@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000,
@c 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Programs, Building, Text, Top
@chapter Editing Programs
@cindex Lisp editing
@cindex C editing
@cindex program editing
Emacs provides many features to facilitate editing programs. Some
of these features can
@itemize @bullet
@item
Find or move over top-level definitions (@pxref{Defuns}).
@item
Apply the usual indentation conventions of the language
(@pxref{Program Indent}).
@item
Balance parentheses (@pxref{Parentheses}).
@item
Insert, kill or align comments (@pxref{Comments}).
@item
Highlight program syntax (@pxref{Font Lock}).
@end itemize
This chapter describes these features and many more.
@menu
* Program Modes:: Major modes for editing programs.
* Defuns:: Commands to operate on major top-level parts
of a program.
* Program Indent:: Adjusting indentation to show the nesting.
* Parentheses:: Commands that operate on parentheses.
* Comments:: Inserting, killing, and aligning comments.
* Documentation:: Getting documentation of functions you plan to call.
* Hideshow:: Displaying blocks selectively.
* Symbol Completion:: Completion on symbol names of your program or language.
* Glasses:: Making identifiersLikeThis more readable.
* Misc for Programs:: Other Emacs features useful for editing programs.
* C Modes:: Special commands of C, C++, Objective-C,
Java, and Pike modes.
* Asm Mode:: Asm mode and its special features.
@ifnottex
* Fortran:: Fortran mode and its special features.
@end ifnottex
@end menu
@node Program Modes
@section Major Modes for Programming Languages
@cindex modes for programming languages
Emacs has specialized major modes for various programming languages.
@xref{Major Modes}. A programming language major mode typically
specifies the syntax of expressions, the customary rules for
indentation, how to do syntax highlighting for the language, and how
to find the beginning of a function definition. It often customizes
or provides facilities for compiling and debugging programs as well.
Ideally, Emacs should provide a major mode for each programming
language that you might want to edit; if it doesn't have a mode for
your favorite language, you can contribute one. But often the mode
for one language can serve for other syntactically similar languages.
The major mode for language @var{l} is called @code{@var{l}-mode},
and you can select it by typing @kbd{M-x @var{l}-mode @key{RET}}.
@xref{Choosing Modes}.
@cindex Perl mode
@cindex Icon mode
@cindex Makefile mode
@cindex Tcl mode
@cindex CPerl mode
@cindex DSSSL mode
@cindex Octave mode
@cindex Metafont mode
@cindex Modula2 mode
@cindex Prolog mode
@cindex Python mode
@cindex Simula mode
@cindex VHDL mode
@cindex M4 mode
@cindex Shell-script mode
@cindex Delphi mode
@cindex PostScript mode
@cindex Conf mode
@cindex DNS mode
The existing programming language major modes include Lisp, Scheme (a
variant of Lisp) and the Scheme-based DSSSL expression language, Ada,
ASM, AWK, C, C++, Delphi (Object Pascal), Fortran (free format and fixed
format), Icon, IDL (CORBA), IDLWAVE, Java, Metafont (@TeX{}'s
companion for font creation), Modula2, Objective-C, Octave, Pascal,
Perl, Pike, PostScript, Prolog, Python, Simula, Tcl, and VHDL. An
alternative mode for Perl is called CPerl mode. Modes are available for
the scripting languages of the common GNU and Unix shells, VMS DCL, and
MS-DOS/MS-Windows @samp{BAT} files. There are also major modes for
editing makefiles, DNS master files, and various sorts of configuration
files.
@kindex DEL @r{(programming modes)}
@findex c-electric-backspace
In most programming languages, indentation should vary from line to
line to illustrate the structure of the program. So the major modes
for programming languages arrange for @key{TAB} to update the
indentation of the current line. They also rebind @key{DEL} to treat
a tab as if it were the equivalent number of spaces; this lets you
delete one column of indentation without worrying whether the
whitespace consists of spaces or tabs. Use @kbd{C-b C-d} to delete a
tab character before point, in these modes.
Separate manuals are available for the modes for Ada (@pxref{Top, , Ada
Mode, ada-mode, Ada Mode}), C/C++/Objective C/Java/Corba IDL/Pike/AWK
(@pxref{Top, , CC Mode, ccmode, CC Mode}) and the IDLWAVE modes
(@pxref{Top, , IDLWAVE, idlwave, IDLWAVE User Manual}). For Fortran
mode, see
@iftex
@ref{Fortran,,, emacs-xtra, Specialized Emacs Features}.
@end iftex
@ifnottex
@ref{Fortran}.
@end ifnottex
@cindex mode hook
@vindex c-mode-hook
@vindex lisp-mode-hook
@vindex emacs-lisp-mode-hook
@vindex lisp-interaction-mode-hook
@vindex scheme-mode-hook
Turning on a major mode runs a normal hook called the @dfn{mode
hook}, which is the value of a Lisp variable. Each major mode has a
mode hook, and the hook's name is always made from the mode command's
name by adding @samp{-hook}. For example, turning on C mode runs the
hook @code{c-mode-hook}, while turning on Lisp mode runs the hook
@code{lisp-mode-hook}. The purpose of the mode hook is to give you a
place to set up customizations for that major mode. @xref{Hooks}.
@node Defuns
@section Top-Level Definitions, or Defuns
In Emacs, a major definition at the top level in the buffer,
something like a function, is called a @dfn{defun}. The name comes
from Lisp, but in Emacs we use it for all languages.
@menu
* Left Margin Paren:: An open-paren or similar opening delimiter
starts a defun if it is at the left margin.
* Moving by Defuns:: Commands to move over or mark a major definition.
* Imenu:: Making buffer indexes as menus.
* Which Function:: Which Function mode shows which function you are in.
@end menu
@node Left Margin Paren
@subsection Left Margin Convention
@cindex open-parenthesis in leftmost column
@cindex ( in leftmost column
Emacs assumes by default that any opening delimiter found at the
left margin is the start of a top-level definition, or defun.
Therefore, @strong{don't put an opening delimiter at the left margin
unless it should have that significance}. For instance, never put an
open-parenthesis at the left margin in a Lisp file unless it is the
start of a top-level list.
If you don't follow this convention, not only will you have trouble
when you explicitly use the commands for motion by defuns; other
features that use them will also give you trouble. This includes
the indentation commands (@pxref{Program Indent}) and Font Lock
mode (@pxref{Font Lock}).
The most likely problem case is when you want an opening delimiter
at the start of a line inside a string. To avoid trouble, put an
escape character (@samp{\}, in C and Emacs Lisp, @samp{/} in some
other Lisp dialects) before the opening delimiter. This will not
affect the contents of the string, but will prevent that opening
delimiter from starting a defun. Here's an example:
@example
(insert "Foo:
\(bar)
")
@end example
To help you catch violations of this convention, Font Lock mode
highlights confusing opening delimiters (those that ought to be
quoted) in bold red.
If you need to override this convention, you can so by setting this
user option:
@defvar open-paren-in-column-0-is-defun-start
If this user option is set to @code{t} (the default), opening
parentheses or braces at column zero always start defuns. When it's
@code{nil}, defuns are found by searching for parens or braces at the
outermost level.
@end defvar
Usually, you shouldn't need to set
@code{open-paren-in-column-0-is-defun-start} to @code{nil}. However,
if your buffer contains parentheses or braces in column zero which
don't start defuns and this confuses Emacs, it sometimes helps to set
the option to @code{nil}. Be aware, though, that this will make
scrolling and display in large buffers quite sluggish, and that
parentheses and braces must be correctly matched throughout the buffer
for it to work properly.
In the earliest days, the original Emacs found defuns by moving
upward a level of parentheses or braces until there were no more
levels to go up. This always required scanning all the way back to
the beginning of the buffer, even for a small function. To speed up
the operation, we changed Emacs to assume that any opening delimiter
at the left margin is the start of a defun. This heuristic is nearly
always right, and avoids the need to scan back to the beginning of the
buffer. However, now that modern computers are so powerful, this
scanning is rarely slow enough to annoy, so we've provided a way to
disable the heuristic.
@node Moving by Defuns
@subsection Moving by Defuns
@cindex defuns
These commands move point or set up the region based on top-level
major definitions, also called @dfn{defuns}.
