This is ../info/xemacs.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.6 from xemacs/xemacs.texi. INFO-DIR-SECTION XEmacs Editor START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY * XEmacs: (xemacs). XEmacs Editor. END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY This file documents the XEmacs editor. Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1988 Richard M. Stallman. Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Lucid, Inc. Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Copyright (C) 1995 Amdahl Corporation. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU General Public License" are included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU General Public License" may be included in a translation approved by the author instead of in the original English.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Lisp Interaction, Next: External Lisp, Prev: Lisp Debug, Up: Running Lisp Interaction Buffers ======================== The buffer `*scratch*', which is selected when Emacs starts up, is provided for evaluating Lisp expressions interactively inside Emacs. Both the expressions you evaluate and their output goes in the buffer. The `*scratch*' buffer's major mode is Lisp Interaction mode, which is the same as Emacs-Lisp mode except for one command, . In Emacs-Lisp mode, is an indentation command. In Lisp Interaction mode, is bound to `eval-print-last-sexp'. This function reads the Lisp expression before point, evaluates it, and inserts the value in printed representation before point. The way to use the `*scratch*' buffer is to insert Lisp expressions at the end, ending each one with so that it will be evaluated. The result is a complete typescript of the expressions you have evaluated and their values. The rationale for this feature is that Emacs must have a buffer when it starts up, but that buffer is not useful for editing files since a new buffer is made for every file that you visit. The Lisp interpreter typescript is the most useful thing I can think of for the initial buffer to do. `M-x lisp-interaction-mode' will put any buffer in Lisp Interaction mode.  File: xemacs.info, Node: External Lisp, Prev: Lisp Interaction, Up: Running Running an External Lisp ======================== Emacs has facilities for running programs in other Lisp systems. You can run a Lisp process as an inferior of Emacs, and pass expressions to it to be evaluated. You can also pass changed function definitions directly from the Emacs buffers in which you edit the Lisp programs to the inferior Lisp process. To run an inferior Lisp process, type `M-x run-lisp'. This runs the program named `lisp', the same program you would run by typing `lisp' as a shell command, with both input and output going through an Emacs buffer named `*lisp*'. In other words, any "terminal output" from Lisp will go into the buffer, advancing point, and any "terminal input" for Lisp comes from text in the buffer. To give input to Lisp, go to the end of the buffer and type the input, terminated by . The `*lisp*' buffer is in Inferior Lisp mode, which has all the special characteristics of Lisp mode and Shell mode (*note Shell Mode::). Use Lisp mode to run the source files of programs in external Lisps. You can select this mode with `M-x lisp-mode'. It is used automatically for files whose names end in `.l' or `.lisp', as most Lisp systems usually expect. When you edit a function in a Lisp program you are running, the easiest way to send the changed definition to the inferior Lisp process is the key `C-M-x'. In Lisp mode, this key runs the function `lisp-send-defun', which finds the defun around or following point and sends it as input to the Lisp process. (Emacs can send input to any inferior process regardless of what buffer is current.) Contrast the meanings of `C-M-x' in Lisp mode (for editing programs to be run in another Lisp system) and Emacs-Lisp mode (for editing Lisp programs to be run in Emacs): in both modes it has the effect of installing the function definition that point is in, but the way of doing so is different according to where the relevant Lisp environment is found. *Note Lisp Modes::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Packages, Next: Basic, Prev: Startup Paths, Up: Top Packages ======== The XEmacs 21 distribution comes only with a very basic set of built-in modes and packages. Most of the packages that were part of the distribution of earlier versions of XEmacs are now available separately. The installer as well as the user can choose which packages to install; the actual installation process is easy. This gives an installer the ability to tailor an XEmacs installation for local needs with safe removal of unnecessary code. * Menu: * Package Terminology:: Understanding different kinds of packages. * Installing Packages:: How to install packages. * Building Packages:: Building packages from CVS sources. * Local.rules File:: This is an important file that you must create. * Available Packages:: A brief directory of packaged LISP.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Package Terminology, Next: Installing Packages, Up: Packages Package Terminology: ==================== Package Flavors --------------- There are two main flavors of packages. * Regular Packages A regular package is one in which multiple files are involved and one may not in general safely remove any of them. * Single-File Packages A single-file package is an aggregate collection of thematically related but otherwise independent lisp files. These files are bundled together for download convenience and individual files may be deleted at will without any loss of functionality. However, we would recommend that you follow this rule of thumb: "When in doubt, don't delete". Package Distributions --------------------- XEmacs Lisp packages are distributed in two ways, depending on the intended use. Binary Packages are for installers and end-users that can be installed directly into an XEmacs package directory. Source Packages are for developers and include all files necessary for rebuilding bytecompiled lisp and creating tarballs for distribution. Binary Packages --------------- Binary packages may be installed directly into an XEmacs package hierarchy. Source Packages --------------- Source packages contain all of the Package author's (where appropriate in regular packages) source code plus all of the files necessary to build distribution tarballs (Unix Tar format files, gzipped for space savings). Currently, source packages are only available via CVS. See for details.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Installing Packages, Next: Building Packages, Prev: Package Terminology, Up: Packages Installing Packages: ==================== Getting Started --------------- When you first download XEmacs 21, you will usually first grab the "core distribution", a file called `xemacs-21.x.x.tar.gz'. (Replace the 21.x.x by the current version number.) The core distribution contains the sources of XEmacs and a minimal set of Emacs Lisp files, which are in the subdirectory named `lisp'. This subdirectory used to contain all Emacs Lisp files distributed with XEmacs. Now, to conserve disk space, most non-essential packages were made optional. Choosing the Packages You Need ------------------------------ The *Note Available Packages:: can currently be found in the same ftp directory where you grabbed the core distribution from, and are located in the subdirectory `packages'. Package file names follow the naming convention `--pkg.tar.gz'. If you have EFS *Note (EFS)::, packages can be installed over the network. Alternatively, if you have copies of the packages locally, you can install packages from a local disk or CDROM. The file `etc/PACKAGES' in the core distribution contains a list of the *Note Available Packages:: at the time of the XEmacs release. You can also get a list of available packages, and whether or not they are installed, using the visual package browser and installer. You can access it via the menus: Tools -> Packages -> List and Install Or, you can get to it via the keyboard: `M-x pui-list-packages' Hint to system administrators of multi-user systems: it might be a good idea to install all packages and not interfere with the wishes of your users. If you can't find which package provides the feature you require, try using the `package-get-package-provider' function. Eg., if you know that you need `thingatpt', type: `M-x package-get-package-provider RET thingatpt' which will return something like `(fsf-compat "1.08")'. You can the use one of the methods above for installing the package you want. XEmacs and Installing Packages ------------------------------ There are three main ways to install packages: * Menu: * Automatically:: Using the package tools from XEmacs. * Manually:: Using individual package tarballs. * Sumo:: All at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'. * Which Packages:: Which packages to install. * Removing Packages:: Removing packages. But regardless of the method you use to install packages, they can only be used by XEmacs after a restart unless the package in question has not been previously installed.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Automatically, Next: Manually, Up: Installing Packages Automatic Package Installation: =============================== XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are available and will fetch them from the FTP site. Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place. You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball. This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages you need are: efs - To fetch the files from the FTP site or mirrors. xemacs-base - Needed by efs. and optionally: mailcrypt - To do PGP verification of the `package-index' file. After installing these by hand, fire up XEmacs and follow these steps. 1. Choose a download site. via menu: Tools -> Packages -> Set Download Site via keyb: `M-x customize-variable RET package-get-remote RET' (put in the details of remote host and directory) If the package tarballs _AND_ the package-index file are in a local directory, you can: `M-x pui-set-local-package-get-directory RET' 2. Obtain a list of packages and display the list in a buffer named `*Packages*'. menu: Tools -> Packages -> List & Install keyb: `M-x pui-list-packages RET' XEmacs will now connect to the remote site and download the latest package-index file. The visual package browser will then display a list of all packages. Help information will be displayed at the very bottom of the buffer; you may have to scroll down to see it. You can also press `?' to get the same help. From this buffer, you can tell the package status by the character in the first column: `-' The package has not been installed. `*' The package has been installed, but a newer version is available. The current version is out-of-date. `+' The package has been marked for installation/update. If there is no character in the first column, the package has been installed and is up to date. From here, you can select or unselect packages for installation using the key, the `Mouse-2' button or selecting "Select" from the Popup `Mouse-3' Menu. Once you've finished selecting the packages, you can press the `x' key (or use the menu) to actually install the packages. Note that you will have to restart XEmacs for XEmacs to recognize any new packages. Key summary: `?' Display simple help. `' `' Toggle between selecting and unselecting a package for installation. `x' Install selected packages. `' View, in the minibuffer, additional information about the package, such as the package date (not the build date) and the package author. Moving the mouse over a package name will also do the same thing. `v' Toggle between verbose and non-verbose package display. `g' Refresh the package display. `q' Kill the package buffer. Moving the mouse over a package will also cause additional information about the package to be displayed in the minibuffer. If you have balloon-help enabled a balloon-help frame will pop up and display additional package information also. 3. Choose the packages you wish to install. mouse: Click button 2 on the package name. keyb: `RET' on the package name 4. Make sure you have everything you need. menu: Packages -> Add Required keyb: `r' XEmacs will now search for packages that are required by the ones that you have chosen to install and offer to select those packages also. For novices and gurus alike, this step can save your bacon. It's easy to forget to install a critical package. 5. Download and install the packages. menu: Packages -> Install/Remove Selected keyb: `x' You can also install packages using a semi-manual interface: M-x package-get-all Enter the name of the package (e.g., `prog-modes'), and XEmacs will search for the latest version and install it and any packages that it depends upon. Keeping Packages Up To Date: ============================ Once you have the packages you want installed (using any of the above methods) you'll want to keep them up to date. You can do this easily from the menubar: Tools -> Packages -> Set Download Site Tools -> Packages -> Update Installed Packages  File: xemacs.info, Node: Manually, Next: Sumo, Prev: Automatically, Up: Installing Packages Manual Package Installation: ============================ Fetch the packages from the FTP site, CD-ROM whatever. The filenames have the form `name--pkg.tar.gz' and are gzipped tar files. For a fresh install it is sufficient to untar the file at the top of the package hierarchy. Note: If you are upgrading packages already installed, it's best to remove the old package first *Note Removing Packages::. For example if we are installing the `xemacs-base' package (version 1.48): mkdir $prefix/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages RET # if it does not exist yet cd $prefix/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages RET gunzip -c /path/to/xemacs-base-1.48-pkg.tar.gz | tar xvf - RET Or if you have GNU tar, the last step can be: tar zxvf /path/to/xemacs-base-1.48-pkg.tar.gz RET For MULE related packages, it is best to untar into the mule-packages hierarchy, i.e. for the `mule-base' package, version 1.37: mkdir $prefix/lib/xemacs/mule-packages RET # if it does not exist yet cd $prefix/lib/xemacs/mule-packages RET gunzip -c /path/to/mule-base-1.37-pkg.tar.gz | tar xvf - RET Or if you have GNU tar, the last step can be: tar zxvf /path/to/mule-base-1.37-pkg.tar.gz RET  File: xemacs.info, Node: Sumo, Next: Which Packages, Prev: Manually, Up: Installing Packages Installing the Sumo Packages: ============================= Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can install all the packages at once using the sumo tarballs. Download the file: `xemacs-sumo.tar.gz' For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need: `xemacs-mule-sumo.tar.gz' N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are currently about 19MB and 4.5MB (gzipped) respectively. Install them by: `cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; gunzip -c | tar xvf - RET' Or, if you have GNU tar: `cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; tar zxvf /path/to/ RET' As the Sumo tarballs are not regenerated as often as the individual packages, it is recommended that you use the automatic package tools afterwards to pick up any recent updates.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Which Packages, Next: Removing Packages, Prev: Sumo, Up: Installing Packages Which Packages to Install: ========================== This is difficult to say. When in doubt install a package. If you administrate a big site it might be a good idea to just install everything. A good minimal set of packages for XEmacs-latin1 would be xemacs-base, xemacs-devel, c-support, cc-mode, debug, dired, efs, edit-utils, fsf-compat, mail-lib, net-utils, os-utils, prog-modes, text-modes, time, mailcrypt If you are using the XEmacs package tools, don't forget to do: Packages -> Add Required To make sure you have everything that the packages you have chosen to install need. See also *Note Available Packages:: for further descriptions of the individual packages.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Removing Packages, Prev: Which Packages, Up: Installing Packages Removing Packages: ================== Because the exact files and their locations contained in a package may change it is recommended to remove a package first before installing a new version. In order to facilitate removal each package contains an `pgkinfo/MANIFEST.pkgname' file which list all the files belonging to the package. No need to panic, you don't have to go through the `pkinfo/MANIFEST.pkgname' and manually delete the files. Instead, use `M-x package-get-delete-package RET'. Note that the interactive package tools included with XEmacs already do this for you.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Building Packages, Next: Local.rules File, Prev: Installing Packages, Up: Packages Building Packages: ================== Currently, source packages are only available via anonymous CVS. See for details of checking out the `xemacs-packages' module. Prerequisites for Building Source Packages ------------------------------------------ `GNU cp' `GNU install' (or a BSD compatible install program). `GNU make' (3.75 or later preferred). `makeinfo' (4.2 from GNU texinfo 4.2 or later required). `GNU tar' (or equivalent). `GNU gzip' (or equivalent). `A properly configured `Local.rules' file.' *Note Local.rules File::. And of course, XEmacs 21.0 or higher. What You Can Do With Source Packages ------------------------------------ The packages CVS sources are most useful for creating XEmacs package tarballs for installation into your own XEmacs installations or for distributing to others. For a list and description of the different `Makefile' targets, *Note Makefile Targets: (lispref)Makefile Targets.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Local.rules File, Next: Available Packages, Prev: Building Packages, Up: Packages The Local.rules File: ===================== This file is used when building and installing packages from source. In the top level of the CVS module, `packages', contains the file, `Local.rules.template'. Simply copy that to `Local.rules' and edit it to suit your needs. For a complete discussion of the `Local.rules' file, *Note Local.rules File: (lispref)Local.rules File.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Available Packages, Prev: Local.rules File, Up: Packages Available Packages: =================== This section lists the Lisp packages that are currently available from xemacs.org and it's mirrors. If a particular package that you are looking for isn't here, please send a message to the XEmacs Beta list . This data is up to date as of June 27, 2003. Normal Packages --------------- A very broad selection of elisp packages. `Sun' Support for Sparcworks. `ada' Ada language support. `apel' A Portable Emacs Library. Used by XEmacs MIME support. `auctex' Basic TeX/LaTeX support. `bbdb' The Big Brother Data Base: a rolodex-like database program. `build' Build XEmacs using custom widgets. `c-support' Basic single-file add-ons for editing C code. `calc' Emacs calculator. `calendar' Calendar and diary support. `cc-mode' C, C++ and Java language support. `clearcase' Support for the Clearcase version control system. `cookie' "Fortune cookie"-style messages. Includes Spook (suspicious phrases) and Yow (Zippy quotes). `crisp' Crisp/Brief emulation. `debug' GUD, gdb, dbx debugging support. `dictionary' Interface to RFC2229 dictionary servers. `dired' The DIRectory EDitor is for manipulating, and running commands on files in a directory. `docbookide' DocBook editing support. `ecrypto' Crypto functionality in Emacs Lisp. `edebug' A Lisp debugger. `ediff' Interface over patch. `edit-utils' Single file lisp packages for various XEmacs goodies. Load this and weed out the junk you don't want. `edt' DEC EDIT/EDT emulation. `efs' Treat files on remote systems the same as local files. `eieio' Enhanced Implementation of Emacs Interpreted Objects. `elib' Portable Emacs Lisp utilities library. `emerge' Another interface over patch. `eshell' Command shell implemented entirely in Emacs Lisp. `ess' ESS: Emacs Speaks Statistics. `eterm' Terminal emulator. `eudc' Emacs Unified Directory Client (LDAP, PH). `footnote' Footnoting in mail message editing modes. `forms' Forms editing support (obsolete, use the built-in Widget instead). `fortran-modes' Fortran language support. `frame-icon' Provide a WM icon based on major mode. `fsf-compat' GNU Emacs compatibility files. `games' Tetris, Sokoban, and Snake. `general-docs' General documentation. Presently, empty. `gnats' XEmacs bug reports. `gnus' The Gnus Newsreader and Mailreader. `haskell-mode' Haskell language support. `hm--html-menus' HTML editing. `ibuffer' Advanced replacement for buffer-menu. `idlwave' Editing and Shell mode for the Interactive Data Language. `igrep' Enhanced front-end for Grep. `ilisp' Front-end for interacting with Inferior Lisp (external lisps). `ispell' Spell-checking with ispell. `jde' Java language and development support. `liece' IRC (Internet Relay Chat) client for Emacs. `mail-lib' Fundamental lisp files for providing email support. `mailcrypt' Support for messaging encryption with PGP. `mew' Messaging in an Emacs World; a MIME-based email program. `mh-e' Front end support for MH. `mine' Elisp implementation of the game 'Minehunt'. `misc-games' Other amusements and diversions. `mmm-mode' Support for Multiple Major Modes within a single buffer. `net-utils' Miscellaneous Networking Utilities. This is a single-file package and files may be deleted at will. `ocaml' Objective Caml editing support. `os-utils' Miscellaneous single-file O/S utilities, for printing, archiving, compression, remote shells, etc. `pc' PC style interface emulation. `pcl-cvs' CVS frontend. `pcomplete' Provides programmatic completion. `perl-modes' Perl language support. `pgg' Emacs interface to various PGP implementations. `prog-modes' Miscellaneous single-file lisp files for various programming languages. `ps-print' Print buffers to PostScript printers. `psgml' Validated HTML/SGML editing. `psgml-dtds' A collection of DTDs for psgml. Note that this package is deprecated and will be removed in the future, most likely Q2/2003. Instead of using this, you should install needed DTDs yourself. `python-modes' Python language support. `reftex' Emacs support for LaTeX cross-references, citations. `rmail' An obsolete Emacs mailer. If you do not already use it don't start. `ruby-modes' Ruby language support. `sasl' Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) library. `scheme' Front-end support for Inferior Scheme. `semantic' Semantic bovinator. `sgml' SGML/Linuxdoc-SGML editing. `sh-script' Support for editing shell scripts. `sieve' Manage Sieve email filtering scripts. `slider' User interface tool. `sml-mode' Standard ML editing support. `sounds-au' XEmacs Sun sound files. `sounds-wav' XEmacs Microsoft sound files. `speedbar' Provides a separate frame with convenient references. `strokes' Mouse enhancement utility. `supercite' An Emacs citation tool. Useful with all Emacs Mailers and Newsreaders. `texinfo' XEmacs TeXinfo support. `text-modes' Various single file lisp packages for editing text files. `textools' Single-file TeX support. `time' Display time & date on the modeline. `tm' Emacs MIME support. Not needed for Gnus >= 5.8.0 `tooltalk' Support for building with Tooltalk. `tpu' DEC EDIT/TPU support. `tramp' Remote shell-based file editing. This is similar to EFS or Ange-FTP, but works with rsh/ssh and rcp/scp. `vc' Version Control for Free systems. `vc-cc' Version Control for ClearCase. This package will shortly be replaced with clearcase.el `vhdl' Support for VHDL. `view-process' A Unix process browsing tool. `viper' VI emulation support. `vm' An Emacs mailer. `w3' A Web browser. `x-symbol' Semi WYSIWYG for LaTeX, HTML, etc, using additional fonts. `xemacs-base' Fundamental XEmacs support. Install this unless you wish a totally naked XEmacs. `xemacs-devel' XEmacs Lisp developer support. This package contains utilities for supporting Lisp development. It is a single-file package so it may be tailored. `xslide' XSL editing support. `xslt-process' A minor mode for (X)Emacs which allows running an XSLT processor on a buffer. `zenirc' ZENIRC IRC Client. Mule Support (mule) ------------------- MULti-lingual Enhancement. Support for world scripts such as Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Hebrew etc. To use these packages your XEmacs must be compiled with Mule support. `edict' Lisp Interface to EDICT, Kanji Dictionary. `egg-its' Wnn (4.2 and 6) support. SJ3 support. Must be installed prior to XEmacs build. `latin-unity' Unify character sets in a buffer. When characters belong to disjoint character sets, this attempts to translate the characters so that they belong to one character set. If the buffer coding system is not sufficient, this suggests different coding systems. `leim' Quail. Used for everything other than English and Japanese. `locale' Used for localized menubars (French and Japanese) and localized splash screens (Japanese). `lookup' Dictionary support. (This isn't an English dictionary program) `mule-base' Basic Mule support. Must be installed prior to building with Mule. `mule-ucs' Extended coding systems (including Unicode) for XEmacs. `skk' Another Japanese Language Input Method. Can be used without a separate process running as a dictionary server.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Abbrevs, Next: Picture, Prev: Running, Up: Top Abbrevs ******* An "abbrev" is a word which "expands" into some different text. Abbrevs are defined by the user to expand in specific ways. For example, you might define `foo' as an abbrev expanding to `find outer otter'. With this abbrev defined, you would be able to get `find outer otter ' into the buffer by typing `f o o '. Abbrevs expand only when Abbrev mode (a minor mode) is enabled. Disabling Abbrev mode does not cause abbrev definitions to be discarded, but they do not expand until Abbrev mode is enabled again. The command `M-x abbrev-mode' toggles Abbrev mode; with a numeric argument, it turns Abbrev mode on if the argument is positive, off otherwise. *Note Minor Modes::. `abbrev-mode' is also a variable; Abbrev mode is on when the variable is non-`nil'. The variable `abbrev-mode' automatically becomes local to the current buffer when it is set. Abbrev definitions can be "mode-specific"--active only in one major mode. Abbrevs can also have "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. You can define Abbrevs interactively during an editing session. You can also save lists of abbrev definitions in files and reload them in later sessions. Some users keep extensive lists of abbrevs that they load in every session. A second kind of abbreviation facility is called the "dynamic expansion". Dynamic abbrev expansion happens only when you give an explicit command and the result of the expansion depends only on the current contents of the buffer. *Note Dynamic Abbrevs::. * Menu: * Defining Abbrevs:: Defining an abbrev, so it will expand when typed. * Expanding Abbrevs:: Controlling expansion: prefixes, canceling expansion. * Editing Abbrevs:: Viewing or editing the entire list of defined abbrevs. * Saving Abbrevs:: Saving the entire list of abbrevs for another session. * Dynamic Abbrevs:: Abbreviations for words already in the buffer.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Defining Abbrevs, Next: Expanding Abbrevs, Prev: Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Defining Abbrevs ================ `C-x a g' Define an abbrev to expand into some text before point (`add-global-abbrev'). `C-x a l' Similar, but define an abbrev available only in the current major mode (`add-mode-abbrev'). `C-x a i g' Define a word in the buffer as an abbrev (`inverse-add-global-abbrev'). `C-x a i l' Define a word in the buffer as a mode-specific abbrev (`inverse-add-mode-abbrev'). `M-x kill-all-abbrevs' After this command, no abbrev definitions remain in effect. The usual way to define an abbrev is to enter the text you want the abbrev to expand to, position point after it, and type `C-x a g' (`add-global-abbrev'). This reads the abbrev itself using the minibuffer, and then defines it as an abbrev for one or more words before point. Use a numeric argument to say how many words before point should be taken as the expansion. For example, to define the abbrev `foo' as in the example above, insert the text `find outer otter', then type `C-u 3 C-x a g f o o '. An argument of zero to `C-x a g' means to use the contents of the region as the expansion of the abbrev being defined. The command `C-x a l' (`add-mode-abbrev') is similar, but defines a mode-specific abbrev. Mode-specific abbrevs are active only in a particular major mode. `C-x a l' defines an abbrev for the major mode in effect at the time `C-x a l' is typed. The arguments work the same way they do for `C-x a g'. If the text of an abbrev you want is already in the buffer instead of the expansion, use command `C-x a i g' (`inverse-add-global-abbrev') instead of `C-x a g', or use `C-x a i l' (`inverse-add-mode-abbrev') instead of `C-x a l'. These commands are called "inverse" because they invert the meaning of the argument found in the buffer and the argument read using the minibuffer. To change the definition of an abbrev, just add the new definition. You will be asked to confirm if the abbrev has a prior definition. To remove an abbrev definition, give a negative argument to `C-x a g' or `C-x a l'. You must choose the command to specify whether to kill a global definition or a mode-specific definition for the current mode, since those two definitions are independent for one abbrev. `M-x kill-all-abbrevs' removes all existing abbrev definitions.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Expanding Abbrevs, Next: Editing Abbrevs, Prev: Defining Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Controlling Abbrev Expansion ============================ An abbrev expands whenever it is in a buffer just before point and you type a self-inserting punctuation character (, comma, etc.). Most often an abbrev is used by inserting the abbrev followed by punctuation. Abbrev expansion preserves case; thus, `foo' expands into `find outer otter', `Foo' into `Find outer otter', and `FOO' into `FIND OUTER OTTER' or `Find Outer Otter' according to the variable `abbrev-all-caps' (a non-`nil' value chooses the first of the two expansions). Two commands are available to control abbrev expansion: `M-'' Separate a prefix from a following abbrev to be expanded (`abbrev-prefix-mark'). `C-x a e' Expand the abbrev before point (`expand-abbrev'). This is effective even when Abbrev mode is not enabled. `M-x unexpand-abbrev' Undo last abbrev expansion. `M-x expand-region-abbrevs' Expand some or all abbrevs found in the region. You may wish to expand an abbrev with a prefix attached. For example, if `cnst' expands into `construction', you may want to use it to enter `reconstruction'. It does not work to type `recnst', because that is not necessarily a defined abbrev. Instead, you can use the command `M-'' (`abbrev-prefix-mark') between the prefix `re' and the abbrev `cnst'. First, insert `re'. Then type `M-''; this inserts a minus sign in the buffer to indicate that it has done its work. Then insert the abbrev `cnst'. The buffer now contains `re-cnst'. Now insert a punctuation character to expand the abbrev `cnst' into `construction'. The minus sign is deleted at this point by `M-''. The resulting text is the desired `reconstruction'. If you actually want the text of the abbrev in the buffer, rather than its expansion, insert the following punctuation with `C-q'. Thus, `foo C-q -' leaves `foo-' in the buffer. If you expand an abbrev by mistake, you can undo the expansion (replace the expansion by the original abbrev text) with `M-x unexpand-abbrev'. You can also use `C-_' (`undo') to undo the expansion; but that will first undo the insertion of the punctuation character. `M-x expand-region-abbrevs' searches through the region for defined abbrevs, and offers to replace each one it finds with its expansion. This command is useful if you have typed text using abbrevs but forgot to turn on Abbrev mode first. It may also be useful together with a special set of abbrev definitions for making several global replacements at once. The command is effective even if Abbrev mode is not enabled.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Editing Abbrevs, Next: Saving Abbrevs, Prev: Expanding Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Examining and Editing Abbrevs ============================= `M-x list-abbrevs' Print a list of all abbrev definitions. `M-x edit-abbrevs' Edit a list of abbrevs; you can add, alter, or remove definitions. The output from `M-x list-abbrevs' looks like this: (lisp-mode-abbrev-table) "dk" 0 "define-key" (global-abbrev-table) "dfn" 0 "definition" (Some blank lines of no semantic significance, and some other abbrev tables, have been omitted.) A line containing a name in parentheses is the header for abbrevs in a particular abbrev table; `global-abbrev-table' contains all the global abbrevs, and the other abbrev tables that are named after major modes contain the mode-specific abbrevs. Within each abbrev table, each non-blank line defines one abbrev. The word at the beginning is the abbrev. The number that appears is the number of times the abbrev has been expanded. Emacs keeps track of this to help you see which abbrevs you actually use, in case you want to eliminate those that you don't use often. The string at the end of the line is the expansion. `M-x edit-abbrevs' allows you to add, change or kill abbrev definitions by editing a list of them in an Emacs buffer. The list has the format described above. The buffer of abbrevs is called `*Abbrevs*', and is in Edit-Abbrevs mode. This mode redefines the key `C-c C-c' to install the abbrev definitions as specified in the buffer. The `edit-abbrevs-redefine' command does this. Any abbrevs not described in the buffer are eliminated when this is done. `edit-abbrevs' is actually the same as `list-abbrevs', except that it selects the buffer `*Abbrevs*' whereas `list-abbrevs' merely displays it in another window.