changeset 68696:b10a879044b0

Minor clarifications. (Dabbrev Customization): Talk about "dynamic abbrev expansion", not "dynamic abbrevs" as if they were a kind of abbrev.
author Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
date Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:07:17 +0000
parents 700063953be7
children 1450f1814186
files man/abbrevs.texi
diffstat 1 files changed, 61 insertions(+), 63 deletions(-) [+]
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/man/abbrevs.texi	Wed Feb 08 00:05:36 2006 +0000
+++ b/man/abbrevs.texi	Wed Feb 08 00:07:17 2006 +0000
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   A defined @dfn{abbrev} is a word which @dfn{expands}, if you insert
 it, into some different text.  Abbrevs are defined by the user to expand
 in specific ways.  For example, you might define @samp{foo} as an abbrev
-expanding to @samp{find outer otter}.  Then you would be able to insert
+expanding to @samp{find outer otter}.  Then you could insert
 @samp{find outer otter } into the buffer by typing @kbd{f o o
 @key{SPC}}.
 
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 words in the buffer that start with those letters.  @xref{Dynamic
 Abbrevs}.
 
-``Hippie'' expansion generalizes abbreviation expansion.  @xref{Hippie
-Expand, , Hippie Expansion, autotype, Features for Automatic
-Typing}.
+  ``Hippie'' expansion generalizes abbreviation expansion.
+@xref{Hippie Expand, , Hippie Expansion, autotype, Features for
+Automatic Typing}.
 
 @menu
 * Abbrev Concepts::   Fundamentals of defined abbrevs.
@@ -57,16 +57,16 @@
 on when the variable is non-@code{nil}.  The variable @code{abbrev-mode}
 automatically becomes local to the current buffer when it is set.
 
-  Abbrev definitions can be @dfn{mode-specific}---active only in one major
+  Abbrevs can have @dfn{mode-specific} definitions, active only in one major
 mode.  Abbrevs can also have @dfn{global} definitions that are active in
 all major modes.  The same abbrev can have a global definition and various
 mode-specific definitions for different major modes.  A mode-specific
 definition for the current major mode overrides a global definition.
 
-  Abbrevs can be defined interactively during the editing session.  Lists
-of abbrev definitions can also be saved in files and reloaded in later
-sessions.  Some users keep extensive lists of abbrevs that they load in
-every session.
+  Yu can define abbrevs interactively during the editing session.  You
+can also save lists of abbrev definitions in files for use in later
+sessions.  Some users keep extensive lists of abbrevs that they load
+in every session.
 
 @node Defining Abbrevs
 @section Defining Abbrevs
@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@
 @item M-x define-mode-abbrev @key{RET} @var{abbrev} @key{RET} @var{exp} @key{RET}
 Define @var{abbrev} as a mode-specific abbrev expanding into @var{exp}.
 @item M-x kill-all-abbrevs
-This command discards all abbrev definitions currently in effect,
-leaving a blank slate.
+Discard all abbrev definitions, leaving a blank slate.
 @end table
 
 @kindex C-x a g
@@ -118,13 +117,13 @@
 @findex inverse-add-global-abbrev
 @kindex C-x a i l
 @findex inverse-add-mode-abbrev
-  If the text already in the buffer is the abbrev, rather than its
-expansion, use command @kbd{C-x a i g}
-(@code{inverse-add-global-abbrev}) instead of @kbd{C-x a g}, or use
-@kbd{C-x a i l} (@code{inverse-add-mode-abbrev}) instead of @kbd{C-x a
-l}.  These commands are called ``inverse'' because they invert the
-meaning of the two text strings they use (one from the buffer and one
-read with the minibuffer).
+  If the abbrev text itself is already in the buffer, you can use the
+commands @kbd{C-x a i g} (@code{inverse-add-global-abbrev}) and
+@kbd{C-x a i l} (@code{inverse-add-mode-abbrev}) to define it as an
+abbrev by specify the expansion in the minibuffer.  These commands are
+called ``inverse'' because they invert the meaning of the two text
+strings they use (one from the buffer and one read with the
+minibuffer).
 
 @findex define-mode-abbrev
 @findex define-global-abbrev
@@ -137,14 +136,12 @@
 When the abbrev has a prior definition, the abbrev definition commands
 ask for confirmation before replacing it.
 
