or a list of face names. Attributes from inherited faces are merged into the face like an underlying face would be, with higher priority than underlying faces. If a list of faces is used, attributes from faces earlier in the list override those from later faces. @item :box Whether or not a box should be drawn around characters, its color, the width of the box lines, and 3D appearance. @end table Here are the possible values of the @code{:box} attribute, and what they mean: @table @asis @item @code{nil} Don't draw a box. @item @code{t} Draw a box with lines of width 1, in the foreground color. @item @var{color} Draw a box with lines of width 1, in color @var{color}. @item @code{(:line-width @var{width} :color @var{color} :style @var{style})} This way you can explicitly specify all aspects of the box. The value @var{width} specifies the width of the lines to draw; it defaults to 1. The value @var{color} specifies the color to draw with. The default is the foreground color of the face for simple boxes, and the background color of the face for 3D boxes. The value @var{style} specifies whether to draw a 3D box. If it is @code{released-button}, the box looks like a 3D button that is not being pressed. If it is @code{pressed-button}, the box looks like a 3D button that is being pressed. If it is @code{nil} or omitted, a plain 2D box is used. @end table In older versions of Emacs, before @code{:family}, @code{:height}, @code{:width}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} existed, these attributes were used to specify the type face. They are now semi-obsolete, but they still work: @table @code @item :font This attribute specifies the font name. @item :bold A non-@code{nil} value specifies a bold font. @item :italic A non-@code{nil} value specifies an italic font. @end table For compatibility, you can still set these ``attributes,'' even though they are not real face attributes. Here is what that does: @table @code @item :font You can specify an X font name as the ``value'' of this ``attribute''; that sets the @code{:family}, @code{:width}, @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} attributes according to the font name. If the value is a pattern with wildcards, the first font that matches the pattern is used to set these attributes. @item :bold A non-@code{nil} makes the face bold; @code{nil} makes it normal. This actually works by setting the @code{:weight} attribute. @item :italic A non-@code{nil} makes the face italic; @code{nil} makes it normal. This actually works by setting the @code{:slant} attribute. @end table @defvar x-bitmap-file-path This variable specifies a list of directories for searching for bitmap files, for the @code{:stipple} attribute. @end defvar @defun bitmap-spec-p object This returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a valid bitmap specification, suitable for use with @code{:stipple} (see above). It returns @code{nil} otherwise. @end defun @node Attribute Functions @subsection Face Attribute Functions This section describes the functions for accessing and modifying the attributes of an existing face. @defun set-face-attribute face frame &rest arguments This function sets one or more attributes of face @var{face} for frame @var{frame}. The attributes you specify this way override whatever the @code{defface} says. The extra arguments @var{arguments} specify the attributes to set, and the values for them. They should consist of alternating attribute names (such as @code{:family} or @code{:underline}) and corresponding values. Thus, @example (set-face-attribute 'foo nil :width 'extended :weight 'bold :underline "red") @end example @noindent sets the attributes @code{:width}, @code{:weight} and @code{:underline} to the corresponding values. If @var{frame} is @code{t}, this function sets the default attributes for new frames. Default attribute values specified this way override the @code{defface} for newly created frames. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, this function sets the attributes for all existing frames, and the default for new frames. @end defun @defun face-attribute face attribute &optional frame inherit This returns the value of the @var{attribute} attribute of face @var{face} on @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, that means the selected frame (@pxref{Input Focus}). If @var{frame} is @code{t}, this returns whatever new-frames default value you previously specified with @code{set-face-attribute} for the @var{attribute} attribute of @var{face}. If you have not specified one, it returns @code{nil}. If @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only attributes directly defined by @var{face} are considered, so the return value may be @code{unspecified}, or a relative value. If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, @var{face}'s definition of @var{attribute} is merged with the faces specified by its @code{:inherit} attribute; however the return value may still be @code{unspecified} or relative. If @var{inherit} is a face or a list of faces, then the result is further merged with that face (or faces), until it becomes specified and absolute. To ensure that the return value is always specified and absolute, use a value of @code{default} for @var{inherit}; this will resolve any unspecified or relative values by merging with the @code{default} face (which is always completely specified). For example, @example (face-attribute 'bold :weight) @result{} bold @end example @end defun @defun face-attribute-relative-p attribute value This function returns non-@code{nil} if @var{value}, when used as the value of the face attribute @var{attribute}, is relative. This means it would modify, rather than completely override, any value that comes from a subsequent face in the face list or that is inherited from another face. @code{unspecified} is a relative value for all attributes. For @code{:height}, floating point values are also relative. For example: @example (face-attribute-relative-p :height 2.0) @result{} t @end example @end defun @defun merge-face-attribute attribute value1 value2 If @var{value1} is a relative value for the face attribute @var{attribute}, returns it merged with the underlying value @var{value2}; otherwise, if @var{value1} is an absolute value for the face attribute @var{attribute}, returns @var{value1} unchanged. @end defun The functions above did not exist before Emacs 21. For compatibility with older Emacs versions, you can use the following functions to set and examine the face attributes which existed in those versions. They use values of @code{t} and @code{nil} for @var{frame} just like @code{set-face-attribute} and @code{face-attribute}. @defun set-face-foreground face color &optional frame @defunx set-face-background face color &optional frame These functions set the foreground (or background, respectively) color of face @var{face} to @var{color}. The argument @var{color} should be a string, the name of a color. Certain shades of gray are implemented by stipple patterns on black-and-white screens. @end defun @defun set-face-stipple face pattern &optional frame This function sets the background stipple pattern of face @var{face} to @var{pattern}. The argument @var{pattern} should be the name of a stipple pattern defined by the X server, or actual bitmap data (@pxref{Face Attributes}), or @code{nil} meaning don't use stipple. Normally there is no need to pay attention to stipple patterns, because they are used automatically to handle certain shades of gray. @end defun @defun set-face-font face font &optional frame This function sets the font of face @var{face}. This actually sets the attributes @code{:family}, @code{:width}, @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} according to the font name @var{font}. @end defun @defun set-face-bold-p face bold-p &optional frame This function specifies whether @var{face} should be bold. If @var{bold-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means yes; @code{nil} means no. This actually sets the @code{:weight} attribute. @end defun @defun set-face-italic-p face italic-p &optional frame This function specifies whether @var{face} should be italic. If @var{italic-p} is non-@code{nil}, that means yes; @code{nil} means no. This actually sets the @code{:slant} attribute. @end defun @defun set-face-underline-p face underline &optional frame This function sets the underline attribute of face @var{face}. Non-@code{nil} means do underline; @code{nil} means don't. If @var{underline} is a string, underline with that color. @end defun @defun set-face-inverse-video-p face inverse-video-p &optional frame This function sets the @code{:inverse-video} attribute of face @var{face}. @end defun @defun invert-face face &optional frame This function swaps the foreground and background colors of face @var{face}. @end defun These functions examine the attributes of a face. If you don't specify @var{frame}, they refer to the selected frame; @code{t} refers to the default data for new frames. They return the symbol @code{unspecified} if the face doesn't define any value for that attribute. @defun face-foreground face &optional frame inherit @defunx face-background face &optional frame inherit These functions return the foreground color (or background color, respectively) of face @var{face}, as a string. If @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only a color directly defined by the face is returned. If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, any faces specified by its @code{:inherit} attribute are considered as well, and if @var{inherit} is a face or a list of faces, then they are also considered, until a specified color is found. To ensure that the return value is always specified, use a value of @code{default} for @var{inherit}. @end defun @defun face-stipple face &optional frame inherit This function returns the name of the background stipple pattern of face @var{face}, or @code{nil} if it doesn't have one. If @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only a stipple directly defined by the face is returned. If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, any faces specified by its @code{:inherit} attribute are considered as well, and if @var{inherit} is a face or a list of faces, then they are also considered, until a specified stipple is found. To ensure that the return value is always specified, use a value of @code{default} for @var{inherit}. @end defun @defun face-font face &optional frame This function returns the name of the font of face @var{face}. @end defun @defun face-bold-p face &optional frame This function returns @code{t} if @var{face} is bold---that is, if it is bolder than normal. It returns @code{nil} otherwise. @end defun @defun face-italic-p face &optional frame This function returns @code{t} if @var{face} is italic or oblique, @code{nil} otherwise. @end defun @defun face-underline-p face &optional frame This function returns the @code{:underline} attribute of face @var{face}. @end defun @defun face-inverse-video-p face &optional frame This function returns the @code{:inverse-video} attribute of face @var{face}. @end defun @node Displaying Faces @subsection Displaying Faces Here are the ways to specify which faces to use for display of text: @itemize @bullet @item With defaults. The @code{default} face is used as the ultimate default for all text. (In Emacs 19 and 20, the @code{default} face is used only when no other face is specified.) @item For a mode line or header line, the face @code{mode-line} or @code{mode-line-inactive}, or @code{header-line}, is merged in just before @code{default}. @item With text properties. A character can have a @code{face} property; if so, the faces and face attributes specified there apply. @xref{Special Properties}. If the character has a @code{mouse-face} property, that is used instead of the @code{face} property when the mouse is ``near enough'' to the character. @item With overlays. An overlay can have @code{face} and @code{mouse-face} properties too; they apply to all the text covered by the overlay. @item With a region that is active. In Transient Mark mode, the region is highlighted with the face @code{region} (@pxref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). @item With special glyphs. Each glyph can specify a particular face number. @xref{Glyphs}. @end itemize If these various sources together specify more than one face for a particular character, Emacs merges the attributes of the various faces specified. For each attribute, Emacs tries first the face of any special glyph; then the face for region highlighting, if appropriate; then the faces specified by overlays, followed by those specified by text properties, then the @code{mode-line} or @code{mode-line-inactive} or @code{header-line} face (if in a mode line or a header line), and last the @code{default} face. When multiple overlays cover one character, an overlay with higher priority overrides those with lower priority. @xref{Overlays}. @defvar face-remapping-alist This variable is used for buffer-local or global changes in the appearance of a face, for instance making the @code{default} face a variable-pitch face in a particular buffer. Its value should be an alist, whose elements have the form @code{(@var{face} @var{remapping...})}. This causes Emacs to display text using the face @var{face} using @var{remapping...} instead of @var{face}'s global definition. @var{remapping...} may be any face specification suitable for a @code{face} text property, usually a face name, but also perhaps a property list of face attribute/value pairs. @xref{Special Properties}. To affect display only in a single buffer, @code{face-remapping-alist} should be made buffer-local. Two points bear emphasizing: @enumerate @item The new definition @var{remapping...} is the complete specification of how to display @var{face}---it entirely replaces, rather than augmenting or modifying, the normal definition of that face. @item If @var{remapping...} recursively references the same face name @var{face}, either directly remapping entry, or via the @code{:inherit} attribute of some other face in @var{remapping...}, then that reference uses normal frame-wide definition of @var{face} instead of the ``remapped'' definition. For instance, if the @code{mode-line} face is remapped using this entry in @code{face-remapping-alist}: @example (mode-line italic mode-line) @end example @noindent then the new definition of the @code{mode-line} face inherits from the @code{italic} face, and the @emph{normal} (non-remapped) definition of @code{mode-line} face. @end enumerate A typical use of the @code{face-remapping-alist} is to change a buffer's @code{default} face; for example, the following changes a buffer's @code{default} face to use the @code{variable-pitch} face, with the height doubled: @example (set (make-local-variable 'face-remapping-alist) '((default variable-pitch :height 2.0))) @end example @end defvar @noindent The following functions implement a somewhat higher-level interface to @code{face-remapping-alist}, making it easier to use ``cooperatively''. They are mainly intended for buffer-local use, and so all make @code{face-remapping-alist} variable buffer-local as a side-effect. These functions use entries in @code{face-remapping-alist} which have the general form: @example (@var{face} @var{relative_specs_1} @var{relative_specs_2} @var{...