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Saving Abbrevs, Next: Dynamic Abbrevs, Prev: Editing Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Saving Abbrevs ============== These commands allow you to keep abbrev definitions between editing sessions. `M-x write-abbrev-file' Write a file describing all defined abbrevs. `M-x read-abbrev-file' Read such an abbrev file and define abbrevs as specified there. `M-x quietly-read-abbrev-file' Similar, but do not display a message about what is going on. `M-x define-abbrevs' Define abbrevs from buffer. `M-x insert-abbrevs' Insert all abbrevs and their expansions into the buffer. Use `M-x write-abbrev-file' to save abbrev definitions for use in a later session. The command reads a file name using the minibuffer and writes a description of all current abbrev definitions into the specified file. The text stored in the file looks like the output of `M-x list-abbrevs'. `M-x read-abbrev-file' prompts for a file name using the minibuffer and reads the specified file, defining abbrevs according to its contents. `M-x quietly-read-abbrev-file' is the same but does not display a message in the echo area; it is actually useful primarily in the init file. *Note Init File::. If you give an empty argument to either of these functions, the file name Emacs uses is the value of the variable `abbrev-file-name', which is by default `"~/.abbrev_defs"'. Emacs offers to save abbrevs automatically if you have changed any of them, whenever it offers to save all files (for `C-x s' or `C-x C-c'). Set the variable `save-abbrevs' to `nil' to inhibit this feature. The commands `M-x insert-abbrevs' and `M-x define-abbrevs' are similar to the previous commands but work on text in an Emacs buffer. `M-x insert-abbrevs' inserts text into the current buffer before point, describing all current abbrev definitions; `M-x define-abbrevs' parses the entire current buffer and defines abbrevs accordingly.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Dynamic Abbrevs, Prev: Saving Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Dynamic Abbrev Expansion ======================== The abbrev facility described above operates automatically as you insert text, but all abbrevs must be defined explicitly. By contrast, "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. `M-/' Expand the word in the buffer before point as a "dynamic abbrev", by searching in the buffer for words starting with that abbreviation (`dabbrev-expand'). For example, if the buffer contains `does this follow ' and you type `f o M-/', the effect is to insert `follow' because that is the last word in the buffer that starts with `fo'. A numeric argument to `M-/' says to take the second, third, etc. distinct expansion found looking backward from point. Repeating `M-/' searches for an alternative expansion by looking farther back. After the entire buffer before point has been considered, the buffer after point is searched. Dynamic abbrev expansion is completely independent of Abbrev mode; the expansion of a word with `M-/' is completely independent of whether it has a definition as an ordinary abbrev.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Picture, Next: Sending Mail, Prev: Abbrevs, Up: Top Editing Pictures **************** If you want to create a picture made out of text characters (for example, a picture of the division of a register into fields, as a comment in a program), use the command `edit-picture' to enter Picture mode. In Picture mode, editing is based on the "quarter-plane" model of text. In this model, the text characters lie studded on an area that stretches infinitely far to the right and downward. The concept of the end of a line does not exist in this model; the most you can say is where the last non-blank character on the line is found. Of course, Emacs really always considers text as a sequence of characters, and lines really do have ends. But in Picture mode most frequently-used keys are rebound to commands that simulate the quarter-plane model of text. They do this by inserting spaces or by converting tabs to spaces. Most of the basic editing commands of Emacs are redefined by Picture mode to do essentially the same thing but in a quarter-plane way. In addition, Picture mode defines various keys starting with the `C-c' prefix to run special picture editing commands. One of these keys, `C-c C-c', is pretty important. Often a picture is part of a larger file that is usually edited in some other major mode. `M-x edit-picture' records the name of the previous major mode. You can then use the `C-c C-c' command (`picture-mode-exit') to restore that mode. `C-c C-c' also deletes spaces from the ends of lines, unless you give it a numeric argument. The commands used in Picture mode all work in other modes (provided the `picture' library is loaded), but are only bound to keys in Picture mode. Note that the descriptions below talk of moving "one column" and so on, but all the picture mode commands handle numeric arguments as their normal equivalents do. Turning on Picture mode calls the value of the variable `picture-mode-hook' as a function, with no arguments, if that value exists and is non-`nil'. * Menu: * Basic Picture:: Basic concepts and simple commands of Picture Mode. * Insert in Picture:: Controlling direction of cursor motion after "self-inserting" characters. * Tabs in Picture:: Various features for tab stops and indentation. * Rectangles in Picture:: Clearing and superimposing rectangles.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Basic Picture, Next: Insert in Picture, Prev: Picture, Up: Picture Basic Editing in Picture Mode ============================= Most keys do the same thing in Picture mode that they usually do, but do it in a quarter-plane style. For example, `C-f' is rebound to run `picture-forward-column', which moves point one column to the right, by inserting a space if necessary, so that the actual end of the line makes no difference. `C-b' is rebound to run `picture-backward-column', which always moves point left one column, converting a tab to multiple spaces if necessary. `C-n' and `C-p' are rebound to run `picture-move-down' and `picture-move-up', which can either insert spaces or convert tabs as necessary to make sure that point stays in exactly the same column. `C-e' runs `picture-end-of-line', which moves to after the last non-blank character on the line. There was no need to change `C-a', as the choice of screen model does not affect beginnings of lines. Insertion of text is adapted to the quarter-plane screen model through the use of Overwrite mode (*note Minor Modes::). Self-inserting characters replace existing text, column by column, rather than pushing existing text to the right. runs `picture-newline', which just moves to the beginning of the following line so that new text will replace that line. Text is erased instead of deleted and killed. (`picture-backward-clear-column') replaces the preceding character with a space rather than removing it. `C-d' (`picture-clear-column') does the same in a forward direction. `C-k' (`picture-clear-line') really kills the contents of lines, but never removes the newlines from a buffer. To do actual insertion, you must use special commands. `C-o' (`picture-open-line') creates a blank line, but does so after the current line; it never splits a line. `C-M-o', `split-line', makes sense in Picture mode, so it remains unchanged. (`picture-duplicate-line') inserts another line with the same contents below the current line. To actually delete parts of the picture, use `C-w', or with `C-c C-d' (which is defined as `delete-char', as `C-d' is in other modes), or with one of the picture rectangle commands (*note Rectangles in Picture::).  File: xemacs.info, Node: Insert in Picture, Next: Tabs in Picture, Prev: Basic Picture, Up: Picture Controlling Motion After Insert =============================== Since "self-inserting" characters just overwrite and move point in Picture mode, there is no essential restriction on how point should be moved. Normally point moves right, but you can specify any of the eight orthogonal or diagonal directions for motion after a "self-inserting" character. This is useful for drawing lines in the buffer. `C-c <' Move left after insertion (`picture-movement-left'). `C-c >' Move right after insertion (`picture-movement-right'). `C-c ^' Move up after insertion (`picture-movement-up'). `C-c .' Move down after insertion (`picture-movement-down'). `C-c `' Move up and left ("northwest") after insertion (`picture-movement-nw'). `C-c '' Move up and right ("northeast") after insertion (`picture-movement-ne'). `C-c /' Move down and left ("southwest") after insertion (`picture-movement-sw'). `C-c \' Move down and right ("southeast") after insertion (`picture-movement-se'). Two motion commands move based on the current Picture insertion direction. The command `C-c C-f' (`picture-motion') moves in the same direction as motion after "insertion" currently does, while `C-c C-b' (`picture-motion-reverse') moves in the opposite direction.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Tabs in Picture, Next: Rectangles in Picture, Prev: Insert in Picture, Up: Picture Picture Mode Tabs ================= Two kinds of tab-like action are provided in Picture mode. Context-based tabbing is done with `M-' (`picture-tab-search'). With no argument, it moves to a point underneath the next "interesting" character that follows whitespace in the previous non-blank line. "Next" here means "appearing at a horizontal position greater than the one point starts out at". With an argument, as in `C-u M-', the command moves to the next such interesting character in the current line. `M-' does not change the text; it only moves point. "Interesting" characters are defined by the variable `picture-tab-chars', which contains a string of characters considered interesting. Its default value is `"!-~"'. itself runs `picture-tab', which operates based on the current tab stop settings; it is the Picture mode equivalent of `tab-to-tab-stop'. Without arguments it just moves point, but with a numeric argument it clears the text that it moves over. The context-based and tab-stop-based forms of tabbing are brought together by the command `C-c ' (`picture-set-tab-stops'.) This command sets the tab stops to the positions which `M-' would consider significant in the current line. If you use this command with , you can get the effect of context-based tabbing. But `M-' is more convenient in the cases where it is sufficient.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Rectangles in Picture, Prev: Tabs in Picture, Up: Picture Picture Mode Rectangle Commands =============================== Picture mode defines commands for working on rectangular pieces of the text in ways that fit with the quarter-plane model. The standard rectangle commands may also be useful (*note Rectangles::). `C-c C-k' Clear out the region-rectangle (`picture-clear-rectangle'). With argument, kill it. `C-c C-w R' Similar but save rectangle contents in register R first (`picture-clear-rectangle-to-register'). `C-c C-y' Copy last killed rectangle into the buffer by overwriting, with upper left corner at point (`picture-yank-rectangle'). With argument, insert instead. `C-c C-x R' Similar, but use the rectangle in register R (`picture-yank-rectangle-from-register'). The picture rectangle commands `C-c C-k' (`picture-clear-rectangle') and `C-c C-w' (`picture-clear-rectangle-to-register') differ from the standard rectangle commands in that they normally clear the rectangle instead of deleting it; this is analogous with the way `C-d' is changed in Picture mode. However, deletion of rectangles can be useful in Picture mode, so these commands delete the rectangle if given a numeric argument. The Picture mode commands for yanking rectangles differ from the standard ones in overwriting instead of inserting. This is the same way that Picture mode insertion of other text is different from other modes. `C-c C-y' (`picture-yank-rectangle') inserts (by overwriting) the rectangle that was most recently killed, while `C-c C-x' (`picture-yank-rectangle-from-register') does for the rectangle found in a specified register. Since most region commands in Picture mode operate on rectangles, when you select a region of text with the mouse in Picture mode, it is highlighted as a rectangle.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Sending Mail, Next: Reading Mail, Prev: Picture, Up: Top Sending Mail ************ To send a message in Emacs, start by typing the command (`C-x m') to select and initialize the `*mail*' buffer. You can then edit the text and headers of the message in the mail buffer, and type the command (`C-c C-c') to send the message. `C-x m' Begin composing a message to send (`mail'). `C-x 4 m' Likewise, but display the message in another window (`mail-other-window'). `C-c C-c' In Mail mode, send the message and switch to another buffer (`mail-send-and-exit'). The command `C-x m' (`mail') selects a buffer named `*mail*' and initializes it with the skeleton of an outgoing message. `C-x 4 m' (`mail-other-window') selects the `*mail*' buffer in a different window, leaving the previous current buffer visible. Because the buffer for mail composition is an ordinary Emacs buffer, you can switch to other buffers while in the middle of composing mail, and switch back later (or never). If you use the `C-x m' command again when you have been composing another message but have not sent it, a new mail buffer will be created; in this way, you can compose multiple messages at once. You can switch back to and complete an unsent message by using the normal buffer selection mechanisms. `C-u C-x m' is another way to switch back to a message in progress: it will search for an existing, unsent mail message buffer and select it. * Menu: * Format: Mail Format. Format of the mail being composed. * Headers: Mail Headers. Details of allowed mail header fields. * Mode: Mail Mode. Special commands for editing mail being composed.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Mail Format, Next: Mail Headers, Prev: Sending Mail, Up: Sending Mail The Format of the Mail Buffer ============================= In addition to the "text" or contents, a message has "header fields", which say who sent it, when, to whom, why, and so on. Some header fields, such as the date and sender, are created automatically after the message is sent. Others, such as the recipient names, must be specified by you in order to send the message properly. Mail mode provides a few commands to help you edit some header fields, and some are preinitialized in the buffer automatically at times. You can insert or edit any header fields using ordinary editing commands. The line in the buffer that says: --text follows this line-- is a special delimiter that separates the headers you have specified from the text. Whatever follows this line is the text of the message; the headers precede it. The delimiter line itself does not appear in the message actually sent. The text used for the delimiter line is controlled by the variable `mail-header-separator'. Here is an example of what the headers and text in the `*mail*' buffer might look like. To: rms@mc CC: mly@mc, rg@oz Subject: The XEmacs User's Manual --Text follows this line-- Please ignore this message.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Mail Headers, Next: Mail Mode, Prev: Mail Format, Up: Sending Mail Mail Header Fields ================== There are several header fields you can use in the `*mail*' buffer. Each header field starts with a field name at the beginning of a line, terminated by a colon. It does not matter whether you use upper or lower case in the field name. After the colon and optional whitespace comes the contents of the field. `To' This field contains the mailing addresses of the message. `Subject' The contents of the `Subject' field should be a piece of text that says what the message is about. Subject fields are useful because most mail-reading programs can provide a summary of messages, listing the subject of each message but not its text. `CC' This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to, but whose readers should not regard the message as addressed to them. `BCC' This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to, but which should not appear in the header of the message actually sent. `FCC' This field contains the name of one file (in Unix mail file format) to which a copy of the message should be appended when the message is sent. `From' Use the `From' field to say who you are, when the account you are using to send the mail is not your own. The contents of the `From' field should be a valid mailing address, since replies will normally go there. `Reply-To' Use the `Reply-To' field to direct replies to a different address, not your own. `From' and `Reply-To' have the same effect on where replies go, but they convey a different meaning to the person who reads the message. `In-Reply-To' This field contains a piece of text describing a message you are replying to. Some mail systems can use the information to correlate related pieces of mail. This field is normally filled in by your mail handling package when you are replying to a message and you never need to think about it. The `To', `CC', `BCC' and `FCC' fields can appear any number of times, to specify many places to send the message. The `To', `CC', and `BCC', fields can have continuation lines. All the lines starting with whitespace, following the line on which the field starts, are considered part of the field. For example, To: foo@here, this@there, me@gnu.cambridge.mass.usa.earth.spiral3281 If you have a `~/.mailrc' file, Emacs scans it for mail aliases the first time you try to send mail in an Emacs session. Emacs expands aliases found in the `To', `CC', and `BCC' fields where appropriate. You can set the variable `mail-abbrev-mailrc-file' to the name of the file with mail aliases. If `nil', `~/.mailrc' is used. Your `.mailrc' file ensures that word-abbrevs are defined for each of your mail aliases when point is in a `To', `CC', `BCC', or `From' field. The aliases are defined in your `.mailrc' file or in a file specified by the MAILRC environment variable if it exists. Your mail aliases expand any time you type a word-delimiter at the end of an abbreviation. In this version of Emacs, what you see is what you get: in contrast to some other versions, no abbreviations are expanded after you have sent the mail. This means you don't suffer the annoyance of having the system do things behind your back--if the system rewrites an address you typed, you know it immediately, instead of after the mail has been sent and it's too late to do anything about it. For example, you will never again be in trouble because you forgot to delete an old alias from your `.mailrc' and a new local user is given a userid which conflicts with one of your aliases. Your mail alias abbrevs are in effect only when point is in an appropriate header field. The mail aliases will not expand in the body of the message, or in other header fields. The default mode-specific abbrev table `mail-mode-abbrev-table' is used instead if defined. That means if you have been using mail-mode specific abbrevs, this code will not adversely affect you. You can control which header fields the abbrevs are used in by changing the variable `mail-abbrev-mode-regexp'. If auto-fill mode is on, abbrevs wrap at commas instead of at word boundaries, and header continuation lines will be properly indented. You can also insert a mail alias with `mail-interactive-insert-alias'. This function, which is bound to `C-c C-a', prompts you for an alias (with completion) and inserts its expansion at point. In this version of Emacs, it is possible to have lines like the following in your `.mailrc' file: alias someone "John Doe " That is, if you want an address to have embedded spaces, simply surround it with double-quotes. The quotes are necessary because the format of the `.mailrc' file uses spaces as address delimiters. Aliases in the `.mailrc' file may be nested. For example, assume you define aliases like: alias group1 fred ethel alias group2 larry curly moe alias everybody group1 group2 When you now type `everybody' on the `To' line, it will expand to: fred, ethyl, larry, curly, moe Aliases may contain forward references; the alias of `everybody' in the example above can precede the aliases of `group1' and `group2'. In this version of Emacs, you can use the `source' `.mailrc' command for reading aliases from some other file as well. Aliases may contain hyphens, as in `"alias foo-bar foo@bar"', even though word-abbrevs normally cannot contain hyphens. To read in the contents of another `.mailrc'-type file from Emacs, use the command `M-x merge-mail-aliases'. The `rebuild-mail-aliases' command is similar, but deletes existing aliases first. If you want multiple addresses separated by a string other than `,' (a comma), then set the variable `mail-alias-separator-string' to it. This has to be a comma bracketed by whitespace if you want any kind of reasonable behavior. If the variable `mail-archive-file-name' is non-`nil', it should be a string naming a file. Each time you start to edit a message to send, an `FCC' field is entered for that file. Unless you remove the `FCC' field, every message is written into that file when it is sent.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Mail Mode, Prev: Mail Headers, Up: Sending Mail Mail Mode ========= The major mode used in the `*mail*' buffer is Mail mode. Mail mode is similar to Text mode, but several commands are provided on the `C-c' prefix. These commands all deal specifically with editing or sending the message. `C-c C-s' Send the message, and leave the `*mail*' buffer selected (`mail-send'). `C-c C-c' Send the message, and select some other buffer (`mail-send-and-exit'). `C-c C-f C-t' Move to the `To' header field, creating one if there is none (`mail-to'). `C-c C-f C-s' Move to the `Subject' header field, creating one if there is none (`mail-subject'). `C-c C-f C-c' Move to the `CC' header field, creating one if there is none (`mail-cc'). `C-c C-w' Insert the file `~/.signature' at the end of the message text (`mail-signature'). `C-c C-y' Yank the selected message (`mail-yank-original'). `C-c C-q' Fill all paragraphs of yanked old messages, each individually (`mail-fill-yanked-message'). `' Pops up a menu of useful mail-mode commands. There are two ways to send a message. `C-c C-c' (`mail-send-and-exit') is the usual way to send the message. It sends the message and then deletes the window (if there is another window) or switches to another buffer. It puts the `*mail*' buffer at the lowest priority for automatic reselection, since you are finished with using it. `C-c C-s' (`mail-send') sends the message and marks the `*mail*' buffer unmodified, but leaves that buffer selected so that you can modify the message (perhaps with new recipients) and send it again. Mail mode provides some other special commands that are useful for editing the headers and text of the message before you send it. There are three commands defined to move point to particular header fields, all based on the prefix `C-c C-f' (`C-f' is for "field"). They are `C-c C-f C-t' (`mail-to') to move to the `To' field, `C-c C-f C-s' (`mail-subject') for the `Subject' field, and `C-c C-f C-c' (`mail-cc') for the `CC' field. These fields have special motion commands because they are edited most frequently. `C-c C-w' (`mail-signature') adds a standard piece of text at the end of the message to say more about who you are. The text comes from the file `.signature' in your home directory. When you use an Rmail command to send mail from the Rmail mail reader, you can use `C-c C-y' `mail-yank-original' inside the `*mail*' buffer to insert the text of the message you are replying to. Normally Rmail indents each line of that message four spaces and eliminates most header fields. A numeric argument specifies the number of spaces to indent. An argument of just `C-u' says not to indent at all and not to eliminate anything. `C-c C-y' always uses the current message from the `RMAIL' buffer, so you can insert several old messages by selecting one in `RMAIL', switching to `*mail*' and yanking it, then switching back to `RMAIL' to select another. After using `C-c C-y', you can use the command `C-c C-q' (`mail-fill-yanked-message') to fill the paragraphs of the yanked old message or messages. One use of `C-c C-q' fills all such paragraphs, each one separately. Clicking the right mouse button in a mail buffer pops up a menu of the above commands, for easy access. Turning on Mail mode (which `C-x m' does automatically) calls the value of `text-mode-hook', if it is not void or `nil', and then calls the value of `mail-mode-hook' if that is not void or `nil'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Reading Mail, Next: Calendar/Diary, Prev: Sending Mail, Up: Top Reading Mail ************ XEmacs provides several mail-reading packages. Each one comes with its own manual, which is included in each package. The recommended mail-reading package for new users is VM. VM works with standard Unix-mail-format folders and was designed as a replacement for the older Rmail. XEmacs also provides a sophisticated and comfortable front-end to the MH mail-processing system, called `MH-E'. Unlike in other mail programs, folders in MH are stored as file-system directories, with each message occupying one (numbered) file. This facilitates working with mail using shell commands, and many other features of MH are also designed to integrate well with the shell and with shell scripts. Keep in mind, however, that in order to use MH-E you must have the MH mail-processing system installed on your computer. The "Everything including the kitchen sink" package `Gnus' is also available as an XEmacs package. Gnus also handles Usenet articles as well as mail. `MEW' (Messaging in the Emacs World) is another mail-reading package available for XEmacs. Finally, XEmacs provides the Rmail package. Rmail is (currently) the only mail reading package distributed with FSF GNU Emacs, and is powerful in its own right. However, it stores mail folders in a special format called `Babyl', that is incompatible with all other frequently-used mail programs. A utility program is provided for converting Babyl folders to standard Unix-mail format; however, unless you already have mail in Babyl-format folders, you should consider using Gnus, VM, or MH-E instead.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar/Diary, Next: Sorting, Prev: Reading Mail, Up: Top Calendar Mode and the Diary =========================== Emacs provides the functions of a desk calendar, with a diary of planned or past events. To enter the calendar, type `M-x calendar'; this displays a three-month calendar centered on the current month, with point on the current date. With a numeric argument, as in `C-u M-x calendar', it prompts you for the month and year to be the center of the three-month calendar. The calendar uses its own buffer, whose major mode is Calendar mode. `Button2' in the calendar brings up a menu of operations on a particular date; `Buttons3' brings up a menu of commonly used calendar features that are independent of any particular date. To exit the calendar, type `q'. *Note Customizing the Calendar and Diary: (lispref)Calendar, for customization information about the calendar and diary. * Menu: * Calendar Motion:: Moving through the calendar; selecting a date. * Scroll Calendar:: Bringing earlier or later months onto the screen. * Mark and Region:: Remembering dates, the mark ring. * General Calendar:: Exiting or recomputing the calendar. * LaTeX Calendar:: Print a calendar using LaTeX. * Holidays:: Displaying dates of holidays. * Sunrise/Sunset:: Displaying local times of sunrise and sunset. * Lunar Phases:: Displaying phases of the moon. * Other Calendars:: Converting dates to other calendar systems. * Diary:: Displaying events from your diary. * Calendar Customization:: Altering the behavior of the features above.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar Motion, Next: Scroll Calendar, Prev: Calendar/Diary, Up: Calendar/Diary Movement in the Calendar ------------------------ Calendar mode lets you move through the calendar in logical units of time such as days, weeks, months, and years. If you move outside the three months originally displayed, the calendar display "scrolls" automatically through time to make the selected date visible. Moving to a date lets you view its holidays or diary entries, or convert it to other calendars; moving longer time periods is also useful simply to scroll the calendar. * Menu: * Calendar Unit Motion:: Moving by days, weeks, months, and years. * Move to Beginning or End:: Moving to start/end of weeks, months, and years. * Specified Dates:: Moving to the current date or another specific date.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar Unit Motion, Next: Move to Beginning or End, Prev: Calendar Motion, Up: Calendar Motion Motion by Integral Days, Weeks, Months, Years ............................................. The commands for movement in the calendar buffer parallel the commands for movement in text. You can move forward and backward by days, weeks, months, and years. `C-f' Move point one day forward (`calendar-forward-day'). `C-b' Move point one day backward (`calendar-backward-day'). `C-n' Move point one week forward (`calendar-forward-week'). `C-p' Move point one week backward (`calendar-backward-week'). `M-}' Move point one month forward (`calendar-forward-month'). `M-{' Move point one month backward (`calendar-backward-month'). `C-x ]' Move point one year forward (`calendar-forward-year'). `C-x [' Move point one year backward (`calendar-backward-year'). The day and week commands are natural analogues of the usual Emacs commands for moving by characters and by lines. Just as `C-n' usually moves to the same column in the following line, in Calendar mode it moves to the same day in the following week. And `C-p' moves to the same day in the previous week. The arrow keys are equivalent to `C-f', `C-b', `C-n' and `C-p', just as they normally are in other modes. The commands for motion by months and years work like those for weeks, but move a larger distance. The month commands `M-}' and `M-{' move forward or backward by an entire month's time. The year commands `C-x ]' and `C-x [' move forward or backward a whole year. The easiest way to remember these commands is to consider months and years analogous to paragraphs and pages of text, respectively. But the commands themselves are not quite analogous. The ordinary Emacs paragraph commands move to the beginning or end of a paragraph, whereas these month and year commands move by an entire month or an entire year, which usually involves skipping across the end of a month or year. All these commands accept a numeric argument as a repeat count. For convenience, the digit keys and the minus sign specify numeric arguments in Calendar mode even without the Meta modifier. For example, `100 C-f' moves point 100 days forward from its present location.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Move to Beginning or End, Next: Specified Dates, Prev: Calendar Unit Motion, Up: Calendar Motion Beginning or End of Week, Month or Year ....................................... A week (or month, or year) is not just a quantity of days; we think of weeks (months, years) as starting on particular dates. So Calendar mode provides commands to move to the beginning or end of a week, month or year: `C-a' Move point to start of week (`calendar-beginning-of-week'). `C-e' Move point to end of week (`calendar-end-of-week'). `M-a' Move point to start of month (`calendar-beginning-of-month'). `M-e' Move point to end of month (`calendar-end-of-month'). `M-<' Move point to start of year (`calendar-beginning-of-year'). `M->' Move point to end of year (`calendar-end-of-year'). These commands also take numeric arguments as repeat counts, with the repeat count indicating how many weeks, months, or years to move backward or forward. By default, weeks begin on Sunday. To make them begin on Monday instead, set the variable `calendar-week-start-day' to 1.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Specified Dates, Prev: Move to Beginning or End, Up: Calendar Motion Particular Dates ................ Calendar mode provides commands for moving to a particular date specified in various ways. `g d' Move point to specified date (`calendar-goto-date'). `o' Center calendar around specified month (`calendar-other-month'). `.' Move point to today's date (`calendar-goto-today'). `g d' (`calendar-goto-date') prompts for a year, a month, and a day of the month, and then moves to that date. Because the calendar includes all dates from the beginning of the current era, you must type the year in its entirety; that is, type `1990', not `90'. `o' (`calendar-other-month') prompts for a month and year, then centers the three-month calendar around that month. You can return to today's date with `.' (`calendar-goto-today').  File: xemacs.info, Node: Scroll Calendar, Next: Mark and Region, Prev: Calendar Motion, Up: Calendar/Diary Scrolling the Calendar through Time ----------------------------------- The calendar display scrolls automatically through time when you move out of the visible portion. You can also scroll it manually. Imagine that the calendar window contains a long strip of paper with the months on it. Scrolling it means moving the strip so that new months become visible in the window. `C-x <' Scroll calendar one month forward (`scroll-calendar-left'). `C-x >' Scroll calendar one month backward (`scroll-calendar-right'). `C-v' `' Scroll calendar three months forward (`scroll-calendar-left-three-months'). `M-v' `' Scroll calendar three months backward (`scroll-calendar-right-three-months'). The most basic calendar scroll commands scroll by one month at a time. This means that there are two months of overlap between the display before the command and the display after. `C-x <' scrolls the calendar contents one month to the left; that is, it moves the display forward in time. `C-x >' scrolls the contents to the right, which moves backwards in time. The commands `C-v' and `M-v' scroll the calendar by an entire "screenful"--three months--in analogy with the usual meaning of these commands. `C-v' makes later dates visible and `M-v' makes earlier dates visible. These commands take a numeric argument as a repeat count; in particular, since `C-u' multiplies the next command by four, typing `C-u C-v' scrolls the calendar forward by a year and typing `C-u M-v' scrolls the calendar backward by a year. The function keys and are equivalent to `C-v' and `M-v', just as they are in other modes.