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1 @c -*- mode: texinfo; coding: utf-8 -*-
2 @c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
3 @c Copyright (C) 1990-1995, 1998-2015 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Display
6 @chapter Emacs Display
7
8 This chapter describes a number of features related to the display
9 that Emacs presents to the user.
10
11 @menu
12 * Refresh Screen:: Clearing the screen and redrawing everything on it.
13 * Forcing Redisplay:: Forcing redisplay.
14 * Truncation:: Folding or wrapping long text lines.
15 * The Echo Area:: Displaying messages at the bottom of the screen.
16 * Warnings:: Displaying warning messages for the user.
17 * Invisible Text:: Hiding part of the buffer text.
18 * Selective Display:: Hiding part of the buffer text (the old way).
19 * Temporary Displays:: Displays that go away automatically.
20 * Overlays:: Use overlays to highlight parts of the buffer.
21 * Size of Displayed Text:: How large displayed text is.
22 * Line Height:: Controlling the height of lines.
23 * Faces:: A face defines a graphics style for text characters:
24 font, colors, etc.
25 * Fringes:: Controlling window fringes.
26 * Scroll Bars:: Controlling scroll bars.
27 * Window Dividers:: Separating windows visually.
28 * Display Property:: Enabling special display features.
29 * Images:: Displaying images in Emacs buffers.
30 * Buttons:: Adding clickable buttons to Emacs buffers.
31 * Abstract Display:: Emacs's Widget for Object Collections.
32 * Blinking:: How Emacs shows the matching open parenthesis.
33 * Character Display:: How Emacs displays individual characters.
34 * Beeping:: Audible signal to the user.
35 * Window Systems:: Which window system is being used.
36 * Bidirectional Display:: Display of bidirectional scripts, such as
37 Arabic and Farsi.
38 @end menu
39
40 @node Refresh Screen
41 @section Refreshing the Screen
42 @cindex refresh the screen
43 @cindex screen refresh
44
45 The function @code{redraw-frame} clears and redisplays the entire
46 contents of a given frame (@pxref{Frames}). This is useful if the
47 screen is corrupted.
48
49 @defun redraw-frame frame
50 This function clears and redisplays frame @var{frame}.
51 @end defun
52
53 Even more powerful is @code{redraw-display}:
54
55 @deffn Command redraw-display
56 This function clears and redisplays all visible frames.
57 @end deffn
58
59 In Emacs, processing user input takes priority over redisplay. If
60 you call these functions when input is available, they don't redisplay
61 immediately, but the requested redisplay does happen
62 eventually---after all the input has been processed.
63
64 On text terminals, suspending and resuming Emacs normally also
65 refreshes the screen. Some terminal emulators record separate
66 contents for display-oriented programs such as Emacs and for ordinary
67 sequential display. If you are using such a terminal, you might want
68 to inhibit the redisplay on resumption.
69
70 @defopt no-redraw-on-reenter
71 @cindex suspend (cf. @code{no-redraw-on-reenter})
72 @cindex resume (cf. @code{no-redraw-on-reenter})
73 This variable controls whether Emacs redraws the entire screen after it
74 has been suspended and resumed. Non-@code{nil} means there is no need
75 to redraw, @code{nil} means redrawing is needed. The default is @code{nil}.
76 @end defopt
77
78 @node Forcing Redisplay
79 @section Forcing Redisplay
80 @cindex forcing redisplay
81
82 Emacs normally tries to redisplay the screen whenever it waits for
83 input. With the following function, you can request an immediate
84 attempt to redisplay, in the middle of Lisp code, without actually
85 waiting for input.
86
87 @defun redisplay &optional force
88 This function tries immediately to redisplay. The optional argument
89 @var{force}, if non-@code{nil}, forces the redisplay to be performed,
90 instead of being preempted if input is pending.
91
92 The function returns @code{t} if it actually tried to redisplay, and
93 @code{nil} otherwise. A value of @code{t} does not mean that
94 redisplay proceeded to completion; it could have been preempted by
95 newly arriving input.
96 @end defun
97
98 @defvar pre-redisplay-function
99 A function run just before redisplay. It is called with one argument,
100 the set of windows to redisplay.
101 @end defvar
102
103 Although @code{redisplay} tries immediately to redisplay, it does
104 not change how Emacs decides which parts of its frame(s) to redisplay.
105 By contrast, the following function adds certain windows to the
106 pending redisplay work (as if their contents had completely changed),
107 but does not immediately try to perform redisplay.
108
109 @defun force-window-update &optional object
110 This function forces some or all windows to be updated the next time
111 Emacs does a redisplay. If @var{object} is a window, that window is
112 to be updated. If @var{object} is a buffer or buffer name, all
113 windows displaying that buffer are to be updated. If @var{object} is
114 @code{nil} (or omitted), all windows are to be updated.
115
116 This function does not do a redisplay immediately; Emacs does that as
117 it waits for input, or when the function @code{redisplay} is called.
118 @end defun
119
120 @node Truncation
121 @section Truncation
122 @cindex line wrapping
123 @cindex line truncation
124 @cindex continuation lines
125 @cindex @samp{$} in display
126 @cindex @samp{\} in display
127
128 When a line of text extends beyond the right edge of a window, Emacs
129 can @dfn{continue} the line (make it wrap to the next screen
130 line), or @dfn{truncate} the line (limit it to one screen line). The
131 additional screen lines used to display a long text line are called
132 @dfn{continuation} lines. Continuation is not the same as filling;
133 continuation happens on the screen only, not in the buffer contents,
134 and it breaks a line precisely at the right margin, not at a word
135 boundary. @xref{Filling}.
136
137 On a graphical display, tiny arrow images in the window fringes
138 indicate truncated and continued lines (@pxref{Fringes}). On a text
139 terminal, a @samp{$} in the rightmost column of the window indicates
140 truncation; a @samp{\} on the rightmost column indicates a line that
141 wraps. (The display table can specify alternate characters to use
142 for this; @pxref{Display Tables}).
143
144 @defopt truncate-lines
145 If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, lines that extend
146 beyond the right edge of the window are truncated; otherwise, they are
147 continued. As a special exception, the variable
148 @code{truncate-partial-width-windows} takes precedence in
149 @dfn{partial-width} windows (i.e., windows that do not occupy the
150 entire frame width).
151 @end defopt
152
153 @defopt truncate-partial-width-windows
154 @cindex partial-width windows
155 This variable controls line truncation in @dfn{partial-width} windows.
156 A partial-width window is one that does not occupy the entire frame
157 width (@pxref{Splitting Windows}). If the value is @code{nil}, line
158 truncation is determined by the variable @code{truncate-lines} (see
159 above). If the value is an integer @var{n}, lines are truncated if
160 the partial-width window has fewer than @var{n} columns, regardless of
161 the value of @code{truncate-lines}; if the partial-width window has
162 @var{n} or more columns, line truncation is determined by
163 @code{truncate-lines}. For any other non-@code{nil} value, lines are
164 truncated in every partial-width window, regardless of the value of
165 @code{truncate-lines}.
166 @end defopt
167
168 When horizontal scrolling (@pxref{Horizontal Scrolling}) is in use in
169 a window, that forces truncation.
170
171 @defvar wrap-prefix
172 If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, it defines a
173 @dfn{wrap prefix} which Emacs displays at the start of every
174 continuation line. (If lines are truncated, @code{wrap-prefix} is
175 never used.) Its value may be a string or an image (@pxref{Other
176 Display Specs}), or a stretch of whitespace such as specified by the
177 @code{:width} or @code{:align-to} display properties (@pxref{Specified
178 Space}). The value is interpreted in the same way as a @code{display}
179 text property. @xref{Display Property}.
180
181 A wrap prefix may also be specified for regions of text, using the
182 @code{wrap-prefix} text or overlay property. This takes precedence
183 over the @code{wrap-prefix} variable. @xref{Special Properties}.
184 @end defvar
185
186 @defvar line-prefix
187 If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, it defines a
188 @dfn{line prefix} which Emacs displays at the start of every
189 non-continuation line. Its value may be a string or an image
190 (@pxref{Other Display Specs}), or a stretch of whitespace such as
191 specified by the @code{:width} or @code{:align-to} display properties
192 (@pxref{Specified Space}). The value is interpreted in the same way
193 as a @code{display} text property. @xref{Display Property}.
194
195 A line prefix may also be specified for regions of text using the
196 @code{line-prefix} text or overlay property. This takes precedence
197 over the @code{line-prefix} variable. @xref{Special Properties}.
198 @end defvar
199
200 @ignore
201 If your buffer contains only very short lines, you might find it
202 advisable to set @code{cache-long-scans} to @code{nil}.
203
204 @defvar cache-long-scans
205 If this variable is non-@code{nil} (the default), various indentation
206 and motion functions, and Emacs redisplay, cache the results of
207 scanning the buffer, and consult the cache to avoid rescanning regions
208 of the buffer unless they are modified.
209
210 Turning off the cache speeds up processing of short lines somewhat.
211
212 This variable is automatically buffer-local in every buffer.
213 @end defvar
214 @end ignore
215
216 @node The Echo Area
217 @section The Echo Area
218 @cindex error display
219 @cindex echo area
220
221 @c FIXME: Why not use @xref{Minibuffers} directly? --xfq
222 The @dfn{echo area} is used for displaying error messages
223 (@pxref{Errors}), for messages made with the @code{message} primitive,
224 and for echoing keystrokes. It is not the same as the minibuffer,
225 despite the fact that the minibuffer appears (when active) in the same
226 place on the screen as the echo area. @xref{Minibuffer,, The
227 Minibuffer, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
228
229 Apart from the functions documented in this section, you can print
230 Lisp objects to the echo area by specifying @code{t} as the output
231 stream. @xref{Output Streams}.
232
233 @menu
234 * Displaying Messages:: Explicitly displaying text in the echo area.
235 * Progress:: Informing user about progress of a long operation.
236 * Logging Messages:: Echo area messages are logged for the user.
237 * Echo Area Customization:: Controlling the echo area.
238 @end menu
239
240 @node Displaying Messages
241 @subsection Displaying Messages in the Echo Area
242 @cindex display message in echo area
243
244 This section describes the standard functions for displaying
245 messages in the echo area.
246
247 @defun message format-string &rest arguments
248 This function displays a message in the echo area.
249 @var{format-string} is a format string, and @var{arguments} are the
250 objects for its format specifications, like in the @code{format-message}
251 function (@pxref{Formatting Strings}). The resulting formatted string
252 is displayed in the echo area; if it contains @code{face} text
253 properties, it is displayed with the specified faces (@pxref{Faces}).
254 The string is also added to the @file{*Messages*} buffer, but without
255 text properties (@pxref{Logging Messages}).
256
257 In a format string containing single quotes, curved quotes @t{‘like
258 this’} and grave quotes @t{`like this'} work better than straight
259 quotes @t{'like this'}, as @code{message} typically formats every
260 straight quote as a curved closing quote.
261
262 In batch mode, the message is printed to the standard error stream,
263 followed by a newline.
264
265 When @code{inhibit-message} is non-@code{nil}, no message will be displayed
266 in the echo area, it will only be logged to @samp{*Messages*}.
267
268 If @var{format-string} is @code{nil} or the empty string,
269 @code{message} clears the echo area; if the echo area has been
270 expanded automatically, this brings it back to its normal size. If
271 the minibuffer is active, this brings the minibuffer contents back
272 onto the screen immediately.
273
274 @example
275 @group
276 (message "Reverting `%s'..." (buffer-name))
277 @print{} Reverting ‘subr.el’...
278 @result{} "Reverting ‘subr.el’..."
279 @end group
280
281 @group
282 ---------- Echo Area ----------
283 Reverting ‘subr.el’...
284 ---------- Echo Area ----------
285 @end group
286 @end example
287
288 To automatically display a message in the echo area or in a pop-buffer,
289 depending on its size, use @code{display-message-or-buffer} (see below).
290
291 @strong{Warning:} If you want to use your own string as a message
292 verbatim, don't just write @code{(message @var{string})}. If
293 @var{string} contains @samp{%}, @samp{`}, or @samp{'} it may be
294 reformatted, with undesirable results. Instead, use @code{(message
295 "%s" @var{string})}.
296 @end defun
297
298 @defvar inhibit-message
299 When this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{message} and related functions
300 will not use the Echo Area to display messages.
301 @end defvar
302
303 @defmac with-temp-message message &rest body
304 This construct displays a message in the echo area temporarily, during
305 the execution of @var{body}. It displays @var{message}, executes
306 @var{body}, then returns the value of the last body form while restoring
307 the previous echo area contents.
308 @end defmac
309
310 @defun message-or-box format-string &rest arguments
311 This function displays a message like @code{message}, but may display it
312 in a dialog box instead of the echo area. If this function is called in
313 a command that was invoked using the mouse---more precisely, if
314 @code{last-nonmenu-event} (@pxref{Command Loop Info}) is either
315 @code{nil} or a list---then it uses a dialog box or pop-up menu to
316 display the message. Otherwise, it uses the echo area. (This is the
317 same criterion that @code{y-or-n-p} uses to make a similar decision; see
318 @ref{Yes-or-No Queries}.)
319
320 You can force use of the mouse or of the echo area by binding
321 @code{last-nonmenu-event} to a suitable value around the call.
322 @end defun
323
324 @defun message-box format-string &rest arguments
325 @anchor{message-box}
326 This function displays a message like @code{message}, but uses a dialog
327 box (or a pop-up menu) whenever that is possible. If it is impossible
328 to use a dialog box or pop-up menu, because the terminal does not
329 support them, then @code{message-box} uses the echo area, like
330 @code{message}.
331 @end defun
332
333 @defun display-message-or-buffer message &optional buffer-name not-this-window frame
334 This function displays the message @var{message}, which may be either a
335 string or a buffer. If it is shorter than the maximum height of the
336 echo area, as defined by @code{max-mini-window-height}, it is displayed
337 in the echo area, using @code{message}. Otherwise,
338 @code{display-buffer} is used to show it in a pop-up buffer.
339
340 Returns either the string shown in the echo area, or when a pop-up
341 buffer is used, the window used to display it.
342
343 If @var{message} is a string, then the optional argument
344 @var{buffer-name} is the name of the buffer used to display it when a
345 pop-up buffer is used, defaulting to @file{*Message*}. In the case
346 where @var{message} is a string and displayed in the echo area, it is
347 not specified whether the contents are inserted into the buffer anyway.
348
349 The optional arguments @var{not-this-window} and @var{frame} are as for
350 @code{display-buffer}, and only used if a buffer is displayed.
351 @end defun
352
353 @defun current-message
354 This function returns the message currently being displayed in the
355 echo area, or @code{nil} if there is none.
356 @end defun
357
358 @node Progress
359 @subsection Reporting Operation Progress
360 @cindex progress reporting
361
362 When an operation can take a while to finish, you should inform the
363 user about the progress it makes. This way the user can estimate
364 remaining time and clearly see that Emacs is busy working, not hung.
365 A convenient way to do this is to use a @dfn{progress reporter}.
366
367 Here is a working example that does nothing useful:
368
369 @smallexample
370 (let ((progress-reporter
371 (make-progress-reporter "Collecting mana for Emacs..."
372 0 500)))
373 (dotimes (k 500)
374 (sit-for 0.01)
375 (progress-reporter-update progress-reporter k))
376 (progress-reporter-done progress-reporter))
377 @end smallexample
378
379 @defun make-progress-reporter message &optional min-value max-value current-value min-change min-time
380 This function creates and returns a progress reporter object, which
381 you will use as an argument for the other functions listed below. The
382 idea is to precompute as much data as possible to make progress
383 reporting very fast.
384
385 When this progress reporter is subsequently used, it will display
386 @var{message} in the echo area, followed by progress percentage.
387 @var{message} is treated as a simple string. If you need it to depend
388 on a filename, for instance, use @code{format-message} before calling this
389 function.
390
391 The arguments @var{min-value} and @var{max-value} should be numbers
392 standing for the starting and final states of the operation. For
393 instance, an operation that scans a buffer should set these to the
394 results of @code{point-min} and @code{point-max} correspondingly.
395 @var{max-value} should be greater than @var{min-value}.
396
397 Alternatively, you can set @var{min-value} and @var{max-value} to
398 @code{nil}. In that case, the progress reporter does not report
399 process percentages; it instead displays a ``spinner'' that rotates a
400 notch each time you update the progress reporter.
401
402 If @var{min-value} and @var{max-value} are numbers, you can give the
403 argument @var{current-value} a numerical value specifying the initial
404 progress; if omitted, this defaults to @var{min-value}.
405
406 The remaining arguments control the rate of echo area updates. The
407 progress reporter will wait for at least @var{min-change} more
408 percents of the operation to be completed before printing next
409 message; the default is one percent. @var{min-time} specifies the
410 minimum time in seconds to pass between successive prints; the default
411 is 0.2 seconds. (On some operating systems, the progress reporter may
412 handle fractions of seconds with varying precision).
413
414 This function calls @code{progress-reporter-update}, so the first
415 message is printed immediately.
416 @end defun
417
418 @defun progress-reporter-update reporter &optional value
419 This function does the main work of reporting progress of your
420 operation. It displays the message of @var{reporter}, followed by
421 progress percentage determined by @var{value}. If percentage is zero,
422 or close enough according to the @var{min-change} and @var{min-time}
423 arguments, then it is omitted from the output.
424
425 @var{reporter} must be the result of a call to
426 @code{make-progress-reporter}. @var{value} specifies the current
427 state of your operation and must be between @var{min-value} and
428 @var{max-value} (inclusive) as passed to
429 @code{make-progress-reporter}. For instance, if you scan a buffer,
430 then @var{value} should be the result of a call to @code{point}.
431
432 This function respects @var{min-change} and @var{min-time} as passed
433 to @code{make-progress-reporter} and so does not output new messages
434 on every invocation. It is thus very fast and normally you should not
435 try to reduce the number of calls to it: resulting overhead will most
436 likely negate your effort.
437 @end defun
438
439 @defun progress-reporter-force-update reporter &optional value new-message
440 This function is similar to @code{progress-reporter-update} except
441 that it prints a message in the echo area unconditionally.
442
443 The first two arguments have the same meaning as for
444 @code{progress-reporter-update}. Optional @var{new-message} allows
445 you to change the message of the @var{reporter}. Since this function
446 always updates the echo area, such a change will be immediately
447 presented to the user.
448 @end defun
449
450 @defun progress-reporter-done reporter
451 This function should be called when the operation is finished. It
452 prints the message of @var{reporter} followed by word @samp{done} in the
453 echo area.
454
455 You should always call this function and not hope for
456 @code{progress-reporter-update} to print @samp{100%}. Firstly, it may
457 never print it, there are many good reasons for this not to happen.
458 Secondly, @samp{done} is more explicit.
459 @end defun
460
461 @defmac dotimes-with-progress-reporter (var count [result]) message body@dots{}
462 This is a convenience macro that works the same way as @code{dotimes}
463 does, but also reports loop progress using the functions described
464 above. It allows you to save some typing.
465
466 You can rewrite the example in the beginning of this node using
467 this macro this way:
468
469 @example
470 (dotimes-with-progress-reporter
471 (k 500)
472 "Collecting some mana for Emacs..."
473 (sit-for 0.01))
474 @end example
475 @end defmac
476
477 @node Logging Messages
478 @subsection Logging Messages in @file{*Messages*}
479 @cindex logging echo-area messages
480
481 Almost all the messages displayed in the echo area are also recorded
482 in the @file{*Messages*} buffer so that the user can refer back to
483 them. This includes all the messages that are output with
484 @code{message}. By default, this buffer is read-only and uses the major
485 mode @code{messages-buffer-mode}. Nothing prevents the user from
486 killing the @file{*Messages*} buffer, but the next display of a message
487 recreates it. Any Lisp code that needs to access the
488 @file{*Messages*} buffer directly and wants to ensure that it exists
489 should use the function @code{messages-buffer}.
490
491 @defun messages-buffer
492 This function returns the @file{*Messages*} buffer. If it does not
493 exist, it creates it, and switches it to @code{messages-buffer-mode}.
494 @end defun
495
496 @defopt message-log-max
497 This variable specifies how many lines to keep in the @file{*Messages*}
498 buffer. The value @code{t} means there is no limit on how many lines to
499 keep. The value @code{nil} disables message logging entirely. Here's
500 how to display a message and prevent it from being logged:
501
502 @example
503 (let (message-log-max)
504 (message @dots{}))
505 @end example
506 @end defopt
507
508 To make @file{*Messages*} more convenient for the user, the logging
509 facility combines successive identical messages. It also combines
510 successive related messages for the sake of two cases: question
511 followed by answer, and a series of progress messages.
512
513 A question followed by an answer has two messages like the
514 ones produced by @code{y-or-n-p}: the first is @samp{@var{question}},
515 and the second is @samp{@var{question}...@var{answer}}. The first
516 message conveys no additional information beyond what's in the second,
517 so logging the second message discards the first from the log.
518
519 A series of progress messages has successive messages like
520 those produced by @code{make-progress-reporter}. They have the form
521 @samp{@var{base}...@var{how-far}}, where @var{base} is the same each
522 time, while @var{how-far} varies. Logging each message in the series
523 discards the previous one, provided they are consecutive.
524
525 The functions @code{make-progress-reporter} and @code{y-or-n-p}
526 don't have to do anything special to activate the message log
527 combination feature. It operates whenever two consecutive messages
528 are logged that share a common prefix ending in @samp{...}.
529
530 @node Echo Area Customization
531 @subsection Echo Area Customization
532 @cindex echo area customization
533
534 These variables control details of how the echo area works.
535
536 @defvar cursor-in-echo-area
537 This variable controls where the cursor appears when a message is
538 displayed in the echo area. If it is non-@code{nil}, then the cursor
539 appears at the end of the message. Otherwise, the cursor appears at
540 point---not in the echo area at all.
541
542 The value is normally @code{nil}; Lisp programs bind it to @code{t}
543 for brief periods of time.
544 @end defvar
545
546 @defvar echo-area-clear-hook
547 This normal hook is run whenever the echo area is cleared---either by
548 @code{(message nil)} or for any other reason.
549 @end defvar
550
551 @defopt echo-keystrokes
552 This variable determines how much time should elapse before command
553 characters echo. Its value must be a number, and specifies the
554 number of seconds to wait before echoing. If the user types a prefix
555 key (such as @kbd{C-x}) and then delays this many seconds before
556 continuing, the prefix key is echoed in the echo area. (Once echoing
557 begins in a key sequence, all subsequent characters in the same key
558 sequence are echoed immediately.)
559
560 If the value is zero, then command input is not echoed.
561 @end defopt
562
563 @defvar message-truncate-lines
564 Normally, displaying a long message resizes the echo area to display
565 the entire message. But if the variable @code{message-truncate-lines}
566 is non-@code{nil}, the echo area does not resize, and the message is
567 truncated to fit it.
568 @end defvar
569
570 The variable @code{max-mini-window-height}, which specifies the
571 maximum height for resizing minibuffer windows, also applies to the
572 echo area (which is really a special use of the minibuffer window;
573 @pxref{Minibuffer Misc}).
574
575 @node Warnings
576 @section Reporting Warnings
577 @cindex warnings
578
579 @dfn{Warnings} are a facility for a program to inform the user of a
580 possible problem, but continue running.
581
582 @menu
583 * Warning Basics:: Warnings concepts and functions to report them.
584 * Warning Variables:: Variables programs bind to customize their warnings.
585 * Warning Options:: Variables users set to control display of warnings.
586 * Delayed Warnings:: Deferring a warning until the end of a command.
587 @end menu
588
589 @node Warning Basics
590 @subsection Warning Basics
591 @cindex severity level
592
593 Every warning has a textual message, which explains the problem for
594 the user, and a @dfn{severity level} which is a symbol. Here are the
595 possible severity levels, in order of decreasing severity, and their
596 meanings:
597
598 @table @code
599 @item :emergency
600 A problem that will seriously impair Emacs operation soon
601 if you do not attend to it promptly.
602 @item :error
603 A report of data or circumstances that are inherently wrong.
604 @item :warning
605 A report of data or circumstances that are not inherently wrong, but
606 raise suspicion of a possible problem.
607 @item :debug
608 A report of information that may be useful if you are debugging.
609 @end table
610
611 When your program encounters invalid input data, it can either
612 signal a Lisp error by calling @code{error} or @code{signal} or report
613 a warning with severity @code{:error}. Signaling a Lisp error is the
614 easiest thing to do, but it means the program cannot continue
615 processing. If you want to take the trouble to implement a way to
616 continue processing despite the bad data, then reporting a warning of
617 severity @code{:error} is the right way to inform the user of the
618 problem. For instance, the Emacs Lisp byte compiler can report an
619 error that way and continue compiling other functions. (If the
620 program signals a Lisp error and then handles it with
621 @code{condition-case}, the user won't see the error message; it could
622 show the message to the user by reporting it as a warning.)
623
624 @c FIXME: Why use "(bytecomp)" instead of "'bytecomp" or simply
625 @c "bytecomp" here? The parens are part of warning-type-format but
626 @c not part of the warning type. --xfq
627 @cindex warning type
628 Each warning has a @dfn{warning type} to classify it. The type is a
629 list of symbols. The first symbol should be the custom group that you
630 use for the program's user options. For example, byte compiler
631 warnings use the warning type @code{(bytecomp)}. You can also
632 subcategorize the warnings, if you wish, by using more symbols in the
633 list.
634
635 @defun display-warning type message &optional level buffer-name
636 This function reports a warning, using @var{message} as the message
637 and @var{type} as the warning type. @var{level} should be the
638 severity level, with @code{:warning} being the default.
639
640 @var{buffer-name}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the name of the buffer
641 for logging the warning. By default, it is @file{*Warnings*}.
642 @end defun
643
644 @defun lwarn type level message &rest args
645 This function reports a warning using the value of @code{(format-message
646 @var{message} @var{args}...)} as the message in the @file{*Warnings*}
647 buffer. In other respects it is equivalent to @code{display-warning}.
648 @end defun
649
650 @defun warn message &rest args
651 This function reports a warning using the value of @code{(format-message
652 @var{message} @var{args}...)} as the message, @code{(emacs)} as the
653 type, and @code{:warning} as the severity level. It exists for
654 compatibility only; we recommend not using it, because you should
655 specify a specific warning type.
656 @end defun
657
658 @node Warning Variables
659 @subsection Warning Variables
660 @cindex warning variables
661
662 Programs can customize how their warnings appear by binding
663 the variables described in this section.
664
665 @defvar warning-levels
666 This list defines the meaning and severity order of the warning
667 severity levels. Each element defines one severity level,
668 and they are arranged in order of decreasing severity.
669
670 Each element has the form @code{(@var{level} @var{string}
671 @var{function})}, where @var{level} is the severity level it defines.
672 @var{string} specifies the textual description of this level.
673 @var{string} should use @samp{%s} to specify where to put the warning
674 type information, or it can omit the @samp{%s} so as not to include
675 that information.
676
677 The optional @var{function}, if non-@code{nil}, is a function to call
678 with no arguments, to get the user's attention.
679
680 Normally you should not change the value of this variable.
681 @end defvar
682
683 @defvar warning-prefix-function
684 If non-@code{nil}, the value is a function to generate prefix text for
685 warnings. Programs can bind the variable to a suitable function.
686 @code{display-warning} calls this function with the warnings buffer
687 current, and the function can insert text in it. That text becomes
688 the beginning of the warning message.
689
690 The function is called with two arguments, the severity level and its
691 entry in @code{warning-levels}. It should return a list to use as the
692 entry (this value need not be an actual member of
693 @code{warning-levels}). By constructing this value, the function can
694 change the severity of the warning, or specify different handling for
695 a given severity level.
696
697 If the variable's value is @code{nil} then there is no function
698 to call.
699 @end defvar
700
701 @defvar warning-series
702 Programs can bind this variable to @code{t} to say that the next
703 warning should begin a series. When several warnings form a series,
704 that means to leave point on the first warning of the series, rather
705 than keep moving it for each warning so that it appears on the last one.
706 The series ends when the local binding is unbound and
707 @code{warning-series} becomes @code{nil} again.
708
709 The value can also be a symbol with a function definition. That is
710 equivalent to @code{t}, except that the next warning will also call
711 the function with no arguments with the warnings buffer current. The
712 function can insert text which will serve as a header for the series
713 of warnings.
714
715 Once a series has begun, the value is a marker which points to the
716 buffer position in the warnings buffer of the start of the series.
717
718 The variable's normal value is @code{nil}, which means to handle
719 each warning separately.
720 @end defvar
721
722 @defvar warning-fill-prefix
723 When this variable is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a fill prefix to
724 use for filling each warning's text.
725 @end defvar
726
727 @defvar warning-type-format
728 This variable specifies the format for displaying the warning type
729 in the warning message. The result of formatting the type this way
730 gets included in the message under the control of the string in the
731 entry in @code{warning-levels}. The default value is @code{" (%s)"}.
732 If you bind it to @code{""} then the warning type won't appear at
733 all.
