This is ../info/autotype, produced by makeinfo version 4.0 from
autotype.texi.
INFO-DIR-SECTION Emacs
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Autotype: (autotype). Convenient features for text that you enter frequently
in Emacs.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
Copyright (C) 1994, 1995, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
Invariant Sections being "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU
GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE", with the Front-Cover texts being "A GNU
Manual", and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation
License" in the Emacs manual.
(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: "You have freedom to copy and
modify this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development."
This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
File: autotype, Node: Top, Next: Using Skeletons, Up: (dir)
Autotyping
**********
Under certain circumstances you will find yourself typing similar
things over and over again. This is especially true of form letters
and programming language constructs. Project-specific header comments,
flow-control constructs or magic numbers are essentially the same every
time. Emacs has various features for doing tedious and repetitive
typing chores for you in addition to the Abbrev features (*note
(emacs)Abbrevs::).
One solution is using skeletons, flexible rules that say what to
insert, and how to do it. Various programming language modes offer some
ready-to-use skeletons, and you can adapt them to suit your needs or
taste, or define new ones.
Another feature is automatic insertion of what you want into empty
files, depending on the file-name or the mode as appropriate. You can
have a file or a skeleton inserted, or you can call a function. Then
there is the possibility to have Un*x interpreter scripts automatically
take on a magic number and be executable as soon as they are saved. Or
you can have a copyright notice's year updated, if necessary, every
time you save a file. Similarly for time stamps in the file.
URLs can be inserted based on a word at point. Flexible templates
can be defined for inserting and navigating between text more
generally. A sort of meta-expansion facility can be used to try a set
of alternative completions and expansions of text at point.
* Menu:
* Using Skeletons:: How to insert a skeleton into your text.
* Wrapping Skeletons:: Putting existing text within a skeleton.
* Skeletons as Abbrevs:: An alternative for issuing skeleton commands.
* Skeleton Language:: Making skeleton commands insert what you want.
* Inserting Pairs:: Typing one character and getting another
after point.
* Autoinserting:: Filling up empty files as soon as you visit them.
* Copyrights:: Inserting and updating copyrights.
* Executables:: Turning interpreter scripts into executables.
* Timestamps:: Updating dates and times in modified files.
* QuickURL:: Inserting URLs based on text at point.
* Tempo:: Flexible template insertion.
* Hippie Expand:: Expansion of text trying various methods.
* Concept Index::
* Command Index::
* Variable Index::
File: autotype, Node: Using Skeletons, Next: Wrapping Skeletons, Prev: Top, Up: Top
Using Skeletons
***************
When you want Emacs to insert a form letter or a typical construct
of the programming language you are using, skeletons are a means of
accomplishing this. Normally skeletons each have a command of their
own, that, when called, will insert the skeleton. These commands can
be issued in the usual ways (*note (emacs)Commands::). Modes that
offer various skeletons will often bind these to key-sequences on the
`C-c' prefix, as well as having an `Insert' menu and maybe even
predefined abbrevs for them (*note Skeletons as Abbrevs::).
The simplest kind of skeleton will simply insert some text indented
according to the major mode and leave the cursor at a likely place in
the middle. Interactive skeletons may prompt you for a string that
will be part of the inserted text.
Skeletons may ask for input several times. They even have a looping
mechanism in which you will be asked for input as long as you are
willing to furnish it. An example would be multiple "else if"
conditions. You can recognize this situation by a prompt ending in
<RET>, `C-g' or `C-h'. This means that entering an empty string will
simply assume that you are finished. Typing quit on the other hand
terminates the loop but also the rest of the skeleton, e.g. an "else"
clause is skipped. Only a syntactically necessary termination still
gets inserted.
File: autotype, Node: Wrapping Skeletons, Next: Skeletons as Abbrevs, Prev: Using Skeletons, Up: Top
Wrapping Skeletons Around Existing Text
***************************************
Often you will find yourself with some code that for whatever reason
suddenly becomes conditional. Or you have written a bit of text and
want to put it in the middle of a form letter. Skeletons provide a
means for accomplishing this, and can even, in the case of programming
languages, reindent the wrapped code for you.