} @var{base_specs}) @end example Everything except the @var{face} is a ``face spec'', a list of face names or face attribute-value pairs. All face specs are merged together, with earlier values taking precedence. The @var{relative_specs_}n values are ``relative specs'', and are added by @code{face-remap-add-relative} (and removed by @code{face-remap-remove-relative}. These are intended for face modifications (such as increasing the size). Typical users of these relative specs would be minor modes. @var{base_specs} is the lowest-priority value, and by default is just the face name, which causes the global definition of that face to be used. A non-default value of @var{base_specs} may also be set using @code{face-remap-set-base}. Because this @emph{overwrites} the default base-spec value (which inherits the global face definition), it is up to the caller of @code{face-remap-set-base} to add such inheritance if it is desired. A typical use of @code{face-remap-set-base} would be a major mode adding a face remappings, e.g., of the default face. @defun face-remap-add-relative face &rest specs This functions adds a face remapping entry of @var{face} to @var{specs} in the current buffer. It returns a ``cookie'' which can be used to later delete the remapping with @code{face-remap-remove-relative}. @var{specs} can be any value suitable for the @code{face} text property, including a face name, a list of face names, or a face-attribute property list. The attributes given by @var{specs} will be merged with any other currently active face remappings of @var{face}, and with the global definition of @var{face} (by default; this may be changed using @code{face-remap-set-base}), with the most recently added relative remapping taking precedence. @end defun @defun face-remap-remove-relative cookie This function removes a face remapping previously added by @code{face-remap-add-relative}. @var{cookie} should be a return value from that function. @end defun @defun face-remap-set-base face &rest specs This function sets the ``base remapping'' of @var{face} in the current buffer to @var{specs}. If @var{specs} is empty, the default base remapping is restored, which inherits from the global definition of @var{face}; note that this is different from @var{specs} containing a single value @code{nil}, which has the opposite result (the global definition of @var{face} is ignored). @end defun @defun face-remap-reset-base face This function sets the ``base remapping'' of @var{face} to its default value, which inherits from @var{face}'s global definition. @end defun @node Font Selection @subsection Font Selection @dfn{Selecting a font} means mapping the specified face attributes for a character to a font that is available on a particular display. The face attributes, as determined by face merging, specify most of the font choice, but not all. Part of the choice depends on what character it is. If the face specifies a fontset name, that fontset determines a pattern for fonts of the given charset. If the face specifies a font family, a font pattern is constructed. Emacs tries to find an available font for the given face attributes and character's registry and encoding. If there is a font that matches exactly, it is used, of course. The hard case is when no available font exactly fits the specification. Then Emacs looks for one that is ``close''---one attribute at a time. You can specify the order to consider the attributes. In the case where a specified font family is not available, you can specify a set of mappings for alternatives to try. @defvar face-font-selection-order This variable specifies the order of importance of the face attributes @code{:width}, @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant}. The value should be a list containing those four symbols, in order of decreasing importance. Font selection first finds the best available matches for the first attribute listed; then, among the fonts which are best in that way, it searches for the best matches in the second attribute, and so on. The attributes @code{:weight} and @code{:width} have symbolic values in a range centered around @code{normal}. Matches that are more extreme (farther from @code{normal}) are somewhat preferred to matches that are less extreme (closer to @code{normal}); this is designed to ensure that non-normal faces contrast with normal ones, whenever possible. The default is @code{(:width :height :weight :slant)}, which means first find the fonts closest to the specified @code{:width}, then---among the fonts with that width---find a best match for the specified font height, and so on. One example of a case where this variable makes a difference is when the default font has no italic equivalent. With the default ordering, the @code{italic} face will use a non-italic font that is similar to the default one. But if you put @code{:slant} before @code{:height}, the @code{italic} face will use an italic font, even if its height is not quite right. @end defvar @defvar face-font-family-alternatives This variable lets you specify alternative font families to try, if a given family is specified and doesn't exist. Each element should have this form: @example (@var{family} @var{alternate-families}@dots{}) @end example If @var{family} is specified but not available, Emacs will try the other families given in @var{alternate-families}, one by one, until it finds a family that does exist. @end defvar @defvar face-font-registry-alternatives This variable lets you specify alternative font registries to try, if a given registry is specified and doesn't exist. Each element should have this form: @example (@var{registry} @var{alternate-registries}@dots{}) @end example If @var{registry} is specified but not available, Emacs will try the other registries given in @var{alternate-registries}, one by one, until it finds a registry that does exist. @end defvar Emacs can make use of scalable fonts, but by default it does not use them, since the use of too many or too big scalable fonts can crash XFree86 servers. @defvar scalable-fonts-allowed This variable controls which scalable fonts to use. A value of @code{nil}, the default, means do not use scalable fonts. @code{t} means to use any scalable font that seems appropriate for the text. Otherwise, the value must be a list of regular expressions. Then a scalable font is enabled for use if its name matches any regular expression in the list. For example, @example (setq scalable-fonts-allowed '("muleindian-2$")) @end example @noindent allows the use of scalable fonts with registry @code{muleindian-2}. @end defvar @defvar face-font-rescale-alist This variable specifies scaling for certain faces. Its value should be a list of elements of the form @example (@var{fontname-regexp} . @var{scale-factor}) @end example If @var{fontname-regexp} matches the font name that is about to be used, this says to choose a larger similar font according to the factor @var{scale-factor}. You would use this feature to normalize the font size if certain fonts are bigger or smaller than their nominal heights and widths would suggest. @end defvar @node Face Functions @subsection Functions for Working with Faces Here are additional functions for creating and working with faces. @defun make-face name This function defines a new face named @var{name}, initially with all attributes @code{nil}. It does nothing if there is already a face named @var{name}. @end defun @defun face-list This function returns a list of all defined face names. @end defun @defun copy-face old-face new-name &optional frame new-frame This function defines a face named @var{new-name} as a copy of the existing face named @var{old-face}. It creates the face @var{new-name} if that doesn't already exist. If the optional argument @var{frame} is given, this function applies only to that frame. Otherwise it applies to each frame individually, copying attributes from @var{old-face} in each frame to @var{new-face} in the same frame. If the optional argument @var{new-frame} is given, then @code{copy-face} copies the attributes of @var{old-face} in @var{frame} to @var{new-name} in @var{new-frame}. @end defun @defun face-id face This function returns the face number of face @var{face}. @end defun @defun face-documentation face This function returns the documentation string of face @var{face}, or @code{nil} if none was specified for it. @end defun @defun face-equal face1 face2 &optional frame This returns @code{t} if the faces @var{face1} and @var{face2} have the same attributes for display. @end defun @defun face-differs-from-default-p face &optional frame This returns non-@code{nil} if the face @var{face} displays differently from the default face. @end defun @cindex face alias A @dfn{face alias} provides an equivalent name for a face. You can define a face alias by giving the alias symbol the @code{face-alias} property, with a value of the target face name. The following example makes @code{modeline} an alias for the @code{mode-line} face. @example (put 'modeline 'face-alias 'mode-line) @end example @node Auto Faces @subsection Automatic Face Assignment @cindex automatic face assignment @cindex faces, automatic choice This hook is used for automatically assigning faces to text in the buffer. It is part of the implementation of Jit-Lock mode, used by Font-Lock. @defvar fontification-functions This variable holds a list of functions that are called by Emacs redisplay as needed to assign faces automatically to text in the buffer. The functions are called in the order listed, with one argument, a buffer position @var{pos}. Each function should attempt to assign faces to the text in the current buffer starting at @var{pos}. Each function should record the faces they assign by setting the @code{face} property. It should also add a non-@code{nil} @code{fontified} property for all the text it has assigned faces to. That property tells redisplay that faces have been assigned to that text already. It is probably a good idea for each function to do nothing if the character after @var{pos} already has a non-@code{nil} @code{fontified} property, but this is not required. If one function overrides the assignments made by a previous one, the properties as they are after the last function finishes are the ones that really matter. For efficiency, we recommend writing these functions so that they usually assign faces to around 400 to 600 characters at each call. @end defvar @node Font Lookup @subsection Looking Up Fonts @defun x-list-fonts pattern &optional face frame maximum This function returns a list of available font names that match @var{pattern}. If the optional arguments @var{face} and @var{frame} are specified, then the list is limited to fonts that are the same size as @var{face} currently is on @var{frame}. The argument @var{pattern} should be a string, perhaps with wildcard characters: the @samp{*} character matches any substring, and the @samp{?} character matches any single character. Pattern matching of font names ignores case. If you specify @var{face} and @var{frame}, @var{face} should be a face name (a symbol) and @var{frame} should be a frame. The optional argument @var{maximum} sets a limit on how many fonts to return. If this is non-@code{nil}, then the return value is truncated after the first @var{maximum} matching fonts. Specifying a small value for @var{maximum} can make this function much faster, in cases where many fonts match the pattern. @end defun @defun x-family-fonts &optional family frame This function returns a list describing the available fonts for family @var{family} on @var{frame}. If @var{family} is omitted or @code{nil}, this list applies to all families, and therefore, it contains all available fonts. Otherwise, @var{family} must be a string; it may contain the wildcards @samp{?} and @samp{*}. The list describes the display that @var{frame} is on; if @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it applies to the selected frame's display (@pxref{Input Focus}). The list contains a vector of the following form for each font: @example [@var{family} @var{width} @var{point-size} @var{weight} @var{slant} @var{fixed-p} @var{full} @var{registry-and-encoding}] @end example The first five elements correspond to face attributes; if you specify these attributes for a face, it will use this font. The last three elements give additional information about the font. @var{fixed-p} is non-@code{nil} if the font is fixed-pitch. @var{full} is the full name of the font, and @var{registry-and-encoding} is a string giving the registry and encoding of the font. The result list is sorted according to the current face font sort order. @end defun @defun x-font-family-list &optional frame This function returns a list of the font families available for @var{frame}'s display. If @var{frame} is omitted or @code{nil}, it describes the selected frame's display (@pxref{Input Focus}). The value is a list of elements of this form: @example (@var{family} . @var{fixed-p}) @end example @noindent Here @var{family} is a font family, and @var{fixed-p} is non-@code{nil} if fonts of that family are fixed-pitch. @end defun @defvar font-list-limit This variable specifies maximum number of fonts to consider in font matching. The function @code{x-family-fonts} will not return more than that many fonts, and font selection will consider only that many fonts when searching a matching font for face attributes. The default is currently 100. @end defvar @node Fontsets @subsection Fontsets A @dfn{fontset} is a list of fonts, each assigned to a range of character codes. An individual font cannot display the whole range of characters that Emacs supports, but a fontset can. Fontsets have names, just as fonts do, and you can use a fontset name in place of a font name when you specify the ``font'' for a frame or a face. Here is information about defining a fontset under Lisp program control. @defun create-fontset-from-fontset-spec fontset-spec &optional style-variant-p noerror This function defines a new fontset according to the specification string @var{fontset-spec}. The string should have this format: @smallexample @var{fontpattern}, @r{[}@var{charset}:@var{font}@r{]@dots{}} @end smallexample @noindent Whitespace characters before and after the commas are ignored. The first part of the string, @var{fontpattern}, should have the form of a standard X font name, except that the last two fields should be @samp{fontset-@var{alias}}. The new fontset has two names, one long and one short. The long name is @var{fontpattern} in its entirety. The short name is @samp{fontset-@var{alias}}. You can refer to the fontset by either name. If a fontset with the same name already exists, an error is signaled, unless @var{noerror} is non-@code{nil}, in which case this function does nothing. If optional argument @var{style-variant-p} is non-@code{nil}, that says to create bold, italic and bold-italic variants of the fontset as well. These variant fontsets do not have a short name, only a long one, which is made by altering @var{fontpattern} to indicate the bold or italic status. The specification string also says which fonts to use in the fontset. See below for the details. @end defun The construct @samp{@var{charset}:@var{font}} specifies which font to use (in this fontset) for one particular character set. Here, @var{charset} is the name of a character set, and @var{font} is the font to use for that character set. You can use this construct any number of times in the specification string. For the remaining character sets, those that you don't specify explicitly, Emacs chooses a font based on @var{fontpattern}: it replaces @samp{fontset-@var{alias}} with a value that names one character set. For the @acronym{ASCII} character set, @samp{fontset-@var{alias}} is replaced with @samp{ISO8859-1}. In addition, when several consecutive fields are wildcards, Emacs collapses them into a single wildcard. This is to prevent use of auto-scaled fonts. Fonts made by scaling larger fonts are not usable for editing, and scaling a smaller font is not useful because it is better to use the smaller font in its own size, which Emacs does. Thus if @var{fontpattern} is this, @example -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-*-*-*-*-fontset-24 @end example @noindent the font specification for @acronym{ASCII} characters would be this: @example -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-ISO8859-1 @end example @noindent and the font specification for Chinese GB2312 characters would be this: @example -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-gb2312*-* @end example You may not have any Chinese font matching the above font specification. Most X distributions include only Chinese fonts that have @samp{song ti} or @samp{fangsong ti} in the @var{family} field. In such a case, @samp{Fontset-@var{n}} can be specified as below: @smallexample Emacs.Fontset-0: -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-*-*-*-*-fontset-24,\ chinese-gb2312:-*-*-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-gb2312*-* @end smallexample @noindent Then, the font specifications for all but Chinese GB2312 characters have @samp{fixed} in the @var{family} field, and the font specification for Chinese GB2312 characters has a wild card @samp{*} in the @var{family} field. @defun set-fontset-font name character fontname &optional frame This function modifies the existing fontset @var{name} to use the font name @var{fontname} for the character @var{character}. If @var{name} is @code{nil}, this function modifies the default fontset, whose short name is @samp{fontset-default}. @var{character} may be a cons; @code{(@var{from} . @var{to})}, where @var{from} and @var{to} are non-generic characters. In that case, use @var{fontname} for all characters in the range @var{from} and @var{to} (inclusive). @var{character} may be a charset. In that case, use @var{fontname} for all character in the charsets. @var{fontname} may be a cons; @code{(@var{family} . @var{registry})}, where @var{family} is a family name of a font (possibly including a foundry name at the head), @var{registry} is a registry name of a font (possibly including an encoding name at the tail). For instance, this changes the default fontset to use a font of which registry name is @samp{JISX0208.1983} for all characters belonging to the charset @code{japanese-jisx0208}. @smallexample (set-fontset-font nil 'japanese-jisx0208 '(nil . "JISX0208.1983")) @end smallexample @end defun @defun char-displayable-p char This function returns @code{t} if Emacs ought to be able to display @var{char}. More precisely, if the selected frame's fontset has a font to display the character set that @var{char} belongs to. Fontsets can specify a font on a per-character basis; when the fontset does that, this function's value may not be accurate. @end defun @node Fringes @section Fringes @cindex fringes The @dfn{fringes} of a window are thin vertical strips down the sides that are used for displaying bitmaps that indicate truncation, continuation, horizontal scrolling, and the overlay arrow. @menu * Fringe Size/Pos:: Specifying where to put the window fringes. * Fringe Indicators:: Displaying indicator icons in the window fringes. * Fringe Cursors:: Displaying cursors in the right fringe. * Fringe Bitmaps:: Specifying bitmaps for fringe indicators. * Customizing Bitmaps:: Specifying your own bitmaps to