@table @kbd
@item C-M-a
Move to beginning of current or preceding defun
(@code{beginning-of-defun}).
@item C-M-e
Move to end of current or following defun (@code{end-of-defun}).
@item C-M-h
Put region around whole current or following defun (@code{mark-defun}).
@end table
@cindex move to beginning or end of function
@cindex function, move to beginning or end
@kindex C-M-a
@kindex C-M-e
@kindex C-M-h
@findex beginning-of-defun
@findex end-of-defun
@findex mark-defun
The commands to move to the beginning and end of the current defun
are @kbd{C-M-a} (@code{beginning-of-defun}) and @kbd{C-M-e}
(@code{end-of-defun}). If you repeat one of these commands, or use a
positive numeric argument, each repetition moves to the next defun in
the direction of motion.
@kbd{C-M-a} with a negative argument @minus{}@var{n} moves forward
@var{n} times to the next beginning of a defun. This is not exactly
the same place that @kbd{C-M-e} with argument @var{n} would move to;
the end of this defun is not usually exactly the same place as the
beginning of the following defun. (Whitespace, comments, and perhaps
declarations can separate them.) Likewise, @kbd{C-M-e} with a
negative argument moves back to an end of a defun, which is not quite
the same as @kbd{C-M-a} with a positive argument.
@kindex C-M-h @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-mark-function
To operate on the current defun, use @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun})
which puts point at the beginning and mark at the end of the current
defun. This is the easiest way to get ready to kill the defun in
order to move it to a different place in the file. If you use the
command while point is between defuns, it uses the following defun.
Successive uses of @kbd{C-M-h}, or using it in Transient Mark mode
when the mark is active, extends the end of the region to include one
more defun each time.
In C mode, @kbd{C-M-h} runs the function @code{c-mark-function},
which is almost the same as @code{mark-defun}; the difference is that
it backs up over the argument declarations, function name and returned
data type so that the entire C function is inside the region. This is
an example of how major modes adjust the standard key bindings so that
they do their standard jobs in a way better fitting a particular
language. Other major modes may replace any or all of these key
bindings for that purpose.
@node Imenu
@subsection Imenu
@cindex index of buffer definitions
@cindex buffer definitions index
@cindex tags
The Imenu facility offers a way to find the major definitions in
a file by name. It is also useful in text formatter major modes,
where it treats each chapter, section, etc., as a definition.
(@xref{Tags}, for a more powerful feature that handles multiple files
together.)
@findex imenu
If you type @kbd{M-x imenu}, it reads the name of a definition using
the minibuffer, then moves point to that definition. You can use
completion to specify the name; the command always displays the whole
list of valid names.
@findex imenu-add-menubar-index
Alternatively, you can bind the command @code{imenu} to a mouse
click. Then it displays mouse menus for you to select a definition
name. You can also add the buffer's index to the menu bar by calling
@code{imenu-add-menubar-index}. If you want to have this menu bar
item available for all buffers in a certain major mode, you can do
this by adding @code{imenu-add-menubar-index} to its mode hook. But
if you have done that, you will have to wait a little while each time
you visit a file in that mode, while Emacs finds all the definitions
in that buffer.
@vindex imenu-auto-rescan
When you change the contents of a buffer, if you add or delete
definitions, you can update the buffer's index based on the
new contents by invoking the @samp{*Rescan*} item in the menu.
Rescanning happens automatically if you set @code{imenu-auto-rescan} to
a non-@code{nil} value. There is no need to rescan because of small
changes in the text.
@vindex imenu-sort-function
You can customize the way the menus are sorted by setting the
variable @code{imenu-sort-function}. By default, names are ordered as
they occur in the buffer; if you want alphabetic sorting, use the
symbol @code{imenu--sort-by-name} as the value. You can also
define your own comparison function by writing Lisp code.
Imenu provides the information to guide Which Function mode
@ifnottex
(@pxref{Which Function}).
@end ifnottex
@iftex
(see below).
@end iftex
The Speedbar can also use it (@pxref{Speedbar}).
@node Which Function
@subsection Which Function Mode
@cindex current function name in mode line
Which Function mode is a minor mode that displays the current
function name in the mode line, updating it as you move around in a
buffer.
@findex which-function-mode
@vindex which-func-modes
To either enable or disable Which Function mode, use the command
@kbd{M-x which-function-mode}. This command is global; it applies to
all buffers, both existing ones and those yet to be created. However,
it takes effect only in certain major modes, those listed in the value
of @code{which-func-modes}. If the value is @code{t}, then Which
Function mode applies to all major modes that know how to support
it---in other words, all the major modes that support Imenu.
@node Program Indent
@section Indentation for Programs
@cindex indentation for programs
The best way to keep a program properly indented is to use Emacs to
reindent it as you change it. Emacs has commands to indent properly
either a single line, a specified number of lines, or all of the lines
inside a single parenthetical grouping.
@menu
* Basic Indent:: Indenting a single line.
* Multi-line Indent:: Commands to reindent many lines at once.
* Lisp Indent:: Specifying how each Lisp function should be indented.
* C Indent:: Extra features for indenting C and related modes.
* Custom C Indent:: Controlling indentation style for C and related modes.
@end menu
@cindex pretty-printer
Emacs also provides a Lisp pretty-printer in the library @code{pp}.
This program reformats a Lisp object with indentation chosen to look nice.
@node Basic Indent
@subsection Basic Program Indentation Commands
The basic indentation commands indent a single line according to the
usual conventions of the language you are editing.
@need 1000
@table @kbd
@item @key{TAB}
Adjust indentation of current line.
@item C-j
Insert a newline, then adjust indentation of following line
(@code{newline-and-indent}).
@end table
@kindex TAB @r{(programming modes)}
@findex c-indent-command
@findex indent-line-function
@findex indent-for-tab-command
The basic indentation command is @key{TAB}, which gives the current line
the correct indentation as determined from the previous lines. The
function that @key{TAB} runs depends on the major mode; it is
@code{lisp-indent-line}
in Lisp mode, @code{c-indent-command} in C mode, etc. These functions
understand the syntax and conventions of different languages, but they all do
conceptually the same job: @key{TAB} in any programming-language major mode
inserts or deletes whitespace at the beginning of the current line,
independent of where point is in the line. If point was inside the
whitespace at the beginning of the line, @key{TAB} puts it at the end of
that whitespace; otherwise, @key{TAB} keeps point fixed with respect to
the characters around it.
Use @kbd{C-q @key{TAB}} to insert a tab character at point.
@kindex C-j
@findex newline-and-indent
When entering lines of new code, use @kbd{C-j}
(@code{newline-and-indent}), which inserts a newline and then adjusts
indentation after it. (It also deletes any trailing whitespace which
remains before the new newline.) Thus, @kbd{C-j} at the end of a line
creates a blank line with appropriate indentation. In programming
language modes, it is equivalent to @key{RET} @key{TAB}.
@key{TAB} indents a line that starts within a parenthetical grouping
under the preceding line within the grouping, or the text after the
parenthesis. Therefore, if you manually give one of these lines a
nonstandard indentation, the lines below will tend to follow it. This
behavior is convenient in cases where you have overridden the standard
result of @key{TAB} because you find it unaesthetic for a particular
line.
In some modes, an open-parenthesis, open-brace or other opening
delimiter at the left margin is assumed by Emacs (including the
indentation routines) to be the start of a function. This speeds up
indentation commands. If you will be editing text which contains
opening delimiters in column zero that aren't the beginning of a
functions, even inside strings or comments, you must set
@code{open-paren-in-column-0-is-defun-start}. @xref{Left Margin
Paren}, for more information on this.
Normally, lines are indented with tabs and spaces. If you want Emacs
to use spaces only, set @code{indent-tabs-mode} (@pxref{Just Spaces}).
@node Multi-line Indent
@subsection Indenting Several Lines
When you wish to reindent several lines of code which have been
altered or moved to a different level in the parenthesis structure,
you have several commands available.
@table @kbd
@item C-M-q
Reindent all the lines within one parenthetical grouping (@code{indent-pp-sexp}).
@item C-M-\
Reindent all lines in the region (@code{indent-region}).
@item C-u @key{TAB}
Shift an entire parenthetical grouping rigidly sideways so that its
first line is properly indented.