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Mark and Region, Next: General Calendar, Prev: Scroll Calendar, Up: Calendar/Diary The Mark and the Region ----------------------- The concept of the mark applies to the calendar just as to any other buffer, but it marks a _date_, not a _position_ in the buffer. The region consists of the days between the mark and point (including the starting and stopping dates). `C-SPC' Set the mark to today's date (`calendar-set-mark'). `C-@' The same. `C-x C-x' Interchange mark and point (`calendar-exchange-point-and-mark'). `M-=' Display the number of days in the current region (`calendar-count-days-region'). You set the mark in the calendar, as in any other buffer, by using `C-@' or `C-SPC' (`calendar-set-mark'). You return to the marked date with the command `C-x C-x' (`calendar-exchange-point-and-mark') which puts the mark where point was and point where mark was. The calendar is scrolled as necessary, if the marked date was not visible on the screen. This does not change the extent of the region. To determine the number of days in the region, type `M-=' (`calendar-count-days-region'). The numbers of days printed is _inclusive_; that is, it includes the days specified by mark and point. The main use of the mark in the calendar is to remember dates that you may want to go back to. To make this feature more useful, the mark ring (*note Mark Ring::) operates exactly as in other buffers: Emacs remembers 16 previous locations of the mark. To return to a marked date, type `C-u C-SPC' (or `C-u C-@'); this is the command `calendar-set-mark' given a numeric argument. It moves point to where the mark was, restores the mark from the ring of former marks, and stores the previous point at the end of the mark ring. So, repeated use of this command moves point through all the old marks on the ring, one by one.  File: xemacs.info, Node: General Calendar, Next: LaTeX Calendar, Prev: Mark and Region, Up: Calendar/Diary Miscellaneous Calendar Commands ------------------------------- `p d' Display day-in-year (`calendar-print-day-of-year'). `?' Briefly describe calendar commands (`describe-calendar-mode'). `C-c C-l' Regenerate the calendar window (`redraw-calendar'). `SPC' Scroll the next window (`scroll-other-window'). `q' Exit from calendar (`exit-calendar'). If you want to know how many days have elapsed since the start of the year, or the number of days remaining in the year, type the `p d' command (`calendar-print-day-of-year'). This displays both of those numbers in the echo area. To display a brief description of the calendar commands, type `?' (`describe-calendar-mode'). For a fuller description, type `C-h m'. You can use `SPC' (`scroll-other-window') to scroll the other window. This is handy when you display a list of holidays or diary entries in another window. If the calendar window text gets corrupted, type `C-c C-l' (`redraw-calendar') to redraw it. (This can only happen if you use non-Calendar-mode editing commands.) In Calendar mode, you can use `SPC' (`scroll-other-window') to scroll the other window. This is handy when you display a list of holidays or diary entries in another window. To exit from the calendar, type `q' (`exit-calendar'). This buries all buffers related to the calendar, selecting other buffers. (If a frame contains a dedicated calendar window, exiting from the calendar iconifies that frame.)  File: xemacs.info, Node: LaTeX Calendar, Next: Holidays, Prev: General Calendar, Up: Calendar/Diary LaTeX Calendar ============== The Calendar LaTeX commands produce a buffer of LaTeX code that prints as a calendar. Depending on the command you use, the printed calendar covers the day, week, month or year that point is in. `t m' Generate a one-month calendar (`cal-tex-cursor-month'). `t M' Generate a sideways-printing one-month calendar (`cal-tex-cursor-month-landscape'). `t d' Generate a one-day calendar (`cal-tex-cursor-day'). `t w 1' Generate a one-page calendar for one week (`cal-tex-cursor-week'). `t w 2' Generate a two-page calendar for one week (`cal-tex-cursor-week2'). `t w 3' Generate an ISO-style calendar for one week (`cal-tex-cursor-week-iso'). `t w 4' Generate a calendar for one Monday-starting week (`cal-tex-cursor-week-monday'). `t f w' Generate a Filofax-style two-weeks-at-a-glance calendar (`cal-tex-cursor-filofax-2week'). `t f W' Generate a Filofax-style one-week-at-a-glance calendar (`cal-tex-cursor-filofax-week'). `t y' Generate a calendar for one year (`cal-tex-cursor-year'). `t Y' Generate a sideways-printing calendar for one year (`cal-tex-cursor-year-landscape'). `t f y' Generate a Filofax-style calendar for one year (`cal-tex-cursor-filofax-year'). Some of these commands print the calendar sideways (in "landscape mode"), so it can be wider than it is long. Some of them use Filofax paper size (3.75in x 6.75in). All of these commands accept a prefix argument which specifies how many days, weeks, months or years to print (starting always with the selected one). If the variable `cal-tex-holidays' is non-`nil' (the default), then the printed calendars show the holidays in `calendar-holidays'. If the variable `cal-tex-diary' is non-`nil' (the default is `nil'), diary entries are included also (in weekly and monthly calendars only).  File: xemacs.info, Node: Holidays, Next: Sunrise/Sunset, Prev: LaTeX Calendar, Up: Calendar/Diary Holidays -------- The Emacs calendar knows about all major and many minor holidays, and can display them. `h' Display holidays for the selected date (`calendar-cursor-holidays'). `Button2 Holidays' Display any holidays for the date you click on. `x' Mark holidays in the calendar window (`mark-calendar-holidays'). `u' Unmark calendar window (`calendar-unmark'). `a' List all holidays for the displayed three months in another window (`list-calendar-holidays'). `M-x holidays' List all holidays for three months around today's date in another window. `M-x list-holidays' List holidays in another window for a specified range of years. To see if any holidays fall on a given date, position point on that date in the calendar window and use the `h' command. Alternatively, click on that date with `Button2' and then choose `Holidays' from the menu that appears. Either way, this displays the holidays for that date, in the echo area if they fit there, otherwise in a separate window. To view the distribution of holidays for all the dates shown in the calendar, use the `x' command. This displays the dates that are holidays in a different face (or places a `*' after these dates, if display with multiple faces is not available). The command applies both to the currently visible months and to other months that subsequently become visible by scrolling. To turn marking off and erase the current marks, type `u', which also erases any diary marks (*note Diary::). To get even more detailed information, use the `a' command, which displays a separate buffer containing a list of all holidays in the current three-month range. You can use in the calendar window to scroll that list. The command `M-x holidays' displays the list of holidays for the current month and the preceding and succeeding months; this works even if you don't have a calendar window. If you want the list of holidays centered around a different month, use `C-u M-x holidays', which prompts for the month and year. The holidays known to Emacs include United States holidays and the major Christian, Jewish, and Islamic holidays; also the solstices and equinoxes. The command `M-x list-holidays' displays the list of holidays for a range of years. This function asks you for the starting and stopping years, and allows you to choose all the holidays or one of several categories of holidays. You can use this command even if you don't have a calendar window. The dates used by Emacs for holidays are based on _current practice_, not historical fact. Historically, for instance, the start of daylight savings time and even its existence have varied from year to year, but present United States law mandates that daylight savings time begins on the first Sunday in April. When the daylight savings rules are set up for the United States, Emacs always uses the present definition, even though it is wrong for some prior years.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Sunrise/Sunset, Next: Lunar Phases, Prev: Holidays, Up: Calendar/Diary Times of Sunrise and Sunset --------------------------- Special calendar commands can tell you, to within a minute or two, the times of sunrise and sunset for any date. `S' Display times of sunrise and sunset for the selected date (`calendar-sunrise-sunset'). `Button2 Sunrise/Sunset' Display times of sunrise and sunset for the date you click on. `M-x sunrise-sunset' Display times of sunrise and sunset for today's date. `C-u M-x sunrise-sunset' Display times of sunrise and sunset for a specified date. Within the calendar, to display the _local times_ of sunrise and sunset in the echo area, move point to the date you want, and type `S'. Alternatively, click `Button2' on the date, then choose `Sunrise/Sunset' from the menu that appears. The command `M-x sunrise-sunset' is available outside the calendar to display this information for today's date or a specified date. To specify a date other than today, use `C-u M-x sunrise-sunset', which prompts for the year, month, and day. You can display the times of sunrise and sunset for any location and any date with `C-u C-u M-x sunrise-sunset'. This asks you for a longitude, latitude, number of minutes difference from Coordinated Universal Time, and date, and then tells you the times of sunrise and sunset for that location on that date. Because the times of sunrise and sunset depend on the location on earth, you need to tell Emacs your latitude, longitude, and location name before using these commands. Here is an example of what to set: (setq calendar-latitude 40.1) (setq calendar-longitude -88.2) (setq calendar-location-name "Urbana, IL") Use one decimal place in the values of `calendar-latitude' and `calendar-longitude'. Your time zone also affects the local time of sunrise and sunset. Emacs usually gets time zone information from the operating system, but if these values are not what you want (or if the operating system does not supply them), you must set them yourself. Here is an example: (setq calendar-time-zone -360) (setq calendar-standard-time-zone-name "CST") (setq calendar-daylight-time-zone-name "CDT") The value of `calendar-time-zone' is the number of minutes difference between your local standard time and Coordinated Universal Time (Greenwich time). The values of `calendar-standard-time-zone-name' and `calendar-daylight-time-zone-name' are the abbreviations used in your time zone. Emacs displays the times of sunrise and sunset _corrected for daylight savings time_. *Note Daylight Savings::, for how daylight savings time is determined. As a user, you might find it convenient to set the calendar location variables for your usual physical location in your init file. And when you install Emacs on a machine, you can create a `default.el' file which sets them properly for the typical location of most users of that machine. *Note Init File::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Lunar Phases, Next: Other Calendars, Prev: Sunrise/Sunset, Up: Calendar/Diary Phases of the Moon ------------------ These calendar commands display the dates and times of the phases of the moon (new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter). This feature is useful for debugging problems that "depend on the phase of the moon." `M' Display the dates and times for all the quarters of the moon for the three-month period shown (`calendar-phases-of-moon'). `M-x phases-of-moon' Display dates and times of the quarters of the moon for three months around today's date. Within the calendar, use the `M' command to display a separate buffer of the phases of the moon for the current three-month range. The dates and times listed are accurate to within a few minutes. Outside the calendar, use the command `M-x phases-of-moon' to display the list of the phases of the moon for the current month and the preceding and succeeding months. For information about a different month, use `C-u M-x phases-of-moon', which prompts for the month and year. The dates and times given for the phases of the moon are given in local time (corrected for daylight savings, when appropriate); but if the variable `calendar-time-zone' is void, Coordinated Universal Time (the Greenwich time zone) is used. *Note Daylight Savings::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Other Calendars, Next: Calendar Systems, Prev: Lunar Phases, Up: Calendar/Diary Conversion To and From Other Calendars -------------------------------------- The Emacs calendar displayed is _always_ the Gregorian calendar, sometimes called the "new style" calendar, which is used in most of the world today. However, this calendar did not exist before the sixteenth century and was not widely used before the eighteenth century; it did not fully displace the Julian calendar and gain universal acceptance until the early twentieth century. The Emacs calendar can display any month since January, year 1 of the current era, but the calendar displayed is the Gregorian, even for a date at which the Gregorian calendar did not exist. While Emacs cannot display other calendars, it can convert dates to and from several other calendars. * Menu: * Calendar Systems:: The calendars Emacs understands (aside from Gregorian). * To Other Calendar:: Converting the selected date to various calendars. * From Other Calendar:: Moving to a date specified in another calendar. * Mayan Calendar:: Moving to a date specified in a Mayan calendar. If you are interested in these calendars, you can convert dates one at a time. Put point on the desired date of the Gregorian calendar and press the appropriate keys. The `p' is a mnemonic for "print" since Emacs "prints' the equivalent date in the echo area.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar Systems, Next: To Other Calendar, Prev: Other Calendars, Up: Other Calendars Supported Calendar Systems ========================== The ISO commercial calendar is used largely in Europe. The Julian calendar, named after Julius Caesar, was the one used in Europe throughout medieval times, and in many countries up until the nineteenth century. Astronomers use a simple counting of days elapsed since noon, Monday, January 1, 4713 B.C. on the Julian calendar. The number of days elapsed is called the _Julian day number_ or the _Astronomical day number_. The Hebrew calendar is used by tradition in the Jewish religion. The Emacs calendar program uses the Hebrew calendar to determine the dates of Jewish holidays. Hebrew calendar dates begin and end at sunset. The Islamic calendar is used in many predominantly Islamic countries. Emacs uses it to determine the dates of Islamic holidays. There is no universal agreement in the Islamic world about the calendar; Emacs uses a widely accepted version, but the precise dates of Islamic holidays often depend on proclamation by religious authorities, not on calculations. As a consequence, the actual dates of observance can vary slightly from the dates computed by Emacs. Islamic calendar dates begin and end at sunset. The French Revolutionary calendar was created by the Jacobins after the 1789 revolution, to represent a more secular and nature-based view of the annual cycle, and to install a 10-day week in a rationalization measure similar to the metric system. The French government officially abandoned this calendar at the end of 1805. The Maya of Central America used three separate, overlapping calendar systems, the _long count_, the _tzolkin_, and the _haab_. Emacs knows about all three of these calendars. Experts dispute the exact correlation between the Mayan calendar and our calendar; Emacs uses the Goodman-Martinez-Thompson correlation in its calculations. The Copts use a calendar based on the ancient Egyptian solar calendar. Their calendar consists of twelve 30-day months followed by an extra five-day period. Once every fourth year they add a leap day to this extra period to make it six days. The Ethiopic calendar is identical in structure, but has different year numbers and month names. The Persians use a solar calendar based on a design of Omar Khayyam. Their calendar consists of twelve months of which the first six have 31 days, the next five have 30 days, and the last has 29 in ordinary years and 30 in leap years. Leap years occur in a complicated pattern every four or five years. The Chinese calendar is a complicated system of lunar months arranged into solar years. The years go in cycles of sixty, each year containing either twelve months in an ordinary year or thirteen months in a leap year; each month has either 29 or 30 days. Years, ordinary months, and days are named by combining one of ten "celestial stems" with one of twelve "terrestrial branches" for a total of sixty names that are repeated in a cycle of sixty.  File: xemacs.info, Node: To Other Calendar, Next: From Other Calendar, Prev: Calendar Systems, Up: Other Calendars Converting To Other Calendars ============================= The following commands describe the selected date (the date at point) in various other calendar systems: `Button2 Other Calendars' Display the date that you click on, expressed in various other calendars. `p c' Display ISO commercial calendar equivalent for selected day (`calendar-print-iso-date'). `p j' Display Julian date for selected day (`calendar-print-julian-date'). `p a' Display astronomical (Julian) day number for selected day (`calendar-print-astro-day-number'). `p h' Display Hebrew date for selected day (`calendar-print-hebrew-date'). `p i' Display Islamic date for selected day (`calendar-print-islamic-date'). `p f' Display French Revolutionary date for selected day (`calendar-print-french-date'). `p C' Display Chinese date for selected day (`calendar-print-chinese-date'). `p k' Display Coptic date for selected day (`calendar-print-coptic-date'). `p e' Display Ethiopic date for selected day (`calendar-print-ethiopic-date'). `p p' Display Persian date for selected day (`calendar-print-persian-date'). `p m' Display Mayan date for selected day (`calendar-print-mayan-date'). If you are using X, the easiest way to translate a date into other calendars is to click on it with `Button2', then choose `Other Calendars' from the menu that appears. This displays the equivalent forms of the date in all the calendars Emacs understands, in the form of a menu. (Choosing an alternative from this menu doesn't actually do anything--the menu is used only for display.) Put point on the desired date of the Gregorian calendar, then type the appropriate keys. The `p' is a mnemonic for "print" since Emacs "prints" the equivalent date in the echo area.  File: xemacs.info, Node: From Other Calendar, Next: Mayan Calendar, Prev: To Other Calendar, Up: Other Calendars Converting From Other Calendars =============================== You can use the other supported calendars to specify a date to move to. This section describes the commands for doing this using calendars other than Mayan; for the Mayan calendar, see the following section. `g c' Move to a date specified in the ISO commercial calendar (`calendar-goto-iso-date'). `g j' Move to a date specified in the Julian calendar (`calendar-goto-julian-date'). `g a' Move to a date specified in astronomical (Julian) day number (`calendar-goto-astro-day-number'). `g h' Move to a date specified in the Hebrew calendar (`calendar-goto-hebrew-date'). `g i' Move to a date specified in the Islamic calendar (`calendar-goto-islamic-date'). `g f' Move to a date specified in the French Revolutionary calendar (`calendar-goto-french-date'). `g C' Move to a date specified in the Chinese calendar (`calendar-goto-chinese-date'). `g p' Move to a date specified in the Persian calendar (`calendar-goto-persian-date'). `g k' Move to a date specified in the Coptic calendar (`calendar-goto-coptic-date'). `g e' Move to a date specified in the Ethiopic calendar (`calendar-goto-ethiopic-date'). These commands ask you for a date on the other calendar, move point to the Gregorian calendar date equivalent to that date, and display the other calendar's date in the echo area. Emacs uses strict completion (*note Completion::) whenever it asks you to type a month name, so you don't have to worry about the spelling of Hebrew, Islamic, or French names. One common question concerning the Hebrew calendar is the computation of the anniversary of a date of death, called a "yahrzeit." The Emacs calendar includes a facility for such calculations. If you are in the calendar, the command `M-x list-yahrzeit-dates' asks you for a range of years and then displays a list of the yahrzeit dates for those years for the date given by point. If you are not in the calendar, this command first asks you for the date of death and the range of years, and then displays the list of yahrzeit dates.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Mayan Calendar, Next: Diary, Prev: From Other Calendar, Up: Other Calendars Converting from the Mayan Calendar ---------------------------------- Here are the commands to select dates based on the Mayan calendar: `g m l' Move to a date specified by the long count calendar (`calendar-goto-mayan-long-count-date'). `g m n t' Move to the next occurrence of a place in the tzolkin calendar (`calendar-next-tzolkin-date'). `g m p t' Move to the previous occurrence of a place in the tzolkin calendar (`calendar-previous-tzolkin-date'). `g m n h' Move to the next occurrence of a place in the haab calendar (`calendar-next-haab-date'). `g m p h' Move to the previous occurrence of a place in the haab calendar (`calendar-previous-haab-date'). `g m n c' Move to the next occurrence of a place in the calendar round (`calendar-next-calendar-round-date'). `g m p c' Move to the previous occurrence of a place in the calendar round (`calendar-previous-calendar-round-date'). To understand these commands, you need to understand the Mayan calendars. The "long count" is a counting of days with these units: 1 kin = 1 day 1 uinal = 20 kin 1 tun = 18 uinal 1 katun = 20 tun 1 baktun = 20 katun Thus, the long count date 12.16.11.16.6 means 12 baktun, 16 katun, 11 tun, 16 uinal, and 6 kin. The Emacs calendar can handle Mayan long count dates as early as 7.17.18.13.1, but no earlier. When you use the `g m l' command, type the Mayan long count date with the baktun, katun, tun, uinal, and kin separated by periods. The Mayan tzolkin calendar is a cycle of 260 days formed by a pair of independent cycles of 13 and 20 days. Since this cycle repeats endlessly, Emacs provides commands to move backward and forward to the previous or next point in the cycle. Type `g m p t' to go to the previous tzolkin date; Emacs asks you for a tzolkin date and moves point to the previous occurrence of that date. Similarly, type `g m n t' to go to the next occurrence of a tzolkin date. The Mayan haab calendar is a cycle of 365 days arranged as 18 months of 20 days each, followed a 5-day monthless period. Like the tzolkin cycle, this cycle repeats endlessly, and there are commands to move backward and forward to the previous or next point in the cycle. Type `g m p h' to go to the previous haab date; Emacs asks you for a haab date and moves point to the previous occurrence of that date. Similarly, type `g m n h' to go to the next occurrence of a haab date. The Maya also used the combination of the tzolkin date and the haab date. This combination is a cycle of about 52 years called a _calendar round_. If you type `g m p c', Emacs asks you for both a haab and a tzolkin date and then moves point to the previous occurrence of that combination. Use `g m n c' to move point to the next occurrence of a combination. These commands signal an error if the haab/tzolkin date combination you have typed is impossible. Emacs uses strict completion (*note Completion::) whenever it asks you to type a Mayan name, so you don't have to worry about spelling.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Diary, Next: Calendar Customization, Prev: Mayan Calendar, Up: Calendar/Diary The Diary --------- The Emacs diary keeps track of appointments or other events on a daily basis, in conjunction with the calendar. To use the diary feature, you must first create a "diary file" containing a list of events and their dates. Then Emacs can automatically pick out and display the events for today, for the immediate future, or for any specified date. By default, Emacs uses `~/diary' as the diary file. This is the same file that the `calendar' utility uses. A sample `~/diary' file is: 12/22/1988 Twentieth wedding anniversary!! &1/1. Happy New Year! 10/22 Ruth's birthday. * 21, *: Payday Tuesday--weekly meeting with grad students at 10am Supowit, Shen, Bitner, and Kapoor to attend. 1/13/89 Friday the thirteenth!! &thu 4pm squash game with Lloyd. mar 16 Dad's birthday April 15, 1989 Income tax due. &* 15 time cards due. This example uses extra spaces to align the event descriptions of most of the entries. Such formatting is purely a matter of taste. Although you probably will start by creating a diary manually, Emacs provides a number of commands to let you view, add, and change diary entries. You can also share diary entries with other users (*note Included Diary Files::). * Menu: * Diary Commands:: Viewing diary entries and associated calendar dates. * Format of Diary File:: Entering events in your diary. * Date Formats:: Various ways you can specify dates. * Adding to Diary:: Commands to create diary entries. * Special Diary Entries:: Anniversaries, blocks of dates, cyclic entries, etc.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Diary Commands, Next: Format of Diary File, Prev: Diary, Up: Diary Commands Displaying Diary Entries --------------------------------- Once you have created a `~/diary' file, you can use the calendar to view it. You can also view today's events outside of Calendar mode. `d' Display all diary entries for the selected date (`view-diary-entries'). `Button2 Diary' Display all diary entries for the date you click on. `s' Display the entire diary file (`show-all-diary-entries'). `m' Mark all visible dates that have diary entries (`mark-diary-entries'). `u' Unmark the calendar window (`calendar-unmark'). `M-x print-diary-entries' Print hard copy of the diary display as it appears. `M-x diary' Display all diary entries for today's date. `M-x diary-mail-entries' Mail yourself email reminders about upcoming diary entries. Displaying the diary entries with `d' shows in a separate window the diary entries for the selected date in the calendar. The mode line of the new window shows the date of the diary entries and any holidays that fall on that date. If you specify a numeric argument with `d', it shows all the diary entries for that many successive days. Thus, `2 d' displays all the entries for the selected date and for the following day. Another way to display the diary entries for a date is to click `Button2' on the date, and then choose `Diary' from the menu that appears. To get a broader view of which days are mentioned in the diary, use the `m' command. This displays the dates that have diary entries in a different face (or places a `+' after these dates, if display with multiple faces is not available). The command applies both to the currently visible months and to other months that subsequently become visible by scrolling. To turn marking off and erase the current marks, type `u', which also turns off holiday marks (*note Holidays::). To see the full diary file, rather than just some of the entries, use the `s' command. Display of selected diary entries uses the selective display feature to hide entries that don't apply. The diary buffer as you see it is an illusion, so simply printing the buffer does not print what you see on your screen. There is a special command to print hard copy of the diary buffer _as it appears_; this command is `M-x print-diary-entries'. It sends the data directly to the printer. You can customize it like `lpr-region' (*note Hardcopy::). The command `M-x diary' displays the diary entries for the current date, independently of the calendar display, and optionally for the next few days as well; the variable `number-of-diary-entries' specifies how many days to include (*note Customization::). If you put `(diary)' in your init file, this automatically displays a window with the day's diary entries, when you enter Emacs. *Note Init File::. The mode line of the displayed window shows the date and any holidays that fall on that date. Many users like to receive notice of events in their diary as email. To send such mail to yourself, use the command `M-x diary-mail-entries'. A prefix argument specifies how many days (starting with today) to check; otherwise, the variable `diary-mail-days' says how many days.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Format of Diary File, Next: Date Formats, Prev: Diary Commands, Up: Diary The Diary File -------------- Your "diary file" is a file that records events associated with particular dates. The name of the diary file is specified by the variable `diary-file'; `~/diary' is the default. The `calendar' utility program supports a subset of the format allowed by the Emacs diary facilities, so you can use that utility to view the diary file, with reasonable results aside from the entries it cannot understand. Each entry in the diary file describes one event and consists of one or more lines. An entry always begins with a date specification at the left margin. The rest of the entry is simply text to describe the event. If the entry has more than one line, then the lines after the first must begin with whitespace to indicate they continue a previous entry. Lines that do not begin with valid dates and do not continue a preceding entry are ignored. You can inhibit the marking of certain diary entries in the calendar window; to do this, insert an ampersand (`&') at the beginning of the entry, before the date. This has no effect on display of the entry in the diary window; it affects only marks on dates in the calendar window. Nonmarking entries are especially useful for generic entries that would otherwise mark many different dates. If the first line of a diary entry consists only of the date or day name with no following blanks or punctuation, then the diary window display doesn't include that line; only the continuation lines appear. For example, this entry: 02/11/1989 Bill B. visits Princeton today 2pm Cognitive Studies Committee meeting 2:30-5:30 Liz at Lawrenceville 4:00pm Dentist appt 7:30pm Dinner at George's 8:00-10:00pm concert appears in the diary window without the date line at the beginning. This style of entry looks neater when you display just a single day's entries, but can cause confusion if you ask for more than one day's entries. You can edit the diary entries as they appear in the window, but it is important to remember that the buffer displayed contains the _entire_ diary file, with portions of it concealed from view. This means, for instance, that the `C-f' (`forward-char') command can put point at what appears to be the end of the line, but what is in reality the middle of some concealed line. _Be careful when editing the diary entries!_ Inserting additional lines or adding/deleting characters in the middle of a visible line cannot cause problems, but editing at the end of a line may not do what you expect. Deleting a line may delete other invisible entries that follow it. Before editing the diary, it is best to display the entire file with `s' (`show-all-diary-entries').  File: xemacs.info, Node: Date Formats, Next: Adding to Diary, Prev: Format of Diary File, Up: Diary Date Formats ------------ Here are some sample diary entries, illustrating different ways of formatting a date. The examples all show dates in American order (month, day, year), but Calendar mode supports European order (day, month, year) as an option. 4/20/93 Switch-over to new tabulation system apr. 25 Start tabulating annual results 4/30 Results for April are due */25 Monthly cycle finishes Friday Don't leave without backing up files The first entry appears only once, on April 20, 1993. The second and third appear every year on the specified dates, and the fourth uses a wildcard (asterisk) for the month, so it appears on the 25th of every month. The final entry appears every week on Friday. You can use just numbers to express a date, as in `MONTH/DAY' or `MONTH/DAY/YEAR'. This must be followed by a nondigit. In the date itself, MONTH and DAY are numbers of one or two digits. The optional YEAR is also a number, and may be abbreviated to the last two digits; that is, you can use `11/12/1989' or `11/12/89'. Dates can also have the form `MONTHNAME DAY' or `MONTHNAME DAY, YEAR', where the month's name can be spelled in full or abbreviated to three characters (with or without a period). Case is not significant. A date may be "generic"; that is, partially unspecified. Then the entry applies to all dates that match the specification. If the date does not contain a year, it is generic and applies to any year. Alternatively, MONTH, DAY, or YEAR can be a `*'; this matches any month, day, or year, respectively. Thus, a diary entry `3/*/*' matches any day in March of any year; so does `march *'. If you prefer the European style of writing dates--in which the day comes before the month--type `M-x european-calendar' while in the calendar, or set the variable `european-calendar-style' to `t' _before_ using any calendar or diary command. This mode interprets all dates in the diary in the European manner, and also uses European style for displaying diary dates. (Note that there is no comma after the MONTHNAME in the European style.) To go back to the (default) American style of writing dates, type `M-x american-calendar'. You can use the name of a day of the week as a generic date which applies to any date falling on that day of the week. You can abbreviate the day of the week to three letters (with or without a period) or spell it in full; case is not significant.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Adding to Diary, Next: Special Diary Entries, Prev: Date Formats, Up: Diary Commands to Add to the Diary ---------------------------- While in the calendar, there are several commands to create diary entries: `i d' Add a diary entry for the selected date (`insert-diary-entry'). `i w' Add a diary entry for the selected day of the week (`insert-weekly-diary-entry'). `i m' Add a diary entry for the selected day of the month (`insert-monthly-diary-entry'). `i y' Add a diary entry for the selected day of the year (`insert-yearly-diary-entry'). You can make a diary entry for a specific date by selecting that date in the calendar window and typing the `i d' command. This command displays the end of your diary file in another window and inserts the date; you can then type the rest of the diary entry. If you want to make a diary entry that applies to a specific day of the week, select that day of the week (any occurrence will do) and type `i w'. This inserts the day-of-week as a generic date; you can then type the rest of the diary entry. You can make a monthly diary entry in the same fashion. Select the day of the month, use the `i m' command, and type rest of the entry. Similarly, you can insert a yearly diary entry with the `i y' command. All of the above commands make marking diary entries by default. To make a nonmarking diary entry, give a numeric argument to the command. For example, `C-u i w' makes a nonmarking weekly diary entry. When you modify the diary file, be sure to save the file before exiting Emacs.