use in the fringes. * Overlay Arrow:: Display of an arrow to indicate position. @end menu @node Fringe Size/Pos @subsection Fringe Size and Position The following buffer-local variables control the position and width of the window fringes. @defvar fringes-outside-margins The fringes normally appear between the display margins and the window text. If the value is non-@code{nil}, they appear outside the display margins. @xref{Display Margins}. @end defvar @defvar left-fringe-width This variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the width of the left fringe in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the left fringe width from the window's frame. @end defvar @defvar right-fringe-width This variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the width of the right fringe in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the right fringe width from the window's frame. @end defvar The values of these variables take effect when you display the buffer in a window. If you change them while the buffer is visible, you can call @code{set-window-buffer} to display it once again in the same window, to make the changes take effect. @defun set-window-fringes window left &optional right outside-margins This function sets the fringe widths of window @var{window}. If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is used. The argument @var{left} specifies the width in pixels of the left fringe, and likewise @var{right} for the right fringe. A value of @code{nil} for either one stands for the default width. If @var{outside-margins} is non-@code{nil}, that specifies that fringes should appear outside of the display margins. @end defun @defun window-fringes &optional window This function returns information about the fringes of a window @var{window}. If @var{window} is omitted or @code{nil}, the selected window is used. The value has the form @code{(@var{left-width} @var{right-width} @var{outside-margins})}. @end defun @node Fringe Indicators @subsection Fringe Indicators @cindex fringe indicators @cindex indicators, fringe The @dfn{fringe indicators} are tiny icons Emacs displays in the window fringe (on a graphic display) to indicate truncated or continued lines, buffer boundaries, overlay arrow, etc. @defopt indicate-empty-lines @cindex fringes, and empty line indication When this is non-@code{nil}, Emacs displays a special glyph in the fringe of each empty line at the end of the buffer, on graphical displays. @xref{Fringes}. This variable is automatically buffer-local in every buffer. @end defopt @defvar indicate-buffer-boundaries This buffer-local variable controls how the buffer boundaries and window scrolling are indicated in the window fringes. Emacs can indicate the buffer boundaries---that is, the first and last line in the buffer---with angle icons when they appear on the screen. In addition, Emacs can display an up-arrow in the fringe to show that there is text above the screen, and a down-arrow to show there is text below the screen. There are three kinds of basic values: @table @asis @item @code{nil} Don't display any of these fringe icons. @item @code{left} Display the angle icons and arrows in the left fringe. @item @code{right} Display the angle icons and arrows in the right fringe. @item any non-alist Display the angle icons in the left fringe and don't display the arrows. @end table Otherwise the value should be an alist that specifies which fringe indicators to display and where. Each element of the alist should have the form @code{(@var{indicator} . @var{position})}. Here, @var{indicator} is one of @code{top}, @code{bottom}, @code{up}, @code{down}, and @code{t} (which covers all the icons not yet specified), while @var{position} is one of @code{left}, @code{right} and @code{nil}. For example, @code{((top . left) (t . right))} places the top angle bitmap in left fringe, and the bottom angle bitmap as well as both arrow bitmaps in right fringe. To show the angle bitmaps in the left fringe, and no arrow bitmaps, use @code{((top . left) (bottom . left))}. @end defvar @defvar default-indicate-buffer-boundaries The value of this variable is the default value for @code{indicate-buffer-boundaries} in buffers that do not override it. @end defvar @defvar fringe-indicator-alist This buffer-local variable specifies the mapping from logical fringe indicators to the actual bitmaps displayed in the window fringes. These symbols identify the logical fringe indicators: @table @asis @item Truncation and continuation line indicators: @code{truncation}, @code{continuation}. @item Buffer position indicators: @code{up}, @code{down}, @code{top}, @code{bottom}, @code{top-bottom}. @item Empty line indicator: @code{empty-line}. @item Overlay arrow indicator: @code{overlay-arrow}. @item Unknown bitmap indicator: @code{unknown}. @end table The value is an alist where each element @code{(@var{indicator} . @var{bitmaps})} specifies the fringe bitmaps used to display a specific logical fringe indicator. Here, @var{indicator} specifies the logical indicator type, and @var{bitmaps} is list of symbols @code{(@var{left} @var{right} [@var{left1} @var{right1}])} which specifies the actual bitmap shown in the left or right fringe for the logical indicator. The @var{left} and @var{right} symbols specify the bitmaps shown in the left and/or right fringe for the specific indicator. The @var{left1} or @var{right1} bitmaps are used only for the `bottom' and `top-bottom indicators when the last (only) line in has no final newline. Alternatively, @var{bitmaps} may be a single symbol which is used in both left and right fringes. When @code{fringe-indicator-alist} has a buffer-local value, and there is no bitmap defined for a logical indicator, or the bitmap is @code{t}, the corresponding value from the (non-local) @code{default-fringe-indicator-alist} is used. To completely hide a specific indicator, set the bitmap to @code{nil}. @end defvar @defvar default-fringe-indicator-alist The value of this variable is the default value for @code{fringe-indicator-alist} in buffers that do not override it. @end defvar Standard fringe bitmaps for indicators: @example left-arrow right-arrow up-arrow down-arrow left-curly-arrow right-curly-arrow left-triangle right-triangle top-left-angle top-right-angle bottom-left-angle bottom-right-angle left-bracket right-bracket filled-rectangle hollow-rectangle filled-square hollow-square vertical-bar horizontal-bar empty-line question-mark @end example @node Fringe Cursors @subsection Fringe Cursors @cindex fringe cursors @cindex cursor, fringe When a line is exactly as wide as the window, Emacs displays the cursor in the right fringe instead of using two lines. Different bitmaps are used to represent the cursor in the fringe depending on the current buffer's cursor type. @table @asis @item Logical cursor types: @code{box} , @code{hollow}, @code{bar}, @code{hbar}, @code{hollow-small}. @end table The @code{hollow-small} type is used instead of @code{hollow} when the normal @code{hollow-rectangle} bitmap is too tall to fit on a specific display line. @defvar overflow-newline-into-fringe If this is non-@code{nil}, lines exactly as wide as the window (not counting the final newline character) are not continued. Instead, when point is at the end of the line, the cursor appears in the right fringe. @end defvar @defvar fringe-cursor-alist This variable specifies the mapping from logical cursor type to the actual fringe bitmaps displayed in the right fringe. The value is an alist where each element @code{(@var{cursor} . @var{bitmap})} specifies the fringe bitmaps used to display a specific logical cursor type in the fringe. Here, @var{cursor} specifies the logical cursor type and @var{bitmap} is a symbol specifying the fringe bitmap to be displayed for that logical cursor type. When @code{fringe-cursor-alist} has a buffer-local value, and there is no bitmap defined for a cursor type, the corresponding value from the (non-local) @code{default-fringes-indicator-alist} is used. @end defvar @defvar default-fringes-cursor-alist The value of this variable is the default value for @code{fringe-cursor-alist} in buffers that do not override it. @end defvar Standard bitmaps for displaying the cursor in right fringe: @example filled-rectangle hollow-rectangle filled-square hollow-square vertical-bar horizontal-bar @end example @node Fringe Bitmaps @subsection Fringe Bitmaps @cindex fringe bitmaps @cindex bitmaps, fringe The @dfn{fringe bitmaps} are the actual bitmaps which represent the logical fringe indicators for truncated or continued lines, buffer boundaries, overlay arrow, etc. Fringe bitmap symbols have their own name space. The fringe bitmaps are shared by all frames and windows. You can redefine the built-in fringe bitmaps, and you can define new fringe bitmaps. The way to display a bitmap in the left or right fringes for a given line in a window is by specifying the @code{display} property for one of the characters that appears in it. Use a display specification of the form @code{(left-fringe @var{bitmap} [@var{face}])} or @code{(right-fringe @var{bitmap} [@var{face}])} (@pxref{Display Property}). Here, @var{bitmap} is a symbol identifying the bitmap you want, and @var{face} (which is optional) is the name of the face whose colors should be used for displaying the bitmap, instead of the default @code{fringe} face. @var{face} is automatically merged with the @code{fringe} face, so normally @var{face} need only specify the foreground color for the bitmap. @defun fringe-bitmaps-at-pos &optional pos window This function returns the fringe bitmaps of the display line containing position @var{pos} in window @var{window}. The return value has the form @code{(@var{left} @var{right} @var{ov})}, where @var{left} is the symbol for the fringe bitmap in the left fringe (or @code{nil} if no bitmap), @var{right} is similar for the right fringe, and @var{ov} is non-@code{nil} if there is an overlay arrow in the left fringe. The value is @code{nil} if @var{pos} is not visible in @var{window}. If @var{window} is @code{nil}, that stands for the selected window. If @var{pos} is @code{nil}, that stands for the value of point in @var{window}. @end defun @node Customizing Bitmaps @subsection Customizing Fringe Bitmaps @defun define-fringe-bitmap bitmap bits &optional height width align This function defines the symbol @var{bitmap} as a new fringe bitmap, or replaces an existing bitmap with that name. The argument @var{bits} specifies the image to use. It should be either a string or a vector of integers, where each element (an integer) corresponds to one row of the bitmap. Each bit of an integer corresponds to one pixel of the bitmap, where the low bit corresponds to the rightmost pixel of the bitmap. The height is normally the length of @var{bits}. However, you can specify a different height with non-@code{nil} @var{height}. The width is normally 8, but you can specify a different width with non-@code{nil} @var{width}. The width must be an integer between 1 and 16. The argument @var{align} specifies the positioning of the bitmap relative to the range of rows where it is used; the default is to center the bitmap. The allowed values are @code{top}, @code{center}, or @code{bottom}. The @var{align} argument may also be a list @code{(@var{align} @var{periodic})} where @var{align} is interpreted as described above. If @var{periodic} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies that the rows in @code{bits} should be repeated enough times to reach the specified height. @end defun @defun destroy-fringe-bitmap bitmap This function destroy the fringe bitmap identified by @var{bitmap}. If @var{bitmap} identifies a standard fringe bitmap, it actually restores the standard definition of that bitmap, instead of eliminating it entirely. @end defun @defun set-fringe-bitmap-face bitmap &optional face This sets the face for the fringe bitmap @var{bitmap} to @var{face}. If @var{face} is @code{nil}, it selects the @code{fringe} face. The bitmap's face controls the color to draw it in. @var{face} is merged with the @code{fringe} face, so normally @var{face} should specify only the foreground color. @end defun @node Overlay Arrow @subsection The Overlay Arrow @c @cindex overlay arrow Duplicates variable names The @dfn{overlay arrow} is useful for directing the user's attention to a particular line in a buffer. For example, in the modes used for interface to debuggers, the overlay arrow indicates the line of code about to be executed. This feature has nothing to do with @dfn{overlays} (@pxref{Overlays}). @defvar overlay-arrow-string This variable holds the string to display to call attention to a particular line, or @code{nil} if the arrow feature is not in use. On a graphical display the contents of the string are ignored; instead a glyph is displayed in the fringe area to the left of the display area. @end defvar @defvar overlay-arrow-position This variable holds a marker that indicates where to display the overlay arrow. It should point at the beginning of a line. On a non-graphical display the arrow text appears at the beginning of that line, overlaying any text that would otherwise appear. Since the arrow is usually short, and the line usually begins with indentation, normally nothing significant is overwritten. The overlay-arrow string is displayed in any given buffer if the value of @code{overlay-arrow-position} in that buffer points into that buffer. Thus, it is possible to display multiple overlay arrow strings by creating buffer-local bindings of @code{overlay-arrow-position}. However, it is usually cleaner to use @code{overlay-arrow-variable-list} to achieve this result. @c !!! overlay-arrow-position: but the overlay string may remain in the display @c of some other buffer until an update is required. This should be fixed @c now. Is it? @end defvar You can do a similar job by creating an overlay with a @code{before-string} property. @xref{Overlay Properties}. You can define multiple overlay arrows via the variable @code{overlay-arrow-variable-list}. @defvar overlay-arrow-variable-list This variable's value is a list of variables, each of which specifies the position of an overlay arrow. The variable @code{overlay-arrow-position} has its normal meaning because it is on this list. @end defvar Each variable on this list can have properties @code{overlay-arrow-string} and @code{overlay-arrow-bitmap} that specify an overlay arrow string (for text-only terminals) or fringe bitmap (for graphical terminals) to display at the corresponding overlay arrow position. If either property is not set, the default @code{overlay-arrow-string} or @code{overlay-arrow} fringe indicator is used. @node Scroll Bars @section Scroll Bars @cindex scroll bars Normally the frame parameter @code{vertical-scroll-bars} controls whether the windows in the frame have vertical scroll bars, and whether they are on the left or right. The frame parameter @code{scroll-bar-width} specifies how wide they are (@code{nil} meaning the default). @xref{Layout Parameters}. @defun frame-current-scroll-bars &optional frame This function reports the scroll bar type settings for frame @var{frame}. The value is a cons cell @code{(@var{vertical-type} .@: @var{horizontal-type})}, where @var{vertical-type} is either @code{left}, @code{right}, or @code{nil} (which means no scroll bar.) @var{horizontal-type} is meant to specify the horizontal scroll bar type, but since they are not implemented, it is always @code{nil}. @end defun @vindex vertical-scroll-bar You can enable or disable scroll bars for a particular buffer, by setting the variable @code{vertical-scroll-bar}. This variable automatically becomes buffer-local when set. The possible values are @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{t}, which means to use the frame's default, and @code{nil} for no scroll bar. You can also control this for individual windows. Call the function @code{set-window-scroll-bars} to specify what to do for a specific window: @defun set-window-scroll-bars window width &optional vertical-type horizontal-type This function sets the width and type of scroll bars for window @var{window}. @var{width} specifies the scroll bar width in pixels (@code{nil} means use the width specified for the frame). @var{vertical-type} specifies whether to have a vertical scroll bar and, if so, where. The possible values are @code{left}, @code{right} and @code{nil}, just like the values of the @code{vertical-scroll-bars} frame parameter. The argument @var{horizontal-type} is meant to specify whether and where to have horizontal scroll bars, but since they are not implemented, it has no effect. If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is used. @end defun @defun window-scroll-bars &optional window Report the width and type of scroll bars specified for @var{window}. If @var{window} is omitted or @code{nil}, the selected window is used. The value is a list of the form @code{(@var{width} @var{cols} @var{vertical-type} @var{horizontal-type})}. The value @var{width} is the value that was specified for the width (which may be @code{nil}); @var{cols} is the number of columns that the scroll bar actually occupies. @var{horizontal-type} is not actually meaningful. @end defun If you don't specify these values for a window with @code{set-window-scroll-bars}, the buffer-local variables @code{scroll-bar-mode} and @code{scroll-bar-width} in the buffer being displayed control the window's vertical scroll bars. The function @code{set-window-buffer} examines these variables. If you change them in a buffer that is already visible in a window, you can make the window take note of the new values by calling @code{set-window-buffer} specifying the same buffer that is already displayed. @defvar scroll-bar-mode This variable, always local in all buffers, controls whether and where to put scroll bars in windows displaying the buffer. The possible values are @code{nil} for no scroll bar, @code{left} to put a scroll bar on the left, and @code{right} to put a scroll bar on the right. @end defvar @defun window-current-scroll-bars &optional window This function reports the scroll bar type for window @var{window}. If @var{window} is omitted or @code{nil}, the selected window is used. The value is a cons cell @code{(@var{vertical-type} .