734 @end defvar
735
736 @node Warning Options
737 @subsection Warning Options
738 @cindex warning options
739
740 These variables are used by users to control what happens
741 when a Lisp program reports a warning.
742
743 @defopt warning-minimum-level
744 This user option specifies the minimum severity level that should be
745 shown immediately to the user. The default is @code{:warning}, which
746 means to immediately display all warnings except @code{:debug}
747 warnings.
748 @end defopt
749
750 @defopt warning-minimum-log-level
751 This user option specifies the minimum severity level that should be
752 logged in the warnings buffer. The default is @code{:warning}, which
753 means to log all warnings except @code{:debug} warnings.
754 @end defopt
755
756 @defopt warning-suppress-types
757 This list specifies which warning types should not be displayed
758 immediately for the user. Each element of the list should be a list
759 of symbols. If its elements match the first elements in a warning
760 type, then that warning is not displayed immediately.
761 @end defopt
762
763 @defopt warning-suppress-log-types
764 This list specifies which warning types should not be logged in the
765 warnings buffer. Each element of the list should be a list of
766 symbols. If it matches the first few elements in a warning type, then
767 that warning is not logged.
768 @end defopt
769
770 @node Delayed Warnings
771 @subsection Delayed Warnings
772 @cindex delayed warnings
773
774 Sometimes, you may wish to avoid showing a warning while a command is
775 running, and only show it only after the end of the command. You can
776 use the variable @code{delayed-warnings-list} for this.
777
778 @defvar delayed-warnings-list
779 The value of this variable is a list of warnings to be displayed after
780 the current command has finished. Each element must be a list
781
782 @smallexample
783 (@var{type} @var{message} [@var{level} [@var{buffer-name}]])
784 @end smallexample
785
786 @noindent
787 with the same form, and the same meanings, as the argument list of
788 @code{display-warning} (@pxref{Warning Basics}). Immediately after
789 running @code{post-command-hook} (@pxref{Command Overview}), the Emacs
790 command loop displays all the warnings specified by this variable,
791 then resets it to @code{nil}.
792 @end defvar
793
794 Programs which need to further customize the delayed warnings
795 mechanism can change the variable @code{delayed-warnings-hook}:
796
797 @defvar delayed-warnings-hook
798 This is a normal hook which is run by the Emacs command loop, after
799 @code{post-command-hook}, in order to to process and display delayed
800 warnings.
801
802 Its default value is a list of two functions:
803
804 @smallexample
805 (collapse-delayed-warnings display-delayed-warnings)
806 @end smallexample
807
808 @findex collapse-delayed-warnings
809 @findex display-delayed-warnings
810 @noindent
811 The function @code{collapse-delayed-warnings} removes repeated entries
812 from @code{delayed-warnings-list}. The function
813 @code{display-delayed-warnings} calls @code{display-warning} on each
814 of the entries in @code{delayed-warnings-list}, in turn, and then sets
815 @code{delayed-warnings-list} to @code{nil}.
816 @end defvar
817
818 @node Invisible Text
819 @section Invisible Text
820
821 @cindex invisible text
822 You can make characters @dfn{invisible}, so that they do not appear on
823 the screen, with the @code{invisible} property. This can be either a
824 text property (@pxref{Text Properties}) or an overlay property
825 (@pxref{Overlays}). Cursor motion also partly ignores these
826 characters; if the command loop finds that point is inside a range of
827 invisible text after a command, it relocates point to the other side
828 of the text.
829
830 In the simplest case, any non-@code{nil} @code{invisible} property makes
831 a character invisible. This is the default case---if you don't alter
832 the default value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}, this is how the
833 @code{invisible} property works. You should normally use @code{t}
834 as the value of the @code{invisible} property if you don't plan
835 to set @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} yourself.
836
837 More generally, you can use the variable @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}
838 to control which values of the @code{invisible} property make text
839 invisible. This permits you to classify the text into different subsets
840 in advance, by giving them different @code{invisible} values, and
841 subsequently make various subsets visible or invisible by changing the
842 value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}.
843
844 Controlling visibility with @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} is
845 especially useful in a program to display the list of entries in a
846 database. It permits the implementation of convenient filtering
847 commands to view just a part of the entries in the database. Setting
848 this variable is very fast, much faster than scanning all the text in
849 the buffer looking for properties to change.
850
851 @defvar buffer-invisibility-spec
852 This variable specifies which kinds of @code{invisible} properties
853 actually make a character invisible. Setting this variable makes it
854 buffer-local.
855
856 @table @asis
857 @item @code{t}
858 A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property is
859 non-@code{nil}. This is the default.
860
861 @item a list
862 Each element of the list specifies a criterion for invisibility; if a
863 character's @code{invisible} property fits any one of these criteria,
864 the character is invisible. The list can have two kinds of elements:
865
866 @table @code
867 @item @var{atom}
868 A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property value is
869 @var{atom} or if it is a list with @var{atom} as a member; comparison
870 is done with @code{eq}.
871
872 @item (@var{atom} . t)
873 A character is invisible if its @code{invisible} property value is
874 @var{atom} or if it is a list with @var{atom} as a member; comparison
875 is done with @code{eq}. Moreover, a sequence of such characters
876 displays as an ellipsis.
877 @end table
878 @end table
879 @end defvar
880
881 Two functions are specifically provided for adding elements to
882 @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} and removing elements from it.
883
884 @defun add-to-invisibility-spec element
885 This function adds the element @var{element} to
886 @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. If @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}
887 was @code{t}, it changes to a list, @code{(t)}, so that text whose
888 @code{invisible} property is @code{t} remains invisible.
889 @end defun
890
891 @defun remove-from-invisibility-spec element
892 This removes the element @var{element} from
893 @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}. This does nothing if @var{element}
894 is not in the list.
895 @end defun
896
897 A convention for use of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} is that a
898 major mode should use the mode's own name as an element of
899 @code{buffer-invisibility-spec} and as the value of the
900 @code{invisible} property:
901
902 @example
903 ;; @r{If you want to display an ellipsis:}
904 (add-to-invisibility-spec '(my-symbol . t))
905 ;; @r{If you don't want ellipsis:}
906 (add-to-invisibility-spec 'my-symbol)
907
908 (overlay-put (make-overlay beginning end)
909 'invisible 'my-symbol)
910
911 ;; @r{When done with the invisibility:}
912 (remove-from-invisibility-spec '(my-symbol . t))
913 ;; @r{Or respectively:}
914 (remove-from-invisibility-spec 'my-symbol)
915 @end example
916
917 You can check for invisibility using the following function:
918
919 @defun invisible-p pos-or-prop
920 If @var{pos-or-prop} is a marker or number, this function returns a
921 non-@code{nil} value if the text at that position is invisible.
922
923 If @var{pos-or-prop} is any other kind of Lisp object, that is taken
924 to mean a possible value of the @code{invisible} text or overlay
925 property. In that case, this function returns a non-@code{nil} value
926 if that value would cause text to become invisible, based on the
927 current value of @code{buffer-invisibility-spec}.
928 @end defun
929
930 @vindex line-move-ignore-invisible
931 Ordinarily, functions that operate on text or move point do not care
932 whether the text is invisible, they process invisible characters and
933 visible characters alike. The user-level line motion commands,
934 such as @code{next-line}, @code{previous-line}, ignore invisible
935 newlines if @code{line-move-ignore-invisible} is non-@code{nil} (the
936 default), i.e., behave like these invisible newlines didn't exist in
937 the buffer, but only because they are explicitly programmed to do so.
938
939 If a command ends with point inside or at the boundary of
940 invisible text, the main editing loop relocates point to one of the
941 two ends of the invisible text. Emacs chooses the direction of
942 relocation so that it is the same as the overall movement direction of
943 the command; if in doubt, it prefers a position where an inserted char
944 would not inherit the @code{invisible} property. Additionally, if the
945 text is not replaced by an ellipsis and the command only moved within
946 the invisible text, then point is moved one extra character so as to
947 try and reflect the command's movement by a visible movement of the
948 cursor.
949
950 Thus, if the command moved point back to an invisible range (with the usual
951 stickiness), Emacs moves point back to the beginning of that range. If the
952 command moved point forward into an invisible range, Emacs moves point forward
953 to the first visible character that follows the invisible text and then forward
954 one more character.
955
956 These @dfn{adjustments} of point that ended up in the middle of
957 invisible text can be disabled by setting @code{disable-point-adjustment}
958 to a non-@code{nil} value. @xref{Adjusting Point}.
959
960 Incremental search can make invisible overlays visible temporarily
961 and/or permanently when a match includes invisible text. To enable
962 this, the overlay should have a non-@code{nil}
963 @code{isearch-open-invisible} property. The property value should be a
964 function to be called with the overlay as an argument. This function
965 should make the overlay visible permanently; it is used when the match
966 overlaps the overlay on exit from the search.
967
968 During the search, such overlays are made temporarily visible by
969 temporarily modifying their invisible and intangible properties. If you
970 want this to be done differently for a certain overlay, give it an
971 @code{isearch-open-invisible-temporary} property which is a function.
972 The function is called with two arguments: the first is the overlay, and
973 the second is @code{nil} to make the overlay visible, or @code{t} to
974 make it invisible again.
975
976 @node Selective Display
977 @section Selective Display
978 @c @cindex selective display Duplicates selective-display
979
980 @dfn{Selective display} refers to a pair of related features for
981 hiding certain lines on the screen.
982
983 @cindex explicit selective display
984 The first variant, explicit selective display, was designed for use in a Lisp
985 program: it controls which lines are hidden by altering the text. This kind of
986 hiding is now obsolete; instead you can get the same effect with the
987 @code{invisible} property (@pxref{Invisible Text}).
988
989 In the second variant, the choice of lines to hide is made
990 automatically based on indentation. This variant is designed to be a
991 user-level feature.
992
993 The way you control explicit selective display is by replacing a
994 newline (control-j) with a carriage return (control-m). The text that
995 was formerly a line following that newline is now hidden. Strictly
996 speaking, it is temporarily no longer a line at all, since only
997 newlines can separate lines; it is now part of the previous line.
998
999 Selective display does not directly affect editing commands. For
1000 example, @kbd{C-f} (@code{forward-char}) moves point unhesitatingly
1001 into hidden text. However, the replacement of newline characters with
1002 carriage return characters affects some editing commands. For
1003 example, @code{next-line} skips hidden lines, since it searches only
1004 for newlines. Modes that use selective display can also define
1005 commands that take account of the newlines, or that control which
1006 parts of the text are hidden.
1007
1008 When you write a selectively displayed buffer into a file, all the
1009 control-m's are output as newlines. This means that when you next read
1010 in the file, it looks OK, with nothing hidden. The selective display
1011 effect is seen only within Emacs.
1012
1013 @defvar selective-display
1014 This buffer-local variable enables selective display. This means that
1015 lines, or portions of lines, may be made hidden.
1016
1017 @itemize @bullet
1018 @item
1019 If the value of @code{selective-display} is @code{t}, then the character
1020 control-m marks the start of hidden text; the control-m, and the rest
1021 of the line following it, are not displayed. This is explicit selective
1022 display.
1023
1024 @item
1025 If the value of @code{selective-display} is a positive integer, then
1026 lines that start with more than that many columns of indentation are not
1027 displayed.
1028 @end itemize
1029
1030 When some portion of a buffer is hidden, the vertical movement
1031 commands operate as if that portion did not exist, allowing a single
1032 @code{next-line} command to skip any number of hidden lines.
1033 However, character movement commands (such as @code{forward-char}) do
1034 not skip the hidden portion, and it is possible (if tricky) to insert
1035 or delete text in an hidden portion.
1036
1037 In the examples below, we show the @emph{display appearance} of the
1038 buffer @code{foo}, which changes with the value of
1039 @code{selective-display}. The @emph{contents} of the buffer do not
1040 change.
1041
1042 @example
1043 @group
1044 (setq selective-display nil)
1045 @result{} nil
1046
1047 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1048 1 on this column
1049 2on this column
1050 3n this column
1051 3n this column
1052 2on this column
1053 1 on this column
1054 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1055 @end group
1056
1057 @group
1058 (setq selective-display 2)
1059 @result{} 2
1060
1061 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1062 1 on this column
1063 2on this column
1064 2on this column
1065 1 on this column
1066 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1067 @end group
1068 @end example
1069 @end defvar
1070
1071 @defopt selective-display-ellipses
1072 If this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil}, then Emacs displays
1073 @samp{@dots{}} at the end of a line that is followed by hidden text.
1074 This example is a continuation of the previous one.
1075
1076 @example
1077 @group
1078 (setq selective-display-ellipses t)
1079 @result{} t
1080
1081 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1082 1 on this column
1083 2on this column ...
1084 2on this column
1085 1 on this column
1086 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1087 @end group
1088 @end example
1089
1090 You can use a display table to substitute other text for the ellipsis
1091 (@samp{@dots{}}). @xref{Display Tables}.
1092 @end defopt
1093
1094 @node Temporary Displays
1095 @section Temporary Displays
1096 @cindex temporary display
1097 @cindex temporary buffer display
1098
1099 Temporary displays are used by Lisp programs to put output into a
1100 buffer and then present it to the user for perusal rather than for
1101 editing. Many help commands use this feature.
1102
1103 @defmac with-output-to-temp-buffer buffer-name body@dots{}
1104 This function executes the forms in @var{body} while arranging to insert
1105 any output they print into the buffer named @var{buffer-name}, which is
1106 first created if necessary, and put into Help mode. (See the similar
1107 form @code{with-temp-buffer-window} below.) Finally, the buffer is
1108 displayed in some window, but that window is not selected.
1109
1110 If the forms in @var{body} do not change the major mode in the output
1111 buffer, so that it is still Help mode at the end of their execution,
1112 then @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} makes this buffer read-only at
1113 the end, and also scans it for function and variable names to make them
1114 into clickable cross-references. @xref{Docstring hyperlinks, , Tips for
1115 Documentation Strings}, in particular the item on hyperlinks in
1116 documentation strings, for more details.
1117
1118 The string @var{buffer-name} specifies the temporary buffer, which need
1119 not already exist. The argument must be a string, not a buffer. The
1120 buffer is erased initially (with no questions asked), and it is marked
1121 as unmodified after @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} exits.
1122
1123 @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} binds @code{standard-output} to the
1124 temporary buffer, then it evaluates the forms in @var{body}. Output
1125 using the Lisp output functions within @var{body} goes by default to
1126 that buffer (but screen display and messages in the echo area, although
1127 they are ``output'' in the general sense of the word, are not affected).
1128 @xref{Output Functions}.
1129
1130 Several hooks are available for customizing the behavior
1131 of this construct; they are listed below.
1132
1133 The value of the last form in @var{body} is returned.
1134
1135 @example
1136 @group
1137 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1138 This is the contents of foo.
1139 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1140 @end group
1141
1142 @group
1143 (with-output-to-temp-buffer "foo"
1144 (print 20)
1145 (print standard-output))
1146 @result{} #<buffer foo>
1147
1148 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1149
1150 20
1151
1152 #<buffer foo>
1153
1154 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1155 @end group
1156 @end example
1157 @end defmac
1158
1159 @defopt temp-buffer-show-function
1160 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer}
1161 calls it as a function to do the job of displaying a help buffer. The
1162 function gets one argument, which is the buffer it should display.
1163
1164 It is a good idea for this function to run @code{temp-buffer-show-hook}
1165 just as @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} normally would, inside of
1166 @code{save-selected-window} and with the chosen window and buffer
1167 selected.
1168 @end defopt
1169
1170 @defvar temp-buffer-setup-hook
1171 This normal hook is run by @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} before
1172 evaluating @var{body}. When the hook runs, the temporary buffer is
1173 current. This hook is normally set up with a function to put the
1174 buffer in Help mode.
1175 @end defvar
1176
1177 @defvar temp-buffer-show-hook
1178 This normal hook is run by @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer} after
1179 displaying the temporary buffer. When the hook runs, the temporary buffer
1180 is current, and the window it was displayed in is selected.
1181 @end defvar
1182
1183 @defmac with-temp-buffer-window buffer-or-name action quit-function body@dots{}
1184 This macro is similar to @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer}. Like that
1185 construct, it executes @var{body} while arranging to insert any output
1186 it prints into the buffer named @var{buffer-or-name} and displays that
1187 buffer in some window. Unlike @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer},
1188 however, it does not automatically switch that buffer to Help mode.
1189
1190 The argument @var{buffer-or-name} specifies the temporary buffer. It
1191 can be either a buffer, which must already exist, or a string, in which
1192 case a buffer of that name is created, if necessary. The buffer is
1193 marked as unmodified and read-only when @code{with-temp-buffer-window}
1194 exits.
1195
1196 This macro does not call @code{temp-buffer-show-function}. Rather, it
1197 passes the @var{action} argument to @code{display-buffer}
1198 (@pxref{Choosing Window}) in order to display the buffer.
1199
1200 The value of the last form in @var{body} is returned, unless the
1201 argument @var{quit-function} is specified. In that case, it is called
1202 with two arguments: the window showing the buffer and the result of
1203 @var{body}. The final return value is then whatever @var{quit-function}
1204 returns.
1205
1206 @vindex temp-buffer-window-setup-hook
1207 @vindex temp-buffer-window-show-hook
1208 This macro uses the normal hooks @code{temp-buffer-window-setup-hook}
1209 and @code{temp-buffer-window-show-hook} in place of the analogous hooks
1210 run by @code{with-output-to-temp-buffer}.
1211 @end defmac
1212
1213 The two constructs described next are mostly identical to
1214 @code{with-temp-buffer-window} but differ from it as specified:
1215
1216 @defmac with-current-buffer-window buffer-or-name action quit-function &rest body
1217 This macro is like @code{with-temp-buffer-window} but unlike that makes
1218 the buffer specified by @var{buffer-or-name} current for running
1219 @var{body}.
1220 @end defmac
1221
1222 @defmac with-displayed-buffer-window buffer-or-name action quit-function &rest body
1223 This macro is like @code{with-current-buffer-window} but unlike that
1224 displays the buffer specified by @var{buffer-or-name} @emph{before}
1225 running @var{body}.
1226 @end defmac
1227
1228 A window showing a temporary buffer can be fit to the size of that
1229 buffer using the following mode:
1230
1231 @defopt temp-buffer-resize-mode
1232 When this minor mode is enabled, windows showing a temporary buffer are
1233 automatically resized to fit their buffer's contents.
1234
1235 A window is resized if and only if it has been specially created for the
1236 buffer. In particular, windows that have shown another buffer before
1237 are not resized. By default, this mode uses @code{fit-window-to-buffer}
1238 (@pxref{Resizing Windows}) for resizing. You can specify a different
1239 function by customizing the options @code{temp-buffer-max-height} and
1240 @code{temp-buffer-max-width} below.
1241 @end defopt
1242
1243 @defopt temp-buffer-max-height
1244 This option specifies the maximum height (in lines) of a window
1245 displaying a temporary buffer when @code{temp-buffer-resize-mode} is
1246 enabled. It can also be a function to be called to choose the height
1247 for such a buffer. It gets one argument, the buffer, and should return
1248 a positive integer. At the time the function is called, the window to
1249 be resized is selected.
1250 @end defopt
1251
1252 @defopt temp-buffer-max-width
1253 This option specifies the maximum width of a window (in columns)
1254 displaying a temporary buffer when @code{temp-buffer-resize-mode} is
1255 enabled. It can also be a function to be called to choose the width for
1256 such a buffer. It gets one argument, the buffer, and should return a
1257 positive integer. At the time the function is called, the window to be
1258 resized is selected.
1259 @end defopt
1260
1261 The following function uses the current buffer for temporal display:
1262
1263 @defun momentary-string-display string position &optional char message
1264 This function momentarily displays @var{string} in the current buffer at
1265 @var{position}. It has no effect on the undo list or on the buffer's
1266 modification status.
1267
1268 The momentary display remains until the next input event. If the next
1269 input event is @var{char}, @code{momentary-string-display} ignores it
1270 and returns. Otherwise, that event remains buffered for subsequent use
1271 as input. Thus, typing @var{char} will simply remove the string from
1272 the display, while typing (say) @kbd{C-f} will remove the string from
1273 the display and later (presumably) move point forward. The argument
1274 @var{char} is a space by default.
1275
1276 The return value of @code{momentary-string-display} is not meaningful.
1277
1278 If the string @var{string} does not contain control characters, you can
1279 do the same job in a more general way by creating (and then subsequently
1280 deleting) an overlay with a @code{before-string} property.
1281 @xref{Overlay Properties}.
1282
1283 If @var{message} is non-@code{nil}, it is displayed in the echo area
1284 while @var{string} is displayed in the buffer. If it is @code{nil}, a
1285 default message says to type @var{char} to continue.
1286
1287 In this example, point is initially located at the beginning of the
1288 second line:
1289
1290 @example
1291 @group
1292 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1293 This is the contents of foo.
1294 @point{}Second line.
1295 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1296 @end group
1297
1298 @group
1299 (momentary-string-display
1300 "**** Important Message! ****"
1301 (point) ?\r
1302 "Type RET when done reading")
1303 @result{} t
1304 @end group
1305
1306 @group
1307 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1308 This is the contents of foo.
1309 **** Important Message! ****Second line.
1310 ---------- Buffer: foo ----------
1311
1312 ---------- Echo Area ----------
1313 Type RET when done reading
1314 ---------- Echo Area ----------
1315 @end group
1316 @end example
1317 @end defun
1318
1319 @node Overlays
1320 @section Overlays
1321 @cindex overlays
1322 @c FIXME: mention intervals in this section?
1323
1324 You can use @dfn{overlays} to alter the appearance of a buffer's text on
1325 the screen, for the sake of presentation features. An overlay is an
1326 object that belongs to a particular buffer, and has a specified
1327 beginning and end. It also has properties that you can examine and set;
1328 these affect the display of the text within the overlay.
1329
1330 @cindex scalability of overlays
1331 @cindex overlays, scalability
1332 The visual effect of an overlay is the same as of the corresponding
1333 text property (@pxref{Text Properties}). However, due to a different
1334 implementation, overlays generally don't scale well (many operations
1335 take a time that is proportional to the number of overlays in the
1336 buffer). If you need to affect the visual appearance of many portions
1337 in the buffer, we recommend using text properties.
1338
1339 An overlay uses markers to record its beginning and end; thus,
1340 editing the text of the buffer adjusts the beginning and end of each
1341 overlay so that it stays with the text. When you create the overlay,
1342 you can specify whether text inserted at the beginning should be
1343 inside the overlay or outside, and likewise for the end of the overlay.
1344
1345 @menu
1346 * Managing Overlays:: Creating and moving overlays.
1347 * Overlay Properties:: How to read and set properties.
1348 What properties do to the screen display.
1349 * Finding Overlays:: Searching for overlays.
1350 @end menu
1351
1352 @node Managing Overlays
1353 @subsection Managing Overlays
1354 @cindex managing overlays
1355 @cindex overlays, managing
1356
1357 This section describes the functions to create, delete and move
1358 overlays, and to examine their contents. Overlay changes are not
1359 recorded in the buffer's undo list, since the overlays are not
1360 part of the buffer's contents.
1361
1362 @defun overlayp object
1363 This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is an overlay.
1364 @end defun
1365
1366 @defun make-overlay start end &optional buffer front-advance rear-advance
1367 This function creates and returns an overlay that belongs to
1368 @var{buffer} and ranges from @var{start} to @var{end}. Both @var{start}
1369 and @var{end} must specify buffer positions; they may be integers or
1370 markers. If @var{buffer} is omitted, the overlay is created in the
1371 current buffer.
1372
1373 @cindex empty overlay
1374 @cindex overlay, empty
1375 An overlay whose @var{start} and @var{end} specify the same buffer
1376 position is known as @dfn{empty}. A non-empty overlay can become
1377 empty if the text between its @var{start} and @var{end} is deleted.
1378 When that happens, the overlay is by default not deleted, but you can
1379 cause it to be deleted by giving it the @samp{evaporate} property
1380 (@pxref{Overlay Properties, evaporate property}).
1381
1382 The arguments @var{front-advance} and @var{rear-advance} specify the
1383 marker insertion type for the start of the overlay and for the end of
1384 the overlay, respectively. @xref{Marker Insertion Types}. If they
1385 are both @code{nil}, the default, then the overlay extends to include
1386 any text inserted at the beginning, but not text inserted at the end.
1387 If @var{front-advance} is non-@code{nil}, text inserted at the
1388 beginning of the overlay is excluded from the overlay. If
1389 @var{rear-advance} is non-@code{nil}, text inserted at the end of the
1390 overlay is included in the overlay.
1391 @end defun
1392
1393 @defun overlay-start overlay
1394 This function returns the position at which @var{overlay} starts,
1395 as an integer.
1396 @end defun
1397
1398 @defun overlay-end overlay
1399 This function returns the position at which @var{overlay} ends,
1400 as an integer.
1401 @end defun
1402
1403 @defun overlay-buffer overlay
1404 This function returns the buffer that @var{overlay} belongs to. It
1405 returns @code{nil} if @var{overlay} has been deleted.
1406 @end defun
1407
1408 @defun delete-overlay overlay
1409 This function deletes @var{overlay}. The overlay continues to exist as
1410 a Lisp object, and its property list is unchanged, but it ceases to be
1411 attached to the buffer it belonged to, and ceases to have any effect on
1412 display.
1413
1414 A deleted overlay is not permanently disconnected. You can give it a
1415 position in a buffer again by calling @code{move-overlay}.
1416 @end defun
1417
1418 @defun move-overlay overlay start end &optional buffer
1419 This function moves @var{overlay} to @var{buffer}, and places its bounds
1420 at @var{start} and @var{end}. Both arguments @var{start} and @var{end}
1421 must specify buffer positions; they may be integers or markers.
1422
1423 If @var{buffer} is omitted, @var{overlay} stays in the same buffer it
1424 was already associated with; if @var{overlay} was deleted, it goes into
1425 the current buffer.
1426
1427 The return value is @var{overlay}.
1428
1429 This is the only valid way to change the endpoints of an overlay. Do
1430 not try modifying the markers in the overlay by hand, as that fails to
1431 update other vital data structures and can cause some overlays to be
1432 lost.
1433 @end defun
1434
1435 @defun remove-overlays &optional start end name value
1436 This function removes all the overlays between @var{start} and
1437 @var{end} whose property @var{name} has the value @var{value}. It can
1438 move the endpoints of the overlays in the region, or split them.
1439
1440 If @var{name} is omitted or @code{nil}, it means to delete all overlays in
1441 the specified region. If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are omitted or
1442 @code{nil}, that means the beginning and end of the buffer respectively.
1443 Therefore, @code{(remove-overlays)} removes all the overlays in the
1444 current buffer.
1445 @end defun
1446
1447 @defun copy-overlay overlay
1448 This function returns a copy of @var{overlay}. The copy has the same
1449 endpoints and properties as @var{overlay}. However, the marker
1450 insertion type for the start of the overlay and for the end of the
1451 overlay are set to their default values (@pxref{Marker Insertion
1452 Types}).
1453 @end defun
1454
1455 Here are some examples:
1456
1457 @example
1458 ;; @r{Create an overlay.}
1459 (setq foo (make-overlay 1 10))
1460 @result{} #<overlay from 1 to 10 in display.texi>
1461 (overlay-start foo)
1462 @result{} 1
1463 (overlay-end foo)
1464 @result{} 10
1465 (overlay-buffer foo)
1466 @result{} #<buffer display.texi>
1467 ;; @r{Give it a property we can check later.}
1468 (overlay-put foo 'happy t)
1469 @result{} t
1470 ;; @r{Verify the property is present.}
1471 (overlay-get foo 'happy)
1472 @result{} t
1473 ;; @r{Move the overlay.}
1474 (move-overlay foo 5 20)
1475 @result{} #<overlay from 5 to 20 in display.texi>
1476 (overlay-start foo)
1477 @result{} 5
1478 (overlay-end foo)
1479 @result{} 20
1480 ;; @r{Delete the overlay.}
1481 (delete-overlay foo)
1482 @result{} nil
1483 ;; @r{Verify it is deleted.}
1484 foo
1485 @result{} #<overlay in no buffer>
1486 ;; @r{A deleted overlay has no position.}
1487 (overlay-start foo)
1488 @result{} nil
1489 (overlay-end foo)
1490 @result{} nil
1491 (overlay-buffer foo)
1492 @result{} nil
1493 ;; @r{Undelete the overlay.}
1494 (move-overlay foo 1 20)
1495 @result{} #<overlay from 1 to 20 in display.texi>
1496 ;; @r{Verify the results.}
1497 (overlay-start foo)
1498 @result{} 1
1499 (overlay-end foo)
1500 @result{} 20
1501 (overlay-buffer foo)
1502 @result{} #<buffer display.texi>
1503 ;; @r{Moving and deleting the overlay does not change its properties.}
1504 (overlay-get foo 'happy)
1505 @result{} t
1506 @end example
1507
1508 Emacs stores the overlays of each buffer in two lists, divided
1509 around an arbitrary center position. One list extends backwards
1510 through the buffer from that center position, and the other extends
1511 forwards from that center position. The center position can be anywhere
1512 in the buffer.