Skeleton commands take an optional numeric prefix argument (*note
(emacs)Arguments::). This is interpreted in two different ways
depending on whether the prefix is positive, i.e. forwards oriented or
negative, i.e. backwards oriented.
A positive prefix means to wrap the skeleton around that many
following words. This is accomplished by putting the words there where
the point is normally left after that skeleton is inserted (*note Using
Skeletons::). The point (*note (emacs)Point::) is left at the next
interesting spot in the skeleton instead.
A negative prefix means to do something similar with that many
precedingly marked interregions (*note (emacs)Mark::). In the simplest
case, if you type `M--' just before issuing the skeleton command, that
will wrap the skeleton around the current region, just like a positive
argument would have wrapped it around a number of words.
Smaller negative arguments will wrap that many interregions into
successive interesting spots within the skeleton, again leaving the
point at the next one. We speak about interregions rather than regions
here, because we treat them in the order they appear in the buffer,
which coincides with successive regions only if they were marked in
order.
That is, if you marked in alphabetical order the points A B C []
(where [] represents the point) and call a skeleton command with `M--
3', you will wrap the text from A to B into the first interesting spot
of the skeleton, the text from B to C into the next one, the text from
C to the point into the third one, and leave the point in the fourth
one. If there are less marks in the buffer, or if the skeleton defines
less interesting points, the surplus is ignored.
If, on the other hand, you marked in alphabetical order the points
[] A C B, and call a skeleton command with `M-- 3', you will wrap the
text from point to A, then the text from A to C and finally the text
from C to B. This is done because the regions overlap and Emacs would
be helplessly lost if it tried to follow the order in which you marked
these points.
File: autotype, Node: Skeletons as Abbrevs, Next: Skeleton Language, Prev: Wrapping Skeletons, Up: Top
Skeletons as Abbrev Expansions
******************************
Rather than use a key binding for every skeleton command, you can
also define an abbreviation (*note (emacs)Defining Abbrevs::) that will
expand (*note (emacs)Expanding Abbrevs::) into the skeleton.
Say you want `ifst' to be an abbreviation for the C language if
statement. You will tell Emacs that `ifst' expands to the empty string
and then calls the skeleton command. In Emacs-lisp you can say
something like `(define-abbrev c-mode-abbrev-table "ifst" "" 'c-if)'.
Or you can edit the output from `M-x list-abbrevs' to make it look like
this:
(c-mode-abbrev-table)
"if" 0 "" c-if
(Some blank lines of no semantic significance, and other abbrev tables,
have been omitted.)
File: autotype, Node: Skeleton Language, Next: Inserting Pairs, Prev: Skeletons as Abbrevs, Up: Top
Skeleton Language
*****************
Skeletons are an shorthand extension to the Lisp language, where
various atoms directly perform either actions on the current buffer or
rudimentary flow control mechanisms. Skeletons are interpreted by the
function `skeleton-insert'.
A skeleton is a list starting with an interactor, which is usually a
prompt-string, or `nil' when not needed, but can also be a Lisp
expression for complex read functions or for returning some calculated
value. The rest of the list are any number of elements as described in
the following table:
`"STRING"', `?C', `?\C'
Insert string or character. Literal strings and characters are
passed through `skeleton-transformation' when that is non-`nil'.
`?\n'
Insert a newline and align under current line. Use newline
character `?\n' to prevent alignment.
`_'
Interesting point. When wrapping skeletons around successive
regions, they are put at these places. Point is left at first `_'
where nothing is wrapped.
`>'
Indent line according to major mode. When following element is
`_', and there is a interregion that will be wrapped here, indent
that interregion.
`&'
Logical and. Iff preceding element moved point, i.e. usually
inserted something, do following element.
`|'
Logical xor. Iff preceding element didn't move point, i.e.
usually inserted nothing, do following element.
`-NUMBER'
Delete preceding number characters. Depends on value of
`skeleton-untabify'.
`()' or `nil'
Ignored.
LISP-EXPRESSION
Evaluated, and the return value is again interpreted as a skeleton
element.