@item M-x indent-code-rigidly
Shift all the lines in the region rigidly sideways, but do not alter
lines that start inside comments and strings.
@end table
@kindex C-M-q
@findex indent-pp-sexp
You can reindent the contents of a single parenthetical grouping by
positioning point before the beginning of it and typing @kbd{C-M-q}
(@code{indent-pp-sexp} in Lisp mode, @code{c-indent-exp} in C mode; also
bound to other suitable commands in other modes). The indentation of
the line where the grouping starts is not changed; therefore this
changes only the relative indentation within the grouping, not its
overall indentation. To correct that as well, type @key{TAB} first.
Another way to specify the range to be reindented is with the
region. The command @kbd{C-M-\} (@code{indent-region}) applies
@key{TAB} to every line whose first character is between point and
mark.
@kindex C-u TAB
If you like the relative indentation within a grouping, but not the
indentation of its first line, you can type @kbd{C-u @key{TAB}} to
reindent the whole grouping as a rigid unit. (This works in Lisp
modes and C and related modes.) @key{TAB} with a numeric argument
reindents the current line as usual, then reindents by the same amount
all the lines in the parenthetical grouping starting on the current
line. It is clever, though, and does not alter lines that start
inside strings. Neither does it alter C preprocessor lines when in C
mode, but it does reindent any continuation lines that may be attached
to them.
@findex indent-code-rigidly
You can also perform this operation on the region, using the command
@kbd{M-x indent-code-rigidly}. It rigidly shifts all the lines in the
region sideways, like @code{indent-rigidly} does (@pxref{Indentation
Commands}). It doesn't alter the indentation of lines that start
inside a string, unless the region also starts inside that string.
The prefix arg specifies the number of columns to indent.
@node Lisp Indent
@subsection Customizing Lisp Indentation
@cindex customizing Lisp indentation
The indentation pattern for a Lisp expression can depend on the function
called by the expression. For each Lisp function, you can choose among
several predefined patterns of indentation, or define an arbitrary one with
a Lisp program.
The standard pattern of indentation is as follows: the second line of the
expression is indented under the first argument, if that is on the same
line as the beginning of the expression; otherwise, the second line is
indented underneath the function name. Each following line is indented
under the previous line whose nesting depth is the same.
@vindex lisp-indent-offset
If the variable @code{lisp-indent-offset} is non-@code{nil}, it overrides
the usual indentation pattern for the second line of an expression, so that
such lines are always indented @code{lisp-indent-offset} more columns than
the containing list.
@vindex lisp-body-indent
Certain functions override the standard pattern. Functions whose
names start with @code{def} treat the second lines as the start of
a @dfn{body}, by indenting the second line @code{lisp-body-indent}
additional columns beyond the open-parenthesis that starts the
expression.
@cindex @code{lisp-indent-function} property
You can override the standard pattern in various ways for individual
functions, according to the @code{lisp-indent-function} property of
the function name. Normally you would use this for macro definitions
and specify it using the @code{declare} construct (@pxref{Defining
Macros,,, elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).
@node C Indent
@subsection Commands for C Indentation
Here are special features for indentation in C mode and related modes:
@table @code
@item C-c C-q
@kindex C-c C-q @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-indent-defun
Reindent the current top-level function definition or aggregate type
declaration (@code{c-indent-defun}).
@item C-M-q
@kindex C-M-q @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-indent-exp
Reindent each line in the balanced expression that follows point
(@code{c-indent-exp}). A prefix argument inhibits warning messages
about invalid syntax.
@item @key{TAB}
@findex c-indent-command
Reindent the current line, and/or in some cases insert a tab character
(@code{c-indent-command}).
@vindex c-tab-always-indent
If @code{c-tab-always-indent} is @code{t}, this command always reindents
the current line and does nothing else. This is the default.
If that variable is @code{nil}, this command reindents the current line
only if point is at the left margin or in the line's indentation;
otherwise, it inserts a tab (or the equivalent number of spaces,
if @code{indent-tabs-mode} is @code{nil}).
Any other value (not @code{nil} or @code{t}) means always reindent the
line, and also insert a tab if within a comment or a string.
@end table
To reindent the whole current buffer, type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}. This
first selects the whole buffer as the region, then reindents that
region.
To reindent the current block, use @kbd{C-M-u C-M-q}. This moves
to the front of the block and then reindents it all.
@node Custom C Indent
@subsection Customizing C Indentation
@cindex style (for indentation)
C mode and related modes use a flexible mechanism for customizing
indentation. C mode indents a source line in two steps: first it
classifies the line syntactically according to its contents and
context; second, it determines the indentation offset associated by
your selected @dfn{style} with the syntactic construct and adds this
onto the indentation of the @dfn{anchor statement}.
@table @kbd
@item C-c . @key{RET} @var{style} @key{RET}
Select a predefined style @var{style} (@code{c-set-style}).
@end table
A @dfn{style} is a named collection of customizations that can be
used in C mode and the related modes. @ref{Styles,,, ccmode, The CC
Mode Manual}, for a complete description. Emacs comes with several
predefined styles, including @code{gnu}, @code{k&r}, @code{bsd},
@code{stroustrup}, @code{linux}, @code{python}, @code{java},
@code{whitesmith}, @code{ellemtel}, and @code{awk}. Some of these
styles are primarily intended for one language, but any of them can be
used with any of the languages supported by these modes. To find out
what a style looks like, select it and reindent some code, e.g., by
typing @key{C-M-q} at the start of a function definition.
@kindex C-c . @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-set-style
To choose a style for the current buffer, use the command @w{@kbd{C-c
.}}. Specify a style name as an argument (case is not significant).
This command affects the current buffer only, and it affects only
future invocations of the indentation commands; it does not reindent
the code already in the buffer. To reindent the whole buffer in the
new style, you can type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}.
@vindex c-default-style
You can also set the variable @code{c-default-style} to specify the
default style for various major modes. Its value should be either the
style's name (a string) or an alist, in which each element specifies
one major mode and which indentation style to use for it. For
example,
@example
(setq c-default-style
'((java-mode . "java") (awk-mode . "awk") (other . "gnu")))
@end example
@noindent
specifies explicit choices for Java and AWK modes, and the default
@samp{gnu} style for the other C-like modes. (These settings are
actually the defaults.) This variable takes effect when you select
one of the C-like major modes; thus, if you specify a new default
style for Java mode, you can make it take effect in an existing Java
mode buffer by typing @kbd{M-x java-mode} there.
The @code{gnu} style specifies the formatting recommended by the GNU
Project for C; it is the default, so as to encourage use of our
recommended style.
@xref{Indentation Engine Basics,,, ccmode, the CC Mode Manual}, and
@ref{Customizing Indentation,,, ccmode, the CC Mode Manual}, for more
information on customizing indentation for C and related modes,
including how to override parts of an existing style and how to define
your own styles.
@node Parentheses
@section Commands for Editing with Parentheses
@findex check-parens
@cindex unbalanced parentheses and quotes
This section describes the commands and features that take advantage
of the parenthesis structure in a program, or help you keep it
balanced.
When talking about these facilities, the term ``parenthesis'' also
includes braces, brackets, or whatever delimiters are defined to match
in pairs. The major mode controls which delimiters are significant,
through the syntax table (@pxref{Syntax}). In Lisp, only parentheses
count; in C, these commands apply to braces and brackets too.
You can use @kbd{M-x check-parens} to find any unbalanced
parentheses and unbalanced string quotes in the buffer.
@menu
* Expressions:: Expressions with balanced parentheses.
* Moving by Parens:: Commands for moving up, down and across
in the structure of parentheses.
* Matching:: Insertion of a close-delimiter flashes matching open.
@end menu
@node Expressions
@subsection Expressions with Balanced Parentheses
@cindex sexp
@cindex expression
@cindex balanced expression
These commands deal with balanced expressions, also called
@dfn{sexps}@footnote{The word ``sexp'' is used to refer to an
expression in Lisp.}.
@table @kbd
@item C-M-f
Move forward over a balanced expression (@code{forward-sexp}).
@item C-M-b
Move backward over a balanced expression (@code{backward-sexp}).
@item C-M-k
Kill balanced expression forward (@code{kill-sexp}).
@item C-M-t
Transpose expressions (@code{transpose-sexps}).