@: @var{horizontal-type})}. Unlike @code{window-scroll-bars}, this reports the scroll bar type actually used, once frame defaults and @code{scroll-bar-mode} are taken into account. @end defun @defvar scroll-bar-width This variable, always local in all buffers, specifies the width of the buffer's scroll bars, measured in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the value specified by the frame. @end defvar @node Display Property @section The @code{display} Property @cindex display specification @kindex display @r{(text property)} The @code{display} text property (or overlay property) is used to insert images into text, and also control other aspects of how text displays. The value of the @code{display} property should be a display specification, or a list or vector containing several display specifications. Display specifications in the same @code{display} property value generally apply in parallel to the text they cover. If several sources (overlays and/or a text property) specify values for the @code{display} property, only one of the values takes effect, following the rules of @code{get-char-property}. @xref{Examining Properties}. The rest of this section describes several kinds of display specifications and what they mean. @menu * Replacing Specs:: Display specs that replace the text. * Specified Space:: Displaying one space with a specified width. * Pixel Specification:: Specifying space width or height in pixels. * Other Display Specs:: Displaying an image; magnifying text; moving it up or down on the page; adjusting the width of spaces within text. * Display Margins:: Displaying text or images to the side of the main text. @end menu @node Replacing Specs @subsection Display Specs That Replace The Text Some kinds of @code{display} specifications specify something to display instead of the text that has the property. These are called @dfn{replacing} display specifications. Emacs does not allow the user to interactively move point into the middle of buffer text that is replaced in this way. If a list of display specifications includes more than one replacing display specification, the first overrides the rest. Replacing display specifications make most other display specifications irrelevant, since those don't apply to the replacement. For replacing display specifications, ``the text that has the property'' means all the consecutive characters that have the same Lisp object as their @code{display} property; these characters are replaced as a single unit. By contrast, characters that have similar but distinct Lisp objects as their @code{display} properties are handled separately. Here's a function that illustrates this point: @smallexample (defun foo () (goto-char (point-min)) (dotimes (i 5) (let ((string (concat "A"))) (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point)) 'display string) (forward-char 1) (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point)) 'display string) (forward-char 1)))) @end smallexample @noindent It gives each of the first ten characters in the buffer string @code{"A"} as the @code{display} property, but they don't all get the same string. The first two characters get the same string, so they together are replaced with one @samp{A}. The next two characters get a second string, so they together are replaced with one @samp{A}. Likewise for each following pair of characters. Thus, the ten characters appear as five A's. This function would have the same results: @smallexample (defun foo () (goto-char (point-min)) (dotimes (i 5) (let ((string (concat "A"))) (put-text-property (point) (+ 2 (point)) 'display string) (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point)) 'display string) (forward-char 2)))) @end smallexample @noindent This illustrates that what matters is the property value for each character. If two consecutive characters have the same object as the @code{display} property value, it's irrelevant whether they got this property from a single call to @code{put-text-property} or from two different calls. @node Specified Space @subsection Specified Spaces @cindex spaces, specified height or width @cindex variable-width spaces To display a space of specified width and/or height, use a display specification of the form @code{(space . @var{props})}, where @var{props} is a property list (a list of alternating properties and values). You can put this property on one or more consecutive characters; a space of the specified height and width is displayed in place of @emph{all} of those characters. These are the properties you can use in @var{props} to specify the weight of the space: @table @code @item :width @var{width} If @var{width} is an integer or floating point number, it specifies that the space width should be @var{width} times the normal character width. @var{width} can also be a @dfn{pixel width} specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}). @item :relative-width @var{factor} Specifies that the width of the stretch should be computed from the first character in the group of consecutive characters that have the same @code{display} property. The space width is the width of that character, multiplied by @var{factor}. @item :align-to @var{hpos} Specifies that the space should be wide enough to reach @var{hpos}. If @var{hpos} is a number, it is measured in units of the normal character width. @var{hpos} can also be a @dfn{pixel width} specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}). @end table You should use one and only one of the above properties. You can also specify the height of the space, with these properties: @table @code @item :height @var{height} Specifies the height of the space. If @var{height} is an integer or floating point number, it specifies that the space height should be @var{height} times the normal character height. The @var{height} may also be a @dfn{pixel height} specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}). @item :relative-height @var{factor} Specifies the height of the space, multiplying the ordinary height of the text having this display specification by @var{factor}. @item :ascent @var{ascent} If the value of @var{ascent} is a non-negative number no greater than 100, it specifies that @var{ascent} percent of the height of the space should be considered as the ascent of the space---that is, the part above the baseline. The ascent may also be specified in pixel units with a @dfn{pixel ascent} specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}). @end table Don't use both @code{:height} and @code{:relative-height} together. The @code{:width} and @code{:align-to} properties are supported on non-graphic terminals, but the other space properties in this section are not. @node Pixel Specification @subsection Pixel Specification for Spaces @cindex spaces, pixel specification The value of the @code{:width}, @code{:align-to}, @code{:height}, and @code{:ascent} properties can be a special kind of expression that is evaluated during redisplay. The result of the evaluation is used as an absolute number of pixels. The following expressions are supported: @smallexample @group @var{expr} ::= @var{num} | (@var{num}) | @var{unit} | @var{elem} | @var{pos} | @var{image} | @var{form} @var{num} ::= @var{integer} | @var{float} | @var{symbol} @var{unit} ::= in | mm | cm | width | height @end group @group @var{elem} ::= left-fringe | right-fringe | left-margin | right-margin | scroll-bar | text @var{pos} ::= left | center | right @var{form} ::= (@var{num} . @var{expr}) | (@var{op} @var{expr} ...) @var{op} ::= + | - @end group @end smallexample The form @var{num} specifies a fraction of the default frame font height or width. The form @code{(@var{num})} specifies an absolute number of pixels. If @var{num} is a symbol, @var{symbol}, its buffer-local variable binding is used. The @code{in}, @code{mm}, and @code{cm} units specify the number of pixels per inch, millimeter, and centimeter, respectively. The @code{width} and @code{height} units correspond to the default width and height of the current face. An image specification @code{image} corresponds to the width or height of the image. The @code{left-fringe}, @code{right-fringe}, @code{left-margin}, @code{right-margin}, @code{scroll-bar}, and @code{text} elements specify to the width of the corresponding area of the window. The @code{left}, @code{center}, and @code{right} positions can be used with @code{:align-to} to specify a position relative to the left edge, center, or right edge of the text area. Any of the above window elements (except @code{text}) can also be used with @code{:align-to} to specify that the position is relative to the left edge of the given area. Once the base offset for a relative position has been set (by the first occurrence of one of these symbols), further occurrences of these symbols are interpreted as the width of the specified area. For example, to align to the center of the left-margin, use @example :align-to (+ left-margin (0.5 . left-margin)) @end example If no specific base offset is set for alignment, it is always relative to the left edge of the text area. For example, @samp{:align-to 0} in a header-line aligns with the first text column in the text area. A value of the form @code{(@var{num} . @var{expr})} stands for the product of the values of @var{num} and @var{expr}. For example, @code{(2 . in)} specifies a width of 2 inches, while @code{(0.5 . @var{image})} specifies half the width (or height) of the specified image. The form @code{(+ @var{expr} ...)} adds up the value of the expressions. The form @code{(- @var{expr} ...)} negates or subtracts the value of the expressions. @node Other Display Specs @subsection Other Display Specifications Here are the other sorts of display specifications that you can use in the @code{display} text property. @table @code @item @var{string} Display @var{string} instead of the text that has this property. Recursive display specifications are not supported---@var{string}'s @code{display} properties, if any, are not used. @item (image . @var{image-props}) This kind of display specification is an image descriptor (@pxref{Images}). When used as a display specification, it means to display the image instead of the text that has the display specification. @item (slice @var{x} @var{y} @var{width} @var{height}) This specification together with @code{image} specifies a @dfn{slice} (a partial area) of the image to display. The elements @var{y} and @var{x} specify the top left corner of the slice, within the image; @var{width} and @var{height} specify the width and height of the slice. Integer values are numbers of pixels. A floating point number in the range 0.0--1.0 stands for that fraction of the width or height of the entire image. @item ((margin nil) @var{string}) A display specification of this form means to display @var{string} instead of the text that has the display specification, at the same position as that text. It is equivalent to using just @var{string}, but it is done as a special case of marginal display (@pxref{Display Margins}). @item (space-width @var{factor}) This display specification affects all the space characters within the text that has the specification. It displays all of these spaces @var{factor} times as wide as normal. The element @var{factor} should be an integer or float. Characters other than spaces are not affected at all; in particular, this has no effect on tab characters. @item (height @var{height}) This display specification makes the text taller or shorter. Here are the possibilities for @var{height}: @table @asis @item @code{(+ @var{n})} This means to use a font that is @var{n} steps larger. A ``step'' is defined by the set of available fonts---specifically, those that match what was otherwise specified for this text, in all attributes except height. Each size for which a suitable font is available counts as another step. @var{n} should be an integer. @item @code{(- @var{n})} This means to use a font that is @var{n} steps smaller. @item a number, @var{factor} A number, @var{factor}, means to use a font that is @var{factor} times as tall as the default font. @item a symbol, @var{function} A symbol is a function to compute the height. It is called with the current height as argument, and should return the new height to use. @item anything else, @var{form} If the @var{height} value doesn't fit the previous possibilities, it is a form. Emacs evaluates it to get the new height, with the symbol @code{height} bound to the current specified font height. @end table @item (raise @var{factor}) This kind of display specification raises or lowers the text it applies to, relative to the baseline of the line. @var{factor} must be a number, which is interpreted as a multiple of the height of the affected text. If it is positive, that means to display the characters raised. If it is negative, that means to display them lower down. If the text also has a @code{height} display specification, that does not affect the amount of raising or lowering, which is based on the faces used for the text. @end table @c We put all the `@code{(when ...)}' on one line to encourage @c makeinfo's end-of-sentence heuristics to DTRT. Previously, the dot @c was at eol; the info file ended up w/ two spaces rendered after it. You can make any display specification conditional. To do that, package it in another list of the form @code{(when @var{condition} . @var{spec})}. Then the specification @var{spec} applies only when @var{condition} evaluates to a non-@code{nil} value. During the evaluation, @code{object} is bound to the string or buffer having the conditional @code{display} property. @code{position} and @code{buffer-position} are bound to the position within @code{object} and the buffer position where the @code{display} property was found, respectively. Both positions can be different when @code{object} is a string. @node Display Margins @subsection Displaying in the Margins @cindex display margins @cindex margins, display A buffer can have blank areas called @dfn{display margins} on the left and on the right. Ordinary text never appears in these areas, but you can put things into the display margins using the @code{display} property. There is currently no way to make text or images in the margin mouse-sensitive. The way to display something in the margins is to specify it in a margin display specification in the @code{display} property of some text. This is a replacing display specification, meaning that the text you put it on does not get displayed; the margin display appears, but that text does not. A margin display specification looks like @code{((margin right-margin) @var{spec}} or @code{((margin left-margin) @var{spec})}. Here, @var{spec} is another display specification that says what to display in the margin. Typically it is a string of text to display, or an image descriptor. To display something in the margin @emph{in association with} certain buffer text, without altering or preventing the display of that text, put a @code{before-string} property on the text and put the margin display specification on the contents of the before-string. Before the display margins can display anything, you must give them a nonzero width. The usual way to do that is to set these variables: @defvar left-margin-width This variable specifies the width of the left margin. It is buffer-local in all buffers. @end defvar @defvar right-margin-width This variable specifies the width of the right margin. It is buffer-local in all buffers. @end defvar Setting these variables does not immediately affect the window. These variables are checked when a new buffer is displayed in the window. Thus, you can make changes take effect by calling @code{set-window-buffer}. You can also set the margin widths immediately. @defun set-window-margins window left &optional right This function specifies the margin widths for window @var{window}. The argument @var{left} controls the left margin and @var{right} controls the right margin (default @code{0}). @end defun @defun window-margins &optional window This function returns the left and right margins of @var{window} as a cons cell of the form @code{(@var{left} . @var{right})}. If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is used. @end defun @node Images @section Images @cindex images in buffers To display an image in an Emacs buffer, you must first create an image descriptor, then use it as a display specifier in the @code{display} property of text that is displayed (@pxref{Display Property}). Emacs is usually able to display images when it is run on a graphical terminal. Images cannot be displayed in a text terminal, on certain graphical terminals that lack the support for this, or if Emacs is compiled without image support. You can use the function @code{display-images-p} to determine if images can in principle be displayed (@pxref{Display Feature Testing}). @menu * Image Formats:: Supported image formats. * Image Descriptors:: How to specify an image for use in @code{:display}. * XBM Images:: Special features for XBM format. * XPM Images:: Special features for XPM format. * GIF Images:: Special features for GIF format. * PostScript Images:: Special features for PostScript format. * Other Image Types:: Various other formats are supported. * Defining Images:: Convenient ways to define an image for later use. * Showing Images:: Convenient ways to display an image once it is defined. * Image Cache:: Internal mechanisms of image display. @end menu @node Image Formats @subsection Image Formats @cindex image formats @cindex image types Emacs can display a number of different image formats; some of them are supported only if particular support libraries are installed on your machine. In some environments, Emacs can load image libraries on demand; if so, the variable @code{image-library-alist} can be used to modify the set of known names for these dynamic libraries (though it is not possible to add new image formats). The supported image formats include XBM, XPM (this requires the libraries @code{libXpm} version 3.4k and @code{libz}), GIF (requiring @code{libungif} 4.1.0), PostScript, PBM, JPEG (requiring the @code{libjpeg} library version v6a), TIFF (requiring @code{libtiff} v3.4), PNG (requiring @code{libpng} 1.0.2), and SVG (requiring @code{librsvg} 2.0.0). You specify one of these formats with an image type symbol. The image type symbols are @code{xbm}, @code{xpm}, @code{gif}, @code{postscript}, @code{pbm}, @code{jpeg}, @code{tiff}, @code{png}, and @code{svg}. @defvar image-types This variable contains a list of those image type symbols that are potentially supported in the current configuration. @emph{Potentially} here means that Emacs knows about the image types, not necessarily that they can be loaded (they could depend on unavailable dynamic libraries, for example). To know which image types are really available, use @code{image-type-available-p}. @end defvar @defvar image-library-alist This in an alist of image types vs external libraries needed to display them. Each element is a list @code{(@var{image-type} @var{library}...)