1513
1514 @defun overlay-recenter pos
1515 This function recenters the overlays of the current buffer around
1516 position @var{pos}. That makes overlay lookup faster for positions
1517 near @var{pos}, but slower for positions far away from @var{pos}.
1518 @end defun
1519
1520 A loop that scans the buffer forwards, creating overlays, can run
1521 faster if you do @code{(overlay-recenter (point-max))} first.
1522
1523 @node Overlay Properties
1524 @subsection Overlay Properties
1525 @cindex overlay properties
1526
1527 Overlay properties are like text properties in that the properties that
1528 alter how a character is displayed can come from either source. But in
1529 most respects they are different. @xref{Text Properties}, for comparison.
1530
1531 Text properties are considered a part of the text; overlays and
1532 their properties are specifically considered not to be part of the
1533 text. Thus, copying text between various buffers and strings
1534 preserves text properties, but does not try to preserve overlays.
1535 Changing a buffer's text properties marks the buffer as modified,
1536 while moving an overlay or changing its properties does not. Unlike
1537 text property changes, overlay property changes are not recorded in
1538 the buffer's undo list.
1539
1540 Since more than one overlay can specify a property value for the
1541 same character, Emacs lets you specify a priority value of each
1542 overlay. In case two overlays have the same priority value, and one
1543 is nested in the other, then the inner one will have priority over the
1544 outer one. If neither is nested in the other then you should not make
1545 assumptions about which overlay will prevail.
1546
1547 These functions read and set the properties of an overlay:
1548
1549 @defun overlay-get overlay prop
1550 This function returns the value of property @var{prop} recorded in
1551 @var{overlay}, if any. If @var{overlay} does not record any value for
1552 that property, but it does have a @code{category} property which is a
1553 symbol, that symbol's @var{prop} property is used. Otherwise, the value
1554 is @code{nil}.
1555 @end defun
1556
1557 @defun overlay-put overlay prop value
1558 This function sets the value of property @var{prop} recorded in
1559 @var{overlay} to @var{value}. It returns @var{value}.
1560 @end defun
1561
1562 @defun overlay-properties overlay
1563 This returns a copy of the property list of @var{overlay}.
1564 @end defun
1565
1566 See also the function @code{get-char-property} which checks both
1567 overlay properties and text properties for a given character.
1568 @xref{Examining Properties}.
1569
1570 Many overlay properties have special meanings; here is a table
1571 of them:
1572
1573 @table @code
1574 @item priority
1575 @kindex priority @r{(overlay property)}
1576 This property's value determines the priority of the overlay.
1577 If you want to specify a priority value, use either @code{nil}
1578 (or zero), or a positive integer. Any other value has undefined behavior.
1579
1580 The priority matters when two or more overlays cover the same
1581 character and both specify the same property; the one whose
1582 @code{priority} value is larger overrides the other. For the
1583 @code{face} property, the higher priority overlay's value does not
1584 completely override the other value; instead, its face attributes
1585 override the face attributes of the lower priority @code{face}
1586 property.
1587
1588 Currently, all overlays take priority over text properties.
1589
1590 Note that Emacs sometimes uses non-numeric priority values for some of
1591 its internal overlays, so do not try to do arithmetic on the
1592 priority of an overlay (unless it is one that you created). If you
1593 need to put overlays in priority order, use the @var{sorted} argument
1594 of @code{overlays-at}. @xref{Finding Overlays}.
1595
1596 @item window
1597 @kindex window @r{(overlay property)}
1598 If the @code{window} property is non-@code{nil}, then the overlay
1599 applies only on that window.
1600
1601 @item category
1602 @kindex category @r{(overlay property)}
1603 If an overlay has a @code{category} property, we call it the
1604 @dfn{category} of the overlay. It should be a symbol. The properties
1605 of the symbol serve as defaults for the properties of the overlay.
1606
1607 @item face
1608 @kindex face @r{(overlay property)}
1609 This property controls the appearance of the text (@pxref{Faces}).
1610 The value of the property can be the following:
1611
1612 @itemize @bullet
1613 @item
1614 A face name (a symbol or string).
1615
1616 @item
1617 An anonymous face: a property list of the form @code{(@var{keyword}
1618 @var{value} @dots{})}, where each @var{keyword} is a face attribute
1619 name and @var{value} is a value for that attribute.
1620
1621 @item
1622 A list of faces. Each list element should be either a face name or an
1623 anonymous face. This specifies a face which is an aggregate of the
1624 attributes of each of the listed faces. Faces occurring earlier in
1625 the list have higher priority.
1626
1627 @item
1628 A cons cell of the form @code{(foreground-color . @var{color-name})}
1629 or @code{(background-color . @var{color-name})}. This specifies the
1630 foreground or background color, similar to @code{(:foreground
1631 @var{color-name})} or @code{(:background @var{color-name})}. This
1632 form is supported for backward compatibility only, and should be
1633 avoided.
1634 @end itemize
1635
1636 @item mouse-face
1637 @kindex mouse-face @r{(overlay property)}
1638 This property is used instead of @code{face} when the mouse is within
1639 the range of the overlay. However, Emacs ignores all face attributes
1640 from this property that alter the text size (e.g., @code{:height},
1641 @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant}). Those attributes are always the
1642 same as in the unhighlighted text.
1643
1644 @item display
1645 @kindex display @r{(overlay property)}
1646 This property activates various features that change the
1647 way text is displayed. For example, it can make text appear taller
1648 or shorter, higher or lower, wider or narrower, or replaced with an image.
1649 @xref{Display Property}.
1650
1651 @item help-echo
1652 @kindex help-echo @r{(overlay property)}
1653 If an overlay has a @code{help-echo} property, then when you move the
1654 mouse onto the text in the overlay, Emacs displays a help string in the
1655 echo area, or in the tooltip window. For details see @ref{Text
1656 help-echo}.
1657
1658 @item field
1659 @kindex field @r{(overlay property)}
1660 @c Copied from Special Properties.
1661 Consecutive characters with the same @code{field} property constitute a
1662 @emph{field}. Some motion functions including @code{forward-word} and
1663 @code{beginning-of-line} stop moving at a field boundary.
1664 @xref{Fields}.
1665
1666 @item modification-hooks
1667 @kindex modification-hooks @r{(overlay property)}
1668 This property's value is a list of functions to be called if any
1669 character within the overlay is changed or if text is inserted strictly
1670 within the overlay.
1671
1672 The hook functions are called both before and after each change.
1673 If the functions save the information they receive, and compare notes
1674 between calls, they can determine exactly what change has been made
1675 in the buffer text.
1676
1677 When called before a change, each function receives four arguments: the
1678 overlay, @code{nil}, and the beginning and end of the text range to be
1679 modified.
1680
1681 When called after a change, each function receives five arguments: the
1682 overlay, @code{t}, the beginning and end of the text range just
1683 modified, and the length of the pre-change text replaced by that range.
1684 (For an insertion, the pre-change length is zero; for a deletion, that
1685 length is the number of characters deleted, and the post-change
1686 beginning and end are equal.)
1687
1688 If these functions modify the buffer, they should bind
1689 @code{inhibit-modification-hooks} to @code{t} around doing so, to
1690 avoid confusing the internal mechanism that calls these hooks.
1691
1692 Text properties also support the @code{modification-hooks} property,
1693 but the details are somewhat different (@pxref{Special Properties}).
1694
1695 @item insert-in-front-hooks
1696 @kindex insert-in-front-hooks @r{(overlay property)}
1697 This property's value is a list of functions to be called before and
1698 after inserting text right at the beginning of the overlay. The calling
1699 conventions are the same as for the @code{modification-hooks} functions.
1700
1701 @item insert-behind-hooks
1702 @kindex insert-behind-hooks @r{(overlay property)}
1703 This property's value is a list of functions to be called before and
1704 after inserting text right at the end of the overlay. The calling
1705 conventions are the same as for the @code{modification-hooks} functions.
1706
1707 @item invisible
1708 @kindex invisible @r{(overlay property)}
1709 The @code{invisible} property can make the text in the overlay
1710 invisible, which means that it does not appear on the screen.
1711 @xref{Invisible Text}, for details.
1712
1713 @item intangible
1714 @kindex intangible @r{(overlay property)}
1715 The @code{intangible} property on an overlay works just like the
1716 @code{intangible} text property. @xref{Special Properties}, for details.
1717
1718 @item isearch-open-invisible
1719 This property tells incremental search how to make an invisible overlay
1720 visible, permanently, if the final match overlaps it. @xref{Invisible
1721 Text}.
1722
1723 @item isearch-open-invisible-temporary
1724 This property tells incremental search how to make an invisible overlay
1725 visible, temporarily, during the search. @xref{Invisible Text}.
1726
1727 @item before-string
1728 @kindex before-string @r{(overlay property)}
1729 This property's value is a string to add to the display at the beginning
1730 of the overlay. The string does not appear in the buffer in any
1731 sense---only on the screen.
1732
1733 @item after-string
1734 @kindex after-string @r{(overlay property)}
1735 This property's value is a string to add to the display at the end of
1736 the overlay. The string does not appear in the buffer in any
1737 sense---only on the screen.
1738
1739 @item line-prefix
1740 This property specifies a display spec to prepend to each
1741 non-continuation line at display-time. @xref{Truncation}.
1742
1743 @item wrap-prefix
1744 This property specifies a display spec to prepend to each continuation
1745 line at display-time. @xref{Truncation}.
1746
1747 @item evaporate
1748 @kindex evaporate @r{(overlay property)}
1749 If this property is non-@code{nil}, the overlay is deleted automatically
1750 if it becomes empty (i.e., if its length becomes zero). If you give
1751 an empty overlay (@pxref{Managing Overlays, empty overlay}) a
1752 non-@code{nil} @code{evaporate} property, that deletes it immediately.
1753 Note that, unless an overlay has this property, it will not be deleted
1754 when the text between its starting and ending positions is deleted
1755 from the buffer.
1756
1757 @item keymap
1758 @cindex keymap of character (and overlays)
1759 @kindex keymap @r{(overlay property)}
1760 If this property is non-@code{nil}, it specifies a keymap for a portion of the
1761 text. This keymap is used when the character after point is within the
1762 overlay, and takes precedence over most other keymaps. @xref{Active Keymaps}.
1763
1764 @item local-map
1765 @kindex local-map @r{(overlay property)}
1766 The @code{local-map} property is similar to @code{keymap} but replaces the
1767 buffer's local map rather than augmenting existing keymaps. This also means it
1768 has lower precedence than minor mode keymaps.
1769 @end table
1770
1771 The @code{keymap} and @code{local-map} properties do not affect a
1772 string displayed by the @code{before-string}, @code{after-string}, or
1773 @code{display} properties. This is only relevant for mouse clicks and
1774 other mouse events that fall on the string, since point is never on
1775 the string. To bind special mouse events for the string, assign it a
1776 @code{keymap} or @code{local-map} text property. @xref{Special
1777 Properties}.
1778
1779 @node Finding Overlays
1780 @subsection Searching for Overlays
1781 @cindex searching for overlays
1782 @cindex overlays, searching for
1783
1784 @defun overlays-at pos &optional sorted
1785 This function returns a list of all the overlays that cover the character at
1786 position @var{pos} in the current buffer. If @var{sorted} is non-@code{nil},
1787 the list is in decreasing order of priority, otherwise it is in no particular
1788 order. An overlay contains position @var{pos} if it begins at or before
1789 @var{pos}, and ends after @var{pos}.
1790
1791 To illustrate usage, here is a Lisp function that returns a list of the
1792 overlays that specify property @var{prop} for the character at point:
1793
1794 @smallexample
1795 (defun find-overlays-specifying (prop)
1796 (let ((overlays (overlays-at (point)))
1797 found)
1798 (while overlays
1799 (let ((overlay (car overlays)))
1800 (if (overlay-get overlay prop)
1801 (setq found (cons overlay found))))
1802 (setq overlays (cdr overlays)))
1803 found))
1804 @end smallexample
1805 @end defun
1806
1807 @defun overlays-in beg end
1808 This function returns a list of the overlays that overlap the region
1809 @var{beg} through @var{end}. An overlay overlaps with a region if it
1810 contains one or more characters in the region; empty overlays
1811 (@pxref{Managing Overlays, empty overlay}) overlap if they are at
1812 @var{beg}, strictly between @var{beg} and @var{end}, or at @var{end}
1813 when @var{end} denotes the position at the end of the buffer.
1814 @end defun
1815
1816 @defun next-overlay-change pos
1817 This function returns the buffer position of the next beginning or end
1818 of an overlay, after @var{pos}. If there is none, it returns
1819 @code{(point-max)}.
1820 @end defun
1821
1822 @defun previous-overlay-change pos
1823 This function returns the buffer position of the previous beginning or
1824 end of an overlay, before @var{pos}. If there is none, it returns
1825 @code{(point-min)}.
1826 @end defun
1827
1828 As an example, here's a simplified (and inefficient) version of the
1829 primitive function @code{next-single-char-property-change}
1830 (@pxref{Property Search}). It searches forward from position
1831 @var{pos} for the next position where the value of a given property
1832 @code{prop}, as obtained from either overlays or text properties,
1833 changes.
1834
1835 @smallexample
1836 (defun next-single-char-property-change (position prop)
1837 (save-excursion
1838 (goto-char position)
1839 (let ((propval (get-char-property (point) prop)))
1840 (while (and (not (eobp))
1841 (eq (get-char-property (point) prop) propval))
1842 (goto-char (min (next-overlay-change (point))
1843 (next-single-property-change (point) prop)))))
1844 (point)))
1845 @end smallexample
1846
1847 @node Size of Displayed Text
1848 @section Size of Displayed Text
1849 @cindex size of text on display
1850 @cindex character width on display
1851
1852 Since not all characters have the same width, these functions let you
1853 check the width of a character. @xref{Primitive Indent}, and
1854 @ref{Screen Lines}, for related functions.
1855
1856 @defun char-width char
1857 This function returns the width in columns of the character
1858 @var{char}, if it were displayed in the current buffer (i.e., taking
1859 into account the buffer's display table, if any; @pxref{Display
1860 Tables}). The width of a tab character is usually @code{tab-width}
1861 (@pxref{Usual Display}).
1862 @end defun
1863
1864 @defun string-width string
1865 This function returns the width in columns of the string @var{string},
1866 if it were displayed in the current buffer and the selected window.
1867 @end defun
1868
1869 @defun truncate-string-to-width string width &optional start-column padding ellipsis
1870 This function returns the part of @var{string} that fits within
1871 @var{width} columns, as a new string.
1872
1873 If @var{string} does not reach @var{width}, then the result ends where
1874 @var{string} ends. If one multi-column character in @var{string}
1875 extends across the column @var{width}, that character is not included in
1876 the result. Thus, the result can fall short of @var{width} but cannot
1877 go beyond it.
1878
1879 The optional argument @var{start-column} specifies the starting column.
1880 If this is non-@code{nil}, then the first @var{start-column} columns of
1881 the string are omitted from the value. If one multi-column character in
1882 @var{string} extends across the column @var{start-column}, that
1883 character is not included.
1884
1885 The optional argument @var{padding}, if non-@code{nil}, is a padding
1886 character added at the beginning and end of the result string, to extend
1887 it to exactly @var{width} columns. The padding character is used at the
1888 end of the result if it falls short of @var{width}. It is also used at
1889 the beginning of the result if one multi-column character in
1890 @var{string} extends across the column @var{start-column}.
1891
1892 If @var{ellipsis} is non-@code{nil}, it should be a string which will
1893 replace the end of @var{string} (including any padding) if it extends
1894 beyond @var{width}, unless the display width of @var{string} is equal
1895 to or less than the display width of @var{ellipsis}. If
1896 @var{ellipsis} is non-@code{nil} and not a string, it stands for
1897 @code{"..."}.
1898
1899 @example
1900 (truncate-string-to-width "\tab\t" 12 4)
1901 @result{} "ab"
1902 (truncate-string-to-width "\tab\t" 12 4 ?\s)
1903 @result{} " ab "
1904 @end example
1905 @end defun
1906
1907 The following function returns the size in pixels of text as if it were
1908 displayed in a given window. This function is used by
1909 @code{fit-window-to-buffer} and @code{fit-frame-to-buffer}
1910 (@pxref{Resizing Windows}) to make a window exactly as large as the text
1911 it contains.
1912
1913 @defun window-text-pixel-size &optional window from to x-limit y-limit mode-and-header-line
1914 This function returns the size of the text of @var{window}'s buffer in
1915 pixels. @var{window} must be a live window and defaults to the selected
1916 one. The return value is a cons of the maximum pixel-width of any text
1917 line and the maximum pixel-height of all text lines.
1918
1919 The optional argument @var{from}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the first
1920 text position to consider and defaults to the minimum accessible
1921 position of the buffer. If @var{from} is @code{t}, it uses the minimum
1922 accessible position that is not a newline character. The optional
1923 argument @var{to}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the last text position
1924 to consider and defaults to the maximum accessible position of the
1925 buffer. If @var{to} is @code{t}, it uses the maximum accessible
1926 position that is not a newline character.
1927
1928 The optional argument @var{x-limit}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the
1929 maximum pixel-width that can be returned. @var{x-limit} @code{nil} or
1930 omitted, means to use the pixel-width of @var{window}'s body
1931 (@pxref{Window Sizes}); this is useful when the caller does not intend
1932 to change the width of @var{window}. Otherwise, the caller should
1933 specify here the maximum width @var{window}'s body may assume. Text
1934 whose x-coordinate is beyond @var{x-limit} is ignored. Since
1935 calculating the width of long lines can take some time, it's always a
1936 good idea to make this argument as small as needed; in particular, if
1937 the buffer might contain long lines that will be truncated anyway.
1938
1939 The optional argument @var{y-limit}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the
1940 maximum pixel-height that can be returned. Text lines whose
1941 y-coordinate is beyond @var{y-limit} are ignored. Since calculating the
1942 pixel-height of a large buffer can take some time, it makes sense to
1943 specify this argument; in particular, if the caller does not know the
1944 size of the buffer.
1945
1946 The optional argument @var{mode-and-header-line} @code{nil} or omitted
1947 means to not include the height of the mode- or header-line of
1948 @var{window} in the return value. If it is either the symbol
1949 @code{mode-line} or @code{header-line}, include only the height of that
1950 line, if present, in the return value. If it is @code{t}, include the
1951 height of both, if present, in the return value.
1952 @end defun
1953
1954
1955 @node Line Height
1956 @section Line Height
1957 @cindex line height
1958 @cindex height of a line
1959
1960 The total height of each display line consists of the height of the
1961 contents of the line, plus optional additional vertical line spacing
1962 above or below the display line.
1963
1964 The height of the line contents is the maximum height of any character
1965 or image on that display line, including the final newline if there is
1966 one. (A display line that is continued doesn't include a final
1967 newline.) That is the default line height, if you do nothing to specify
1968 a greater height. (In the most common case, this equals the height of
1969 the corresponding frame's default font, see @ref{Frame Font}.)
1970
1971 There are several ways to explicitly specify a larger line height,
1972 either by specifying an absolute height for the display line, or by
1973 specifying vertical space. However, no matter what you specify, the
1974 actual line height can never be less than the default.
1975
1976 @kindex line-height @r{(text property)}
1977 A newline can have a @code{line-height} text or overlay property
1978 that controls the total height of the display line ending in that
1979 newline.
1980
1981 If the property value is @code{t}, the newline character has no
1982 effect on the displayed height of the line---the visible contents
1983 alone determine the height. This is useful for tiling small images
1984 (or image slices) without adding blank areas between the images.
1985
1986 If the property value is a list of the form @code{(@var{height}
1987 @var{total})}, that adds extra space @emph{below} the display line.
1988 First Emacs uses @var{height} as a height spec to control extra space
1989 @emph{above} the line; then it adds enough space @emph{below} the line
1990 to bring the total line height up to @var{total}. In this case, the
1991 other ways to specify the line spacing are ignored.
1992
1993 @cindex height spec
1994 Any other kind of property value is a height spec, which translates
1995 into a number---the specified line height. There are several ways to
1996 write a height spec; here's how each of them translates into a number:
1997
1998 @table @code
1999 @item @var{integer}
2000 If the height spec is a positive integer, the height value is that integer.
2001 @item @var{float}
2002 If the height spec is a float, @var{float}, the numeric height value
2003 is @var{float} times the frame's default line height.
2004 @item (@var{face} . @var{ratio})
2005 If the height spec is a cons of the format shown, the numeric height
2006 is @var{ratio} times the height of face @var{face}. @var{ratio} can
2007 be any type of number, or @code{nil} which means a ratio of 1.
2008 If @var{face} is @code{t}, it refers to the current face.
2009 @item (nil . @var{ratio})
2010 If the height spec is a cons of the format shown, the numeric height
2011 is @var{ratio} times the height of the contents of the line.
2012 @end table
2013
2014 Thus, any valid height spec determines the height in pixels, one way
2015 or another. If the line contents' height is less than that, Emacs
2016 adds extra vertical space above the line to achieve the specified
2017 total height.
2018
2019 If you don't specify the @code{line-height} property, the line's
2020 height consists of the contents' height plus the line spacing.
2021 There are several ways to specify the line spacing for different
2022 parts of Emacs text.
2023
2024 On graphical terminals, you can specify the line spacing for all
2025 lines in a frame, using the @code{line-spacing} frame parameter
2026 (@pxref{Layout Parameters}). However, if the default value of
2027 @code{line-spacing} is non-@code{nil}, it overrides the
2028 frame's @code{line-spacing} parameter. An integer specifies the
2029 number of pixels put below lines. A floating-point number specifies
2030 the spacing relative to the frame's default line height.
2031
2032 @vindex line-spacing
2033 You can specify the line spacing for all lines in a buffer via the
2034 buffer-local @code{line-spacing} variable. An integer specifies
2035 the number of pixels put below lines. A floating-point number
2036 specifies the spacing relative to the default frame line height. This
2037 overrides line spacings specified for the frame.
2038
2039 @kindex line-spacing @r{(text property)}
2040 Finally, a newline can have a @code{line-spacing} text or overlay
2041 property that overrides the default frame line spacing and the buffer
2042 local @code{line-spacing} variable, for the display line ending in
2043 that newline.
2044
2045 One way or another, these mechanisms specify a Lisp value for the
2046 spacing of each line. The value is a height spec, and it translates
2047 into a Lisp value as described above. However, in this case the
2048 numeric height value specifies the line spacing, rather than the line
2049 height.
2050
2051 On text terminals, the line spacing cannot be altered.
2052
2053 @node Faces
2054 @section Faces
2055 @cindex faces
2056
2057 A @dfn{face} is a collection of graphical attributes for displaying
2058 text: font, foreground color, background color, optional underlining,
2059 etc. Faces control how Emacs displays text in buffers, as well as
2060 other parts of the frame such as the mode line.
2061
2062 @cindex anonymous face
2063 One way to represent a face is as a property list of attributes,
2064 like @code{(:foreground "red" :weight bold)}. Such a list is called
2065 an @dfn{anonymous face}. For example, you can assign an anonymous
2066 face as the value of the @code{face} text property, and Emacs will
2067 display the underlying text with the specified attributes.
2068 @xref{Special Properties}.
2069
2070 @cindex face name
2071 More commonly, a face is referred to via a @dfn{face name}: a Lisp
2072 symbol associated with a set of face attributes@footnote{For backward
2073 compatibility, you can also use a string to specify a face name; that
2074 is equivalent to a Lisp symbol with the same name.}. Named faces are
2075 defined using the @code{defface} macro (@pxref{Defining Faces}).
2076 Emacs comes with several standard named faces (@pxref{Basic Faces}).
2077
2078 Many parts of Emacs required named faces, and do not accept
2079 anonymous faces. These include the functions documented in
2080 @ref{Attribute Functions}, and the variable @code{font-lock-keywords}
2081 (@pxref{Search-based Fontification}). Unless otherwise stated, we
2082 will use the term @dfn{face} to refer only to named faces.
2083
2084 @defun facep object
2085 This function returns a non-@code{nil} value if @var{object} is a
2086 named face: a Lisp symbol or string which serves as a face name.
2087 Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}.
2088 @end defun
2089
2090 @menu
2091 * Face Attributes:: What is in a face?
2092 * Defining Faces:: How to define a face.
2093 * Attribute Functions:: Functions to examine and set face attributes.
2094 * Displaying Faces:: How Emacs combines the faces specified for a character.
2095 * Face Remapping:: Remapping faces to alternative definitions.
2096 * Face Functions:: How to define and examine faces.
2097 * Auto Faces:: Hook for automatic face assignment.
2098 * Basic Faces:: Faces that are defined by default.
2099 * Font Selection:: Finding the best available font for a face.
2100 * Font Lookup:: Looking up the names of available fonts
2101 and information about them.
2102 * Fontsets:: A fontset is a collection of fonts
2103 that handle a range of character sets.
2104 * Low-Level Font:: Lisp representation for character display fonts.
2105 @end menu
2106
2107 @node Face Attributes
2108 @subsection Face Attributes
2109 @cindex face attributes
2110
2111 @dfn{Face attributes} determine the visual appearance of a face.
2112 The following table lists all the face attributes, their possible
2113 values, and their effects.
2114
2115 Apart from the values given below, each face attribute can have the
2116 value @code{unspecified}. This special value means that the face
2117 doesn't specify that attribute directly. An @code{unspecified}
2118 attribute tells Emacs to refer instead to a parent face (see the
2119 description @code{:inherit} attribute below); or, failing that, to an
2120 underlying face (@pxref{Displaying Faces}). The @code{default} face
2121 must specify all attributes.
2122
2123 Some of these attributes are meaningful only on certain kinds of
2124 displays. If your display cannot handle a certain attribute, the
2125 attribute is ignored.
2126
2127 @table @code
2128 @item :family
2129 Font family or fontset (a string). @xref{Fonts,,, emacs, The GNU
2130 Emacs Manual}, for more information about font families. The function
2131 @code{font-family-list} (see below) returns a list of available family
2132 names. @xref{Fontsets}, for information about fontsets.
2133
2134 @item :foundry
2135 The name of the @dfn{font foundry} for the font family specified by
2136 the @code{:family} attribute (a string). @xref{Fonts,,, emacs, The
2137 GNU Emacs Manual}.
2138
2139 @item :width
2140 Relative character width. This should be one of the symbols
2141 @code{ultra-condensed}, @code{extra-condensed}, @code{condensed},
2142 @code{semi-condensed}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-expanded},
2143 @code{expanded}, @code{extra-expanded}, or @code{ultra-expanded}.
2144
2145 @item :height
2146 The height of the font. In the simplest case, this is an integer in
2147 units of 1/10 point.
2148
2149 The value can also be floating point or a function, which
2150 specifies the height relative to an @dfn{underlying face}
2151 (@pxref{Displaying Faces}). A floating-point value
2152 specifies the amount by which to scale the height of the
2153 underlying face. A function value is called
2154 with one argument, the height of the underlying face, and returns the
2155 height of the new face. If the function is passed an integer
2156 argument, it must return an integer.
2157
2158 The height of the default face must be specified using an integer;
2159 floating point and function values are not allowed.
2160
2161 @item :weight
2162 Font weight---one of the symbols (from densest to faintest)
2163 @code{ultra-bold}, @code{extra-bold}, @code{bold}, @code{semi-bold},
2164 @code{normal}, @code{semi-light}, @code{light}, @code{extra-light}, or
2165 @code{ultra-light}. On text terminals which support
2166 variable-brightness text, any weight greater than normal is displayed
2167 as extra bright, and any weight less than normal is displayed as
2168 half-bright.
2169
2170 @cindex italic text
2171 @item :slant
2172 Font slant---one of the symbols @code{italic}, @code{oblique},
2173 @code{normal}, @code{reverse-italic}, or @code{reverse-oblique}. On
2174 text terminals that support variable-brightness text, slanted text is
2175 displayed as half-bright.
2176
2177 @item :foreground
2178 Foreground color, a string. The value can be a system-defined color
2179 name, or a hexadecimal color specification. @xref{Color Names}. On
2180 black-and-white displays, certain shades of gray are implemented by
2181 stipple patterns.
2182
2183 @item :distant-foreground
2184 Alternative foreground color, a string. This is like @code{:foreground}
2185 but the color is only used as a foreground when the background color is
2186 near to the foreground that would have been used. This is useful for
2187 example when marking text (i.e., the region face). If the text has a foreground
2188 that is visible with the region face, that foreground is used.
2189 If the foreground is near the region face background,
2190 @code{:distant-foreground} is used instead so the text is readable.
2191
2192 @item :background
2193 Background color, a string. The value can be a system-defined color
2194 name, or a hexadecimal color specification. @xref{Color Names}.