@item C-M-@@
@itemx C-M-@key{SPC}
Put mark after following expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
@end table
Each programming language major mode customizes the definition of
balanced expressions to suit that language. Balanced expressions
typically include symbols, numbers, and string constants, as well as
any pair of matching delimiters and their contents. Some languages
have obscure forms of expression syntax that nobody has bothered to
implement in Emacs.
@cindex Control-Meta
By convention, the keys for these commands are all Control-Meta
characters. They usually act on expressions just as the corresponding
Meta characters act on words. For instance, the command @kbd{C-M-b}
moves backward over a balanced expression, just as @kbd{M-b} moves
back over a word.
@kindex C-M-f
@kindex C-M-b
@findex forward-sexp
@findex backward-sexp
To move forward over a balanced expression, use @kbd{C-M-f}
(@code{forward-sexp}). If the first significant character after point
is an opening delimiter (@samp{(} in Lisp; @samp{(}, @samp{[} or
@samp{@{} in C), @kbd{C-M-f} moves past the matching closing
delimiter. If the character begins a symbol, string, or number,
@kbd{C-M-f} moves over that.
The command @kbd{C-M-b} (@code{backward-sexp}) moves backward over a
balanced expression. The detailed rules are like those above for
@kbd{C-M-f}, but with directions reversed. If there are prefix
characters (single-quote, backquote and comma, in Lisp) preceding the
expression, @kbd{C-M-b} moves back over them as well. The balanced
expression commands move across comments as if they were whitespace,
in most modes.
@kbd{C-M-f} or @kbd{C-M-b} with an argument repeats that operation the
specified number of times; with a negative argument, it moves in the
opposite direction.
@cindex killing expressions
@kindex C-M-k
@findex kill-sexp
Killing a whole balanced expression can be done with @kbd{C-M-k}
(@code{kill-sexp}). @kbd{C-M-k} kills the characters that @kbd{C-M-f}
would move over.
@cindex transposition of expressions
@kindex C-M-t
@findex transpose-sexps
A somewhat random-sounding command which is nevertheless handy is
@kbd{C-M-t} (@code{transpose-sexps}), which drags the previous
balanced expression across the next one. An argument serves as a
repeat count, moving the previous expression over that many following
ones. A negative argument drags the previous balanced expression
backwards across those before it (thus canceling out the effect of
@kbd{C-M-t} with a positive argument). An argument of zero, rather
than doing nothing, transposes the balanced expressions ending at or
after point and the mark.
@kindex C-M-@@
@kindex C-M-@key{SPC}
@findex mark-sexp
To set the region around the next balanced expression in the buffer,
use @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}), which sets mark at the same place
that @kbd{C-M-f} would move to. @kbd{C-M-@@} takes arguments like
@kbd{C-M-f}. In particular, a negative argument is useful for putting
the mark at the beginning of the previous balanced expression. The
alias @kbd{C-M-@key{SPC}} is equivalent to @kbd{C-M-@@}. When you
repeat this command, or use it in Transient Mark mode when the mark is
active, it extends the end of the region by one sexp each time.
In languages that use infix operators, such as C, it is not possible
to recognize all balanced expressions as such because there can be
multiple possibilities at a given position. For example, C mode does
not treat @samp{foo + bar} as a single expression, even though it
@emph{is} one C expression; instead, it recognizes @samp{foo} as one
expression and @samp{bar} as another, with the @samp{+} as punctuation
between them. Both @samp{foo + bar} and @samp{foo} are legitimate
choices for ``the expression following point'' when point is at the
@samp{f}, so the expression commands must perforce choose one or the
other to operate on. Note that @samp{(foo + bar)} is recognized as a
single expression in C mode, because of the parentheses.
@node Moving by Parens
@subsection Moving in the Parenthesis Structure
@cindex parenthetical groupings
@cindex parentheses, moving across
@cindex matching parenthesis and braces, moving to
@cindex braces, moving across
@cindex list commands
The Emacs commands for handling parenthetical groupings see nothing
except parentheses (or whatever characters must balance in the
language you are working with), and the escape characters that might
be used to quote those. They are mainly intended for editing
programs, but can be useful for editing any text that has parentheses.
They are sometimes called ``list'' commands because in Lisp these
groupings are lists.
@table @kbd
@item C-M-n
Move forward over a parenthetical group (@code{forward-list}).
@item C-M-p
Move backward over a parenthetical group (@code{backward-list}).
@item C-M-u
Move up in parenthesis structure (@code{backward-up-list}).
@item C-M-d
Move down in parenthesis structure (@code{down-list}).
@end table
@kindex C-M-n
@kindex C-M-p
@findex forward-list
@findex backward-list
The ``list'' commands @kbd{C-M-n} (@code{forward-list}) and
@kbd{C-M-p} (@code{backward-list}) move over one (or @var{n})
parenthetical groupings, skipping blithely over any amount of text
that doesn't include meaningful parentheses (symbols, strings, etc.).
@kindex C-M-u
@findex backward-up-list
@kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-p} try to stay at the same level in the
parenthesis structure. To move @emph{up} one (or @var{n}) levels, use
@kbd{C-M-u} (@code{backward-up-list}). @kbd{C-M-u} moves backward up
past one unmatched opening delimiter. A positive argument serves as a
repeat count; a negative argument reverses the direction of motion, so
that the command moves forward and up one or more levels.
@kindex C-M-d
@findex down-list
To move @emph{down} in the parenthesis structure, use @kbd{C-M-d}
(@code{down-list}). In Lisp mode, where @samp{(} is the only opening
delimiter, this is nearly the same as searching for a @samp{(}. An
argument specifies the number of levels to go down.
@node Matching
@subsection Automatic Display Of Matching Parentheses
@cindex matching parentheses
@cindex parentheses, displaying matches
The Emacs parenthesis-matching feature is designed to show
automatically how parentheses (and other matching delimiters) match in
the text. Whenever you type a self-inserting character that is a
closing delimiter, the cursor moves momentarily to the location of the
matching opening delimiter, provided that is on the screen. If it is
not on the screen, Emacs displays some of the text near it in the echo
area. Either way, you can tell which grouping you are closing off.
If the opening delimiter and closing delimiter are mismatched---such
as in @samp{[x)}---a warning message is displayed in the echo area.
@vindex blink-matching-paren
@vindex blink-matching-paren-distance
@vindex blink-matching-delay
Three variables control parenthesis match display:
@code{blink-matching-paren} turns the feature on or off: @code{nil}
disables it, but the default is @code{t} to enable match display.
@code{blink-matching-delay} says how many seconds to leave the
cursor on the matching opening delimiter, before bringing it back to
the real location of point; the default is 1, but on some systems it
is useful to specify a fraction of a second.
@code{blink-matching-paren-distance} specifies how many characters
back to search to find the matching opening delimiter. If the match
is not found in that distance, scanning stops, and nothing is displayed.
This is to prevent the scan for the matching delimiter from wasting
lots of time when there is no match. The default is 25600.
@cindex Show Paren mode
@cindex highlighting matching parentheses
@findex show-paren-mode
Show Paren mode provides a more powerful kind of automatic matching.
Whenever point is after a closing delimiter, that delimiter and its
matching opening delimiter are both highlighted; otherwise, if point
is before an opening delimiter, the matching closing delimiter is
highlighted. (There is no need to highlight the opening delimiter in
that case, because the cursor appears on top of that character.) Use
the command @kbd{M-x show-paren-mode} to enable or disable this mode.
Show Paren mode uses the faces @code{show-paren-match} and
@code{show-paren-mismatch} to highlight parentheses; you can customize
them to control how highlighting looks. @xref{Face Customization}.
@node Comments
@section Manipulating Comments
@cindex comments
Because comments are such an important part of programming, Emacs
provides special commands for editing and inserting comments. It can
also do spell checking on comments with Flyspell Prog mode
(@pxref{Spelling}).
@menu
* Comment Commands:: Inserting, killing, and aligning comments.
* Multi-Line Comments:: Commands for adding and editing multi-line comments.
* Options for Comments::Customizing the comment features.
@end menu
@node Comment Commands
@subsection Comment Commands
@cindex indentation for comments
@cindex alignment for comments
The comment commands in this table insert, kill and align comments.
They are described in this section and following sections.