-  To remove an abbrev definition, give a negative argument to the abbrev
-definition command: @kbd{C-u - C-x a g} or @kbd{C-u - C-x a l}.  The
-former removes a global definition, while the latter removes a
-mode-specific definition.
-
 @findex kill-all-abbrevs
-  @kbd{M-x kill-all-abbrevs} removes all the abbrev definitions there
-are, both global and local.
+  To remove an abbrev definition, give a negative argument to the
+abbrev definition command: @kbd{C-u - C-x a g} or @kbd{C-u - C-x a l}.
+The former removes a global definition, while the latter removes a
+mode-specific definition.  @kbd{M-x kill-all-abbrevs} removes all
+abbrev definitions, both global and local.
 
 @node Expanding Abbrevs
 @section Controlling Abbrev Expansion
@@ -179,9 +176,9 @@
 
 @kindex M-'
 @findex abbrev-prefix-mark
-  You may wish to expand an abbrev with a prefix attached; for example,
-if @samp{cnst} expands into @samp{construction}, you might want to use
-it to enter @samp{reconstruction}.  It does not work to type
+  You may wish to expand an abbrev and attach a prefix to the expansion;
+for example, if @samp{cnst} expands into @samp{construction}, you might want
+to use it to enter @samp{reconstruction}.  It does not work to type
 @kbd{recnst}, because that is not necessarily a defined abbrev.  What
 you can do is use the command @kbd{M-'} (@code{abbrev-prefix-mark}) in
 between the prefix @samp{re} and the abbrev @samp{cnst}.  First, insert
@@ -195,7 +192,7 @@
   If you actually want the text of the abbrev in the buffer, rather than
 its expansion, you can accomplish this by inserting the following
 punctuation with @kbd{C-q}.  Thus, @kbd{foo C-q ,} leaves @samp{foo,} in
-the buffer.
+the buffer, not expanding it.
 
 @findex unexpand-abbrev
   If you expand an abbrev by mistake, you can undo the expansion and
@@ -234,6 +231,7 @@
   The output from @kbd{M-x list-abbrevs} looks like this:
 
 @example
+@var{various other tables@dots{}}
 (lisp-mode-abbrev-table)
 "dk"	       0    "define-key"
 (global-abbrev-table)
@@ -322,16 +320,16 @@
 similar to the previous commands but work on text in an Emacs buffer.
 @kbd{M-x insert-abbrevs} inserts text into the current buffer after point,
 describing all current abbrev definitions; @kbd{M-x define-abbrevs} parses
-the entire current buffer and defines abbrevs accordingly.@refill
+the entire current buffer and defines abbrevs accordingly.
 
 @node Dynamic Abbrevs
 @section Dynamic Abbrev Expansion
 
-  The abbrev facility described above operates automatically as you insert
-text, but all abbrevs must be defined explicitly.  By contrast,
-@dfn{dynamic abbrevs} allow the meanings of abbrevs to be determined
-automatically from the contents of the buffer, but dynamic abbrev expansion
-happens only when you request it explicitly.
+  The abbrev facility described above operates automatically as you
+insert text, but all abbrevs must be defined explicitly.  By contrast,
+@dfn{dynamic abbrevs} allow the meanings of abbreviations to be
+determined automatically from the contents of the buffer, but dynamic
+abbrev expansion happens only when you request it explicitly.
 
 @kindex M-/
 @kindex C-M-/
@@ -357,7 +355,7 @@
 searches for an alternative expansion by looking farther back.  After
 scanning all the text before point, it searches the text after point.
 The variable @code{dabbrev-limit}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies how far
-in the buffer to search for an expansion.
+away in the buffer to search for an expansion.
 
 @vindex dabbrev-check-all-buffers
   After scanning the current buffer, @kbd{M-/} normally searches other
@@ -372,21 +370,20 @@
 
   A negative argument to @kbd{M-/}, as in @kbd{C-u - M-/}, says to
 search first for expansions after point, then other buffers, and
-consider expansions before point only as a last resort.
-
-  If you repeat the @kbd{M-/} to look for another expansion, do not
-specify an argument.  This tries all the expansions after point and
-then the expansions before point.
+consider expansions before point only as a last resort.  If you repeat
+the @kbd{M-/} to look for another expansion, do not specify an
+argument.  Repeating @kbd{M-/} cycles through all the expansions after
+point and then the expansions before point.
 