2195
2196 @cindex underlined text
2197 @item :underline
2198 Whether or not characters should be underlined, and in what
2199 way. The possible values of the @code{:underline} attribute are:
2200
2201 @table @asis
2202 @item @code{nil}
2203 Don't underline.
2204
2205 @item @code{t}
2206 Underline with the foreground color of the face.
2207
2208 @item @var{color}
2209 Underline in color @var{color}, a string specifying a color.
2210
2211 @item @code{(:color @var{color} :style @var{style})}
2212 @var{color} is either a string, or the symbol @code{foreground-color},
2213 meaning the foreground color of the face. Omitting the attribute
2214 @code{:color} means to use the foreground color of the face.
2215 @var{style} should be a symbol @code{line} or @code{wave}, meaning to
2216 use a straight or wavy line. Omitting the attribute @code{:style}
2217 means to use a straight line.
2218 @end table
2219
2220 @cindex overlined text
2221 @item :overline
2222 Whether or not characters should be overlined, and in what color.
2223 If the value is @code{t}, overlining uses the foreground color of the
2224 face. If the value is a string, overlining uses that color. The
2225 value @code{nil} means do not overline.
2226
2227 @cindex strike-through text
2228 @item :strike-through
2229 Whether or not characters should be strike-through, and in what
2230 color. The value is used like that of @code{:overline}.
2231
2232 @cindex 2D box
2233 @cindex 3D box
2234 @item :box
2235 Whether or not a box should be drawn around characters, its color, the
2236 width of the box lines, and 3D appearance. Here are the possible
2237 values of the @code{:box} attribute, and what they mean:
2238
2239 @table @asis
2240 @item @code{nil}
2241 Don't draw a box.
2242
2243 @item @code{t}
2244 Draw a box with lines of width 1, in the foreground color.
2245
2246 @item @var{color}
2247 Draw a box with lines of width 1, in color @var{color}.
2248
2249 @item @code{(:line-width @var{width} :color @var{color} :style @var{style})}
2250 This way you can explicitly specify all aspects of the box. The value
2251 @var{width} specifies the width of the lines to draw; it defaults to
2252 1. A negative width @var{-n} means to draw a line of width @var{n}
2253 that occupies the space of the underlying text, thus avoiding any
2254 increase in the character height or width.
2255
2256 The value @var{color} specifies the color to draw with. The default is
2257 the foreground color of the face for simple boxes, and the background
2258 color of the face for 3D boxes.
2259
2260 The value @var{style} specifies whether to draw a 3D box. If it is
2261 @code{released-button}, the box looks like a 3D button that is not being
2262 pressed. If it is @code{pressed-button}, the box looks like a 3D button
2263 that is being pressed. If it is @code{nil} or omitted, a plain 2D box
2264 is used.
2265 @end table
2266
2267 @item :inverse-video
2268 Whether or not characters should be displayed in inverse video. The
2269 value should be @code{t} (yes) or @code{nil} (no).
2270
2271 @item :stipple
2272 The background stipple, a bitmap.
2273
2274 The value can be a string; that should be the name of a file containing
2275 external-format X bitmap data. The file is found in the directories
2276 listed in the variable @code{x-bitmap-file-path}.
2277
2278 Alternatively, the value can specify the bitmap directly, with a list
2279 of the form @code{(@var{width} @var{height} @var{data})}. Here,
2280 @var{width} and @var{height} specify the size in pixels, and
2281 @var{data} is a string containing the raw bits of the bitmap, row by
2282 row. Each row occupies @math{(@var{width} + 7) / 8} consecutive bytes
2283 in the string (which should be a unibyte string for best results).
2284 This means that each row always occupies at least one whole byte.
2285
2286 If the value is @code{nil}, that means use no stipple pattern.
2287
2288 Normally you do not need to set the stipple attribute, because it is
2289 used automatically to handle certain shades of gray.
2290
2291 @item :font
2292 The font used to display the face. Its value should be a font object.
2293 @xref{Low-Level Font}, for information about font objects, font specs,
2294 and font entities.
2295
2296 When specifying this attribute using @code{set-face-attribute}
2297 (@pxref{Attribute Functions}), you may also supply a font spec, a font
2298 entity, or a string. Emacs converts such values to an appropriate
2299 font object, and stores that font object as the actual attribute
2300 value. If you specify a string, the contents of the string should be
2301 a font name (@pxref{Fonts,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}); if the
2302 font name is an XLFD containing wildcards, Emacs chooses the first
2303 font matching those wildcards. Specifying this attribute also changes
2304 the values of the @code{:family}, @code{:foundry}, @code{:width},
2305 @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant} attributes.
2306
2307 @cindex inheritance, for faces
2308 @item :inherit
2309 The name of a face from which to inherit attributes, or a list of face
2310 names. Attributes from inherited faces are merged into the face like
2311 an underlying face would be, with higher priority than underlying
2312 faces (@pxref{Displaying Faces}). If a list of faces is used,
2313 attributes from faces earlier in the list override those from later
2314 faces.
2315 @end table
2316
2317 @defun font-family-list &optional frame
2318 This function returns a list of available font family names. The
2319 optional argument @var{frame} specifies the frame on which the text is
2320 to be displayed; if it is @code{nil}, the selected frame is used.
2321 @end defun
2322
2323 @defopt underline-minimum-offset
2324 This variable specifies the minimum distance between the baseline and
2325 the underline, in pixels, when displaying underlined text.
2326 @end defopt
2327
2328 @defopt x-bitmap-file-path
2329 This variable specifies a list of directories for searching
2330 for bitmap files, for the @code{:stipple} attribute.
2331 @end defopt
2332
2333 @defun bitmap-spec-p object
2334 This returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a valid bitmap specification,
2335 suitable for use with @code{:stipple} (see above). It returns
2336 @code{nil} otherwise.
2337 @end defun
2338
2339 @node Defining Faces
2340 @subsection Defining Faces
2341 @cindex defining faces
2342
2343 @cindex face spec
2344 The usual way to define a face is through the @code{defface} macro.
2345 This macro associates a face name (a symbol) with a default @dfn{face
2346 spec}. A face spec is a construct which specifies what attributes a
2347 face should have on any given terminal; for example, a face spec might
2348 specify one foreground color on high-color terminals, and a different
2349 foreground color on low-color terminals.
2350
2351 People are sometimes tempted to create a variable whose value is a
2352 face name. In the vast majority of cases, this is not necessary; the
2353 usual procedure is to define a face with @code{defface}, and then use
2354 its name directly.
2355
2356 @defmac defface face spec doc [keyword value]@dots{}
2357 This macro declares @var{face} as a named face whose default face spec
2358 is given by @var{spec}. You should not quote the symbol @var{face},
2359 and it should not end in @samp{-face} (that would be redundant). The
2360 argument @var{doc} is a documentation string for the face. The
2361 additional @var{keyword} arguments have the same meanings as in
2362 @code{defgroup} and @code{defcustom} (@pxref{Common Keywords}).
2363
2364 If @var{face} already has a default face spec, this macro does
2365 nothing.
2366
2367 The default face spec determines @var{face}'s appearance when no
2368 customizations are in effect (@pxref{Customization}). If @var{face}
2369 has already been customized (via Custom themes or via customizations
2370 read from the init file), its appearance is determined by the custom
2371 face spec(s), which override the default face spec @var{spec}.
2372 However, if the customizations are subsequently removed, the
2373 appearance of @var{face} will again be determined by its default face
2374 spec.
2375
2376 As an exception, if you evaluate a @code{defface} form with
2377 @kbd{C-M-x} in Emacs Lisp mode (@code{eval-defun}), a special feature
2378 of @code{eval-defun} overrides any custom face specs on the face,
2379 causing the face to reflect exactly what the @code{defface} says.
2380
2381 The @var{spec} argument is a @dfn{face spec}, which states how the
2382 face should appear on different kinds of terminals. It should be an
2383 alist whose elements each have the form
2384
2385 @example
2386 (@var{display} . @var{plist})
2387 @end example
2388
2389 @noindent
2390 @var{display} specifies a class of terminals (see below). @var{plist}
2391 is a property list of face attributes and their values, specifying how
2392 the face appears on such terminals. For backward compatibility, you
2393 can also write an element as @code{(@var{display} @var{plist})}.
2394
2395 The @var{display} part of an element of @var{spec} determines which
2396 terminals the element matches. If more than one element of @var{spec}
2397 matches a given terminal, the first element that matches is the one
2398 used for that terminal. There are three possibilities for
2399 @var{display}:
2400
2401 @table @asis
2402 @item @code{default}
2403 This element of @var{spec} doesn't match any terminal; instead, it
2404 specifies defaults that apply to all terminals. This element, if
2405 used, must be the first element of @var{spec}. Each of the following
2406 elements can override any or all of these defaults.
2407
2408 @item @code{t}
2409 This element of @var{spec} matches all terminals. Therefore, any
2410 subsequent elements of @var{spec} are never used. Normally @code{t}
2411 is used in the last (or only) element of @var{spec}.
2412
2413 @item a list
2414 If @var{display} is a list, each element should have the form
2415 @code{(@var{characteristic} @var{value}@dots{})}. Here
2416 @var{characteristic} specifies a way of classifying terminals, and the
2417 @var{value}s are possible classifications which @var{display} should
2418 apply to. Here are the possible values of @var{characteristic}:
2419
2420 @table @code
2421 @item type
2422 The kind of window system the terminal uses---either @code{graphic}
2423 (any graphics-capable display), @code{x}, @code{pc} (for the MS-DOS
2424 console), @code{w32} (for MS Windows 9X/NT/2K/XP), or @code{tty} (a
2425 non-graphics-capable display). @xref{Window Systems, window-system}.
2426
2427 @item class
2428 What kinds of colors the terminal supports---either @code{color},
2429 @code{grayscale}, or @code{mono}.
2430
2431 @item background
2432 The kind of background---either @code{light} or @code{dark}.
2433
2434 @item min-colors
2435 An integer that represents the minimum number of colors the terminal
2436 should support. This matches a terminal if its
2437 @code{display-color-cells} value is at least the specified integer.
2438
2439 @item supports
2440 Whether or not the terminal can display the face attributes given in
2441 @var{value}@dots{} (@pxref{Face Attributes}). @xref{Display Face
2442 Attribute Testing}, for more information on exactly how this testing
2443 is done.
2444 @end table
2445
2446 If an element of @var{display} specifies more than one @var{value} for
2447 a given @var{characteristic}, any of those values is acceptable. If
2448 @var{display} has more than one element, each element should specify a
2449 different @var{characteristic}; then @emph{each} characteristic of the
2450 terminal must match one of the @var{value}s specified for it in
2451 @var{display}.
2452 @end table
2453 @end defmac
2454
2455 For example, here's the definition of the standard face
2456 @code{highlight}:
2457
2458 @example
2459 (defface highlight
2460 '((((class color) (min-colors 88) (background light))
2461 :background "darkseagreen2")
2462 (((class color) (min-colors 88) (background dark))
2463 :background "darkolivegreen")
2464 (((class color) (min-colors 16) (background light))
2465 :background "darkseagreen2")
2466 (((class color) (min-colors 16) (background dark))
2467 :background "darkolivegreen")
2468 (((class color) (min-colors 8))
2469 :background "green" :foreground "black")
2470 (t :inverse-video t))
2471 "Basic face for highlighting."
2472 :group 'basic-faces)
2473 @end example
2474
2475 Internally, Emacs stores each face's default spec in its
2476 @code{face-defface-spec} symbol property (@pxref{Symbol Properties}).
2477 The @code{saved-face} property stores any face spec saved by the user
2478 using the customization buffer; the @code{customized-face} property
2479 stores the face spec customized for the current session, but not
2480 saved; and the @code{theme-face} property stores an alist associating
2481 the active customization settings and Custom themes with the face
2482 specs for that face. The face's documentation string is stored in the
2483 @code{face-documentation} property.
2484
2485 Normally, a face is declared just once, using @code{defface}, and
2486 any further changes to its appearance are applied using the Customize
2487 framework (e.g., via the Customize user interface or via the
2488 @code{custom-set-faces} function; @pxref{Applying Customizations}), or
2489 by face remapping (@pxref{Face Remapping}). In the rare event that
2490 you need to change a face spec directly from Lisp, you can use the
2491 @code{face-spec-set} function.
2492
2493 @defun face-spec-set face spec &optional spec-type
2494 This function applies @var{spec} as a face spec for @code{face}.
2495 @var{spec} should be a face spec, as described in the above
2496 documentation for @code{defface}.
2497
2498 This function also defines @var{face} as a valid face name if it is
2499 not already one, and (re)calculates its attributes on existing frames.
2500
2501 @cindex override spec @r{(for a face)}
2502 The argument @var{spec-type} determines which spec to set. If it is
2503 @code{nil} or @code{face-override-spec}, this function sets the
2504 @dfn{override spec}, which overrides over all other face specs on
2505 @var{face}. If it is @code{customized-face} or @code{saved-face},
2506 this function sets the customized spec or the saved custom spec. If
2507 it is @code{face-defface-spec}, this function sets the default face
2508 spec (the same one set by @code{defface}). If it is @code{reset},
2509 this function clears out all customization specs and override specs
2510 from @var{face} (in this case, the value of @var{spec} is ignored).
2511 Any other value of @var{spec-type} is reserved for internal use.
2512 @end defun
2513
2514 @node Attribute Functions
2515 @subsection Face Attribute Functions
2516 @cindex face attributes, access and modification
2517
2518 This section describes functions for directly accessing and
2519 modifying the attributes of a named face.
2520
2521 @defun face-attribute face attribute &optional frame inherit
2522 This function returns the value of the @var{attribute} attribute for
2523 @var{face} on @var{frame}.
2524
2525 If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, that means the selected frame
2526 (@pxref{Input Focus}). If @var{frame} is @code{t}, this function
2527 returns the value of the specified attribute for newly-created frames
2528 (this is normally @code{unspecified}, unless you have specified some
2529 value using @code{set-face-attribute}; see below).
2530
2531 If @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only attributes directly defined by
2532 @var{face} are considered, so the return value may be
2533 @code{unspecified}, or a relative value. If @var{inherit} is
2534 non-@code{nil}, @var{face}'s definition of @var{attribute} is merged
2535 with the faces specified by its @code{:inherit} attribute; however the
2536 return value may still be @code{unspecified} or relative. If
2537 @var{inherit} is a face or a list of faces, then the result is further
2538 merged with that face (or faces), until it becomes specified and
2539 absolute.
2540
2541 To ensure that the return value is always specified and absolute, use
2542 a value of @code{default} for @var{inherit}; this will resolve any
2543 unspecified or relative values by merging with the @code{default} face
2544 (which is always completely specified).
2545
2546 For example,
2547
2548 @example
2549 (face-attribute 'bold :weight)
2550 @result{} bold
2551 @end example
2552 @end defun
2553
2554 @c FIXME: Add an index for "relative face attribute", maybe here? --xfq
2555 @defun face-attribute-relative-p attribute value
2556 This function returns non-@code{nil} if @var{value}, when used as the
2557 value of the face attribute @var{attribute}, is relative. This means
2558 it would modify, rather than completely override, any value that comes
2559 from a subsequent face in the face list or that is inherited from
2560 another face.
2561
2562 @code{unspecified} is a relative value for all attributes. For
2563 @code{:height}, floating point and function values are also relative.
2564
2565 For example:
2566
2567 @example
2568 (face-attribute-relative-p :height 2.0)
2569 @result{} t
2570 @end example
2571 @end defun
2572
2573 @defun face-all-attributes face &optional frame
2574 This function returns an alist of attributes of @var{face}. The
2575 elements of the result are name-value pairs of the form
2576 @w{@code{(@var{attr-name} . @var{attr-value})}}. Optional argument
2577 @var{frame} specifies the frame whose definition of @var{face} to
2578 return; if omitted or @code{nil}, the returned value describes the
2579 default attributes of @var{face} for newly created frames.
2580 @end defun
2581
2582 @defun merge-face-attribute attribute value1 value2
2583 If @var{value1} is a relative value for the face attribute
2584 @var{attribute}, returns it merged with the underlying value
2585 @var{value2}; otherwise, if @var{value1} is an absolute value for the
2586 face attribute @var{attribute}, returns @var{value1} unchanged.
2587 @end defun
2588
2589 Normally, Emacs uses the face specs of each face to automatically
2590 calculate its attributes on each frame (@pxref{Defining Faces}). The
2591 function @code{set-face-attribute} can override this calculation by
2592 directly assigning attributes to a face, either on a specific frame or
2593 for all frames. This function is mostly intended for internal usage.
2594
2595 @defun set-face-attribute face frame &rest arguments
2596 This function sets one or more attributes of @var{face} for
2597 @var{frame}. The attributes specifies in this way override the face
2598 spec(s) belonging to @var{face}.
2599
2600 The extra arguments @var{arguments} specify the attributes to set, and
2601 the values for them. They should consist of alternating attribute
2602 names (such as @code{:family} or @code{:underline}) and values. Thus,
2603
2604 @example
2605 (set-face-attribute 'foo nil :weight 'bold :slant 'italic)
2606 @end example
2607
2608 @noindent
2609 sets the attribute @code{:weight} to @code{bold} and the attribute
2610 @code{:slant} to @code{italic}.
2611
2612
2613 If @var{frame} is @code{t}, this function sets the default attributes
2614 for newly created frames. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, this function
2615 sets the attributes for all existing frames, as well as for newly
2616 created frames.
2617 @end defun
2618
2619 The following commands and functions mostly provide compatibility
2620 with old versions of Emacs. They work by calling
2621 @code{set-face-attribute}. Values of @code{t} and @code{nil} for
2622 their @var{frame} argument are handled just like
2623 @code{set-face-attribute} and @code{face-attribute}. The commands
2624 read their arguments using the minibuffer, if called interactively.
2625
2626 @deffn Command set-face-foreground face color &optional frame
2627 @deffnx Command set-face-background face color &optional frame
2628 These set the @code{:foreground} attribute (or @code{:background}
2629 attribute, respectively) of @var{face} to @var{color}.
2630 @end deffn
2631
2632 @deffn Command set-face-stipple face pattern &optional frame
2633 This sets the @code{:stipple} attribute of @var{face} to
2634 @var{pattern}.
2635 @end deffn
2636
2637 @deffn Command set-face-font face font &optional frame
2638 This sets the @code{:font} attribute of @var{face} to @var{font}.
2639 @end deffn
2640
2641 @defun set-face-bold face bold-p &optional frame
2642 This sets the @code{:weight} attribute of @var{face} to @var{normal}
2643 if @var{bold-p} is @code{nil}, and to @var{bold} otherwise.
2644 @end defun
2645
2646 @defun set-face-italic face italic-p &optional frame
2647 This sets the @code{:slant} attribute of @var{face} to @var{normal} if
2648 @var{italic-p} is @code{nil}, and to @var{italic} otherwise.
2649 @end defun
2650
2651 @defun set-face-underline face underline &optional frame
2652 This sets the @code{:underline} attribute of @var{face} to
2653 @var{underline}.
2654 @end defun
2655
2656 @defun set-face-inverse-video face inverse-video-p &optional frame
2657 This sets the @code{:inverse-video} attribute of @var{face} to
2658 @var{inverse-video-p}.
2659 @end defun
2660
2661 @deffn Command invert-face face &optional frame
2662 This swaps the foreground and background colors of face @var{face}.
2663 @end deffn
2664
2665 The following functions examine the attributes of a face. They
2666 mostly provide compatibility with old versions of Emacs. If you don't
2667 specify @var{frame}, they refer to the selected frame; @code{t} refers
2668 to the default data for new frames. They return @code{unspecified} if
2669 the face doesn't define any value for that attribute. If
2670 @var{inherit} is @code{nil}, only an attribute directly defined by the
2671 face is returned. If @var{inherit} is non-@code{nil}, any faces
2672 specified by its @code{:inherit} attribute are considered as well, and
2673 if @var{inherit} is a face or a list of faces, then they are also
2674 considered, until a specified attribute is found. To ensure that the
2675 return value is always specified, use a value of @code{default} for
2676 @var{inherit}.
2677
2678 @defun face-font face &optional frame
2679 This function returns the name of the font of face @var{face}.
2680 @end defun
2681
2682 @defun face-foreground face &optional frame inherit
2683 @defunx face-background face &optional frame inherit
2684 These functions return the foreground color (or background color,
2685 respectively) of face @var{face}, as a string.
2686 @end defun
2687
2688 @defun face-stipple face &optional frame inherit
2689 This function returns the name of the background stipple pattern of face
2690 @var{face}, or @code{nil} if it doesn't have one.
2691 @end defun
2692
2693 @defun face-bold-p face &optional frame inherit
2694 This function returns a non-@code{nil} value if the @code{:weight}
2695 attribute of @var{face} is bolder than normal (i.e., one of
2696 @code{semi-bold}, @code{bold}, @code{extra-bold}, or
2697 @code{ultra-bold}). Otherwise, it returns @code{nil}.
2698 @end defun
2699
2700 @defun face-italic-p face &optional frame inherit
2701 This function returns a non-@code{nil} value if the @code{:slant}
2702 attribute of @var{face} is @code{italic} or @code{oblique}, and
2703 @code{nil} otherwise.
2704 @end defun
2705
2706 @defun face-underline-p face &optional frame inherit
2707 This function returns non-@code{nil} if face @var{face} specifies
2708 a non-@code{nil} @code{:underline} attribute.
2709 @end defun
2710
2711 @defun face-inverse-video-p face &optional frame inherit
2712 This function returns non-@code{nil} if face @var{face} specifies
2713 a non-@code{nil} @code{:inverse-video} attribute.
2714 @end defun
2715
2716 @node Displaying Faces
2717 @subsection Displaying Faces
2718 @cindex displaying faces
2719 @cindex face merging
2720
2721 When Emacs displays a given piece of text, the visual appearance of
2722 the text may be determined by faces drawn from different sources. If
2723 these various sources together specify more than one face for a
2724 particular character, Emacs merges the attributes of the various
2725 faces. Here is the order in which Emacs merges the faces, from
2726 highest to lowest priority:
2727
2728 @itemize @bullet
2729 @item
2730 If the text consists of a special glyph, the glyph can specify a
2731 particular face. @xref{Glyphs}.
2732
2733 @item
2734 If the text lies within an active region, Emacs highlights it using
2735 the @code{region} face. @xref{Standard Faces,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs
2736 Manual}.
2737
2738 @item
2739 If the text lies within an overlay with a non-@code{nil} @code{face}
2740 property, Emacs applies the face(s) specified by that property. If
2741 the overlay has a @code{mouse-face} property and the mouse is near
2742 enough to the overlay, Emacs applies the face or face attributes
2743 specified by the @code{mouse-face} property instead. @xref{Overlay
2744 Properties}.
2745
2746 When multiple overlays cover one character, an overlay with higher
2747 priority overrides those with lower priority. @xref{Overlays}.
2748
2749 @item
2750 If the text contains a @code{face} or @code{mouse-face} property,
2751 Emacs applies the specified faces and face attributes. @xref{Special
2752 Properties}. (This is how Font Lock mode faces are applied.
2753 @xref{Font Lock Mode}.)
2754
2755 @item
2756 If the text lies within the mode line of the selected window, Emacs
2757 applies the @code{mode-line} face. For the mode line of a
2758 non-selected window, Emacs applies the @code{mode-line-inactive} face.
2759 For a header line, Emacs applies the @code{header-line} face.
2760
2761 @item
2762 If any given attribute has not been specified during the preceding
2763 steps, Emacs applies the attribute of the @code{default} face.
2764 @end itemize
2765
2766 At each stage, if a face has a valid @code{:inherit} attribute,
2767 Emacs treats any attribute with an @code{unspecified} value as having
2768 the corresponding value drawn from the parent face(s). @pxref{Face
2769 Attributes}. Note that the parent face(s) may also leave the
2770 attribute unspecified; in that case, the attribute remains unspecified
2771 at the next level of face merging.
2772
2773 @node Face Remapping
2774 @subsection Face Remapping
2775 @cindex face remapping
2776
2777 The variable @code{face-remapping-alist} is used for buffer-local or
2778 global changes in the appearance of a face. For instance, it is used
2779 to implement the @code{text-scale-adjust} command (@pxref{Text
2780 Scale,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
2781
2782 @defvar face-remapping-alist
2783 The value of this variable is an alist whose elements have the form
2784 @code{(@var{face} . @var{remapping})}. This causes Emacs to display
2785 any text having the face @var{face} with @var{remapping}, rather than
2786 the ordinary definition of @var{face}.
2787
2788 @var{remapping} may be any face spec suitable for a @code{face} text
2789 property: either a face (i.e., a face name or a property list of
2790 attribute/value pairs), or a list of faces. For details, see the
2791 description of the @code{face} text property in @ref{Special
2792 Properties}. @var{remapping} serves as the complete specification for
2793 the remapped face---it replaces the normal definition of @var{face},
2794 instead of modifying it.
2795
2796 If @code{face-remapping-alist} is buffer-local, its local value takes
2797 effect only within that buffer.
2798
2799 Note: face remapping is non-recursive. If @var{remapping} references
2800 the same face name @var{face}, either directly or via the
2801 @code{:inherit} attribute of some other face in @var{remapping}, that
2802 reference uses the normal definition of @var{face}. For instance, if
2803 the @code{mode-line} face is remapped using this entry in
2804 @code{face-remapping-alist}:
2805
2806 @example
2807 (mode-line italic mode-line)
2808 @end example
2809
2810 @noindent
2811 then the new definition of the @code{mode-line} face inherits from the
2812 @code{italic} face, and the @emph{normal} (non-remapped) definition of
2813 @code{mode-line} face.
2814 @end defvar
2815
2816 @cindex relative remapping, faces
2817 @cindex base remapping, faces
2818 The following functions implement a higher-level interface to
2819 @code{face-remapping-alist}. Most Lisp code should use these
2820 functions instead of setting @code{face-remapping-alist} directly, to
2821 avoid trampling on remappings applied elsewhere. These functions are
2822 intended for buffer-local remappings, so they all make
2823 @code{face-remapping-alist} buffer-local as a side-effect. They manage
2824 @code{face-remapping-alist} entries of the form
2825
2826 @example
2827 (@var{face} @var{relative-spec-1} @var{relative-spec-2} @var{...} @var{base-spec})
2828 @end example
2829
2830 @noindent
2831 where, as explained above, each of the @var{relative-spec-N} and
2832 @var{base-spec} is either a face name, or a property list of
2833 attribute/value pairs. Each of the @dfn{relative remapping} entries,
2834 @var{relative-spec-N}, is managed by the
2835 @code{face-remap-add-relative} and @code{face-remap-remove-relative}
2836 functions; these are intended for simple modifications like changing
2837 the text size. The @dfn{base remapping} entry, @var{base-spec}, has
2838 the lowest priority and is managed by the @code{face-remap-set-base}
2839 and @code{face-remap-reset-base} functions; it is intended for major
2840 modes to remap faces in the buffers they control.
2841
2842 @defun face-remap-add-relative face &rest specs
2843 This function adds the face spec in @var{specs} as relative
2844 remappings for face @var{face} in the current buffer. The remaining
2845 arguments, @var{specs}, should form either a list of face names, or a
2846 property list of attribute/value pairs.
2847
2848 The return value is a Lisp object that serves as a cookie; you can
2849 pass this object as an argument to @code{face-remap-remove-relative}
2850 if you need to remove the remapping later.
2851
2852 @example
2853 ;; Remap the 'escape-glyph' face into a combination
2854 ;; of the 'highlight' and 'italic' faces:
2855 (face-remap-add-relative 'escape-glyph 'highlight 'italic)
2856
2857 ;; Increase the size of the 'default' face by 50%:
2858 (face-remap-add-relative 'default :height 1.5)
2859 @end example
2860 @end defun
2861
2862 @defun face-remap-remove-relative cookie
2863 This function removes a relative remapping previously added by
2864 @code{face-remap-add-relative}. @var{cookie} should be the Lisp
2865 object returned by @code{face-remap-add-relative} when the remapping
2866 was added.
2867 @end defun
2868
2869 @defun face-remap-set-base face &rest specs
2870 This function sets the base remapping of @var{face} in the current
2871 buffer to @var{specs}. If @var{specs} is empty, the default base
2872 remapping is restored, similar to calling @code{face-remap-reset-base}
2873 (see below); note that this is different from @var{specs} containing a
2874 single value @code{nil}, which has the opposite result (the global
2875 definition of @var{face} is ignored).
2876
2877 This overwrites the default @var{base-spec}, which inherits the global
2878 face definition, so it is up to the caller to add such inheritance if
2879 so desired.
2880 @end defun
2881
2882 @defun face-remap-reset-base face
2883 This function sets the base remapping of @var{face} to its default
2884 value, which inherits from @var{face}'s global definition.
2885 @end defun
2886
2887 @node Face Functions
2888 @subsection Functions for Working with Faces
2889
2890 Here are additional functions for creating and working with faces.
2891
2892 @defun face-list
2893 This function returns a list of all defined face names.
2894 @end defun
2895
2896 @defun face-id face
2897 This function returns the @dfn{face number} of face @var{face}. This
2898 is a number that uniquely identifies a face at low levels within
2899 Emacs. It is seldom necessary to refer to a face by its face number.
2900 @end defun
2901
2902 @defun face-documentation face
2903 This function returns the documentation string of face @var{face}, or
2904 @code{nil} if none was specified for it.