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Special Diary Entries, Prev: Adding to Diary, Up: Diary Special Diary Entries --------------------- In addition to entries based on calendar dates, the diary file can contain "sexp entries" for regular events such as anniversaries. These entries are based on Lisp expressions (sexps) that Emacs evaluates as it scans the diary file. Instead of a date, a sexp entry contains `%%' followed by a Lisp expression which must begin and end with parentheses. The Lisp expression determines which dates the entry applies to. Calendar mode provides commands to insert certain commonly used sexp entries: `i a' Add an anniversary diary entry for the selected date (`insert-anniversary-diary-entry'). `i b' Add a block diary entry for the current region (`insert-block-diary-entry'). `i c' Add a cyclic diary entry starting at the date (`insert-cyclic-diary-entry'). If you want to make a diary entry that applies to the anniversary of a specific date, move point to that date and use the `i a' command. This displays the end of your diary file in another window and inserts the anniversary description; you can then type the rest of the diary entry. The entry looks like this: The effect of `i a' is to add a `diary-anniversary' sexp to your diary file. You can also add one manually, for instance: %%(diary-anniversary 10 31 1948) Arthur's birthday This entry applies to October 31 in any year after 1948; `10 31 1948' specifies the date. (If you are using the European calendar style, the month and day are interchanged.) The reason this expression requires a beginning year is that advanced diary functions can use it to calculate the number of elapsed years. A "block" diary entry applies to a specified range of consecutive dates. Here is a block diary entry that applies to all dates from June 24, 1990 through July 10, 1990: %%(diary-block 6 24 1990 7 10 1990) Vacation The `6 24 1990' indicates the starting date and the `7 10 1990' indicates the stopping date. (Again, if you are using the European calendar style, the month and day are interchanged.) To insert a block entry, place point and the mark on the two dates that begin and end the range, and type `i b'. This command displays the end of your diary file in another window and inserts the block description; you can then type the diary entry. "Cyclic" diary entries repeat after a fixed interval of days. To create one, select the starting date and use the `i c' command. The command prompts for the length of interval, then inserts the entry, which looks like this: %%(diary-cyclic 50 3 1 1990) Renew medication This entry applies to March 1, 1990 and every 50th day following; `3 1 1990' specifies the starting date. (If you are using the European calendar style, the month and day are interchanged.) All three of these commands make marking diary entries. To insert a nonmarking entry, give a numeric argument to the command. For example, `C-u i a' makes a nonmarking anniversary diary entry. Marking sexp diary entries in the calendar is _extremely_ time-consuming, since every date visible in the calendar window must be individually checked. So it's a good idea to make sexp diary entries nonmarking (with `&') when possible. Another sophisticated kind of sexp entry, a "floating" diary entry, specifies a regularly occurring event by offsets specified in days, weeks, and months. It is comparable to a crontab entry interpreted by the `cron' utility. Here is a nonmarking, floating diary entry that applies to the last Thursday in November: &%%(diary-float 11 4 -1) American Thanksgiving The 11 specifies November (the eleventh month), the 4 specifies Thursday (the fourth day of the week, where Sunday is numbered zero), and the -1 specifies "last" (1 would mean "first", 2 would mean "second", -2 would mean "second-to-last", and so on). The month can be a single month or a list of months. Thus you could change the 11 above to `'(1 2 3)' and have the entry apply to the last Thursday of January, February, and March. If the month is `t', the entry applies to all months of the year. The sexp feature of the diary allows you to specify diary entries based on any Emacs Lisp expression. You can use the library of built-in functions or you can write your own functions. The built-in functions include the ones shown in this section, plus a few others (*note Sexp Diary Entries::). The generality of sexps lets you specify any diary entry that you can describe algorithmically. Suppose you get paid on the 21st of the month if it is a weekday, and to the Friday before if the 21st is on a weekend. The diary entry &%%(let ((dayname (calendar-day-of-week date)) (day (car (cdr date)))) (or (and (= day 21) (memq dayname '(1 2 3 4 5))) (and (memq day '(19 20)) (= dayname 5))) ) Pay check deposited to just those dates. This example illustrates how the sexp can depend on the variable `date'; this variable is a list (MONTH DAY YEAR) that gives the Gregorian date for which the diary entries are being found. If the value of the sexp is `t', the entry applies to that date. If the sexp evaluates to `nil', the entry does _not_ apply to that date.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar Customization, Prev: Diary, Up: Calendar/Diary Customizing the Calendar and Diary ---------------------------------- There are many customizations that you can use to make the calendar and diary suit your personal tastes. * Menu: * Calendar Customizing:: Defaults you can set. * Holiday Customizing:: Defining your own holidays. * Date Display Format:: Changing the format. * Time Display Format:: Changing the format. * Daylight Savings:: Changing the default. * Diary Customizing:: Defaults you can set. * Hebrew/Islamic Entries:: How to obtain them. * Fancy Diary Display:: Enhancing the diary display, sorting entries. * Included Diary Files:: Sharing a common diary file. * Sexp Diary Entries:: Fancy things you can do. * Appt Customizing:: Customizing appointment reminders.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar Customizing, Next: Holiday Customizing, Up: Calendar Customization Customizing the Calendar ........................ If you set the variable `view-diary-entries-initially' to `t', calling up the calendar automatically displays the diary entries for the current date as well. The diary dates appear only if the current date is visible. If you add both of the following lines to your init file: (setq view-diary-entries-initially t) (calendar) this displays both the calendar and diary windows whenever you start Emacs. *Note Init File::. Similarly, if you set the variable `view-calendar-holidays-initially' to `t', entering the calendar automatically displays a list of holidays for the current three-month period. The holiday list appears in a separate window. You can set the variable `mark-diary-entries-in-calendar' to `t' in order to mark any dates with diary entries. This takes effect whenever the calendar window contents are recomputed. There are two ways of marking these dates: by changing the face (*note Faces::), if the display supports that, or by placing a plus sign (`+') beside the date otherwise. Similarly, setting the variable `mark-holidays-in-calendar' to `t' marks holiday dates, either with a change of face or with an asterisk (`*'). The variable `calendar-holiday-marker' specifies how to mark a date as being a holiday. Its value may be a character to insert next to the date, or a face name to use for displaying the date. Likewise, the variable `diary-entry-marker' specifies how to mark a date that has diary entries. The calendar creates faces named `holiday-face' and `diary-face' for these purposes; those symbols are the default values of these variables, when Emacs supports multiple faces on your terminal. The variable `calendar-load-hook' is a normal hook run when the calendar package is first loaded (before actually starting to display the calendar). Starting the calendar runs the normal hook `initial-calendar-window-hook'. Recomputation of the calendar display does not run this hook. But if you leave the calendar with the `q' command and reenter it, the hook runs again. The variable `today-visible-calendar-hook' is a normal hook run after the calendar buffer has been prepared with the calendar when the current date is visible in the window. One use of this hook is to replace today's date with asterisks; to do that, use the hook function `calendar-star-date'. (add-hook 'today-visible-calendar-hook 'calendar-star-date) Another standard hook function marks the current date, either by changing its face or by adding an asterisk. Here's how to use it: (add-hook 'today-visible-calendar-hook 'calendar-mark-today) The variable `calendar-today-marker' specifies how to mark today's date. Its value should be a character to insert next to the date or a face name to use for displaying the date. A face named `calendar-today-face' is provided for this purpose; that symbol is the default for this variable when Emacs supports multiple faces on your terminal. A similar normal hook, `today-invisible-calendar-hook' is run if the current date is _not_ visible in the window.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Holiday Customizing, Next: Date Display Format, Prev: Calendar Customizing, Up: Calendar Customization Customizing the Holidays ........................ Emacs knows about holidays defined by entries on one of several lists. You can customize these lists of holidays to your own needs, adding or deleting holidays. The lists of holidays that Emacs uses are for general holidays (`general-holidays'), local holidays (`local-holidays'), Christian holidays (`christian-holidays'), Hebrew (Jewish) holidays (`hebrew-holidays'), Islamic (Moslem) holidays (`islamic-holidays'), and other holidays (`other-holidays'). The general holidays are, by default, holidays common throughout the United States. To eliminate these holidays, set `general-holidays' to `nil'. There are no default local holidays (but sites may supply some). You can set the variable `local-holidays' to any list of holidays, as described below. By default, Emacs does not include all the holidays of the religions that it knows, only those commonly found in secular calendars. For a more extensive collection of religious holidays, you can set any (or all) of the variables `all-christian-calendar-holidays', `all-hebrew-calendar-holidays', or `all-islamic-calendar-holidays' to `t'. If you want to eliminate the religious holidays, set any or all of the corresponding variables `christian-holidays', `hebrew-holidays', and `islamic-holidays' to `nil'. You can set the variable `other-holidays' to any list of holidays. This list, normally empty, is intended for individual use. Each of the lists (`general-holidays', `local-holidays', `christian-holidays', `hebrew-holidays', `islamic-holidays', and `other-holidays') is a list of "holiday forms", each holiday form describing a holiday (or sometimes a list of holidays). Here is a table of the possible kinds of holiday form. Day numbers and month numbers count starting from 1, but "dayname" numbers count Sunday as 0. The element STRING is always the name of the holiday, as a string. `(holiday-fixed MONTH DAY STRING)' A fixed date on the Gregorian calendar. MONTH and DAY are numbers, STRING is the name of the holiday. `(holiday-float MONTH DAYNAME K STRING)' The Kth DAYNAME in MONTH on the Gregorian calendar (DAYNAME=0 for Sunday, and so on); negative K means count back from the end of the month. STRING is the name of the holiday. `(holiday-hebrew MONTH DAY STRING)' A fixed date on the Hebrew calendar. MONTH and DAY are numbers, STRING is the name of the holiday. `(holiday-islamic MONTH DAY STRING)' A fixed date on the Islamic calendar. MONTH and DAY are numbers, STRING is the name of the holiday. `(holiday-julian MONTH DAY STRING)' A fixed date on the Julian calendar. MONTH and DAY are numbers, STRING is the name of the holiday. `(holiday-sexp SEXP STRING)' A date calculated by the Lisp expression SEXP. The expression should use the variable `year' to compute and return the date of a holiday, or `nil' if the holiday doesn't happen this year. The value of SEXP must represent the date as a list of the form `(MONTH DAY YEAR)'. STRING is the name of the holiday. `(if CONDITION HOLIDAY-FORM &optional HOLIDAY-FORM)' A holiday that happens only if CONDITION is true. `(FUNCTION [ARGS])' A list of dates calculated by the function FUNCTION, called with arguments ARGS. For example, suppose you want to add Bastille Day, celebrated in France on July 14. You can do this by adding the following line to your init file: (setq other-holidays '((holiday-fixed 7 14 "Bastille Day"))) *Note Init File::. The holiday form `(holiday-fixed 7 14 "Bastille Day")' specifies the fourteenth day of the seventh month (July). Many holidays occur on a specific day of the week, at a specific time of month. Here is a holiday form describing Hurricane Supplication Day, celebrated in the Virgin Islands on the fourth Monday in August: (holiday-float 8 1 4 "Hurricane Supplication Day") Here the 8 specifies August, the 1 specifies Monday (Sunday is 0, Tuesday is 2, and so on), and the 4 specifies the fourth occurrence in the month (1 specifies the first occurrence, 2 the second occurrence, -1 the last occurrence, -2 the second-to-last occurrence, and so on). You can specify holidays that occur on fixed days of the Hebrew, Islamic, and Julian calendars too. For example, (setq other-holidays '((holiday-hebrew 10 2 "Last day of Hanukkah") (holiday-islamic 3 12 "Mohammed's Birthday") (holiday-julian 4 2 "Jefferson's Birthday"))) adds the last day of Hanukkah (since the Hebrew months are numbered with 1 starting from Nisan), the Islamic feast celebrating Mohammed's birthday (since the Islamic months are numbered from 1 starting with Muharram), and Thomas Jefferson's birthday, which is 2 April 1743 on the Julian calendar. To include a holiday conditionally, use either Emacs Lisp's `if' or the `holiday-sexp' form. For example, American presidential elections occur on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of years divisible by 4: (holiday-sexp (if (= 0 (% year 4)) (calendar-gregorian-from-absolute (1+ (calendar-dayname-on-or-before 1 (+ 6 (calendar-absolute-from-gregorian (list 11 1 year)))))) "US Presidential Election")) or (if (= 0 (% displayed-year 4)) (fixed 11 (extract-calendar-day (calendar-gregorian-from-absolute (1+ (calendar-dayname-on-or-before 1 (+ 6 (calendar-absolute-from-gregorian (list 11 1 displayed-year))))))) "US Presidential Election")) Some holidays just don't fit into any of these forms because special calculations are involved in their determination. In such cases you must write a Lisp function to do the calculation. To include eclipses, for example, add `(eclipses)' to `other-holidays' and write an Emacs Lisp function `eclipses' that returns a (possibly empty) list of the relevant Gregorian dates among the range visible in the calendar window, with descriptive strings, like this: (((6 27 1991) "Lunar Eclipse") ((7 11 1991) "Solar Eclipse") ... )  File: xemacs.info, Node: Date Display Format, Next: Time Display Format, Prev: Holiday Customizing, Up: Calendar Customization Date Display Format ................... You can customize the manner of displaying dates in the diary, in mode lines, and in messages by setting `calendar-date-display-form'. This variable holds a list of expressions that can involve the variables `month', `day', and `year', which are all numbers in string form, and `monthname' and `dayname', which are both alphabetic strings. In the American style, the default value of this list is as follows: ((if dayname (concat dayname ", ")) monthname " " day ", " year) while in the European style this value is the default: ((if dayname (concat dayname ", ")) day " " monthname " " year) + The ISO standard date representation is this: (year "-" month "-" day) This specifies a typical American format: (month "/" day "/" (substring year -2))  File: xemacs.info, Node: Time Display Format, Next: Daylight Savings, Prev: Date Display Format, Up: Calendar Customization Time Display Format ................... The calendar and diary by default display times of day in the conventional American style with the hours from 1 through 12, minutes, and either `am' or `pm'. If you prefer the European style, also known in the US as military, in which the hours go from 00 to 23, you can alter the variable `calendar-time-display-form'. This variable is a list of expressions that can involve the variables `12-hours', `24-hours', and `minutes', which are all numbers in string form, and `am-pm' and `time-zone', which are both alphabetic strings. The default value of `calendar-time-display-form' is as follows: (12-hours ":" minutes am-pm (if time-zone " (") time-zone (if time-zone ")")) Here is a value that provides European style times: (24-hours ":" minutes (if time-zone " (") time-zone (if time-zone ")")) gives military-style times like `21:07 (UT)' if time zone names are defined, and times like `21:07' if they are not.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Daylight Savings, Next: Diary Customizing, Prev: Time Display Format, Up: Calendar Customization Daylight Savings Time ..................... Emacs understands the difference between standard time and daylight savings time--the times given for sunrise, sunset, solstices, equinoxes, and the phases of the moon take that into account. The rules for daylight savings time vary from place to place and have also varied historically from year to year. To do the job properly, Emacs needs to know which rules to use. Some operating systems keep track of the rules that apply to the place where you are; on these systems, Emacs gets the information it needs from the system automatically. If some or all of this information is missing, Emacs fills in the gaps with the rules currently used in Cambridge, Massachusetts. If the resulting rules are not what you want, you can tell Emacs the rules to use by setting certain variables. If the default choice of rules is not appropriate for your location, you can tell Emacs the rules to use by setting the variables `calendar-daylight-savings-starts' and `calendar-daylight-savings-ends'. Their values should be Lisp expressions that refer to the variable `year', and evaluate to the Gregorian date on which daylight savings time starts or (respectively) ends, in the form of a list `(MONTH DAY YEAR)'. The values should be `nil' if your area does not use daylight savings time. Emacs uses these expressions to determine the starting date of daylight savings time for the holiday list and for correcting times of day in the solar and lunar calculations. The values for Cambridge, Massachusetts are as follows: (calendar-nth-named-day 1 0 4 year) (calendar-nth-named-day -1 0 10 year) That is, the first 0th day (Sunday) of the fourth month (April) in the year specified by `year', and the last Sunday of the tenth month (October) of that year. If daylight savings time were changed to start on October 1, you would set `calendar-daylight-savings-starts' to this: (list 10 1 year) For a more complex example, suppose daylight savings time begins on the first of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. You should set `calendar-daylight-savings-starts' to this value: (calendar-gregorian-from-absolute (calendar-absolute-from-hebrew (list 1 1 (+ year 3760)))) because Nisan is the first month in the Hebrew calendar and the Hebrew year differs from the Gregorian year by 3760 at Nisan. If there is no daylight savings time at your location, or if you want all times in standard time, set `calendar-daylight-savings-starts' and `calendar-daylight-savings-ends' to `nil'. The variable `calendar-daylight-time-offset' specifies the difference between daylight savings time and standard time, measured in minutes. The value for Cambridge, Massachusetts is 60. The two variables `calendar-daylight-savings-starts-time' and `calendar-daylight-savings-ends-time' specify the number of minutes after midnight local time when the transition to and from daylight savings time should occur. For Cambridge, Massachusetts both variables' values are 120.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Diary Customizing, Next: Hebrew/Islamic Entries, Prev: Daylight Savings, Up: Calendar Customization Customizing the Diary ..................... Ordinarily, the mode line of the diary buffer window indicates any holidays that fall on the date of the diary entries. The process of checking for holidays can take several seconds, so including holiday information delays the display of the diary buffer noticeably. If you'd prefer to have a faster display of the diary buffer but without the holiday information, set the variable `holidays-in-diary-buffer' to `nil'. The variable `number-of-diary-entries' controls the number of days of diary entries to be displayed at one time. It affects the initial display when `view-diary-entries-initially' is `t', as well as the command `M-x diary'. For example, the default value is 1, which says to display only the current day's diary entries. If the value is 2, both the current day's and the next day's entries are displayed. The value can also be a vector of seven elements: for example, if the value is `[0 2 2 2 2 4 1]' then no diary entries appear on Sunday, the current date's and the next day's diary entries appear Monday through Thursday, Friday through Monday's entries appear on Friday, while on Saturday only that day's entries appear. The variable `print-diary-entries-hook' is a normal hook run after preparation of a temporary buffer containing just the diary entries currently visible in the diary buffer. (The other, irrelevant diary entries are really absent from the temporary buffer; in the diary buffer, they are merely hidden.) The default value of this hook does the printing with the command `lpr-buffer'. If you want to use a different command to do the printing, just change the value of this hook. Other uses might include, for example, rearranging the lines into order by day and time. You can customize the form of dates in your diary file, if neither the standard American nor European styles suits your needs, by setting the variable `diary-date-forms'. This variable is a list of patterns for recognizing a date. Each date pattern is a list whose elements may be regular expressions (*note Regexps::) or the symbols `month', `day', `year', `monthname', and `dayname'. All these elements serve as patterns that match certain kinds of text in the diary file. In order for the date pattern, as a whole, to match, all of its elements must match consecutively. A regular expression in a date pattern matches in its usual fashion, using the standard syntax table altered so that `*' is a word constituent. The symbols `month', `day', `year', `monthname', and `dayname' match the month number, day number, year number, month name, and day name of the date being considered. The symbols that match numbers allow leading zeros; those that match names allow three-letter abbreviations and capitalization. All the symbols can match `*'; since `*' in a diary entry means "any day", "any month", and so on, it should match regardless of the date being considered. The default value of `diary-date-forms' in the American style is this: ((month "/" day "[^/0-9]") (month "/" day "/" year "[^0-9]") (monthname " *" day "[^,0-9]") (monthname " *" day ", *" year "[^0-9]") (dayname "\\W")) Emacs matches of the diary entries with the date forms is done with the standard syntax table from Fundamental mode (*note Syntax Tables: (lispref)Syntax Tables.), but with the `*' changed so that it is a word constituent. The date patterns in the list must be _mutually exclusive_ and must not match any portion of the diary entry itself, just the date and one character of whitespace. If, to be mutually exclusive, the pattern must match a portion of the diary entry text--beyond the whitespace that ends the date--then the first element of the date pattern _must_ be `backup'. This causes the date recognizer to back up to the beginning of the current word of the diary entry, after finishing the match. Even if you use `backup', the date pattern must absolutely not match more than a portion of the first word of the diary entry. The default value of `diary-date-forms' in the European style is this list: ((day "/" month "[^/0-9]") (day "/" month "/" year "[^0-9]") (backup day " *" monthname "\\W+\\<[^*0-9]") (day " *" monthname " *" year "[^0-9]") (dayname "\\W")) Notice the use of `backup' in the third pattern, because it needs to match part of a word beyond the date itself to distinguish it from the fourth pattern.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Hebrew/Islamic Entries, Next: Fancy Diary Display, Prev: Diary Customizing, Up: Calendar Customization Hebrew- and Islamic-Date Diary Entries ...................................... Your diary file can have entries based on Hebrew or Islamic dates, as well as entries based on the world-standard Gregorian calendar. However, because recognition of such entries is time-consuming and most people don't use them, you must explicitly enable their use. If you want the diary to recognize Hebrew-date diary entries, for example, you must do this: (add-hook 'nongregorian-diary-listing-hook 'list-hebrew-diary-entries) (add-hook 'nongregorian-diary-marking-hook 'mark-hebrew-diary-entries) If you want Islamic-date entries, do this: (add-hook 'nongregorian-diary-listing-hook 'list-islamic-diary-entries) (add-hook 'nongregorian-diary-marking-hook 'mark-islamic-diary-entries) Hebrew- and Islamic-date diary entries have the same formats as Gregorian-date diary entries, except that `H' precedes a Hebrew date and `I' precedes an Islamic date. Moreover, because the Hebrew and Islamic month names are not uniquely specified by the first three letters, you may not abbreviate them. For example, a diary entry for the Hebrew date Heshvan 25 could look like this: HHeshvan 25 Happy Hebrew birthday! and would appear in the diary for any date that corresponds to Heshvan 25 on the Hebrew calendar. And here is Islamic-date diary entry that matches Dhu al-Qada 25: IDhu al-Qada 25 Happy Islamic birthday! and would appear in the diary for any date that corresponds to Dhu al-Qada 25 on the Islamic calendar. As with Gregorian-date diary entries, Hebrew- and Islamic-date entries are nonmarking if they are preceded with an ampersand (`&'). Here is a table of commands used in the calendar to create diary entries that match the selected date and other dates that are similar in the Hebrew or Islamic calendar: `i h d' Add a diary entry for the Hebrew date corresponding to the selected date (`insert-hebrew-diary-entry'). `i h m' Add a diary entry for the day of the Hebrew month corresponding to the selected date (`insert-monthly-hebrew-diary-entry'). This diary entry matches any date that has the same Hebrew day-within-month as the selected date. `i h y' Add a diary entry for the day of the Hebrew year corresponding to the selected date (`insert-yearly-hebrew-diary-entry'). This diary entry matches any date which has the same Hebrew month and day-within-month as the selected date. `i i d' Add a diary entry for the Islamic date corresponding to the selected date (`insert-islamic-diary-entry'). `i i m' Add a diary entry for the day of the Islamic month corresponding to the selected date (`insert-monthly-islamic-diary-entry'). `i i y' Add a diary entry for the day of the Islamic year corresponding to the selected date (`insert-yearly-islamic-diary-entry'). These commands work much like the corresponding commands for ordinary diary entries: they apply to the date that point is on in the calendar window, and what they do is insert just the date portion of a diary entry at the end of your diary file. You must then insert the rest of the diary entry.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Fancy Diary Display, Next: Included Diary Files, Prev: Hebrew/Islamic Entries, Up: Calendar Customization Fancy Diary Display ................... Diary display works by preparing the diary buffer and then running the hook `diary-display-hook'. The default value of this hook (`simple-diary-display') hides the irrelevant diary entries and then displays the buffer. However, if you specify the hook as follows, (add-hook 'diary-display-hook 'fancy-diary-display) this enables fancy diary display. It displays diary entries and holidays by copying them into a special buffer that exists only for the sake of display. Copying to a separate buffer provides an opportunity to change the displayed text to make it prettier--for example, to sort the entries by the dates they apply to. As with simple diary display, you can print a hard copy of the buffer with `print-diary-entries'. To print a hard copy of a day-by-day diary for a week by positioning point on Sunday of that week, type `7 d' and then do `M-x print-diary-entries'. As usual, the inclusion of the holidays slows down the display slightly; you can speed things up by setting the variable `holidays-in-diary-buffer' to `nil'. Ordinarily, the fancy diary buffer does not show days for which there are no diary entries, even if that day is a holiday. If you want such days to be shown in the fancy diary buffer, set the variable `diary-list-include-blanks' to `t'. If you use the fancy diary display, you can use the normal hook `list-diary-entries-hook' to sort each day's diary entries by their time of day. Add this line to your init file: (add-hook 'list-diary-entries-hook 'sort-diary-entries t) *Note Init File::. For each day, this sorts diary entries that begin with a recognizable time of day according to their times. Diary entries without times come first within each day.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Included Diary Files, Next: Sexp Diary Entries, Prev: Fancy Diary Display, Up: Calendar Customization Included Diary Files .................... Fancy diary display also has the ability to process included diary files. This permits a group of people to share a diary file for events that apply to all of them. Lines in the diary file of this form: #include "FILENAME" includes the diary entries from the file FILENAME in the fancy diary buffer. The include mechanism is recursive, so that included files can include other files, and so on; you must be careful not to have a cycle of inclusions, of course. Here is how to enable the include facility: (add-hook 'list-diary-entries-hook 'include-other-diary-files) (add-hook 'mark-diary-entries-hook 'mark-included-diary-files) The include mechanism works only with the fancy diary display, because ordinary diary display shows the entries directly from your diary file.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Sexp Diary Entries, Next: Appt Customizing, Prev: Included Diary Files, Up: Calendar Customization Sexp Entries and the Fancy Diary Display ........................................ Sexp diary entries allow you to do more than just have complicated conditions under which a diary entry applies. If you use the fancy diary display, sexp entries can generate the text of the entry depending on the date itself. For example, an anniversary diary entry can insert the number of years since the anniversary date into the text of the diary entry. Thus the `%d' in this dairy entry: %%(diary-anniversary 10 31 1948) Arthur's birthday (%d years old) gets replaced by the age, so on October 31, 1990 the entry appears in the fancy diary buffer like this: Arthur's birthday (42 years old) If the diary file instead contains this entry: %%(diary-anniversary 10 31 1948) Arthur's %d%s birthday the entry in the fancy diary buffer for October 31, 1990 appears like this: Arthur's 42nd birthday Similarly, cyclic diary entries can interpolate the number of repetitions that have occurred: %%(diary-cyclic 50 1 1 1990) Renew medication (%d%s time) looks like this: Renew medication (5th time) in the fancy diary display on September 8, 1990. The generality of sexp diary entries lets you specify any diary entry that you can describe algorithmically. A sexp diary entry contains an expression that computes whether the entry applies to any given date. If its value is non-`nil', the entry applies to that date; otherwise, it does not. The expression can use the variable `date' to find the date being considered; its value is a list (MONTH DAY YEAR) that refers to the Gregorian calendar. Suppose you get paid on the 21st of the month if it is a weekday, and on the Friday before if the 21st is on a weekend. Here is how to write a sexp diary entry that matches those dates: &%%(let ((dayname (calendar-day-of-week date)) (day (car (cdr date)))) (or (and (= day 21) (memq dayname '(1 2 3 4 5))) (and (memq day '(19 20)) (= dayname 5))) ) Pay check deposited applies to just those dates. This example illustrates how the sexp can depend on the variable `date'; this variable is a list (MONTH DAY YEAR) that gives the Gregorian date for which the diary entries are being found. If the value of the expression is `t', the entry applies to that date. If the expression evaluates to `nil', the entry does _not_ apply to that date. The following sexp diary entries take advantage of the ability (in the fancy diary display) to concoct diary entries whose text varies based on the date: `%%(diary-sunrise-sunset)' Make a diary entry for the local times of today's sunrise and sunset. `%%(diary-phases-of-moon)' Make a diary entry for the phases (quarters) of the moon. `%%(diary-day-of-year)' Make a diary entry with today's day number in the current year and the number of days remaining in the current year. `%%(diary-iso-date)' Make a diary entry with today's equivalent ISO commercial date. `%%(diary-julian-date)' Make a diary entry with today's equivalent date on the Julian calendar. `%%(diary-astro-day-number)' Make a diary entry with today's equivalent astronomical (Julian) day number. `%%(diary-hebrew-date)' Make a diary entry with today's equivalent date on the Hebrew calendar. `%%(diary-islamic-date)' Make a diary entry with today's equivalent date on the Islamic calendar. `%%(diary-french-date)' Make a diary entry with today's equivalent date on the French Revolutionary calendar. `%%(diary-mayan-date)' Make a diary entry with today's equivalent date on the Mayan calendar. Thus including the diary entry &%%(diary-hebrew-date) causes every day's diary display to contain the equivalent date on the Hebrew calendar, if you are using the fancy diary display. (With simple diary display, the line `&%%(diary-hebrew-date)' appears in the diary for any date, but does nothing particularly useful.) These functions can be used to construct sexp diary entries based on the Hebrew calendar in certain standard ways: `%%(diary-rosh-hodesh)' Make a diary entry that tells the occurrence and ritual announcement of each new Hebrew month. `%%(diary-parasha)' Make a Saturday diary entry that tells the weekly synagogue scripture reading. `%%(diary-sabbath-candles)' Make a Friday diary entry that tells the _local time_ of Sabbath candle lighting. `%%(diary-omer)' Make a diary entry that gives the omer count, when appropriate. `%%(diary-yahrzeit MONTH DAY YEAR) NAME' Make a diary entry marking the anniversary of a date of death. The date is the _Gregorian_ (civil) date of death. The diary entry appears on the proper Hebrew calendar anniversary and on the day before. (In the European style, the order of the parameters is changed to DAY, MONTH, YEAR.)  