# HG changeset patch # User Glenn Morris # Date 1189052616 0 # Node ID e7746a71b8669b1dec1af3a824ceccb90de6a570 # Parent 63784ce1491aa4c4e6716ee062c0b69855885976 Move here from ../../lispref diff -r 63784ce1491a -r e7746a71b866 doc/lispref/text.texi --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/doc/lispref/text.texi Thu Sep 06 04:23:36 2007 +0000 @@ -0,0 +1,4303 @@ +@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 Free Software Foundation, Inc. +@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions. +@setfilename ../info/text +@node Text, Non-ASCII Characters, Markers, Top +@chapter Text +@cindex text + + This chapter describes the functions that deal with the text in a +buffer. Most examine, insert, or delete text in the current buffer, +often operating at point or on text adjacent to point. Many are +interactive. All the functions that change the text provide for undoing +the changes (@pxref{Undo}). + + Many text-related functions operate on a region of text defined by two +buffer positions passed in arguments named @var{start} and @var{end}. +These arguments should be either markers (@pxref{Markers}) or numeric +character positions (@pxref{Positions}). The order of these arguments +does not matter; it is all right for @var{start} to be the end of the +region and @var{end} the beginning. For example, @code{(delete-region 1 +10)} and @code{(delete-region 10 1)} are equivalent. An +@code{args-out-of-range} error is signaled if either @var{start} or +@var{end} is outside the accessible portion of the buffer. In an +interactive call, point and the mark are used for these arguments. + +@cindex buffer contents + Throughout this chapter, ``text'' refers to the characters in the +buffer, together with their properties (when relevant). Keep in mind +that point is always between two characters, and the cursor appears on +the character after point. + +@menu +* Near Point:: Examining text in the vicinity of point. +* Buffer Contents:: Examining text in a general fashion. +* Comparing Text:: Comparing substrings of buffers. +* Insertion:: Adding new text to a buffer. +* Commands for Insertion:: User-level commands to insert text. +* Deletion:: Removing text from a buffer. +* User-Level Deletion:: User-level commands to delete text. +* The Kill Ring:: Where removed text sometimes is saved for later use. +* Undo:: Undoing changes to the text of a buffer. +* Maintaining Undo:: How to enable and disable undo information. + How to control how much information is kept. +* Filling:: Functions for explicit filling. +* Margins:: How to specify margins for filling commands. +* Adaptive Fill:: Adaptive Fill mode chooses a fill prefix from context. +* Auto Filling:: How auto-fill mode is implemented to break lines. +* Sorting:: Functions for sorting parts of the buffer. +* Columns:: Computing horizontal positions, and using them. +* Indentation:: Functions to insert or adjust indentation. +* Case Changes:: Case conversion of parts of the buffer. +* Text Properties:: Assigning Lisp property lists to text characters. +* Substitution:: Replacing a given character wherever it appears. +* Transposition:: Swapping two portions of a buffer. +* Registers:: How registers are implemented. Accessing the text or + position stored in a register. +* Base 64:: Conversion to or from base 64 encoding. +* MD5 Checksum:: Compute the MD5 "message digest"/"checksum". +* Atomic Changes:: Installing several buffer changes "atomically". +* Change Hooks:: Supplying functions to be run when text is changed. +@end menu + +@node Near Point +@section Examining Text Near Point +@cindex text near point + + Many functions are provided to look at the characters around point. +Several simple functions are described here. See also @code{looking-at} +in @ref{Regexp Search}. + +In the following four functions, ``beginning'' or ``end'' of buffer +refers to the beginning or end of the accessible portion. + +@defun char-after &optional position +This function returns the character in the current buffer at (i.e., +immediately after) position @var{position}. If @var{position} is out of +range for this purpose, either before the beginning of the buffer, or at +or beyond the end, then the value is @code{nil}. The default for +@var{position} is point. + +In the following example, assume that the first character in the +buffer is @samp{@@}: + +@example +@group +(char-to-string (char-after 1)) + @result{} "@@" +@end group +@end example +@end defun + +@defun char-before &optional position +This function returns the character in the current buffer immediately +before position @var{position}. If @var{position} is out of range for +this purpose, either at or before the beginning of the buffer, or beyond +the end, then the value is @code{nil}. The default for +@var{position} is point. +@end defun + +@defun following-char +This function returns the character following point in the current +buffer. This is similar to @code{(char-after (point))}. However, if +point is at the end of the buffer, then @code{following-char} returns 0. + +Remember that point is always between characters, and the cursor +normally appears over the character following point. Therefore, the +character returned by @code{following-char} is the character the +cursor is over. + +In this example, point is between the @samp{a} and the @samp{c}. + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +Gentlemen may cry ``Pea@point{}ce! Peace!,'' +but there is no peace. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(char-to-string (preceding-char)) + @result{} "a" +(char-to-string (following-char)) + @result{} "c" +@end group +@end example +@end defun + +@defun preceding-char +This function returns the character preceding point in the current +buffer. See above, under @code{following-char}, for an example. If +point is at the beginning of the buffer, @code{preceding-char} returns +0. +@end defun + +@defun bobp +This function returns @code{t} if point is at the beginning of the +buffer. If narrowing is in effect, this means the beginning of the +accessible portion of the text. See also @code{point-min} in +@ref{Point}. +@end defun + +@defun eobp +This function returns @code{t} if point is at the end of the buffer. +If narrowing is in effect, this means the end of accessible portion of +the text. See also @code{point-max} in @xref{Point}. +@end defun + +@defun bolp +This function returns @code{t} if point is at the beginning of a line. +@xref{Text Lines}. The beginning of the buffer (or of its accessible +portion) always counts as the beginning of a line. +@end defun + +@defun eolp +This function returns @code{t} if point is at the end of a line. The +end of the buffer (or of its accessible portion) is always considered +the end of a line. +@end defun + +@node Buffer Contents +@section Examining Buffer Contents + + This section describes functions that allow a Lisp program to +convert any portion of the text in the buffer into a string. + +@defun buffer-substring start end +This function returns a string containing a copy of the text of the +region defined by positions @var{start} and @var{end} in the current +buffer. If the arguments are not positions in the accessible portion of +the buffer, @code{buffer-substring} signals an @code{args-out-of-range} +error. + +It is not necessary for @var{start} to be less than @var{end}; the +arguments can be given in either order. But most often the smaller +argument is written first. + +Here's an example which assumes Font-Lock mode is not enabled: + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This is the contents of buffer foo + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(buffer-substring 1 10) + @result{} "This is t" +@end group +@group +(buffer-substring (point-max) 10) + @result{} "he contents of buffer foo\n" +@end group +@end example + +If the text being copied has any text properties, these are copied into +the string along with the characters they belong to. @xref{Text +Properties}. However, overlays (@pxref{Overlays}) in the buffer and +their properties are ignored, not copied. + +For example, if Font-Lock mode is enabled, you might get results like +these: + +@example +@group +(buffer-substring 1 10) + @result{} #("This is t" 0 1 (fontified t) 1 9 (fontified t)) +@end group +@end example +@end defun + +@defun buffer-substring-no-properties start end +This is like @code{buffer-substring}, except that it does not copy text +properties, just the characters themselves. @xref{Text Properties}. +@end defun + +@defun filter-buffer-substring start end &optional delete noprops +This function passes the buffer text between @var{start} and @var{end} +through the filter functions specified by the variable +@code{buffer-substring-filters}, and returns the value from the last +filter function. If @code{buffer-substring-filters} is @code{nil}, +the value is the unaltered text from the buffer, what +@code{buffer-substring} would return. + +If @var{delete} is non-@code{nil}, this function deletes the text +between @var{start} and @var{end} after copying it, like +@code{delete-and-extract-region}. + +If @var{noprops} is non-@code{nil}, the final string returned does not +include text properties, while the string passed through the filters +still includes text properties from the buffer text. + +Lisp code should use this function instead of @code{buffer-substring}, +@code{buffer-substring-no-properties}, +or @code{delete-and-extract-region} when copying into user-accessible +data structures such as the kill-ring, X clipboard, and registers. +Major and minor modes can add functions to +@code{buffer-substring-filters} to alter such text as it is copied out +of the buffer. +@end defun + +@defvar buffer-substring-filters +This variable should be a list of functions that accept a single +argument, a string, and return a string. +@code{filter-buffer-substring} passes the buffer substring to the +first function in this list, and the return value of each function is +passed to the next function. The return value of the last function is +used as the return value of @code{filter-buffer-substring}. + +As a special convention, point is set to the start of the buffer text +being operated on (i.e., the @var{start} argument for +@code{filter-buffer-substring}) before these functions are called. + +If this variable is @code{nil}, no filtering is performed. +@end defvar + +@defun buffer-string +This function returns the contents of the entire accessible portion of +the current buffer as a string. It is equivalent to + +@example +(buffer-substring (point-min) (point-max)) +@end example + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This is the contents of buffer foo + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- + +(buffer-string) + @result{} "This is the contents of buffer foo\n" +@end group +@end example +@end defun + +@defun current-word &optional strict really-word +This function returns the symbol (or word) at or near point, as a string. +The return value includes no text properties. + +If the optional argument @var{really-word} is non-@code{nil}, it finds a +word; otherwise, it finds a symbol (which includes both word +characters and symbol constituent characters). + +If the optional argument @var{strict} is non-@code{nil}, then point +must be in or next to the symbol or word---if no symbol or word is +there, the function returns @code{nil}. Otherwise, a nearby symbol or +word on the same line is acceptable. +@end defun + +@defun thing-at-point thing +Return the @var{thing} around or next to point, as a string. + +The argument @var{thing} is a symbol which specifies a kind of syntactic +entity. Possibilities include @code{symbol}, @code{list}, @code{sexp}, +@code{defun}, @code{filename}, @code{url}, @code{word}, @code{sentence}, +@code{whitespace}, @code{line}, @code{page}, and others. + +@example +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +Gentlemen may cry ``Pea@point{}ce! Peace!,'' +but there is no peace. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- + +(thing-at-point 'word) + @result{} "Peace" +(thing-at-point 'line) + @result{} "Gentlemen may cry ``Peace! Peace!,''\n" +(thing-at-point 'whitespace) + @result{} nil +@end example +@end defun + +@node Comparing Text +@section Comparing Text +@cindex comparing buffer text + + This function lets you compare portions of the text in a buffer, without +copying them into strings first. + +@defun compare-buffer-substrings buffer1 start1 end1 buffer2 start2 end2 +This function lets you compare two substrings of the same buffer or two +different buffers. The first three arguments specify one substring, +giving a buffer (or a buffer name) and two positions within the +buffer. The last three arguments specify the other substring in the +same way. You can use @code{nil} for @var{buffer1}, @var{buffer2}, or +both to stand for the current buffer. + +The value is negative if the first substring is less, positive if the +first is greater, and zero if they are equal. The absolute value of +the result is one plus the index of the first differing characters +within the substrings. + +This function ignores case when comparing characters +if @code{case-fold-search} is non-@code{nil}. It always ignores +text properties. + +Suppose the current buffer contains the text @samp{foobarbar +haha!rara!}; then in this example the two substrings are @samp{rbar } +and @samp{rara!}. The value is 2 because the first substring is greater +at the second character. + +@example +(compare-buffer-substrings nil 6 11 nil 16 21) + @result{} 2 +@end example +@end defun + +@node Insertion +@section Inserting Text +@cindex insertion of text +@cindex text insertion + +@cindex insertion before point +@cindex before point, insertion + @dfn{Insertion} means adding new text to a buffer. The inserted text +goes at point---between the character before point and the character +after point. Some insertion functions leave point before the inserted +text, while other functions leave it after. We call the former +insertion @dfn{after point} and the latter insertion @dfn{before point}. + + Insertion relocates markers that point at positions after the +insertion point, so that they stay with the surrounding text +(@pxref{Markers}). When a marker points at the place of insertion, +insertion may or may not relocate the marker, depending on the marker's +insertion type (@pxref{Marker Insertion Types}). Certain special +functions such as @code{insert-before-markers} relocate all such markers +to point after the inserted text, regardless of the markers' insertion +type. + + Insertion functions signal an error if the current buffer is +read-only or if they insert within read-only text. + + These functions copy text characters from strings and buffers along +with their properties. The inserted characters have exactly the same +properties as the characters they were copied from. By contrast, +characters specified as separate arguments, not part of a string or +buffer, inherit their text properties from the neighboring text. + + The insertion functions convert text from unibyte to multibyte in +order to insert in a multibyte buffer, and vice versa---if the text +comes from a string or from a buffer. However, they do not convert +unibyte character codes 128 through 255 to multibyte characters, not +even if the current buffer is a multibyte buffer. @xref{Converting +Representations}. + +@defun insert &rest args +This function inserts the strings and/or characters @var{args} into the +current buffer, at point, moving point forward. In other words, it +inserts the text before point. An error is signaled unless all +@var{args} are either strings or characters. The value is @code{nil}. +@end defun + +@defun insert-before-markers &rest args +This function inserts the strings and/or characters @var{args} into the +current buffer, at point, moving point forward. An error is signaled +unless all @var{args} are either strings or characters. The value is +@code{nil}. + +This function is unlike the other insertion functions in that it +relocates markers initially pointing at the insertion point, to point +after the inserted text. If an overlay begins at the insertion point, +the inserted text falls outside the overlay; if a nonempty overlay +ends at the insertion point, the inserted text falls inside that +overlay. +@end defun + +@defun insert-char character count &optional inherit +This function inserts @var{count} instances of @var{character} into the +current buffer before point. The argument @var{count} should be an +integer, and @var{character} must be a character. The value is @code{nil}. + +This function does not convert unibyte character codes 128 through 255 +to multibyte characters, not even if the current buffer is a multibyte +buffer. @xref{Converting Representations}. + +If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, then the inserted characters inherit +sticky text properties from the two characters before and after the +insertion point. @xref{Sticky Properties}. +@end defun + +@defun insert-buffer-substring from-buffer-or-name &optional start end +This function inserts a portion of buffer @var{from-buffer-or-name} +(which must already exist) into the current buffer before point. The +text inserted is the region between @var{start} and @var{end}. (These +arguments default to the beginning and end of the accessible portion of +that buffer.) This function returns @code{nil}. + +In this example, the form is executed with buffer @samp{bar} as the +current buffer. We assume that buffer @samp{bar} is initially empty. + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(insert-buffer-substring "foo" 1 20) + @result{} nil + +---------- Buffer: bar ---------- +We hold these truth@point{} +---------- Buffer: bar ---------- +@end group +@end example +@end defun + +@defun insert-buffer-substring-no-properties from-buffer-or-name &optional start end +This is like @code{insert-buffer-substring} except that it does not +copy any text properties. +@end defun + + @xref{Sticky Properties}, for other insertion functions that inherit +text properties from the nearby text in addition to inserting it. +Whitespace inserted by indentation functions also inherits text +properties. + +@node Commands for Insertion +@section User-Level Insertion Commands + + This section describes higher-level commands for inserting text, +commands intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp +programs. + +@deffn Command insert-buffer from-buffer-or-name +This command inserts the entire accessible contents of +@var{from-buffer-or-name} (which must exist) into the current buffer +after point. It leaves the mark after the inserted text. The value +is @code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command self-insert-command count +@cindex character insertion +@cindex self-insertion +This command inserts the last character typed; it does so @var{count} +times, before point, and returns @code{nil}. Most printing characters +are bound to this command. In routine use, @code{self-insert-command} +is the most frequently called function in Emacs, but programs rarely use +it except to install it on a keymap. + +In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument. + +Self-insertion translates the input character through +@code{translation-table-for-input}. @xref{Translation of Characters}. + +This command calls @code{auto-fill-function} whenever that is +non-@code{nil} and the character inserted is in the table +@code{auto-fill-chars} (@pxref{Auto Filling}). + +@c Cross refs reworded to prevent overfull hbox. --rjc 15mar92 +This command performs abbrev expansion if Abbrev mode is enabled and +the inserted character does not have word-constituent +syntax. (@xref{Abbrevs}, and @ref{Syntax Class Table}.) It is also +responsible for calling @code{blink-paren-function} when the inserted +character has close parenthesis syntax (@pxref{Blinking}). + +Do not try substituting your own definition of +@code{self-insert-command} for the standard one. The editor command +loop handles this function specially. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command newline &optional number-of-newlines +This command inserts newlines into the current buffer before point. +If @var{number-of-newlines} is supplied, that many newline characters +are inserted. + +@cindex newline and Auto Fill mode +This function calls @code{auto-fill-function} if the current column +number is greater than the value of @code{fill-column} and +@var{number-of-newlines} is @code{nil}. Typically what +@code{auto-fill-function} does is insert a newline; thus, the overall +result in this case is to insert two newlines at different places: one +at point, and another earlier in the line. @code{newline} does not +auto-fill if @var{number-of-newlines} is non-@code{nil}. + +This command indents to the left margin if that is not zero. +@xref{Margins}. + +The value returned is @code{nil}. In an interactive call, @var{count} +is the numeric prefix argument. +@end deffn + +@defvar overwrite-mode +This variable controls whether overwrite mode is in effect. The value +should be @code{overwrite-mode-textual}, @code{overwrite-mode-binary}, +or @code{nil}. @code{overwrite-mode-textual} specifies textual +overwrite mode (treats newlines and tabs specially), and +@code{overwrite-mode-binary} specifies binary overwrite mode (treats +newlines and tabs like any other characters). +@end defvar + +@node Deletion +@section Deleting Text +@cindex text deletion + +@cindex deleting text vs killing + Deletion means removing part of the text in a buffer, without saving +it in the kill ring (@pxref{The Kill Ring}). Deleted text can't be +yanked, but can be reinserted using the undo mechanism (@pxref{Undo}). +Some deletion functions do save text in the kill ring in some special +cases. + + All of the deletion functions operate on the current buffer. + +@deffn Command erase-buffer +This function deletes the entire text of the current buffer +(@emph{not} just the accessible portion), leaving it +empty. If the buffer is read-only, it signals a @code{buffer-read-only} +error; if some of the text in it is read-only, it signals a +@code{text-read-only} error. Otherwise, it deletes the text without +asking for any confirmation. It returns @code{nil}. + +Normally, deleting a large amount of text from a buffer inhibits further +auto-saving of that buffer ``because it has shrunk.'' However, +@code{erase-buffer} does not do this, the idea being that the future +text is not really related to the former text, and its size should not +be compared with that of the former text. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command delete-region start end +This command deletes the text between positions @var{start} and +@var{end} in the current buffer, and returns @code{nil}. If point was +inside the deleted region, its value afterward is @var{start}. +Otherwise, point relocates with the surrounding text, as markers do. +@end deffn + +@defun delete-and-extract-region start end +This function deletes the text between positions @var{start} and +@var{end} in the current buffer, and returns a string containing the +text just deleted. + +If point was inside the deleted region, its value afterward is +@var{start}. Otherwise, point relocates with the surrounding text, as +markers do. +@end defun + +@deffn Command delete-char count &optional killp +This command deletes @var{count} characters directly after point, or +before point if @var{count} is negative. If @var{killp} is +non-@code{nil}, then it saves the deleted characters in the kill ring. + +In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and +@var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix +argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix +argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in +the kill ring. + +The value returned is always @code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command delete-backward-char count &optional killp +@cindex deleting previous char +This command deletes @var{count} characters directly before point, or +after point if @var{count} is negative. If @var{killp} is +non-@code{nil}, then it saves the deleted characters in the kill ring. + +In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and +@var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix +argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix +argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in +the kill ring. + +The value returned is always @code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command backward-delete-char-untabify count &optional killp +@cindex tab deletion +This command deletes @var{count} characters backward, changing tabs +into spaces. When the next character to be deleted is a tab, it is +first replaced with the proper number of spaces to preserve alignment +and then one of those spaces is deleted instead of the tab. If +@var{killp} is non-@code{nil}, then the command saves the deleted +characters in the kill ring. + +Conversion of tabs to spaces happens only if @var{count} is positive. +If it is negative, exactly @minus{}@var{count} characters after point +are deleted. + +In an interactive call, @var{count} is the numeric prefix argument, and +@var{killp} is the unprocessed prefix argument. Therefore, if a prefix +argument is supplied, the text is saved in the kill ring. If no prefix +argument is supplied, then one character is deleted, but not saved in +the kill ring. + +The value returned is always @code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@defopt backward-delete-char-untabify-method +This option specifies how @code{backward-delete-char-untabify} should +deal with whitespace. Possible values include @code{untabify}, the +default, meaning convert a tab to many spaces and delete one; +@code{hungry}, meaning delete all tabs and spaces before point with +one command; @code{all} meaning delete all tabs, spaces and newlines +before point, and @code{nil}, meaning do nothing special for +whitespace characters. +@end defopt + +@node User-Level Deletion +@section User-Level Deletion Commands + + This section describes higher-level commands for deleting text, +commands intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp +programs. + +@deffn Command delete-horizontal-space &optional backward-only +@cindex deleting whitespace +This function deletes all spaces and tabs around point. It returns +@code{nil}. + +If @var{backward-only} is non-@code{nil}, the function deletes +spaces and tabs before point, but not after point. + +In the following examples, we call @code{delete-horizontal-space} four +times, once on each line, with point between the second and third +characters on the line each time. + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +I @point{}thought +I @point{} thought +We@point{} thought +Yo@point{}u thought +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(delete-horizontal-space) ; @r{Four times.} + @result{} nil + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +Ithought +Ithought +Wethought +You thought +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end example +@end deffn + +@deffn Command delete-indentation &optional join-following-p +This function joins the line point is on to the previous line, deleting +any whitespace at the join and in some cases replacing it with one +space. If @var{join-following-p} is non-@code{nil}, +@code{delete-indentation} joins this line to the following line +instead. The function returns @code{nil}. + +If there is a fill prefix, and the second of the lines being joined +starts with the prefix, then @code{delete-indentation} deletes the +fill prefix before joining the lines. @xref{Margins}. + +In the example below, point is located on the line starting +@samp{events}, and it makes no difference if there are trailing spaces +in the preceding line. + +@smallexample +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +When in the course of human +@point{} events, it becomes necessary +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +(delete-indentation) + @result{} nil + +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +When in the course of human@point{} events, it becomes necessary +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end smallexample + +After the lines are joined, the function @code{fixup-whitespace} is +responsible for deciding whether to leave a space at the junction. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command fixup-whitespace +This function replaces all the horizontal whitespace surrounding point +with either one space or no space, according to the context. It +returns @code{nil}. + +At the beginning or end of a line, the appropriate amount of space is +none. Before a character with close parenthesis syntax, or after a +character with open parenthesis or expression-prefix syntax, no space is +also appropriate. Otherwise, one space is appropriate. @xref{Syntax +Class Table}. + +In the example below, @code{fixup-whitespace} is called the first time +with point before the word @samp{spaces} in the first line. For the +second invocation, point is directly after the @samp{(}. + +@smallexample +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This has too many @point{}spaces +This has too many spaces at the start of (@point{} this list) +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(fixup-whitespace) + @result{} nil +(fixup-whitespace) + @result{} nil +@end group + +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This has too many spaces +This has too many spaces at the start of (this list) +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end smallexample +@end deffn + +@deffn Command just-one-space &optional n +@comment !!SourceFile simple.el +This command replaces any spaces and tabs around point with a single +space, or @var{n} spaces if @var{n} is specified. It returns +@code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command delete-blank-lines +This function deletes blank lines surrounding point. If point is on a +blank line with one or more blank lines before or after it, then all but +one of them are deleted. If point is on an isolated blank line, then it +is deleted. If point is on a nonblank line, the command deletes all +blank lines immediately following it. + +A blank line is defined as a line containing only tabs and spaces. + +@code{delete-blank-lines} returns @code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@node The Kill Ring +@section The Kill Ring +@cindex kill ring + + @dfn{Kill functions} delete text like the deletion functions, but save +it so that the user can reinsert it by @dfn{yanking}. Most of these +functions have @samp{kill-} in their name. By contrast, the functions +whose names start with @samp{delete-} normally do not save text for +yanking (though they can still be undone); these are ``deletion'' +functions. + + Most of the kill commands are primarily for interactive use, and are +not described here. What we do describe are the functions provided for +use in writing such commands. You can use these functions to write +commands for killing text. When you need to delete text for internal +purposes within a Lisp function, you should normally use deletion +functions, so as not to disturb the kill ring contents. +@xref{Deletion}. + + Killed text is saved for later yanking in the @dfn{kill ring}. This +is a list that holds a number of recent kills, not just the last text +kill. We call this a ``ring'' because yanking treats it as having +elements in a cyclic order. The list is kept in the variable +@code{kill-ring}, and can be operated on with the usual functions for +lists; there are also specialized functions, described in this section, +that treat it as a ring. + + Some people think this use of the word ``kill'' is unfortunate, since +it refers to operations that specifically @emph{do not} destroy the +entities ``killed.'' This is in sharp contrast to ordinary life, in +which death is permanent and ``killed'' entities do not come back to +life. Therefore, other metaphors have been proposed. For example, the +term ``cut ring'' makes sense to people who, in pre-computer days, used +scissors and paste to cut up and rearrange manuscripts. However, it +would be difficult to change the terminology now. + +@menu +* Kill Ring Concepts:: What text looks like in the kill ring. +* Kill Functions:: Functions that kill text. +* Yanking:: How yanking is done. +* Yank Commands:: Commands that access the kill ring. +* Low-Level Kill Ring:: Functions and variables for kill ring access. +* Internals of Kill Ring:: Variables that hold kill ring data. +@end menu + +@node Kill Ring Concepts +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@subsection Kill Ring Concepts + + The kill ring records killed text as strings in a list, most recent +first. A short kill ring, for example, might look like this: + +@example +("some text" "a different piece of text" "even older text") +@end example + +@noindent +When the list reaches @code{kill-ring-max} entries in length, adding a +new entry automatically deletes the last entry. + + When kill commands are interwoven with other commands, each kill +command makes a new entry in the kill ring. Multiple kill commands in +succession build up a single kill ring entry, which would be yanked as a +unit; the second and subsequent consecutive kill commands add text to +the entry made by the first one. + + For yanking, one entry in the kill ring is designated the ``front'' of +the ring. Some yank commands ``rotate'' the ring by designating a +different element as the ``front.'' But this virtual rotation doesn't +change the list itself---the most recent entry always comes first in the +list. + +@node Kill Functions +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@subsection Functions for Killing + + @code{kill-region} is the usual subroutine for killing text. Any +command that calls this function is a ``kill command'' (and should +probably have @samp{kill} in its name). @code{kill-region} puts the +newly killed text in a new element at the beginning of the kill ring or +adds it to the most recent element. It determines automatically (using +@code{last-command}) whether the previous command was a kill command, +and if so appends the killed text to the most recent entry. + +@deffn Command kill-region start end &optional yank-handler +This function kills the text in the region defined by @var{start} and +@var{end}. The text is deleted but saved in the kill ring, along with +its text properties. The value is always @code{nil}. + +In an interactive call, @var{start} and @var{end} are point and +the mark. + +@c Emacs 19 feature +If the buffer or text is read-only, @code{kill-region} modifies the kill +ring just the same, then signals an error without modifying the buffer. +This is convenient because it lets the user use a series of kill +commands to copy text from a read-only buffer into the kill ring. + +If @var{yank-handler} is non-@code{nil}, this puts that value onto +the string of killed text, as a @code{yank-handler} text property. +@xref{Yanking}. Note that if @var{yank-handler} is @code{nil}, any +@code{yank-handler} properties present on the killed text are copied +onto the kill ring, like other text properties. +@end deffn + +@defopt kill-read-only-ok +If this option is non-@code{nil}, @code{kill-region} does not signal an +error if the buffer or text is read-only. Instead, it simply returns, +updating the kill ring but not changing the buffer. +@end defopt + +@deffn Command copy-region-as-kill start end +This command saves the region defined by @var{start} and @var{end} on +the kill ring (including text properties), but does not delete the text +from the buffer. It returns @code{nil}. + +The command does not set @code{this-command} to @code{kill-region}, so a +subsequent kill command does not append to the same kill ring entry. + +Don't call @code{copy-region-as-kill} in Lisp programs unless you aim to +support Emacs 18. For newer Emacs versions, it is better to use +@code{kill-new} or @code{kill-append} instead. @xref{Low-Level Kill +Ring}. +@end deffn + +@node Yanking +@subsection Yanking + + Yanking means inserting text from the kill ring, but it does +not insert the text blindly. Yank commands and some other commands +use @code{insert-for-yank} to perform special processing on the +text that they copy into the buffer. + +@defun insert-for-yank string +This function normally works like @code{insert} except that it doesn't +insert the text properties in the @code{yank-excluded-properties} +list. However, if any part of @var{string} has a non-@code{nil} +@code{yank-handler} text property, that property can do various +special processing on that part of the text being inserted. +@end defun + +@defun insert-buffer-substring-as-yank buf &optional start end +This function resembles @code{insert-buffer-substring} except that it +doesn't insert the text properties in the +@code{yank-excluded-properties} list. +@end defun + + You can put a @code{yank-handler} text property on all or part of +the text to control how it will be inserted if it is yanked. The +@code{insert-for-yank} function looks for that property. The property +value must be a list of one to four elements, with the following +format (where elements after the first may be omitted): + +@example +(@var{function} @var{param} @var{noexclude} @var{undo}) +@end example + + Here is what the elements do: + +@table @var +@item function +When @var{function} is present and non-@code{nil}, it is called instead of +@code{insert} to insert the string. @var{function} takes one +argument---the string to insert. + +@item param +If @var{param} is present and non-@code{nil}, it replaces @var{string} +(or the part of @var{string} being processed) as the object passed to +@var{function} (or @code{insert}); for example, if @var{function} is +@code{yank-rectangle}, @var{param} should be a list of strings to +insert as a rectangle. + +@item noexclude +If @var{noexclude} is present and non-@code{nil}, the normal removal of the +yank-excluded-properties is not performed; instead @var{function} is +responsible for removing those properties. This may be necessary +if @var{function} adjusts point before or after inserting the object. + +@item undo +If @var{undo} is present and non-@code{nil}, it is a function that will be +called by @code{yank-pop} to undo the insertion of the current object. +It is called with two arguments, the start and end of the current +region. @var{function} can set @code{yank-undo-function} to override +the @var{undo} value. +@end table + +@node Yank Commands +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@subsection Functions for Yanking + + This section describes higher-level commands for yanking, which are +intended primarily for the user but useful also in Lisp programs. +Both @code{yank} and @code{yank-pop} honor the +@code{yank-excluded-properties} variable and @code{yank-handler} text +property (@pxref{Yanking}). + +@deffn Command yank &optional arg +@cindex inserting killed text +This command inserts before point the text at the front of the +kill ring. It positions the mark at the beginning of that text, and +point at the end. + +If @var{arg} is a non-@code{nil} list (which occurs interactively when +the user types @kbd{C-u} with no digits), then @code{yank} inserts the +text as described above, but puts point before the yanked text and +puts the mark after it. + +If @var{arg} is a number, then @code{yank} inserts the @var{arg}th +most recently killed text---the @var{arg}th element of the kill ring +list, counted cyclically from the front, which is considered the +first element for this purpose. + +@code{yank} does not alter the contents of the kill ring, unless it +used text provided by another program, in which case it pushes that text +onto the kill ring. However if @var{arg} is an integer different from +one, it rotates the kill ring to place the yanked string at the front. + +@code{yank} returns @code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command yank-pop &optional arg +This command replaces the just-yanked entry from the kill ring with a +different entry from the kill ring. + +This is allowed only immediately after a @code{yank} or another +@code{yank-pop}. At such a time, the region contains text that was just +inserted by yanking. @code{yank-pop} deletes that text and inserts in +its place a different piece of killed text. It does not add the deleted +text to the kill ring, since it is already in the kill ring somewhere. +It does however rotate the kill ring to place the newly yanked string at +the front. + +If @var{arg} is @code{nil}, then the replacement text is the previous +element of the kill ring. If @var{arg} is numeric, the replacement is +the @var{arg}th previous kill. If @var{arg} is negative, a more recent +kill is the replacement. + +The sequence of kills in the kill ring wraps around, so that after the +oldest one comes the newest one, and before the newest one goes the +oldest. + +The return value is always @code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@defvar yank-undo-function +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, the function @code{yank-pop} uses +its value instead of @code{delete-region} to delete the text +inserted by the previous @code{yank} or +@code{yank-pop} command. The value must be a function of two +arguments, the start and end of the current region. + +The function @code{insert-for-yank} automatically sets this variable +according to the @var{undo} element of the @code{yank-handler} +text property, if there is one. +@end defvar + +@node Low-Level Kill Ring +@subsection Low-Level Kill Ring + + These functions and variables provide access to the kill ring at a +lower level, but still convenient for use in Lisp programs, because they +take care of interaction with window system selections +(@pxref{Window System Selections}). + +@defun current-kill n &optional do-not-move +The function @code{current-kill} rotates the yanking pointer, which +designates the ``front'' of the kill ring, by @var{n} places (from newer +kills to older ones), and returns the text at that place in the ring. + +If the optional second argument @var{do-not-move} is non-@code{nil}, +then @code{current-kill} doesn't alter the yanking pointer; it just +returns the @var{n}th kill, counting from the current yanking pointer. + +If @var{n} is zero, indicating a request for the latest kill, +@code{current-kill} calls the value of +@code{interprogram-paste-function} (documented below) before +consulting the kill ring. If that value is a function and calling it +returns a string, @code{current-kill} pushes that string onto the kill +ring and returns it. It also sets the yanking pointer to point to +that new entry, regardless of the value of @var{do-not-move}. +Otherwise, @code{current-kill} does not treat a zero value for @var{n} +specially: it returns the entry pointed at by the yanking pointer and +does not move the yanking pointer. +@end defun + +@defun kill-new string &optional replace yank-handler +This function pushes the text @var{string} onto the kill ring and +makes the yanking pointer point to it. It discards the oldest entry +if appropriate. It also invokes the value of +@code{interprogram-cut-function} (see below). + +If @var{replace} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{kill-new} replaces the +first element of the kill ring with @var{string}, rather than pushing +@var{string} onto the kill ring. + +If @var{yank-handler} is non-@code{nil}, this puts that value onto +the string of killed text, as a @code{yank-handler} property. +@xref{Yanking}. Note that if @var{yank-handler} is @code{nil}, then +@code{kill-new} copies any @code{yank-handler} properties present on +@var{string} onto the kill ring, as it does with other text properties. +@end defun + +@defun kill-append string before-p &optional yank-handler +This function appends the text @var{string} to the first entry in the +kill ring and makes the yanking pointer point to the combined entry. +Normally @var{string} goes at the end of the entry, but if +@var{before-p} is non-@code{nil}, it goes at the beginning. This +function also invokes the value of @code{interprogram-cut-function} +(see below). This handles @var{yank-handler} just like +@code{kill-new}, except that if @var{yank-handler} is different from +the @code{yank-handler} property of the first entry of the kill ring, +@code{kill-append} pushes the concatenated string onto the kill ring, +instead of replacing the original first entry with it. +@end defun + +@defvar