`str'
A special variable that, when evaluated the first time, usually
prompts for input according to the skeleton's interactor. It is
then set to the return value resulting from the interactor. Each
subskeleton has its local copy of this variable.
`v1', `v2'
Skeleton-local user variables.
`'EXPRESSION'
Evaluate following lisp expression for its side-effect, but
prevent it from being interpreted as a skeleton element.
SKELETON
Subskeletons are inserted recursively, not once, but as often as
the user enters something at the subskeletons interactor. Thus
there must be a `str' in the subskeleton. They can also be used
non-interactively, when prompt is a lisp-expression that returns
successive list-elements.
`resume:'
Ignored. Execution resumes here if the user quits during skeleton
interpretation.
`quit'
A constant which is non-`nil' when the `resume:' section was
entered because the user quit.
Some modes also use other skeleton elements they themselves defined.
For example in shell script mode's skeletons you will find `<' which
does a rigid indentation backwards, or in CC mode's skeletons you find
the self-inserting elements `{' and `}'. These are defined by the
buffer-local variable `skeleton-further-elements' which is a list of
variables bound while interpreting a skeleton.
The macro `define-skeleton' defines a command for interpreting a
skeleton. The first argument is the command name, the second is a
documentation string, and the rest is an interactor and any number of
skeleton elements together forming a skeleton. This skeleton is
assigned to a variable of the same name as the command and can thus be
overridden from your `~/.emacs' file (*note (emacs)Init File::).
File: autotype, Node: Inserting Pairs, Next: Autoinserting, Prev: Skeleton Language, Up: Top
Inserting Matching Pairs of Characters
**************************************
Various characters usually appear in pairs. When, for example, you
insert an open parenthesis, no matter whether you are programming or
writing prose, you will surely enter a closing one later. By entering
both at the same time and leaving the cursor inbetween, Emacs can
guarantee you that such parentheses are always balanced. And if you
have a non-qwerty keyboard, where typing some of the stranger
programming language symbols makes you bend your fingers backwards,
this can be quite relieving too.
This is done by binding the first key (*note (emacs)Rebinding::) of
the pair to `skeleton-pair-insert-maybe' instead of
`self-insert-command'. The "maybe" comes from the fact that this
at-first surprising behavior is initially turned off. To enable it,
you must set `skeleton-pair' to some non-`nil' value. And even then, a
positive argument (*note (emacs)Arguments::) will make this key behave
like a self-inserting key (*note (emacs)Inserting Text::).
While this breaks with the stated intention of always balancing
pairs, it turns out that one often doesn't want pairing to occur, when
the following character is part of a word. If you want pairing to
occur even then, set `skeleton-pair-on-word' to some non-`nil' value.
Pairing is possible for all visible characters. By default the
parenthesis `(', the square bracket `[', the brace `{', the pointed
bracket `<' and the backquote ``' all pair with the symmetrical
character. All other characters pair themselves. This behavior can be
modified by the variable `skeleton-pair-alist'. This is in fact an
alist of skeletons (*note Skeleton Language::), with the first part of
each sublist matching the typed character. This is the position of the
interactor, but since pairs don't need the `str' element, this is
ignored.
Some modes have bound the command `skeleton-pair-insert-maybe' to
relevant keys. These modes also configure the pairs as appropriate.
For example, when typing english prose, you'd expect the backquote
(``') to pair with the quote (`''), while in Shell script mode it must
pair to itself. They can also inhibit pairing in certain contexts.
For example an escaped character stands for itself.
File: autotype, Node: Autoinserting, Next: Copyrights, Prev: Inserting Pairs, Up: Top
Autoinserting Text in Empty Files
*********************************
`M-x auto-insert' will put some predefined text at the beginning of
the buffer. The main application for this function, as its name
suggests, is to have it be called automatically every time an empty,
and only an empty file is visited. This is accomplished by putting
`(add-hook 'find-file-hooks 'auto-insert)' into your `~/.emacs' file
(*note (emacs)Init File::).
What gets inserted, if anything, is determined by the variable
`auto-insert-alist'. The CARs of this list are each either a mode
name, making an element applicable when a buffer is in that mode. Or
they can be a string, which is a regexp matched against the buffer's
file name. In that way different kinds of files that have the same
mode in Emacs can be distinguished. The CARs may also be cons cells
consisting of mode name or regexp as above and an additional
descriptive string.