File: xemacs.info, Node: Appt Customizing, Prev: Sexp Diary Entries, Up: Calendar Customization Customizing Appointment Reminders ................................. You can specify exactly how Emacs reminds you of an appointment, and how far in advance it begins doing so, by setting these variables: `appt-message-warning-time' The time in minutes before an appointment that the reminder begins. The default is 10 minutes. `appt-audible' If this is `t' (the default), Emacs rings the terminal bell for appointment reminders. `appt-visible' If this is `t' (the default), Emacs displays the appointment message in echo area. `appt-display-mode-line' If this is `t' (the default), Emacs displays the number of minutes to the appointment on the mode line. `appt-msg-window' If this is `t' (the default), Emacs displays the appointment message in another window. `appt-display-duration' The number of seconds an appointment message is displayed. The default is 5 seconds.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Sorting, Next: Shell, Prev: Calendar/Diary, Up: Top Sorting Text ============ XEmacs provides several commands for sorting text in a buffer. All operate on the contents of the region (the text between point and the mark). They divide the text of the region into many "sort records", identify a "sort key" for each record, and then reorder the records using the order determined by the sort keys. The records are ordered so that their keys are in alphabetical order, or, for numerical sorting, in numerical order. In alphabetical sorting, all upper-case letters `A' through `Z' come before lower-case `a', in accordance with the ASCII character sequence. The sort commands differ in how they divide the text into sort records and in which part of each record they use as the sort key. Most of the commands make each line a separate sort record, but some commands use paragraphs or pages as sort records. Most of the sort commands use each entire sort record as its own sort key, but some use only a portion of the record as the sort key. `M-x sort-lines' Divide the region into lines and sort by comparing the entire text of a line. A prefix argument means sort in descending order. `M-x sort-paragraphs' Divide the region into paragraphs and sort by comparing the entire text of a paragraph (except for leading blank lines). A prefix argument means sort in descending order. `M-x sort-pages' Divide the region into pages and sort by comparing the entire text of a page (except for leading blank lines). A prefix argument means sort in descending order. `M-x sort-fields' Divide the region into lines and sort by comparing the contents of one field in each line. Fields are defined as separated by whitespace, so the first run of consecutive non-whitespace characters in a line constitutes field 1, the second such run constitutes field 2, etc. You specify which field to sort by with a numeric argument: 1 to sort by field 1, etc. A negative argument means sort in descending order. Thus, minus 2 means sort by field 2 in reverse-alphabetical order. `M-x sort-numeric-fields' Like `M-x sort-fields', except the specified field is converted to a number for each line and the numbers are compared. `10' comes before `2' when considered as text, but after it when considered as a number. `M-x sort-columns' Like `M-x sort-fields', except that the text within each line used for comparison comes from a fixed range of columns. An explanation is given below. For example, if the buffer contains: On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is implemented, XEmacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change the buffer. then if you apply `M-x sort-lines' to the entire buffer you get: On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is implemented, XEmacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change the buffer. whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or where the upper case `O' comes before all lower case letters. If you apply instead `C-u 2 M-x sort-fields' you get: saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change implemented, XEmacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer the buffer. On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or where the sort keys were `If', `XEmacs', `buffer', `systems', and `the'. `M-x sort-columns' requires more explanation. You specify the columns by putting point at one of the columns and the mark at the other column. Because this means you cannot put point or the mark at the beginning of the first line to sort, this command uses an unusual definition of `region': all of the line point is in is considered part of the region, and so is all of the line the mark is in. For example, to sort a table by information found in columns 10 to 15, you could put the mark on column 10 in the first line of the table, and point on column 15 in the last line of the table, and then use this command. Or you could put the mark on column 15 in the first line and point on column 10 in the last line. This can be thought of as sorting the rectangle specified by point and the mark, except that the text on each line to the left or right of the rectangle moves along with the text inside the rectangle. *Note Rectangles::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Shell, Next: Narrowing, Prev: Sorting, Up: Top Running Shell Commands from XEmacs ================================== XEmacs has commands for passing single command lines to inferior shell processes; it can also run a shell interactively with input and output to an XEmacs buffer `*shell*'. `M-!' Run a specified shell command line and display the output (`shell-command'). `M-|' Run a specified shell command line with region contents as input; optionally replace the region with the output (`shell-command-on-region'). `M-x shell' Run a subshell with input and output through an XEmacs buffer. You can then give commands interactively. `M-x term' Run a subshell with input and output through an XEmacs buffer. You can then give commands interactively. Full terminal emulation is available. * Menu: * Single Shell:: How to run one shell command and return. * Interactive Shell:: Permanent shell taking input via XEmacs. * Shell Mode:: Special XEmacs commands used with permanent shell. * Terminal emulator:: An XEmacs window as a terminal emulator. * Term Mode:: Special XEmacs commands used in Term mode. * Paging in Term:: Paging in the terminal emulator.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Single Shell, Next: Interactive Shell, Prev: Shell, Up: Shell Single Shell Commands --------------------- `M-!' (`shell-command') reads a line of text using the minibuffer and creates an inferior shell to execute the line as a command. Standard input from the command comes from the null device. If the shell command produces any output, the output goes to an XEmacs buffer named `*Shell Command Output*', which is displayed in another window but not selected. A numeric argument, as in `M-1 M-!', directs this command to insert any output into the current buffer. In that case, point is left before the output and the mark is set after the output. `M-|' (`shell-command-on-region') is like `M-!' but passes the contents of the region as input to the shell command, instead of no input. If a numeric argument is used to direct output to the current buffer, then the old region is deleted first and the output replaces it as the contents of the region. Both `M-!' and `M-|' use `shell-file-name' to specify the shell to use. This variable is initialized based on your `SHELL' environment variable when you start XEmacs. If the file name does not specify a directory, the directories in the list `exec-path' are searched; this list is initialized based on the `PATH' environment variable when you start XEmacs. You can override either or both of these default initializations in your init file. *Note Init File::. When you use `M-!' and `M-|', XEmacs has to wait until the shell command completes. You can quit with `C-g'; that terminates the shell command.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Interactive Shell, Next: Shell Mode, Prev: Single Shell, Up: Shell Interactive Inferior Shell -------------------------- To run a subshell interactively with its typescript in an XEmacs buffer, use `M-x shell'. This creates (or reuses) a buffer named `*shell*' and runs a subshell with input coming from and output going to that buffer. That is to say, any "terminal output" from the subshell will go into the buffer, advancing point, and any "terminal input" for the subshell comes from text in the buffer. To give input to the subshell, go to the end of the buffer and type the input, terminated by . XEmacs does not wait for the subshell to do anything. You can switch windows or buffers and edit them while the shell is waiting, or while it is running a command. Output from the subshell waits until XEmacs has time to process it; this happens whenever XEmacs is waiting for keyboard input or for time to elapse. To get multiple subshells, change the name of buffer `*shell*' to something different by using `M-x rename-buffer'. The next use of `M-x shell' creates a new buffer `*shell*' with its own subshell. By renaming this buffer as well you can create a third one, and so on. All the subshells run independently and in parallel. The file name used to load the subshell is the value of the variable `explicit-shell-file-name', if that is non-`nil'. Otherwise, the environment variable `ESHELL' is used, or the environment variable `SHELL' if there is no `ESHELL'. If the file name specified is relative, the directories in the list `exec-path' are searched (*note Single Shell Commands: Single Shell.). As soon as the subshell is started, it is sent as input the contents of the file `~/.emacs_SHELLNAME', if that file exists, where SHELLNAME is the name of the file that the shell was loaded from. For example, if you use `csh', the file sent to it is `~/.emacs_csh'. `cd', `pushd', and `popd' commands given to the inferior shell are watched by XEmacs so it can keep the `*shell*' buffer's default directory the same as the shell's working directory. These commands are recognized syntactically by examining lines of input that are sent. If you use aliases for these commands, you can tell XEmacs to recognize them also. For example, if the value of the variable `shell-pushd-regexp' matches the beginning of a shell command line, that line is regarded as a `pushd' command. Change this variable when you add aliases for `pushd'. Likewise, `shell-popd-regexp' and `shell-cd-regexp' are used to recognize commands with the meaning of `popd' and `cd'. `M-x shell-resync-dirs' queries the shell and resynchronizes XEmacs' idea of what the current directory stack is. `M-x shell-dirtrack-toggle' turns directory tracking on and off. XEmacs keeps a history of the most recent commands you have typed in the `*shell*' buffer. If you are at the beginning of a shell command line and type , the previous shell input is inserted into the buffer before point. Immediately typing again deletes that input and inserts the one before it. By repeating you can move backward through your commands until you find one you want to repeat. You may then edit the command before typing if you wish. moves forward through the command history, in case you moved backward past the one you wanted while using . If you type the first few characters of a previous command and then type , the most recent shell input starting with those characters is inserted. This can be very convenient when you are repeating a sequence of shell commands. The variable `input-ring-size' controls how many commands are saved in your input history. The default is 30.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Shell Mode, Next: Terminal emulator, Prev: Interactive Shell, Up: Shell Shell Mode ---------- The shell buffer uses Shell mode, which defines several special keys attached to the `C-c' prefix. They are chosen to resemble the usual editing and job control characters present in shells that are not under XEmacs, except that you must type `C-c' first. Here is a list of the special key bindings of Shell mode: `' At end of buffer send line as input; otherwise, copy current line to end of buffer and send it (`send-shell-input'). When a line is copied, any text at the beginning of the line that matches the variable `shell-prompt-pattern' is left out; this variable's value should be a regexp string that matches the prompts that you use in your subshell. `C-c C-d' Send end-of-file as input, probably causing the shell or its current subjob to finish (`shell-send-eof'). `C-d' If point is not at the end of the buffer, delete the next character just like most other modes. If point is at the end of the buffer, send end-of-file as input, instead of generating an error as in other modes (`comint-delchar-or-maybe-eof'). `C-c C-u' Kill all text that has yet to be sent as input (`kill-shell-input'). `C-c C-w' Kill a word before point (`backward-kill-word'). `C-c C-c' Interrupt the shell or its current subjob if any (`interrupt-shell-subjob'). `C-c C-z' Stop the shell or its current subjob if any (`stop-shell-subjob'). `C-c C-\' Send quit signal to the shell or its current subjob if any (`quit-shell-subjob'). `C-c C-o' Delete last batch of output from shell (`kill-output-from-shell'). `C-c C-r' Scroll top of last batch of output to top of window (`show-output-from-shell'). `C-c C-y' Copy the previous bunch of shell input and insert it into the buffer before point (`copy-last-shell-input'). No final newline is inserted, and the input copied is not resubmitted until you type . `M-p' Move backward through the input history. Search for a matching command if you have typed the beginning of a command (`comint-previous-input'). `M-n' Move forward through the input history. Useful when you are using quickly and go past the desired command (`comint-next-input'). `' Complete the file name preceding point (`comint-dynamic-complete').  File: xemacs.info, Node: Terminal emulator, Next: Term Mode, Prev: Shell Mode, Up: Shell Interactive Inferior Shell with Terminal Emulator ------------------------------------------------- To run a subshell in a terminal emulator, putting its typescript in an XEmacs buffer, use `M-x term'. This creates (or reuses) a buffer named `*term*' and runs a subshell with input coming from your keyboard and output going to that buffer. All the normal keys that you type are sent without any interpretation by XEmacs directly to the subshell, as "terminal input." Any "echo" of your input is the responsibility of the subshell. (The exception is the terminal escape character, which by default is `C-c'. *note Term Mode::.) Any "terminal output" from the subshell goes into the buffer, advancing point. Some programs (such as XEmacs itself) need to control the appearance on the terminal screen in detail. They do this by sending special control codes. The exact control codes needed vary from terminal to terminal, but nowadays most terminals and terminal emulators (including xterm) understand the so-called "ANSI escape sequences" (first popularized by the Digital's VT100 family of terminal). The term mode also understands these escape sequences, and for each control code does the appropriate thing to change the buffer so that the appearance of the window will match what it would be on a real terminal. Thus you can actually run XEmacs inside an XEmacs Term window! XEmacs does not wait for the subshell to do anything. You can switch windows or buffers and edit them while the shell is waiting, or while it is running a command. Output from the subshell waits until XEmacs has time to process it; this happens whenever XEmacs is waiting for keyboard input or for time to elapse. To make multiple terminal emulators, rename the buffer `*term*' to something different using `M-x rename-uniquely', just as with Shell mode. The file name used to load the subshell is determined the same way as for Shell mode. Unlike Shell mode, Term mode does not track the current directory by examining your input. Instead, if you use a programmable shell, you can have it tell Term what the current directory is. This is done automatically by bash for version 1.15 and later.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Term Mode, Next: Paging in Term, Prev: Terminal emulator, Up: Shell Term Mode --------- Term uses Term mode, which has two input modes: In line mode, Term basically acts like Shell mode. *Note Shell Mode::. In Char mode, each character is sent directly to the inferior subshell, except for the Term escape character, normally `C-c'. To switch between line and char mode, use these commands: findex term-char-mode `C-c C-j' Switch to line mode. Do nothing if already in line mode. `C-c C-k' Switch to char mode. Do nothing if already in char mode. The following commands are only available in Char mode: `C-c C-c' Send a literal to the sub-shell. `C-c C-x' A prefix command to conveniently access the global commands. For example, `C-c C-x o' invokes the global binding of `C-x o', which is normally `other-window'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Paging in Term, Prev: Term Mode, Up: Shell Paging in the terminal emulator ------------------------------- Term mode has a pager feature. When the pager is enabled, term mode will pause at the end of each screenful. `C-c C-q' Toggles the pager feature: Disables the pager if it is enabled, and vice versa. This works in both line and char modes. If the pager enabled, the mode-line contains the word `page'. If the pager is enabled, and Term receives more than a screenful of output since your last input, Term will enter More break mode. This is indicated by `**MORE**' in the mode-line. Type a `Space' to display the next screenful of output. Type `?' to see your other options. The interface is similar to the Unix `more' program.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Narrowing, Next: Hardcopy, Prev: Shell, Up: Top Narrowing ========= "Narrowing" means focusing in on some portion of the buffer, making the rest temporarily invisible and inaccessible. Cancelling the narrowing and making the entire buffer once again visible is called "widening". The amount of narrowing in effect in a buffer at any time is called the buffer's "restriction". `C-x n n' Narrow down to between point and mark (`narrow-to-region'). `C-x n w' Widen to make the entire buffer visible again (`widen'). Narrowing sometimes makes it easier to concentrate on a single subroutine or paragraph by eliminating clutter. It can also be used to restrict the range of operation of a replace command or repeating keyboard macro. The word `Narrow' appears in the mode line whenever narrowing is in effect. When you have narrowed to a part of the buffer, that part appears to be all there is. You can't see the rest, can't move into it (motion commands won't go outside the visible part), and can't change it in any way. However, the invisible text is not gone; if you save the file, it will be saved. The primary narrowing command is `C-x n n' (`narrow-to-region'). It sets the current buffer's restrictions so that the text in the current region remains visible but all text before the region or after the region is invisible. Point and mark do not change. Because narrowing can easily confuse users who do not understand it, `narrow-to-region' is normally a disabled command. Attempting to use this command asks for confirmation and gives you the option of enabling it; once you enable the command, confirmation will no longer be required. *Note Disabling::. To undo narrowing, use `C-x n w' (`widen'). This makes all text in the buffer accessible again. Use the `C-x =' command to get information on what part of the buffer you narrowed down. *Note Position Info::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Hardcopy, Next: Recursive Edit, Prev: Narrowing, Up: Top Hardcopy Output =============== The XEmacs commands for making hardcopy derive their names from the Unix commands `print' and `lpr'. `M-x print-buffer' Print hardcopy of current buffer using Unix command `print' (`lpr -p'). This command adds page headings containing the file name and page number. `M-x lpr-buffer' Print hardcopy of current buffer using Unix command `lpr'. This command does not add page headings. `M-x print-region' Like `print-buffer', but prints only the current region. `M-x lpr-region' Like `lpr-buffer', but prints only the current region. All the hardcopy commands pass extra switches to the `lpr' program based on the value of the variable `lpr-switches'. Its value should be a list of strings, each string a switch starting with `-'. For example, the value could be `("-Pfoo")' to print on printer `foo'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Recursive Edit, Next: Dissociated Press, Prev: Hardcopy, Up: Top Recursive Editing Levels ======================== A "recursive edit" is a situation in which you are using XEmacs commands to perform arbitrary editing while in the middle of another XEmacs command. For example, when you type `C-r' inside a `query-replace', you enter a recursive edit in which you can change the current buffer. When you exit from the recursive edit, you go back to the `query-replace'. "Exiting" a recursive edit means returning to the unfinished command, which continues execution. For example, exiting the recursive edit requested by `C-r' in `query-replace' causes query replacing to resume. Exiting is done with `C-M-c' (`exit-recursive-edit'). You can also "abort" a recursive edit. This is like exiting, but also quits the unfinished command immediately. Use the command `C-]' (`abort-recursive-edit') for this. *Note Quitting::. The mode line shows you when you are in a recursive edit by displaying square brackets around the parentheses that always surround the major and minor mode names. Every window's mode line shows the square brackets, since XEmacs as a whole, rather than any particular buffer, is in a recursive edit. It is possible to be in recursive edits within recursive edits. For example, after typing `C-r' in a `query-replace', you might type a command that entered the debugger. In such a case, two or more sets of square brackets appear in the mode line(s). Exiting the inner recursive edit (here with the debugger `c' command) resumes the query-replace command where it called the debugger. After the end of the query-replace command, you would be able to exit the first recursive edit. Aborting exits only one level of recursive edit; it returns to the command level of the previous recursive edit. You can then abort that one as well. The command `M-x top-level' aborts all levels of recursive edits, returning immediately to the top level command reader. The text you edit inside the recursive edit need not be the same text that you were editing at top level. If the command that invokes the recursive edit selects a different buffer first, that is the buffer you will edit recursively. You can switch buffers within the recursive edit in the normal manner (as long as the buffer-switching keys have not been rebound). While you could theoretically do the rest of your editing inside the recursive edit, including visiting files, this could have surprising effects (such as stack overflow) from time to time. It is best if you always exit or abort a recursive edit when you no longer need it. In general, XEmacs tries to avoid using recursive edits. It is usually preferable to allow users to switch among the possible editing modes in any order they like. With recursive edits, the only way to get to another state is to go "back" to the state that the recursive edit was invoked from.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Dissociated Press, Next: CONX, Prev: Recursive Edit, Up: Top Dissociated Press ================= `M-x dissociated-press' is a command for scrambling a file of text either word by word or character by character. Starting from a buffer of straight English, it produces extremely amusing output. The input comes from the current XEmacs buffer. Dissociated Press writes its output in a buffer named `*Dissociation*', and redisplays that buffer after every couple of lines (approximately) to facilitate reading it. `dissociated-press' asks every so often whether to continue operating. Answer `n' to stop it. You can also stop at any time by typing `C-g'. The dissociation output remains in the `*Dissociation*' buffer for you to copy elsewhere if you wish. Dissociated Press operates by jumping at random from one point in the buffer to another. In order to produce plausible output rather than gibberish, it insists on a certain amount of overlap between the end of one run of consecutive words or characters and the start of the next. That is, if it has just printed out `president' and then decides to jump to a different point in the file, it might spot the `ent' in `pentagon' and continue from there, producing `presidentagon'. Long sample texts produce the best results. A positive argument to `M-x dissociated-press' tells it to operate character by character, and specifies the number of overlap characters. A negative argument tells it to operate word by word and specifies the number of overlap words. In this mode, whole words are treated as the elements to be permuted, rather than characters. No argument is equivalent to an argument of two. For your againformation, the output goes only into the buffer `*Dissociation*'. The buffer you start with is not changed. Dissociated Press produces nearly the same results as a Markov chain based on a frequency table constructed from the sample text. It is, however, an independent, ignoriginal invention. Dissociated Press techniquitously copies several consecutive characters from the sample between random choices, whereas a Markov chain would choose randomly for each word or character. This makes for more plausible sounding results and runs faster. It is a mustatement that too much use of Dissociated Press can be a developediment to your real work. Sometimes to the point of outragedy. And keep dissociwords out of your documentation, if you want it to be well userenced and properbose. Have fun. Your buggestions are welcome.  File: xemacs.info, Node: CONX, Next: Amusements, Prev: Dissociated Press, Up: Top CONX ==== Besides producing a file of scrambled text with Dissociated Press, you can generate random sentences by using CONX. `M-x conx' Generate random sentences in the `*conx*' buffer. `M-x conx-buffer' Absorb the text in the current buffer into the `conx' database. `M-x conx-init' Forget the current word-frequency tree. `M-x conx-load' Load a `conx' database that has been previously saved with `M-x conx-save'. `M-x conx-region' Absorb the text in the current buffer into the `conx' database. `M-x conx-save' Save the current `conx' database to a file for future retrieval. Copy text from a buffer using `M-x conx-buffer' or `M-x conx-region' and then type `M-x conx'. Output is continuously generated until you type <^G>. You can save the `conx' database to a file with `M-x conx-save', which you can retrieve with `M-x conx-load'. To clear the database, use `M-x conx-init'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Amusements, Next: Emulation, Prev: CONX, Up: Top Other Amusements ================ If you are a little bit bored, you can try `M-x hanoi'. If you are considerably bored, give it a numeric argument. If you are very, very bored, try an argument of 9. Sit back and watch. When you are frustrated, try the famous Eliza program. Just do `M-x doctor'. End each input by typing `RET' twice. When you are feeling strange, type `M-x yow'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Emulation, Next: Customization, Prev: Amusements, Up: Top Emulation ========= XEmacs can be programmed to emulate (more or less) most other editors. Standard facilities can emulate these: Viper (a vi emulator) In XEmacs, Viper is the preferred emulation of vi within XEmacs. Viper is designed to allow you to take advantage of the best features of XEmacs while still doing your basic editing in a familiar, vi-like fashion. Viper provides various different levels of vi emulation, from a quite complete emulation that allows almost no access to native XEmacs commands, to an "expert" mode that combines the most useful vi commands with the most useful XEmacs commands. To start Viper, put the command (viper-mode) in your init file. *Note Init File::. Viper comes with a separate manual that is provided standard with the XEmacs distribution. EDT (DEC VMS editor) Turn on EDT emulation with `M-x edt-emulation-on'. `M-x edt-emulation-off' restores normal Emacs command bindings. Most of the EDT emulation commands are keypad keys, and most standard Emacs key bindings are still available. The EDT emulation rebindings are done in the global keymap, so there is no problem switching buffers or major modes while in EDT emulation. Gosling Emacs Turn on emulation of Gosling Emacs (aka Unipress Emacs) with `M-x set-gosmacs-bindings'. This redefines many keys, mostly on the `C-x' and `ESC' prefixes, to work as they do in Gosmacs. `M-x set-gnu-bindings' returns to normal XEmacs by rebinding the same keys to the definitions they had at the time `M-x set-gosmacs-bindings' was done. It is also possible to run Mocklisp code written for Gosling Emacs. *Note Mocklisp::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Customization, Next: Quitting, Prev: Emulation, Up: Top Customization ************* This chapter talks about various topics relevant to adapting the behavior of Emacs in minor ways. All kinds of customization affect only the particular Emacs job that you do them in. They are completely lost when you kill the Emacs job, and have no effect on other Emacs jobs you may run at the same time or later. The only way an Emacs job can affect anything outside of it is by writing a file; in particular, the only way to make a customization `permanent' is to put something in your init file or other appropriate file to do the customization in each session. *Note Init File::. * Menu: * Minor Modes:: Each minor mode is one feature you can turn on independently of any others. * Variables:: Many Emacs commands examine Emacs variables to decide what to do; by setting variables, you can control their functioning. * Keyboard Macros:: A keyboard macro records a sequence of keystrokes to be replayed with a single command. * Key Bindings:: The keymaps say what command each key runs. By changing them, you can "redefine keys". * Syntax:: The syntax table controls how words and expressions are parsed. * Init File:: How to write common customizations in the init file. * Audible Bell:: Changing how Emacs sounds the bell. * Faces:: Changing the fonts and colors of a region of text. * Frame Components:: Controlling the presence and positions of the menubar, toolbars, and gutters. * X Resources:: X resources controlling various aspects of the behavior of XEmacs.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Minor Modes, Next: Variables, Up: Customization Minor Modes =========== Minor modes are options which you can use or not. For example, Auto Fill mode is a minor mode in which breaks lines between words as you type. All the minor modes are independent of each other and of the selected major mode. Most minor modes inform you in the mode line when they are on; for example, `Fill' in the mode line means that Auto Fill mode is on. Append `-mode' to the name of a minor mode to get the name of a command function that turns the mode on or off. Thus, the command to enable or disable Auto Fill mode is called `M-x auto-fill-mode'. These commands are usually invoked with `M-x', but you can bind keys to them if you wish. With no argument, the function turns the mode on if it was off and off if it was on. This is known as "toggling". A positive argument always turns the mode on, and an explicit zero argument or a negative argument always turns it off. Auto Fill mode allows you to enter filled text without breaking lines explicitly. Emacs inserts newlines as necessary to prevent lines from becoming too long. *Note Filling::. Overwrite mode causes ordinary printing characters to replace existing text instead of moving it to the right. For example, if point is in front of the `B' in `FOOBAR', and you type a `G' in Overwrite mode, it changes to `FOOGAR', instead of `FOOGBAR'. Abbrev mode allows you to define abbreviations that automatically expand as you type them. For example, `amd' might expand to `abbrev mode'. *Note Abbrevs::, for full information.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Variables, Next: Keyboard Macros, Prev: Minor Modes, Up: Customization Variables ========= A "variable" is a Lisp symbol which has a value. Variable names can contain any characters, but by convention they are words separated by hyphens. A variable can also have a documentation string, which describes what kind of value it should have and how the value will be used. Lisp allows any variable to have any kind of value, but most variables that Emacs uses require a value of a certain type. Often the value has to be a string or a number. Sometimes we say that a certain feature is turned on if a variable is "non-`nil'," meaning that if the variable's value is `nil', the feature is off, but the feature is on for any other value. The conventional value to turn on the feature--since you have to pick one particular value when you set the variable--is `t'. Emacs uses many Lisp variables for internal recordkeeping, as any Lisp program must, but the most interesting variables for you are the ones that exist for the sake of customization. Emacs does not (usually) change the values of these variables; instead, you set the values, and thereby alter and control the behavior of certain Emacs commands. These variables are called "options". Most options are documented in this manual and appear in the Variable Index (*note Variable Index::). One example of a variable which is an option is `fill-column', which specifies the position of the right margin (as a number of characters from the left margin) to be used by the fill commands (*note Filling::). * Menu: * Examining:: Examining or setting one variable's value. * Easy Customization:: Convenient and easy customization of variables. * Edit Options:: Examining or editing list of all variables' values. * Locals:: Per-buffer values of variables. * File Variables:: How files can specify variable values.