interprogram-paste-function +This variable provides a way of transferring killed text from other +programs, when you are using a window system. Its value should be +@code{nil} or a function of no arguments. + +If the value is a function, @code{current-kill} calls it to get the +``most recent kill.'' If the function returns a non-@code{nil} value, +then that value is used as the ``most recent kill.'' If it returns +@code{nil}, then the front of the kill ring is used. + +The normal use of this hook is to get the window system's primary +selection as the most recent kill, even if the selection belongs to +another application. @xref{Window System Selections}. +@end defvar + +@defvar interprogram-cut-function +This variable provides a way of communicating killed text to other +programs, when you are using a window system. Its value should be +@code{nil} or a function of one required and one optional argument. + +If the value is a function, @code{kill-new} and @code{kill-append} call +it with the new first element of the kill ring as the first argument. +The second, optional, argument has the same meaning as the @var{push} +argument to @code{x-set-cut-buffer} (@pxref{Definition of +x-set-cut-buffer}) and only affects the second and later cut buffers. + +The normal use of this hook is to set the window system's primary +selection (and first cut buffer) from the newly killed text. +@xref{Window System Selections}. +@end defvar + +@node Internals of Kill Ring +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@subsection Internals of the Kill Ring + + The variable @code{kill-ring} holds the kill ring contents, in the +form of a list of strings. The most recent kill is always at the front +of the list. + + The @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} variable points to a link in the +kill ring list, whose @sc{car} is the text to yank next. We say it +identifies the ``front'' of the ring. Moving +@code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} to a different link is called +@dfn{rotating the kill ring}. We call the kill ring a ``ring'' because +the functions that move the yank pointer wrap around from the end of the +list to the beginning, or vice-versa. Rotation of the kill ring is +virtual; it does not change the value of @code{kill-ring}. + + Both @code{kill-ring} and @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} are Lisp +variables whose values are normally lists. The word ``pointer'' in the +name of the @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} indicates that the variable's +purpose is to identify one element of the list for use by the next yank +command. + + The value of @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} is always @code{eq} to one +of the links in the kill ring list. The element it identifies is the +@sc{car} of that link. Kill commands, which change the kill ring, also +set this variable to the value of @code{kill-ring}. The effect is to +rotate the ring so that the newly killed text is at the front. + + Here is a diagram that shows the variable @code{kill-ring-yank-pointer} +pointing to the second entry in the kill ring @code{("some text" "a +different piece of text" "yet older text")}. + +@example +@group +kill-ring ---- kill-ring-yank-pointer + | | + | v + | --- --- --- --- --- --- + --> | | |------> | | |--> | | |--> nil + --- --- --- --- --- --- + | | | + | | | + | | -->"yet older text" + | | + | --> "a different piece of text" + | + --> "some text" +@end group +@end example + +@noindent +This state of affairs might occur after @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) +immediately followed by @kbd{M-y} (@code{yank-pop}). + +@defvar kill-ring +This variable holds the list of killed text sequences, most recently +killed first. +@end defvar + +@defvar kill-ring-yank-pointer +This variable's value indicates which element of the kill ring is at the +``front'' of the ring for yanking. More precisely, the value is a tail +of the value of @code{kill-ring}, and its @sc{car} is the kill string +that @kbd{C-y} should yank. +@end defvar + +@defopt kill-ring-max +The value of this variable is the maximum length to which the kill +ring can grow, before elements are thrown away at the end. The default +value for @code{kill-ring-max} is 60. +@end defopt + +@node Undo +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@section Undo +@cindex redo + + Most buffers have an @dfn{undo list}, which records all changes made +to the buffer's text so that they can be undone. (The buffers that +don't have one are usually special-purpose buffers for which Emacs +assumes that undoing is not useful. In particular, any buffer whose +name begins with a space has its undo recording off by default; +see @ref{Buffer Names}.) All the primitives that modify the +text in the buffer automatically add elements to the front of the undo +list, which is in the variable @code{buffer-undo-list}. + +@defvar buffer-undo-list +This buffer-local variable's value is the undo list of the current +buffer. A value of @code{t} disables the recording of undo information. +@end defvar + +Here are the kinds of elements an undo list can have: + +@table @code +@item @var{position} +This kind of element records a previous value of point; undoing this +element moves point to @var{position}. Ordinary cursor motion does not +make any sort of undo record, but deletion operations use these entries +to record where point was before the command. + +@item (@var{beg} . @var{end}) +This kind of element indicates how to delete text that was inserted. +Upon insertion, the text occupied the range @var{beg}--@var{end} in the +buffer. + +@item (@var{text} . @var{position}) +This kind of element indicates how to reinsert text that was deleted. +The deleted text itself is the string @var{text}. The place to +reinsert it is @code{(abs @var{position})}. If @var{position} is +positive, point was at the beginning of the deleted text, otherwise it +was at the end. + +@item (t @var{high} . @var{low}) +This kind of element indicates that an unmodified buffer became +modified. The elements @var{high} and @var{low} are two integers, each +recording 16 bits of the visited file's modification time as of when it +was previously visited or saved. @code{primitive-undo} uses those +values to determine whether to mark the buffer as unmodified once again; +it does so only if the file's modification time matches those numbers. + +@item (nil @var{property} @var{value} @var{beg} . @var{end}) +This kind of element records a change in a text property. +Here's how you might undo the change: + +@example +(put-text-property @var{beg} @var{end} @var{property} @var{value}) +@end example + +@item (@var{marker} . @var{adjustment}) +This kind of element records the fact that the marker @var{marker} was +relocated due to deletion of surrounding text, and that it moved +@var{adjustment} character positions. Undoing this element moves +@var{marker} @minus{} @var{adjustment} characters. + +@item (apply @var{funname} . @var{args}) +This is an extensible undo item, which is undone by calling +@var{funname} with arguments @var{args}. + +@item (apply @var{delta} @var{beg} @var{end} @var{funname} . @var{args}) +This is an extensible undo item, which records a change limited to the +range @var{beg} to @var{end}, which increased the size of the buffer +by @var{delta}. It is undone by calling @var{funname} with arguments +@var{args}. + +This kind of element enables undo limited to a region to determine +whether the element pertains to that region. + +@item nil +This element is a boundary. The elements between two boundaries are +called a @dfn{change group}; normally, each change group corresponds to +one keyboard command, and undo commands normally undo an entire group as +a unit. +@end table + +@defun undo-boundary +This function places a boundary element in the undo list. The undo +command stops at such a boundary, and successive undo commands undo +to earlier and earlier boundaries. This function returns @code{nil}. + +The editor command loop automatically creates an undo boundary before +each key sequence is executed. Thus, each undo normally undoes the +effects of one command. Self-inserting input characters are an +exception. The command loop makes a boundary for the first such +character; the next 19 consecutive self-inserting input characters do +not make boundaries, and then the 20th does, and so on as long as +self-inserting characters continue. + +All buffer modifications add a boundary whenever the previous undoable +change was made in some other buffer. This is to ensure that +each command makes a boundary in each buffer where it makes changes. + +Calling this function explicitly is useful for splitting the effects of +a command into more than one unit. For example, @code{query-replace} +calls @code{undo-boundary} after each replacement, so that the user can +undo individual replacements one by one. +@end defun + +@defvar undo-in-progress +This variable is normally @code{nil}, but the undo commands bind it to +@code{t}. This is so that various kinds of change hooks can tell when +they're being called for the sake of undoing. +@end defvar + +@defun primitive-undo count list +This is the basic function for undoing elements of an undo list. +It undoes the first @var{count} elements of @var{list}, returning +the rest of @var{list}. + +@code{primitive-undo} adds elements to the buffer's undo list when it +changes the buffer. Undo commands avoid confusion by saving the undo +list value at the beginning of a sequence of undo operations. Then the +undo operations use and update the saved value. The new elements added +by undoing are not part of this saved value, so they don't interfere with +continuing to undo. + +This function does not bind @code{undo-in-progress}. +@end defun + +@node Maintaining Undo +@section Maintaining Undo Lists + + This section describes how to enable and disable undo information for +a given buffer. It also explains how the undo list is truncated +automatically so it doesn't get too big. + + Recording of undo information in a newly created buffer is normally +enabled to start with; but if the buffer name starts with a space, the +undo recording is initially disabled. You can explicitly enable or +disable undo recording with the following two functions, or by setting +@code{buffer-undo-list} yourself. + +@deffn Command buffer-enable-undo &optional buffer-or-name +This command enables recording undo information for buffer +@var{buffer-or-name}, so that subsequent changes can be undone. If no +argument is supplied, then the current buffer is used. This function +does nothing if undo recording is already enabled in the buffer. It +returns @code{nil}. + +In an interactive call, @var{buffer-or-name} is the current buffer. +You cannot specify any other buffer. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command buffer-disable-undo &optional buffer-or-name +@cindex disabling undo +This function discards the undo list of @var{buffer-or-name}, and disables +further recording of undo information. As a result, it is no longer +possible to undo either previous changes or any subsequent changes. If +the undo list of @var{buffer-or-name} is already disabled, this function +has no effect. + +This function returns @code{nil}. +@end deffn + + As editing continues, undo lists get longer and longer. To prevent +them from using up all available memory space, garbage collection trims +them back to size limits you can set. (For this purpose, the ``size'' +of an undo list measures the cons cells that make up the list, plus the +strings of deleted text.) Three variables control the range of acceptable +sizes: @code{undo-limit}, @code{undo-strong-limit} and +@code{undo-outer-limit}. In these variables, size is counted as the +number of bytes occupied, which includes both saved text and other +data. + +@defopt undo-limit +This is the soft limit for the acceptable size of an undo list. The +change group at which this size is exceeded is the last one kept. +@end defopt + +@defopt undo-strong-limit +This is the upper limit for the acceptable size of an undo list. The +change group at which this size is exceeded is discarded itself (along +with all older change groups). There is one exception: the very latest +change group is only discarded if it exceeds @code{undo-outer-limit}. +@end defopt + +@defopt undo-outer-limit +If at garbage collection time the undo info for the current command +exceeds this limit, Emacs discards the info and displays a warning. +This is a last ditch limit to prevent memory overflow. +@end defopt + +@defopt undo-ask-before-discard +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, when the undo info exceeds +@code{undo-outer-limit}, Emacs asks in the echo area whether to +discard the info. The default value is @code{nil}, which means to +discard it automatically. + +This option is mainly intended for debugging. Garbage collection is +inhibited while the question is asked, which means that Emacs might +leak memory if the user waits too long before answering the question. +@end defopt + +@node Filling +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@section Filling +@cindex filling text + + @dfn{Filling} means adjusting the lengths of lines (by moving the line +breaks) so that they are nearly (but no greater than) a specified +maximum width. Additionally, lines can be @dfn{justified}, which means +inserting spaces to make the left and/or right margins line up +precisely. The width is controlled by the variable @code{fill-column}. +For ease of reading, lines should be no longer than 70 or so columns. + + You can use Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Auto Filling}) to fill text +automatically as you insert it, but changes to existing text may leave +it improperly filled. Then you must fill the text explicitly. + + Most of the commands in this section return values that are not +meaningful. All the functions that do filling take note of the current +left margin, current right margin, and current justification style +(@pxref{Margins}). If the current justification style is +@code{none}, the filling functions don't actually do anything. + + Several of the filling functions have an argument @var{justify}. +If it is non-@code{nil}, that requests some kind of justification. It +can be @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, or @code{center}, to +request a specific style of justification. If it is @code{t}, that +means to use the current justification style for this part of the text +(see @code{current-justification}, below). Any other value is treated +as @code{full}. + + When you call the filling functions interactively, using a prefix +argument implies the value @code{full} for @var{justify}. + +@deffn Command fill-paragraph justify +This command fills the paragraph at or after point. If +@var{justify} is non-@code{nil}, each line is justified as well. +It uses the ordinary paragraph motion commands to find paragraph +boundaries. @xref{Paragraphs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command fill-region start end &optional justify nosqueeze to-eop +This command fills each of the paragraphs in the region from @var{start} +to @var{end}. It justifies as well if @var{justify} is +non-@code{nil}. + +If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means to leave whitespace +other than line breaks untouched. If @var{to-eop} is non-@code{nil}, +that means to keep filling to the end of the paragraph---or the next hard +newline, if @code{use-hard-newlines} is enabled (see below). + +The variable @code{paragraph-separate} controls how to distinguish +paragraphs. @xref{Standard Regexps}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command fill-individual-paragraphs start end &optional justify citation-regexp +This command fills each paragraph in the region according to its +individual fill prefix. Thus, if the lines of a paragraph were indented +with spaces, the filled paragraph will remain indented in the same +fashion. + +The first two arguments, @var{start} and @var{end}, are the beginning +and end of the region to be filled. The third and fourth arguments, +@var{justify} and @var{citation-regexp}, are optional. If +@var{justify} is non-@code{nil}, the paragraphs are justified as +well as filled. If @var{citation-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, it means the +function is operating on a mail message and therefore should not fill +the header lines. If @var{citation-regexp} is a string, it is used as +a regular expression; if it matches the beginning of a line, that line +is treated as a citation marker. + +Ordinarily, @code{fill-individual-paragraphs} regards each change in +indentation as starting a new paragraph. If +@code{fill-individual-varying-indent} is non-@code{nil}, then only +separator lines separate paragraphs. That mode can handle indented +paragraphs with additional indentation on the first line. +@end deffn + +@defopt fill-individual-varying-indent +This variable alters the action of @code{fill-individual-paragraphs} as +described above. +@end defopt + +@deffn Command fill-region-as-paragraph start end &optional justify nosqueeze squeeze-after +This command considers a region of text as a single paragraph and fills +it. If the region was made up of many paragraphs, the blank lines +between paragraphs are removed. This function justifies as well as +filling when @var{justify} is non-@code{nil}. + +If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means to leave whitespace +other than line breaks untouched. If @var{squeeze-after} is +non-@code{nil}, it specifies a position in the region, and means don't +canonicalize spaces before that position. + +In Adaptive Fill mode, this command calls @code{fill-context-prefix} to +choose a fill prefix by default. @xref{Adaptive Fill}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command justify-current-line &optional how eop nosqueeze +This command inserts spaces between the words of the current line so +that the line ends exactly at @code{fill-column}. It returns +@code{nil}. + +The argument @var{how}, if non-@code{nil} specifies explicitly the style +of justification. It can be @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, +@code{center}, or @code{none}. If it is @code{t}, that means to do +follow specified justification style (see @code{current-justification}, +below). @code{nil} means to do full justification. + +If @var{eop} is non-@code{nil}, that means do only left-justification +if @code{current-justification} specifies full justification. This is +used for the last line of a paragraph; even if the paragraph as a +whole is fully justified, the last line should not be. + +If @var{nosqueeze} is non-@code{nil}, that means do not change interior +whitespace. +@end deffn + +@defopt default-justification +This variable's value specifies the style of justification to use for +text that doesn't specify a style with a text property. The possible +values are @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{full}, @code{center}, or +@code{none}. The default value is @code{left}. +@end defopt + +@defun current-justification +This function returns the proper justification style to use for filling +the text around point. + +This returns the value of the @code{justification} text property at +point, or the variable @var{default-justification} if there is no such +text property. However, it returns @code{nil} rather than @code{none} +to mean ``don't justify''. +@end defun + +@defopt sentence-end-double-space +@anchor{Definition of sentence-end-double-space} +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, a period followed by just one space +does not count as the end of a sentence, and the filling functions +avoid breaking the line at such a place. +@end defopt + +@defopt sentence-end-without-period +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, a sentence can end without a +period. This is used for languages like Thai, where sentences end +with a double space but without a period. +@end defopt + +@defopt sentence-end-without-space +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a string of +characters that can end a sentence without following spaces. +@end defopt + +@defvar fill-paragraph-function +This variable provides a way for major modes to override the filling of +paragraphs. If the value is non-@code{nil}, @code{fill-paragraph} calls +this function to do the work. If the function returns a non-@code{nil} +value, @code{fill-paragraph} assumes the job is done, and immediately +returns that value. + +The usual use of this feature is to fill comments in programming +language modes. If the function needs to fill a paragraph in the usual +way, it can do so as follows: + +@example +(let ((fill-paragraph-function nil)) + (fill-paragraph arg)) +@end example +@end defvar + +@defvar use-hard-newlines +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, the filling functions do not delete +newlines that have the @code{hard} text property. These ``hard +newlines'' act as paragraph separators. +@end defvar + +@node Margins +@section Margins for Filling + +@defopt fill-prefix +This buffer-local variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies a string of +text that appears at the beginning of normal text lines and should be +disregarded when filling them. Any line that fails to start with the +fill prefix is considered the start of a paragraph; so is any line +that starts with the fill prefix followed by additional whitespace. +Lines that start with the fill prefix but no additional whitespace are +ordinary text lines that can be filled together. The resulting filled +lines also start with the fill prefix. + +The fill prefix follows the left margin whitespace, if any. +@end defopt + +@defopt fill-column +This buffer-local variable specifies the maximum width of filled lines. +Its value should be an integer, which is a number of columns. All the +filling, justification, and centering commands are affected by this +variable, including Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Auto Filling}). + +As a practical matter, if you are writing text for other people to +read, you should set @code{fill-column} to no more than 70. Otherwise +the line will be too long for people to read comfortably, and this can +make the text seem clumsy. +@end defopt + +@defvar default-fill-column +The value of this variable is the default value for @code{fill-column} in +buffers that do not override it. This is the same as +@code{(default-value 'fill-column)}. + +The default value for @code{default-fill-column} is 70. +@end defvar + +@deffn Command set-left-margin from to margin +This sets the @code{left-margin} property on the text from @var{from} to +@var{to} to the value @var{margin}. If Auto Fill mode is enabled, this +command also refills the region to fit the new margin. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command set-right-margin from to margin +This sets the @code{right-margin} property on the text from @var{from} +to @var{to} to the value @var{margin}. If Auto Fill mode is enabled, +this command also refills the region to fit the new margin. +@end deffn + +@defun current-left-margin +This function returns the proper left margin value to use for filling +the text around point. The value is the sum of the @code{left-margin} +property of the character at the start of the current line (or zero if +none), and the value of the variable @code{left-margin}. +@end defun + +@defun current-fill-column +This function returns the proper fill column value to use for filling +the text around point. The value is the value of the @code{fill-column} +variable, minus the value of the @code{right-margin} property of the +character after point. +@end defun + +@deffn Command move-to-left-margin &optional n force +This function moves point to the left margin of the current line. The +column moved to is determined by calling the function +@code{current-left-margin}. If the argument @var{n} is non-@code{nil}, +@code{move-to-left-margin} moves forward @var{n}@minus{}1 lines first. + +If @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, that says to fix the line's +indentation if that doesn't match the left margin value. +@end deffn + +@defun delete-to-left-margin &optional from to +This function removes left margin indentation from the text between +@var{from} and @var{to}. The amount of indentation to delete is +determined by calling @code{current-left-margin}. In no case does this +function delete non-whitespace. If @var{from} and @var{to} are omitted, +they default to the whole buffer. +@end defun + +@defun indent-to-left-margin +This function adjusts the indentation at the beginning of the current +line to the value specified by the variable @code{left-margin}. (That +may involve either inserting or deleting whitespace.) This function +is value of @code{indent-line-function} in Paragraph-Indent Text mode. +@end defun + +@defvar left-margin +This variable specifies the base left margin column. In Fundamental +mode, @kbd{C-j} indents to this column. This variable automatically +becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion. +@end defvar + +@defvar fill-nobreak-predicate +This variable gives major modes a way to specify not to break a line +at certain places. Its value should be a list of functions. Whenever +filling considers breaking the line at a certain place in the buffer, +it calls each of these functions with no arguments and with point +located at that place. If any of the functions returns +non-@code{nil}, then the line won't be broken there. +@end defvar + +@node Adaptive Fill +@section Adaptive Fill Mode +@c @cindex Adaptive Fill mode "adaptive-fill-mode" is adjacent. + + When @dfn{Adaptive Fill Mode} is enabled, Emacs determines the fill +prefix automatically from the text in each paragraph being filled +rather than using a predetermined value. During filling, this fill +prefix gets inserted at the start of the second and subsequent lines +of the paragraph as described in @ref{Filling}, and in @ref{Auto +Filling}. + +@defopt adaptive-fill-mode +Adaptive Fill mode is enabled when this variable is non-@code{nil}. +It is @code{t} by default. +@end defopt + +@defun fill-context-prefix from to +This function implements the heart of Adaptive Fill mode; it chooses a +fill prefix based on the text between @var{from} and @var{to}, +typically the start and end of a paragraph. It does this by looking +at the first two lines of the paragraph, based on the variables +described below. +@c The optional argument first-line-regexp is not documented +@c because it exists for internal purposes and might be eliminated +@c in the future. + +Usually, this function returns the fill prefix, a string. However, +before doing this, the function makes a final check (not specially +mentioned in the following) that a line starting with this prefix +wouldn't look like the start of a paragraph. Should this happen, the +function signals the anomaly by returning @code{nil} instead. + +In detail, @code{fill-context-prefix} does this: + +@enumerate +@item +It takes a candidate for the fill prefix from the first line---it +tries first the function in @code{adaptive-fill-function} (if any), +then the regular expression @code{adaptive-fill-regexp} (see below). +The first non-@code{nil} result of these, or the empty string if +they're both @code{nil}, becomes the first line's candidate. +@item +If the paragraph has as yet only one line, the function tests the +validity of the prefix candidate just found. The function then +returns the candidate if it's valid, or a string of spaces otherwise. +(see the description of @code{adaptive-fill-first-line-regexp} below). +@item +When the paragraph already has two lines, the function next looks for +a prefix candidate on the second line, in just the same way it did for +the first line. If it doesn't find one, it returns @code{nil}. +@item +The function now compares the two candidate prefixes heuristically: if +the non-whitespace characters in the line 2 candidate occur in the +same order in the line 1 candidate, the function returns the line 2 +candidate. Otherwise, it returns the largest initial substring which +is common to both candidates (which might be the empty string). +@end enumerate +@end defun + +@defopt adaptive-fill-regexp +Adaptive Fill mode matches this regular expression against the text +starting after the left margin whitespace (if any) on a line; the +characters it matches are that line's candidate for the fill prefix. + +The default value matches whitespace with certain punctuation +characters intermingled. +@end defopt + +@defopt adaptive-fill-first-line-regexp +Used only in one-line paragraphs, this regular expression acts as an +additional check of the validity of the one available candidate fill +prefix: the candidate must match this regular expression, or match +@code{comment-start-skip}. If it doesn't, @code{fill-context-prefix} +replaces the candidate with a string of spaces ``of the same width'' +as it. + +The default value of this variable is @w{@code{"\\`[ \t]*\\'"}}, which +matches only a string of whitespace. The effect of this default is to +force the fill prefixes found in one-line paragraphs always to be pure +whitespace. +@end defopt + +@defopt adaptive-fill-function +You can specify more complex ways of choosing a fill prefix +automatically by setting this variable to a function. The function is +called with point after the left margin (if any) of a line, and it +must preserve point. It should return either ``that line's'' fill +prefix or @code{nil}, meaning it has failed to determine a prefix. +@end defopt + +@node Auto Filling +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@section Auto Filling +@cindex filling, automatic +@cindex Auto Fill mode + + Auto Fill mode is a minor mode that fills lines automatically as text +is inserted. This section describes the hook used by Auto Fill mode. +For a description of functions that you can call explicitly to fill and +justify existing text, see @ref{Filling}. + + Auto Fill mode also enables the functions that change the margins and +justification style to refill portions of the text. @xref{Margins}. + +@defvar auto-fill-function +The value of this buffer-local variable should be a function (of no +arguments) to be called after self-inserting a character from the table +@code{auto-fill-chars}. It may be @code{nil}, in which case nothing +special is done in that case. + +The value of @code{auto-fill-function} is @code{do-auto-fill} when +Auto-Fill mode is enabled. That is a function whose sole purpose is to +implement the usual strategy for breaking a line. + +@quotation +In older Emacs versions, this variable was named @code{auto-fill-hook}, +but since it is not called with the standard convention for hooks, it +was renamed to @code{auto-fill-function} in version 19. +@end quotation +@end defvar + +@defvar normal-auto-fill-function +This variable specifies the function to use for +@code{auto-fill-function}, if and when Auto Fill is turned on. Major +modes can set buffer-local values for this variable to alter how Auto +Fill works. +@end defvar + +@defvar auto-fill-chars +A char table of characters which invoke @code{auto-fill-function} when +self-inserted---space and newline in most language environments. They +have an entry @code{t} in the table. +@end defvar + +@node Sorting +@section Sorting Text +@cindex sorting text + + The sorting functions described in this section all rearrange text in +a buffer. This is in contrast to the function @code{sort}, which +rearranges the order of the elements of a list (@pxref{Rearrangement}). +The values returned by these functions are not meaningful. + +@defun sort-subr reverse nextrecfun endrecfun &optional startkeyfun endkeyfun predicate +This function is the general text-sorting routine that subdivides a +buffer into records and then sorts them. Most of the commands in this +section use this function. + +To understand how @code{sort-subr} works, consider the whole accessible +portion of the buffer as being divided into disjoint pieces called +@dfn{sort records}. The records may or may not be contiguous, but they +must not overlap. A portion of each sort record (perhaps all of it) is +designated as the sort key. Sorting rearranges the records in order by +their sort keys. + +Usually, the records are rearranged in order of ascending sort key. +If the first argument to the @code{sort-subr} function, @var{reverse}, +is non-@code{nil}, the sort records are rearranged in order of +descending sort key. + +The next four arguments to @code{sort-subr} are functions that are +called to move point across a sort record. They are called many times +from within @code{sort-subr}. + +@enumerate +@item +@var{nextrecfun} is called with point at the end of a record. This +function moves point to the start of the next record. The first record +is assumed to start at the position of point when @code{sort-subr} is +called. Therefore, you should usually move point to the beginning of +the buffer before calling @code{sort-subr}. + +This function can indicate there are no more sort records by leaving +point at the end of the buffer. + +@item +@var{endrecfun} is called with point within a record. It moves point to +the end of the record. + +@item +@var{startkeyfun} is called to move point from the start of a record to +the start of the sort key. This argument is optional; if it is omitted, +the whole record is the sort key. If supplied, the function should +either return a non-@code{nil} value to be used as the sort key, or +return @code{nil} to indicate that the sort key is in the buffer +starting at point. In the latter case, @var{endkeyfun} is called to +find the end of the sort key. + +@item +@var{endkeyfun} is called to move point from the start of the sort key +to the end of the sort key. This argument is optional. If +@var{startkeyfun} returns @code{nil} and this argument is omitted (or +@code{nil}), then the sort key extends to the end of the record. There +is no need for @var{endkeyfun} if @var{startkeyfun} returns a +non-@code{nil} value. +@end enumerate + +The argument @var{predicate} is the function to use to compare keys. +If keys are numbers, it defaults to @code{<}; otherwise it defaults to +@code{string<}. + +As an example of @code{sort-subr}, here is the complete function +definition for @code{sort-lines}: + +@example +@group +;; @r{Note that the first two lines of doc string} +;; @r{are effectively one line when viewed by a user.} +(defun sort-lines (reverse beg end) + "Sort lines in region alphabetically;\ + argument means descending order. +Called from a program, there are three arguments: +@end group +@group +REVERSE (non-nil means reverse order),\ + BEG and END (region to sort). +The variable `sort-fold-case' determines\ + whether alphabetic case affects +the sort order." +@end group +@group + (interactive "P\nr") + (save-excursion + (save-restriction + (narrow-to-region beg end) + (goto-char (point-min)) + (let ((inhibit-field-text-motion t)) + (sort-subr reverse 'forward-line 'end-of-line))))) +@end group +@end example + +Here @code{forward-line} moves point to the start of the next record, +and @code{end-of-line} moves point to the end of record. We do not pass +the arguments @var{startkeyfun} and @var{endkeyfun}, because the entire +record is used as the sort key. + +The @code{sort-paragraphs} function is very much the same, except that +its @code{sort-subr} call looks like this: + +@example +@group +(sort-subr reverse + (function + (lambda () + (while (and (not (eobp)) + (looking-at paragraph-separate)) + (forward-line 1)))) + 'forward-paragraph) +@end group +@end example + +Markers pointing into any sort records are left with no useful +position after @code{sort-subr} returns. +@end defun + +@defopt sort-fold-case +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{sort-subr} and the other +buffer sorting functions ignore case when comparing strings. +@end defopt + +@deffn Command sort-regexp-fields reverse record-regexp key-regexp start end +This command sorts the region between @var{start} and @var{end} +alphabetically as specified by @var{record-regexp} and @var{key-regexp}. +If @var{reverse} is a negative integer, then sorting is in reverse +order. + +Alphabetical sorting means that two sort keys are compared by +comparing the first characters of each, the second characters of each, +and so on. If a mismatch is found, it means that the sort keys are +unequal; the sort key whose character is less at the point of first +mismatch is the lesser sort key. The individual characters are compared +according to their numerical character codes in the Emacs character set. + +The value of the @var{record-regexp} argument specifies how to divide +the buffer into sort records. At the end of each record, a search is +done for this regular expression, and the text that matches it is taken +as the next record. For example, the regular expression @samp{^.+$}, +which matches lines with at least one character besides a newline, would +make each such line into a sort record. @xref{Regular Expressions}, for +a description of the syntax and meaning of regular expressions. + +The value of the @var{key-regexp} argument specifies what part of each +record is the sort key. The @var{key-regexp} could match the whole +record, or only a part. In the latter case, the rest of the record has +no effect on the sorted order of records, but it is carried along when +the record moves to its new position. + +The @var{key-regexp} argument can refer to the text matched by a +subexpression of @var{record-regexp}, or it can be a regular expression +on its own. + +If @var{key-regexp} is: + +@table @asis +@item @samp{\@var{digit}} +then the text matched by the @var{digit}th @samp{\(...\)} parenthesis +grouping in @var{record-regexp} is the sort key. + +@item @samp{\&} +then the whole record is the sort key. + +@item a regular expression +then @code{sort-regexp-fields} searches for a match for the regular +expression within the record. If such a match is found, it is the sort +key. If there is no match for @var{key-regexp} within a record then +that record is ignored, which means its position in the buffer is not +changed. (The other records may move around it.) +@end table + +For example, if you plan to sort all the lines in the region by the +first word on each line starting with the letter @samp{f}, you should +set @var{record-regexp} to @samp{^.*$} and set @var{key-regexp} to +@samp{\}. The resulting expression looks like this: + +@example +@group +(sort-regexp-fields nil "^.*$" "\\" + (region-beginning) + (region-end)) +@end group +@end example + +If you call @code{sort-regexp-fields} interactively, it prompts for +@var{record-regexp} and @var{key-regexp} in the minibuffer. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command sort-lines reverse start end +This command alphabetically sorts lines in the region between +@var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort +is in reverse order. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command sort-paragraphs reverse start end +This command alphabetically sorts paragraphs in the region between +@var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort +is in reverse order. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command sort-pages reverse start end +This command alphabetically sorts pages in the region between +@var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort +is in reverse order. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command sort-fields field start end +This command sorts lines in the region between @var{start} and +@var{end}, comparing them alphabetically by the @var{field}th field +of each line. Fields are separated by whitespace and numbered starting +from 1. If @var{field} is negative, sorting is by the +@w{@minus{}@var{field}th} field from the end of the line. This command +is useful for sorting tables. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command sort-numeric-fields field start end +This command sorts lines in the region between @var{start} and +@var{end}, comparing them numerically by the @var{field}th field of +each line. Fields are separated by whitespace and numbered starting +from 1. The specified field must contain a number in each line of the +region. Numbers starting with 0 are treated as octal, and numbers +starting with @samp{0x} are treated as hexadecimal. + +If @var{field} is negative, sorting is by the +@w{@minus{}@var{field}th} field from the end of the line. This +command is useful for sorting tables. +@end deffn + +@defopt sort-numeric-base +This variable specifies the default radix for +@code{sort-numeric-fields} to parse numbers. +@end defopt + +@deffn Command sort-columns reverse &optional beg end +This command sorts the lines in the region between @var{beg} and +@var{end}, comparing them alphabetically by a certain range of +columns. The column positions of @var{beg} and @var{end} bound the +range of columns to sort on. + +If @var{reverse} is non-@code{nil}, the sort is in reverse order. + +One unusual thing about this command is that the entire line +containing position @var{beg}, and the entire line containing position +@var{end}, are included in the region sorted. + +Note that @code{sort-columns} rejects text that contains tabs, because +tabs could be split across the specified columns. Use @kbd{M-x +untabify} to convert tabs to spaces before sorting. + +When possible, this command actually works by calling the @code{sort} +utility program. +@end deffn + +@node Columns +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@section Counting Columns +@cindex columns +@cindex counting columns +@cindex horizontal position + + The column functions convert between a character position (counting +characters from the beginning of the buffer) and a column position +(counting screen characters from the beginning of a line). + + These functions count each character according to the number of +columns it occupies on the screen. This means control characters count +as occupying 2 or 4 columns, depending upon the value of +@code{ctl-arrow}, and tabs count as occupying a number of columns that +depends on the value of @code{tab-width} and on the column where the tab +begins. @xref{Usual Display}. + + Column number computations ignore the width of the window and the +amount of horizontal scrolling. Consequently, a column value can be +arbitrarily high. The first (or leftmost) column is numbered 0. They +also ignore overlays and text properties, aside from invisibility. + +@defun current-column +This function returns the horizontal position of point, measured in +columns, counting from 0 at the left margin. The column position is the +sum of the widths of all the displayed representations of the characters +between the start of the current line and point. + +For an example of using @code{current-column}, see the description of +@code{count-lines} in @ref{Text Lines}. +@end defun + +@defun move-to-column column &optional force +This function moves point to @var{column} in the current line. The +calculation of @var{column} takes into account the widths of the +displayed representations of the characters between the start of the +line and point. + +If column @var{column} is beyond the end of the line, point moves to the +end of the line. If @var{column} is negative, point moves to the +beginning of the line. + +If it is impossible to move to column @var{column} because that is in +the middle of a multicolumn character such as a tab, point moves to the +end of that character. However, if @var{force} is non-@code{nil}, and +@var{column} is in the middle of a tab, then @code{move-to-column} +converts the tab into spaces so that it can move precisely to column +@var{column}. Other multicolumn characters can cause anomalies despite +@var{force}, since there is no way to split them. + +The argument @var{force} also has an effect if the line isn't long +enough to reach column @var{column}; if it is @code{t}, that means to +add whitespace at the end of the line to reach that column. + +If @var{column} is not an integer, an error is signaled. + +The return value is the column number actually moved to. +@end defun + +@node Indentation +@section Indentation +@cindex indentation + + The indentation functions are used to examine, move to, and change +whitespace that is at the beginning of a line. Some of the functions +can also change whitespace elsewhere on a line. Columns and indentation +count from zero at the left margin. + +@menu +* Primitive Indent:: Functions used to count and insert indentation. +* Mode-Specific Indent:: Customize indentation for different modes. +* Region Indent:: Indent all the lines in a region. +* Relative Indent:: Indent the current line based on previous lines. +* Indent Tabs:: Adjustable, typewriter-like tab stops. +* Motion by Indent:: Move to first non-blank character. +@end menu + +@node Primitive Indent +@subsection Indentation Primitives + + This section describes the primitive functions used to count and +insert indentation. The functions in the following sections use these +primitives. @xref{Width}, for related functions. + +@defun current-indentation +@comment !!Type Primitive Function +@comment !!SourceFile indent.c +This function returns the indentation of the current line, which is +the horizontal position of the first nonblank character. If the +contents are entirely blank, then this is the horizontal position of the +end of the line. +@end defun + +@deffn Command indent-to column &optional minimum +@comment !!Type Primitive Function +@comment !!SourceFile indent.c +This function indents from point with tabs and spaces until @var{column} +is reached. If @var{minimum} is specified and non-@code{nil}, then at +least that many spaces are inserted even if this requires going beyond +@var{column}. Otherwise the function does nothing if point is already +beyond @var{column}. The value is the column at which the inserted +indentation ends. + +The inserted whitespace characters inherit text properties from the +surrounding text (usually, from the preceding text only). @xref{Sticky +Properties}. +@end deffn + +@defopt indent-tabs-mode +@comment !!SourceFile indent.c +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, indentation functions can insert +tabs as well as spaces. Otherwise, they insert only spaces. Setting +this variable automatically makes it buffer-local in the current buffer. +@end defopt + +@node Mode-Specific Indent +@subsection Indentation Controlled by Major Mode + + An important function of each major mode is to customize the @key{TAB} +key to indent properly for the language being edited. This section +describes the mechanism of the @key{TAB} key and how to control it. +The functions in this section return unpredictable values. + +@defvar indent-line-function +This variable's value is the function to be used by @key{TAB} (and +various commands) to indent the current line. The command +@code{indent-according-to-mode} does no more than call this function. + +In Lisp mode, the value is the symbol @code{lisp-indent-line}; in C +mode, @code{c-indent-line}; in Fortran mode, @code{fortran-indent-line}. +The default value is @code{indent-relative}. +@end defvar + +@deffn Command indent-according-to-mode +This command calls the function in @code{indent-line-function} to +indent the current line in a way appropriate for the current major mode. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command indent-for-tab-command +This command calls the function in @code{indent-line-function} to indent +the current line; however, if that function is +@code{indent-to-left-margin}, @code{insert-tab} is called instead. (That +is a trivial command that inserts a tab character.) +@end deffn + +@deffn Command newline-and-indent +@comment !!SourceFile simple.el +This function inserts a newline, then indents the new line (the one +following the newline just inserted) according to the major mode. + +It does indentation by calling the current @code{indent-line-function}. +In programming language modes, this is the same thing @key{TAB} does, +but in some text modes, where @key{TAB} inserts a tab, +@code{newline-and-indent} indents to the column specified by +@code{left-margin}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command reindent-then-newline-and-indent +@comment !!SourceFile simple.el +This command reindents the current line, inserts a newline at point, +and then indents the new line (the one following the newline just +inserted). + +This command does indentation on both lines according to the current +major mode, by calling the current value of @code{indent-line-function}. +In programming language modes, this is the same thing @key{TAB} does, +but in some text modes, where @key{TAB} inserts a tab, +@code{reindent-then-newline-and-indent} indents to the column specified +by @code{left-margin}. +@end deffn + +@node Region Indent +@subsection Indenting an Entire Region + + This section describes commands that indent all the lines in the +region. They return unpredictable values. + +@deffn Command indent-region start end to-column +This command indents each nonblank line starting between @var{start} +(inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive). If @var{to-column} is +@code{nil}, @code{indent-region} indents each nonblank line by calling +the current mode's indentation function, the value of +@code{indent-line-function}. + +If @var{to-column} is non-@code{nil}, it should be an integer +specifying the number of columns of indentation; then this function +gives each line exactly that much indentation, by either adding or +deleting whitespace. + +If there is a fill prefix, @code{indent-region} indents each line +by making it start with the fill prefix. +@end deffn + +@defvar indent-region-function +The value of this variable is a function that can be used by +@code{indent-region} as a short cut. It should take two arguments, the +start and end of the region. You should design the function so +that it will produce the same results as indenting the lines of the +region one by one, but presumably faster. + +If the value is @code{nil}, there is no short cut, and +@code{indent-region} actually works line by line. + +A short-cut function is useful in modes such as C mode and Lisp mode, +where the @code{indent-line-function} must scan from the beginning of +the function definition: applying it to each line would be quadratic in +time. The short cut can update the scan information as it moves through +the lines indenting them; this takes linear time. In a mode where +indenting a line individually is fast, there is no need for a short cut. + +@code{indent-region} with a non-@code{nil} argument @var{to-column} has +a different meaning and does not use this variable. +@end defvar + +@deffn Command indent-rigidly start end count +@comment !!SourceFile indent.el +This command indents all lines starting between @var{start} +(inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive) sideways by @var{count} columns. +This ``preserves the shape'' of the affected region, moving it as a +rigid unit. Consequently, this command is useful not only for indenting +regions of unindented text, but also for indenting regions of formatted +code. + +For example, if @var{count} is 3, this command adds 3 columns of +indentation to each of the lines beginning in the region specified. + +In Mail mode, @kbd{C-c C-y} (@code{mail-yank-original}) uses +@code{indent-rigidly} to indent the text copied from the message being +replied to. +@end deffn + +@defun indent-code-rigidly start end columns &optional nochange-regexp +This is like @code{indent-rigidly}, except that it doesn't alter lines +that start within strings or comments. + +In addition, it doesn't alter a line if @var{nochange-regexp} matches at +the beginning of the line (if @var{nochange-regexp} is non-@code{nil}). +@end defun + +@node Relative Indent +@subsection Indentation Relative to Previous Lines + + This section describes two commands that indent the current line +based on the contents of previous lines. + +@deffn Command indent-relative &optional unindented-ok +This command inserts whitespace at point, extending to the same +column as the next @dfn{indent point} of the previous nonblank line. An +indent point is a non-whitespace character following whitespace. The +next indent point is the first one at a column greater than the current +column of point. For example, if point is underneath and to the left of +the first non-blank character of a line of text, it moves to that column +by inserting whitespace. + +If the previous nonblank line has no next indent point (i.e., none at a +great enough column position), @code{indent-relative} either does +nothing (if @var{unindented-ok} is non-@code{nil}) or calls +@code{tab-to-tab-stop}. Thus, if point is underneath and to the right +of the last column of a short line of text, this command ordinarily +moves point to the next tab stop by inserting whitespace. + +The return value of @code{indent-relative} is unpredictable. + +In the following example, point is at the beginning of the second +line: + +@example +@group + This line is indented twelve spaces. +@point{}The quick brown fox jumped. +@end group +@end example + +@noindent +Evaluation of the expression @code{(indent-relative nil)} produces the +following: + +@example +@group + This line is indented twelve spaces. + @point{}The quick brown fox jumped. +@end group +@end example + + In this next example, point is between the @samp{m} and @samp{p} of +@samp{jumped}: + +@example +@group + This line is indented twelve spaces. +The quick brown fox jum@point{}ped. +@end group +@end example + +@noindent +Evaluation of the expression @code{(indent-relative nil)} produces the +following: + +@example +@group + This line is indented twelve spaces. +The quick brown fox jum @point{}ped. +@end group +@end example +@end deffn + +@deffn Command indent-relative-maybe +@comment !!SourceFile indent.el +This command indents the current line like the previous nonblank line, +by calling @code{indent-relative} with @code{t} as the +@var{unindented-ok} argument. The return value is unpredictable. + +If the previous nonblank line has no indent points beyond the current +column, this command does nothing. +@end deffn + +@node Indent Tabs +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@subsection Adjustable ``Tab Stops'' +@cindex tabs stops for indentation + + This section explains the mechanism for user-specified ``tab stops'' +and the mechanisms that use and set them. The name ``tab stops'' is +used because the feature is similar to that of the tab stops on a +typewriter. The feature works by inserting an appropriate number of +spaces and tab characters to reach the next tab stop column; it does not +affect the display of tab characters in the buffer (@pxref{Usual +Display}). Note that the @key{TAB} character as input uses this tab +stop feature only in a few major modes, such as Text mode. +@xref{Tab Stops,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. + +@deffn Command tab-to-tab-stop +This command inserts spaces or tabs before point, up to the next tab +stop column defined by @code{tab-stop-list}. It searches the list for +an element greater than the current column number, and uses that element +as the column to indent to. It does nothing if no such element is +found. +@end deffn + +@defopt tab-stop-list +This variable is the list of tab stop columns used by +@code{tab-to-tab-stops}. The elements should be integers in increasing +order. The tab stop columns need not be evenly spaced. + +Use @kbd{M-x edit-tab-stops} to edit the location of tab stops +interactively. +@end defopt + +@node Motion by Indent +@subsection Indentation-Based Motion Commands + + These commands, primarily for interactive use, act based on the +indentation in the text. + +@deffn Command back-to-indentation +@comment !!SourceFile simple.el +This command moves point to the first non-whitespace character in the +current line (which is the line in which point is located). It returns +@code{nil}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command backward-to-indentation &optional arg +@comment !!SourceFile simple.el +This command moves point backward @var{arg} lines and then to the +first nonblank character on that line. It returns @code{nil}. +If @var{arg} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to 1. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command forward-to-indentation &optional arg +@comment !!SourceFile simple.el +This command moves point forward @var{arg} lines and then to the first +nonblank character on that line. It returns @code{nil}. +If @var{arg} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to 1. +@end deffn + +@node Case Changes +@comment node-name, next, previous, up +@section Case Changes +@cindex case conversion in buffers + + The case change commands described here work on text in the current +buffer. @xref{Case Conversion}, for case conversion functions that work +on strings and characters. @xref{Case Tables}, for how to customize +which characters are upper or lower case and how to convert them. + +@deffn Command capitalize-region start end +This function capitalizes all words in the region defined by +@var{start} and @var{end}. To capitalize means to convert each word's +first character to upper case and convert the rest of each word to lower +case. The function returns @code{nil}. + +If one end of the region is in the middle of a word, the part of the +word within the region is treated as an entire word. + +When @code{capitalize-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and +@var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This is the contents of the 5th foo. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(capitalize-region 1 44) +@result{} nil + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This Is The Contents Of The 5th Foo. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end example +@end deffn + +@deffn Command downcase-region start end +This function converts all of the letters in the region defined by +@var{start} and @var{end} to lower case. The function returns +@code{nil}. + +When @code{downcase-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and +@var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command upcase-region start end +This function converts all of the letters in the region defined by +@var{start} and @var{end} to upper case. The function returns +@code{nil}. + +When @code{upcase-region} is called interactively, @var{start} and +@var{end} are point and the mark, with the smallest first. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command capitalize-word count +This function capitalizes @var{count} words after point, moving point +over as it does. To capitalize means to convert each word's first +character to upper case and convert the rest of each word to lower case. +If @var{count} is negative, the function capitalizes the +@minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. The value +is @code{nil}. + +If point is in the middle of a word, the part of the word before point +is ignored when moving forward. The rest is treated as an entire word. + +When @code{capitalize-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is +set to the numeric prefix argument. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command downcase-word count +This function converts the @var{count} words after point to all lower +case, moving point over as it does. If @var{count} is negative, it +converts the @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. +The value is @code{nil}. + +When @code{downcase-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is set +to the numeric prefix argument. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command upcase-word count +This function converts the @var{count} words after point to all upper +case, moving point over as it does. If @var{count} is negative, it +converts the @minus{}@var{count} previous words but does not move point. +The value is @code{nil}. + +When @code{upcase-word} is called interactively, @var{count} is set to +the numeric prefix argument. +@end deffn + +@node Text Properties +@section Text Properties +@cindex text properties +@cindex attributes of text +@cindex properties of text + + Each character position in a buffer or a string can have a @dfn{text +property list}, much like the property list of a symbol (@pxref{Property +Lists}). The properties belong to a particular character at a +particular place, such as, the letter @samp{T} at the beginning of this +sentence or the first @samp{o} in @samp{foo}---if the same character +occurs in two different places, the two occurrences in general have +different properties. + + Each property has a name and a value. Both of these can be any Lisp +object, but the name is normally a symbol. Typically each property +name symbol is used for a particular purpose; for instance, the text +property @code{face} specifies the faces for displaying the character +(@pxref{Special Properties}). The usual way to access the property +list is to specify a name and ask what value corresponds to it. + + If a character has a @code{category} property, we call it the +@dfn{property category} of the character. It should be a symbol. The +properties of the symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the +character. + + Copying text between strings and buffers preserves the properties +along with the characters; this includes such diverse functions as +@code{substring}, @code{insert}, and @code{buffer-substring}. + +@menu +* Examining Properties:: Looking at the properties of one character. +* Changing Properties:: Setting the properties of a range of text. +* Property Search:: Searching for where a property changes value. +* Special Properties:: Particular properties with special meanings. +* Format Properties:: Properties for representing formatting of text. +* Sticky Properties:: How inserted text gets properties from + neighboring text. +* Lazy Properties:: Computing text properties in a lazy fashion + only when text is examined. +* Clickable Text:: Using text properties to make regions of text + do something when you click on them. +* Links and Mouse-1:: How to make @key{Mouse-1} follow a link. +* Fields:: The @code{field} property defines + fields within the buffer. +* Not Intervals:: Why text properties do not use + Lisp-visible text intervals. +@end menu + +@node Examining Properties +@subsection Examining Text Properties + + The simplest way to examine text properties is to ask for the value of +a particular property of a particular character. For that, use +@code{get-text-property}. Use @code{text-properties-at} to get the +entire property list of a character. @xref{Property Search}, for +functions to examine the properties of a number of characters at once. + + These functions handle both strings and buffers. Keep in mind that +positions in a string start from 0, whereas positions in a buffer start +from 1. + +@defun get-text-property pos prop &optional object +This function returns the value of the @var{prop} property of the +character after position @var{pos} in @var{object} (a buffer or +string). The argument @var{object} is optional and defaults to the +current buffer. + +If there is no @var{prop} property strictly speaking, but the character +has a property category that is a symbol, then @code{get-text-property} returns +the @var{prop} property of that symbol. +@end defun + +@defun get-char-property position prop &optional object +This function is like @code{get-text-property}, except that it checks +overlays first and then text properties. @xref{Overlays}. + +The argument @var{object} may be a string, a buffer, or a window. If it +is a window, then the buffer displayed in that window is used for text +properties and overlays, but only the overlays active for that window +are considered. If @var{object} is a buffer, then all overlays in that +buffer are considered, as well as text properties. If @var{object} is a +string, only text properties are considered, since strings never have +overlays. +@end defun + +@defun get-char-property-and-overlay position prop &optional object +This is like @code{get-char-property}, but gives extra information +about the overlay that the property value comes from. + +Its value is a cons cell whose @sc{car} is the property value, the +same value @code{get-char-property} would return with the same +arguments. Its @sc{cdr} is the overlay in which the property was +found, or @code{nil}, if it was found as a text property or not found +at all. + +If @var{position} is at the end of @var{object}, both the @sc{car} and +the @sc{cdr} of the value are @code{nil}. +@end defun + +@defvar char-property-alias-alist +This variable holds an alist which maps property names to a list of +alternative property names. If a character does not specify a direct +value for a property, the alternative property names are consulted in +order; the first non-@code{nil} value is used. This variable takes +precedence over @code{default-text-properties}, and @code{category} +properties take precedence over this variable. +@end defvar + +@defun text-properties-at position &optional object +This function returns the entire property list of the character at +@var{position} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If @var{object} is +@code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. +@end defun + +@defvar default-text-properties +This variable holds a property list giving default values for text +properties. Whenever a character does not specify a value for a +property, neither directly, through a category symbol, or through +@code{char-property-alias-alist}, the value stored in this list is +used instead. Here is an example: + +@example +(setq default-text-properties '(foo 69) + char-property-alias-alist nil) +;; @r{Make sure character 1 has no properties of its own.} +(set-text-properties 1 2 nil) +;; @r{What we get, when we ask, is the default value.