2905 @end defun
2906
2907 @defun face-equal face1 face2 &optional frame
2908 This returns @code{t} if the faces @var{face1} and @var{face2} have the
2909 same attributes for display.
2910 @end defun
2911
2912 @defun face-differs-from-default-p face &optional frame
2913 This returns non-@code{nil} if the face @var{face} displays
2914 differently from the default face.
2915 @end defun
2916
2917 @cindex face alias
2918 @cindex alias, for faces
2919 A @dfn{face alias} provides an equivalent name for a face. You can
2920 define a face alias by giving the alias symbol the @code{face-alias}
2921 property, with a value of the target face name. The following example
2922 makes @code{modeline} an alias for the @code{mode-line} face.
2923
2924 @example
2925 (put 'modeline 'face-alias 'mode-line)
2926 @end example
2927
2928 @defmac define-obsolete-face-alias obsolete-face current-face when
2929 This macro defines @code{obsolete-face} as an alias for
2930 @var{current-face}, and also marks it as obsolete, indicating that it
2931 may be removed in future. @var{when} should be a string indicating
2932 when @code{obsolete-face} was made obsolete (usually a version number
2933 string).
2934 @end defmac
2935
2936 @node Auto Faces
2937 @subsection Automatic Face Assignment
2938 @cindex automatic face assignment
2939 @cindex faces, automatic choice
2940
2941 This hook is used for automatically assigning faces to text in the
2942 buffer. It is part of the implementation of Jit-Lock mode, used by
2943 Font-Lock.
2944
2945 @defvar fontification-functions
2946 This variable holds a list of functions that are called by Emacs
2947 redisplay as needed, just before doing redisplay. They are called even
2948 when Font Lock Mode isn't enabled. When Font Lock Mode is enabled, this
2949 variable usually holds just one function, @code{jit-lock-function}.
2950
2951 The functions are called in the order listed, with one argument, a
2952 buffer position @var{pos}. Collectively they should attempt to assign
2953 faces to the text in the current buffer starting at @var{pos}.
2954
2955 The functions should record the faces they assign by setting the
2956 @code{face} property. They should also add a non-@code{nil}
2957 @code{fontified} property to all the text they have assigned faces to.
2958 That property tells redisplay that faces have been assigned to that text
2959 already.
2960
2961 It is probably a good idea for the functions to do nothing if the
2962 character after @var{pos} already has a non-@code{nil} @code{fontified}
2963 property, but this is not required. If one function overrides the
2964 assignments made by a previous one, the properties after the last
2965 function finishes are the ones that really matter.
2966
2967 For efficiency, we recommend writing these functions so that they
2968 usually assign faces to around 400 to 600 characters at each call.
2969 @end defvar
2970
2971 @node Basic Faces
2972 @subsection Basic Faces
2973 @cindex basic faces
2974
2975 If your Emacs Lisp program needs to assign some faces to text, it is
2976 often a good idea to use certain existing faces or inherit from them,
2977 rather than defining entirely new faces. This way, if other users
2978 have customized the basic faces to give Emacs a certain look, your
2979 program will fit in without additional customization.
2980
2981 Some of the basic faces defined in Emacs are listed below. In
2982 addition to these, you might want to make use of the Font Lock faces
2983 for syntactic highlighting, if highlighting is not already handled by
2984 Font Lock mode, or if some Font Lock faces are not in use.
2985 @xref{Faces for Font Lock}.
2986
2987 @table @code
2988 @item default
2989 The default face, whose attributes are all specified. All other faces
2990 implicitly inherit from it: any unspecified attribute defaults to the
2991 attribute on this face (@pxref{Face Attributes}).
2992
2993 @item bold
2994 @itemx italic
2995 @itemx bold-italic
2996 @itemx underline
2997 @itemx fixed-pitch
2998 @itemx variable-pitch
2999 These have the attributes indicated by their names (e.g., @code{bold}
3000 has a bold @code{:weight} attribute), with all other attributes
3001 unspecified (and so given by @code{default}).
3002
3003 @item shadow
3004 For dimmed-out text. For example, it is used for the ignored
3005 part of a filename in the minibuffer (@pxref{Minibuffer File,,
3006 Minibuffers for File Names, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
3007
3008 @item link
3009 @itemx link-visited
3010 For clickable text buttons that send the user to a different
3011 buffer or location.
3012
3013 @item highlight
3014 For stretches of text that should temporarily stand out. For example,
3015 it is commonly assigned to the @code{mouse-face} property for cursor
3016 highlighting (@pxref{Special Properties}).
3017
3018 @item match
3019 For text matching a search command.
3020
3021 @item error
3022 @itemx warning
3023 @itemx success
3024 For text concerning errors, warnings, or successes. For example,
3025 these are used for messages in @file{*Compilation*} buffers.
3026 @end table
3027
3028 @node Font Selection
3029 @subsection Font Selection
3030 @cindex font selection
3031 @cindex selecting a font
3032
3033 Before Emacs can draw a character on a graphical display, it must
3034 select a @dfn{font} for that character@footnote{In this context, the
3035 term @dfn{font} has nothing to do with Font Lock (@pxref{Font Lock
3036 Mode}).}. @xref{Fonts,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}. Normally,
3037 Emacs automatically chooses a font based on the faces assigned to that
3038 character---specifically, the face attributes @code{:family},
3039 @code{:weight}, @code{:slant}, and @code{:width} (@pxref{Face
3040 Attributes}). The choice of font also depends on the character to be
3041 displayed; some fonts can only display a limited set of characters.
3042 If no available font exactly fits the requirements, Emacs looks for
3043 the @dfn{closest matching font}. The variables in this section
3044 control how Emacs makes this selection.
3045
3046 @defopt face-font-family-alternatives
3047 If a given family is specified but does not exist, this variable
3048 specifies alternative font families to try. Each element should have
3049 this form:
3050
3051 @example
3052 (@var{family} @var{alternate-families}@dots{})
3053 @end example
3054
3055 If @var{family} is specified but not available, Emacs will try the other
3056 families given in @var{alternate-families}, one by one, until it finds a
3057 family that does exist.
3058 @end defopt
3059
3060 @defopt face-font-selection-order
3061 If there is no font that exactly matches all desired face attributes
3062 (@code{:width}, @code{:height}, @code{:weight}, and @code{:slant}),
3063 this variable specifies the order in which these attributes should be
3064 considered when selecting the closest matching font. The value should
3065 be a list containing those four attribute symbols, in order of
3066 decreasing importance. The default is @code{(:width :height :weight
3067 :slant)}.
3068
3069 Font selection first finds the best available matches for the first
3070 attribute in the list; then, among the fonts which are best in that
3071 way, it searches for the best matches in the second attribute, and so
3072 on.
3073
3074 The attributes @code{:weight} and @code{:width} have symbolic values in
3075 a range centered around @code{normal}. Matches that are more extreme
3076 (farther from @code{normal}) are somewhat preferred to matches that are
3077 less extreme (closer to @code{normal}); this is designed to ensure that
3078 non-normal faces contrast with normal ones, whenever possible.
3079
3080 One example of a case where this variable makes a difference is when the
3081 default font has no italic equivalent. With the default ordering, the
3082 @code{italic} face will use a non-italic font that is similar to the
3083 default one. But if you put @code{:slant} before @code{:height}, the
3084 @code{italic} face will use an italic font, even if its height is not
3085 quite right.
3086 @end defopt
3087
3088 @defopt face-font-registry-alternatives
3089 This variable lets you specify alternative font registries to try, if a
3090 given registry is specified and doesn't exist. Each element should have
3091 this form:
3092
3093 @example
3094 (@var{registry} @var{alternate-registries}@dots{})
3095 @end example
3096
3097 If @var{registry} is specified but not available, Emacs will try the
3098 other registries given in @var{alternate-registries}, one by one,
3099 until it finds a registry that does exist.
3100 @end defopt
3101
3102 @cindex scalable fonts
3103 Emacs can make use of scalable fonts, but by default it does not use
3104 them.
3105
3106 @defopt scalable-fonts-allowed
3107 This variable controls which scalable fonts to use. A value of
3108 @code{nil}, the default, means do not use scalable fonts. @code{t}
3109 means to use any scalable font that seems appropriate for the text.
3110
3111 Otherwise, the value must be a list of regular expressions. Then a
3112 scalable font is enabled for use if its name matches any regular
3113 expression in the list. For example,
3114
3115 @example
3116 (setq scalable-fonts-allowed '("iso10646-1$"))
3117 @end example
3118
3119 @noindent
3120 allows the use of scalable fonts with registry @code{iso10646-1}.
3121 @end defopt
3122
3123 @defvar face-font-rescale-alist
3124 This variable specifies scaling for certain faces. Its value should
3125 be a list of elements of the form
3126
3127 @example
3128 (@var{fontname-regexp} . @var{scale-factor})
3129 @end example
3130
3131 If @var{fontname-regexp} matches the font name that is about to be
3132 used, this says to choose a larger similar font according to the
3133 factor @var{scale-factor}. You would use this feature to normalize
3134 the font size if certain fonts are bigger or smaller than their
3135 nominal heights and widths would suggest.
3136 @end defvar
3137
3138 @node Font Lookup
3139 @subsection Looking Up Fonts
3140 @cindex font lookup
3141 @cindex looking up fonts
3142
3143 @defun x-list-fonts name &optional reference-face frame maximum width
3144 This function returns a list of available font names that match
3145 @var{name}. @var{name} should be a string containing a font name in
3146 either the Fontconfig, GTK, or XLFD format (@pxref{Fonts,,, emacs, The
3147 GNU Emacs Manual}). Within an XLFD string, wildcard characters may be
3148 used: the @samp{*} character matches any substring, and the @samp{?}
3149 character matches any single character. Case is ignored when matching
3150 font names.
3151
3152 If the optional arguments @var{reference-face} and @var{frame} are
3153 specified, the returned list includes only fonts that are the same
3154 size as @var{reference-face} (a face name) currently is on the frame
3155 @var{frame}.
3156
3157 The optional argument @var{maximum} sets a limit on how many fonts to
3158 return. If it is non-@code{nil}, then the return value is truncated
3159 after the first @var{maximum} matching fonts. Specifying a small
3160 value for @var{maximum} can make this function much faster, in cases
3161 where many fonts match the pattern.
3162
3163 The optional argument @var{width} specifies a desired font width. If
3164 it is non-@code{nil}, the function only returns those fonts whose
3165 characters are (on average) @var{width} times as wide as
3166 @var{reference-face}.
3167 @end defun
3168
3169 @defun x-family-fonts &optional family frame
3170 This function returns a list describing the available fonts for family
3171 @var{family} on @var{frame}. If @var{family} is omitted or @code{nil},
3172 this list applies to all families, and therefore, it contains all
3173 available fonts. Otherwise, @var{family} must be a string; it may
3174 contain the wildcards @samp{?} and @samp{*}.
3175
3176 The list describes the display that @var{frame} is on; if @var{frame} is
3177 omitted or @code{nil}, it applies to the selected frame's display
3178 (@pxref{Input Focus}).
3179
3180 Each element in the list is a vector of the following form:
3181
3182 @example
3183 [@var{family} @var{width} @var{point-size} @var{weight} @var{slant}
3184 @var{fixed-p} @var{full} @var{registry-and-encoding}]
3185 @end example
3186
3187 The first five elements correspond to face attributes; if you
3188 specify these attributes for a face, it will use this font.
3189
3190 The last three elements give additional information about the font.
3191 @var{fixed-p} is non-@code{nil} if the font is fixed-pitch.
3192 @var{full} is the full name of the font, and
3193 @var{registry-and-encoding} is a string giving the registry and
3194 encoding of the font.
3195 @end defun
3196
3197 @node Fontsets
3198 @subsection Fontsets
3199 @cindex fontset
3200
3201 A @dfn{fontset} is a list of fonts, each assigned to a range of
3202 character codes. An individual font cannot display the whole range of
3203 characters that Emacs supports, but a fontset can. Fontsets have names,
3204 just as fonts do, and you can use a fontset name in place of a font name
3205 when you specify the font for a frame or a face. Here is
3206 information about defining a fontset under Lisp program control.
3207
3208 @defun create-fontset-from-fontset-spec fontset-spec &optional style-variant-p noerror
3209 This function defines a new fontset according to the specification
3210 string @var{fontset-spec}. The string should have this format:
3211
3212 @smallexample
3213 @var{fontpattern}, @r{[}@var{charset}:@var{font}@r{]@dots{}}
3214 @end smallexample
3215
3216 @noindent
3217 Whitespace characters before and after the commas are ignored.
3218
3219 The first part of the string, @var{fontpattern}, should have the form of
3220 a standard X font name, except that the last two fields should be
3221 @samp{fontset-@var{alias}}.
3222
3223 The new fontset has two names, one long and one short. The long name is
3224 @var{fontpattern} in its entirety. The short name is
3225 @samp{fontset-@var{alias}}. You can refer to the fontset by either
3226 name. If a fontset with the same name already exists, an error is
3227 signaled, unless @var{noerror} is non-@code{nil}, in which case this
3228 function does nothing.
3229
3230 If optional argument @var{style-variant-p} is non-@code{nil}, that says
3231 to create bold, italic and bold-italic variants of the fontset as well.
3232 These variant fontsets do not have a short name, only a long one, which
3233 is made by altering @var{fontpattern} to indicate the bold and/or italic
3234 status.
3235
3236 The specification string also says which fonts to use in the fontset.
3237 See below for the details.
3238 @end defun
3239
3240 The construct @samp{@var{charset}:@var{font}} specifies which font to
3241 use (in this fontset) for one particular character set. Here,
3242 @var{charset} is the name of a character set, and @var{font} is the font
3243 to use for that character set. You can use this construct any number of
3244 times in the specification string.
3245
3246 For the remaining character sets, those that you don't specify
3247 explicitly, Emacs chooses a font based on @var{fontpattern}: it replaces
3248 @samp{fontset-@var{alias}} with a value that names one character set.
3249 For the @acronym{ASCII} character set, @samp{fontset-@var{alias}} is replaced
3250 with @samp{ISO8859-1}.
3251
3252 In addition, when several consecutive fields are wildcards, Emacs
3253 collapses them into a single wildcard. This is to prevent use of
3254 auto-scaled fonts. Fonts made by scaling larger fonts are not usable
3255 for editing, and scaling a smaller font is not useful because it is
3256 better to use the smaller font in its own size, which Emacs does.
3257
3258 Thus if @var{fontpattern} is this,
3259
3260 @example
3261 -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-*-*-*-*-fontset-24
3262 @end example
3263
3264 @noindent
3265 the font specification for @acronym{ASCII} characters would be this:
3266
3267 @example
3268 -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-ISO8859-1
3269 @end example
3270
3271 @noindent
3272 and the font specification for Chinese GB2312 characters would be this:
3273
3274 @example
3275 -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-gb2312*-*
3276 @end example
3277
3278 You may not have any Chinese font matching the above font
3279 specification. Most X distributions include only Chinese fonts that
3280 have @samp{song ti} or @samp{fangsong ti} in the @var{family} field. In
3281 such a case, @samp{Fontset-@var{n}} can be specified as below:
3282
3283 @smallexample
3284 Emacs.Fontset-0: -*-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-*-*-*-*-fontset-24,\
3285 chinese-gb2312:-*-*-medium-r-normal-*-24-*-gb2312*-*
3286 @end smallexample
3287
3288 @noindent
3289 Then, the font specifications for all but Chinese GB2312 characters have
3290 @samp{fixed} in the @var{family} field, and the font specification for
3291 Chinese GB2312 characters has a wild card @samp{*} in the @var{family}
3292 field.
3293
3294 @defun set-fontset-font name character font-spec &optional frame add
3295 This function modifies the existing fontset @var{name} to use the font
3296 matching with @var{font-spec} for the specified @var{character}.
3297
3298 If @var{name} is @code{nil}, this function modifies the fontset of the
3299 selected frame or that of @var{frame} if @var{frame} is not
3300 @code{nil}.
3301
3302 If @var{name} is @code{t}, this function modifies the default
3303 fontset, whose short name is @samp{fontset-default}.
3304
3305 In addition to specifying a single codepoint, @var{character} may be a
3306 cons @code{(@var{from} . @var{to})}, where @var{from} and @var{to} are
3307 character codepoints. In that case, use @var{font-spec} for all the
3308 characters in the range @var{from} and @var{to} (inclusive).
3309
3310 @var{character} may be a charset. In that case, use
3311 @var{font-spec} for all character in the charsets.
3312
3313 @var{character} may be a script name. In that case, use
3314 @var{font-spec} for all character in the charsets.
3315
3316 @var{font-spec} may be a font-spec object created by the function
3317 @code{font-spec} (@pxref{Low-Level Font}).
3318
3319 @var{font-spec} may be a cons; @code{(@var{family} . @var{registry})},
3320 where @var{family} is a family name of a font (possibly including a
3321 foundry name at the head), @var{registry} is a registry name of a font
3322 (possibly including an encoding name at the tail).
3323
3324 @var{font-spec} may be a font name string.
3325
3326 @var{font-spec} may be @code{nil}, which explicitly specifies that
3327 there's no font for the specified @var{character}. This is useful,
3328 for example, to avoid expensive system-wide search for fonts for
3329 characters that have no glyphs, like those from the Unicode Private
3330 Use Area (PUA).
3331
3332 The optional argument @var{add}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies how to
3333 add @var{font-spec} to the font specifications previously set. If it
3334 is @code{prepend}, @var{font-spec} is prepended. If it is
3335 @code{append}, @var{font-spec} is appended. By default,
3336 @var{font-spec} overrides the previous settings.
3337
3338 For instance, this changes the default fontset to use a font of which
3339 family name is @samp{Kochi Gothic} for all characters belonging to
3340 the charset @code{japanese-jisx0208}.
3341
3342 @smallexample
3343 (set-fontset-font t 'japanese-jisx0208
3344 (font-spec :family "Kochi Gothic"))
3345 @end smallexample
3346 @end defun
3347
3348 @defun char-displayable-p char
3349 This function returns @code{t} if Emacs ought to be able to display
3350 @var{char}. More precisely, if the selected frame's fontset has a
3351 font to display the character set that @var{char} belongs to.
3352
3353 Fontsets can specify a font on a per-character basis; when the fontset
3354 does that, this function's value may not be accurate.
3355 @end defun
3356
3357 @node Low-Level Font
3358 @subsection Low-Level Font Representation
3359 @cindex font property
3360
3361 Normally, it is not necessary to manipulate fonts directly. In case
3362 you need to do so, this section explains how.
3363
3364 In Emacs Lisp, fonts are represented using three different Lisp
3365 object types: @dfn{font objects}, @dfn{font specs}, and @dfn{font
3366 entities}.
3367
3368 @defun fontp object &optional type
3369 Return @code{t} if @var{object} is a font object, font spec, or font
3370 entity. Otherwise, return @code{nil}.
3371
3372 The optional argument @var{type}, if non-@code{nil}, determines the
3373 exact type of Lisp object to check for. In that case, @var{type}
3374 should be one of @code{font-object}, @code{font-spec}, or
3375 @code{font-entity}.
3376 @end defun
3377
3378 @cindex font object
3379 A font object is a Lisp object that represents a font that Emacs has
3380 @dfn{opened}. Font objects cannot be modified in Lisp, but they can
3381 be inspected.
3382
3383 @defun font-at position &optional window string
3384 Return the font object that is being used to display the character at
3385 position @var{position} in the window @var{window}. If @var{window}
3386 is @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected window. If @var{string} is
3387 @code{nil}, @var{position} specifies a position in the current buffer;
3388 otherwise, @var{string} should be a string, and @var{position}
3389 specifies a position in that string.
3390 @end defun
3391
3392 @cindex font spec
3393 A font spec is a Lisp object that contains a set of specifications
3394 that can be used to find a font. More than one font may match the
3395 specifications in a font spec.
3396
3397 @defun font-spec &rest arguments
3398 Return a new font spec using the specifications in @var{arguments},
3399 which should come in @code{property}-@code{value} pairs. The possible
3400 specifications are as follows:
3401
3402 @table @code
3403 @item :name
3404 The font name (a string), in either XLFD, Fontconfig, or GTK format.
3405 @xref{Fonts,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
3406
3407 @item :family
3408 @itemx :foundry
3409 @itemx :weight
3410 @itemx :slant
3411 @itemx :width
3412 These have the same meanings as the face attributes of the same name.
3413 @xref{Face Attributes}.
3414
3415 @item :size
3416 The font size---either a non-negative integer that specifies the pixel
3417 size, or a floating-point number that specifies the point size.
3418
3419 @item :adstyle
3420 Additional typographic style information for the font, such as
3421 @samp{sans}. The value should be a string or a symbol.
3422
3423 @cindex font registry
3424 @item :registry
3425 The charset registry and encoding of the font, such as
3426 @samp{iso8859-1}. The value should be a string or a symbol.
3427
3428 @item :script
3429 The script that the font must support (a symbol).
3430
3431 @item :lang
3432 The language that the font should support. The value should be a
3433 symbol whose name is a two-letter ISO-639 language name. On X, the
3434 value is matched against the ``Additional Style'' field of the XLFD
3435 name of a font, if it is non-empty. On MS-Windows, fonts matching the
3436 spec are required to support codepages needed for the language.
3437 Currently, only a small set of CJK languages is supported with this
3438 property: @samp{ja}, @samp{ko}, and @samp{zh}.
3439
3440 @item :otf
3441 @cindex OpenType font
3442 The font must be an OpenType font that supports these OpenType
3443 features, provided Emacs is compiled with a library, such as
3444 @samp{libotf} on GNU/Linux, that supports complex text layout for
3445 scripts which need that. The value must be a list of the form
3446
3447 @smallexample
3448 @code{(@var{script-tag} @var{langsys-tag} @var{gsub} @var{gpos})}
3449 @end smallexample
3450
3451 where @var{script-tag} is the OpenType script tag symbol;
3452 @var{langsys-tag} is the OpenType language system tag symbol, or
3453 @code{nil} to use the default language system; @code{gsub} is a list
3454 of OpenType GSUB feature tag symbols, or @code{nil} if none is
3455 required; and @code{gpos} is a list of OpenType GPOS feature tag
3456 symbols, or @code{nil} if none is required. If @code{gsub} or
3457 @code{gpos} is a list, a @code{nil} element in that list means that
3458 the font must not match any of the remaining tag symbols. The
3459 @code{gpos} element may be omitted.
3460 @end table
3461 @end defun
3462
3463 @defun font-put font-spec property value
3464 Set the font property @var{property} in the font-spec @var{font-spec}
3465 to @var{value}.
3466 @end defun
3467
3468 @cindex font entity
3469 A font entity is a reference to a font that need not be open. Its
3470 properties are intermediate between a font object and a font spec:
3471 like a font object, and unlike a font spec, it refers to a single,
3472 specific font. Unlike a font object, creating a font entity does not
3473 load the contents of that font into computer memory. Emacs may open
3474 multiple font objects of different sizes from a single font entity
3475 referring to a scalable font.
3476
3477 @defun find-font font-spec &optional frame
3478 This function returns a font entity that best matches the font spec
3479 @var{font-spec} on frame @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil},
3480 it defaults to the selected frame.
3481 @end defun
3482
3483 @defun list-fonts font-spec &optional frame num prefer
3484 This function returns a list of all font entities that match the font
3485 spec @var{font-spec}.
3486
3487 The optional argument @var{frame}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the
3488 frame on which the fonts are to be displayed. The optional argument
3489 @var{num}, if non-@code{nil}, should be an integer that specifies the
3490 maximum length of the returned list. The optional argument
3491 @var{prefer}, if non-@code{nil}, should be another font spec, which is
3492 used to control the order of the returned list; the returned font
3493 entities are sorted in order of decreasing closeness to that font
3494 spec.
3495 @end defun
3496
3497 If you call @code{set-face-attribute} and pass a font spec, font
3498 entity, or font name string as the value of the @code{:font}
3499 attribute, Emacs opens the best matching font that is available
3500 for display. It then stores the corresponding font object as the
3501 actual value of the @code{:font} attribute for that face.
3502
3503 The following functions can be used to obtain information about a
3504 font. For these functions, the @var{font} argument can be a font
3505 object, a font entity, or a font spec.
3506
3507 @defun font-get font property
3508 This function returns the value of the font property @var{property}
3509 for @var{font}.
3510
3511 If @var{font} is a font spec and the font spec does not specify
3512 @var{property}, the return value is @code{nil}. If @var{font} is a
3513 font object or font entity, the value for the @var{:script} property
3514 may be a list of scripts supported by the font.
3515 @end defun
3516
3517 @defun font-face-attributes font &optional frame
3518 This function returns a list of face attributes corresponding to
3519 @var{font}. The optional argument @var{frame} specifies the frame on
3520 which the font is to be displayed. If it is @code{nil}, the selected
3521 frame is used. The return value has the form
3522
3523 @smallexample
3524 (:family @var{family} :height @var{height} :weight @var{weight}
3525 :slant @var{slant} :width @var{width})
3526 @end smallexample
3527
3528 where the values of @var{family}, @var{height}, @var{weight},
3529 @var{slant}, and @var{width} are face attribute values. Some of these
3530 key-attribute pairs may be omitted from the list if they are not
3531 specified by @var{font}.
3532 @end defun
3533
3534 @defun font-xlfd-name font &optional fold-wildcards
3535 This function returns the XLFD (X Logical Font Descriptor), a string,
3536 matching @var{font}. @xref{Fonts,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for
3537 information about XLFDs. If the name is too long for an XLFD (which
3538 can contain at most 255 characters), the function returns @code{nil}.
3539
3540 If the optional argument @var{fold-wildcards} is non-@code{nil},
3541 consecutive wildcards in the XLFD are folded into one.
3542 @end defun
3543
3544 The following two functions return important information about a font.
3545
3546 @defun font-info name &optional frame
3547 This function returns information about a font specified by its
3548 @var{name}, a string, as it is used on @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is
3549 omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the selected frame.
3550
3551 The value returned by the function is a vector of the form
3552 @code{[@var{opened-name} @var{full-name} @var{size} @var{height}
3553 @var{baseline-offset} @var{relative-compose} @var{default-ascent}
3554 @var{max-width} @var{ascent} @var{descent} @var{space-width}
3555 @var{average-width} @var{filename} @var{capability}]}. Here's the
3556 description of each components of this vector:
3557
3558 @table @var
3559 @item opened-name
3560 The name used to open the font, a string.
3561
3562 @item full-name
3563 The full name of the font, a string.
3564
3565 @item size
3566 The pixel size of the font.
3567
3568 @item height
3569 The height of the font in pixels.
3570
3571 @item baseline-offset
3572 The offset in pixels from the @acronym{ASCII} baseline, positive
3573 upward.
3574
3575 @item relative-compose
3576 @itemx default-ascent
3577 Numbers controlling how to compose characters.
3578
3579 @item ascent
3580 @itemx descent
3581 The ascent and descent of this font. The sum of these two numbers
3582 should be equal to the value of @var{height} above.
3583
3584 @item space-width
3585 The width, in pixels, of the font's space character.
3586
3587 @item average-width
3588 The average width of the font characters. If this is zero, Emacs uses
3589 the value of @var{space-width} instead, when it calculates text layout
3590 on display.
3591
3592 @item filename
3593 The file name of the font as a string. This can be @code{nil} if the
3594 font back-end does not provide a way to find out the font's file name.
3595
3596 @item capability
3597 A list whose first element is a symbol representing the font type, one
3598 of @code{x}, @code{opentype}, @code{truetype}, @code{type1},
3599 @code{pcf}, or @code{bdf}. For OpenType fonts, the list includes 2
3600 additional elements describing the @sc{gsub} and @sc{gpos} features
3601 supported by the font. Each of these elements is a list of the form
3602 @code{((@var{script} (@var{langsys} @var{feature} @dots{}) @dots{})
3603 @dots{})}, where @var{script} is a symbol representing an OpenType
3604 script tag, @var{langsys} is a symbol representing an OpenType langsys
3605 tag (or @code{nil}, which stands for the default langsys), and each
3606 @var{feature} is a symbol representing an OpenType feature tag.
3607 @end table
3608 @end defun
3609
3610 @defun query-font font-object
3611 This function returns information about a @var{font-object}. (This is
3612 in contrast to @code{font-info}, which takes the font name, a string,
3613 as its argument.)
3614
3615 The value returned by the function is a vector of the form
3616 @code{[@var{name} @var{filename} @var{pixel-size} @var{max-width}
3617 @var{ascent} @var{descent} @var{space-width} @var{average-width}
3618 @var{capability}]}. Here's the description of each components of this
3619 vector:
3620
3621 @table @var
3622 @item name
3623 The font name, a string.
3624
3625 @item filename
3626 The file name of the font as a string. This can be @code{nil} if the
3627 font back-end does not provide a way to find out the font's file name.