When a matching element is found, the CDR says what to do. It may
be a string, which is a file name, whose contents are to be inserted, if
that file is found in the directory `auto-insert-directory' or under a
absolute file name. Or it can be a skeleton (*note Skeleton
Language::) to be inserted.
It can also be a function, which allows doing various things. The
function can simply insert some text, indeed, it can be skeleton
command (*note Using Skeletons::). It can be a lambda function which
will for example conditionally call another function. Or it can even
reset the mode for the buffer. If you want to perform several such
actions in order, you use a vector, i.e. several of the above elements
between square brackets (`[...]').
By default C and C++ headers insert a definition of a symbol derived
from the filename to prevent multiple inclusions. C and C++ sources
insert an include of the header. Makefiles insert the file
makefile.inc if it exists.
TeX and bibTeX mode files insert the file tex-insert.tex if it
exists, while LaTeX mode files insert a typical `\documentclass' frame.
Html files insert a skeleton with the usual frame.
Ada mode files call the Ada header skeleton command. Emacs lisp
source files insert the usual header, with a copyright of your
environment variable `$ORGANIZATION' or else the FSF, and prompt for
valid keywords describing the contents. Files in a `bin' directory for
which Emacs could determine no specialised mode (*note (emacs)Choosing
Modes::) are set to Shell script mode.
In Lisp (*note (emacs)Init File::) you can use the function
`define-auto-insert' to add to or modify `auto-insert-alist'. See its
documentation with `C-h f auto-insert-alist'.
The variable `auto-insert' says what to do when `auto-insert' is
called non-interactively, e.g. when a newly found file is empty (see
above):
`nil'
Do nothing.
`t'
Insert something if possible, i.e. there is a matching entry in
`auto-insert-alist'.
other
Insert something if possible, but mark as unmodified.
The variable `auto-insert-query' controls whether to ask about
inserting something. When this is `nil', inserting is only done with
`M-x auto-insert'. When this is `function', you are queried whenever
`auto-insert' is called as a function, such as when Emacs visits an
empty file and you have set the above-mentioned hook. Otherwise you
are alway queried.
When querying, the variable `auto-insert-prompt''s value is used as a
prompt for a y-or-n-type question. If this includes a `%s' construct,
that is replaced by what caused the insertion rule to be chosen. This
is either a descriptive text, the mode-name of the buffer or the regular
expression that matched the filename.
File: autotype, Node: Copyrights, Next: Executables, Prev: Autoinserting, Up: Top
Inserting and Updating Copyrights
*********************************
`M-x copyright' is a skeleton inserting command, that adds a
copyright notice at the point. The "by" part is taken from your
environment variable `$ORGANIZATION' or if that isn't set you are
prompted for it. If the buffer has a comment syntax (*note
(emacs)Comments::), this is inserted as a comment.
`M-x copyright-update' looks for a copyright notice in the first
`copyright-limit' characters of the buffer and updates it when
necessary. The current year (variable `copyright-current-year') is
added to the existing ones, in the same format as the preceding year,
i.e. 1994, '94 or 94. If a dash-separated year list up to last year is
found, that is extended to current year, else the year is added
separated by a comma. Or it replaces them when this is called with a
prefix argument. If a header referring to a wrong version of the GNU
General Public License (*note (emacs)Copying::) is found, that is
updated too.
An interesting application for this function is to have it be called
automatically every time a file is saved. This is accomplished by
putting `(add-hook 'write-file-hooks 'copyright-update)' into your
`~/.emacs' file (*note (emacs)Init File::).
The variable `copyright-query' controls whether to update the
copyright or whether to ask about it. When this is `nil' updating is
only done with `M-x copyright-update'. When this is `function' you are
queried whenever `copyright-update' is called as a function, such as in
the `write-file-hooks' feature mentioned above. Otherwise you are
always queried.