}, where the car is a supported image format from @code{image-types}, and the rest are strings giving alternate filenames for the corresponding external libraries to load. Emacs tries to load the libraries in the order they appear on the list; if none is loaded, the running session of Emacs won't support the image type. @code{pbm} and @code{xbm} don't need to be listed; they're always supported. This variable is ignored if the image libraries are statically linked into Emacs. @end defvar @defun image-type-available-p type This function returns non-@code{nil} if image type @var{type} is available, i.e., if images of this type can be loaded and displayed in Emacs. @var{type} should be one of the types contained in @code{image-types}. For image types whose support libraries are statically linked, this function always returns @code{t}; for other image types, it returns @code{t} if the dynamic library could be loaded, @code{nil} otherwise. @end defun @node Image Descriptors @subsection Image Descriptors @cindex image descriptor An image description is a list of the form @code{(image . @var{props})}, where @var{props} is a property list containing alternating keyword symbols (symbols whose names start with a colon) and their values. You can use any Lisp object as a property, but the only properties that have any special meaning are certain symbols, all of them keywords. Every image descriptor must contain the property @code{:type @var{type}} to specify the format of the image. The value of @var{type} should be an image type symbol; for example, @code{xpm} for an image in XPM format. Here is a list of other properties that are meaningful for all image types: @table @code @item :file @var{file} The @code{:file} property says to load the image from file @var{file}. If @var{file} is not an absolute file name, it is expanded in @code{data-directory}. @item :data @var{data} The @code{:data} property says the actual contents of the image. Each image must use either @code{:data} or @code{:file}, but not both. For most image types, the value of the @code{:data} property should be a string containing the image data; we recommend using a unibyte string. Before using @code{:data}, look for further information in the section below describing the specific image format. For some image types, @code{:data} may not be supported; for some, it allows other data types; for some, @code{:data} alone is not enough, so you need to use other image properties along with @code{:data}. @item :margin @var{margin} The @code{:margin} property specifies how many pixels to add as an extra margin around the image. The value, @var{margin}, must be a non-negative number, or a pair @code{(@var{x} . @var{y})} of such numbers. If it is a pair, @var{x} specifies how many pixels to add horizontally, and @var{y} specifies how many pixels to add vertically. If @code{:margin} is not specified, the default is zero. @item :ascent @var{ascent} The @code{:ascent} property specifies the amount of the image's height to use for its ascent---that is, the part above the baseline. The value, @var{ascent}, must be a number in the range 0 to 100, or the symbol @code{center}. If @var{ascent} is a number, that percentage of the image's height is used for its ascent. If @var{ascent} is @code{center}, the image is vertically centered around a centerline which would be the vertical centerline of text drawn at the position of the image, in the manner specified by the text properties and overlays that apply to the image. If this property is omitted, it defaults to 50. @item :relief @var{relief} The @code{:relief} property, if non-@code{nil}, adds a shadow rectangle around the image. The value, @var{relief}, specifies the width of the shadow lines, in pixels. If @var{relief} is negative, shadows are drawn so that the image appears as a pressed button; otherwise, it appears as an unpressed button. @item :conversion @var{algorithm} The @code{:conversion} property, if non-@code{nil}, specifies a conversion algorithm that should be applied to the image before it is displayed; the value, @var{algorithm}, specifies which algorithm. @table @code @item laplace @itemx emboss Specifies the Laplace edge detection algorithm, which blurs out small differences in color while highlighting larger differences. People sometimes consider this useful for displaying the image for a ``disabled'' button. @item (edge-detection :matrix @var{matrix} :color-adjust @var{adjust}) Specifies a general edge-detection algorithm. @var{matrix} must be either a nine-element list or a nine-element vector of numbers. A pixel at position @math{x/y} in the transformed image is computed from original pixels around that position. @var{matrix} specifies, for each pixel in the neighborhood of @math{x/y}, a factor with which that pixel will influence the transformed pixel; element @math{0} specifies the factor for the pixel at @math{x-1/y-1}, element @math{1} the factor for the pixel at @math{x/y-1} etc., as shown below: @iftex @tex $$\pmatrix{x-1/y-1 & x/y-1 & x+1/y-1 \cr x-1/y & x/y & x+1/y \cr x-1/y+1& x/y+1 & x+1/y+1 \cr}$$ @end tex @end iftex @ifnottex @display (x-1/y-1 x/y-1 x+1/y-1 x-1/y x/y x+1/y x-1/y+1 x/y+1 x+1/y+1) @end display @end ifnottex The resulting pixel is computed from the color intensity of the color resulting from summing up the RGB values of surrounding pixels, multiplied by the specified factors, and dividing that sum by the sum of the factors' absolute values. Laplace edge-detection currently uses a matrix of @iftex @tex $$\pmatrix{1 & 0 & 0 \cr 0& 0 & 0 \cr 9 & 9 & -1 \cr}$$ @end tex @end iftex @ifnottex @display (1 0 0 0 0 0 9 9 -1) @end display @end ifnottex Emboss edge-detection uses a matrix of @iftex @tex $$\pmatrix{ 2 & -1 & 0 \cr -1 & 0 & 1 \cr 0 & 1 & -2 \cr}$$ @end tex @end iftex @ifnottex @display ( 2 -1 0 -1 0 1 0 1 -2) @end display @end ifnottex @item disabled Specifies transforming the image so that it looks ``disabled.'' @end table @item :mask @var{mask} If @var{mask} is @code{heuristic} or @code{(heuristic @var{bg})}, build a clipping mask for the image, so that the background of a frame is visible behind the image. If @var{bg} is not specified, or if @var{bg} is @code{t}, determine the background color of the image by looking at the four corners of the image, assuming the most frequently occurring color from the corners is the background color of the image. Otherwise, @var{bg} must be a list @code{(@var{red} @var{green} @var{blue})} specifying the color to assume for the background of the image. If @var{mask} is @code{nil}, remove a mask from the image, if it has one. Images in some formats include a mask which can be removed by specifying @code{:mask nil}. @item :pointer @var{shape} This specifies the pointer shape when the mouse pointer is over this image. @xref{Pointer Shape}, for available pointer shapes. @item :map @var{map} This associates an image map of @dfn{hot spots} with this image. An image map is an alist where each element has the format @code{(@var{area} @var{id} @var{plist})}. An @var{area} is specified as either a rectangle, a circle, or a polygon. A rectangle is a cons @code{(rect . ((@var{x0} . @var{y0}) . (@var{x1} . @var{y1})))} which specifies the pixel coordinates of the upper left and bottom right corners of the rectangle area. A circle is a cons @code{(circle . ((@var{x0} . @var{y0}) . @var{r}))} which specifies the center and the radius of the circle; @var{r} may be a float or integer. A polygon is a cons @code{(poly . [@var{x0} @var{y0} @var{x1} @var{y1} ...])} where each pair in the vector describes one corner in the polygon. When the mouse pointer lies on a hot-spot area of an image, the @var{plist} of that hot-spot is consulted; if it contains a @code{help-echo} property, that defines a tool-tip for the hot-spot, and if it contains a @code{pointer} property, that defines the shape of the mouse cursor when it is on the hot-spot. @xref{Pointer Shape}, for available pointer shapes. When you click the mouse when the mouse pointer is over a hot-spot, an event is composed by combining the @var{id} of the hot-spot with the mouse event; for instance, @code{[area4 mouse-1]} if the hot-spot's @var{id} is @code{area4}. @end table @defun image-mask-p spec &optional frame This function returns @code{t} if image @var{spec} has a mask bitmap. @var{frame} is the frame on which the image will be displayed. @var{frame} @code{nil} or omitted means to use the selected frame (@pxref{Input Focus}). @end defun @node XBM Images @subsection XBM Images @cindex XBM To use XBM format, specify @code{xbm} as the image type. This image format doesn't require an external library, so images of this type are always supported. Additional image properties supported for the @code{xbm} image type are: @table @code @item :foreground @var{foreground} The value, @var{foreground}, should be a string specifying the image foreground color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is used for each pixel in the XBM that is 1. The default is the frame's foreground color. @item :background @var{background} The value, @var{background}, should be a string specifying the image background color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is used for each pixel in the XBM that is 0. The default is the frame's background color. @end table If you specify an XBM image using data within Emacs instead of an external file, use the following three properties: @table @code @item :data @var{data} The value, @var{data}, specifies the contents of the image. There are three formats you can use for @var{data}: @itemize @bullet @item A vector of strings or bool-vectors, each specifying one line of the image. Do specify @code{:height} and @code{:width}. @item A string containing the same byte sequence as an XBM file would contain. You must not specify @code{:height} and @code{:width} in this case, because omitting them is what indicates the data has the format of an XBM file. The file contents specify the height and width of the image. @item A string or a bool-vector containing the bits of the image (plus perhaps some extra bits at the end that will not be used). It should contain at least @var{width} * @code{height} bits. In this case, you must specify @code{:height} and @code{:width}, both to indicate that the string contains just the bits rather than a whole XBM file, and to specify the size of the image. @end itemize @item :width @var{width} The value, @var{width}, specifies the width of the image, in pixels. @item :height @var{height} The value, @var{height}, specifies the height of the image, in pixels. @end table @node XPM Images @subsection XPM Images @cindex XPM To use XPM format, specify @code{xpm} as the image type. The additional image property @code{:color-symbols} is also meaningful with the @code{xpm} image type: @table @code @item :color-symbols @var{symbols} The value, @var{symbols}, should be an alist whose elements have the form @code{(@var{name} . @var{color})}. In each element, @var{name} is the name of a color as it appears in the image file, and @var{color} specifies the actual color to use for displaying that name. @end table @node GIF Images @subsection GIF Images @cindex GIF For GIF images, specify image type @code{gif}. @table @code @item :index @var{index} You can use @code{:index} to specify one image from a GIF file that contains more than one image. This property specifies use of image number @var{index} from the file. If the GIF file doesn't contain an image with index @var{index}, the image displays as a hollow box. @end table @ignore This could be used to implement limited support for animated GIFs. For example, the following function displays a multi-image GIF file at point-min in the current buffer, switching between sub-images every 0.1 seconds. (defun show-anim (file max) "Display multi-image GIF file FILE which contains MAX subimages." (display-anim (current-buffer) file 0 max t)) (defun display-anim (buffer file idx max first-time) (when (= idx max) (setq idx 0)) (let ((img (create-image file nil :image idx))) (save-excursion (set-buffer buffer) (goto-char (point-min)) (unless first-time (delete-char 1)) (insert-image img)) (run-with-timer 0.1 nil 'display-anim buffer file (1+ idx) max nil))) @end ignore @node PostScript Images @subsection PostScript Images @cindex postscript images To use PostScript for an image, specify image type @code{postscript}. This works only if you have Ghostscript installed. You must always use these three properties: @table @code @item :pt-width @var{width} The value, @var{width}, specifies the width of the image measured in points (1/72 inch). @var{width} must be an integer. @item :pt-height @var{height} The value, @var{height}, specifies the height of the image in points (1/72 inch). @var{height} must be an integer. @item :bounding-box @var{box} The value, @var{box}, must be a list or vector of four integers, which specifying the bounding box of the PostScript image, analogous to the @samp{BoundingBox} comment found in PostScript files. @example %%BoundingBox: 22 171 567 738 @end example @end table Displaying PostScript images from Lisp data is not currently implemented, but it may be implemented by the time you read this. See the @file{etc/NEWS} file to make sure. @node Other Image Types @subsection Other Image Types @cindex PBM For PBM images, specify image type @code{pbm}. Color, gray-scale and monochromatic images are supported. For mono PBM images, two additional image properties are supported. @table @code @item :foreground @var{foreground} The value, @var{foreground}, should be a string specifying the image foreground color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is used for each pixel in the PBM that is 1. The default is the frame's foreground color. @item :background @var{background} The value, @var{background}, should be a string specifying the image background color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is used for each pixel in the PBM that is 0. The default is the frame's background color. @end table For JPEG images, specify image type @code{jpeg}. For TIFF images, specify image type @code{tiff}. For PNG images, specify image type @code{png}. For SVG images, specify image type @code{svg}. @node Defining Images @subsection Defining Images The functions @code{create-image}, @code{defimage} and @code{find-image} provide convenient ways to create image descriptors. @defun create-image file-or-data &optional type data-p &rest props This function creates and returns an image descriptor which uses the data in @var{file-or-data}. @var{file-or-data} can be a file name or a string containing the image data; @var{data-p} should be @code{nil} for the former case, non-@code{nil} for the latter case. The optional argument @var{type} is a symbol specifying the image type. If @var{type} is omitted or @code{nil}, @code{create-image} tries to determine the image type from the file's first few bytes, or else from the file's name. The remaining arguments, @var{props}, specify additional image properties---for example, @example (create-image "foo.xpm" 'xpm nil :heuristic-mask t) @end example The function returns @code{nil} if images of this type are not supported. Otherwise it returns an image descriptor. @end defun @defmac defimage symbol specs &optional doc This macro defines @var{symbol} as an image name. The arguments @var{specs} is a list which specifies how to display the image. The third argument, @var{doc}, is an optional documentation string. Each argument in @var{specs} has the form of a property list, and each one should specify at least the @code{:type} property and either the @code{:file} or the @code{:data} property. The value of @code{:type} should be a symbol specifying the image type, the value of @code{:file} is the file to load the image from, and the value of @code{:data} is a string containing the actual image data. Here is an example: @example (defimage test-image ((:type xpm :file "~/test1.xpm") (:type xbm :file "~/test1.xbm"))) @end example @code{defimage} tests each argument, one by one, to see if it is usable---that is, if the type is supported and the file exists. The first usable argument is used to make an image descriptor which is stored in @var{symbol}. If none of the alternatives will work, then @var{symbol} is defined as @code{nil}. @end defmac @defun find-image specs This function provides a convenient way to find an image satisfying one of a list of image specifications @var{specs}. Each specification in @var{specs} is a property list with contents depending on image type. All specifications must at least contain the properties @code{:type @var{type}} and either @w{@code{:file @var{file}}} or @w{@code{:data @var{DATA}}}, where @var{type} is a symbol specifying the image type, e.g.