3628
3629 @item pixel-size
3630 The pixel size of the font used to open the font.
3631
3632 @item max-width
3633 The maximum advance width of the font.
3634
3635 @item ascent
3636 @itemx descent
3637 The ascent and descent of this font. The sum of these two numbers
3638 gives the font height.
3639
3640 @item space-width
3641 The width, in pixels, of the font's space character.
3642
3643 @item average-width
3644 The average width of the font characters. If this is zero, Emacs uses
3645 the value of @var{space-width} instead, when it calculates text layout
3646 on display.
3647
3648 @item capability
3649 A list whose first element is a symbol representing the font type, one
3650 of @code{x}, @code{opentype}, @code{truetype}, @code{type1},
3651 @code{pcf}, or @code{bdf}. For OpenType fonts, the list includes 2
3652 additional elements describing the @sc{gsub} and @sc{gpos} features
3653 supported by the font. Each of these elements is a list of the form
3654 @code{((@var{script} (@var{langsys} @var{feature} @dots{}) @dots{})
3655 @dots{})}, where @var{script} is a symbol representing an OpenType
3656 script tag, @var{langsys} is a symbol representing an OpenType langsys
3657 tag (or @code{nil}, which stands for the default langsys), and each
3658 @var{feature} is a symbol representing an OpenType feature tag.
3659 @end table
3660 @end defun
3661
3662 @node Fringes
3663 @section Fringes
3664 @cindex fringes
3665
3666 On graphical displays, Emacs draws @dfn{fringes} next to each
3667 window: thin vertical strips down the sides which can display bitmaps
3668 indicating truncation, continuation, horizontal scrolling, and so on.
3669
3670 @menu
3671 * Fringe Size/Pos:: Specifying where to put the window fringes.
3672 * Fringe Indicators:: Displaying indicator icons in the window fringes.
3673 * Fringe Cursors:: Displaying cursors in the right fringe.
3674 * Fringe Bitmaps:: Specifying bitmaps for fringe indicators.
3675 * Customizing Bitmaps:: Specifying your own bitmaps to use in the fringes.
3676 * Overlay Arrow:: Display of an arrow to indicate position.
3677 @end menu
3678
3679 @node Fringe Size/Pos
3680 @subsection Fringe Size and Position
3681
3682 The following buffer-local variables control the position and width
3683 of fringes in windows showing that buffer.
3684
3685 @defvar fringes-outside-margins
3686 The fringes normally appear between the display margins and the window
3687 text. If the value is non-@code{nil}, they appear outside the display
3688 margins. @xref{Display Margins}.
3689 @end defvar
3690
3691 @defvar left-fringe-width
3692 This variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the width of the left
3693 fringe in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the left fringe
3694 width from the window's frame.
3695 @end defvar
3696
3697 @defvar right-fringe-width
3698 This variable, if non-@code{nil}, specifies the width of the right
3699 fringe in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the right fringe
3700 width from the window's frame.
3701 @end defvar
3702
3703 Any buffer which does not specify values for these variables uses
3704 the values specified by the @code{left-fringe} and @code{right-fringe}
3705 frame parameters (@pxref{Layout Parameters}).
3706
3707 The above variables actually take effect via the function
3708 @code{set-window-buffer} (@pxref{Buffers and Windows}), which calls
3709 @code{set-window-fringes} as a subroutine. If you change one of these
3710 variables, the fringe display is not updated in existing windows
3711 showing the buffer, unless you call @code{set-window-buffer} again in
3712 each affected window. You can also use @code{set-window-fringes} to
3713 control the fringe display in individual windows.
3714
3715 @defun set-window-fringes window left &optional right outside-margins
3716 This function sets the fringe widths of window @var{window}.
3717 If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is used.
3718
3719 The argument @var{left} specifies the width in pixels of the left
3720 fringe, and likewise @var{right} for the right fringe. A value of
3721 @code{nil} for either one stands for the default width. If
3722 @var{outside-margins} is non-@code{nil}, that specifies that fringes
3723 should appear outside of the display margins.
3724 @end defun
3725
3726 @defun window-fringes &optional window
3727 This function returns information about the fringes of a window
3728 @var{window}. If @var{window} is omitted or @code{nil}, the selected
3729 window is used. The value has the form @code{(@var{left-width}
3730 @var{right-width} @var{outside-margins})}.
3731 @end defun
3732
3733
3734 @node Fringe Indicators
3735 @subsection Fringe Indicators
3736 @cindex fringe indicators
3737 @cindex indicators, fringe
3738
3739 @dfn{Fringe indicators} are tiny icons displayed in the window
3740 fringe to indicate truncated or continued lines, buffer boundaries,
3741 etc.
3742
3743 @defopt indicate-empty-lines
3744 @cindex fringes, and empty line indication
3745 @cindex empty lines, indicating
3746 When this is non-@code{nil}, Emacs displays a special glyph in the
3747 fringe of each empty line at the end of the buffer, on graphical
3748 displays. @xref{Fringes}. This variable is automatically
3749 buffer-local in every buffer.
3750 @end defopt
3751
3752 @defopt indicate-buffer-boundaries
3753 @cindex buffer boundaries, indicating
3754 This buffer-local variable controls how the buffer boundaries and
3755 window scrolling are indicated in the window fringes.
3756
3757 Emacs can indicate the buffer boundaries---that is, the first and last
3758 line in the buffer---with angle icons when they appear on the screen.
3759 In addition, Emacs can display an up-arrow in the fringe to show
3760 that there is text above the screen, and a down-arrow to show
3761 there is text below the screen.
3762
3763 There are three kinds of basic values:
3764
3765 @table @asis
3766 @item @code{nil}
3767 Don't display any of these fringe icons.
3768 @item @code{left}
3769 Display the angle icons and arrows in the left fringe.
3770 @item @code{right}
3771 Display the angle icons and arrows in the right fringe.
3772 @item any non-alist
3773 Display the angle icons in the left fringe
3774 and don't display the arrows.
3775 @end table
3776
3777 Otherwise the value should be an alist that specifies which fringe
3778 indicators to display and where. Each element of the alist should
3779 have the form @code{(@var{indicator} . @var{position})}. Here,
3780 @var{indicator} is one of @code{top}, @code{bottom}, @code{up},
3781 @code{down}, and @code{t} (which covers all the icons not yet
3782 specified), while @var{position} is one of @code{left}, @code{right}
3783 and @code{nil}.
3784
3785 For example, @code{((top . left) (t . right))} places the top angle
3786 bitmap in left fringe, and the bottom angle bitmap as well as both
3787 arrow bitmaps in right fringe. To show the angle bitmaps in the left
3788 fringe, and no arrow bitmaps, use @code{((top . left) (bottom . left))}.
3789 @end defopt
3790
3791 @defvar fringe-indicator-alist
3792 This buffer-local variable specifies the mapping from logical fringe
3793 indicators to the actual bitmaps displayed in the window fringes. The
3794 value is an alist of elements @code{(@var{indicator}
3795 . @var{bitmaps})}, where @var{indicator} specifies a logical indicator
3796 type and @var{bitmaps} specifies the fringe bitmaps to use for that
3797 indicator.
3798
3799 Each @var{indicator} should be one of the following symbols:
3800
3801 @table @asis
3802 @item @code{truncation}, @code{continuation}.
3803 Used for truncation and continuation lines.
3804
3805 @item @code{up}, @code{down}, @code{top}, @code{bottom}, @code{top-bottom}
3806 Used when @code{indicate-buffer-boundaries} is non-@code{nil}:
3807 @code{up} and @code{down} indicate a buffer boundary lying above or
3808 below the window edge; @code{top} and @code{bottom} indicate the
3809 topmost and bottommost buffer text line; and @code{top-bottom}
3810 indicates where there is just one line of text in the buffer.
3811
3812 @item @code{empty-line}
3813 Used to indicate empty lines when @code{indicate-empty-lines} is
3814 non-@code{nil}.
3815
3816 @item @code{overlay-arrow}
3817 Used for overlay arrows (@pxref{Overlay Arrow}).
3818 @c Is this used anywhere?
3819 @c @item Unknown bitmap indicator:
3820 @c @code{unknown}.
3821 @end table
3822
3823 Each @var{bitmaps} value may be a list of symbols @code{(@var{left}
3824 @var{right} [@var{left1} @var{right1}])}. The @var{left} and
3825 @var{right} symbols specify the bitmaps shown in the left and/or right
3826 fringe, for the specific indicator. @var{left1} and @var{right1} are
3827 specific to the @code{bottom} and @code{top-bottom} indicators, and
3828 are used to indicate that the last text line has no final newline.
3829 Alternatively, @var{bitmaps} may be a single symbol which is used in
3830 both left and right fringes.
3831
3832 @xref{Fringe Bitmaps}, for a list of standard bitmap symbols and how
3833 to define your own. In addition, @code{nil} represents the empty
3834 bitmap (i.e., an indicator that is not shown).
3835
3836 When @code{fringe-indicator-alist} has a buffer-local value, and
3837 there is no bitmap defined for a logical indicator, or the bitmap is
3838 @code{t}, the corresponding value from the default value of
3839 @code{fringe-indicator-alist} is used.
3840 @end defvar
3841
3842 @node Fringe Cursors
3843 @subsection Fringe Cursors
3844 @cindex fringe cursors
3845 @cindex cursor, fringe
3846
3847 When a line is exactly as wide as the window, Emacs displays the
3848 cursor in the right fringe instead of using two lines. Different
3849 bitmaps are used to represent the cursor in the fringe depending on
3850 the current buffer's cursor type.
3851
3852 @defopt overflow-newline-into-fringe
3853 If this is non-@code{nil}, lines exactly as wide as the window (not
3854 counting the final newline character) are not continued. Instead,
3855 when point is at the end of the line, the cursor appears in the right
3856 fringe.
3857 @end defopt
3858
3859 @defvar fringe-cursor-alist
3860 This variable specifies the mapping from logical cursor type to the
3861 actual fringe bitmaps displayed in the right fringe. The value is an
3862 alist where each element has the form @code{(@var{cursor-type}
3863 . @var{bitmap})}, which means to use the fringe bitmap @var{bitmap} to
3864 display cursors of type @var{cursor-type}.
3865
3866 Each @var{cursor-type} should be one of @code{box}, @code{hollow},
3867 @code{bar}, @code{hbar}, or @code{hollow-small}. The first four have
3868 the same meanings as in the @code{cursor-type} frame parameter
3869 (@pxref{Cursor Parameters}). The @code{hollow-small} type is used
3870 instead of @code{hollow} when the normal @code{hollow-rectangle}
3871 bitmap is too tall to fit on a specific display line.
3872
3873 Each @var{bitmap} should be a symbol specifying the fringe bitmap to
3874 be displayed for that logical cursor type.
3875 @iftex
3876 See the next subsection for details.
3877 @end iftex
3878 @ifnottex
3879 @xref{Fringe Bitmaps}.
3880 @end ifnottex
3881
3882 @c FIXME: I can't find the fringes-indicator-alist variable. Maybe
3883 @c it should be fringe-indicator-alist or fringe-cursor-alist? --xfq
3884 When @code{fringe-cursor-alist} has a buffer-local value, and there is
3885 no bitmap defined for a cursor type, the corresponding value from the
3886 default value of @code{fringes-indicator-alist} is used.
3887 @end defvar
3888
3889 @node Fringe Bitmaps
3890 @subsection Fringe Bitmaps
3891 @cindex fringe bitmaps
3892 @cindex bitmaps, fringe
3893
3894 The @dfn{fringe bitmaps} are the actual bitmaps which represent the
3895 logical fringe indicators for truncated or continued lines, buffer
3896 boundaries, overlay arrows, etc. Each bitmap is represented by a
3897 symbol.
3898 @iftex
3899 These symbols are referred to by the variables
3900 @code{fringe-indicator-alist} and @code{fringe-cursor-alist},
3901 described in the previous subsections.
3902 @end iftex
3903 @ifnottex
3904 These symbols are referred to by the variable
3905 @code{fringe-indicator-alist}, which maps fringe indicators to bitmaps
3906 (@pxref{Fringe Indicators}), and the variable
3907 @code{fringe-cursor-alist}, which maps fringe cursors to bitmaps
3908 (@pxref{Fringe Cursors}).
3909 @end ifnottex
3910
3911 Lisp programs can also directly display a bitmap in the left or
3912 right fringe, by using a @code{display} property for one of the
3913 characters appearing in the line (@pxref{Other Display Specs}). Such
3914 a display specification has the form
3915
3916 @example
3917 (@var{fringe} @var{bitmap} [@var{face}])
3918 @end example
3919
3920 @noindent
3921 @var{fringe} is either the symbol @code{left-fringe} or
3922 @code{right-fringe}. @var{bitmap} is a symbol identifying the bitmap
3923 to display. The optional @var{face} names a face whose foreground
3924 color is used to display the bitmap; this face is automatically merged
3925 with the @code{fringe} face.
3926
3927 Here is a list of the standard fringe bitmaps defined in Emacs, and
3928 how they are currently used in Emacs (via
3929 @code{fringe-indicator-alist} and @code{fringe-cursor-alist}):
3930
3931 @table @asis
3932 @item @code{left-arrow}, @code{right-arrow}
3933 Used to indicate truncated lines.
3934
3935 @item @code{left-curly-arrow}, @code{right-curly-arrow}
3936 Used to indicate continued lines.
3937
3938 @item @code{right-triangle}, @code{left-triangle}
3939 The former is used by overlay arrows. The latter is unused.
3940
3941 @item @code{up-arrow}, @code{down-arrow}, @code{top-left-angle} @code{top-right-angle}
3942 @itemx @code{bottom-left-angle}, @code{bottom-right-angle}
3943 @itemx @code{top-right-angle}, @code{top-left-angle}
3944 @itemx @code{left-bracket}, @code{right-bracket}, @code{top-right-angle}, @code{top-left-angle}
3945 Used to indicate buffer boundaries.
3946
3947 @item @code{filled-rectangle}, @code{hollow-rectangle}
3948 @itemx @code{filled-square}, @code{hollow-square}
3949 @itemx @code{vertical-bar}, @code{horizontal-bar}
3950 Used for different types of fringe cursors.
3951
3952 @item @code{empty-line}, @code{exclamation-mark}, @code{question-mark}, @code{exclamation-mark}
3953 Not used by core Emacs features.
3954 @end table
3955
3956 @noindent
3957 The next subsection describes how to define your own fringe bitmaps.
3958
3959 @defun fringe-bitmaps-at-pos &optional pos window
3960 This function returns the fringe bitmaps of the display line
3961 containing position @var{pos} in window @var{window}. The return
3962 value has the form @code{(@var{left} @var{right} @var{ov})}, where @var{left}
3963 is the symbol for the fringe bitmap in the left fringe (or @code{nil}
3964 if no bitmap), @var{right} is similar for the right fringe, and @var{ov}
3965 is non-@code{nil} if there is an overlay arrow in the left fringe.
3966
3967 The value is @code{nil} if @var{pos} is not visible in @var{window}.
3968 If @var{window} is @code{nil}, that stands for the selected window.
3969 If @var{pos} is @code{nil}, that stands for the value of point in
3970 @var{window}.
3971 @end defun
3972
3973 @node Customizing Bitmaps
3974 @subsection Customizing Fringe Bitmaps
3975 @cindex fringe bitmaps, customizing
3976
3977 @defun define-fringe-bitmap bitmap bits &optional height width align
3978 This function defines the symbol @var{bitmap} as a new fringe bitmap,
3979 or replaces an existing bitmap with that name.
3980
3981 The argument @var{bits} specifies the image to use. It should be
3982 either a string or a vector of integers, where each element (an
3983 integer) corresponds to one row of the bitmap. Each bit of an integer
3984 corresponds to one pixel of the bitmap, where the low bit corresponds
3985 to the rightmost pixel of the bitmap.
3986
3987 The height is normally the length of @var{bits}. However, you
3988 can specify a different height with non-@code{nil} @var{height}. The width
3989 is normally 8, but you can specify a different width with non-@code{nil}
3990 @var{width}. The width must be an integer between 1 and 16.
3991
3992 The argument @var{align} specifies the positioning of the bitmap
3993 relative to the range of rows where it is used; the default is to
3994 center the bitmap. The allowed values are @code{top}, @code{center},
3995 or @code{bottom}.
3996
3997 The @var{align} argument may also be a list @code{(@var{align}
3998 @var{periodic})} where @var{align} is interpreted as described above.
3999 If @var{periodic} is non-@code{nil}, it specifies that the rows in
4000 @code{bits} should be repeated enough times to reach the specified
4001 height.
4002 @end defun
4003
4004 @defun destroy-fringe-bitmap bitmap
4005 This function destroy the fringe bitmap identified by @var{bitmap}.
4006 If @var{bitmap} identifies a standard fringe bitmap, it actually
4007 restores the standard definition of that bitmap, instead of
4008 eliminating it entirely.
4009 @end defun
4010
4011 @defun set-fringe-bitmap-face bitmap &optional face
4012 This sets the face for the fringe bitmap @var{bitmap} to @var{face}.
4013 If @var{face} is @code{nil}, it selects the @code{fringe} face. The
4014 bitmap's face controls the color to draw it in.
4015
4016 @var{face} is merged with the @code{fringe} face, so normally
4017 @var{face} should specify only the foreground color.
4018 @end defun
4019
4020 @node Overlay Arrow
4021 @subsection The Overlay Arrow
4022 @c @cindex overlay arrow Duplicates variable names
4023
4024 The @dfn{overlay arrow} is useful for directing the user's attention
4025 to a particular line in a buffer. For example, in the modes used for
4026 interface to debuggers, the overlay arrow indicates the line of code
4027 about to be executed. This feature has nothing to do with
4028 @dfn{overlays} (@pxref{Overlays}).
4029
4030 @defvar overlay-arrow-string
4031 This variable holds the string to display to call attention to a
4032 particular line, or @code{nil} if the arrow feature is not in use.
4033 On a graphical display the contents of the string are ignored; instead a
4034 glyph is displayed in the fringe area to the left of the display area.
4035 @end defvar
4036
4037 @defvar overlay-arrow-position
4038 This variable holds a marker that indicates where to display the overlay
4039 arrow. It should point at the beginning of a line. On a non-graphical
4040 display the arrow text
4041 appears at the beginning of that line, overlaying any text that would
4042 otherwise appear. Since the arrow is usually short, and the line
4043 usually begins with indentation, normally nothing significant is
4044 overwritten.
4045
4046 The overlay-arrow string is displayed in any given buffer if the value
4047 of @code{overlay-arrow-position} in that buffer points into that
4048 buffer. Thus, it is possible to display multiple overlay arrow strings
4049 by creating buffer-local bindings of @code{overlay-arrow-position}.
4050 However, it is usually cleaner to use
4051 @code{overlay-arrow-variable-list} to achieve this result.
4052 @c !!! overlay-arrow-position: but the overlay string may remain in the display
4053 @c of some other buffer until an update is required. This should be fixed
4054 @c now. Is it?
4055 @end defvar
4056
4057 You can do a similar job by creating an overlay with a
4058 @code{before-string} property. @xref{Overlay Properties}.
4059
4060 You can define multiple overlay arrows via the variable
4061 @code{overlay-arrow-variable-list}.
4062
4063 @defvar overlay-arrow-variable-list
4064 This variable's value is a list of variables, each of which specifies
4065 the position of an overlay arrow. The variable
4066 @code{overlay-arrow-position} has its normal meaning because it is on
4067 this list.
4068 @end defvar
4069
4070 Each variable on this list can have properties
4071 @code{overlay-arrow-string} and @code{overlay-arrow-bitmap} that
4072 specify an overlay arrow string (for text terminals) or fringe bitmap
4073 (for graphical terminals) to display at the corresponding overlay
4074 arrow position. If either property is not set, the default
4075 @code{overlay-arrow-string} or @code{overlay-arrow} fringe indicator
4076 is used.
4077
4078
4079 @node Scroll Bars
4080 @section Scroll Bars
4081 @cindex scroll bars
4082
4083 Normally the frame parameter @code{vertical-scroll-bars} controls
4084 whether the windows in the frame have vertical scroll bars, and whether
4085 they are on the left or right. The frame parameter
4086 @code{scroll-bar-width} specifies how wide they are (@code{nil} meaning
4087 the default).
4088
4089 The frame parameter @code{horizontal-scroll-bars} controls whether
4090 the windows in the frame have horizontal scroll bars. The frame
4091 parameter @code{scroll-bar-height} specifies how high they are
4092 (@code{nil} meaning the default). @xref{Layout Parameters}.
4093
4094 @vindex horizontal-scroll-bars-available-p
4095 Horizontal scroll bars are not available on all platforms. The
4096 function @code{horizontal-scroll-bars-available-p} which takes no
4097 argument returns non-@code{nil} if they are available on your system.
4098
4099 The following three functions take as argument a live frame which
4100 defaults to the selected one.
4101
4102 @defun frame-current-scroll-bars &optional frame
4103 This function reports the scroll bar types for frame @var{frame}. The
4104 value is a cons cell @code{(@var{vertical-type} .@:
4105 @var{horizontal-type})}, where @var{vertical-type} is either
4106 @code{left}, @code{right}, or @code{nil} (which means no vertical scroll
4107 bar.) @var{horizontal-type} is either @code{bottom} or @code{nil}
4108 (which means no horizontal scroll bar).
4109 @end defun
4110
4111 @defun frame-scroll-bar-width &optional Lisp_Object &optional frame
4112 This function returns the width of vertical scroll bars of @var{frame}
4113 in pixels.
4114 @end defun
4115
4116 @defun frame-scroll-bar-height &optional Lisp_Object &optional frame
4117 This function returns the height of horizontal scroll bars of
4118 @var{frame} in pixels.
4119 @end defun
4120
4121 You can override the frame specific settings for individual windows by
4122 using the following function:
4123
4124 @defun set-window-scroll-bars window &optional width vertical-type height horizontal-type
4125 This function sets the width and/or height and the types of scroll bars
4126 for window @var{window}.
4127
4128 @var{width} specifies the width of the vertical scroll bar in pixels
4129 (@code{nil} means use the width specified for the frame).
4130 @var{vertical-type} specifies whether to have a vertical scroll bar and,
4131 if so, where. The possible values are @code{left}, @code{right},
4132 @code{t}, which means to use the frame's default, and @code{nil} for no
4133 vertical scroll bar.
4134
4135 @var{height} specifies the height of the horizontal scroll bar in pixels
4136 (@code{nil} means use the height specified for the frame).
4137 @var{horizontal-type} specifies whether to have a horizontal scroll bar.
4138 The possible values are @code{bottom}, @code{t}, which means to use the
4139 frame's default, and @code{nil} for no horizontal scroll bar.
4140
4141 If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is used.
4142 @end defun
4143
4144 The following four functions take as argument a live window which
4145 defaults to the selected one.
4146
4147 @defun window-scroll-bars &optional window
4148 This function returns a list of the form @code{(@var{width}
4149 @var{columns} @var{vertical-type} @var{height} @var{lines}
4150 @var{horizontal-type})}.
4151
4152 The value @var{width} is the value that was specified for the width of
4153 the vertical scroll bar (which may be @code{nil}); @var{columns} is the
4154 (possibly rounded) number of columns that the vertical scroll bar
4155 actually occupies.
4156
4157 The value @var{height} is the value that was specified for the height of
4158 the horizontal scroll bar (which may be @code{nil}); @var{lines} is the
4159 (possibly rounded) number of lines that the horizontally scroll bar
4160 actually occupies.
4161 @end defun
4162
4163 @defun window-current-scroll-bars &optional window
4164 This function reports the scroll bar type for window @var{window}. The
4165 value is a cons cell @code{(@var{vertical-type} .@:
4166 @var{horizontal-type})}. Unlike @code{window-scroll-bars}, this reports
4167 the scroll bar type actually used, once frame defaults and
4168 @code{scroll-bar-mode} are taken into account.
4169 @end defun
4170
4171 @defun window-scroll-bar-width &optional window
4172 This function returns the width in pixels of @var{window}'s vertical
4173 scrollbar.
4174 @end defun
4175
4176 @defun window-scroll-bar-height &optional window
4177 This function returns the height in pixels of @var{window}'s horizontal
4178 scrollbar.
4179 @end defun
4180
4181 If you don't specify these values for a window with
4182 @code{set-window-scroll-bars}, the buffer-local variables
4183 @code{vertical-scroll-bar}, @code{horizontal-scroll-bar},
4184 @code{scroll-bar-width} and @code{scroll-bar-height} in the buffer being
4185 displayed control the window's scroll bars. The function
4186 @code{set-window-buffer} examines these variables. If you change them
4187 in a buffer that is already visible in a window, you can make the window
4188 take note of the new values by calling @code{set-window-buffer}
4189 specifying the same buffer that is already displayed.
4190
4191 You can control the appearance of scroll bars for a particular buffer by
4192 setting the following variables which automatically become buffer-local
4193 when set.
4194
4195 @defvar vertical-scroll-bar
4196 This variable specifies the location of the vertical scroll bar. The
4197 possible values are @code{left}, @code{right}, @code{t}, which means to
4198 use the frame's default, and @code{nil} for no scroll bar.
4199 @end defvar
4200
4201 @defvar horizontal-scroll-bar
4202 This variable specifies the location of the horizontal scroll bar. The
4203 possible values are @code{bottom}, @code{t}, which means to use the
4204 frame's default, and @code{nil} for no scroll bar.
4205 @end defvar
4206
4207 @defvar scroll-bar-width
4208 This variable specifies the width of the buffer's vertical scroll bars,
4209 measured in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the value
4210 specified by the frame.
4211 @end defvar
4212
4213 @defvar scroll-bar-height
4214 This variable specifies the height of the buffer's horizontal scroll
4215 bar, measured in pixels. A value of @code{nil} means to use the value
4216 specified by the frame.
4217 @end defvar
4218
4219 Finally you can toggle the display of scroll bars on all frames by
4220 customizing the variables @code{scroll-bar-mode} and
4221 @code{horizontal-scroll-bar-mode}.
4222
4223 @defopt scroll-bar-mode
4224 This variable controls whether and where to put vertical scroll bars in
4225 all frames. The possible values are @code{nil} for no scroll bars,
4226 @code{left} to put scroll bars on the left and @code{right} to put
4227 scroll bars on the right.
4228 @end defopt
4229
4230 @defopt horizontal-scroll-bar-mode
4231 This variable controls whether to display horizontal scroll bars on all
4232 frames.
4233 @end defopt
4234
4235
4236 @node Window Dividers
4237 @section Window Dividers
4238 @cindex window dividers
4239 @cindex right dividers
4240 @cindex bottom dividers
4241
4242 Window dividers are bars drawn between a frame's windows. A right
4243 divider is drawn between a window and any adjacent windows on the right.
4244 Its width (thickness) is specified by the frame parameter
4245 @code{right-divider-width}. A bottom divider is drawn between a
4246 window and adjacent windows on the bottom or the echo area. Its width
4247 is specified by the frame parameter @code{bottom-divider-width}. In
4248 either case, specifying a width of zero means to not draw such dividers.
4249 @xref{Layout Parameters}.
4250
4251 Technically, a right divider belongs to the window on its left,
4252 which means that its width contributes to the total width of that
4253 window. A bottom divider belongs to the window above it, which
4254 means that its width contributes to the total height of that window.
4255 @xref{Window Sizes}. When a window has both, a right and a bottom
4256 divider, the bottom divider prevails. This means that a bottom
4257 divider is drawn over the full total width of its window while the right
4258 divider ends above the bottom divider.
4259
4260 Dividers can be dragged with the mouse and are therefore useful for
4261 adjusting the sizes of adjacent windows with the mouse. They also serve
4262 to visually set apart adjacent windows when no scroll bars or mode lines
4263 are present. The following three faces allow to customize the
4264 appearance of dividers:
4265
4266 @table @code
4267 @item window-divider
4268 When a divider is less than three pixels wide, it is drawn solidly with
4269 the foreground of this face. For larger dividers this face is used for
4270 the inner part only, excluding the first and last pixel.
4271
4272 @item window-divider-first-pixel
4273 This is the face used for drawing the first pixel of a divider that is
4274 at least three pixels wide. To obtain a solid appearance, set this to
4275 the same value used for the @code{window-divider} face.
4276
4277 @item window-divider-last-pixel
4278 This is the face used for drawing the last pixel of a divider that is at
4279 least three pixels wide. To obtain a solid appearance, set this to the
4280 same value used for the @code{window-divider} face.
4281 @end table
4282
4283 You can get the sizes of the dividers of a specific window with the
4284 following two functions.
4285
4286 @defun window-right-divider-width &optional window
4287 Return the width (thickness) in pixels of @var{window}'s right divider.
4288 @var{window} must be a live window and defaults to the selected one.
4289 The return value is always zero for a rightmost window.
4290 @end defun
4291
4292 @defun window-bottom-divider-width &optional window
4293 Return the width (thickness) in pixels of @var{window}'s bottom divider.
4294 @var{window} must be a live window and defaults to the selected one.
4295 The return value is zero for the minibuffer window or a bottommost
4296 window on a minibuffer-less frame.