   After you have expanded a dynamic abbrev, you can copy additional
 words that follow the expansion in its original context.  Simply type
-@kbd{@key{SPC} M-/} for each word you want to copy.  The spacing and
-punctuation between words is copied along with the words.
+@kbd{@key{SPC} M-/} for each additional word you want to copy.  The
+spacing and punctuation between words is copied along with the words.
 
   The command @kbd{C-M-/} (@code{dabbrev-completion}) performs
-completion of a dynamic abbreviation.  Instead of trying the possible
-expansions one by one, it finds all of them, then inserts the text that
-they have in common.  If they have nothing in common, @kbd{C-M-/}
+completion of a dynamic abbrev.  Instead of trying the possible
+expansions one by one, it finds all of them, then inserts the text
+that they have in common.  If they have nothing in common, @kbd{C-M-/}
 displays a list of completions, from which you can select a choice in
 the usual manner.  @xref{Completion}.
 
@@ -411,24 +408,25 @@
 for expansions.
 
 @vindex dabbrev-case-replace
-  Normally, dynamic abbrev expansion preserves the case pattern @emph{of
-the abbrev you have typed}, by converting the expansion to that case
-pattern.
+  Normally, dynamic abbrev expansion preserves the case pattern
+@emph{of the dynamic abbrev you are expanding}, by converting the
+expansion to that case pattern.
 
 @vindex dabbrev-case-fold-search
-  The variable @code{dabbrev-case-replace} controls whether to preserve
-the case pattern of the abbrev.  If it is @code{t}, the abbrev's case
-pattern is preserved in most cases; if it is @code{nil}, the expansion is
-always copied verbatim.  If the value of @code{dabbrev-case-replace} is
-@code{case-replace}, which is true by default, then the variable
-@code{case-replace} controls whether to copy the expansion verbatim.
+  The variable @code{dabbrev-case-replace} controls whether to
+preserve the case pattern of the dynamic abbrev.  If it is @code{t},
+the dynamic abbrev's case pattern is preserved in most cases; if it is
+@code{nil}, the expansion is always copied verbatim.  If the value of
+@code{dabbrev-case-replace} is @code{case-replace}, which is true by
+default, then the variable @code{case-replace} controls whether to
+copy the expansion verbatim.
 
   However, if the expansion contains a complex mixed case pattern, and
-the abbrev matches this pattern as far as it goes, then the expansion is
-always copied verbatim, regardless of those variables.  Thus, for
-example, if the buffer contains @code{variableWithSillyCasePattern}, and
-you type @kbd{v a M-/}, it copies the expansion verbatim including its
-case pattern.
+the dynamic abbrev matches this pattern as far as it goes, then the
+expansion is always copied verbatim, regardless of those variables.
+Thus, for example, if the buffer contains
+@code{variableWithSillyCasePattern}, and you type @kbd{v a M-/}, it
+copies the expansion verbatim including its case pattern.
 
 @vindex dabbrev-abbrev-char-regexp
   The variable @code{dabbrev-abbrev-char-regexp}, if non-@code{nil},
@@ -436,16 +434,16 @@
 purposes.  The regular expression must match just one character, never
 two or more.  The same regular expression also determines which
 characters are part of an expansion.  The value @code{nil} has a special
-meaning: abbreviations are made of word characters, but expansions are
+meaning: dynamic abbrevs are made of word characters, but expansions are
 made of word and symbol characters.
 
 @vindex dabbrev-abbrev-skip-leading-regexp
   In shell scripts and makefiles, a variable name is sometimes prefixed
 with @samp{$} and sometimes not.  Major modes for this kind of text can
-customize dynamic abbreviation to handle optional prefixes by setting
+customize dynamic abbrev expansion to handle optional prefixes by setting
 the variable @code{dabbrev-abbrev-skip-leading-regexp}.  Its value
 should be a regular expression that matches the optional prefix that
-dynamic abbreviation should ignore.
+dynamic abbrev expression should ignore.
 
 @ignore
    arch-tag: 638e0079-9540-48ec-9166-414083e16445