@table @asis
@item @kbd{M-;}
Insert or realign comment on current line; alternatively, comment or
uncomment the region (@code{comment-dwim}).
@item @kbd{C-u M-;}
Kill comment on current line (@code{comment-kill}).
@item @kbd{C-x ;}
Set comment column (@code{comment-set-column}).
@item @kbd{C-M-j}
@itemx @kbd{M-j}
Like @key{RET} followed by inserting and aligning a comment
(@code{comment-indent-new-line}). @xref{Multi-Line Comments}.
@item @kbd{M-x comment-region}
@itemx @kbd{C-c C-c} (in C-like modes)
Add or remove comment delimiters on all the lines in the region.
@end table
@kindex M-;
@findex comment-dwim
The command to create or align a comment is @kbd{M-;}
(@code{comment-dwim}). The word ``dwim'' is an acronym for ``Do What
I Mean''; it indicates that this command can be used for many
different jobs relating to comments, depending on the situation where
you use it.
If there is no comment already on the line, @kbd{M-;} inserts a new
comment, aligned at a specific column called the @dfn{comment column}.
The new comment begins with the string Emacs thinks comments should
start with (the value of @code{comment-start}; see below). Point is
after that string, so you can insert the text of the comment right
away. If the major mode has specified a string to terminate comments,
@kbd{M-;} inserts that after point, to keep the syntax valid.
If the text of the line extends past the comment column, this
command aligns the comment start string to a suitable boundary
(usually, at least one space is inserted).
You can also use @kbd{M-;} to align an existing comment. If a line
already contains the comment-start string, @kbd{M-;} realigns it to
the conventional alignment and moves point after it. (Exception:
comments starting in column 0 are not moved.) Even when an existing
comment is properly aligned, @kbd{M-;} is still useful for moving
directly to the start of the text inside the comment.
@findex comment-kill
@kindex C-u M-;
@kbd{C-u M-;} kills any comment on the current line, along with the
whitespace before it. To reinsert the comment on another line, move
to the end of that line, do @kbd{C-y}, and then do @kbd{M-;} to
realign it.
Note that @kbd{C-u M-;} is not a distinct key; it is @kbd{M-;}
(@code{comment-dwim}) with a prefix argument. That command is
programmed so that when it receives a prefix argument it calls
@code{comment-kill}. However, @code{comment-kill} is a valid command
in its own right, and you can bind it directly to a key if you wish.
@kbd{M-;} does two other jobs when used with an active region in
Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}). Then it either adds or
removes comment delimiters on each line of the region. (If every line
is a comment, it removes comment delimiters from each; otherwise, it
adds comment delimiters to each.) If you are not using Transient Mark
mode, then you should use the commands @code{comment-region} and
@code{uncomment-region} to do these jobs (@pxref{Multi-Line Comments}),
or else enable Transient Mark mode momentarily (@pxref{Momentary Mark}).
A prefix argument used in these circumstances specifies how many
comment delimiters to add or how many to delete.
Some major modes have special rules for aligning certain kinds of
comments in certain contexts. For example, in Lisp code, comments which
start with two semicolons are indented as if they were lines of code,
instead of at the comment column. Comments which start with three
semicolons are supposed to start at the left margin and are often used
for sectioning purposes. Emacs understands
these conventions by indenting a double-semicolon comment using @key{TAB},
and by not changing the indentation of a triple-semicolon comment at all.
@example
;; This function is just an example.
;;; Here either two or three semicolons are appropriate.
(defun foo (x)
;;; And now, the first part of the function:
;; The following line adds one.
(1+ x)) ; This line adds one.
@end example
For C-like modes, you can configure the exact effect of @kbd{M-;}
more flexibly than for most buffers by setting the variables
@code{c-indent-comment-alist} and
@code{c-indent-comments-syntactically-p}. For example, on a line
ending in a closing brace, @kbd{M-;} puts the comment one space after
the brace rather than at @code{comment-column}. For full details see
@ref{Comment Commands,,, ccmode, The CC Mode Manual}.
@node Multi-Line Comments
@subsection Multiple Lines of Comments
@kindex C-M-j
@kindex M-j
@cindex blank lines in programs
@findex comment-indent-new-line
If you are typing a comment and wish to continue it on another line,
you can use the command @kbd{C-M-j} or @kbd{M-j}
(@code{comment-indent-new-line}). If @code{comment-multi-line}
(@pxref{Options for Comments}) is non-@code{nil}, it moves to a new
line within the comment. Otherwise it closes the comment and starts a
new comment on a new line. When Auto Fill mode is on, going past the
fill column while typing a comment causes the comment to be continued
in just this fashion.
@kindex C-c C-c (C mode)
@findex comment-region
To turn existing lines into comment lines, use the @kbd{M-x
comment-region} command (or type @kbd{C-c C-c} in C-like modes). It
adds comment delimiters to the lines that start in the region, thus
commenting them out. With a negative argument, it does the
opposite---it deletes comment delimiters from the lines in the region.
With a positive argument, @code{comment-region} duplicates the last
character of the comment start sequence it adds; the argument
specifies how many copies of the character to insert. Thus, in Lisp
mode, @kbd{C-u 2 M-x comment-region} adds @samp{;;} to each line.
Duplicating the comment delimiter is a way of calling attention to the
comment. It can also affect how the comment is aligned or indented.
In Lisp, for proper indentation, you should use an argument of two or
three, if between defuns; if within a defun, it must be three.
You can configure C Mode such that when you type a @samp{/} at the
start of a line in a multi-line block comment, this closes the
comment. Enable the @code{comment-close-slash} clean-up for this.
@xref{Clean-ups,,, ccmode, The CC Mode Manual}.
@node Options for Comments
@subsection Options Controlling Comments
@vindex comment-column
@kindex C-x ;
@findex comment-set-column
The @dfn{comment column}, the column at which Emacs tries to place
comments, is stored in the variable @code{comment-column}. You can
set it to a number explicitly. Alternatively, the command @kbd{C-x ;}
(@code{comment-set-column}) sets the comment column to the column
point is at. @kbd{C-u C-x ;} sets the comment column to match the
last comment before point in the buffer, and then does a @kbd{M-;} to
align the current line's comment under the previous one.
The variable @code{comment-column} is per-buffer: setting the variable
in the normal fashion affects only the current buffer, but there is a
default value which you can change with @code{setq-default}.
@xref{Locals}. Many major modes initialize this variable for the
current buffer.
@vindex comment-start-skip
The comment commands recognize comments based on the regular
expression that is the value of the variable @code{comment-start-skip}.
Make sure this regexp does not match the null string. It may match more
than the comment starting delimiter in the strictest sense of the word;
for example, in C mode the value of the variable is
@c This stops M-q from breaking the line inside that @code.
@code{@w{"/\\*+ *\\|//+ *"}}, which matches extra stars and spaces
after the @samp{/*} itself, and accepts C++ style comments also.
(Note that @samp{\\} is needed in Lisp syntax to include a @samp{\} in
the string, which is needed to deny the first star its special meaning
in regexp syntax. @xref{Regexp Backslash}.)
@vindex comment-start
@vindex comment-end
When a comment command makes a new comment, it inserts the value of
@code{comment-start} to begin it. The value of @code{comment-end} is
inserted after point, so that it will follow the text that you will
insert into the comment. When @code{comment-end} is non-empty, it
should start with a space. For example, in C mode,
@code{comment-start} has the value @w{@code{"/* "}} and
@code{comment-end} has the value @w{@code{" */"}}.
@vindex comment-padding
The variable @code{comment-padding} specifies how many spaces
@code{comment-region} should insert on each line between the comment
delimiter and the line's original text. The default is 1, to insert
one space. @code{nil} means 0. Alternatively, @code{comment-padding}
can hold the actual string to insert.
@vindex comment-multi-line
The variable @code{comment-multi-line} controls how @kbd{C-M-j}
(@code{indent-new-comment-line}) behaves when used inside a comment.
Specifically, when @code{comment-multi-line} is @code{nil}, the
command inserts a comment terminator, begins a new line, and finally
inserts a comment starter. Otherwise it does not insert the
terminator and starter, so it effectively continues the current
comment across multiple lines. In languages that allow multi-line
comments, the choice of value for this variable is a matter of taste.
The default for this variable depends on the major mode.