4297 @end defun
4298
4299
4300 @node Display Property
4301 @section The @code{display} Property
4302 @cindex display specification
4303 @kindex display @r{(text property)}
4304
4305 The @code{display} text property (or overlay property) is used to
4306 insert images into text, and to control other aspects of how text
4307 displays. The value of the @code{display} property should be a
4308 display specification, or a list or vector containing several display
4309 specifications. Display specifications in the same @code{display}
4310 property value generally apply in parallel to the text they cover.
4311
4312 If several sources (overlays and/or a text property) specify values
4313 for the @code{display} property, only one of the values takes effect,
4314 following the rules of @code{get-char-property}. @xref{Examining
4315 Properties}.
4316
4317 The rest of this section describes several kinds of
4318 display specifications and what they mean.
4319
4320 @menu
4321 * Replacing Specs:: Display specs that replace the text.
4322 * Specified Space:: Displaying one space with a specified width.
4323 * Pixel Specification:: Specifying space width or height in pixels.
4324 * Other Display Specs:: Displaying an image; adjusting the height,
4325 spacing, and other properties of text.
4326 * Display Margins:: Displaying text or images to the side of the main text.
4327 @end menu
4328
4329 @node Replacing Specs
4330 @subsection Display Specs That Replace The Text
4331 @cindex replacing display specs
4332
4333 Some kinds of display specifications specify something to display
4334 instead of the text that has the property. These are called
4335 @dfn{replacing} display specifications. Emacs does not allow the user
4336 to interactively move point into the middle of buffer text that is
4337 replaced in this way.
4338
4339 If a list of display specifications includes more than one replacing
4340 display specification, the first overrides the rest. Replacing
4341 display specifications make most other display specifications
4342 irrelevant, since those don't apply to the replacement.
4343
4344 For replacing display specifications, @dfn{the text that has the
4345 property} means all the consecutive characters that have the same
4346 Lisp object as their @code{display} property; these characters are
4347 replaced as a single unit. If two characters have different Lisp
4348 objects as their @code{display} properties (i.e., objects which are
4349 not @code{eq}), they are handled separately.
4350
4351 Here is an example which illustrates this point. A string serves as
4352 a replacing display specification, which replaces the text that has
4353 the property with the specified string (@pxref{Other Display Specs}).
4354 Consider the following function:
4355
4356 @smallexample
4357 (defun foo ()
4358 (dotimes (i 5)
4359 (let ((string (concat "A"))
4360 (start (+ i i (point-min))))
4361 (put-text-property start (1+ start) 'display string)
4362 (put-text-property start (+ 2 start) 'display string))))
4363 @end smallexample
4364
4365 @noindent
4366 This function gives each of the first ten characters in the buffer a
4367 @code{display} property which is a string @code{"A"}, but they don't
4368 all get the same string object. The first two characters get the same
4369 string object, so they are replaced with one @samp{A}; the fact that
4370 the display property was assigned in two separate calls to
4371 @code{put-text-property} is irrelevant. Similarly, the next two
4372 characters get a second string (@code{concat} creates a new string
4373 object), so they are replaced with one @samp{A}; and so on. Thus, the
4374 ten characters appear as five A's.
4375
4376 @node Specified Space
4377 @subsection Specified Spaces
4378 @cindex spaces, specified height or width
4379 @cindex variable-width spaces
4380
4381 To display a space of specified width and/or height, use a display
4382 specification of the form @code{(space . @var{props})}, where
4383 @var{props} is a property list (a list of alternating properties and
4384 values). You can put this property on one or more consecutive
4385 characters; a space of the specified height and width is displayed in
4386 place of @emph{all} of those characters. These are the properties you
4387 can use in @var{props} to specify the weight of the space:
4388
4389 @table @code
4390 @item :width @var{width}
4391 If @var{width} is a number, it specifies
4392 that the space width should be @var{width} times the normal character
4393 width. @var{width} can also be a @dfn{pixel width} specification
4394 (@pxref{Pixel Specification}).
4395
4396 @item :relative-width @var{factor}
4397 Specifies that the width of the stretch should be computed from the
4398 first character in the group of consecutive characters that have the
4399 same @code{display} property. The space width is the pixel width of
4400 that character, multiplied by @var{factor}. (On text-mode terminals,
4401 the ``pixel width'' of a character is usually 1, but it could be more
4402 for TABs and double-width CJK characters.)
4403
4404 @item :align-to @var{hpos}
4405 Specifies that the space should be wide enough to reach @var{hpos}.
4406 If @var{hpos} is a number, it is measured in units of the normal
4407 character width. @var{hpos} can also be a @dfn{pixel width}
4408 specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}).
4409 @end table
4410
4411 You should use one and only one of the above properties. You can
4412 also specify the height of the space, with these properties:
4413
4414 @table @code
4415 @item :height @var{height}
4416 Specifies the height of the space.
4417 If @var{height} is a number, it specifies
4418 that the space height should be @var{height} times the normal character
4419 height. The @var{height} may also be a @dfn{pixel height} specification
4420 (@pxref{Pixel Specification}).
4421
4422 @item :relative-height @var{factor}
4423 Specifies the height of the space, multiplying the ordinary height
4424 of the text having this display specification by @var{factor}.
4425
4426 @item :ascent @var{ascent}
4427 If the value of @var{ascent} is a non-negative number no greater than
4428 100, it specifies that @var{ascent} percent of the height of the space
4429 should be considered as the ascent of the space---that is, the part
4430 above the baseline. The ascent may also be specified in pixel units
4431 with a @dfn{pixel ascent} specification (@pxref{Pixel Specification}).
4432
4433 @end table
4434
4435 Don't use both @code{:height} and @code{:relative-height} together.
4436
4437 The @code{:width} and @code{:align-to} properties are supported on
4438 non-graphic terminals, but the other space properties in this section
4439 are not.
4440
4441 Note that space properties are treated as paragraph separators for
4442 the purposes of reordering bidirectional text for display.
4443 @xref{Bidirectional Display}, for the details.
4444
4445 @node Pixel Specification
4446 @subsection Pixel Specification for Spaces
4447 @cindex spaces, pixel specification
4448
4449 The value of the @code{:width}, @code{:align-to}, @code{:height},
4450 and @code{:ascent} properties can be a special kind of expression that
4451 is evaluated during redisplay. The result of the evaluation is used
4452 as an absolute number of pixels.
4453
4454 The following expressions are supported:
4455
4456 @smallexample
4457 @group
4458 @var{expr} ::= @var{num} | (@var{num}) | @var{unit} | @var{elem} | @var{pos} | @var{image} | @var{form}
4459 @var{num} ::= @var{integer} | @var{float} | @var{symbol}
4460 @var{unit} ::= in | mm | cm | width | height
4461 @end group
4462 @group
4463 @var{elem} ::= left-fringe | right-fringe | left-margin | right-margin
4464 | scroll-bar | text
4465 @var{pos} ::= left | center | right
4466 @var{form} ::= (@var{num} . @var{expr}) | (@var{op} @var{expr} ...)
4467 @var{op} ::= + | -
4468 @end group
4469 @end smallexample
4470
4471 The form @var{num} specifies a fraction of the default frame font
4472 height or width. The form @code{(@var{num})} specifies an absolute
4473 number of pixels. If @var{num} is a symbol, @var{symbol}, its
4474 buffer-local variable binding is used.
4475
4476 The @code{in}, @code{mm}, and @code{cm} units specify the number of
4477 pixels per inch, millimeter, and centimeter, respectively. The
4478 @code{width} and @code{height} units correspond to the default width
4479 and height of the current face. An image specification @code{image}
4480 corresponds to the width or height of the image.
4481
4482 The elements @code{left-fringe}, @code{right-fringe},
4483 @code{left-margin}, @code{right-margin}, @code{scroll-bar}, and
4484 @code{text} specify to the width of the corresponding area of the
4485 window.
4486
4487 The @code{left}, @code{center}, and @code{right} positions can be
4488 used with @code{:align-to} to specify a position relative to the left
4489 edge, center, or right edge of the text area.
4490
4491 Any of the above window elements (except @code{text}) can also be
4492 used with @code{:align-to} to specify that the position is relative to
4493 the left edge of the given area. Once the base offset for a relative
4494 position has been set (by the first occurrence of one of these
4495 symbols), further occurrences of these symbols are interpreted as the
4496 width of the specified area. For example, to align to the center of
4497 the left-margin, use
4498
4499 @example
4500 :align-to (+ left-margin (0.5 . left-margin))
4501 @end example
4502
4503 If no specific base offset is set for alignment, it is always relative
4504 to the left edge of the text area. For example, @samp{:align-to 0} in a
4505 header-line aligns with the first text column in the text area.
4506
4507 A value of the form @code{(@var{num} . @var{expr})} stands for the
4508 product of the values of @var{num} and @var{expr}. For example,
4509 @code{(2 . in)} specifies a width of 2 inches, while @code{(0.5 .
4510 @var{image})} specifies half the width (or height) of the specified
4511 image.
4512
4513 The form @code{(+ @var{expr} ...)} adds up the value of the
4514 expressions. The form @code{(- @var{expr} ...)} negates or subtracts
4515 the value of the expressions.
4516
4517 @node Other Display Specs
4518 @subsection Other Display Specifications
4519
4520 Here are the other sorts of display specifications that you can use
4521 in the @code{display} text property.
4522
4523 @table @code
4524 @item @var{string}
4525 Display @var{string} instead of the text that has this property.
4526
4527 Recursive display specifications are not supported---@var{string}'s
4528 @code{display} properties, if any, are not used.
4529
4530 @item (image . @var{image-props})
4531 This kind of display specification is an image descriptor (@pxref{Images}).
4532 When used as a display specification, it means to display the image
4533 instead of the text that has the display specification.
4534
4535 @item (slice @var{x} @var{y} @var{width} @var{height})
4536 This specification together with @code{image} specifies a @dfn{slice}
4537 (a partial area) of the image to display. The elements @var{y} and
4538 @var{x} specify the top left corner of the slice, within the image;
4539 @var{width} and @var{height} specify the width and height of the
4540 slice. Integers are numbers of pixels. A floating-point number
4541 in the range 0.0--1.0 stands for that fraction of the width or height
4542 of the entire image.
4543
4544 @item ((margin nil) @var{string})
4545 A display specification of this form means to display @var{string}
4546 instead of the text that has the display specification, at the same
4547 position as that text. It is equivalent to using just @var{string},
4548 but it is done as a special case of marginal display (@pxref{Display
4549 Margins}).
4550
4551 @item (left-fringe @var{bitmap} @r{[}@var{face}@r{]})
4552 @itemx (right-fringe @var{bitmap} @r{[}@var{face}@r{]})
4553 This display specification on any character of a line of text causes
4554 the specified @var{bitmap} be displayed in the left or right fringes
4555 for that line, instead of the characters that have the display
4556 specification. The optional @var{face} specifies the colors to be
4557 used for the bitmap. @xref{Fringe Bitmaps}, for the details.
4558
4559 @item (space-width @var{factor})
4560 This display specification affects all the space characters within the
4561 text that has the specification. It displays all of these spaces
4562 @var{factor} times as wide as normal. The element @var{factor} should
4563 be an integer or float. Characters other than spaces are not affected
4564 at all; in particular, this has no effect on tab characters.
4565
4566 @item (height @var{height})
4567 This display specification makes the text taller or shorter.
4568 Here are the possibilities for @var{height}:
4569
4570 @table @asis
4571 @item @code{(+ @var{n})}
4572 @c FIXME: Add an index for "step"? --xfq
4573 This means to use a font that is @var{n} steps larger. A @dfn{step} is
4574 defined by the set of available fonts---specifically, those that match
4575 what was otherwise specified for this text, in all attributes except
4576 height. Each size for which a suitable font is available counts as
4577 another step. @var{n} should be an integer.
4578
4579 @item @code{(- @var{n})}
4580 This means to use a font that is @var{n} steps smaller.
4581
4582 @item a number, @var{factor}
4583 A number, @var{factor}, means to use a font that is @var{factor} times
4584 as tall as the default font.
4585
4586 @item a symbol, @var{function}
4587 A symbol is a function to compute the height. It is called with the
4588 current height as argument, and should return the new height to use.
4589
4590 @item anything else, @var{form}
4591 If the @var{height} value doesn't fit the previous possibilities, it is
4592 a form. Emacs evaluates it to get the new height, with the symbol
4593 @code{height} bound to the current specified font height.
4594 @end table
4595
4596 @item (raise @var{factor})
4597 This kind of display specification raises or lowers the text
4598 it applies to, relative to the baseline of the line.
4599
4600 @var{factor} must be a number, which is interpreted as a multiple of the
4601 height of the affected text. If it is positive, that means to display
4602 the characters raised. If it is negative, that means to display them
4603 lower down.
4604
4605 If the text also has a @code{height} display specification, that does
4606 not affect the amount of raising or lowering, which is based on the
4607 faces used for the text.
4608 @end table
4609
4610 @c We put all the '@code{(when ...)}' on one line to encourage
4611 @c makeinfo's end-of-sentence heuristics to DTRT. Previously, the dot
4612 @c was at eol; the info file ended up w/ two spaces rendered after it.
4613 You can make any display specification conditional. To do that,
4614 package it in another list of the form
4615 @code{(when @var{condition} . @var{spec})}.
4616 Then the specification @var{spec} applies only when
4617 @var{condition} evaluates to a non-@code{nil} value. During the
4618 evaluation, @code{object} is bound to the string or buffer having the
4619 conditional @code{display} property. @code{position} and
4620 @code{buffer-position} are bound to the position within @code{object}
4621 and the buffer position where the @code{display} property was found,
4622 respectively. Both positions can be different when @code{object} is a
4623 string.
4624
4625 @node Display Margins
4626 @subsection Displaying in the Margins
4627 @cindex display margins
4628 @cindex margins, display
4629
4630 A buffer can have blank areas called @dfn{display margins} on the
4631 left and on the right. Ordinary text never appears in these areas,
4632 but you can put things into the display margins using the
4633 @code{display} property. There is currently no way to make text or
4634 images in the margin mouse-sensitive.
4635
4636 The way to display something in the margins is to specify it in a
4637 margin display specification in the @code{display} property of some
4638 text. This is a replacing display specification, meaning that the
4639 text you put it on does not get displayed; the margin display appears,
4640 but that text does not.
4641
4642 A margin display specification looks like @code{((margin
4643 right-margin) @var{spec})} or @code{((margin left-margin) @var{spec})}.
4644 Here, @var{spec} is another display specification that says what to
4645 display in the margin. Typically it is a string of text to display,
4646 or an image descriptor.
4647
4648 To display something in the margin @emph{in association with}
4649 certain buffer text, without altering or preventing the display of
4650 that text, put a @code{before-string} property on the text and put the
4651 margin display specification on the contents of the before-string.
4652
4653 Before the display margins can display anything, you must give
4654 them a nonzero width. The usual way to do that is to set these
4655 variables:
4656
4657 @defvar left-margin-width
4658 This variable specifies the width of the left margin, in character
4659 cell (a.k.a.@: ``column'') units. It is buffer-local in all buffers.
4660 A value of @code{nil} means no left marginal area.
4661 @end defvar
4662
4663 @defvar right-margin-width
4664 This variable specifies the width of the right margin, in character
4665 cell units. It is buffer-local in all buffers. A value of @code{nil}
4666 means no right marginal area.
4667 @end defvar
4668
4669 Setting these variables does not immediately affect the window. These
4670 variables are checked when a new buffer is displayed in the window.
4671 Thus, you can make changes take effect by calling
4672 @code{set-window-buffer}.
4673
4674 You can also set the margin widths immediately.
4675
4676 @defun set-window-margins window left &optional right
4677 This function specifies the margin widths for window @var{window}, in
4678 character cell units. The argument @var{left} controls the left
4679 margin, and @var{right} controls the right margin (default @code{0}).
4680 @end defun
4681
4682 @defun window-margins &optional window
4683 This function returns the width of the left and right margins of
4684 @var{window} as a cons cell of the form @w{@code{(@var{left}
4685 . @var{right})}}. If one of the two marginal areas does not exist,
4686 its width is returned as @code{nil}; if neither of the two margins exist,
4687 the function returns @code{(nil)}. If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the
4688 selected window is used.
4689 @end defun
4690
4691 @node Images
4692 @section Images
4693 @cindex images in buffers
4694
4695 To display an image in an Emacs buffer, you must first create an image
4696 descriptor, then use it as a display specifier in the @code{display}
4697 property of text that is displayed (@pxref{Display Property}).
4698
4699 Emacs is usually able to display images when it is run on a
4700 graphical terminal. Images cannot be displayed in a text terminal, on
4701 certain graphical terminals that lack the support for this, or if
4702 Emacs is compiled without image support. You can use the function
4703 @code{display-images-p} to determine if images can in principle be
4704 displayed (@pxref{Display Feature Testing}).
4705
4706 @menu
4707 * Image Formats:: Supported image formats.
4708 * Image Descriptors:: How to specify an image for use in @code{:display}.
4709 * XBM Images:: Special features for XBM format.
4710 * XPM Images:: Special features for XPM format.
4711 * PostScript Images:: Special features for PostScript format.
4712 * ImageMagick Images:: Special features available through ImageMagick.
4713 * Other Image Types:: Various other formats are supported.
4714 * Defining Images:: Convenient ways to define an image for later use.
4715 * Showing Images:: Convenient ways to display an image once it is defined.
4716 * Multi-Frame Images:: Some images contain more than one frame.
4717 * Image Cache:: Internal mechanisms of image display.
4718 @end menu
4719
4720 @node Image Formats
4721 @subsection Image Formats
4722 @cindex image formats
4723 @cindex image types
4724
4725 Emacs can display a number of different image formats. Some of
4726 these image formats are supported only if particular support libraries
4727 are installed. On some platforms, Emacs can load support libraries on
4728 demand; if so, the variable @code{dynamic-library-alist} can be used
4729 to modify the set of known names for these dynamic libraries.
4730 @xref{Dynamic Libraries}.
4731
4732 Supported image formats (and the required support libraries) include
4733 PBM and XBM (which do not depend on support libraries and are always
4734 available), XPM (@code{libXpm}), GIF (@code{libgif} or
4735 @code{libungif}), PostScript (@code{gs}), JPEG (@code{libjpeg}), TIFF
4736 (@code{libtiff}), PNG (@code{libpng}), and SVG (@code{librsvg}).
4737
4738 Each of these image formats is associated with an @dfn{image type
4739 symbol}. The symbols for the above formats are, respectively,
4740 @code{pbm}, @code{xbm}, @code{xpm}, @code{gif}, @code{postscript},
4741 @code{jpeg}, @code{tiff}, @code{png}, and @code{svg}.
4742
4743 Furthermore, if you build Emacs with ImageMagick
4744 (@code{libMagickWand}) support, Emacs can display any image format
4745 that ImageMagick can. @xref{ImageMagick Images}. All images
4746 displayed via ImageMagick have type symbol @code{imagemagick}.
4747
4748 @defvar image-types
4749 This variable contains a list of type symbols for image formats which
4750 are potentially supported in the current configuration.
4751
4752 ``Potentially'' means that Emacs knows about the image types, not
4753 necessarily that they can be used (for example, they could depend on
4754 unavailable dynamic libraries). To know which image types are really
4755 available, use @code{image-type-available-p}.
4756 @end defvar
4757
4758 @defun image-type-available-p type
4759 This function returns non-@code{nil} if images of type @var{type} can
4760 be loaded and displayed. @var{type} must be an image type symbol.
4761
4762 For image types whose support libraries are statically linked, this
4763 function always returns @code{t}. For image types whose support
4764 libraries are dynamically loaded, it returns @code{t} if the library
4765 could be loaded and @code{nil} otherwise.
4766 @end defun
4767
4768 @node Image Descriptors
4769 @subsection Image Descriptors
4770 @cindex image descriptor
4771
4772 An @dfn{image descriptor} is a list which specifies the underlying
4773 data for an image, and how to display it. It is typically used as the
4774 value of a @code{display} overlay or text property (@pxref{Other
4775 Display Specs}); but @xref{Showing Images}, for convenient helper
4776 functions to insert images into buffers.
4777
4778 Each image descriptor has the form @code{(image . @var{props})},
4779 where @var{props} is a property list of alternating keyword symbols
4780 and values, including at least the pair @code{:type @var{type}} that
4781 specifies the image type.
4782
4783 The following is a list of properties that are meaningful for all
4784 image types (there are also properties which are meaningful only for
4785 certain image types, as documented in the following subsections):
4786
4787 @table @code
4788 @item :type @var{type}
4789 The image type.
4790 @ifnottex
4791 @xref{Image Formats}.
4792 @end ifnottex
4793 Every image descriptor must include this property.
4794
4795 @item :file @var{file}
4796 This says to load the image from file @var{file}. If @var{file} is
4797 not an absolute file name, it is expanded in @code{data-directory}.
4798
4799 @item :data @var{data}
4800 This specifies the raw image data. Each image descriptor must have
4801 either @code{:data} or @code{:file}, but not both.
4802
4803 For most image types, the value of a @code{:data} property should be a
4804 string containing the image data. Some image types do not support
4805 @code{:data}; for some others, @code{:data} alone is not enough, so
4806 you need to use other image properties along with @code{:data}. See
4807 the following subsections for details.
4808
4809 @item :margin @var{margin}
4810 This specifies how many pixels to add as an extra margin around the
4811 image. The value, @var{margin}, must be a non-negative number, or a
4812 pair @code{(@var{x} . @var{y})} of such numbers. If it is a pair,
4813 @var{x} specifies how many pixels to add horizontally, and @var{y}
4814 specifies how many pixels to add vertically. If @code{:margin} is not
4815 specified, the default is zero.
4816
4817 @item :ascent @var{ascent}
4818 This specifies the amount of the image's height to use for its
4819 ascent---that is, the part above the baseline. The value,
4820 @var{ascent}, must be a number in the range 0 to 100, or the symbol
4821 @code{center}.
4822
4823 If @var{ascent} is a number, that percentage of the image's height is
4824 used for its ascent.
4825
4826 If @var{ascent} is @code{center}, the image is vertically centered
4827 around a centerline which would be the vertical centerline of text drawn
4828 at the position of the image, in the manner specified by the text
4829 properties and overlays that apply to the image.
4830
4831 If this property is omitted, it defaults to 50.
4832
4833 @item :relief @var{relief}
4834 This adds a shadow rectangle around the image. The value,
4835 @var{relief}, specifies the width of the shadow lines, in pixels. If
4836 @var{relief} is negative, shadows are drawn so that the image appears
4837 as a pressed button; otherwise, it appears as an unpressed button.
4838
4839 @item :conversion @var{algorithm}
4840 This specifies a conversion algorithm that should be applied to the
4841 image before it is displayed; the value, @var{algorithm}, specifies
4842 which algorithm.
4843
4844 @table @code
4845 @item laplace
4846 @itemx emboss
4847 Specifies the Laplace edge detection algorithm, which blurs out small
4848 differences in color while highlighting larger differences. People
4849 sometimes consider this useful for displaying the image for a
4850 disabled button.
4851
4852 @item (edge-detection :matrix @var{matrix} :color-adjust @var{adjust})
4853 @cindex edge detection, images
4854 Specifies a general edge-detection algorithm. @var{matrix} must be
4855 either a nine-element list or a nine-element vector of numbers. A pixel
4856 at position @math{x/y} in the transformed image is computed from
4857 original pixels around that position. @var{matrix} specifies, for each
4858 pixel in the neighborhood of @math{x/y}, a factor with which that pixel
4859 will influence the transformed pixel; element @math{0} specifies the
4860 factor for the pixel at @math{x-1/y-1}, element @math{1} the factor for
4861 the pixel at @math{x/y-1} etc., as shown below:
4862 @iftex
4863 @tex
4864 $$\pmatrix{x-1/y-1 & x/y-1 & x+1/y-1 \cr
4865 x-1/y & x/y & x+1/y \cr
4866 x-1/y+1& x/y+1 & x+1/y+1 \cr}$$
4867 @end tex
4868 @end iftex
4869 @ifnottex
4870 @display
4871 (x-1/y-1 x/y-1 x+1/y-1
4872 x-1/y x/y x+1/y
4873 x-1/y+1 x/y+1 x+1/y+1)
4874 @end display
4875 @end ifnottex
4876
4877 The resulting pixel is computed from the color intensity of the color
4878 resulting from summing up the RGB values of surrounding pixels,
4879 multiplied by the specified factors, and dividing that sum by the sum
4880 of the factors' absolute values.
4881
4882 Laplace edge-detection currently uses a matrix of
4883 @iftex
4884 @tex
4885 $$\pmatrix{1 & 0 & 0 \cr
4886 0& 0 & 0 \cr
4887 0 & 0 & -1 \cr}$$
4888 @end tex
4889 @end iftex
4890 @ifnottex
4891 @display
4892 (1 0 0
4893 0 0 0
4894 0 0 -1)
4895 @end display
4896 @end ifnottex
4897
4898 Emboss edge-detection uses a matrix of
4899 @iftex
4900 @tex
4901 $$\pmatrix{ 2 & -1 & 0 \cr
4902 -1 & 0 & 1 \cr
4903 0 & 1 & -2 \cr}$$
4904 @end tex
4905 @end iftex
4906 @ifnottex
4907 @display
4908 ( 2 -1 0
4909 -1 0 1
4910 0 1 -2)
4911 @end display
4912 @end ifnottex
4913
4914 @item disabled
4915 Specifies transforming the image so that it looks disabled.
4916 @end table
4917
4918 @item :mask @var{mask}
4919 If @var{mask} is @code{heuristic} or @code{(heuristic @var{bg})}, build
4920 a clipping mask for the image, so that the background of a frame is
4921 visible behind the image. If @var{bg} is not specified, or if @var{bg}
4922 is @code{t}, determine the background color of the image by looking at
4923 the four corners of the image, assuming the most frequently occurring
4924 color from the corners is the background color of the image. Otherwise,
4925 @var{bg} must be a list @code{(@var{red} @var{green} @var{blue})}
4926 specifying the color to assume for the background of the image.
4927
4928 If @var{mask} is @code{nil}, remove a mask from the image, if it has
4929 one. Images in some formats include a mask which can be removed by
4930 specifying @code{:mask nil}.
4931
4932 @item :pointer @var{shape}
4933 This specifies the pointer shape when the mouse pointer is over this
4934 image. @xref{Pointer Shape}, for available pointer shapes.
4935
4936 @item :map @var{map}
4937 @cindex image maps
4938 This associates an image map of @dfn{hot spots} with this image.
4939
4940 An image map is an alist where each element has the format
4941 @code{(@var{area} @var{id} @var{plist})}. An @var{area} is specified
4942 as either a rectangle, a circle, or a polygon.
4943
4944 A rectangle is a cons
4945 @code{(rect . ((@var{x0} . @var{y0}) . (@var{x1} . @var{y1})))}
4946 which specifies the pixel coordinates of the upper left and bottom right
4947 corners of the rectangle area.
4948
4949 A circle is a cons
4950 @code{(circle . ((@var{x0} . @var{y0}) . @var{r}))}
4951 which specifies the center and the radius of the circle; @var{r} may
4952 be a float or integer.
4953
4954 A polygon is a cons
4955 @code{(poly . [@var{x0} @var{y0} @var{x1} @var{y1} ...])}
4956 where each pair in the vector describes one corner in the polygon.
4957
4958 When the mouse pointer lies on a hot-spot area of an image, the
4959 @var{plist} of that hot-spot is consulted; if it contains a @code{help-echo}
4960 property, that defines a tool-tip for the hot-spot, and if it contains
4961 a @code{pointer} property, that defines the shape of the mouse cursor when
4962 it is on the hot-spot.
4963 @xref{Pointer Shape}, for available pointer shapes.
4964
4965 When you click the mouse when the mouse pointer is over a hot-spot, an
4966 event is composed by combining the @var{id} of the hot-spot with the
4967 mouse event; for instance, @code{[area4 mouse-1]} if the hot-spot's
4968 @var{id} is @code{area4}.
4969 @end table
4970
4971 @defun image-mask-p spec &optional frame
4972 This function returns @code{t} if image @var{spec} has a mask bitmap.
4973 @var{frame} is the frame on which the image will be displayed.
4974 @var{frame} @code{nil} or omitted means to use the selected frame
4975 (@pxref{Input Focus}).
4976 @end defun
4977
4978 @node XBM Images
4979 @subsection XBM Images
4980 @cindex XBM
4981
4982 To use XBM format, specify @code{xbm} as the image type. This image
4983 format doesn't require an external library, so images of this type are
4984 always supported.
4985
4986 Additional image properties supported for the @code{xbm} image type are:
4987
4988 @table @code
4989 @item :foreground @var{foreground}
4990 The value, @var{foreground}, should be a string specifying the image
4991 foreground color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is
4992 used for each pixel in the XBM that is 1. The default is the frame's
4993 foreground color.
4994
4995 @item :background @var{background}
4996 The value, @var{background}, should be a string specifying the image
4997 background color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is
4998 used for each pixel in the XBM that is 0. The default is the frame's
4999 background color.