File: autotype, Node: Executables, Next: Timestamps, Prev: Copyrights, Up: Top
Making Interpreter Scripts Executable
*************************************
Various interpreter modes such as Shell script mode or AWK mode will
automatically insert or update the buffer's magic number, a special
comment on the first line that makes the `exec' systemcall know how to
execute the script. To this end the script is automatically made
executable upon saving, with `executable-chmod' as argument to the
system `chmod' command. The magic number is prefixed by the value of
`executable-prefix'.
Any file whose name matches `executable-magicless-file-regexp' is not
furnished with a magic number, nor is it made executable. This is
mainly intended for resource files, which are only meant to be read in.
The variable `executable-insert' says what to do when
`executable-set-magic' is called non-interactively, e.g. when file has
no or the wrong magic number:
`nil'
Do nothing.
`t'
Insert or update magic number.
other
Insert or update magic number, but mark as unmodified.
The variable `executable-query' controls whether to ask about
inserting or updating the magic number. When this is `nil' updating is
only done with `M-x executable-set-magic'. When this is `function' you
are queried whenever `executable-set-magic' is called as a function,
such as when Emacs puts a buffer in Shell script mode. Otherwise you
are alway queried.
`M-x executable-self-display' adds a magic number to the buffer,
which will turn it into a self displaying text file, when called as a
Un*x command. The "interpreter" used is `executable-self-display' with
argument `+2'.
File: autotype, Node: Timestamps, Next: QuickURL, Prev: Executables, Up: Top
Maintaining Timestamps in Modified Files
****************************************
The `time-stamp' command can be used to update automatically a
template in a file with a new time stamp every time you save the file.
Customize the hook `write-file-hooks' to add the function `time-stamp'
to arrange this.
The time stamp is updated only if the customizable variable
`time-stamp-active' is on, which it is by default; the command
`time-stamp-toggle-active' can be used to toggle it. The format of the
time stamp is set by the customizable variable `time-stamp-format'.
The variables `time-stamp-line-limit', `time-stamp-start',
`time-stamp-end', `time-stamp-count', and `time-stamp-inserts-lines'
control finding the template. Do not change these in your init file or
you will be incompatible with other people's files. If you must change
them, do so only in the local variables section of the file itself.
Normally the template must appear in the first 8 lines of a file and
look like one of the following:
Time-stamp: <>
Time-stamp: " "
The time stamp is written between the brackets or quotes:
Time-stamp: <1998-02-18 10:20:51 gildea>
File: autotype, Node: QuickURL, Next: Tempo, Prev: Timestamps, Up: Top
QuickURL: Inserting URLs Based on Text at Point
***********************************************
`M-x quickurl' can be used to insert a URL into a buffer based on
the text at point. The URLs are stored in an external file defined by
the variable `quickurl-url-file' as a list of either cons cells of the
form `(KEY . URL)' or lists of the form `(KEY URL COMMENT)'. These
specify that `M-x quickurl' should insert URL if the word KEY is at
point, for example:
(("FSF" "http://www.fsf.org/" "The Free Software Foundation")
("emacs" . "http://www.emacs.org/")
("hagbard" "http://www.hagbard.demon.co.uk" "Hagbard's World"))
`M-x quickurl-add-url' can be used to add a new KEY/URL pair. `M-x
quickurl-list' provides interactive editing of the URL list.
File: autotype, Node: Tempo, Next: Hippie Expand, Prev: QuickURL, Up: Top
Tempo: Flexible Template Insertion
**********************************
The Tempo package provides a simple way to define powerful
templates, or macros, if you wish. It is mainly intended for, but not
limited to, programmers to be used for creating shortcuts for editing
certain kinds of documents.
A template is defined as a list of items to be inserted in the
current buffer at point. Some can be simple strings, while others can
control formatting or define special points of interest in the inserted
text. `M-x tempo-backward-mark' and `M-x tempo-forward-mark' can be
used to jump between such points.
More flexible templates can be created by including lisp symbols,
which will be evaluated as variables, or lists, which will be evaluated
as lisp expressions. Automatic completion of specified tags to expanded
templates can be provided.
See the documentation for `tempo-define-template' for the different
items that can be used to define a tempo template with a command for
inserting it.
See the commentary in `tempo.el' for more information on using the
Tempo package.