@vindex comment-indent-function
The variable @code{comment-indent-function} should contain a function
that will be called to compute the alignment for a newly inserted
comment or for aligning an existing comment. It is set differently by
various major modes. The function is called with no arguments, but with
point at the beginning of the comment, or at the end of a line if a new
comment is to be inserted. It should return the column in which the
comment ought to start. For example, in Lisp mode, the indent hook
function bases its decision on how many semicolons begin an existing
comment, and on the code in the preceding lines.
@node Documentation
@section Documentation Lookup
Emacs provides several features you can use to look up the
documentation of functions, variables and commands that you plan to
use in your program.
@menu
* Info Lookup:: Looking up library functions and commands
in Info files.
* Man Page:: Looking up man pages of library functions and commands.
* Lisp Doc:: Looking up Emacs Lisp functions, etc.
@end menu
@node Info Lookup
@subsection Info Documentation Lookup
@findex info-lookup-symbol
@findex info-lookup-file
@kindex C-h S
For many major modes, that apply to languages that have
documentation in Info, you can use @kbd{C-h S}
(@code{info-lookup-symbol}) to view the Info documentation for a
symbol used in the program. You specify the symbol with the
minibuffer; the default is the symbol appearing in the buffer at
point. For example, in C mode this looks for the symbol in the C
Library Manual. The command only works if the appropriate manual's
Info files are installed.
The major mode determines where to look for documentation for the
symbol---which Info files to look in, and which indices to search.
You can also use @kbd{M-x info-lookup-file} to look for documentation
for a file name.
If you use @kbd{C-h S} in a major mode that does not support it,
it asks you to specify the ``symbol help mode.'' You should enter
a command such as @code{c-mode} that would select a major
mode which @kbd{C-h S} does support.
@node Man Page
@subsection Man Page Lookup
@cindex manual page
On Unix, the main form of on-line documentation was the @dfn{manual
page} or @dfn{man page}. In the GNU operating system, we aim to
replace man pages with better-organized manuals that you can browse
with Info (@pxref{Misc Help}). This process is not finished, so it is
still useful to read manual pages.
@findex manual-entry
You can read the man page for an operating system command, library
function, or system call, with the @kbd{M-x man} command. It
runs the @code{man} program to format the man page; if the system
permits, it runs @code{man} asynchronously, so that you can keep on
editing while the page is being formatted. (On MS-DOS and MS-Windows
3, you cannot edit while Emacs waits for @code{man} to finish.) The
result goes in a buffer named @samp{*Man @var{topic}*}. These buffers
use a special major mode, Man mode, that facilitates scrolling and
jumping to other manual pages. For details, type @kbd{C-h m} while in
a man page buffer.
@cindex sections of manual pages
Each man page belongs to one of ten or more @dfn{sections}, each
named by a digit or by a digit and a letter. Sometimes there are
multiple man pages with the same name in different sections. To read
a man page from a specific section, type
@samp{@var{topic}(@var{section})} or @samp{@var{section} @var{topic}}
when @kbd{M-x manual-entry} prompts for the topic. For example, to
read the man page for the C library function @code{chmod} (as opposed
to a command of the same name), type @kbd{M-x manual-entry @key{RET}
chmod(2) @key{RET}}. (@code{chmod} is a system call, so it is in
section @samp{2}.)
@vindex Man-switches
If you do not specify a section, the results depend on how the
@code{man} program works on your system. Some of them display only
the first man page they find. Others display all man pages that have
the specified name, so you can move between them with the @kbd{M-n}
and @kbd{M-p} keys@footnote{On some systems, the @code{man} program
accepts a @samp{-a} command-line option which tells it to display all
the man pages for the specified topic. If you want this behavior, you
can add this option to the value of the variable @code{Man-switches}.}.
The mode line shows how many manual pages are present in the Man buffer.
@vindex Man-fontify-manpage-flag
By default, Emacs highlights the text in man pages. For a long man
page, highlighting can take substantial time. You can turn off
highlighting of man pages by setting the variable
@code{Man-fontify-manpage-flag} to @code{nil}.
@findex Man-fontify-manpage
If you insert the text of a man page into an Emacs buffer in some
other fashion, you can use the command @kbd{M-x Man-fontify-manpage} to
perform the same conversions that @kbd{M-x manual-entry} does.
@findex woman
@cindex manual pages, on MS-DOS/MS-Windows
An alternative way of reading manual pages is the @kbd{M-x woman}
command@footnote{The name of the command, @code{woman}, is an acronym
for ``w/o (without) man,'' since it doesn't use the @code{man}
program.}. Unlike @kbd{M-x man}, it does not run any external
programs to format and display the man pages; instead it does the job
in Emacs Lisp, so it works on systems such as MS-Windows, where the
@code{man} program (and other programs it uses) are not generally
available.
@kbd{M-x woman} prompts for a name of a manual page, and provides
completion based on the list of manual pages that are installed on
your machine; the list of available manual pages is computed
automatically the first time you invoke @code{woman}. The word at
point in the current buffer is used to suggest the default for the
name the manual page.
With a numeric argument, @kbd{M-x woman} recomputes the list of the
manual pages used for completion. This is useful if you add or delete
manual pages.
If you type a name of a manual page and @kbd{M-x woman} finds that
several manual pages by the same name exist in different sections, it
pops up a window with possible candidates asking you to choose one of
them.
For more information about setting up and using @kbd{M-x woman}, see
@ref{Top, WoMan, Browse UN*X Manual Pages WithOut Man, woman, The WoMan
Manual}.
@node Lisp Doc
@subsection Emacs Lisp Documentation Lookup
As you edit Lisp code to be run in Emacs, you can use the commands
@kbd{C-h f} (@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-h v}
(@code{describe-variable}) to view documentation of functions and
variables that you want to use. These commands use the minibuffer to
read the name of a function or variable to document, and display the
documentation in a window. Their default arguments are based on the
code in the neighborhood of point. For @kbd{C-h f}, the default is
the function called in the innermost list containing point. @kbd{C-h
v} uses the symbol name around or adjacent to point as its default.
@cindex Eldoc mode
@findex eldoc-mode
A more automatic but less powerful method is Eldoc mode. This minor
mode constantly displays in the echo area the argument list for the
function being called at point. (In other words, it finds the
function call that point is contained in, and displays the argument
list of that function.) If point is over a documented variable, it
shows the first line of the variable's docstring. Eldoc mode applies
in Emacs Lisp and Lisp Interaction modes, and perhaps a few others
that provide special support for looking up doc strings. Use the
command @kbd{M-x eldoc-mode} to enable or disable this feature.
@node Hideshow
@section Hideshow minor mode
@findex hs-minor-mode
Hideshow minor mode provides selective display of portions of a
program, known as @dfn{blocks}. You can use @kbd{M-x hs-minor-mode}
to enable or disable this mode, or add @code{hs-minor-mode} to the
mode hook for certain major modes in order to enable it automatically
for those modes.
Just what constitutes a block depends on the major mode. In C mode
or C++ mode, they are delimited by braces, while in Lisp mode and
similar modes they are delimited by parentheses. Multi-line comments
also count as blocks.
@findex hs-hide-all
@findex hs-hide-block
@findex hs-show-all
@findex hs-show-block
@findex hs-show-region
@findex hs-hide-level
@findex hs-minor-mode
@kindex C-c @@ C-h
@kindex C-c @@ C-s
@kindex C-c @@ C-M-h
@kindex C-c @@ C-M-s
@kindex C-c @@ C-r
@kindex C-c @@ C-l
@kindex S-Mouse-2
@table @kbd
@item C-c @@ C-h
Hide the current block (@code{hs-hide-block}).
@item C-c @@ C-s
Show the current block (@code{hs-show-block}).
@item C-c @@ C-c
Either hide or show the current block (@code{hs-toggle-hiding}).
@item S-Mouse-2
Either hide or show the block you click on (@code{hs-mouse-toggle-hiding}).
@item C-c @@ C-M-h
Hide all top-level blocks (@code{hs-hide-all}).
@item C-c @@ C-M-s
Show everything in the buffer (@code{hs-show-all}).
@item C-c @@ C-l
Hide all blocks @var{n} levels below this block
(@code{hs-hide-level}).