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Examining, Next: Easy Customization, Up: Variables Examining and Setting Variables ------------------------------- `C-h v' `M-x describe-variable' Print the value and documentation of a variable. `M-x set-variable' Change the value of a variable. To examine the value of a single variable, use `C-h v' (`describe-variable'), which reads a variable name using the minibuffer, with completion. It prints both the value and the documentation of the variable. C-h v fill-column prints something like: fill-column's value is 75 Documentation: *Column beyond which automatic line-wrapping should happen. Automatically becomes local when set in any fashion. The star at the beginning of the documentation indicates that this variable is an option. `C-h v' is not restricted to options; it allows any variable name. If you know which option you want to set, you can use `M-x set-variable' to set it. This prompts for the variable name in the minibuffer (with completion), and then prompts for a Lisp expression for the new value using the minibuffer a second time. For example, M-x set-variable fill-column 75 sets `fill-column' to 75, as if you had executed the Lisp expression `(setq fill-column 75)'. Setting variables in this way, like all means of customizing Emacs except where explicitly stated, affects only the current Emacs session.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Easy Customization, Next: Edit Options, Prev: Examining, Up: Variables Easy Customization Interface ---------------------------- A convenient way to find the user option variables that you want to change, and then change them, is with `M-x customize' (or use a keyboard shortcut, `C-h C'. This command creates a "customization buffer" with which you can browse through the Emacs user options in a logically organized structure, then edit and set their values. You can also use the customization buffer to save settings permanently. (Not all Emacs user options are included in this structure as of yet, but we are adding the rest.) * Menu: * Groups: Customization Groups. How options are classified in a structure. * Changing an Option:: How to edit a value and set an option. * Face Customization:: How to edit the attributes of a face. * Specific Customization:: Making a customization buffer for specific options, faces, or groups.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Customization Groups, Next: Changing an Option, Up: Easy Customization Customization Groups .................... For customization purposes, user options are organized into "groups" to help you find them. Groups are collected into bigger groups, all the way up to a master group called `Emacs'. `M-x customize' (or `C-h C') creates a customization buffer that shows the top-level `Emacs' group and the second-level groups immediately under it. It looks like this, in part: /- Emacs group: ---------------------------------------------------\ [State]: visible group members are all at standard settings. Customization of the One True Editor. See also [Manual]. [Open] Editing group Basic text editing facilities. [Open] External group Interfacing to external utilities. MORE SECOND-LEVEL GROUPS \- Emacs group end ------------------------------------------------/ This says that the buffer displays the contents of the `Emacs' group. The other groups are listed because they are its contents. But they are listed differently, without indentation and dashes, because _their_ contents are not included. Each group has a single-line documentation string; the `Emacs' group also has a `[State]' line. Most of the text in the customization buffer is read-only, but it typically includes some "editable fields" that you can edit. There are also "active fields"; this means a field that does something when you "invoke" it. To invoke an active field, either click on it with `Mouse-1', or move point to it and type . For example, the phrase `[Open]' that appears in a second-level group is an active field. Invoking the `[Open]' field for a group opens up a new customization buffer, which shows that group and its contents. This field is a kind of hypertext link to another group. The `Emacs' group does not include any user options itself, but other groups do. By examining various groups, you will eventually find the options and faces that belong to the feature you are interested in customizing. Then you can use the customization buffer to set them. You can view the structure of customization groups on a larger scale with `M-x customize-browse'. This command creates a special kind of customization buffer which shows only the names of the groups (and options and faces), and their structure. In this buffer, you can show the contents of a group by invoking `[+]'. When the group contents are visible, this button changes to `[-]'; invoking that hides the group contents. Each group, option or face name in this buffer has an active field which says `[Group]', `[Option]' or `[Face]'. Invoking that active field creates an ordinary customization buffer showing just that group and its contents, just that option, or just that face. This is the way to set values in it.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Changing an Option, Next: Face Customization, Prev: Customization Groups, Up: Easy Customization Changing an Option .................. Here is an example of what a user option looks like in the customization buffer: Kill Ring Max: [Hide] 30 [State]: this option is unchanged from its standard setting. Maximum length of kill ring before oldest elements are thrown away. The text following `[Hide]', `30' in this case, indicates the current value of the option. If you see `[Show]' instead of `[Hide]', it means that the value is hidden; the customization buffer initially hides values that take up several lines. Invoke `[Show]' to show the value. The line after the option name indicates the "customization state" of the option: in the example above, it says you have not changed the option yet. The word `[State]' at the beginning of this line is active; you can get a menu of various operations by invoking it with `Mouse-1' or . These operations are essential for customizing the variable. The line after the `[State]' line displays the beginning of the option's documentation string. If there are more lines of documentation, this line ends with `[More]'; invoke this to show the full documentation string. To enter a new value for `Kill Ring Max', move point to the value and edit it textually. For example, you can type `M-d', then insert another number. When you begin to alter the text, you will see the `[State]' line change to say that you have edited the value: [State]: you have edited the value as text, but not set the option. Editing the value does not actually set the option variable. To do that, you must "set" the option. To do this, invoke the word `[State]' and choose `Set for Current Session'. The state of the option changes visibly when you set it: [State]: you have set this option, but not saved it for future sessions. You don't have to worry about specifying a value that is not valid; setting the option checks for validity and will not really install an unacceptable value. While editing a value or field that is a file name, directory name, command name, or anything else for which completion is defined, you can type `M-' (`widget-complete') to do completion. Some options have a small fixed set of possible legitimate values. These options don't let you edit the value textually. Instead, an active field `[Value Menu]' appears before the value; invoke this field to edit the value. For a boolean "on or off" value, the active field says `[Toggle]', and it changes to the other value. `[Value Menu]' and `[Toggle]' edit the buffer; the changes take effect when you use the `Set for Current Session' operation. Some options have values with complex structure. For example, the value of `load-path' is a list of directories. Here is how it appears in the customization buffer: Load Path: [INS] [DEL] [Current dir?]: /usr/local/share/emacs/19.34.94/site-lisp [INS] [DEL] [Current dir?]: /usr/local/share/emacs/site-lisp [INS] [DEL] [Current dir?]: /usr/local/share/emacs/19.34.94/leim [INS] [DEL] [Current dir?]: /usr/local/share/emacs/19.34.94/lisp [INS] [DEL] [Current dir?]: /build/emacs/e19/lisp [INS] [DEL] [Current dir?]: /build/emacs/e19/lisp/gnus [INS] [State]: this item has been changed outside the customization buffer. List of directories to search for files to load.... Each directory in the list appears on a separate line, and each line has several editable or active fields. You can edit any of the directory names. To delete a directory from the list, invoke `[DEL]' on that line. To insert a new directory in the list, invoke `[INS]' at the point where you want to insert it. You can also invoke `[Current dir?]' to switch between including a specific named directory in the path, and including `nil' in the path. (`nil' in a search path means "try the current directory.") Two special commands, and `S-', are useful for moving through the customization buffer. (`widget-forward') moves forward to the next active or editable field; `S-' (`widget-backward') moves backward to the previous active or editable field. Typing on an editable field also moves forward, just like . The reason for this is that people have a tendency to type when they are finished editing a field. If you have occasion to insert a newline in an editable field, use `C-o' or `C-q C-j', Setting the option changes its value in the current Emacs session; "saving" the value changes it for future sessions as well. This works by writing code into your init file so as to set the option variable again each time you start Emacs. *Note Init File::. To save the option, invoke `[State]' and select the `Save for Future Sessions' operation. You can also restore the option to its standard value by invoking `[State]' and selecting the `Reset' operation. There are actually three reset operations: `Reset to Current' If you have made some modifications and not yet set the option, this restores the text in the customization buffer to match the actual value. `Reset to Saved' This restores the value of the option to the last saved value, and updates the text accordingly. `Reset to Standard Settings' This sets the option to its standard value, and updates the text accordingly. This also eliminates any saved value for the option, so that you will get the standard value in future Emacs sessions. The state of a group indicates whether anything in that group has been edited, set or saved. You can select `Set for Current Session', `Save for Future Sessions' and the various kinds of `Reset' operation for the group; these operations on the group apply to all options in the group and its subgroups. Near the top of the customization buffer there are two lines containing several active fields: [Set] [Save] [Reset] [Done] Invoking `[Done]' buries this customization buffer. Each of the other fields performs an operation--set, save or reset--on each of the items in the buffer that could meaningfully be set, saved or reset.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Face Customization, Next: Specific Customization, Prev: Changing an Option, Up: Easy Customization Customizing Faces ................. In addition to user options, some customization groups also include faces. When you show the contents of a group, both the user options and the faces in the group appear in the customization buffer. Here is an example of how a face looks: Custom Changed Face: (sample) [State]: this face is unchanged from its standard setting. Face used when the customize item has been changed. Parent groups: [Custom Magic Faces] Attributes: [ ] Bold: [Toggle] off (nil) [ ] Italic: [Toggle] off (nil) [ ] Underline: [Toggle] off (nil) [ ] Foreground: white (sample) [ ] Background: blue (sample) [ ] Inverse: [Toggle] off (nil) [ ] Stipple: [ ] Font Family: [ ] Size: [ ] Strikethru: off Each face attribute has its own line. The `[X]' field before the attribute name indicates whether the attribute is "enabled"; `X' means that it is. You can enable or disable the attribute by invoking that field. When the attribute is enabled, you can change the attribute value in the usual ways. *Note Faces::, for description of how `face-frob-from-locale-first' variable affects changing `Bold' and `Italic' attributes. Setting, saving and resetting a face work like the same operations for options (*note Changing an Option::). A face can specify different appearances for different types of display. For example, a face can make text red on a color display, but use a bold font on a monochrome display. To specify multiple appearances for a face, select `Show Display Types' in the menu you get from invoking `[State]'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Specific Customization, Prev: Face Customization, Up: Easy Customization Customizing Specific Items .......................... Instead of finding the options you want to change by moving down through the structure of groups, you can specify the particular option, face or group that you want to customize. `M-x customize-option OPTION ' Set up a customization buffer with just one option, OPTION. `M-x customize-face FACE ' Set up a customization buffer with just one face, FACE. `M-x customize-group GROUP ' Set up a customization buffer with just one group, GROUP. `M-x customize-apropos REGEXP ' Set up a customization buffer with all the options, faces and groups that match REGEXP. `M-x customize-saved' Set up a customization buffer containing all options and faces that you have saved with customization buffers. `M-x customize-customized' Set up a customization buffer containing all options and faces that you have customized but not saved. If you want to alter a particular user option variable with the customization buffer, and you know its name, you can use the command `M-x customize-option' and specify the option name. This sets up the customization buffer with just one option--the one that you asked for. Editing, setting and saving the value work as described above, but only for the specified option. Likewise, you can modify a specific face, chosen by name, using `M-x customize-face'. You can also set up the customization buffer with a specific group, using `M-x customize-group'. The immediate contents of the chosen group, including option variables, faces, and other groups, all appear as well. However, these subgroups' own contents start out hidden. You can show their contents in the usual way, by invoking `[Show]'. To control more precisely what to customize, you can use `M-x customize-apropos'. You specify a regular expression as argument; then all options, faces and groups whose names match this regular expression are set up in the customization buffer. If you specify an empty regular expression, this includes _all_ groups, options and faces in the customization buffer (but that takes a long time). If you change option values and then decide the change was a mistake, you can use two special commands to revisit your previous changes. Use `customize-saved' to look at the options and faces that you have saved. Use `M-x customize-customized' to look at the options and faces that you have set but not saved.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Edit Options, Next: Locals, Prev: Easy Customization, Up: Variables Editing Variable Values ----------------------- `M-x list-options' Display a buffer listing names, values, and documentation of all options. `M-x edit-options' Change option values by editing a list of options. `M-x list-options' displays a list of all Emacs option variables in an Emacs buffer named `*List Options*'. Each option is shown with its documentation and its current value. Here is what a portion of it might look like: ;; exec-path: ("." "/usr/local/bin" "/usr/ucb" "/bin" "/usr/bin" "/u2/emacs/etc") *List of directories to search programs to run in subprocesses. Each element is a string (directory name) or nil (try the default directory). ;; ;; fill-column: 75 *Column beyond which automatic line-wrapping should happen. Automatically becomes local when set in any fashion. ;; `M-x edit-options' goes one step further and immediately selects the `*List Options*' buffer; this buffer uses the major mode Options mode, which provides commands that allow you to point at an option and change its value: `s' Set the variable point is in or near to a new value read using the minibuffer. `x' Toggle the variable point is in or near: if the value was `nil', it becomes `t'; otherwise it becomes `nil'. `1' Set the variable point is in or near to `t'. `0' Set the variable point is in or near to `nil'. `n' `p' Move to the next or previous variable.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Locals, Next: File Variables, Prev: Edit Options, Up: Variables Local Variables --------------- `M-x make-local-variable' Make a variable have a local value in the current buffer. `M-x kill-local-variable' Make a variable use its global value in the current buffer. `M-x make-variable-buffer-local' Mark a variable so that setting it will make it local to the buffer that is current at that time. You can make any variable "local" to a specific Emacs buffer. This means that the variable's value in that buffer is independent of its value in other buffers. A few variables are always local in every buffer. All other Emacs variables have a "global" value which is in effect in all buffers that have not made the variable local. Major modes always make the variables they set local to the buffer. This is why changing major modes in one buffer has no effect on other buffers. `M-x make-local-variable' reads the name of a variable and makes it local to the current buffer. Further changes in this buffer will not affect others, and changes in the global value will not affect this buffer. `M-x make-variable-buffer-local' reads the name of a variable and changes the future behavior of the variable so that it automatically becomes local when it is set. More precisely, once you have marked a variable in this way, the usual ways of setting the variable will automatically invoke `make-local-variable' first. We call such variables "per-buffer" variables. Some important variables have been marked per-buffer already. They include `abbrev-mode', `auto-fill-function', `case-fold-search', `comment-column', `ctl-arrow', `fill-column', `fill-prefix', `indent-tabs-mode', `left-margin', `mode-line-format', `overwrite-mode', `selective-display-ellipses', `selective-display', `tab-width', and `truncate-lines'. Some other variables are always local in every buffer, but they are used for internal purposes. Note: the variable `auto-fill-function' was formerly named `auto-fill-hook'. If you want a variable to cease to be local to the current buffer, call `M-x kill-local-variable' and provide the name of a variable to the prompt. The global value of the variable is again in effect in this buffer. Setting the major mode kills all the local variables of the buffer. To set the global value of a variable, regardless of whether the variable has a local value in the current buffer, you can use the Lisp function `setq-default'. It works like `setq'. If there is a local value in the current buffer, the local value is not affected by `setq-default'; thus, the new global value may not be visible until you switch to another buffer, as in the case of: (setq-default fill-column 75) `setq-default' is the only way to set the global value of a variable that has been marked with `make-variable-buffer-local'. Programs can look at a variable's default value with `default-value'. This function takes a symbol as an argument and returns its default value. The argument is evaluated; usually you must quote it explicitly, as in the case of: (default-value 'fill-column)  File: xemacs.info, Node: File Variables, Prev: Locals, Up: Variables Local Variables in Files ------------------------ A file can contain a "local variables list", which specifies the values to use for certain Emacs variables when that file is edited. Visiting the file checks for a local variables list and makes each variable in the list local to the buffer in which the file is visited, with the value specified in the file. A local variables list goes near the end of the file, in the last page. (It is often best to put it on a page by itself.) The local variables list starts with a line containing the string `Local Variables:', and ends with a line containing the string `End:'. In between come the variable names and values, one set per line, as `VARIABLE: VALUE'. The VALUEs are not evaluated; they are used literally. The line which starts the local variables list does not have to say just `Local Variables:'. If there is other text before `Local Variables:', that text is called the "prefix", and if there is other text after, that is called the "suffix". If a prefix or suffix are present, each entry in the local variables list should have the prefix before it and the suffix after it. This includes the `End:' line. The prefix and suffix are included to disguise the local variables list as a comment so the compiler or text formatter will ignore it. If you do not need to disguise the local variables list as a comment in this way, there is no need to include a prefix or a suffix. Two "variable" names are special in a local variables list: a value for the variable `mode' sets the major mode, and a value for the variable `eval' is simply evaluated as an expression and the value is ignored. These are not real variables; setting them in any other context does not have the same effect. If `mode' is used in a local variables list, it should be the first entry in the list. Here is an example of a local variables list: ;;; Local Variables: *** ;;; mode:lisp *** ;;; comment-column:0 *** ;;; comment-start: ";;; " *** ;;; comment-end:"***" *** ;;; End: *** Note that the prefix is `;;; ' and the suffix is ` ***'. Note also that comments in the file begin with and end with the same strings. Presumably the file contains code in a language which is enough like Lisp for Lisp mode to be useful but in which comments start and end differently. The prefix and suffix are used in the local variables list to make the list look like several lines of comments when the compiler or interpreter for that language reads the file. The start of the local variables list must be no more than 3000 characters from the end of the file, and must be in the last page if the file is divided into pages. Otherwise, Emacs will not notice it is there. The purpose is twofold: a stray `Local Variables:' not in the last page does not confuse Emacs, and Emacs never needs to search a long file that contains no page markers and has no local variables list. You may be tempted to turn on Auto Fill mode with a local variable list. That is inappropriate. Whether you use Auto Fill mode or not is a matter of personal taste, not a matter of the contents of particular files. If you want to use Auto Fill, set up major mode hooks with your init file to turn it on (when appropriate) for you alone (*note Init File::). Don't try to use a local variable list that would impose your taste on everyone working with the file. XEmacs allows you to specify local variables in the first line of a file, in addition to specifying them in the `Local Variables' section at the end of a file. If the first line of a file contains two occurrences of ``-*-'', XEmacs uses the information between them to determine what the major mode and variable settings should be. For example, these are all legal: ;;; -*- mode: emacs-lisp -*- ;;; -*- mode: postscript; version-control: never -*- ;;; -*- tags-file-name: "/foo/bar/TAGS" -*- For historical reasons, the syntax ``-*- modename -*-'' is allowed as well; for example, you can use: ;;; -*- emacs-lisp -*- The variable `enable-local-variables' controls the use of local variables lists in files you visit. The value can be `t', `nil', or something else. A value of `t' means local variables lists are obeyed; `nil' means they are ignored; anything else means query. The command `M-x normal-mode' always obeys local variables lists and ignores this variable.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Keyboard Macros, Next: Key Bindings, Prev: Variables, Up: Customization Keyboard Macros =============== A "keyboard macro" is a command defined by the user to abbreviate a sequence of keys. For example, if you discover that you are about to type `C-n C-d' forty times, you can speed your work by defining a keyboard macro to invoke `C-n C-d' and calling it with a repeat count of forty. `C-x (' Start defining a keyboard macro (`start-kbd-macro'). `C-x )' End the definition of a keyboard macro (`end-kbd-macro'). `C-x e' Execute the most recent keyboard macro (`call-last-kbd-macro'). `C-u C-x (' Re-execute last keyboard macro, then add more keys to its definition. `C-x q' When this point is reached during macro execution, ask for confirmation (`kbd-macro-query'). `M-x name-last-kbd-macro' Give a command name (for the duration of the session) to the most recently defined keyboard macro. `M-x insert-kbd-macro' Insert in the buffer a keyboard macro's definition, as Lisp code. Keyboard macros differ from other Emacs commands in that they are written in the Emacs command language rather than in Lisp. This makes it easier for the novice to write them and makes them more convenient as temporary hacks. However, the Emacs command language is not powerful enough as a programming language to be useful for writing anything general or complex. For such things, Lisp must be used. You define a keyboard macro by executing the commands which are its definition. Put differently, as you are defining a keyboard macro, the definition is being executed for the first time. This way, you see what the effects of your commands are, and don't have to figure them out in your head. When you are finished, the keyboard macro is defined and also has been executed once. You can then execute the same set of commands again by invoking the macro. * Menu: * Basic Kbd Macro:: Defining and running keyboard macros. * Save Kbd Macro:: Giving keyboard macros names; saving them in files. * Kbd Macro Query:: Keyboard macros that do different things each use.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Basic Kbd Macro, Next: Save Kbd Macro, Up: Keyboard Macros Basic Use --------- To start defining a keyboard macro, type `C-x (' (`start-kbd-macro'). From then on, anything you type continues to be executed, but also becomes part of the definition of the macro. `Def' appears in the mode line to remind you of what is going on. When you are finished, the `C-x )' command (`end-kbd-macro') terminates the definition, without becoming part of it. For example, C-x ( M-f foo C-x ) defines a macro to move forward a word and then insert `foo'. You can give `C-x )' a repeat count as an argument, in which case it repeats the macro that many times right after defining it, but defining the macro counts as the first repetition (since it is executed as you define it). If you give `C-x )' an argument of 4, it executes the macro immediately 3 additional times. An argument of zero to `C-x e' or `C-x )' means repeat the macro indefinitely (until it gets an error or you type `C-g'). Once you have defined a macro, you can invoke it again with the `C-x e' command (`call-last-kbd-macro'). You can give the command a repeat count numeric argument to execute the macro many times. To repeat an operation at regularly spaced places in the text, define a macro and include as part of the macro the commands to move to the next place you want to use it. For example, if you want to change each line, you should position point at the start of a line, and define a macro to change that line and leave point at the start of the next line. Repeating the macro will then operate on successive lines. After you have terminated the definition of a keyboard macro, you can add to the end of its definition by typing `C-u C-x ('. This is equivalent to plain `C-x (' followed by retyping the whole definition so far. As a consequence it re-executes the macro as previously defined.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Save Kbd Macro, Next: Kbd Macro Query, Prev: Basic Kbd Macro, Up: Keyboard Macros Naming and Saving Keyboard Macros --------------------------------- To save a keyboard macro for longer than until you define the next one, you must give it a name using `M-x name-last-kbd-macro'. This reads a name as an argument using the minibuffer and defines that name to execute the macro. The macro name is a Lisp symbol, and defining it in this way makes it a valid command name for calling with `M-x' or for binding a key to with `global-set-key' (*note Keymaps::). If you specify a name that has a prior definition other than another keyboard macro, Emacs prints an error message and nothing is changed. Once a macro has a command name, you can save its definition in a file. You can then use it in another editing session. First visit the file you want to save the definition in. Then use the command: M-x insert-kbd-macro MACRONAME This inserts some Lisp code that, when executed later, will define the same macro with the same definition it has now. You need not understand Lisp code to do this, because `insert-kbd-macro' writes the Lisp code for you. Then save the file. You can load the file with `load-file' (*note Lisp Libraries::). If the file you save in is your initialization file (*note Init File::), then the macro will be defined each time you run Emacs. If you give `insert-kbd-macro' a prefix argument, it creates additional Lisp code to record the keys (if any) that you have bound to the keyboard macro, so that the macro is reassigned the same keys when you load the file.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Kbd Macro Query, Prev: Save Kbd Macro, Up: Keyboard Macros Executing Macros With Variations -------------------------------- You can use `C-x q' (`kbd-macro-query'), to get an effect similar to that of `query-replace'. The macro asks you each time whether to make a change. When you are defining the macro, type `C-x q' at the point where you want the query to occur. During macro definition, the `C-x q' does nothing, but when you invoke the macro, `C-x q' reads a character from the terminal to decide whether to continue. The special answers to a `C-x q' query are , , `C-d', `C-l', and `C-r'. Any other character terminates execution of the keyboard macro and is then read as a command. means to continue. means to skip the remainder of this repetition of the macro, starting again from the beginning in the next repetition. `C-d' means to skip the remainder of this repetition and cancel further repetition. `C-l' redraws the frame and asks you again for a character to specify what to do. `C-r' enters a recursive editing level, in which you can perform editing that is not part of the macro. When you exit the recursive edit using `C-M-c', you are asked again how to continue with the keyboard macro. If you type a at this time, the rest of the macro definition is executed. It is up to you to leave point and the text in a state such that the rest of the macro will do what you want. `C-u C-x q', which is `C-x q' with a numeric argument, performs a different function. It enters a recursive edit reading input from the keyboard, both when you type it during the definition of the macro and when it is executed from the macro. During definition, the editing you do inside the recursive edit does not become part of the macro. During macro execution, the recursive edit gives you a chance to do some particularized editing. *Note Recursive Edit::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Key Bindings, Next: Syntax, Prev: Keyboard Macros, Up: Customization Customizing Key Bindings ======================== This section deals with the "keymaps" that define the bindings between keys and functions, and shows how you can customize these bindings. A command is a Lisp function whose definition provides for interactive use. Like every Lisp function, a command has a function name, which is a Lisp symbol whose name usually consists of lower case letters and hyphens. * Menu: * Keymaps:: Definition of the keymap data structure. Names of Emacs's standard keymaps. * Rebinding:: How to redefine one key's meaning conveniently. * Disabling:: Disabling a command means confirmation is required before it can be executed. This is done to protect beginners from surprises.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Keymaps, Next: Rebinding, Up: Key Bindings Keymaps ------- The bindings between characters and command functions are recorded in data structures called "keymaps". Emacs has many of these. One, the "global" keymap, defines the meanings of the single-character keys that are defined regardless of major mode. It is the value of the variable `global-map'. Each major mode has another keymap, its "local keymap", which contains overriding definitions for the single-character keys that are redefined in that mode. Each buffer records which local keymap is installed for it at any time, and the current buffer's local keymap is the only one that directly affects command execution. The local keymaps for Lisp mode, C mode, and many other major modes always exist even when not in use. They are the values of the variables `lisp-mode-map', `c-mode-map', and so on. For less frequently used major modes, the local keymap is sometimes constructed only when the mode is used for the first time in a session, to save space. There are local keymaps for the minibuffer, too; they contain various completion and exit commands. * `minibuffer-local-map' is used for ordinary input (no completion). * `minibuffer-local-ns-map' is similar, except that exits just like . This is used mainly for Mocklisp compatibility. * `minibuffer-local-completion-map' is for permissive completion. * `minibuffer-local-must-match-map' is for strict completion and for cautious completion. * `repeat-complex-command-map' is for use in `C-x '. * `isearch-mode-map' contains the bindings of the special keys which are bound in the pseudo-mode entered with `C-s' and `C-r'. Finally, each prefix key has a keymap which defines the key sequences that start with it. For example, `ctl-x-map' is the keymap used for characters following a `C-x'. * `ctl-x-map' is the variable name for the map used for characters that follow `C-x'. * `help-map' is used for characters that follow `C-h'. * `esc-map' is for characters that follow . All Meta characters are actually defined by this map. * `ctl-x-4-map' is for characters that follow `C-x 4'. * `mode-specific-map' is for characters that follow `C-c'. The definition of a prefix key is the keymap to use for looking up the following character. Sometimes the definition is actually a Lisp symbol whose function definition is the following character keymap. The effect is the same, but it provides a command name for the prefix key that you can use as a description of what the prefix key is for. Thus the binding of `C-x' is the symbol `Ctl-X-Prefix', whose function definition is the keymap for `C-x' commands, the value of `ctl-x-map'. Prefix key definitions can appear in either the global map or a local map. The definitions of `C-c', `C-x', `C-h', and as prefix keys appear in the global map, so these prefix keys are always available. Major modes can locally redefine a key as a prefix by putting a prefix key definition for it in the local map. A mode can also put a prefix definition of a global prefix character such as `C-x' into its local map. This is how major modes override the definitions of certain keys that start with `C-x'. This case is special, because the local definition does not entirely replace the global one. When both the global and local definitions of a key are other keymaps, the next character is looked up in both keymaps, with the local definition overriding the global one. The character after the `C-x' is looked up in both the major mode's own keymap for redefined `C-x' commands and in `ctl-x-map'. If the major mode's own keymap for `C-x' commands contains `nil', the definition from the global keymap for `C-x' commands is used.