@: @code{xbm}, @var{file} is the file to load the image from, and @var{data} is a string containing the actual image data. The first specification in the list whose @var{type} is supported, and @var{file} exists, is used to construct the image specification to be returned. If no specification is satisfied, @code{nil} is returned. The image is looked for in @code{image-load-path}. @end defun @defvar image-load-path This variable's value is a list of locations in which to search for image files. If an element is a string or a variable symbol whose value is a string, the string is taken to be the name of a directory to search. If an element is a variable symbol whose value is a list, that is taken to be a list of directory names to search. The default is to search in the @file{images} subdirectory of the directory specified by @code{data-directory}, then the directory specified by @code{data-directory}, and finally in the directories in @code{load-path}. Subdirectories are not automatically included in the search, so if you put an image file in a subdirectory, you have to supply the subdirectory name explicitly. For example, to find the image @file{images/foo/bar.xpm} within @code{data-directory}, you should specify the image as follows: @example (defimage foo-image '((:type xpm :file "foo/bar.xpm"))) @end example @end defvar @defun image-load-path-for-library library image &optional path no-error This function returns a suitable search path for images used by the Lisp package @var{library}. The function searches for @var{image} first using @code{image-load-path}, excluding @file{@code{data-directory}/images}, and then in @code{load-path}, followed by a path suitable for @var{library}, which includes @file{../../etc/images} and @file{../etc/images} relative to the library file itself, and finally in @file{@code{data-directory}/images}. Then this function returns a list of directories which contains first the directory in which @var{image} was found, followed by the value of @code{load-path}. If @var{path} is given, it is used instead of @code{load-path}. If @var{no-error} is non-@code{nil} and a suitable path can't be found, don't signal an error. Instead, return a list of directories as before, except that @code{nil} appears in place of the image directory. Here is an example that uses a common idiom to provide compatibility with versions of Emacs that lack the variable @code{image-load-path}: @example (defvar image-load-path) ; shush compiler (let* ((load-path (image-load-path-for-library "mh-e" "mh-logo.xpm")) (image-load-path (cons (car load-path) (when (boundp 'image-load-path) image-load-path)))) (mh-tool-bar-folder-buttons-init)) @end example @end defun @node Showing Images @subsection Showing Images You can use an image descriptor by setting up the @code{display} property yourself, but it is easier to use the functions in this section. @defun insert-image image &optional string area slice This function inserts @var{image} in the current buffer at point. The value @var{image} should be an image descriptor; it could be a value returned by @code{create-image}, or the value of a symbol defined with @code{defimage}. The argument @var{string} specifies the text to put in the buffer to hold the image. If it is omitted or @code{nil}, @code{insert-image} uses @code{" "} by default. The argument @var{area} specifies whether to put the image in a margin. If it is @code{left-margin}, the image appears in the left margin; @code{right-margin} specifies the right margin. If @var{area} is @code{nil} or omitted, the image is displayed at point within the buffer's text. The argument @var{slice} specifies a slice of the image to insert. If @var{slice} is @code{nil} or omitted the whole image is inserted. Otherwise, @var{slice} is a list @code{(@var{x} @var{y} @var{width} @var{height})} which specifies the @var{x} and @var{y} positions and @var{width} and @var{height} of the image area to insert. Integer values are in units of pixels. A floating point number in the range 0.0--1.0 stands for that fraction of the width or height of the entire image. Internally, this function inserts @var{string} in the buffer, and gives it a @code{display} property which specifies @var{image}. @xref{Display Property}. @end defun @defun insert-sliced-image image &optional string area rows cols This function inserts @var{image} in the current buffer at point, like @code{insert-image}, but splits the image into @var{rows}x@var{cols} equally sized slices. @end defun @defun put-image image pos &optional string area This function puts image @var{image} in front of @var{pos} in the current buffer. The argument @var{pos} should be an integer or a marker. It specifies the buffer position where the image should appear. The argument @var{string} specifies the text that should hold the image as an alternative to the default. The argument @var{image} must be an image descriptor, perhaps returned by @code{create-image} or stored by @code{defimage}. The argument @var{area} specifies whether to put the image in a margin. If it is @code{left-margin}, the image appears in the left margin; @code{right-margin} specifies the right margin. If @var{area} is @code{nil} or omitted, the image is displayed at point within the buffer's text. Internally, this function creates an overlay, and gives it a @code{before-string} property containing text that has a @code{display} property whose value is the image. (Whew!) @end defun @defun remove-images start end &optional buffer This function removes images in @var{buffer} between positions @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{buffer} is omitted or @code{nil}, images are removed from the current buffer. This removes only images that were put into @var{buffer} the way @code{put-image} does it, not images that were inserted with @code{insert-image} or in other ways. @end defun @defun image-size spec &optional pixels frame This function returns the size of an image as a pair @w{@code{(@var{width} . @var{height})}}. @var{spec} is an image specification. @var{pixels} non-@code{nil} means return sizes measured in pixels, otherwise return sizes measured in canonical character units (fractions of the width/height of the frame's default font). @var{frame} is the frame on which the image will be displayed. @var{frame} null or omitted means use the selected frame (@pxref{Input Focus}). @end defun @defvar max-image-size This variable is used to define the maximum size of image that Emacs will load. Emacs will refuse to load (and display) any image that is larger than this limit. If the value is an integer, it directly specifies the maximum image height and width, measured in pixels. If it is a floating point number, it specifies the maximum image height and width as a ratio to the frame height and width. If the value is non-numeric, there is no explicit limit on the size of images. The purpose of this variable is to prevent unreasonably large images from accidentally being loaded into Emacs. It only takes effect the first time an image is loaded. Once an image is placed in the image cache, it can always be displayed, even if the value of @var{max-image-size} is subsequently changed (@pxref{Image Cache}). @end defvar @node Image Cache @subsection Image Cache @cindex image cache Emacs stores images in an image cache so that it can display them again more efficiently. When Emacs displays an image, it searches the image cache for an existing image specification @code{equal} to the desired specification. If a match is found, the image is displayed from the cache; otherwise, Emacs loads the image normally. Occasionally, you may need to tell Emacs to refresh the images associated with a given image specification. For example, suppose you display an image using a specification that contains a @code{:file} property. The image is loaded from the given file and stored in the image cache. If you later display the image again, using the same image specification, the image is displayed from the image cache. Normally, this is not a problem. However, if the image file has changed in the meantime, Emacs would be displaying the old version of the image. In such a situation, it is necessary to ``refresh'' the image using @code{image-refresh}. @defun image-refresh spec &optional frame This function refreshes any images having image specifications @code{equal} to @var{spec} on frame @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, the selected frame is used. If @var{frame} is @code{t}, the refresh is applied to all existing frames. This works by removing all image with image specifications matching @var{spec} from the image cache. Thus, the next time the image is displayed, Emacs will load the image again. @end defun @defun clear-image-cache &optional filter This function clears the image cache. If @var{filter} is a frame, only the cache for that frame is cleared. If omitted or @code{nil}, clear the images on the selected frame. If @code{t}, all frames' caches are cleared. Otherwise, @var{filter} is taken as a file name and only images that reference this file will be flushed. @end defun If an image in the image cache has not been displayed for a specified period of time, Emacs removes it from the cache and frees the associated memory. @defvar image-cache-eviction-delay This variable specifies the number of seconds an image can remain in the cache without being displayed. When an image is not displayed for this length of time, Emacs removes it from the image cache. If the value is @code{nil}, Emacs does not remove images from the cache except when you explicitly clear it. This mode can be useful for debugging. @end defvar @node Buttons @section Buttons @cindex buttons in buffers @cindex clickable buttons in buffers The @emph{button} package defines functions for inserting and manipulating clickable (with the mouse, or via keyboard commands) buttons in Emacs buffers, such as might be used for help hyper-links, etc. Emacs uses buttons for the hyper-links in help text and the like. A button is essentially a set of properties attached (via text properties or overlays) to a region of text in an Emacs buffer. These properties are called @dfn{button properties}. One of these properties (@code{action}) is a function, which will be called when the user invokes it using the keyboard or the mouse. The invoked function may then examine the button and use its other properties as desired. In some ways the Emacs button package duplicates functionality offered by the widget package (@pxref{Top, , Introduction, widget, The Emacs Widget Library}), but the button package has the advantage that it is much faster, much smaller, and much simpler to use (for elisp programmers---for users, the result is about the same). The extra speed and space savings are useful mainly if you need to create many buttons in a buffer (for instance an @code{*Apropos*} buffer uses buttons to make entries clickable, and may contain many thousands of entries). @menu * Button Properties:: Button properties with special meanings. * Button Types:: Defining common properties for classes of buttons. * Making Buttons:: Adding buttons to Emacs buffers. * Manipulating Buttons:: Getting and setting properties of buttons. * Button Buffer Commands:: Buffer-wide commands and bindings for buttons. @end menu @node Button Properties @subsection Button Properties @cindex button properties Buttons have an associated list of properties defining their appearance and behavior, and other arbitrary properties may be used for application specific purposes. Some properties that have special meaning to the button package include: @table @code @item action @kindex action @r{(button property)} The function to call when the user invokes the button, which is passed the single argument @var{button}. By default this is @code{ignore}, which does nothing. @item mouse-action @kindex mouse-action @r{(button property)} This is similar to @code{action}, and when present, will be used instead of @code{action} for button invocations resulting from mouse-clicks (instead of the user hitting @key{RET}). If not present, mouse-clicks use @code{action} instead. @item face @kindex face @r{(button property)} This is an Emacs face controlling how buttons of this type are displayed; by default this is the @code{button} face. @item mouse-face @kindex mouse-face @r{(button property)} This is an additional face which controls appearance during mouse-overs (merged with the usual button face); by default this is the usual Emacs @code{highlight} face. @item keymap @kindex keymap @r{(button property)} The button's keymap, defining bindings active within the button region. By default this is the usual button region keymap, stored in the variable @code{button-map}, which defines @key{RET} and @key{mouse-2} to invoke the button. @item type @kindex type @r{(button property)} The button-type of the button. When creating a button, this is usually specified using the @code{:type} keyword argument. @xref{Button Types}. @item help-echo @kindex help-index @r{(button property)} A string displayed by the Emacs tool-tip help system; by default, @code{"mouse-2, RET: Push this button"}. @item follow-link @kindex follow-link @r{(button property)} The follow-link property, defining how a @key{Mouse-1} click behaves on this button, @xref{Links and Mouse-1}. @item button @kindex button @r{(button property)} All buttons have a non-@code{nil} @code{button} property, which may be useful in finding regions of text that comprise buttons (which is what the standard button functions do). @end table There are other properties defined for the regions of text in a button, but these are not generally interesting for typical uses. @node Button Types @subsection Button Types @cindex button types Every button has a button @emph{type}, which defines default values for the button's properties. Button types are arranged in a hierarchy, with specialized types inheriting from more general types, so that it's easy to define special-purpose types of buttons for specific tasks. @defun define-button-type name &rest properties Define a `button type' called @var{name} (a symbol). The remaining arguments form a sequence of @var{property value} pairs, specifying default property values for buttons with this type (a button's type may be set by giving it a @code{type} property when creating the button, using the @code{:type} keyword argument). In addition, the keyword argument @code{:supertype} may be used to specify a button-type from which @var{name} inherits its default property values. Note that this inheritance happens only when @var{name} is defined; subsequent changes to a supertype are not reflected in its subtypes. @end defun Using @code{define-button-type} to define default properties for buttons is not necessary---buttons without any specified type use the built-in button-type @code{button}---but it is encouraged, since doing so usually makes the resulting code clearer and more efficient. @node Making Buttons @subsection Making Buttons @cindex making buttons Buttons are associated with a region of text, using an overlay or text properties to hold button-specific information, all of which are initialized from the button's type (which defaults to the built-in button type @code{button}). Like all Emacs text, the appearance of the button is governed by the @code{face} property; by default (via the @code{face} property inherited