@end table
@vindex hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
@vindex hs-isearch-open
@vindex hs-special-modes-alist
These variables exist for customizing Hideshow mode.
@table @code
@item hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
Non-@code{nil} says that @kbd{hs-hide-all} should hide comments too.
@item hs-isearch-open
Specifies what kind of hidden blocks incremental search should make
visible. The value should be one of these four symbols:
@table @code
@item code
Open only code blocks.
@item comment
Open only comments.
@item t
Open both code blocks and comments.
@item nil
Open neither code blocks nor comments.
@end table
@item hs-special-modes-alist
A list of elements, each specifying how to initialize Hideshow
variables for one major mode. See the variable's documentation string
for more information.
@end table
@node Symbol Completion
@section Completion for Symbol Names
@cindex completion (symbol names)
In Emacs, completion is something you normally do in the minibuffer.
But one kind of completion is available in all buffers: completion for
symbol names.
@kindex M-TAB
The character @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs a command to complete the
partial symbol before point against the set of meaningful symbol
names. This command inserts at point any additional characters that
it can determine from the partial name.
If your window manager defines @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} to switch windows,
you can type @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{TAB}} or @kbd{C-M-i} instead.
However, most window managers let you customize these shortcuts, and
we recommend that you change any that get in the way of use of Emacs.
If the partial name in the buffer has multiple possible completions
that differ in the very next character, so that it is impossible to
complete even one more character, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} displays a list of
all possible completions in another window.
@cindex tags-based completion
@cindex Info index completion
@findex complete-symbol
In most programming language major modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} runs the
command @code{complete-symbol}, which provides two kinds of completion.
Normally it does completion based on a tags table (@pxref{Tags}); with a
numeric argument (regardless of the value), it does completion based on
the names listed in the Info file indexes for your language. Thus, to
complete the name of a symbol defined in your own program, use
@kbd{M-@key{TAB}} with no argument; to complete the name of a standard
library function, use @kbd{C-u M-@key{TAB}}. Of course, Info-based
completion works only if there is an Info file for the standard library
functions of your language, and only if it is installed at your site.
@cindex Lisp symbol completion
@cindex completion (Lisp symbols)
@findex lisp-complete-symbol
In Emacs-Lisp mode, the name space for completion normally consists of
nontrivial symbols present in Emacs---those that have function
definitions, values or properties. However, if there is an
open-parenthesis immediately before the beginning of the partial symbol,
only symbols with function definitions are considered as completions.
The command which implements this is @code{lisp-complete-symbol}.
In Text mode and related modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completes words
based on the spell-checker's dictionary. @xref{Spelling}.
@node Glasses
@section Glasses minor mode
@cindex Glasses mode
@cindex identifiers, making long ones readable
@cindex StudlyCaps, making them readable
@findex glasses-mode
Glasses minor mode makes @samp{unreadableIdentifiersLikeThis}
readable by altering the way they display. It knows two different
ways to do this: by displaying underscores between a lower-case letter
and the following capital letter, and by emboldening the capital
letters. It does not alter the buffer text, only the way they
display, so you can use it even on read-only buffers. You can use the
command @kbd{M-x glasses-mode} to enable or disable the mode in the
current buffer; you can also add @code{glasses-mode} to the mode hook
of the programming language major modes in which you normally want
to use Glasses mode.
@node Misc for Programs
@section Other Features Useful for Editing Programs
A number of Emacs commands that aren't designed specifically for
editing programs are useful for that nonetheless.
The Emacs commands that operate on words, sentences and paragraphs
are useful for editing code. Most symbols names contain words
(@pxref{Words}); sentences can be found in strings and comments
(@pxref{Sentences}). Paragraphs in the strict sense can be found in
program code (in long comments), but the paragraph commands are useful
in other places too, because programming language major modes define
paragraphs to begin and end at blank lines (@pxref{Paragraphs}).
Judicious use of blank lines to make the program clearer will also
provide useful chunks of text for the paragraph commands to work on.
Auto Fill mode, if enabled in a programming language major mode,
indents the new lines which it creates.
The selective display feature is useful for looking at the overall
structure of a function (@pxref{Selective Display}). This feature
hides the lines that are indented more than a specified amount.
Programming modes often support Outline minor mode (@pxref{Outline
Mode}). The Foldout package provides folding-editor features
(@pxref{Foldout}).
The ``automatic typing'' features may be useful for writing programs.
@xref{Top,,Autotyping, autotype, Autotyping}.
@node C Modes
@section C and Related Modes
@cindex C mode
@cindex Java mode
@cindex Pike mode
@cindex IDL mode
@cindex CORBA IDL mode
@cindex Objective C mode
@cindex C++ mode
@cindex AWK mode
@cindex mode, Java
@cindex mode, C
@cindex mode, C++
@cindex mode, Objective C
@cindex mode, CORBA IDL
@cindex mode, Pike
@cindex mode, AWK
This section gives a brief description of the special features
available in C, C++, Objective-C, Java, CORBA IDL, Pike and AWK modes.
(These are called ``C mode and related modes.'') @xref{Top, , CC Mode,
ccmode, CC Mode}, for a more extensive description of these modes
and their special features.
@menu
* Motion in C:: Commands to move by C statements, etc.
* Electric C:: Colon and other chars can automatically reindent.
* Hungry Delete:: A more powerful DEL command.
* Other C Commands:: Filling comments, viewing expansion of macros,
and other neat features.
@end menu
@node Motion in C
@subsection C Mode Motion Commands
This section describes commands for moving point, in C mode and
related modes.
@table @code
@item M-x c-beginning-of-defun
@itemx M-x c-end-of-defun
@findex c-beginning-of-defun
@findex c-end-of-defun
Move point to the beginning or end of the current function or
top-level definition. These are found by searching for the least
enclosing braces. (By contrast, @code{beginning-of-defun} and
@code{end-of-defun} search for braces in column zero.) If you are
editing code where the opening brace of a function isn't placed in
column zero, you may wish to bind @code{C-M-a} and @code{C-M-e} to
these commands. @xref{Moving by Defuns}.
@item C-c C-u
@kindex C-c C-u @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-up-conditional
Move point back to the containing preprocessor conditional, leaving the
mark behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
argument, move point forward to the end of the containing
preprocessor conditional.
@samp{#elif} is equivalent to @samp{#else} followed by @samp{#if}, so
the function will stop at a @samp{#elif} when going backward, but not
when going forward.
@item C-c C-p
@kindex C-c C-p @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-backward-conditional
Move point back over a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
argument, move forward.
@item C-c C-n
@kindex C-c C-n @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-forward-conditional
Move point forward across a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
behind. A prefix argument acts as a repeat count. With a negative
argument, move backward.
@item M-a
@kindex M-a (C mode)
@findex c-beginning-of-statement
Move point to the beginning of the innermost C statement
(@code{c-beginning-of-statement}). If point is already at the beginning
of a statement, move to the beginning of the preceding statement. With
prefix argument @var{n}, move back @var{n} @minus{} 1 statements.
In comments or in strings which span more than one line, this command
moves by sentences instead of statements.
@item M-e
@kindex M-e (C mode)
@findex c-end-of-statement
Move point to the end of the innermost C statement or sentence; like
@kbd{M-a} except that it moves in the other direction
(@code{c-end-of-statement}).
@end table
@node Electric C
@subsection Electric C Characters
In C mode and related modes, certain printing characters are
@dfn{electric}---in addition to inserting themselves, they also
reindent the current line, and optionally also insert newlines. The
``electric'' characters are @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, @kbd{:}, @kbd{#},
@kbd{;}, @kbd{,}, @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{/}, @kbd{*}, @kbd{(}, and
@kbd{)}.
You might find electric indentation inconvenient if you are editing
chaotically indented code. If you are new to CC Mode, you might find
it disconcerting. You can toggle electric action with the command
@kbd{C-c C-l}; when it is enabled, @samp{/l} appears in the mode line
after the mode name:
@table @kbd
@item C-c C-l
@kindex C-c C-l @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-toggle-electric-state
Toggle electric action (@code{c-toggle-electric-state}). With a
prefix argument, this command enables electric action if the argument
is positive, disables it if it is negative.