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Rebinding, Next: Disabling, Prev: Keymaps, Up: Key Bindings Changing Key Bindings --------------------- You can redefine an Emacs key by changing its entry in a keymap. You can change the global keymap, in which case the change is effective in all major modes except those that have their own overriding local definitions for the same key. Or you can change the current buffer's local map, which affects all buffers using the same major mode. * Menu: * Interactive Rebinding:: Changing Key Bindings Interactively * Programmatic Rebinding:: Changing Key Bindings Programmatically * Key Bindings Using Strings:: Using Strings for Changing Key Bindings  File: xemacs.info, Node: Interactive Rebinding, Next: Programmatic Rebinding, Up: Rebinding Changing Key Bindings Interactively ................................... `M-x global-set-key KEY CMD ' Defines KEY globally to run CMD. `M-x local-set-key KEYS CMD ' Defines KEY locally (in the major mode now in effect) to run CMD. `M-x local-unset-key KEYS ' Removes the local binding of KEY. CMD is a symbol naming an interactively-callable function. When called interactively, KEY is the next complete key sequence that you type. When called as a function, KEY is a string, a vector of events, or a vector of key-description lists as described in the `define-key' function description. The binding goes in the current buffer's local map, which is shared with other buffers in the same major mode. The following example: M-x global-set-key C-f next-line redefines `C-f' to move down a line. The fact that CMD is read second makes it serve as a kind of confirmation for KEY. These functions offer no way to specify a particular prefix keymap as the one to redefine in, but that is not necessary, as you can include prefixes in KEY. KEY is read by reading characters one by one until they amount to a complete key (that is, not a prefix key). Thus, if you type `C-f' for KEY, Emacs enters the minibuffer immediately to read CMD. But if you type `C-x', another character is read; if that character is `4', another character is read, and so on. For example, M-x global-set-key C-x 4 $ spell-other-window redefines `C-x 4 $' to run the (fictitious) command `spell-other-window'. The most general way to modify a keymap is the function `define-key', used in Lisp code (such as your init file). `define-key' takes three arguments: the keymap, the key to modify in it, and the new definition. *Note Init File::, for an example. `substitute-key-definition' is used similarly; it takes three arguments, an old definition, a new definition, and a keymap, and redefines in that keymap all keys that were previously defined with the old definition to have the new definition instead.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Programmatic Rebinding, Next: Key Bindings Using Strings, Prev: Interactive Rebinding, Up: Rebinding Changing Key Bindings Programmatically ...................................... You can use the functions `global-set-key' and `define-key' to rebind keys under program control. ``(global-set-key KEYS CMD)'' Defines KEYS globally to run CMD. ``(define-key KEYMAP KEYS DEF)'' Defines KEYS to run DEF in the keymap KEYMAP. KEYMAP is a keymap object. KEYS is the sequence of keystrokes to bind. DEF is anything that can be a key's definition: * `nil', meaning key is undefined in this keymap * A command, that is, a Lisp function suitable for interactive calling * A string or key sequence vector, which is treated as a keyboard macro * A keymap to define a prefix key * A symbol so that when the key is looked up, the symbol stands for its function definition, which should at that time be one of the above, or another symbol whose function definition is used, and so on * A cons, `(string . defn)', meaning that DEFN is the definition (DEFN should be a valid definition in its own right) * A cons, `(keymap . char)', meaning use the definition of CHAR in map KEYMAP For backward compatibility, XEmacs allows you to specify key sequences as strings. However, the preferred method is to use the representations of key sequences as vectors of keystrokes. *Note Keystrokes::, for more information about the rules for constructing key sequences. Emacs allows you to abbreviate representations for key sequences in most places where there is no ambiguity. Here are some rules for abbreviation: * The keysym by itself is equivalent to a list of just that keysym, i.e., `f1' is equivalent to `(f1)'. * A keystroke by itself is equivalent to a vector containing just that keystroke, i.e., `(control a)' is equivalent to `[(control a)]'. * You can use ASCII codes for keysyms that have them. i.e., `65' is equivalent to `A'. (This is not so much an abbreviation as an alternate representation.) Here are some examples of programmatically binding keys: ;;; Bind `my-command' to (global-set-key 'f1 'my-command) ;;; Bind `my-command' to Shift-f1 (global-set-key '(shift f1) 'my-command) ;;; Bind `my-command' to C-c Shift-f1 (global-set-key '[(control c) (shift f1)] 'my-command) ;;; Bind `my-command' to the middle mouse button. (global-set-key 'button2 'my-command) ;;; Bind `my-command' to ;;; in the keymap that is in force when you are running `dired'. (define-key dired-mode-map '(meta control button3) 'my-command)  File: xemacs.info, Node: Key Bindings Using Strings, Prev: Programmatic Rebinding, Up: Rebinding Using Strings for Changing Key Bindings ....................................... For backward compatibility, you can still use strings to represent key sequences. Thus you can use commands like the following: ;;; Bind `end-of-line' to C-f (global-set-key "\C-f" 'end-of-line) Note, however, that in some cases you may be binding more than one key sequence by using a single command. This situation can arise because in ASCII, `C-i' and have the same representation. Therefore, when Emacs sees: (global-set-key "\C-i" 'end-of-line) it is unclear whether the user intended to bind `C-i' or . The solution XEmacs adopts is to bind both of these key sequences. After binding a command to two key sequences with a form like: (define-key global-map "\^X\^I" 'command-1) it is possible to redefine only one of those sequences like so: (define-key global-map [(control x) (control i)] 'command-2) (define-key global-map [(control x) tab] 'command-3) This applies only when running under a window system. If you are talking to Emacs through an ASCII-only channel, you do not get any of these features. Here is a table of pairs of key sequences that behave in a similar fashion: control h backspace control l clear control i tab control m return control j linefeed control [ escape control @ control space  File: xemacs.info, Node: Disabling, Prev: Rebinding, Up: Key Bindings Disabling Commands ------------------ Disabling a command marks it as requiring confirmation before it can be executed. The purpose of disabling a command is to prevent beginning users from executing it by accident and being confused. The direct mechanism for disabling a command is to have a non-`nil' `disabled' property on the Lisp symbol for the command. These properties are normally set by the user's init file with Lisp expressions such as: (put 'delete-region 'disabled t) *Note Init File::. If the value of the `disabled' property is a string, that string is included in the message printed when the command is used: (put 'delete-region 'disabled "Text deleted this way cannot be yanked back!\n") You can disable a command either by editing the init file directly or with the command `M-x disable-command', which edits the init file for you. *Note Init File::. When you attempt to invoke a disabled command interactively in Emacs, a window is displayed containing the command's name, its documentation, and some instructions on what to do next; then Emacs asks for input saying whether to execute the command as requested, enable it and execute, or cancel it. If you decide to enable the command, you are asked whether to do this permanently or just for the current session. Enabling permanently works by automatically editing your init file. You can use `M-x enable-command' at any time to enable any command permanently. Whether a command is disabled is independent of what key is used to invoke it; it also applies if the command is invoked using `M-x'. Disabling a command has no effect on calling it as a function from Lisp programs.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Syntax, Next: Init File, Prev: Key Bindings, Up: Customization The Syntax Table ================ All the Emacs commands which parse words or balance parentheses are controlled by the "syntax table". The syntax table specifies which characters are opening delimiters, which are parts of words, which are string quotes, and so on. Actually, each major mode has its own syntax table (though sometimes related major modes use the same one) which it installs in each buffer that uses that major mode. The syntax table installed in the current buffer is the one that all commands use, so we call it "the" syntax table. A syntax table is a Lisp object, a vector of length 256 whose elements are numbers. * Menu: * Entry: Syntax Entry. What the syntax table records for each character. * Change: Syntax Change. How to change the information.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Syntax Entry, Next: Syntax Change, Up: Syntax Information About Each Character -------------------------------- The syntax table entry for a character is a number that encodes six pieces of information: * The syntactic class of the character, represented as a small integer * The matching delimiter, for delimiter characters only (the matching delimiter of `(' is `)', and vice versa) * A flag saying whether the character is the first character of a two-character comment starting sequence * A flag saying whether the character is the second character of a two-character comment starting sequence * A flag saying whether the character is the first character of a two-character comment ending sequence * A flag saying whether the character is the second character of a two-character comment ending sequence The syntactic classes are stored internally as small integers, but are usually described to or by the user with characters. For example, `(' is used to specify the syntactic class of opening delimiters. Here is a table of syntactic classes, with the characters that specify them. `-' The class of whitespace characters. Please don't use the formerly advertised , which is not supported by GNU Emacs. `w' The class of word-constituent characters. `_' The class of characters that are part of symbol names but not words. This class is represented by `_' because the character `_' has this class in both C and Lisp. `.' The class of punctuation characters that do not fit into any other special class. `(' The class of opening delimiters. `)' The class of closing delimiters. `'' The class of expression-adhering characters. These characters are part of a symbol if found within or adjacent to one, and are part of a following expression if immediately preceding one, but are like whitespace if surrounded by whitespace. `"' The class of string-quote characters. They match each other in pairs, and the characters within the pair all lose their syntactic significance except for the `\' and `/' classes of escape characters, which can be used to include a string-quote inside the string. `$' The class of self-matching delimiters. This is intended for TeX's `$', which is used both to enter and leave math mode. Thus, a pair of matching `$' characters surround each piece of math mode TeX input. A pair of adjacent `$' characters act like a single one for purposes of matching. `/' The class of escape characters that always just deny the following character its special syntactic significance. The character after one of these escapes is always treated as alphabetic. `\' The class of C-style escape characters. In practice, these are treated just like `/'-class characters, because the extra possibilities for C escapes (such as being followed by digits) have no effect on where the containing expression ends. `<' The class of comment-starting characters. Only single-character comment starters (such as `;' in Lisp mode) are represented this way. `>' The class of comment-ending characters. Newline has this syntax in Lisp mode. The characters flagged as part of two-character comment delimiters can have other syntactic functions most of the time. For example, `/' and `*' in C code, when found separately, have nothing to do with comments. The comment-delimiter significance overrides when the pair of characters occur together in the proper order. Only the list and sexp commands use the syntax table to find comments; the commands specifically for comments have other variables that tell them where to find comments. Moreover, the list and sexp commands notice comments only if `parse-sexp-ignore-comments' is non-`nil'. This variable is set to `nil' in modes where comment-terminator sequences are liable to appear where there is no comment, for example, in Lisp mode where the comment terminator is a newline but not every newline ends a comment.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Syntax Change, Prev: Syntax Entry, Up: Syntax Altering Syntax Information --------------------------- It is possible to alter a character's syntax table entry by storing a new number in the appropriate element of the syntax table, but it would be hard to determine what number to use. Emacs therefore provides a command that allows you to specify the syntactic properties of a character in a convenient way. `M-x modify-syntax-entry' is the command to change a character's syntax. It can be used interactively and is also used by major modes to initialize their own syntax tables. Its first argument is the character to change. The second argument is a string that specifies the new syntax. When called from Lisp code, there is a third, optional argument, which specifies the syntax table in which to make the change. If not supplied, or if this command is called interactively, the third argument defaults to the current buffer's syntax table. 1. The first character in the string specifies the syntactic class. It is one of the characters in the previous table (*note Syntax Entry::). 2. The second character is the matching delimiter. For a character that is not an opening or closing delimiter, this should be a space, and may be omitted if no following characters are needed. 3. The remaining characters are flags. The flag characters allowed are: `1' Flag this character as the first of a two-character comment starting sequence. `2' Flag this character as the second of a two-character comment starting sequence. `3' Flag this character as the first of a two-character comment ending sequence. `4' Flag this character as the second of a two-character comment ending sequence. Use `C-h s' (`describe-syntax') to display a description of the contents of the current syntax table. The description of each character includes both the string you have to pass to `modify-syntax-entry' to set up that character's current syntax, and some English to explain that string if necessary.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Init File, Next: Audible Bell, Prev: Syntax, Up: Customization The Init File ============= When you start Emacs, it normally loads either `.xemacs/init.el' or the file `.emacs' (whichever comes first) in your home directory. This file, if it exists, should contain Lisp code. It is called your initialization file or "init file". Use the command line switch `-q' to tell Emacs whether to load an init file (*note Entering Emacs::). Use the command line switch `-user-init-file' (*note Command Switches::) to tell Emacs to load a different file instead of `~/.xemacs/init.el'/`~/.emacs'. When the init file is read, the variable `user-init-file' says which init file was loaded. At some sites there is a "default init file", which is the library named `default.el', found via the standard search path for libraries. The Emacs distribution contains no such library; your site may create one for local customizations. If this library exists, it is loaded whenever you start Emacs. But your init file, if any, is loaded first; if it sets `inhibit-default-init' non-`nil', then `default' is not loaded. If you have a large amount of code in your init file, you should byte-compile it to `~/.xemacs/init.elc' or `~/.emacs.elc'. * Menu: * Init Syntax:: Syntax of constants in Emacs Lisp. * Init Examples:: How to do some things with an init file. * Terminal Init:: Each terminal type can have an init file.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Init Syntax, Next: Init Examples, Up: Init File Init File Syntax ---------------- The init file contains one or more Lisp function call expressions. Each consists of a function name followed by arguments, all surrounded by parentheses. For example, `(setq fill-column 60)' represents a call to the function `setq' which is used to set the variable `fill-column' (*note Filling::) to 60. The second argument to `setq' is an expression for the new value of the variable. This can be a constant, a variable, or a function call expression. In the init file, constants are used most of the time. They can be: Numbers Integers are written in decimal, with an optional initial minus sign. If a sequence of digits is followed by a period and another sequence of digits, it is interpreted as a floating point number. The number prefixes `#b', `#o', and `#x' are supported to represent numbers in binary, octal, and hexadecimal notation (or radix). Strings Lisp string syntax is the same as C string syntax with a few extra features. Use a double-quote character to begin and end a string constant. Newlines and special characters may be present literally in strings. They can also be represented as backslash sequences: `\n' for newline, `\b' for backspace, `\r' for return, `\t' for tab, `\f' for formfeed (control-l), `\e' for escape, `\\' for a backslash, `\"' for a double-quote, or `\OOO' for the character whose octal code is OOO. Backslash and double-quote are the only characters for which backslash sequences are mandatory. You can use `\C-' as a prefix for a control character, as in `\C-s' for ASCII Control-S, and `\M-' as a prefix for a Meta character, as in `\M-a' for Meta-A or `\M-\C-a' for Control-Meta-A. Characters Lisp character constant syntax consists of a `?' followed by either a character or an escape sequence starting with `\'. Examples: `?x', `?\n', `?\"', `?\)'. Note that strings and characters are not interchangeable in Lisp; some contexts require one and some contexts require the other. True `t' stands for `true'. False `nil' stands for `false'. Other Lisp objects Write a single-quote (') followed by the Lisp object you want.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Init Examples, Next: Terminal Init, Prev: Init Syntax, Up: Init File Init File Examples ------------------ Here are some examples of doing certain commonly desired things with Lisp expressions: * Make in C mode just insert a tab if point is in the middle of a line. (setq c-tab-always-indent nil) Here we have a variable whose value is normally `t' for `true' and the alternative is `nil' for `false'. * Make searches case sensitive by default (in all buffers that do not override this). (setq-default case-fold-search nil) This sets the default value, which is effective in all buffers that do not have local values for the variable. Setting `case-fold-search' with `setq' affects only the current buffer's local value, which is probably not what you want to do in an init file. * Make Text mode the default mode for new buffers. (setq default-major-mode 'text-mode) Note that `text-mode' is used because it is the command for entering the mode we want. A single-quote is written before it to make a symbol constant; otherwise, `text-mode' would be treated as a variable name. * Turn on Auto Fill mode automatically in Text mode and related modes. (setq text-mode-hook '(lambda () (auto-fill-mode 1))) Here we have a variable whose value should be a Lisp function. The function we supply is a list starting with `lambda', and a single quote is written in front of it to make it (for the purpose of this `setq') a list constant rather than an expression. Lisp functions are not explained here; for mode hooks it is enough to know that `(auto-fill-mode 1)' is an expression that will be executed when Text mode is entered. You could replace it with any other expression that you like, or with several expressions in a row. (setq text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill) This is another way to accomplish the same result. `turn-on-auto-fill' is a symbol whose function definition is `(lambda () (auto-fill-mode 1))'. * Load the installed Lisp library named `foo' (actually a file `foo.elc' or `foo.el' in a standard Emacs directory). (load "foo") When the argument to `load' is a relative pathname, not starting with `/' or `~', `load' searches the directories in `load-path' (*note Loading::). * Load the compiled Lisp file `foo.elc' from your home directory. (load "~/foo.elc") Here an absolute file name is used, so no searching is done. * Rebind the key `C-x l' to run the function `make-symbolic-link'. (global-set-key "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link) or (define-key global-map "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link) Note once again the single-quote used to refer to the symbol `make-symbolic-link' instead of its value as a variable. * Do the same thing for C mode only. (define-key c-mode-map "\C-xl" 'make-symbolic-link) * Bind the function key to a command in C mode. Note that the names of function keys must be lower case. (define-key c-mode-map 'f1 'make-symbolic-link) * Bind the shifted version of to a command. (define-key c-mode-map '(shift f1) 'make-symbolic-link) * Redefine all keys which now run `next-line' in Fundamental mode to run `forward-line' instead. (substitute-key-definition 'next-line 'forward-line global-map) * Make `C-x C-v' undefined. (global-unset-key "\C-x\C-v") One reason to undefine a key is so that you can make it a prefix. Simply defining `C-x C-v ANYTHING' would make `C-x C-v' a prefix, but `C-x C-v' must be freed of any non-prefix definition first. * Make `$' have the syntax of punctuation in Text mode. Note the use of a character constant for `$'. (modify-syntax-entry ?\$ "." text-mode-syntax-table) * Enable the use of the command `eval-expression' without confirmation. (put 'eval-expression 'disabled nil)  File: xemacs.info, Node: Terminal Init, Prev: Init Examples, Up: Init File Terminal-Specific Initialization -------------------------------- Each terminal type can have a Lisp library to be loaded into Emacs when it is run on that type of terminal. For a terminal type named TERMTYPE, the library is called `term/TERMTYPE' and it is found by searching the directories `load-path' as usual and trying the suffixes `.elc' and `.el'. Normally it appears in the subdirectory `term' of the directory where most Emacs libraries are kept. The usual purpose of the terminal-specific library is to define the escape sequences used by the terminal's function keys using the library `keypad.el'. See the file `term/vt100.el' for an example of how this is done. When the terminal type contains a hyphen, only the part of the name before the first hyphen is significant in choosing the library name. Thus, terminal types `aaa-48' and `aaa-30-rv' both use the library `term/aaa'. The code in the library can use `(getenv "TERM")' to find the full terminal type name. The library's name is constructed by concatenating the value of the variable `term-file-prefix' and the terminal type. Your init file can prevent the loading of the terminal-specific library by setting `term-file-prefix' to `nil'. *Note Init File::. The value of the variable `term-setup-hook', if not `nil', is called as a function of no arguments at the end of Emacs initialization, after both your init file and any terminal-specific library have been read. *Note Init File::. You can set the value in the init file to override part of any of the terminal-specific libraries and to define initializations for terminals that do not have a library.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Audible Bell, Next: Faces, Prev: Init File, Up: Customization Changing the Bell Sound ======================= You can now change how the audible bell sounds using the variable `sound-alist'. `sound-alist''s value is an list associating symbols with, among other things, strings of audio-data. When `ding' is called with one of the symbols, the associated sound data is played instead of the standard beep. This only works if you are logged in on the console of a machine with audio hardware. To listen to a sound of the provided type, call the function `play-sound' with the argument SOUND. You can also set the volume of the sound with the optional argument VOLUME. Each element of `sound-alist' is a list describing a sound. The first element of the list is the name of the sound being defined. Subsequent elements of the list are alternating keyword/value pairs: `sound' A string of raw sound data, or the name of another sound to play. The symbol `t' here means use the default X beep. `volume' An integer from 0-100, defaulting to `bell-volume'. `pitch' If using the default X beep, the pitch (Hz) to generate. `duration' If using the default X beep, the duration (milliseconds). For compatibility, elements of `sound-alist' may also be of the form: ( SOUND-NAME . ) ( SOUND-NAME ) You should probably add things to this list by calling the function `load-sound-file'. Note that you can only play audio data if running on the console screen of a machine with audio hardware which emacs understands, which at this time means a Sun SparcStation, SGI, or HP9000s700. Also note that the pitch, duration, and volume options are available everywhere, but most X servers ignore the `pitch' option. The variable `bell-volume' should be an integer from 0 to 100, with 100 being loudest, which controls how loud the sounds emacs makes should be. Elements of the `sound-alist' may override this value. This variable applies to the standard X bell sound as well as sound files. If the symbol `t' is in place of a sound-string, Emacs uses the default X beep. This allows you to define beep-types of different volumes even when not running on the console. You can add things to this list by calling the function `load-sound-file', which reads in an audio-file and adds its data to the sound-alist. You can specify the sound with the SOUND-NAME argument and the file into which the sounds are loaded with the FILENAME argument. The optional VOLUME argument sets the volume. `load-sound-file (FILENAME SOUND-NAME &optional VOLUME)' To load and install some sound files as beep-types, use the function `load-default-sounds' (note that this only works if you are on display 0 of a machine with audio hardware). The following beep-types are used by Emacs itself. Other Lisp packages may use other beep types, but these are the ones that the C kernel of Emacs uses. `auto-save-error' An auto-save does not succeed `command-error' The Emacs command loop catches an error `undefined-key' You type a key that is undefined `undefined-click' You use an undefined mouse-click combination `no-completion' Completion was not possible `y-or-n-p' You type something other than the required `y' or `n' `yes-or-no-p' You type something other than `yes' or `no'  File: xemacs.info, Node: Faces, Next: Frame Components, Prev: Audible Bell, Up: Customization Faces ===== XEmacs has objects called extents and faces. An "extent" is a region of text and a "face" is a collection of textual attributes, such as fonts and colors. Every extent is displayed in some face; therefore, changing the properties of a face immediately updates the display of all associated extents. Faces can be frame-local: you can have a region of text that displays with completely different attributes when its buffer is viewed from a different X window. The display attributes of faces may be specified either in Lisp or through the X resource manager. Customizing Faces ----------------- You can change the face of an extent with the functions in this section. All the functions prompt for a FACE as an argument; use completion for a list of possible values. `M-x invert-face' Swap the foreground and background colors of the given FACE. `M-x make-face-bold' Make the font of the given FACE bold. When called from a program, returns `nil' if this is not possible. `M-x make-face-bold-italic' Make the font of the given FACE bold italic. When called from a program, returns `nil' if not possible. `M-x make-face-italic' Make the font of the given FACE italic. When called from a program, returns `nil' if not possible. `M-x make-face-unbold' Make the font of the given FACE non-bold. When called from a program, returns `nil' if not possible. `M-x make-face-unitalic' Make the font of the given FACE non-italic. When called from a program, returns `nil' if not possible. `M-x make-face-larger' Make the font of the given FACE a little larger. When called from a program, returns `nil' if not possible. `M-x make-face-smaller' Make the font of the given FACE a little smaller. When called from a program, returns `nil' if not possible. `M-x set-face-background' Change the background color of the given FACE. `M-x set-face-background-pixmap' Change the background pixmap of the given FACE. `M-x set-face-font' Change the font of the given FACE. `M-x set-face-foreground' Change the foreground color of the given FACE. `M-x set-face-underline-p' Change whether the given FACE is underlined. You can exchange the foreground and background color of the selected FACE with the function `invert-face'. If the face does not specify both foreground and background, then its foreground and background are set to the background and foreground of the default face. When calling this from a program, you can supply the optional argument FRAME to specify which frame is affected; otherwise, all frames are affected. The work of `make-face-bold', `make-face-bold-italic', `make-face-italic', `make-face-unbold', `make-face-unitalic' functions is affected by `face-frob-from-locale-first' variable. If it is `nil', those functions first try to manipulate device specific data like X font names to obtain the desired font face specification. This may be unsuitable in environments using different font face specifications for different frames, non-Mule environments in particular. If the variable is non-`nil', those functions first try to figure out whether the face font is the same as one of predefined faces: `default', `bold', `italic', `bold-italic'. If it is the same, then the new face font specification is set to be the same as that of a corresponding predefined face. Thus if the predefined face is set up properly for different frames, the same will hold for the face being changed by the functions. This is the behavior one might desire in non-Mule environments mentioned above: face being changed still looks right in all frames. How predefined faces might be set up for different frames in such an environments is described in *Note Face Resources::. You can set the background color of the specified FACE with the function `set-face-background'. The argument `color' should be a string, the name of a color. When called from a program, if the optional FRAME argument is provided, the face is changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is changed in all frames. You can set the background pixmap of the specified FACE with the function `set-face-background-pixmap'. The pixmap argument NAME should be a string, the name of a file of pixmap data. The directories listed in the `x-bitmap-file-path' variable are searched. The bitmap may also be a list of the form `(WIDTH HEIGHT DATA)', where WIDTH and HEIGHT are the size in pixels, and DATA is a string containing the raw bits of the bitmap. If the optional FRAME argument is provided, the face is changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is changed in all frames. The variable `x-bitmap-file-path' takes as a value a list of the directories in which X bitmap files may be found. If the value is `nil', the list is initialized from the `*bitmapFilePath' resource. If the environment variable XBMLANGPATH is set, then it is consulted before the `x-bitmap-file-path' variable. You can set the font of the specified FACE with the function `set-face-font'. The FONT argument should be a string, the name of a font. When called from a program, if the optional FRAME argument is provided, the face is changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is changed in all frames. You can set the foreground color of the specified FACE with the function `set-face-foreground'. The argument COLOR should be a string, the name of a color. If the optional FRAME argument is provided, the face is changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is changed in all frames. You can set underline the specified FACE with the function `set-face-underline-p'. The argument UNDERLINE-P can be used to make underlining an attribute of the face or not. If the optional FRAME argument is provided, the face is changed only in that frame; otherwise, it is changed in all frames.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Frame Components, Next: X Resources, Prev: Faces, Up: Customization Frame Components ================ You can control the presence and position of most frame components, such as the menubar, toolbars, and gutters. This section is not written yet. Try the Lisp Reference Manual: *Note Menubar: (lispref)Menubar, *Note Toolbar Intro: (lispref)Toolbar Intro, and *Note Gutter Intro: (lispref)Gutter Intro.  