from the @code{button} button-type) this is a simple underline, like a typical web-page link. For convenience, there are two sorts of button-creation functions, those that add button properties to an existing region of a buffer, called @code{make-...button}, and those that also insert the button text, called @code{insert-...button}. The button-creation functions all take the @code{&rest} argument @var{properties}, which should be a sequence of @var{property value} pairs, specifying properties to add to the button; see @ref{Button Properties}. In addition, the keyword argument @code{:type} may be used to specify a button-type from which to inherit other properties; see @ref{Button Types}. Any properties not explicitly specified during creation will be inherited from the button's type (if the type defines such a property). The following functions add a button using an overlay (@pxref{Overlays}) to hold the button properties: @defun make-button beg end &rest properties This makes a button from @var{beg} to @var{end} in the current buffer, and returns it. @end defun @defun insert-button label &rest properties This insert a button with the label @var{label} at point, and returns it. @end defun The following functions are similar, but use Emacs text properties (@pxref{Text Properties}) to hold the button properties, making the button actually part of the text instead of being a property of the buffer. Buttons using text properties do not create markers into the buffer, which is important for speed when you use extremely large numbers of buttons. Both functions return the position of the start of the new button: @defun make-text-button beg end &rest properties This makes a button from @var{beg} to @var{end} in the current buffer, using text properties. @end defun @defun insert-text-button label &rest properties This inserts a button with the label @var{label} at point, using text properties. @end defun @node Manipulating Buttons @subsection Manipulating Buttons @cindex manipulating buttons These are functions for getting and setting properties of buttons. Often these are used by a button's invocation function to determine what to do. Where a @var{button} parameter is specified, it means an object referring to a specific button, either an overlay (for overlay buttons), or a buffer-position or marker (for text property buttons). Such an object is passed as the first argument to a button's invocation function when it is invoked. @defun button-start button Return the position at which @var{button} starts. @end defun @defun button-end button Return the position at which @var{button} ends. @end defun @defun button-get button prop Get the property of button @var{button} named @var{prop}. @end defun @defun button-put button prop val Set @var{button}'s @var{prop} property to @var{val}. @end defun @defun button-activate button &optional use-mouse-action Call @var{button}'s @code{action} property (i.e., invoke it). If @var{use-mouse-action} is non-@code{nil}, try to invoke the button's @code{mouse-action} property instead of @code{action}; if the button has no @code{mouse-action} property, use @code{action} as normal. @end defun @defun button-label button Return @var{button}'s text label. @end defun @defun button-type button Return @var{button}'s button-type. @end defun @defun button-has-type-p button type Return @code{t} if @var{button} has button-type @var{type}, or one of @var{type}'s subtypes. @end defun @defun button-at pos Return the button at position @var{pos} in the current buffer, or @code{nil}. @end defun @defun button-type-put type prop val Set the button-type @var{type}'s @var{prop} property to @var{val}. @end defun @defun button-type-get type prop Get the property of button-type @var{type} named @var{prop}. @end defun @defun button-type-subtype-p type supertype Return @code{t} if button-type @var{type} is a subtype of @var{supertype}. @end defun @node Button Buffer Commands @subsection Button Buffer Commands @cindex button buffer commands These are commands and functions for locating and operating on buttons in an Emacs buffer. @code{push-button} is the command that a user uses to actually `push' a button, and is bound by default in the button itself to @key{RET} and to @key{mouse-2} using a region-specific keymap. Commands that are useful outside the buttons itself, such as @code{forward-button} and @code{backward-button} are additionally available in the keymap stored in @code{button-buffer-map}; a mode which uses buttons may want to use @code{button-buffer-map} as a parent keymap for its keymap. If the button has a non-@code{nil} @code{follow-link} property, and @var{mouse-1-click-follows-link} is set, a quick @key{Mouse-1} click will also activate the @code{push-button} command. @xref{Links and Mouse-1}. @deffn Command push-button &optional pos use-mouse-action Perform the action specified by a button at location @var{pos}. @var{pos} may be either a buffer position or a mouse-event. If @var{use-mouse-action} is non-@code{nil}, or @var{pos} is a mouse-event (@pxref{Mouse Events}), try to invoke the button's @code{mouse-action} property instead of @code{action}; if the button has no @code{mouse-action} property, use @code{action} as normal. @var{pos} defaults to point, except when @code{push-button} is invoked interactively as the result of a mouse-event, in which case, the mouse event's position is used. If there's no button at @var{pos}, do nothing and return @code{nil}, otherwise return @code{t}. @end deffn @deffn Command forward-button n &optional wrap display-message Move to the @var{n}th next button, or @var{n}th previous button if @var{n} is negative. If @var{n} is zero, move to the start of any button at point. If @var{wrap} is non-@code{nil}, moving past either end of the buffer continues from the other end. If @var{display-message} is non-@code{nil}, the button's help-echo string is displayed. Any button with a non-@code{nil} @code{skip} property is skipped over. Returns the button found. @end deffn @deffn Command backward-button n &optional wrap display-message Move to the @var{n}th previous button, or @var{n}th next button if @var{n} is negative. If @var{n} is zero, move to the start of any button at point. If @var{wrap} is non-@code{nil}, moving past either end of the buffer continues from the other end. If @var{display-message} is non-@code{nil}, the button's help-echo string is displayed. Any button with a non-@code{nil} @code{skip} property is skipped over. Returns the button found. @end deffn @defun next-button pos &optional count-current @defunx previous-button pos &optional count-current Return the next button after (for @code{next-button} or before (for @code{previous-button}) position @var{pos} in the current buffer. If @var{count-current} is non-@code{nil}, count any button at @var{pos} in the search, instead of starting at the next button. @end defun @node Abstract Display @section Abstract Display @cindex ewoc @cindex display, abstract @cindex display, arbitrary objects @cindex model/view/controller @cindex view part, model/view/controller The Ewoc package constructs buffer text that represents a structure of Lisp objects, and updates the text to follow changes in that structure. This is like the ``view'' component in the ``model/view/controller'' design paradigm. An @dfn{ewoc} is a structure that organizes information required to construct buffer text that represents certain Lisp data. The buffer text of the ewoc has three parts, in order: first, fixed @dfn{header} text; next, textual descriptions of a series of data elements (Lisp objects that you specify); and last, fixed @dfn{footer} text. Specifically, an ewoc contains information on: @itemize @bullet @item The buffer which its text is generated in. @item The text's start position in the buffer. @item The header and footer strings. @item A doubly-linked chain of @dfn{nodes}, each of which contains: @itemize @item A @dfn{data element}, a single Lisp object. @item Links to the preceding and following nodes in the chain. @end itemize @item A @dfn{pretty-printer} function which is responsible for inserting the textual representation of a data element value into the current buffer. @end itemize Typically, you define an ewoc with @code{ewoc-create}, and then pass the resulting ewoc structure to other functions in the Ewoc package to build nodes within it, and display it in the buffer. Once it is displayed in the buffer, other functions determine the correspondance between buffer positions and nodes, move point from one node's textual representation to another, and so forth. @xref{Abstract Display Functions}. A node @dfn{encapsulates} a data element much the way a variable holds a value. Normally, encapsulation occurs as a part of adding a node to the ewoc. You can retrieve the data element value and place a new value in its place, like so: @lisp (ewoc-data @var{node}) @result{} value (ewoc-set-data @var{node} @var{new-value}) @result{} @var{new-value} @end lisp @noindent You can also use, as the data element value, a Lisp object (list or vector) that is a container for the ``real'' value, or an index into some other structure. The example (@pxref{Abstract Display Example}) uses the latter approach. When the data changes, you will want to update the text in the buffer. You can update all nodes by calling @code{ewoc-refresh}, or just specific nodes using @code{ewoc-invalidate}, or all nodes satisfying a predicate using @code{ewoc-map}. Alternatively, you can delete invalid nodes using @code{ewoc-delete} or @code{ewoc-filter}, and add new nodes in their place. Deleting a node from an ewoc deletes its associated textual description from buffer, as well. @menu * Abstract Display Functions:: * Abstract Display Example:: @end menu @node Abstract Display Functions @subsection Abstract Display Functions In this subsection, @var{ewoc} and @var{node} stand for the structures described above (@pxref{Abstract Display}), while @var{data} stands for an arbitrary Lisp object used as a data element. @defun ewoc-create pretty-printer &optional header footer nosep This constructs and returns a new ewoc, with no nodes (and thus no data elements). @var{pretty-printer} should be a function that takes one argument, a data element of the sort you plan to use in this ewoc, and inserts its textual description at point using @code{insert} (and never @code{insert-before-markers}, because that would interfere with the Ewoc package's internal mechanisms). Normally, a newline is automatically inserted after the header, the footer and every node's textual description. If @var{nosep} is non-@code{nil}, no newline is inserted. This may be useful for displaying an entire ewoc on a single line, for example, or for making nodes ``invisible'' by arranging for @var{pretty-printer} to do nothing for those nodes. An ewoc maintains its text in the buffer that is current when you create it, so switch to the intended buffer before calling @code{ewoc-create}. @end defun @defun ewoc-buffer ewoc This returns the buffer where @var{ewoc} maintains its text. @end defun @defun ewoc-get-hf ewoc This returns a cons cell @code{(@var{header} . @var{footer})} made from @var{ewoc}'s header and footer. @end defun @defun ewoc-set-hf ewoc header footer This sets the header and footer of @var{ewoc} to the strings @var{header} and @var{footer}, respectively. @end defun @defun ewoc-enter-first ewoc data @defunx ewoc-enter-last ewoc data These add a new node encapsulating @var{data}, putting it, respectively, at the beginning or end of @var{ewoc}'s chain of nodes. @end defun @defun ewoc-enter-before ewoc node data @defunx ewoc-enter-after ewoc node data These add a new node encapsulating @var{data}, adding it to @var{ewoc} before or after @var{node}, respectively. @end defun @defun ewoc-prev ewoc node @defunx ewoc-next ewoc node These return, respectively, the previous node and the next node of @var{node} in @var{ewoc}. @end defun @defun ewoc-nth ewoc n This returns the node in @var{ewoc} found at zero-based index @var{n}. A negative @var{n} means count from the end. @code{ewoc-nth} returns @code{nil} if @var{n} is out of range. @end defun @defun ewoc-data node This extracts the data encapsulated by @var{node} and returns it. @end defun @defun ewoc-set-data node data This sets the data encapsulated by @var{node} to @var{data}. @end defun @defun ewoc-locate ewoc &optional pos guess This determines the node in @var{ewoc} which contains point (or @var{pos} if specified), and returns that node. If @var{ewoc} has no nodes, it returns @code{nil}. If @var{pos} is before the first node, it returns the first node; if @var{pos} is after the last node, it returns the last node. The optional third arg @var{guess} should be a node that is likely to be near @var{pos}; this doesn't alter the result, but makes the function run faster. @end defun @defun ewoc-location node This returns the start position of @var{node}. @end defun @defun ewoc-goto-prev ewoc arg @defunx ewoc-goto-next ewoc arg These move point to the previous or next, respectively, @var{arg}th node in @var{ewoc}. @code{ewoc-goto-prev} does not move if it is already at the first node or if @var{ewoc} is empty, whereas @code{ewoc-goto-next} moves past the last node, returning @code{nil}. Excepting this special case, these functions return the node moved to. @end defun @defun ewoc-goto-node ewoc node This moves point to the start of @var{node} in @var{ewoc}. @end defun @defun ewoc-refresh ewoc This function regenerates the text of @var{ewoc}. It works by deleting the text between the header and the footer, i.e., all the data elements' representations, and then calling the pretty-printer function for each node, one by one, in order. @end defun @defun ewoc-invalidate ewoc &rest nodes This is similar to @code{ewoc-refresh}, except that only @var{nodes} in @var{ewoc} are updated instead of the entire set. @end defun @defun ewoc-delete ewoc &rest nodes This deletes each node in @var{nodes} from @var{ewoc}. @end defun @defun ewoc-filter ewoc predicate &rest args This calls @var{predicate} for each data element in @var{ewoc} and deletes those nodes for which @var{predicate} returns @code{nil}. Any @var{args} are passed to @var{predicate}. @end defun @defun ewoc-collect ewoc predicate &rest args This calls @var{predicate} for each data element in @var{ewoc} and returns a list of those elements for which @var{predicate} returns non-@code{nil}. The elements in the list are ordered as in the buffer. Any @var{args} are passed to @var{predicate}. @end defun @defun ewoc-map map-function ewoc &rest args This calls @var{map-function} for each data element in @var{ewoc} and updates those nodes for which @var{map-function} returns non-@code{nil}. Any @var{args} are passed to @var{map-function}. @end defun @node Abstract Display Example @subsection Abstract Display Example Here is a simple example using functions of the ewoc package to implement a ``color components display,'' an area in a buffer that represents a vector of three integers (itself representing a 24-bit RGB value) in various ways. @example (setq colorcomp-ewoc nil colorcomp-data nil colorcomp-mode-map nil colorcomp-labels ["Red" "Green" "Blue"]) (defun colorcomp-pp (data) (if data (let ((comp (aref colorcomp-data data))) (insert (aref colorcomp-labels data) "\t: #x" (format "%02X" comp) " " (make-string (ash comp -2) ?#) "\n")) (let ((cstr (format "#%02X%02X%02X" (aref colorcomp-data 0) (aref colorcomp-data 1) (aref colorcomp-data 2))) (samp " (sample text) ")) (insert "Color\t: " (propertize samp 'face `(foreground-color . ,cstr)) (propertize samp 'face `(background-color . ,cstr)) "\n")))) (defun colorcomp (color) "Allow fiddling with COLOR in a new buffer. The buffer is in Color Components mode." (interactive "sColor (name or #RGB or #RRGGBB): ") (when (string= "" color) (setq color "green")) (unless (color-values color) (error "No such color: %S" color)) (switch-to-buffer (generate-new-buffer (format "originally: %s" color))) (kill-all-local-variables) (setq major-mode 'colorcomp-mode mode-name "Color Components") (use-local-map colorcomp-mode-map) (erase-buffer) (buffer-disable-undo) (let ((data (apply 'vector (mapcar (lambda (n) (ash n -8)) (color-values color)))) (ewoc (ewoc-create 'colorcomp-pp "\nColor Components\n\n" (substitute-command-keys "\n\\@{colorcomp-mode-map@}")))) (set (make-local-variable 'colorcomp-data) data) (set (make-local-variable 'colorcomp-ewoc) ewoc) (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 0) (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 1) (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 2) (ewoc-enter-last ewoc nil))) @end example @cindex controller part, model/view/controller This example can be extended to be a ``color selection widget'' (in other words, the controller part of the ``model/view/controller'' design paradigm) by defining commands to modify @code{colorcomp-data} and to ``finish'' the selection process, and a keymap to tie it all together conveniently. @smallexample (defun colorcomp-mod (index limit delta) (let ((cur (aref colorcomp-data index))) (unless (= limit cur) (aset colorcomp-data index (+ cur delta))) (ewoc-invalidate colorcomp-ewoc (ewoc-nth colorcomp-ewoc index) (ewoc-nth colorcomp-ewoc -1)))) (defun colorcomp-R-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 0 255 1)) (defun colorcomp-G-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 1 255 1)) (defun colorcomp-B-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 2 255 1)) (defun colorcomp-R-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 0 0 -1)) (defun colorcomp-G-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 1 0 -1)) (defun colorcomp-B-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 2 0 -1)) (defun colorcomp-copy-as-kill-and-exit () "Copy the color components into the kill ring and kill the buffer. The string is formatted #RRGGBB (hash followed by six hex digits)." (interactive) (kill-new (format "#%02X%02X%02X" (aref colorcomp-data 0) (aref colorcomp-data 1) (aref colorcomp-data 2))) (kill-buffer nil)) (setq colorcomp-mode-map (let ((m (make-sparse-keymap))) (suppress-keymap m) (define-key m "i" 'colorcomp-R-less) (define-key m "o" 'colorcomp-R-more) (define-key m "k" 'colorcomp-G-less) (define-key m "l" 'colorcomp-G-more) (define-key m "," 'colorcomp-B-less) (define-key m "." 