File: autotype, Node: Hippie Expand, Next: Concept Index, Prev: Tempo, Up: Top
`Hippie' Expansion
******************
`M-x hippie-expand' is a single command providing a variety of
completions and expansions. Called repeatedly, it tries all possible
completions in succession.
Which ones to try, and in which order, is determined by the contents
of the customizable option `hippie-expand-try-functions-list'. Much
customization of the expansion behavior can be made by changing the
order of, removing, or inserting new functions in this list. Given a
positive numeric argument, `M-x hippie-expand' jumps directly that
number of functions forward in this list. Given some other argument (a
negative argument or just `C-u') it undoes the tried completion.
See the commentary in `hippie-exp.el' for more information on the
possibilities.
Typically you would bind `hippie-expand' to `M-/' with
`dabbrev-expand', the standard binding of `M-/', providing one of the
expansion possibilities.
File: autotype, Node: Concept Index, Next: Command Index, Prev: Hippie Expand, Up: Top
Concept Index
*************
* Menu:
* autoinserting: Autoinserting.
* copyrights: Copyrights.
* executables: Executables.
* inserting pairs: Inserting Pairs.
* pairs: Inserting Pairs.
* skeleton language: Skeleton Language.
* skeletons: Using Skeletons.
* skeletons as abbrevs: Skeletons as Abbrevs.
* templates: Tempo.
* timestamps: Timestamps.
* URLs: QuickURL.
* using skeletons: Using Skeletons.
* wrapping skeletons: Wrapping Skeletons.
File: autotype, Node: Command Index, Next: Variable Index, Prev: Concept Index, Up: Top
Command Index
*************
* Menu:
* auto-insert: Autoinserting.
* copyright: Copyrights.
* copyright-update: Copyrights.
* define-auto-insert: Autoinserting.
* define-skeleton: Skeleton Language.
* executable-self-display: Executables.
* executable-set-magic: Executables.
* hippie-expand: Hippie Expand.
* quickurl: QuickURL.
* quickurl-add-url: QuickURL.
* quickurl-list: QuickURL.
* skeleton-further-elements: Skeleton Language.
* skeleton-insert: Skeleton Language.
* skeleton-pair-insert-maybe: Inserting Pairs.
* tempo-backward-mark: Tempo.
* tempo-define-template: Tempo.
* tempo-forward-mark: Tempo.
* time-stamp: Timestamps.
File: autotype, Node: Variable Index, Prev: Command Index, Up: Top
Variable Index
**************
* Menu:
* auto-insert: Autoinserting.
* auto-insert-alist: Autoinserting.
* auto-insert-prompt: Autoinserting.
* auto-insert-query: Autoinserting.
* copyright-current-year: Copyrights.
* copyright-limit: Copyrights.
* copyright-query: Copyrights.
* executable-chmod: Executables.
* executable-insert: Executables.
* executable-magicless-file-regexp: Executables.
* executable-prefix: Executables.
* executable-query: Executables.
* hippie-expand-try-functions-list: Hippie Expand.
* quickurl-url-file: QuickURL.
* skeleton-pair: Inserting Pairs.
* skeleton-pair-alist: Inserting Pairs.
* skeleton-pair-on-word: Inserting Pairs.
* skeleton-transformation: Skeleton Language.
* time-stamp-active: Timestamps.
* time-stamp-count: Timestamps.
* time-stamp-end: Timestamps.
* time-stamp-format: Timestamps.
* time-stamp-inserts-lines: Timestamps.
* time-stamp-line-limit: Timestamps.
* time-stamp-start: Timestamps.
* write-file-hooks: Timestamps.
Tag Table:
Node: Top1312
Node: Using Skeletons3755
Node: Wrapping Skeletons5225
Node: Skeletons as Abbrevs7828
Node: Skeleton Language8714
Node: Inserting Pairs12291
Node: Autoinserting14672
Node: Copyrights18457
Node: Executables20161
Node: Timestamps21857
Node: QuickURL23117
Node: Tempo23980
Node: Hippie Expand25160
Node: Concept Index26172
Node: Command Index27036
Node: Variable Index28140
End Tag Table