File: xemacs.info, Node: X Resources, Prev: Frame Components, Up: Customization X Resources =========== Historically, XEmacs has used the X resource application class `Emacs' for its resources. Unfortunately, GNU Emacs uses the same application class, and resources are not compatible between the two Emacsen. This sharing of the application class often leads to trouble if you want to run both variants. Starting with XEmacs 21, XEmacs uses the class `XEmacs' if it finds any XEmacs resources in the resource database when the X connection is initialized. Otherwise, it will use the class `Emacs' for backwards compatibility. The variable `x-emacs-application-class' may be consulted to determine the application class being used. The examples in this section assume the application class is `Emacs'. The Emacs resources are generally set per-frame. Each Emacs frame can have its own name or the same name as another, depending on the name passed to the `make-frame' function. You can specify resources for all frames with the syntax: Emacs*parameter: value or Emacs*EmacsFrame.parameter:value You can specify resources for a particular frame with the syntax: Emacs*FRAME-NAME.parameter: value * Menu: * Geometry Resources:: Controlling the size and position of frames. * Iconic Resources:: Controlling whether frames come up iconic. * Resource List:: List of resources settable on a frame or device. * Face Resources:: Controlling faces using resources. * Widgets:: The widget hierarchy for XEmacs. * Menubar Resources:: Specifying resources for the menubar.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Geometry Resources, Next: Iconic Resources, Up: X Resources Geometry Resources ------------------ To make the default size of all Emacs frames be 80 columns by 55 lines, do this: Emacs*EmacsFrame.geometry: 80x55 To set the geometry of a particular frame named `fred', do this: Emacs*fred.geometry: 80x55 Important! Do not use the following syntax: Emacs*geometry: 80x55 You should never use `*geometry' with any X application. It does not say "make the geometry of Emacs be 80 columns by 55 lines." It really says, "make Emacs and all subwindows thereof be 80x55 in whatever units they care to measure in." In particular, that is both telling the Emacs text pane to be 80x55 in characters, and telling the menubar pane to be 80x55 pixels, which is surely not what you want. As a special case, this geometry specification also works (and sets the default size of all Emacs frames to 80 columns by 55 lines): Emacs.geometry: 80x55 since that is the syntax used with most other applications (since most other applications have only one top-level window, unlike Emacs). In general, however, the top-level shell (the unmapped ApplicationShell widget named `Emacs' that is the parent of the shell widgets that actually manage the individual frames) does not have any interesting resources on it, and you should set the resources on the frames instead. The `-geometry' command-line argument sets only the geometry of the initial frame created by Emacs. A more complete explanation of geometry-handling is * The `-geometry' command-line option sets the `Emacs.geometry' resource, that is, the geometry of the ApplicationShell. * For the first frame created, the size of the frame is taken from the ApplicationShell if it is specified, otherwise from the geometry of the frame. * For subsequent frames, the order is reversed: First the frame, and then the ApplicationShell. * For the first frame created, the position of the frame is taken from the ApplicationShell (`Emacs.geometry') if it is specified, otherwise from the geometry of the frame. * For subsequent frames, the position is taken only from the frame, and never from the ApplicationShell. This is rather complicated, but it does seem to provide the most intuitive behavior with respect to the default sizes and positions of frames created in various ways.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Iconic Resources, Next: Resource List, Prev: Geometry Resources, Up: X Resources Iconic Resources ---------------- Analogous to `-geometry', the `-iconic' command-line option sets the iconic flag of the ApplicationShell (`Emacs.iconic') and always applies to the first frame created regardless of its name. However, it is possible to set the iconic flag on particular frames (by name) by using the `Emacs*FRAME-NAME.iconic' resource.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Resource List, Next: Face Resources, Prev: Iconic Resources, Up: X Resources Resource List ------------- Emacs frames accept the following resources: `geometry' (class `Geometry'): string Initial geometry for the frame. *Note Geometry Resources::, for a complete discussion of how this works. `iconic' (class `Iconic'): boolean Whether this frame should appear in the iconified state. `internalBorderWidth' (class `InternalBorderWidth'): int How many blank pixels to leave between the text and the edge of the window. `interline' (class `Interline'): int How many pixels to leave between each line (may not be implemented). `menubar' (class `Menubar'): boolean Whether newly-created frames should initially have a menubar. Set to true by default. `initiallyUnmapped' (class `InitiallyUnmapped'): boolean Whether XEmacs should leave the initial frame unmapped when it starts up. This is useful if you are starting XEmacs as a server (e.g. in conjunction with gnuserv or the external client widget). You can also control this with the `-unmapped' command-line option. `barCursor' (class `BarColor'): boolean Whether the cursor should be displayed as a bar, or the traditional box. `cursorColor' (class `CursorColor'): color-name The color of the text cursor. `scrollBarWidth' (class `ScrollBarWidth'): integer How wide the vertical scrollbars should be, in pixels; 0 means no vertical scrollbars. You can also use a resource specification of the form `*scrollbar.width', or the usual toolkit scrollbar resources: `*XmScrollBar.width' (Motif), `*XlwScrollBar.width' (Lucid), or `*Scrollbar.thickness' (Athena). We don't recommend that you use the toolkit resources, though, because they're dependent on how exactly your particular build of XEmacs was configured. `scrollBarHeight' (class `ScrollBarHeight'): integer How high the horizontal scrollbars should be, in pixels; 0 means no horizontal scrollbars. You can also use a resource specification of the form `*scrollbar.height', or the usual toolkit scrollbar resources: `*XmScrollBar.height' (Motif), `*XlwScrollBar.height' (Lucid), or `*Scrollbar.thickness' (Athena). We don't recommend that you use the toolkit resources, though, because they're dependent on how exactly your particular build of XEmacs was configured. `scrollBarPlacement' (class `ScrollBarPlacement'): string Where the horizontal and vertical scrollbars should be positioned. This should be one of the four strings `BOTTOM_LEFT', `BOTTOM_RIGHT', `TOP_LEFT', and `TOP_RIGHT'. Default is `BOTTOM_RIGHT' for the Motif and Lucid scrollbars and `BOTTOM_LEFT' for the Athena scrollbars. `topToolBarHeight' (class `TopToolBarHeight'): integer `bottomToolBarHeight' (class `BottomToolBarHeight'): integer `leftToolBarWidth' (class `LeftToolBarWidth'): integer `rightToolBarWidth' (class `RightToolBarWidth'): integer Height and width of the four possible toolbars. `topToolBarShadowColor' (class `TopToolBarShadowColor'): color-name `bottomToolBarShadowColor' (class `BottomToolBarShadowColor'): color-name Color of the top and bottom shadows for the toolbars. NOTE: These resources do _not_ have anything to do with the top and bottom toolbars (i.e. the toolbars at the top and bottom of the frame)! Rather, they affect the top and bottom shadows around the edges of all four kinds of toolbars. `topToolBarShadowPixmap' (class `TopToolBarShadowPixmap'): pixmap-name `bottomToolBarShadowPixmap' (class `BottomToolBarShadowPixmap'): pixmap-name Pixmap of the top and bottom shadows for the toolbars. If set, these resources override the corresponding color resources. NOTE: These resources do _not_ have anything to do with the top and bottom toolbars (i.e. the toolbars at the top and bottom of the frame)! Rather, they affect the top and bottom shadows around the edges of all four kinds of toolbars. `toolBarShadowThickness' (class `ToolBarShadowThickness'): integer Thickness of the shadows around the toolbars, in pixels. `visualBell' (class `VisualBell'): boolean Whether XEmacs should flash the screen rather than making an audible beep. `bellVolume' (class `BellVolume'): integer Volume of the audible beep. `useBackingStore' (class `UseBackingStore'): boolean Whether XEmacs should set the backing-store attribute of the X windows it creates. This increases the memory usage of the X server but decreases the amount of X traffic necessary to update the screen, and is useful when the connection to the X server goes over a low-bandwidth line such as a modem connection. Emacs devices accept the following resources: `textPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name The cursor to use when the mouse is over text. This resource is used to initialize the variable `x-pointer-shape'. `selectionPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name The cursor to use when the mouse is over a selectable text region (an extent with the `highlight' property; for example, an Info cross-reference). This resource is used to initialize the variable `x-selection-pointer-shape'. `spacePointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name The cursor to use when the mouse is over a blank space in a buffer (that is, after the end of a line or after the end-of-file). This resource is used to initialize the variable `x-nontext-pointer-shape'. `modeLinePointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name The cursor to use when the mouse is over a modeline. This resource is used to initialize the variable `x-mode-pointer-shape'. `gcPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name The cursor to display when a garbage-collection is in progress. This resource is used to initialize the variable `x-gc-pointer-shape'. `scrollbarPointer' (class `Cursor'): cursor-name The cursor to use when the mouse is over the scrollbar. This resource is used to initialize the variable `x-scrollbar-pointer-shape'. `pointerColor' (class `Foreground'): color-name `pointerBackground' (class `Background'): color-name The foreground and background colors of the mouse cursor. These resources are used to initialize the variables `x-pointer-foreground-color' and `x-pointer-background-color'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Face Resources, Next: Widgets, Prev: Resource List, Up: X Resources Face Resources -------------- The attributes of faces are also per-frame. They can be specified as: Emacs.FACE_NAME.parameter: value or Emacs*FRAME_NAME.FACE_NAME.parameter: value Faces accept the following resources: `attributeFont' (class `AttributeFont'): font-name The font of this face. `attributeForeground' (class `AttributeForeground'): color-name `attributeBackground' (class `AttributeBackground'): color-name The foreground and background colors of this face. `attributeBackgroundPixmap' (class `AttributeBackgroundPixmap'): file-name The name of an XBM file (or XPM file, if your version of Emacs supports XPM), to use as a background stipple. `attributeUnderline' (class `AttributeUnderline'): boolean Whether text in this face should be underlined. All text is displayed in some face, defaulting to the face named `default'. To set the font of normal text, use `Emacs*default.attributeFont'. To set it in the frame named `fred', use `Emacs*fred.default.attributeFont'. These are the names of the predefined faces: `default' Everything inherits from this. `bold' If this is not specified in the resource database, Emacs tries to find a bold version of the font of the default face. `italic' If this is not specified in the resource database, Emacs tries to find an italic version of the font of the default face. `bold-italic' If this is not specified in the resource database, Emacs tries to find a bold-italic version of the font of the default face. `modeline' This is the face that the modeline is displayed in. If not specified in the resource database, it is determined from the default face by reversing the foreground and background colors. `highlight' This is the face that highlighted extents (for example, Info cross-references and possible completions, when the mouse passes over them) are displayed in. `left-margin' `right-margin' These are the faces that the left and right annotation margins are displayed in. `zmacs-region' This is the face that mouse selections are displayed in. `isearch' This is the face that the matched text being searched for is displayed in. `info-node' This is the face of info menu items. If unspecified, it is copied from `bold-italic'. `info-xref' This is the face of info cross-references. If unspecified, it is copied from `bold'. (Note that, when the mouse passes over a cross-reference, the cross-reference's face is determined from a combination of the `info-xref' and `highlight' faces.) Other packages might define their own faces; to see a list of all faces, use any of the interactive face-manipulation commands such as `set-face-font' and type `?' when you are prompted for the name of a face. If the `bold', `italic', and `bold-italic' faces are not specified in the resource database, then XEmacs attempts to derive them from the font of the default face. It can only succeed at this if you have specified the default font using the XLFD (X Logical Font Description) format, which looks like *-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-*-* If you use any of the other, less strict font name formats, some of which look like lucidasanstypewriter-12 fixed 9x13 then XEmacs won't be able to guess the names of the bold and italic versions. All X fonts can be referred to via XLFD-style names, so you should use those forms. See the man pages for `X(1)', `xlsfonts(1)', and `xfontsel(1)'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Widgets, Next: Menubar Resources, Prev: Face Resources, Up: X Resources Widgets ------- There are several structural widgets between the terminal EmacsFrame widget and the top level ApplicationShell; the exact names and types of these widgets change from release to release (for example, they changed between 19.8 and 19.9, 19.9 and 19.10, and 19.10 and 19.12) and are subject to further change in the future, so you should avoid mentioning them in your resource database. The above-mentioned syntaxes should be forward- compatible. As of 19.13, the exact widget hierarchy is as follows: INVOCATION-NAME "shell" "container" FRAME-NAME x-emacs-application-class "EmacsShell" "EmacsManager" "EmacsFrame" where INVOCATION-NAME is the terminal component of the name of the XEmacs executable (usually `xemacs'), and `x-emacs-application-class' is generally `Emacs'.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Menubar Resources, Prev: Widgets, Up: X Resources Menubar Resources ----------------- As the menubar is implemented as a widget which is not a part of XEmacs proper, it does not use the face mechanism for specifying fonts and colors: It uses whatever resources are appropriate to the type of widget which is used to implement it. If Emacs was compiled to use only the Lucid Motif-lookalike menu widgets, then one way to specify the font of the menubar would be Emacs*menubar*font: *-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-*-* If both the Lucid Motif-lookalike menu widgets and X Font Sets are configured to allow multilingual menubars, then one uses *menubar*FontSet: -*-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-*, \ -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-120-*-jisx0208.1983-0 That would specify fonts for a Japanese menubar. Specifying only one XLFD is acceptable; specifying more than one for a given registry (language) is also allowed. When X Font Sets are configured, some .font resources (eg, menubars) are ignored in favor of the corresponding .fontSet resources. If the Motif library is being used, then one would have to use Emacs*menubar*fontList: *-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-*-* because the Motif library uses the `fontList' resource name instead of `font', which has subtly different semantics. The same is true of the scrollbars: They accept whichever resources are appropriate for the toolkit in use.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Quitting, Next: Lossage, Prev: Customization, Up: Top Quitting and Aborting ===================== `C-g' Quit. Cancel running or partially typed command. `C-]' Abort innermost recursive editing level and cancel the command which invoked it (`abort-recursive-edit'). `M-x top-level' Abort all recursive editing levels that are currently executing. `C-x u' Cancel an already-executed command, usually (`undo'). There are two ways of cancelling commands which are not finished executing: "quitting" with `C-g', and "aborting" with `C-]' or `M-x top-level'. Quitting is cancelling a partially typed command or one which is already running. Aborting is getting out of a recursive editing level and cancelling the command that invoked the recursive edit. Quitting with `C-g' is used for getting rid of a partially typed command or a numeric argument that you don't want. It also stops a running command in the middle in a relatively safe way, so you can use it if you accidentally start executing a command that takes a long time. In particular, it is safe to quit out of killing; either your text will ALL still be there, or it will ALL be in the kill ring (or maybe both). Quitting an incremental search does special things documented under searching; in general, it may take two successive `C-g' characters to get out of a search. `C-g' works by setting the variable `quit-flag' to `t' the instant `C-g' is typed; Emacs Lisp checks this variable frequently and quits if it is non-`nil'. `C-g' is only actually executed as a command if it is typed while Emacs is waiting for input. If you quit twice in a row before the first `C-g' is recognized, you activate the "emergency escape" feature and return to the shell. *Note Emergency Escape::. You can use `C-]' (`abort-recursive-edit') to get out of a recursive editing level and cancel the command which invoked it. Quitting with `C-g' does not do this, and could not do this because it is used to cancel a partially typed command within the recursive editing level. Both operations are useful. For example, if you are in the Emacs debugger (*note Lisp Debug::) and have typed `C-u 8' to enter a numeric argument, you can cancel that argument with `C-g' and remain in the debugger. The command `M-x top-level' is equivalent to "enough" `C-]' commands to get you out of all the levels of recursive edits that you are in. `C-]' only gets you out one level at a time, but `M-x top-level' goes out all levels at once. Both `C-]' and `M-x top-level' are like all other commands and unlike `C-g' in that they are effective only when Emacs is ready for a command. `C-]' is an ordinary key and has its meaning only because of its binding in the keymap. *Note Recursive Edit::. `C-x u' (`undo') is not strictly speaking a way of cancelling a command, but you can think of it as cancelling a command already finished executing. *Note Undo::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Lossage, Next: Bugs, Prev: Quitting, Up: Top Dealing With Emacs Trouble ========================== This section describes various conditions in which Emacs fails to work, and how to recognize them and correct them. * Menu: * Stuck Recursive:: `[...]' in mode line around the parentheses. * Screen Garbled:: Garbage on the screen. * Text Garbled:: Garbage in the text. * Unasked-for Search:: Spontaneous entry to incremental search. * Emergency Escape:: Emergency escape--- What to do if Emacs stops responding. * Total Frustration:: When you are at your wits' end.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Stuck Recursive, Next: Screen Garbled, Prev: Lossage, Up: Lossage Recursive Editing Levels ------------------------ Recursive editing levels are important and useful features of Emacs, but they can seem like malfunctions to the user who does not understand them. If the mode line has square brackets `[...]' around the parentheses that contain the names of the major and minor modes, you have entered a recursive editing level. If you did not do this on purpose, or if you don't understand what that means, you should just get out of the recursive editing level. To do so, type `M-x top-level'. This is called getting back to top level. *Note Recursive Edit::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Screen Garbled, Next: Text Garbled, Prev: Stuck Recursive, Up: Lossage Garbage on the Screen --------------------- If the data on the screen looks wrong, the first thing to do is see whether the text is actually wrong. Type `C-l', to redisplay the entire screen. If the text appears correct after this, the problem was entirely in the previous screen update. Display updating problems often result from an incorrect termcap entry for the terminal you are using. The file `etc/TERMS' in the Emacs distribution gives the fixes for known problems of this sort. `INSTALL' contains general advice for these problems in one of its sections. Very likely there is simply insufficient padding for certain display operations. To investigate the possibility that you have this sort of problem, try Emacs on another terminal made by a different manufacturer. If problems happen frequently on one kind of terminal but not another kind, the real problem is likely to be a bad termcap entry, though it could also be due to a bug in Emacs that appears for terminals that have or lack specific features.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Text Garbled, Next: Unasked-for Search, Prev: Screen Garbled, Up: Lossage Garbage in the Text ------------------- If `C-l' shows that the text is wrong, try undoing the changes to it using `C-x u' until it gets back to a state you consider correct. Also try `C-h l' to find out what command you typed to produce the observed results. If a large portion of text appears to be missing at the beginning or end of the buffer, check for the word `Narrow' in the mode line. If it appears, the text is still present, but marked off-limits. To make it visible again, type `C-x n w'. *Note Narrowing::.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Unasked-for Search, Next: Emergency Escape, Prev: Text Garbled, Up: Lossage Spontaneous Entry to Incremental Search --------------------------------------- If Emacs spontaneously displays `I-search:' at the bottom of the screen, it means that the terminal is sending `C-s' and `C-q' according to the poorly designed xon/xoff "flow control" protocol. You should try to prevent this by putting the terminal in a mode where it will not use flow control, or by giving it enough padding that it will never send a `C-s'. If that cannot be done, you must tell Emacs to expect flow control to be used, until you can get a properly designed terminal. Information on how to do these things can be found in the file `INSTALL' in the Emacs distribution.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Emergency Escape, Next: Total Frustration, Prev: Unasked-for Search, Up: Lossage Emergency Escape ---------------- Because at times there have been bugs causing Emacs to loop without checking `quit-flag', a special feature causes Emacs to be suspended immediately if you type a second `C-g' while the flag is already set, so you can always get out of XEmacs. Normally Emacs recognizes and clears `quit-flag' (and quits!) quickly enough to prevent this from happening. When you resume Emacs after a suspension caused by multiple `C-g', it asks two questions before going back to what it had been doing: Auto-save? (y or n) Abort (and dump core)? (y or n) Answer each one with `y' or `n' followed by . Saying `y' to `Auto-save?' causes immediate auto-saving of all modified buffers in which auto-saving is enabled. Saying `y' to `Abort (and dump core)?' causes an illegal instruction to be executed, dumping core. This is to enable a wizard to figure out why Emacs was failing to quit in the first place. Execution does not continue after a core dump. If you answer `n', execution does continue. With luck, Emacs will ultimately check `quit-flag' and quit normally. If not, and you type another `C-g', it is suspended again. If Emacs is not really hung, but is just being slow, you may invoke the double `C-g' feature without really meaning to. In that case, simply resume and answer `n' to both questions, and you will arrive at your former state. Presumably the quit you requested will happen soon. The double-`C-g' feature may be turned off when Emacs is running under a window system, since the window system always enables you to kill Emacs or to create another window and run another program.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Total Frustration, Prev: Emergency Escape, Up: Lossage Help for Total Frustration -------------------------- If using Emacs (or something else) becomes terribly frustrating and none of the techniques described above solve the problem, Emacs can still help you. First, if the Emacs you are using is not responding to commands, type `C-g C-g' to get out of it and then start a new one. Second, type `M-x doctor '. The doctor will make you feel better. Each time you say something to the doctor, you must end it by typing . This lets the doctor know you are finished.  File: xemacs.info, Node: Bugs, Prev: Lossage, Up: Top Reporting Bugs ============== Sometimes you will encounter a bug in Emacs. Although we cannot promise we can or will fix the bug, and we might not even agree that it is a bug, we want to hear about bugs you encounter in case we do want to fix them. To make it possible for us to fix a bug, you must report it. In order to do so effectively, you must know when and how to do it. When Is There a Bug ------------------- If Emacs executes an illegal instruction, or dies with an operating system error message that indicates a problem in the program (as opposed to something like "disk full"), then it is certainly a bug. If Emacs updates the display in a way that does not correspond to what is in the buffer, then it is certainly a bug. If a command seems to do the wrong thing but the problem corrects itself if you type `C-l', it is a case of incorrect display updating. Taking forever to complete a command can be a bug, but you must make certain that it was really Emacs's fault. Some commands simply take a long time. Type `C-g' and then `C-h l' to see whether the input Emacs received was what you intended to type; if the input was such that you KNOW it should have been processed quickly, report a bug. If you don't know whether the command should take a long time, find out by looking in the manual or by asking for assistance. If a command you are familiar with causes an Emacs error message in a case where its usual definition ought to be reasonable, it is probably a bug. If a command does the wrong thing, that is a bug. But be sure you know for certain what it ought to have done. If you aren't familiar with the command, or don't know for certain how the command is supposed to work, then it might actually be working right. Rather than jumping to conclusions, show the problem to someone who knows for certain. Finally, a command's intended definition may not be best for editing with. This is a very important sort of problem, but it is also a matter of judgment. Also, it is easy to come to such a conclusion out of ignorance of some of the existing features. It is probably best not to complain about such a problem until you have checked the documentation in the usual ways, feel confident that you understand it, and know for certain that what you want is not available. If you are not sure what the command is supposed to do after a careful reading of the manual, check the index and glossary for any terms that may be unclear. If you still do not understand, this indicates a bug in the manual. The manual's job is to make everything clear. It is just as important to report documentation bugs as program bugs. If the online documentation string of a function or variable disagrees with the manual, one of them must be wrong, so report the bug. How to Report a Bug ------------------- When you decide that there is a bug, it is important to report it and to report it in a way which is useful. What is most useful is an exact description of what commands you type, starting with the shell command to run Emacs, until the problem happens. Always include the version number of Emacs that you are using; type `M-x emacs-version' to print this. The most important principle in reporting a bug is to report FACTS, not hypotheses or categorizations. It is always easier to report the facts, but people seem to prefer to strain to posit explanations and report them instead. If the explanations are based on guesses about how Emacs is implemented, they will be useless; we will have to try to figure out what the facts must have been to lead to such speculations. Sometimes this is impossible. But in any case, it is unnecessary work for us. For example, suppose that you type `C-x C-f /glorp/baz.ugh ', visiting a file which (you know) happens to be rather large, and Emacs prints out `I feel pretty today'. The best way to report the bug is with a sentence like the preceding one, because it gives all the facts and nothing but the facts. Do not assume that the problem is due to the size of the file and say, "When I visit a large file, Emacs prints out `I feel pretty today'." This is what we mean by "guessing explanations". The problem is just as likely to be due to the fact that there is a `z' in the file name. If this is so, then when we got your report, we would try out the problem with some "large file", probably with no `z' in its name, and not find anything wrong. There is no way in the world that we could guess that we should try visiting a file with a `z' in its name. Alternatively, the problem might be due to the fact that the file starts with exactly 25 spaces. For this reason, you should make sure that you inform us of the exact contents of any file that is needed to reproduce the bug. What if the problem only occurs when you have typed the `C-x a l' command previously? This is why we ask you to give the exact sequence of characters you typed since starting to use Emacs. You should not even say "visit a file" instead of `C-x C-f' unless you know that it makes no difference which visiting command is used. Similarly, rather than saying "if I have three characters on the line," say "after I type ` A B C C-p'," if that is the way you entered the text. If you are not in Fundamental mode when the problem occurs, you should say what mode you are in. If the manifestation of the bug is an Emacs error message, it is important to report not just the text of the error message but a backtrace showing how the Lisp program in Emacs arrived at the error. To make the backtrace, you must execute the Lisp expression `(setq debug-on-error t)' before the error happens (that is to say, you must execute that expression and then make the bug happen). This causes the Lisp debugger to run (*note Lisp Debug::). The debugger's backtrace can be copied as text into the bug report. This use of the debugger is possible only if you know how to make the bug happen again. Do note the error message the first time the bug happens, so if you can't make it happen again, you can report at least that. Check whether any programs you have loaded into the Lisp world, including your init file, set any variables that may affect the functioning of Emacs. *Note Init File::. Also, see whether the problem happens in a freshly started Emacs without loading your init file (start Emacs with the `-q' switch to prevent loading the init file). If the problem does NOT occur then, it is essential that we know the contents of any programs that you must load into the Lisp world in order to cause the problem to occur. If the problem does depend on an init file or other Lisp programs that are not part of the standard Emacs system, then you should make sure it is not a bug in those programs by complaining to their maintainers first. After they verify that they are using Emacs in a way that is supposed to work, they should report the bug. If you can tell us a way to cause the problem without visiting any files, please do so. This makes it much easier to debug. If you do need files, make sure you arrange for us to see their exact contents. For example, it can often matter whether there are spaces at the ends of lines, or a newline after the last line in the buffer (nothing ought to care whether the last line is terminated, but tell that to the bugs). The easy way to record the input to Emacs precisely is to write a dribble file; execute the Lisp expression: (open-dribble-file "~/dribble") using `Meta-' or from the `*scratch*' buffer just after starting Emacs. From then on, all Emacs input will be written in the specified dribble file until the Emacs process is killed. For possible display bugs, it is important to report the terminal type (the value of environment variable `TERM'), the complete termcap entry for the terminal from `/etc/termcap' (since that file is not identical on all machines), and the output that Emacs actually sent to the terminal. The way to collect this output is to execute the Lisp expression: (open-termscript "~/termscript") using `Meta-' or from the `*scratch*' buffer just after starting Emacs. From then on, all output from Emacs to the terminal will be written in the specified termscript file as well, until the Emacs process is killed. If the problem happens when Emacs starts up, put this expression into your init file so that the termscript file will be open when Emacs displays the screen for the first time. *Note Init File::. Be warned: it is often difficult, and sometimes impossible, to fix a terminal-dependent bug without access to a terminal of the type that stimulates the bug. The newsgroup `comp.emacs.xemacs' may be used for bug reports, other discussions and requests for assistance. If you don't have access to this newgroup, you can subscribe to the mailing list version: the newsgroup is bidirectionally gatewayed into the mailing list `xemacs@xemacs.org'. To be added or removed from this mailing list, send mail to `xemacs-request@xemacs.org'. Do not send requests for addition to the mailing list itself. The mailing lists and newsgroups are archived on our anonymous FTP server, `ftp.xemacs.org', and at various other archive sites around the net. You should also check the `FAQ' in `/pub/xemacs' on our anonymous FTP server. It provides some introductory information and help for initial configuration problems.