} +(get-text-property 1 'foo) + @result{} 69 +@end example +@end defvar + +@node Changing Properties +@subsection Changing Text Properties + + The primitives for changing properties apply to a specified range of +text in a buffer or string. The function @code{set-text-properties} +(see end of section) sets the entire property list of the text in that +range; more often, it is useful to add, change, or delete just certain +properties specified by name. + + Since text properties are considered part of the contents of the +buffer (or string), and can affect how a buffer looks on the screen, +any change in buffer text properties marks the buffer as modified. +Buffer text property changes are undoable also (@pxref{Undo}). +Positions in a string start from 0, whereas positions in a buffer +start from 1. + +@defun put-text-property start end prop value &optional object +This function sets the @var{prop} property to @var{value} for the text +between @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. +If @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. +@end defun + +@defun add-text-properties start end props &optional object +This function adds or overrides text properties for the text between +@var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If +@var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. + +The argument @var{props} specifies which properties to add. It should +have the form of a property list (@pxref{Property Lists}): a list whose +elements include the property names followed alternately by the +corresponding values. + +The return value is @code{t} if the function actually changed some +property's value; @code{nil} otherwise (if @var{props} is @code{nil} or +its values agree with those in the text). + +For example, here is how to set the @code{comment} and @code{face} +properties of a range of text: + +@example +(add-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} + '(comment t face highlight)) +@end example +@end defun + +@defun remove-text-properties start end props &optional object +This function deletes specified text properties from the text between +@var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. If +@var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. + +The argument @var{props} specifies which properties to delete. It +should have the form of a property list (@pxref{Property Lists}): a list +whose elements are property names alternating with corresponding values. +But only the names matter---the values that accompany them are ignored. +For example, here's how to remove the @code{face} property. + +@example +(remove-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} '(face nil)) +@end example + +The return value is @code{t} if the function actually changed some +property's value; @code{nil} otherwise (if @var{props} is @code{nil} or +if no character in the specified text had any of those properties). + +To remove all text properties from certain text, use +@code{set-text-properties} and specify @code{nil} for the new property +list. +@end defun + +@defun remove-list-of-text-properties start end list-of-properties &optional object +Like @code{remove-text-properties} except that +@var{list-of-properties} is a list of property names only, not an +alternating list of property names and values. +@end defun + +@defun set-text-properties start end props &optional object +This function completely replaces the text property list for the text +between @var{start} and @var{end} in the string or buffer @var{object}. +If @var{object} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. + +The argument @var{props} is the new property list. It should be a list +whose elements are property names alternating with corresponding values. + +After @code{set-text-properties} returns, all the characters in the +specified range have identical properties. + +If @var{props} is @code{nil}, the effect is to get rid of all properties +from the specified range of text. Here's an example: + +@example +(set-text-properties @var{start} @var{end} nil) +@end example + +Do not rely on the return value of this function. +@end defun + + The easiest way to make a string with text properties +is with @code{propertize}: + +@defun propertize string &rest properties +This function returns a copy of @var{string} which has the text +properties @var{properties}. These properties apply to all the +characters in the string that is returned. Here is an example that +constructs a string with a @code{face} property and a @code{mouse-face} +property: + +@smallexample +(propertize "foo" 'face 'italic + 'mouse-face 'bold-italic) + @result{} #("foo" 0 3 (mouse-face bold-italic face italic)) +@end smallexample + +To put different properties on various parts of a string, you can +construct each part with @code{propertize} and then combine them with +@code{concat}: + +@smallexample +(concat + (propertize "foo" 'face 'italic + 'mouse-face 'bold-italic) + " and " + (propertize "bar" 'face 'italic + 'mouse-face 'bold-italic)) + @result{} #("foo and bar" + 0 3 (face italic mouse-face bold-italic) + 3 8 nil + 8 11 (face italic mouse-face bold-italic)) +@end smallexample +@end defun + + See also the function @code{buffer-substring-no-properties} +(@pxref{Buffer Contents}) which copies text from the buffer +but does not copy its properties. + +@node Property Search +@subsection Text Property Search Functions + + In typical use of text properties, most of the time several or many +consecutive characters have the same value for a property. Rather than +writing your programs to examine characters one by one, it is much +faster to process chunks of text that have the same property value. + + Here are functions you can use to do this. They use @code{eq} for +comparing property values. In all cases, @var{object} defaults to the +current buffer. + + For high performance, it's very important to use the @var{limit} +argument to these functions, especially the ones that search for a +single property---otherwise, they may spend a long time scanning to the +end of the buffer, if the property you are interested in does not change. + + These functions do not move point; instead, they return a position (or +@code{nil}). Remember that a position is always between two characters; +the position returned by these functions is between two characters with +different properties. + +@defun next-property-change pos &optional object limit +The function scans the text forward from position @var{pos} in the +string or buffer @var{object} till it finds a change in some text +property, then returns the position of the change. In other words, it +returns the position of the first character beyond @var{pos} whose +properties are not identical to those of the character just after +@var{pos}. + +If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, then the scan ends at position +@var{limit}. If there is no property change before that point, +@code{next-property-change} returns @var{limit}. + +The value is @code{nil} if the properties remain unchanged all the way +to the end of @var{object} and @var{limit} is @code{nil}. If the value +is non-@code{nil}, it is a position greater than or equal to @var{pos}. +The value equals @var{pos} only when @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. + +Here is an example of how to scan the buffer by chunks of text within +which all properties are constant: + +@smallexample +(while (not (eobp)) + (let ((plist (text-properties-at (point))) + (next-change + (or (next-property-change (point) (current-buffer)) + (point-max)))) + @r{Process text from point to @var{next-change}@dots{}} + (goto-char next-change))) +@end smallexample +@end defun + +@defun previous-property-change pos &optional object limit +This is like @code{next-property-change}, but scans back from @var{pos} +instead of forward. If the value is non-@code{nil}, it is a position +less than or equal to @var{pos}; it equals @var{pos} only if @var{limit} +equals @var{pos}. +@end defun + +@defun next-single-property-change pos prop &optional object limit +The function scans text for a change in the @var{prop} property, then +returns the position of the change. The scan goes forward from +position @var{pos} in the string or buffer @var{object}. In other +words, this function returns the position of the first character +beyond @var{pos} whose @var{prop} property differs from that of the +character just after @var{pos}. + +If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, then the scan ends at position +@var{limit}. If there is no property change before that point, +@code{next-single-property-change} returns @var{limit}. + +The value is @code{nil} if the property remains unchanged all the way to +the end of @var{object} and @var{limit} is @code{nil}. If the value is +non-@code{nil}, it is a position greater than or equal to @var{pos}; it +equals @var{pos} only if @var{limit} equals @var{pos}. +@end defun + +@defun previous-single-property-change pos prop &optional object limit +This is like @code{next-single-property-change}, but scans back from +@var{pos} instead of forward. If the value is non-@code{nil}, it is a +position less than or equal to @var{pos}; it equals @var{pos} only if +@var{limit} equals @var{pos}. +@end defun + +@defun next-char-property-change pos &optional limit +This is like @code{next-property-change} except that it considers +overlay properties as well as text properties, and if no change is +found before the end of the buffer, it returns the maximum buffer +position rather than @code{nil} (in this sense, it resembles the +corresponding overlay function @code{next-overlay-change}, rather than +@code{next-property-change}). There is no @var{object} operand +because this function operates only on the current buffer. It returns +the next address at which either kind of property changes. +@end defun + +@defun previous-char-property-change pos &optional limit +This is like @code{next-char-property-change}, but scans back from +@var{pos} instead of forward, and returns the minimum buffer +position if no change is found. +@end defun + +@defun next-single-char-property-change pos prop &optional object limit +This is like @code{next-single-property-change} except that it +considers overlay properties as well as text properties, and if no +change is found before the end of the @var{object}, it returns the +maximum valid position in @var{object} rather than @code{nil}. Unlike +@code{next-char-property-change}, this function @emph{does} have an +@var{object} operand; if @var{object} is not a buffer, only +text-properties are considered. +@end defun + +@defun previous-single-char-property-change pos prop &optional object limit +This is like @code{next-single-char-property-change}, but scans back +from @var{pos} instead of forward, and returns the minimum valid +position in @var{object} if no change is found. +@end defun + +@defun text-property-any start end prop value &optional object +This function returns non-@code{nil} if at least one character between +@var{start} and @var{end} has a property @var{prop} whose value is +@var{value}. More precisely, it returns the position of the first such +character. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. + +The optional fifth argument, @var{object}, specifies the string or +buffer to scan. Positions are relative to @var{object}. The default +for @var{object} is the current buffer. +@end defun + +@defun text-property-not-all start end prop value &optional object +This function returns non-@code{nil} if at least one character between +@var{start} and @var{end} does not have a property @var{prop} with value +@var{value}. More precisely, it returns the position of the first such +character. Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}. + +The optional fifth argument, @var{object}, specifies the string or +buffer to scan. Positions are relative to @var{object}. The default +for @var{object} is the current buffer. +@end defun + +@node Special Properties +@subsection Properties with Special Meanings + + Here is a table of text property names that have special built-in +meanings. The following sections list a few additional special property +names that control filling and property inheritance. All other names +have no standard meaning, and you can use them as you like. + + Note: the properties @code{composition}, @code{display}, +@code{invisible} and @code{intangible} can also cause point to move to +an acceptable place, after each Emacs command. @xref{Adjusting +Point}. + +@table @code +@cindex property category of text character +@kindex category @r{(text property)} +@item category +If a character has a @code{category} property, we call it the +@dfn{property category} of the character. It should be a symbol. The +properties of this symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the +character. + +@item face +@cindex face codes of text +@kindex face @r{(text property)} +You can use the property @code{face} to control the font and color of +text. @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 with 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. @xref{Color +Names}, for the supported forms of @var{color-name}. + +A cons cell of @code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})} is equivalent to +specifying @code{(:foreground @var{color-name})}; likewise for the +background. +@end itemize + +You can use Font Lock Mode (@pxref{Font Lock Mode}), to dynamically +update @code{face} properties based on the contents of the text. + +@item font-lock-face +@kindex font-lock-face @r{(text property)} +The @code{font-lock-face} property is the same in all respects as the +@code{face} property, but its state of activation is controlled by +@code{font-lock-mode}. This can be advantageous for special buffers +which are not intended to be user-editable, or for static areas of +text which are always fontified in the same way. +@xref{Precalculated Fontification}. + +Strictly speaking, @code{font-lock-face} is not a built-in text +property; rather, it is implemented in Font Lock mode using +@code{char-property-alias-alist}. @xref{Examining Properties}. + +This property is new in Emacs 22.1. + +@item mouse-face +@kindex mouse-face @r{(text property)} +The property @code{mouse-face} is used instead of @code{face} when the +mouse is on or near the character. For this purpose, ``near'' means +that all text between the character and where the mouse is have the same +@code{mouse-face} property value. + +@item fontified +@kindex fontified @r{(text property)} +This property says whether the text is ready for display. If +@code{nil}, Emacs's redisplay routine calls the functions in +@code{fontification-functions} (@pxref{Auto Faces}) to prepare this +part of the buffer before it is displayed. It is used internally by +the ``just in time'' font locking code. + +@item display +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 narrow, or replaced with an image. +@xref{Display Property}. + +@item help-echo +@kindex help-echo @r{(text property)} +@cindex tooltip +@anchor{Text help-echo} +If text has a string as its @code{help-echo} property, then when you +move the mouse onto that text, Emacs displays that string in the echo +area, or in the tooltip window (@pxref{Tooltips,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs +Manual}). + +If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is a function, that +function is called with three arguments, @var{window}, @var{object} and +@var{pos} and should return a help string or @code{nil} for +none. The first argument, @var{window} is the window in which +the help was found. The second, @var{object}, is the buffer, overlay or +string which had the @code{help-echo} property. The @var{pos} +argument is as follows: + +@itemize @bullet{} +@item +If @var{object} is a buffer, @var{pos} is the position in the buffer. +@item +If @var{object} is an overlay, that overlay has a @code{help-echo} +property, and @var{pos} is the position in the overlay's buffer. +@item +If @var{object} is a string (an overlay string or a string displayed +with the @code{display} property), @var{pos} is the position in that +string. +@end itemize + +If the value of the @code{help-echo} property is neither a function nor +a string, it is evaluated to obtain a help string. + +You can alter the way help text is displayed by setting the variable +@code{show-help-function} (@pxref{Help display}). + +This feature is used in the mode line and for other active text. + +@item keymap +@cindex keymap of character +@kindex keymap @r{(text property)} +The @code{keymap} property specifies an additional keymap for +commands. When this keymap applies, it is used for key lookup before +the minor mode keymaps and before the buffer's local map. +@xref{Active Keymaps}. If the property value is a symbol, the +symbol's function definition is used as the keymap. + +The property's value for the character before point applies if it is +non-@code{nil} and rear-sticky, and the property's value for the +character after point applies if it is non-@code{nil} and +front-sticky. (For mouse clicks, the position of the click is used +instead of the position of point.) + +@item local-map +@kindex local-map @r{(text property)} +This property works like @code{keymap} except that it specifies a +keymap to use @emph{instead of} the buffer's local map. For most +purposes (perhaps all purposes), it is better to use the @code{keymap} +property. + +@item syntax-table +The @code{syntax-table} property overrides what the syntax table says +about this particular character. @xref{Syntax Properties}. + +@item read-only +@cindex read-only character +@kindex read-only @r{(text property)} +If a character has the property @code{read-only}, then modifying that +character is not allowed. Any command that would do so gets an error, +@code{text-read-only}. If the property value is a string, that string +is used as the error message. + +Insertion next to a read-only character is an error if inserting +ordinary text there would inherit the @code{read-only} property due to +stickiness. Thus, you can control permission to insert next to +read-only text by controlling the stickiness. @xref{Sticky Properties}. + +Since changing properties counts as modifying the buffer, it is not +possible to remove a @code{read-only} property unless you know the +special trick: bind @code{inhibit-read-only} to a non-@code{nil} value +and then remove the property. @xref{Read Only Buffers}. + +@item invisible +@kindex invisible @r{(text property)} +A non-@code{nil} @code{invisible} property can make a character invisible +on the screen. @xref{Invisible Text}, for details. + +@item intangible +@kindex intangible @r{(text property)} +If a group of consecutive characters have equal and non-@code{nil} +@code{intangible} properties, then you cannot place point between them. +If you try to move point forward into the group, point actually moves to +the end of the group. If you try to move point backward into the group, +point actually moves to the start of the group. + +If consecutive characters have unequal non-@code{nil} +@code{intangible} properties, they belong to separate groups; each +group is separately treated as described above. + +When the variable @code{inhibit-point-motion-hooks} is non-@code{nil}, +the @code{intangible} property is ignored. + +@item field +@kindex field @r{(text property)} +Consecutive characters with the same @code{field} property constitute a +@dfn{field}. Some motion functions including @code{forward-word} and +@code{beginning-of-line} stop moving at a field boundary. +@xref{Fields}. + +@item cursor +@kindex cursor @r{(text property)} +Normally, the cursor is displayed at the end of any overlay and text +property strings present at the current window position. You can +place the cursor on any desired character of these strings by giving +that character a non-@code{nil} @var{cursor} text property. + +@item pointer +@kindex pointer @r{(text property)} +This specifies a specific pointer shape when the mouse pointer is over +this text or image. @xref{Pointer Shape}, for possible pointer +shapes. + +@item line-spacing +@kindex line-spacing @r{(text property)} +A newline can have a @code{line-spacing} text or overlay property that +controls the height of the display line ending with that newline. The +property value overrides the default frame line spacing and the buffer +local @code{line-spacing} variable. @xref{Line Height}. + +@item line-height +@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. +@xref{Line Height}. + +@item modification-hooks +@cindex change hooks for a character +@cindex hooks for changing a character +@kindex modification-hooks @r{(text property)} +If a character has the property @code{modification-hooks}, then its +value should be a list of functions; modifying that character calls all +of those functions. Each function receives two arguments: the beginning +and end of the part of the buffer being modified. Note that if a +particular modification hook function appears on several characters +being modified by a single primitive, you can't predict how many times +the function will be called. + +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. + +Overlays also support the @code{modification-hooks} property, but the +details are somewhat different (@pxref{Overlay Properties}). + +@item insert-in-front-hooks +@itemx insert-behind-hooks +@kindex insert-in-front-hooks @r{(text property)} +@kindex insert-behind-hooks @r{(text property)} +The operation of inserting text in a buffer also calls the functions +listed in the @code{insert-in-front-hooks} property of the following +character and in the @code{insert-behind-hooks} property of the +preceding character. These functions receive two arguments, the +beginning and end of the inserted text. The functions are called +@emph{after} the actual insertion takes place. + +See also @ref{Change Hooks}, for other hooks that are called +when you change text in a buffer. + +@item point-entered +@itemx point-left +@cindex hooks for motion of point +@kindex point-entered @r{(text property)} +@kindex point-left @r{(text property)} +The special properties @code{point-entered} and @code{point-left} +record hook functions that report motion of point. Each time point +moves, Emacs compares these two property values: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +the @code{point-left} property of the character after the old location, +and +@item +the @code{point-entered} property of the character after the new +location. +@end itemize + +@noindent +If these two values differ, each of them is called (if not @code{nil}) +with two arguments: the old value of point, and the new one. + +The same comparison is made for the characters before the old and new +locations. The result may be to execute two @code{point-left} functions +(which may be the same function) and/or two @code{point-entered} +functions (which may be the same function). In any case, all the +@code{point-left} functions are called first, followed by