'colorcomp-B-more) (define-key m " " 'colorcomp-copy-as-kill-and-exit) m)) @end smallexample Note that we never modify the data in each node, which is fixed when the ewoc is created to be either @code{nil} or an index into the vector @code{colorcomp-data}, the actual color components. @node Blinking @section Blinking Parentheses @cindex parenthesis matching @cindex blinking parentheses @cindex balancing parentheses This section describes the mechanism by which Emacs shows a matching open parenthesis when the user inserts a close parenthesis. @defvar blink-paren-function The value of this variable should be a function (of no arguments) to be called whenever a character with close parenthesis syntax is inserted. The value of @code{blink-paren-function} may be @code{nil}, in which case nothing is done. @end defvar @defopt blink-matching-paren If this variable is @code{nil}, then @code{blink-matching-open} does nothing. @end defopt @defopt blink-matching-paren-distance This variable specifies the maximum distance to scan for a matching parenthesis before giving up. @end defopt @defopt blink-matching-delay This variable specifies the number of seconds for the cursor to remain at the matching parenthesis. A fraction of a second often gives good results, but the default is 1, which works on all systems. @end defopt @deffn Command blink-matching-open This function is the default value of @code{blink-paren-function}. It assumes that point follows a character with close parenthesis syntax and moves the cursor momentarily to the matching opening character. If that character is not already on the screen, it displays the character's context in the echo area. To avoid long delays, this function does not search farther than @code{blink-matching-paren-distance} characters. Here is an example of calling this function explicitly. @smallexample @group (defun interactive-blink-matching-open () @c Do not break this line! -- rms. @c The first line of a doc string @c must stand alone. "Indicate momentarily the start of sexp before point." (interactive) @end group @group (let ((blink-matching-paren-distance (buffer-size)) (blink-matching-paren t)) (blink-matching-open))) @end group @end smallexample @end deffn @node Usual Display @section Usual Display Conventions The usual display conventions define how to display each character code. You can override these conventions by setting up a display table (@pxref{Display Tables}). Here are the usual display conventions: @itemize @bullet @item Character codes 32 through 126 map to glyph codes 32 through 126. Normally this means they display as themselves. @item Character code 9 is a horizontal tab. It displays as whitespace up to a position determined by @code{tab-width}. @item Character code 10 is a newline. @item All other codes in the range 0 through 31, and code 127, display in one of two ways according to the value of @code{ctl-arrow}. If it is non-@code{nil}, these codes map to sequences of two glyphs, where the first glyph is the @acronym{ASCII} code for @samp{^}. (A display table can specify a glyph to use instead of @samp{^}.) Otherwise, these codes map just like the codes in the range 128 to 255. On MS-DOS terminals, Emacs arranges by default for the character code 127 to be mapped to the glyph code 127, which normally displays as an empty polygon. This glyph is used to display non-@acronym{ASCII} characters that the MS-DOS terminal doesn't support. @xref{MS-DOS and MULE,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. @item Character codes 128 through 255 map to sequences of four glyphs, where the first glyph is the @acronym{ASCII} code for @samp{\}, and the others are digit characters representing the character code in octal. (A display table can specify a glyph to use instead of @samp{\}.) @item Multibyte character codes above 256 are displayed as themselves, or as a question mark or empty box if the terminal cannot display that character. @end itemize The usual display conventions apply even when there is a display table, for any character whose entry in the active display table is @code{nil}. Thus, when you set up a display table, you need only specify the characters for which you want special behavior. These display rules apply to carriage return (character code 13), when it appears in the buffer. But that character may not appear in the buffer where you expect it, if it was eliminated as part of end-of-line conversion (@pxref{Coding System Basics}). These variables affect the way certain characters are displayed on the screen. Since they change the number of columns the characters occupy, they also affect the indentation functions. These variables also affect how the mode line is displayed; if you want to force redisplay of the mode line using the new values, call the function @code{force-mode-line-update} (@pxref{Mode Line Format}). @defopt ctl-arrow @cindex control characters in display This buffer-local variable controls how control characters are displayed. If it is non-@code{nil}, they are displayed as a caret followed by the character: @samp{^A}. If it is @code{nil}, they are displayed as a backslash followed by three octal digits: @samp{\001}. @end defopt @c Following may have overfull hbox. @defvar default-ctl-arrow The value of this variable is the default value for @code{ctl-arrow} in buffers that do not override it. @xref{Default Value}. @end defvar @defopt tab-width The value of this buffer-local variable is the spacing between tab stops used for displaying tab characters in Emacs buffers. The value is in units of columns, and the default is 8. Note that this feature is completely independent of the user-settable tab stops used by the command @code{tab-to-tab-stop}. @xref{Indent Tabs}. @end defopt @node Display Tables @section Display Tables @cindex display table You can use the @dfn{display table} feature to control how all possible character codes display on the screen. This is useful for displaying European languages that have letters not in the @acronym{ASCII} character set. The display table maps each character code into a sequence of @dfn{glyphs}, each glyph being a graphic that takes up one character position on the screen. You can also define how to display each glyph on your terminal, using the @dfn{glyph table}. Display tables affect how the mode line is displayed; if you want to force redisplay of the mode line using a new display table, call @code{force-mode-line-update} (@pxref{Mode Line Format}). @menu * Display Table Format:: What a display table consists of. * Active Display Table:: How Emacs selects a display table to use. * Glyphs:: How to define a glyph, and what glyphs mean. @end menu @node Display Table Format @subsection Display Table Format A display table is actually a char-table (@pxref{Char-Tables}) with @code{display-table} as its subtype. @defun make-display-table This creates and returns a display table. The table initially has @code{nil} in all elements. @end defun The ordinary elements of the display table are indexed by character codes; the element at index @var{c} says how to display the character code @var{c}. The value should be @code{nil} or a vector of the glyphs to be output (@pxref{Glyphs}). @code{nil} says to display the character @var{c} according to the usual display conventions (@pxref{Usual Display}). @strong{Warning:} if you use the display table to change the display of newline characters, the whole buffer will be displayed as one long ``line.'' The display table also has six ``extra slots'' which serve special purposes. Here is a table of their meanings; @code{nil} in any slot means to use the default for that slot, as stated below. @table @asis @item 0 The glyph for the end of a truncated screen line (the default for this is @samp{$}). @xref{Glyphs}. On graphical terminals, Emacs uses arrows in the fringes to indicate truncation, so the display table has no effect. @item 1 The glyph for the end of a continued line (the default is @samp{\}). On graphical terminals, Emacs uses curved arrows in the fringes to indicate continuation, so the display table has no effect. @item 2 The glyph for indicating a character displayed as an octal character code (the default is @samp{\}). @item 3 The glyph for indicating a control character (the default is @samp{^}). @item 4 A vector of glyphs for indicating the presence of invisible lines (the default is @samp{...}). @xref{Selective Display}. @item 5 The glyph used to draw the border between side-by-side windows (the default is @samp{|}). @xref{Splitting Windows}. This takes effect only when there are no scroll bars; if scroll bars are supported and in use, a scroll bar separates the two windows. @end table For example, here is how to construct a display table that mimics the effect of setting @code{ctl-arrow} to a non-@code{nil} value: @example (setq disptab (make-display-table)) (let ((i 0)) (while (< i 32) (or (= i ?\t) (= i ?\n) (aset disptab i (vector ?^ (+ i 64)))) (setq i (1+ i))) (aset disptab 127 (vector ?^ ??))) @end example @defun display-table-slot display-table slot This function returns the value of the extra slot @var{slot} of @var{display-table}. The argument @var{slot} may be a number from 0 to 5 inclusive, or a slot name (symbol). Valid symbols are @code{truncation}, @code{wrap}, @code{escape}, @code{control}, @code{selective-display}, and @code{vertical-border}. @end defun @defun set-display-table-slot display-table slot value This function stores @var{value} in the extra slot @var{slot} of @var{display-table}. The argument @var{slot} may be a number from 0 to 5 inclusive, or a slot name (symbol). Valid symbols are @code{truncation}, @code{wrap}, @code{escape}, @code{control}, @code{selective-display}, and @code{vertical-border}. @end defun @defun describe-display-table display-table This function displays a description of the display table @var{display-table} in a help buffer. @end defun @deffn Command describe-current-display-table This command displays a description of the current display table in a help buffer. @end deffn @node Active Display Table @subsection Active Display Table @cindex active display table Each window can specify a display table, and so can each buffer. When a buffer @var{b} is displayed in window @var{w}, display uses the display table for window @var{w} if it has one; otherwise, the display table for buffer @var{b} if it has one; otherwise, the standard display table if any. The display table chosen is called the @dfn{active} display table. @defun window-display-table &optional window This function returns @var{window}'s display table, or @code{nil} if @var{window} does not have an assigned display table. The default for @var{window} is the selected window. @end defun @defun set-window-display-table window table This function sets the display table of @var{window} to @var{table}. The argument @var{table} should be either a display table or @code{nil}. @end defun @defvar buffer-display-table This variable is automatically buffer-local in all buffers; its value in a particular buffer specifies the display table for that buffer. If it is @code{nil}, that means the buffer does not have an assigned display table. @end defvar @defvar standard-display-table This variable's value is the default display table, used whenever a window has no display table and neither does the buffer displayed in that window. This variable is @code{nil} by default. @end defvar If there is no display table to use for a particular window---that is, if the window specifies none, its buffer specifies none, and @code{standard-display-table} is @code{nil}---then Emacs uses the usual display conventions for all character codes in that window. @xref{Usual Display}. A number of functions for changing the standard display table are defined in the library @file{disp-table}. @node Glyphs @subsection Glyphs @cindex glyph A @dfn{glyph} is a generalization of a character; it stands for an image that takes up a single character position on the screen. Normally glyphs come from vectors in the display table (@pxref{Display Tables}). A glyph is represented in Lisp as a @dfn{glyph code}. A glyph code can be @dfn{simple} or it can be defined by the @dfn{glyph table}. A simple glyph code is just a way of specifying a character and a face to output it in. @xref{Faces}. The following functions are used to manipulate simple glyph codes: @defun make-glyph-code char &optional face This function returns a simple glyph code representing char @var{char} with face @var{face}. @end defun @defun glyph-char glyph This function returns the character of simple glyph code @var{glyph}. @end defun @defun glyph-face glyph This function returns face of simple glyph code @var{glyph}, or @code{nil} if @var{glyph} has the default face (face-id 0). @end defun On character terminals, you can set up a @dfn{glyph table} to define the meaning of glyph codes (represented as small integers). @defvar glyph-table The value of this variable is the current glyph table. It should be @code{nil} or a vector whose @var{g}th element defines glyph code @var{g}. If a glyph code is greater than or equal to the length of the glyph table, that code is automatically simple. If @code{glyph-table} is @code{nil} then all glyph codes are simple. The glyph table is used only on character terminals. On graphical displays, all glyph codes are simple. @end defvar Here are the meaningful types of elements in the glyph table: @table @asis @item @var{string} Send the characters in @var{string} to the terminal to output this glyph code. @item @var{code} Define this glyph code as an alias for glyph code @var{code} created by @code{make-glyph-code}. You can use such an alias to define a small-numbered glyph code which specifies a character with a face. @item @code{nil} This glyph code is simple. @end table @defun create-glyph string This function returns a newly-allocated glyph code which is set up to display by sending @var{string} to the terminal. @end defun @node Beeping @section Beeping @c @cindex beeping "beep" is adjacent @cindex bell This section describes how to make Emacs ring the bell (or blink the screen) to attract the user's attention. Be conservative about how often you do this; frequent bells can become irritating. Also be careful not to use just beeping when signaling an error is more appropriate. (@xref{Errors}.) @defun ding &optional do-not-terminate @cindex keyboard macro termination This function beeps, or flashes the screen (see @code{visible-bell} below). It also terminates any keyboard macro currently executing unless @var{do-not-terminate} is non-@code{nil}. @end defun @defun beep &optional do-not-terminate This is a synonym for @code{ding}. @end defun @defopt visible-bell This variable determines whether Emacs should flash the screen to represent a bell. Non-@code{nil} means yes, @code{nil} means no. This is effective on graphical displays, and on text-only terminals provided the terminal's Termcap entry defines the visible bell capability (@samp{vb}). @end defopt @defvar ring-bell-function If this is non-@code{nil}, it specifies how Emacs should ``ring the bell.'' Its value should be a function of no arguments. If this is non-@code{nil}, it takes precedence over the @code{visible-bell} variable. @end defvar @node Window Systems @section Window Systems Emacs works with several window systems, most notably the X Window System. Both Emacs and X use the term ``window,'' but use it differently. An Emacs frame is a single window as far as X is concerned; the individual Emacs windows are not known to X at all. @defvar window-system This variable tells Lisp programs what window system Emacs is running under. The possible values are @table @code @item x @cindex X Window System Emacs is displaying using X. @item pc Emacs is displaying using MS-DOS. @item w32 Emacs is displaying using Windows. @item nil Emacs is using a character-based terminal. @end table @end defvar @defvar window-setup-hook This variable is a normal hook which Emacs runs after handling the initialization files. Emacs runs this hook after it has completed loading your init file, the default initialization file (if any), and the terminal-specific Lisp code, and running the hook @code{term-setup-hook}. This hook is used for internal purposes: setting up communication with the window system, and creating the initial window. Users should not interfere with it. @end defvar @ignore arch-tag: ffdf5714-7ecf-415b-9023-fbc6b409c2c6 @end ignore