@end table
Electric characters insert newlines only when, in addition to the
electric state, the @dfn{auto-newline} feature is enabled (indicated
by @samp{/la} in the mode line after the mode name). You can turn
this feature on or off with the command @kbd{C-c C-a}:
@table @kbd
@item C-c C-a
@kindex C-c C-a @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-toggle-auto-newline
Toggle the auto-newline feature (@code{c-toggle-auto-newline}). With a
prefix argument, this command turns the auto-newline feature on if the
argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
@end table
Usually the CC Mode style configures the exact circumstances in
which Emacs inserts auto-newlines. You can also configure this
directly. @xref{Custom Auto-newlines,,, ccmode, The CC Mode Manual}.
@node Hungry Delete
@subsection Hungry Delete Feature in C
@cindex hungry deletion (C Mode)
If you want to delete an entire block of whitespace at point, you
can use @dfn{hungry deletion}. This deletes all the contiguous
whitespace either before point or after point in a single operation.
@dfn{Whitespace} here includes tabs and newlines, but not comments or
preprocessor commands.
@table @kbd
@item C-c C-@key{DEL}
@itemx C-c @key{DEL}
@findex c-hungry-delete-backwards
@kindex C-c C-@key{DEL} (C Mode)
@kindex C-c @key{DEL} (C Mode)
@code{c-hungry-delete-backwards}---Delete the entire block of whitespace
preceding point.
@item C-c C-d
@itemx C-c C-@key{DELETE}
@itemx C-c @key{DELETE}
@findex c-hungry-delete-forward
@kindex C-c C-d (C Mode)
@kindex C-c C-@key{DELETE} (C Mode)
@kindex C-c @key{DELETE} (C Mode)
@code{c-hungry-delete-forward}---Delete the entire block of whitespace
following point.
@end table
As an alternative to the above commands, you can enable @dfn{hungry
delete mode}. When this feature is enabled (indicated by @samp{/h} in
the mode line after the mode name), a single @key{DEL} deletes all
preceding whitespace, not just one space, and a single @kbd{C-c C-d}
(but @emph{not} plain @key{DELETE}) deletes all following whitespace.
@table @kbd
@item M-x c-toggle-hungry-state
@findex c-toggle-hungry-state
Toggle the hungry-delete feature
(@code{c-toggle-hungry-state})@footnote{This command had the binding
@kbd{C-c C-d} in earlier versions of Emacs. @kbd{C-c C-d} is now
bound to @code{c-hungry-delete-forward}.}. With a prefix argument,
this command turns the hungry-delete feature on if the argument is
positive, and off if it is negative.
@end table
@vindex c-hungry-delete-key
The variable @code{c-hungry-delete-key} controls whether the
hungry-delete feature is enabled.
@node Other C Commands
@subsection Other Commands for C Mode
@table @kbd
@item C-c C-w
@itemx M-x c-subword-mode
@findex c-subword-mode
Enable (or disable) @dfn{subword mode}. In subword mode, Emacs's word
commands recognize upper case letters in
@samp{StudlyCapsIdentifiers} as word boundaries. This is indicated by
the flag @samp{/w} on the mode line after the mode name
(e.g. @samp{C/law}). You can even use @kbd{M-x c-subword-mode} in
non-CC Mode buffers.
In the GNU project, we recommend using underscores to separate words
within an identifier in C or C++, rather than using case distinctions.
@item M-x c-context-line-break
@findex c-context-line-break
This command inserts a line break and indents the new line in a manner
appropriate to the context. In normal code, it does the work of
@kbd{C-j} (@code{newline-and-indent}), in a C preprocessor line it
additionally inserts a @samp{\} at the line break, and within comments
it's like @kbd{M-j} (@code{c-indent-new-comment-line}).
@code{c-context-line-break} isn't bound to a key by default, but it
needs a binding to be useful. The following code will bind it to
@kbd{C-j}. We use @code{c-initialization-hook} here to make sure
the keymap is loaded before we try to change it.
@smallexample
(defun my-bind-clb ()
(define-key c-mode-base-map "\C-j" 'c-context-line-break))
(add-hook 'c-initialization-hook 'my-bind-clb)
@end smallexample
@item C-M-h
Put mark at the end of a function definition, and put point at the
beginning (@code{c-mark-function}).
@item M-q
@kindex M-q @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-fill-paragraph
Fill a paragraph, handling C and C++ comments (@code{c-fill-paragraph}).
If any part of the current line is a comment or within a comment, this
command fills the comment or the paragraph of it that point is in,
preserving the comment indentation and comment delimiters.
@item C-c C-e
@cindex macro expansion in C
@cindex expansion of C macros
@findex c-macro-expand
@kindex C-c C-e @r{(C mode)}
Run the C preprocessor on the text in the region, and show the result,
which includes the expansion of all the macro calls
(@code{c-macro-expand}). The buffer text before the region is also
included in preprocessing, for the sake of macros defined there, but the
output from this part isn't shown.
When you are debugging C code that uses macros, sometimes it is hard to
figure out precisely how the macros expand. With this command, you
don't have to figure it out; you can see the expansions.
@item C-c C-\
@findex c-backslash-region
@kindex C-c C-\ @r{(C mode)}
Insert or align @samp{\} characters at the ends of the lines of the
region (@code{c-backslash-region}). This is useful after writing or
editing a C macro definition.
If a line already ends in @samp{\}, this command adjusts the amount of
whitespace before it. Otherwise, it inserts a new @samp{\}. However,
the last line in the region is treated specially; no @samp{\} is
inserted on that line, and any @samp{\} there is deleted.
@item M-x cpp-highlight-buffer
@cindex preprocessor highlighting
@findex cpp-highlight-buffer
Highlight parts of the text according to its preprocessor conditionals.
This command displays another buffer named @samp{*CPP Edit*}, which
serves as a graphic menu for selecting how to display particular kinds
of conditionals and their contents. After changing various settings,
click on @samp{[A]pply these settings} (or go to that buffer and type
@kbd{a}) to rehighlight the C mode buffer accordingly.
@item C-c C-s
@findex c-show-syntactic-information
@kindex C-c C-s @r{(C mode)}
Display the syntactic information about the current source line
(@code{c-show-syntactic-information}). This information directs how
the line is indented.
@item M-x cwarn-mode
@itemx M-x global-cwarn-mode
@findex cwarn-mode
@findex global-cwarn-mode
@vindex global-cwarn-mode
@cindex CWarn mode
@cindex suspicious constructions in C, C++
CWarn minor mode highlights certain suspicious C and C++ constructions:
@itemize @bullet{}
@item
Assignments inside expressions.
@item
Semicolon following immediately after @samp{if}, @samp{for}, and @samp{while}
(except after a @samp{do @dots{} while} statement);
@item
C++ functions with reference parameters.
@end itemize
@noindent
You can enable the mode for one buffer with the command @kbd{M-x
cwarn-mode}, or for all suitable buffers with the command @kbd{M-x
global-cwarn-mode} or by customizing the variable
@code{global-cwarn-mode}. You must also enable Font Lock mode to make
it work.
@item M-x hide-ifdef-mode
@findex hide-ifdef-mode
@cindex Hide-ifdef mode
Hide-ifdef minor mode hides selected code within @samp{#if} and
@samp{#ifdef} preprocessor blocks. See the documentation string of
@code{hide-ifdef-mode} for more information.
@item M-x ff-find-related-file
@cindex related files
@findex ff-find-related-file
@vindex ff-related-file-alist
Find a file ``related'' in a special way to the file visited by the
current buffer. Typically this will be the header file corresponding
to a C/C++ source file, or vice versa. The variable
@code{ff-related-file-alist} specifies how to compute related file
names.
@end table
@node Asm Mode
@section Asm Mode
@cindex Asm mode
@cindex assembler mode
Asm mode is a major mode for editing files of assembler code. It
defines these commands:
@table @kbd
@item @key{TAB}
@code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
@item C-j
Insert a newline and then indent using @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
@item :
Insert a colon and then remove the indentation from before the label
preceding colon. Then do @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
@item ;
Insert or align a comment.
@end table
The variable @code{asm-comment-char} specifies which character
starts comments in assembler syntax.
@ifnottex
@include fortran-xtra.texi
@end ifnottex
@ignore
arch-tag: c7ee7409-40a4-45c7-bfb7-ae7f2c74d0c0
@end ignore