all the +@code{point-entered} functions. + +It is possible with @code{char-after} to examine characters at various +buffer positions without moving point to those positions. Only an +actual change in the value of point runs these hook functions. + +@defvar inhibit-point-motion-hooks +When this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{point-left} and +@code{point-entered} hooks are not run, and the @code{intangible} +property has no effect. Do not set this variable globally; bind it with +@code{let}. +@end defvar + +@defvar show-help-function +@anchor{Help display} If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a +function called to display help strings. These may be @code{help-echo} +properties, menu help strings (@pxref{Simple Menu Items}, +@pxref{Extended Menu Items}), or tool bar help strings (@pxref{Tool +Bar}). The specified function is called with one argument, the help +string to display. Tooltip mode (@pxref{Tooltips,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs +Manual}) provides an example. +@end defvar + +@item composition +@kindex composition @r{(text property)} +This text property is used to display a sequence of characters as a +single glyph composed from components. But the value of the property +itself is completely internal to Emacs and should not be manipulated +directly by, for instance, @code{put-text-property}. + +@end table + +@node Format Properties +@subsection Formatted Text Properties + + These text properties affect the behavior of the fill commands. They +are used for representing formatted text. @xref{Filling}, and +@ref{Margins}. + +@table @code +@item hard +If a newline character has this property, it is a ``hard'' newline. +The fill commands do not alter hard newlines and do not move words +across them. However, this property takes effect only if the +@code{use-hard-newlines} minor mode is enabled. @xref{Hard and Soft +Newlines,, Hard and Soft Newlines, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. + +@item right-margin +This property specifies an extra right margin for filling this part of the +text. + +@item left-margin +This property specifies an extra left margin for filling this part of the +text. + +@item justification +This property specifies the style of justification for filling this part +of the text. +@end table + +@node Sticky Properties +@subsection Stickiness of Text Properties +@cindex sticky text properties +@cindex inheritance of text properties + + Self-inserting characters normally take on the same properties as the +preceding character. This is called @dfn{inheritance} of properties. + + In a Lisp program, you can do insertion with inheritance or without, +depending on your choice of insertion primitive. The ordinary text +insertion functions such as @code{insert} do not inherit any properties. +They insert text with precisely the properties of the string being +inserted, and no others. This is correct for programs that copy text +from one context to another---for example, into or out of the kill ring. +To insert with inheritance, use the special primitives described in this +section. Self-inserting characters inherit properties because they work +using these primitives. + + When you do insertion with inheritance, @emph{which} properties are +inherited, and from where, depends on which properties are @dfn{sticky}. +Insertion after a character inherits those of its properties that are +@dfn{rear-sticky}. Insertion before a character inherits those of its +properties that are @dfn{front-sticky}. When both sides offer different +sticky values for the same property, the previous character's value +takes precedence. + + By default, a text property is rear-sticky but not front-sticky; thus, +the default is to inherit all the properties of the preceding character, +and nothing from the following character. + + You can control the stickiness of various text properties with two +specific text properties, @code{front-sticky} and @code{rear-nonsticky}, +and with the variable @code{text-property-default-nonsticky}. You can +use the variable to specify a different default for a given property. +You can use those two text properties to make any specific properties +sticky or nonsticky in any particular part of the text. + + If a character's @code{front-sticky} property is @code{t}, then all +its properties are front-sticky. If the @code{front-sticky} property is +a list, then the sticky properties of the character are those whose +names are in the list. For example, if a character has a +@code{front-sticky} property whose value is @code{(face read-only)}, +then insertion before the character can inherit its @code{face} property +and its @code{read-only} property, but no others. + + The @code{rear-nonsticky} property works the opposite way. Most +properties are rear-sticky by default, so the @code{rear-nonsticky} +property says which properties are @emph{not} rear-sticky. If a +character's @code{rear-nonsticky} property is @code{t}, then none of its +properties are rear-sticky. If the @code{rear-nonsticky} property is a +list, properties are rear-sticky @emph{unless} their names are in the +list. + +@defvar text-property-default-nonsticky +This variable holds an alist which defines the default rear-stickiness +of various text properties. Each element has the form +@code{(@var{property} . @var{nonstickiness})}, and it defines the +stickiness of a particular text property, @var{property}. + +If @var{nonstickiness} is non-@code{nil}, this means that the property +@var{property} is rear-nonsticky by default. Since all properties are +front-nonsticky by default, this makes @var{property} nonsticky in both +directions by default. + +The text properties @code{front-sticky} and @code{rear-nonsticky}, when +used, take precedence over the default @var{nonstickiness} specified in +@code{text-property-default-nonsticky}. +@end defvar + + Here are the functions that insert text with inheritance of properties: + +@defun insert-and-inherit &rest strings +Insert the strings @var{strings}, just like the function @code{insert}, +but inherit any sticky properties from the adjoining text. +@end defun + +@defun insert-before-markers-and-inherit &rest strings +Insert the strings @var{strings}, just like the function +@code{insert-before-markers}, but inherit any sticky properties from the +adjoining text. +@end defun + + @xref{Insertion}, for the ordinary insertion functions which do not +inherit. + +@node Lazy Properties +@subsection Lazy Computation of Text Properties + + Instead of computing text properties for all the text in the buffer, +you can arrange to compute the text properties for parts of the text +when and if something depends on them. + + The primitive that extracts text from the buffer along with its +properties is @code{buffer-substring}. Before examining the properties, +this function runs the abnormal hook @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions}. + +@defvar buffer-access-fontify-functions +This variable holds a list of functions for computing text properties. +Before @code{buffer-substring} copies the text and text properties for a +portion of the buffer, it calls all the functions in this list. Each of +the functions receives two arguments that specify the range of the +buffer being accessed. (The buffer itself is always the current +buffer.) +@end defvar + + The function @code{buffer-substring-no-properties} does not call these +functions, since it ignores text properties anyway. + + In order to prevent the hook functions from being called more than +once for the same part of the buffer, you can use the variable +@code{buffer-access-fontified-property}. + +@defvar buffer-access-fontified-property +If this variable's value is non-@code{nil}, it is a symbol which is used +as a text property name. A non-@code{nil} value for that text property +means, ``the other text properties for this character have already been +computed.'' + +If all the characters in the range specified for @code{buffer-substring} +have a non-@code{nil} value for this property, @code{buffer-substring} +does not call the @code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions. It +assumes these characters already have the right text properties, and +just copies the properties they already have. + +The normal way to use this feature is that the +@code{buffer-access-fontify-functions} functions add this property, as +well as others, to the characters they operate on. That way, they avoid +being called over and over for the same text. +@end defvar + +@node Clickable Text +@subsection Defining Clickable Text +@cindex clickable text + + @dfn{Clickable text} is text that can be clicked, with either the +the mouse or via keyboard commands, to produce some result. Many +major modes use clickable text to implement features such as +hyper-links. The @code{button} package provides an easy way to insert +and manipulate clickable text. @xref{Buttons}. + + In this section, we will explain how to manually set up clickable +text in a buffer using text properties. This involves two things: (1) +indicating clickability when the mouse moves over the text, and (2) +making @kbd{RET} or a mouse click on that text do something. + + Indicating clickability usually involves highlighting the text, and +often involves displaying helpful information about the action, such +as which mouse button to press, or a short summary of the action. +This can be done with the @code{mouse-face} and @code{help-echo} +text properties. @xref{Special Properties}. +Here is an example of how Dired does it: + +@smallexample +(condition-case nil + (if (dired-move-to-filename) + (add-text-properties + (point) + (save-excursion + (dired-move-to-end-of-filename) + (point)) + '(mouse-face highlight + help-echo "mouse-2: visit this file in other window"))) + (error nil)) +@end smallexample + +@noindent +The first two arguments to @code{add-text-properties} specify the +beginning and end of the text. + + The usual way to make the mouse do something when you click it +on this text is to define @code{mouse-2} in the major mode's +keymap. The job of checking whether the click was on clickable text +is done by the command definition. Here is how Dired does it: + +@smallexample +(defun dired-mouse-find-file-other-window (event) + "In Dired, visit the file or directory name you click on." + (interactive "e") + (let (window pos file) + (save-excursion + (setq window (posn-window (event-end event)) + pos (posn-point (event-end event))) + (if (not (windowp window)) + (error "No file chosen")) + (set-buffer (window-buffer window)) + (goto-char pos) + (setq file (dired-get-file-for-visit))) + (if (file-directory-p file) + (or (and (cdr dired-subdir-alist) + (dired-goto-subdir file)) + (progn + (select-window window) + (dired-other-window file))) + (select-window window) + (find-file-other-window (file-name-sans-versions file t))))) +@end smallexample + +@noindent +The reason for the @code{save-excursion} construct is to avoid +changing the current buffer. In this case, +Dired uses the functions @code{posn-window} and @code{posn-point} +to determine which buffer the click happened in and where, and +in that buffer, @code{dired-get-file-for-visit} to determine which +file to visit. + + Instead of defining a mouse command for the major mode, you can define +a key binding for the clickable text itself, using the @code{keymap} +text property: + +@example +(let ((map (make-sparse-keymap))) + (define-key map [mouse-2] 'operate-this-button) + (put-text-property (point) + (save-excursion + (dired-move-to-end-of-filename) + (point)) + 'keymap map)) +@end example + +@noindent +This method makes it possible to define different commands for various +clickable pieces of text. Also, the major mode definition (or the +global definition) remains available for the rest of the text in the +buffer. + +@node Links and Mouse-1 +@subsection Links and Mouse-1 +@cindex follow links +@cindex mouse-1 + + The normal Emacs command for activating text in read-only buffers is +@key{Mouse-2}, which includes following textual links. However, most +graphical applications use @key{Mouse-1} for following links. For +compatibility, @key{Mouse-1} follows links in Emacs too, when you +click on a link quickly without moving the mouse. The user can +customize this behavior through the variable +@code{mouse-1-click-follows-link}. + + To define text as a link at the Lisp level, you should bind the +@code{mouse-2} event to a command to follow the link. Then, to indicate that +@key{Mouse-1} should also follow the link, you should specify a +@code{follow-link} condition either as a text property or as a key +binding: + +@table @asis +@item @code{follow-link} property +If the clickable text has a non-@code{nil} @code{follow-link} text or overlay +property, that specifies the condition. + +@item @code{follow-link} event +If there is a binding for the @code{follow-link} event, either on the +clickable text or in the local keymap, the binding is the condition. +@end table + + Regardless of how you set the @code{follow-link} condition, its +value is used as follows to determine whether the given position is +inside a link, and (if so) to compute an @dfn{action code} saying how +@key{Mouse-1} should handle the link. + +@table @asis +@item @code{mouse-face} +If the condition is @code{mouse-face}, a position is inside a link if +there is a non-@code{nil} @code{mouse-face} property at that position. +The action code is always @code{t}. + +For example, here is how Info mode handles @key{Mouse-1}: + +@smallexample +(define-key Info-mode-map [follow-link] 'mouse-face) +@end smallexample + +@item a function +If the condition is a valid function, @var{func}, then a position +@var{pos} is inside a link if @code{(@var{func} @var{pos})} evaluates +to non-@code{nil}. The value returned by @var{func} serves as the +action code. + +For example, here is how pcvs enables @key{Mouse-1} to follow links on +file names only: + +@smallexample +(define-key map [follow-link] + (lambda (pos) + (eq (get-char-property pos 'face) 'cvs-filename-face))) +@end smallexample + +@item anything else +If the condition value is anything else, then the position is inside a +link and the condition itself is the action code. Clearly you should +only specify this kind of condition on the text that constitutes a +link. +@end table + +@noindent +The action code tells @key{Mouse-1} how to follow the link: + +@table @asis +@item a string or vector +If the action code is a string or vector, the @key{Mouse-1} event is +translated into the first element of the string or vector; i.e., the +action of the @key{Mouse-1} click is the local or global binding of +that character or symbol. Thus, if the action code is @code{"foo"}, +@key{Mouse-1} translates into @kbd{f}. If it is @code{[foo]}, +@key{Mouse-1} translates into @key{foo}. + +@item anything else +For any other non-@code{nil} action code, the @code{mouse-1} event is +translated into a @code{mouse-2} event at the same position. +@end table + + To define @key{Mouse-1} to activate a button defined with +@code{define-button-type}, give the button a @code{follow-link} +property with a value as specified above to determine how to follow +the link. For example, here is how Help mode handles @key{Mouse-1}: + +@smallexample +(define-button-type 'help-xref + 'follow-link t + 'action #'help-button-action) +@end smallexample + + To define @key{Mouse-1} on a widget defined with +@code{define-widget}, give the widget a @code{:follow-link} property +with a value as specified above to determine how to follow the link. + +For example, here is how the @code{link} widget specifies that +a @key{Mouse-1} click shall be translated to @key{RET}: + +@smallexample +(define-widget 'link 'item + "An embedded link." + :button-prefix 'widget-link-prefix + :button-suffix 'widget-link-suffix + :follow-link "\C-m" + :help-echo "Follow the link." + :format "%[%t%]") +@end smallexample + +@defun mouse-on-link-p pos +This function returns non-@code{nil} if position @var{pos} in the +current buffer is on a link. @var{pos} can also be a mouse event +location, as returned by @code{event-start} (@pxref{Accessing Events}). +@end defun + +@node Fields +@subsection Defining and Using Fields +@cindex fields + + A field is a range of consecutive characters in the buffer that are +identified by having the same value (comparing with @code{eq}) of the +@code{field} property (either a text-property or an overlay property). +This section describes special functions that are available for +operating on fields. + + You specify a field with a buffer position, @var{pos}. We think of +each field as containing a range of buffer positions, so the position +you specify stands for the field containing that position. + + When the characters before and after @var{pos} are part of the same +field, there is no doubt which field contains @var{pos}: the one those +characters both belong to. When @var{pos} is at a boundary between +fields, which field it belongs to depends on the stickiness of the +@code{field} properties of the two surrounding characters (@pxref{Sticky +Properties}). The field whose property would be inherited by text +inserted at @var{pos} is the field that contains @var{pos}. + + There is an anomalous case where newly inserted text at @var{pos} +would not inherit the @code{field} property from either side. This +happens if the previous character's @code{field} property is not +rear-sticky, and the following character's @code{field} property is not +front-sticky. In this case, @var{pos} belongs to neither the preceding +field nor the following field; the field functions treat it as belonging +to an empty field whose beginning and end are both at @var{pos}. + + In all of these functions, if @var{pos} is omitted or @code{nil}, the +value of point is used by default. If narrowing is in effect, then +@var{pos} should fall within the accessible portion. @xref{Narrowing}. + +@defun field-beginning &optional pos escape-from-edge limit +This function returns the beginning of the field specified by @var{pos}. + +If @var{pos} is at the beginning of its field, and +@var{escape-from-edge} is non-@code{nil}, then the return value is +always the beginning of the preceding field that @emph{ends} at @var{pos}, +regardless of the stickiness of the @code{field} properties around +@var{pos}. + +If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it is a buffer position; if the +beginning of the field is before @var{limit}, then @var{limit} will be +returned instead. +@end defun + +@defun field-end &optional pos escape-from-edge limit +This function returns the end of the field specified by @var{pos}. + +If @var{pos} is at the end of its field, and @var{escape-from-edge} is +non-@code{nil}, then the return value is always the end of the following +field that @emph{begins} at @var{pos}, regardless of the stickiness of +the @code{field} properties around @var{pos}. + +If @var{limit} is non-@code{nil}, it is a buffer position; if the end +of the field is after @var{limit}, then @var{limit} will be returned +instead. +@end defun + +@defun field-string &optional pos +This function returns the contents of the field specified by @var{pos}, +as a string. +@end defun + +@defun field-string-no-properties &optional pos +This function returns the contents of the field specified by @var{pos}, +as a string, discarding text properties. +@end defun + +@defun delete-field &optional pos +This function deletes the text of the field specified by @var{pos}. +@end defun + +@defun constrain-to-field new-pos old-pos &optional escape-from-edge only-in-line inhibit-capture-property +This function ``constrains'' @var{new-pos} to the field that +@var{old-pos} belongs to---in other words, it returns the position +closest to @var{new-pos} that is in the same field as @var{old-pos}. + +If @var{new-pos} is @code{nil}, then @code{constrain-to-field} uses +the value of point instead, and moves point to the resulting position +as well as returning it. + +If @var{old-pos} is at the boundary of two fields, then the acceptable +final positions depend on the argument @var{escape-from-edge}. If +@var{escape-from-edge} is @code{nil}, then @var{new-pos} must be in +the field whose @code{field} property equals what new characters +inserted at @var{old-pos} would inherit. (This depends on the +stickiness of the @code{field} property for the characters before and +after @var{old-pos}.) If @var{escape-from-edge} is non-@code{nil}, +@var{new-pos} can be anywhere in the two adjacent fields. +Additionally, if two fields are separated by another field with the +special value @code{boundary}, then any point within this special +field is also considered to be ``on the boundary.'' + +Commands like @kbd{C-a} with no argumemt, that normally move backward +to a specific kind of location and stay there once there, probably +should specify @code{nil} for @var{escape-from-edge}. Other motion +commands that check fields should probably pass @code{t}. + +If the optional argument @var{only-in-line} is non-@code{nil}, and +constraining @var{new-pos} in the usual way would move it to a different +line, @var{new-pos} is returned unconstrained. This used in commands +that move by line, such as @code{next-line} and +@code{beginning-of-line}, so that they respect field boundaries only in +the case where they can still move to the right line. + +If the optional argument @var{inhibit-capture-property} is +non-@code{nil}, and @var{old-pos} has a non-@code{nil} property of that +name, then any field boundaries are ignored. + +You can cause @code{constrain-to-field} to ignore all field boundaries +(and so never constrain anything) by binding the variable +@code{inhibit-field-text-motion} to a non-@code{nil} value. +@end defun + +@node Not Intervals +@subsection Why Text Properties are not Intervals +@cindex intervals + + Some editors that support adding attributes to text in the buffer do +so by letting the user specify ``intervals'' within the text, and adding +the properties to the intervals. Those editors permit the user or the +programmer to determine where individual intervals start and end. We +deliberately provided a different sort of interface in Emacs Lisp to +avoid certain paradoxical behavior associated with text modification. + + If the actual subdivision into intervals is meaningful, that means you +can distinguish between a buffer that is just one interval with a +certain property, and a buffer containing the same text subdivided into +two intervals, both of which have that property. + + Suppose you take the buffer with just one interval and kill part of +the text. The text remaining in the buffer is one interval, and the +copy in the kill ring (and the undo list) becomes a separate interval. +Then if you yank back the killed text, you get two intervals with the +same properties. Thus, editing does not preserve the distinction +between one interval and two. + + Suppose we ``fix'' this problem by coalescing the two intervals when +the text is inserted. That works fine if the buffer originally was a +single interval. But suppose instead that we have two adjacent +intervals with the same properties, and we kill the text of one interval +and yank it back. The same interval-coalescence feature that rescues +the other case causes trouble in this one: after yanking, we have just +one interval. One again, editing does not preserve the distinction +between one interval and two. + + Insertion of text at the border between intervals also raises +questions that have no satisfactory answer. + + However, it is easy to arrange for editing to behave consistently for +questions of the form, ``What are the properties of this character?'' +So we have decided these are the only questions that make sense; we have +not implemented asking questions about where intervals start or end. + + In practice, you can usually use the text property search functions in +place of explicit interval boundaries. You can think of them as finding +the boundaries of intervals, assuming that intervals are always +coalesced whenever possible. @xref{Property Search}. + + Emacs also provides explicit intervals as a presentation feature; see +@ref{Overlays}. + +@node Substitution +@section Substituting for a Character Code + + The following functions replace characters within a specified region +based on their character codes. + +@defun subst-char-in-region start end old-char new-char &optional noundo +@cindex replace characters +This function replaces all occurrences of the character @var{old-char} +with the character @var{new-char} in the region of the current buffer +defined by @var{start} and @var{end}. + +@cindex undo avoidance +If @var{noundo} is non-@code{nil}, then @code{subst-char-in-region} does +not record the change for undo and does not mark the buffer as modified. +This was useful for controlling the old selective display feature +(@pxref{Selective Display}). + +@code{subst-char-in-region} does not move point and returns +@code{nil}. + +@example +@group +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +This is the contents of the buffer before. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group + +@group +(subst-char-in-region 1 20 ?i ?X) + @result{} nil + +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +ThXs Xs the contents of the buffer before. +---------- Buffer: foo ---------- +@end group +@end example +@end defun + +@defun translate-region start end table +This function applies a translation table to the characters in the +buffer between positions @var{start} and @var{end}. + +The translation table @var{table} is a string or a char-table; +@code{(aref @var{table} @var{ochar})} gives the translated character +corresponding to @var{ochar}. If @var{table} is a string, any +characters with codes larger than the length of @var{table} are not +altered by the translation. + +The return value of @code{translate-region} is the number of +characters that were actually changed by the translation. This does +not count characters that were mapped into themselves in the +translation table. +@end defun + +@node Registers +@section Registers +@cindex registers + + A register is a sort of variable used in Emacs editing that can hold a +variety of different kinds of values. Each register is named by a +single character. All @acronym{ASCII} characters and their meta variants +(but with the exception of @kbd{C-g}) can be used to name registers. +Thus, there are 255 possible registers. A register is designated in +Emacs Lisp by the character that is its name. + +@defvar register-alist +This variable is an alist of elements of the form @code{(@var{name} . +@var{contents})}. Normally, there is one element for each Emacs +register that has been used. + +The object @var{name} is a character (an integer) identifying the +register. +@end defvar + + The @var{contents} of a register can have several possible types: + +@table @asis +@item a number +A number stands for itself. If @code{insert-register} finds a number +in the register, it converts the number to decimal. + +@item a marker +A marker represents a buffer position to jump to. + +@item a string +A string is text saved in the register. + +@item a rectangle +A rectangle is represented by a list of strings. + +@item @code{(@var{window-configuration} @var{position})} +This represents a window configuration to restore in one frame, and a +position to jump to in the current buffer. + +@item @code{(@var{frame-configuration} @var{position})} +This represents a frame configuration to restore, and a position +to jump to in the current buffer. + +@item (file @var{filename}) +This represents a file to visit; jumping to this value visits file +@var{filename}. + +@item (file-query @var{filename} @var{position}) +This represents a file to visit and a position in it; jumping to this +value visits file @var{filename} and goes to buffer position +@var{position}. Restoring this type of position asks the user for +confirmation first. +@end table + + The functions in this section return unpredictable values unless +otherwise stated. + +@defun get-register reg +This function returns the contents of the register +@var{reg}, or @code{nil} if it has no contents. +@end defun + +@defun set-register reg value +This function sets the contents of register @var{reg} to @var{value}. +A register can be set to any value, but the other register functions +expect only certain data types. The return value is @var{value}. +@end defun + +@deffn Command view-register reg +This command displays what is contained in register @var{reg}. +@end deffn + +@ignore +@deffn Command point-to-register reg +This command stores both the current location of point and the current +buffer in register @var{reg} as a marker. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command jump-to-register reg +@deffnx Command register-to-point reg +@comment !!SourceFile register.el +This command restores the status recorded in register @var{reg}. + +If @var{reg} contains a marker, it moves point to the position stored in +the marker. Since both the buffer and the location within the buffer +are stored by the @code{point-to-register} function, this command can +switch you to another buffer. + +If @var{reg} contains a window configuration or a frame configuration. +@code{jump-to-register} restores that configuration. +@end deffn +@end ignore + +@deffn Command insert-register reg &optional beforep +This command inserts contents of register @var{reg} into the current +buffer. + +Normally, this command puts point before the inserted text, and the +mark after it. However, if the optional second argument @var{beforep} +is non-@code{nil}, it puts the mark before and point after. +You can pass a non-@code{nil} second argument @var{beforep} to this +function interactively by supplying any prefix argument. + +If the register contains a rectangle, then the rectangle is inserted +with its upper left corner at point. This means that text is inserted +in the current line and underneath it on successive lines. + +If the register contains something other than saved text (a string) or +a rectangle (a list), currently useless things happen. This may be +changed in the future. +@end deffn + +@ignore +@deffn Command copy-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag +This command copies the region from @var{start} to @var{end} into +register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is non-@code{nil}, it deletes +the region from the buffer after copying it into the register. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command prepend-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag +This command prepends the region from @var{start} to @var{end} into +register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is non-@code{nil}, it deletes +the region from the buffer after copying it to the register. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command append-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag +This command appends the region from @var{start} to @var{end} to the +text already in register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is +non-@code{nil}, it deletes the region from the buffer after copying it +to the register. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command copy-rectangle-to-register reg start end &optional delete-flag +This command copies a rectangular region from @var{start} to @var{end} +into register @var{reg}. If @var{delete-flag} is non-@code{nil}, it +deletes the region from the buffer after copying it to the register. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command window-configuration-to-register reg +This function stores the window configuration of the selected frame in +register @var{reg}. +@end deffn + +@deffn Command frame-configuration-to-register reg +This function stores the current frame configuration in register +@var{reg}. +@end deffn +@end ignore + +@node Transposition +@section Transposition of Text + + This subroutine is used by the transposition commands. + +@defun transpose-regions start1 end1 start2 end2 &optional leave-markers +This function exchanges two nonoverlapping portions of the buffer. +Arguments @var{start1} and @var{end1} specify the bounds of one portion +and arguments @var{start2} and @var{end2} specify the bounds of the +other portion. + +Normally, @code{transpose-regions} relocates markers with the transposed +text; a marker previously positioned within one of the two transposed +portions moves along with that portion, thus remaining between the same +two characters in their new position. However, if @var{leave-markers} +is non-@code{nil}, @code{transpose-regions} does not do this---it leaves +all markers unrelocated. +@end defun + +@node Base 64 +@section Base 64 Encoding +@cindex base 64 encoding + + Base 64 code is used in email to encode a sequence of 8-bit bytes as +a longer sequence of @acronym{ASCII} graphic characters. It is defined in +Internet RFC@footnote{ +An RFC, an acronym for @dfn{Request for Comments}, is a numbered +Internet informational document describing a standard. RFCs are +usually written by technical experts acting on their own initiative, +and are traditionally written in a pragmatic, experience-driven +manner. +}2045. This section describes the functions for +converting to and from this code. + +@defun base64-encode-region beg end &optional no-line-break +This function converts the region from @var{beg} to @var{end} into base +64 code. It returns the length of the encoded text. An error is +signaled if a character in the region is multibyte, i.e.@: in a +multibyte buffer the region must contain only characters from the +charsets @code{ascii}, @code{eight-bit-control} and +@code{eight-bit-graphic}. + +Normally, this function inserts newline characters into the encoded +text, to avoid overlong lines. However, if the optional argument +@var{no-line-break} is non-@code{nil}, these newlines are not added, so +the output is just one long line. +@end defun + +@defun base64-encode-string string &optional no-line-break +This function converts the string @var{string} into base 64 code. It +returns a string containing the encoded text. As for +@code{base64-encode-region}, an error is signaled if a character in the +string is multibyte. + +Normally, this function inserts newline characters into the encoded +text, to avoid overlong lines. However, if the optional argument +@var{no-line-break} is non-@code{nil}, these newlines are not added, so +the result string is just one long line. +@end defun + +@defun base64-decode-region beg end +This function converts the region from @var{beg} to @var{end} from base +64 code into the corresponding decoded text. It returns the length of +the decoded text. + +The decoding functions ignore newline characters in the encoded text. +@end defun + +@defun base64-decode-string string +This function converts the string @var{string} from base 64 code into +the corresponding decoded text. It returns a unibyte string containing the +decoded text. + +The decoding functions ignore newline characters in the encoded text. +@end defun + +@node MD5 Checksum +@section MD5 Checksum +@cindex MD5 checksum +@cindex message digest computation + + MD5 cryptographic checksums, or @dfn{message digests}, are 128-bit +``fingerprints'' of a document or program. They are used to verify +that you have an exact and unaltered copy of the data. The algorithm +to calculate the MD5 message digest is defined in Internet +RFC@footnote{ +For an explanation of what is an RFC, see the footnote in @ref{Base +64}. +}1321. This section describes the Emacs facilities for computing +message digests. + +@defun md5 object &optional start end coding-system noerror +This function returns the MD5 message digest of @var{object}, which +should be a buffer or a string. + +The two optional arguments @var{start} and @var{end} are character +positions specifying the portion of @var{object} to compute the +message digest for. If they are @code{nil} or omitted, the digest is +computed for the whole of @var{object}. + +The function @code{md5} does not compute the message digest directly +from the internal Emacs representation of the text (@pxref{Text +Representations}). Instead, it encodes the text using a coding +system, and computes the message digest from the encoded text. The +optional fourth argument @var{coding-system} specifies which coding +system to use for encoding the text. It should be the same coding +system that you used to read the text, or that you used or will use +when saving or sending the text. @xref{Coding Systems}, for more +information about coding systems. + +If @var{coding-system} is @code{nil} or omitted, the default depends +on @var{object}. If @var{object} is a buffer, the default for +@var{coding-system} is whatever coding system would be chosen by +default for writing this text into a file. If @var{object} is a +string, the user's most preferred coding system (@pxref{Recognize +Coding, prefer-coding-system, the description of +@code{prefer-coding-system}, emacs, GNU Emacs Manual}) is used. + +Normally, @code{md5} signals an error if the text can't be encoded +using the specified or chosen coding system. However, if +@var{noerror} is non-@code{nil}, it silently uses @code{raw-text} +coding instead. +@end defun + +@node Atomic Changes +@section Atomic Change Groups +@cindex atomic changes + + In data base terminology, an @dfn{atomic} change is an indivisible +change---it can succeed entirely or it can fail entirely, but it +cannot partly succeed. A Lisp program can make a series of changes to +one or several buffers as an @dfn{atomic change group}, meaning that +either the entire series of changes will be installed in their buffers +or, in case of an error, none of them will be. + + To do this for one buffer, the one already current, simply write a +call to @code{atomic-change-group} around the code that makes the +changes, like this: + +@example +(atomic-change-group + (insert foo) + (delete-region x y)) +@end example + +@noindent +If an error (or other nonlocal exit) occurs inside the body of +@code{atomic-change-group}, it unmakes all the changes in that buffer +that were during the execution of the body. This kind of change group +has no effect on any other buffers---any such changes remain. + + If you need something more sophisticated, such as to make changes in +various buffers constitute one atomic group, you must directly call +lower-level functions that @code{atomic-change-group} uses. + +@defun prepare-change-group &optional buffer +This function sets up a change group for buffer @var{buffer}, which +defaults to the current buffer. It returns a ``handle'' that +represents the change group. You must use this handle to activate the +change group and subsequently to finish it. +@end defun + + To use the change group, you must @dfn{activate} it. You must do +this before making any changes in the text of @var{buffer}. + +@defun activate-change-group handle +This function activates the change group that @var{handle} designates. +@end defun + + After you activate the change group, any changes you make in that +buffer become part of it. Once you have made all the desired changes +in the buffer, you must @dfn{finish} the change group. There are two +ways to do this: you can either accept (and finalize) all the changes, +or cancel them all. + +@defun accept-change-group handle +This function accepts all the changes in the change group specified by +@var{handle}, making them final. +@end defun + +@defun cancel-change-group handle +This function cancels and undoes all the changes in the change group +specified by @var{handle}. +@end defun + + Your code should use @code{unwind-protect} to make sure the group is +always finished. The call to @code{activate-change-group} should be +inside the @code{unwind-protect}, in case the user types @kbd{C-g} +just after it runs. (This is one reason why +@code{prepare-change-group} and @code{activate-change-group} are +separate functions, because normally you would call +@code{prepare-change-group} before the start of that +@code{unwind-protect}.) Once you finish the group, don't use the +handle again---in particular, don't try to finish the same group +twice. + + To make a multibuffer change group, call @code{prepare-change-group} +once for each buffer you want to cover, then use @code{nconc} to +combine the returned values, like this: + +@example +(nconc (prepare-change-group buffer-1) + (prepare-change-group buffer-2)) +@end example + +You can then activate the multibuffer change group with a single call +to @code{activate-change-group}, and finish it with a single call to +@code{accept-change-group} or @code{cancel-change-group}. + + Nested use of several change groups for the same buffer works as you +would expect. Non-nested use of change groups for the same buffer +will get Emacs confused, so don't let it happen; the first change +group you start for any given buffer should be the last one finished. + +@node Change Hooks +@section Change Hooks +@cindex change hooks +@cindex hooks for text changes + + These hook variables let you arrange to take notice of all changes in +all buffers (or in a particular buffer, if you make them buffer-local). +See also @ref{Special Properties}, for how to detect changes to specific +parts of the text. + + The functions you use in these hooks should save and restore the match +data if they do anything that uses regular expressions; otherwise, they +will interfere in bizarre ways with the editing operations that call +them. + +@defvar before-change-functions +This variable holds a list of functions to call before any buffer +modification. Each function gets two arguments, the beginning and end +of the region that is about to change, represented as integers. The +buffer that is about to change is always the current buffer. +@end defvar + +@defvar after-change-functions +This variable holds a list of functions to call after any buffer +modification. Each function receives three arguments: the beginning and +end of the region just changed, and the length of the text that existed +before the change. All three arguments are integers. The buffer that's +about to change is always the current buffer. + +The length of the old text is the difference between the buffer positions +before and after that text as it was before the change. As for the +changed text, its length is simply the difference between the first two +arguments. +@end defvar + + Output of messages into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer does not +call these functions. + +@defmac combine-after-change-calls body@dots{} +The macro executes @var{body} normally, but arranges to call the +after-change functions just once for a series of several changes---if +that seems safe. + +If a program makes several text changes in the same area of the buffer, +using the macro @code{combine-after-change-calls} around that part of +the program can make it run considerably faster when after-change hooks +are in use. When the after-change hooks are ultimately called, the +arguments specify a portion of the buffer including all of the changes +made within the @code{combine-after-change-calls} body. + +@strong{Warning:} You must not alter the values of +@code{after-change-functions} within +the body of a @code{combine-after-change-calls} form. + +@strong{Warning:} if the changes you combine occur in widely scattered +parts of the buffer, this will still work, but it is not advisable, +because it may lead to inefficient behavior for some change hook +functions. +@end defmac + +@defvar first-change-hook +This variable is a normal hook that is run whenever a buffer is changed +that was previously in the unmodified state. +@end defvar + +@defvar inhibit-modification-hooks +If this variable is non-@code{nil}, all of the change hooks are +disabled; none of them run. This affects all the hook variables +described above in this section, as well as the hooks attached to +certain special text properties (@pxref{Special Properties}) and overlay +properties (@pxref{Overlay Properties}). + +Also, this variable is bound to non-@code{nil} while running those +same hook variables, so that by default modifying the buffer from +a modification hook does not cause other modification hooks to be run. +If you do want modification hooks to be run in a particular piece of +code that is itself run from a modification hook, then rebind locally +@code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{nil}. +@end defvar + +@ignore + arch-tag: 3721e738-a1cb-4085-bc1a-6cb8d8e1d32b +@end ignore