5000 @end table
5001
5002 If you specify an XBM image using data within Emacs instead of an
5003 external file, use the following three properties:
5004
5005 @table @code
5006 @item :data @var{data}
5007 The value, @var{data}, specifies the contents of the image.
5008 There are three formats you can use for @var{data}:
5009
5010 @itemize @bullet
5011 @item
5012 A vector of strings or bool-vectors, each specifying one line of the
5013 image. Do specify @code{:height} and @code{:width}.
5014
5015 @item
5016 A string containing the same byte sequence as an XBM file would contain.
5017 You must not specify @code{:height} and @code{:width} in this case,
5018 because omitting them is what indicates the data has the format of an
5019 XBM file. The file contents specify the height and width of the image.
5020
5021 @item
5022 A string or a bool-vector containing the bits of the image (plus perhaps
5023 some extra bits at the end that will not be used). It should contain at
5024 least @var{width} * @code{height} bits. In this case, you must specify
5025 @code{:height} and @code{:width}, both to indicate that the string
5026 contains just the bits rather than a whole XBM file, and to specify the
5027 size of the image.
5028 @end itemize
5029
5030 @item :width @var{width}
5031 The value, @var{width}, specifies the width of the image, in pixels.
5032
5033 @item :height @var{height}
5034 The value, @var{height}, specifies the height of the image, in pixels.
5035 @end table
5036
5037 @node XPM Images
5038 @subsection XPM Images
5039 @cindex XPM
5040
5041 To use XPM format, specify @code{xpm} as the image type. The
5042 additional image property @code{:color-symbols} is also meaningful with
5043 the @code{xpm} image type:
5044
5045 @table @code
5046 @item :color-symbols @var{symbols}
5047 The value, @var{symbols}, should be an alist whose elements have the
5048 form @code{(@var{name} . @var{color})}. In each element, @var{name} is
5049 the name of a color as it appears in the image file, and @var{color}
5050 specifies the actual color to use for displaying that name.
5051 @end table
5052
5053 @node PostScript Images
5054 @subsection PostScript Images
5055 @cindex postscript images
5056
5057 To use PostScript for an image, specify image type @code{postscript}.
5058 This works only if you have Ghostscript installed. You must always use
5059 these three properties:
5060
5061 @table @code
5062 @item :pt-width @var{width}
5063 The value, @var{width}, specifies the width of the image measured in
5064 points (1/72 inch). @var{width} must be an integer.
5065
5066 @item :pt-height @var{height}
5067 The value, @var{height}, specifies the height of the image in points
5068 (1/72 inch). @var{height} must be an integer.
5069
5070 @item :bounding-box @var{box}
5071 The value, @var{box}, must be a list or vector of four integers, which
5072 specifying the bounding box of the PostScript image, analogous to the
5073 @samp{BoundingBox} comment found in PostScript files.
5074
5075 @example
5076 %%BoundingBox: 22 171 567 738
5077 @end example
5078 @end table
5079
5080 @node ImageMagick Images
5081 @subsection ImageMagick Images
5082 @cindex ImageMagick images
5083 @cindex images, support for more formats
5084
5085 If you build Emacs with ImageMagick support, you can use the
5086 ImageMagick library to load many image formats (@pxref{File
5087 Conveniences,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}). The image type symbol
5088 for images loaded via ImageMagick is @code{imagemagick}, regardless of
5089 the actual underlying image format.
5090
5091 @defun imagemagick-types
5092 This function returns a list of image file extensions supported by the
5093 current ImageMagick installation. Each list element is a symbol
5094 representing an internal ImageMagick name for an image type, such as
5095 @code{BMP} for @file{.bmp} images.
5096 @end defun
5097
5098 @defopt imagemagick-enabled-types
5099 The value of this variable is a list of ImageMagick image types which
5100 Emacs may attempt to render using ImageMagick. Each list element
5101 should be one of the symbols in the list returned by
5102 @code{imagemagick-types}, or an equivalent string. Alternatively, a
5103 value of @code{t} enables ImageMagick for all possible image types.
5104 Regardless of the value of this variable,
5105 @code{imagemagick-types-inhibit} (see below) takes precedence.
5106 @end defopt
5107
5108 @defopt imagemagick-types-inhibit
5109 The value of this variable lists the ImageMagick image types which
5110 should never be rendered using ImageMagick, regardless of the value of
5111 @code{imagemagick-enabled-types}. A value of @code{t} disables
5112 ImageMagick entirely.
5113 @end defopt
5114
5115 @defvar image-format-suffixes
5116 This variable is an alist mapping image types to file name extensions.
5117 Emacs uses this in conjunction with the @code{:format} image property
5118 (see below) to give a hint to the ImageMagick library as to the type
5119 of an image. Each element has the form @code{(@var{type}
5120 @var{extension})}, where @var{type} is a symbol specifying an image
5121 content-type, and @var{extension} is a string that specifies the
5122 associated file name extension.
5123 @end defvar
5124
5125 Images loaded with ImageMagick support the following additional
5126 image descriptor properties:
5127
5128 @table @code
5129 @item :background @var{background}
5130 @var{background}, if non-@code{nil}, should be a string specifying a
5131 color, which is used as the image's background color if the image
5132 supports transparency. If the value is @code{nil}, it defaults to the
5133 frame's background color.
5134
5135 @item :width @var{width}, :height @var{height}
5136 The @code{:width} and @code{:height} keywords are used for scaling the
5137 image. If only one of them is specified, the other one will be
5138 calculated so as to preserve the aspect ratio. If both are specified,
5139 aspect ratio may not be preserved.
5140
5141 @item :max-width @var{max-width}, :max-height @var{max-height}
5142 The @code{:max-width} and @code{:max-height} keywords are used for
5143 scaling if the size of the image of the image exceeds these values.
5144 If @code{:width} is set it will have precedence over @code{max-width},
5145 and if @code{:height} is set it will have precedence over
5146 @code{max-height}, but you can otherwise mix these keywords as you
5147 wish. @code{:max-width} and @code{:max-height} will always preserve
5148 the aspect ratio.
5149
5150 @item :format @var{type}
5151 The value, @var{type}, should be a symbol specifying the type of the
5152 image data, as found in @code{image-format-suffixes}. This is used
5153 when the image does not have an associated file name, to provide a
5154 hint to ImageMagick to help it detect the image type.
5155
5156 @item :rotation @var{angle}
5157 Specifies a rotation angle in degrees.
5158
5159 @item :index @var{frame}
5160 @c Doesn't work: http://debbugs.gnu.org/7978
5161 @xref{Multi-Frame Images}.
5162 @end table
5163
5164 @node Other Image Types
5165 @subsection Other Image Types
5166 @cindex PBM
5167
5168 For PBM images, specify image type @code{pbm}. Color, gray-scale and
5169 monochromatic images are supported. For mono PBM images, two additional
5170 image properties are supported.
5171
5172 @table @code
5173 @item :foreground @var{foreground}
5174 The value, @var{foreground}, should be a string specifying the image
5175 foreground color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is
5176 used for each pixel in the PBM that is 1. The default is the frame's
5177 foreground color.
5178
5179 @item :background @var{background}
5180 The value, @var{background}, should be a string specifying the image
5181 background color, or @code{nil} for the default color. This color is
5182 used for each pixel in the PBM that is 0. The default is the frame's
5183 background color.
5184 @end table
5185
5186 @noindent
5187 The remaining image types that Emacs can support are:
5188
5189 @table @asis
5190 @item GIF
5191 Image type @code{gif}.
5192 Supports the @code{:index} property. @xref{Multi-Frame Images}.
5193
5194 @item JPEG
5195 Image type @code{jpeg}.
5196
5197 @item PNG
5198 Image type @code{png}.
5199
5200 @item SVG
5201 Image type @code{svg}.
5202
5203 @item TIFF
5204 Image type @code{tiff}.
5205 Supports the @code{:index} property. @xref{Multi-Frame Images}.
5206 @end table
5207
5208 @node Defining Images
5209 @subsection Defining Images
5210 @cindex define image
5211
5212 The functions @code{create-image}, @code{defimage} and
5213 @code{find-image} provide convenient ways to create image descriptors.
5214
5215 @defun create-image file-or-data &optional type data-p &rest props
5216 This function creates and returns an image descriptor which uses the
5217 data in @var{file-or-data}. @var{file-or-data} can be a file name or
5218 a string containing the image data; @var{data-p} should be @code{nil}
5219 for the former case, non-@code{nil} for the latter case.
5220
5221 The optional argument @var{type} is a symbol specifying the image type.
5222 If @var{type} is omitted or @code{nil}, @code{create-image} tries to
5223 determine the image type from the file's first few bytes, or else
5224 from the file's name.
5225
5226 The remaining arguments, @var{props}, specify additional image
5227 properties---for example,
5228
5229 @c ':heuristic-mask' is not documented?
5230 @example
5231 (create-image "foo.xpm" 'xpm nil :heuristic-mask t)
5232 @end example
5233
5234 The function returns @code{nil} if images of this type are not
5235 supported. Otherwise it returns an image descriptor.
5236 @end defun
5237
5238 @defmac defimage symbol specs &optional doc
5239 This macro defines @var{symbol} as an image name. The arguments
5240 @var{specs} is a list which specifies how to display the image.
5241 The third argument, @var{doc}, is an optional documentation string.
5242
5243 Each argument in @var{specs} has the form of a property list, and each
5244 one should specify at least the @code{:type} property and either the
5245 @code{:file} or the @code{:data} property. The value of @code{:type}
5246 should be a symbol specifying the image type, the value of
5247 @code{:file} is the file to load the image from, and the value of
5248 @code{:data} is a string containing the actual image data. Here is an
5249 example:
5250
5251 @example
5252 (defimage test-image
5253 ((:type xpm :file "~/test1.xpm")
5254 (:type xbm :file "~/test1.xbm")))
5255 @end example
5256
5257 @code{defimage} tests each argument, one by one, to see if it is
5258 usable---that is, if the type is supported and the file exists. The
5259 first usable argument is used to make an image descriptor which is
5260 stored in @var{symbol}.
5261
5262 If none of the alternatives will work, then @var{symbol} is defined
5263 as @code{nil}.
5264 @end defmac
5265
5266 @defun find-image specs
5267 This function provides a convenient way to find an image satisfying one
5268 of a list of image specifications @var{specs}.
5269
5270 Each specification in @var{specs} is a property list with contents
5271 depending on image type. All specifications must at least contain the
5272 properties @code{:type @var{type}} and either @w{@code{:file @var{file}}}
5273 or @w{@code{:data @var{data}}}, where @var{type} is a symbol specifying
5274 the image type, e.g., @code{xbm}, @var{file} is the file to load the
5275 image from, and @var{data} is a string containing the actual image data.
5276 The first specification in the list whose @var{type} is supported, and
5277 @var{file} exists, is used to construct the image specification to be
5278 returned. If no specification is satisfied, @code{nil} is returned.
5279
5280 The image is looked for in @code{image-load-path}.
5281 @end defun
5282
5283 @defvar image-load-path
5284 This variable's value is a list of locations in which to search for
5285 image files. If an element is a string or a variable symbol whose
5286 value is a string, the string is taken to be the name of a directory
5287 to search. If an element is a variable symbol whose value is a list,
5288 that is taken to be a list of directory names to search.
5289
5290 The default is to search in the @file{images} subdirectory of the
5291 directory specified by @code{data-directory}, then the directory
5292 specified by @code{data-directory}, and finally in the directories in
5293 @code{load-path}. Subdirectories are not automatically included in
5294 the search, so if you put an image file in a subdirectory, you have to
5295 supply the subdirectory name explicitly. For example, to find the
5296 image @file{images/foo/bar.xpm} within @code{data-directory}, you
5297 should specify the image as follows:
5298
5299 @example
5300 (defimage foo-image '((:type xpm :file "foo/bar.xpm")))
5301 @end example
5302 @end defvar
5303
5304 @defun image-load-path-for-library library image &optional path no-error
5305 This function returns a suitable search path for images used by the
5306 Lisp package @var{library}.
5307
5308 The function searches for @var{image} first using @code{image-load-path},
5309 excluding @file{@code{data-directory}/images}, and then in
5310 @code{load-path}, followed by a path suitable for @var{library}, which
5311 includes @file{../../etc/images} and @file{../etc/images} relative to
5312 the library file itself, and finally in
5313 @file{@code{data-directory}/images}.
5314
5315 Then this function returns a list of directories which contains first
5316 the directory in which @var{image} was found, followed by the value of
5317 @code{load-path}. If @var{path} is given, it is used instead of
5318 @code{load-path}.
5319
5320 If @var{no-error} is non-@code{nil} and a suitable path can't be
5321 found, don't signal an error. Instead, return a list of directories as
5322 before, except that @code{nil} appears in place of the image directory.
5323
5324 Here is an example of using @code{image-load-path-for-library}:
5325
5326 @example
5327 (defvar image-load-path) ; shush compiler
5328 (let* ((load-path (image-load-path-for-library
5329 "mh-e" "mh-logo.xpm"))
5330 (image-load-path (cons (car load-path)
5331 image-load-path)))
5332 (mh-tool-bar-folder-buttons-init))
5333 @end example
5334 @end defun
5335
5336 @node Showing Images
5337 @subsection Showing Images
5338 @cindex show image
5339
5340 You can use an image descriptor by setting up the @code{display}
5341 property yourself, but it is easier to use the functions in this
5342 section.
5343
5344 @defun insert-image image &optional string area slice
5345 This function inserts @var{image} in the current buffer at point. The
5346 value @var{image} should be an image descriptor; it could be a value
5347 returned by @code{create-image}, or the value of a symbol defined with
5348 @code{defimage}. The argument @var{string} specifies the text to put
5349 in the buffer to hold the image. If it is omitted or @code{nil},
5350 @code{insert-image} uses @code{" "} by default.
5351
5352 The argument @var{area} specifies whether to put the image in a margin.
5353 If it is @code{left-margin}, the image appears in the left margin;
5354 @code{right-margin} specifies the right margin. If @var{area} is
5355 @code{nil} or omitted, the image is displayed at point within the
5356 buffer's text.
5357
5358 The argument @var{slice} specifies a slice of the image to insert. If
5359 @var{slice} is @code{nil} or omitted the whole image is inserted.
5360 Otherwise, @var{slice} is a list @code{(@var{x} @var{y} @var{width}
5361 @var{height})} which specifies the @var{x} and @var{y} positions and
5362 @var{width} and @var{height} of the image area to insert. Integer
5363 values are in units of pixels. A floating-point number in the range
5364 0.0--1.0 stands for that fraction of the width or height of the entire
5365 image.
5366
5367 Internally, this function inserts @var{string} in the buffer, and gives
5368 it a @code{display} property which specifies @var{image}. @xref{Display
5369 Property}.
5370 @end defun
5371
5372 @cindex slice, image
5373 @cindex image slice
5374 @defun insert-sliced-image image &optional string area rows cols
5375 This function inserts @var{image} in the current buffer at point, like
5376 @code{insert-image}, but splits the image into @var{rows}x@var{cols}
5377 equally sized slices.
5378
5379 Emacs displays each slice as a
5380 separate image, and allows more intuitive scrolling up/down, instead of
5381 jumping up/down the entire image when paging through a buffer that
5382 displays (large) images.
5383 @end defun
5384
5385 @defun put-image image pos &optional string area
5386 This function puts image @var{image} in front of @var{pos} in the
5387 current buffer. The argument @var{pos} should be an integer or a
5388 marker. It specifies the buffer position where the image should appear.
5389 The argument @var{string} specifies the text that should hold the image
5390 as an alternative to the default.
5391
5392 The argument @var{image} must be an image descriptor, perhaps returned
5393 by @code{create-image} or stored by @code{defimage}.
5394
5395 The argument @var{area} specifies whether to put the image in a margin.
5396 If it is @code{left-margin}, the image appears in the left margin;
5397 @code{right-margin} specifies the right margin. If @var{area} is
5398 @code{nil} or omitted, the image is displayed at point within the
5399 buffer's text.
5400
5401 Internally, this function creates an overlay, and gives it a
5402 @code{before-string} property containing text that has a @code{display}
5403 property whose value is the image. (Whew!)
5404 @end defun
5405
5406 @defun remove-images start end &optional buffer
5407 This function removes images in @var{buffer} between positions
5408 @var{start} and @var{end}. If @var{buffer} is omitted or @code{nil},
5409 images are removed from the current buffer.
5410
5411 This removes only images that were put into @var{buffer} the way
5412 @code{put-image} does it, not images that were inserted with
5413 @code{insert-image} or in other ways.
5414 @end defun
5415
5416 @defun image-size spec &optional pixels frame
5417 @cindex size of image
5418 This function returns the size of an image as a pair
5419 @w{@code{(@var{width} . @var{height})}}. @var{spec} is an image
5420 specification. @var{pixels} non-@code{nil} means return sizes measured
5421 in pixels, otherwise return sizes measured in the default character size
5422 of @var{frame} (@pxref{Frame Font}). @var{frame} is the frame on which
5423 the image will be displayed. @var{frame} null or omitted means use the
5424 selected frame (@pxref{Input Focus}).
5425 @end defun
5426
5427 @defvar max-image-size
5428 This variable is used to define the maximum size of image that Emacs
5429 will load. Emacs will refuse to load (and display) any image that is
5430 larger than this limit.
5431
5432 If the value is an integer, it directly specifies the maximum
5433 image height and width, measured in pixels. If it is floating
5434 point, it specifies the maximum image height and width
5435 as a ratio to the frame height and width. If the value is
5436 non-numeric, there is no explicit limit on the size of images.
5437
5438 The purpose of this variable is to prevent unreasonably large images
5439 from accidentally being loaded into Emacs. It only takes effect the
5440 first time an image is loaded. Once an image is placed in the image
5441 cache, it can always be displayed, even if the value of
5442 @code{max-image-size} is subsequently changed (@pxref{Image Cache}).
5443 @end defvar
5444
5445 @node Multi-Frame Images
5446 @subsection Multi-Frame Images
5447 @cindex multi-frame images
5448
5449 @cindex animation
5450 @cindex image animation
5451 @cindex image frames
5452 Some image files can contain more than one image. We say that there
5453 are multiple ``frames'' in the image. At present, Emacs supports
5454 multiple frames for GIF, TIFF, and certain ImageMagick formats such as
5455 DJVM@.
5456
5457 The frames can be used either to represent multiple pages (this is
5458 usually the case with multi-frame TIFF files, for example), or to
5459 create animation (usually the case with multi-frame GIF files).
5460
5461 A multi-frame image has a property @code{:index}, whose value is an
5462 integer (counting from 0) that specifies which frame is being displayed.
5463
5464 @defun image-multi-frame-p image
5465 This function returns non-@code{nil} if @var{image} contains more than
5466 one frame. The actual return value is a cons @code{(@var{nimages}
5467 . @var{delay})}, where @var{nimages} is the number of frames and
5468 @var{delay} is the delay in seconds between them, or @code{nil}
5469 if the image does not specify a delay. Images that are intended to be
5470 animated usually specify a frame delay, whereas ones that are intended
5471 to be treated as multiple pages do not.
5472 @end defun
5473
5474 @defun image-current-frame image
5475 This function returns the index of the current frame number for
5476 @var{image}, counting from 0.
5477 @end defun
5478
5479 @defun image-show-frame image n &optional nocheck
5480 This function switches @var{image} to frame number @var{n}. It
5481 replaces a frame number outside the valid range with that of the end
5482 of the range, unless @var{nocheck} is non-@code{nil}. If @var{image}
5483 does not contain a frame with the specified number, the image displays
5484 as a hollow box.
5485 @end defun
5486
5487 @defun image-animate image &optional index limit
5488 This function animates @var{image}. The optional integer @var{index}
5489 specifies the frame from which to start (default 0). The optional
5490 argument @var{limit} controls the length of the animation. If omitted
5491 or @code{nil}, the image animates once only; if @code{t} it loops
5492 forever; if a number animation stops after that many seconds.
5493 @end defun
5494
5495 @vindex image-minimum-frame-delay
5496 @vindex image-default-frame-delay
5497 @noindent Animation operates by means of a timer. Note that Emacs imposes a
5498 minimum frame delay of 0.01 (@code{image-minimum-frame-delay}) seconds.
5499 If the image itself does not specify a delay, Emacs uses
5500 @code{image-default-frame-delay}.
5501
5502 @defun image-animate-timer image
5503 This function returns the timer responsible for animating @var{image},
5504 if there is one.
5505 @end defun
5506
5507
5508 @node Image Cache
5509 @subsection Image Cache
5510 @cindex image cache
5511
5512 Emacs caches images so that it can display them again more
5513 efficiently. When Emacs displays an image, it searches the image
5514 cache for an existing image specification @code{equal} to the desired
5515 specification. If a match is found, the image is displayed from the
5516 cache. Otherwise, Emacs loads the image normally.
5517
5518 @defun image-flush spec &optional frame
5519 This function removes the image with specification @var{spec} from the
5520 image cache of frame @var{frame}. Image specifications are compared
5521 using @code{equal}. If @var{frame} is @code{nil}, it defaults to the
5522 selected frame. If @var{frame} is @code{t}, the image is flushed on
5523 all existing frames.
5524
5525 In Emacs's current implementation, each graphical terminal possesses an
5526 image cache, which is shared by all the frames on that terminal
5527 (@pxref{Multiple Terminals}). Thus, refreshing an image in one frame
5528 also refreshes it in all other frames on the same terminal.
5529 @end defun
5530
5531 One use for @code{image-flush} is to tell Emacs about a change in an
5532 image file. If an image specification contains a @code{:file}
5533 property, the image is cached based on the file's contents when the
5534 image is first displayed. Even if the file subsequently changes,
5535 Emacs continues displaying the old version of the image. Calling
5536 @code{image-flush} flushes the image from the cache, forcing Emacs to
5537 re-read the file the next time it needs to display that image.
5538
5539 Another use for @code{image-flush} is for memory conservation. If
5540 your Lisp program creates a large number of temporary images over a
5541 period much shorter than @code{image-cache-eviction-delay} (see
5542 below), you can opt to flush unused images yourself, instead of
5543 waiting for Emacs to do it automatically.
5544
5545 @defun clear-image-cache &optional filter
5546 This function clears an image cache, removing all the images stored in
5547 it. If @var{filter} is omitted or @code{nil}, it clears the cache for
5548 the selected frame. If @var{filter} is a frame, it clears the cache
5549 for that frame. If @var{filter} is @code{t}, all image caches are
5550 cleared. Otherwise, @var{filter} is taken to be a file name, and all
5551 images associated with that file name are removed from all image
5552 caches.
5553 @end defun
5554
5555 If an image in the image cache has not been displayed for a specified
5556 period of time, Emacs removes it from the cache and frees the
5557 associated memory.
5558
5559 @defvar image-cache-eviction-delay
5560 This variable specifies the number of seconds an image can remain in
5561 the cache without being displayed. When an image is not displayed for
5562 this length of time, Emacs removes it from the image cache.
5563
5564 Under some circumstances, if the number of images in the cache grows
5565 too large, the actual eviction delay may be shorter than this.
5566
5567 If the value is @code{nil}, Emacs does not remove images from the cache
5568 except when you explicitly clear it. This mode can be useful for
5569 debugging.
5570 @end defvar
5571
5572 @node Buttons
5573 @section Buttons
5574 @cindex buttons in buffers
5575 @cindex clickable buttons in buffers
5576
5577 The Button package defines functions for inserting and manipulating
5578 @dfn{buttons} that can be activated with the mouse or via keyboard
5579 commands. These buttons are typically used for various kinds of
5580 hyperlinks.
5581
5582 A button is essentially a set of text or overlay properties,
5583 attached to a stretch of text in a buffer. These properties are
5584 called @dfn{button properties}. One of these properties, the
5585 @dfn{action property}, specifies a function which is called when the
5586 user invokes the button using the keyboard or the mouse. The action
5587 function may examine the button and use its other properties as
5588 desired.
5589
5590 In some ways, the Button package duplicates the functionality in the
5591 Widget package. @xref{Top, , Introduction, widget, The Emacs Widget
5592 Library}. The advantage of the Button package is that it is faster,
5593 smaller, and simpler to program. From the point of view of the user,
5594 the interfaces produced by the two packages are very similar.
5595
5596 @menu
5597 * Button Properties:: Button properties with special meanings.
5598 * Button Types:: Defining common properties for classes of buttons.
5599 * Making Buttons:: Adding buttons to Emacs buffers.
5600 * Manipulating Buttons:: Getting and setting properties of buttons.
5601 * Button Buffer Commands:: Buffer-wide commands and bindings for buttons.
5602 @end menu
5603
5604 @node Button Properties
5605 @subsection Button Properties
5606 @cindex button properties
5607
5608 Each button has an associated list of properties defining its
5609 appearance and behavior, and other arbitrary properties may be used
5610 for application specific purposes. The following properties have
5611 special meaning to the Button package:
5612
5613 @table @code
5614 @item action
5615 @kindex action @r{(button property)}
5616 The function to call when the user invokes the button, which is passed
5617 the single argument @var{button}. By default this is @code{ignore},
5618 which does nothing.
5619
5620 @item mouse-action
5621 @kindex mouse-action @r{(button property)}
5622 This is similar to @code{action}, and when present, will be used
5623 instead of @code{action} for button invocations resulting from
5624 mouse-clicks (instead of the user hitting @key{RET}). If not
5625 present, mouse-clicks use @code{action} instead.
5626
5627 @item face
5628 @kindex face @r{(button property)}
5629 This is an Emacs face controlling how buttons of this type are
5630 displayed; by default this is the @code{button} face.
5631
5632 @item mouse-face
5633 @kindex mouse-face @r{(button property)}
5634 This is an additional face which controls appearance during
5635 mouse-overs (merged with the usual button face); by default this is
5636 the usual Emacs @code{highlight} face.
5637
5638 @item keymap
5639 @kindex keymap @r{(button property)}
5640 The button's keymap, defining bindings active within the button
5641 region. By default this is the usual button region keymap, stored
5642 in the variable @code{button-map}, which defines @key{RET} and
5643 @key{mouse-2} to invoke the button.
5644
5645 @item type
5646 @kindex type @r{(button property)}
5647 The button type. @xref{Button Types}.
5648
5649 @item help-echo
5650 @kindex help-index @r{(button property)}
5651 A string displayed by the Emacs tool-tip help system; by default,
5652 @code{"mouse-2, RET: Push this button"}.
5653
5654 @item follow-link
5655 @kindex follow-link @r{(button property)}
5656 The follow-link property, defining how a @key{Mouse-1} click behaves
5657 on this button, @xref{Clickable Text}.
5658
5659 @item button
5660 @kindex button @r{(button property)}
5661 All buttons have a non-@code{nil} @code{button} property, which may be useful
5662 in finding regions of text that comprise buttons (which is what the
5663 standard button functions do).
5664 @end table
5665
5666 There are other properties defined for the regions of text in a
5667 button, but these are not generally interesting for typical uses.
5668
5669 @node Button Types
5670 @subsection Button Types
5671 @cindex button types
5672
5673 Every button has a @dfn{button type}, which defines default values
5674 for the button's properties. Button types are arranged in a
5675 hierarchy, with specialized types inheriting from more general types,
5676 so that it's easy to define special-purpose types of buttons for
5677 specific tasks.
5678
5679 @defun define-button-type name &rest properties
5680 Define a button type called @var{name} (a symbol).
5681 The remaining arguments
5682 form a sequence of @var{property value} pairs, specifying default
5683 property values for buttons with this type (a button's type may be set
5684 by giving it a @code{type} property when creating the button, using
5685 the @code{:type} keyword argument).
5686
5687 In addition, the keyword argument @code{:supertype} may be used to
5688 specify a button-type from which @var{name} inherits its default
5689 property values. Note that this inheritance happens only when
5690 @var{name} is defined; subsequent changes to a supertype are not
5691 reflected in its subtypes.
5692 @end defun
5693
5694 Using @code{define-button-type} to define default properties for
5695 buttons is not necessary---buttons without any specified type use the
5696 built-in button-type @code{button}---but it is encouraged, since
5697 doing so usually makes the resulting code clearer and more efficient.
5698
5699 @node Making Buttons
5700 @subsection Making Buttons
5701 @cindex making buttons
5702
5703 Buttons are associated with a region of text, using an overlay or
5704 text properties to hold button-specific information, all of which are
5705 initialized from the button's type (which defaults to the built-in
5706 button type @code{button}). Like all Emacs text, the appearance of
5707 the button is governed by the @code{face} property; by default (via
5708 the @code{face} property inherited from the @code{button} button-type)
5709 this is a simple underline, like a typical web-page link.
5710
5711 For convenience, there are two sorts of button-creation functions,
5712 those that add button properties to an existing region of a buffer,
5713 called @code{make-...button}, and those that also insert the button
5714 text, called @code{insert-...button}.
5715
5716 The button-creation functions all take the @code{&rest} argument
5717 @var{properties}, which should be a sequence of @var{property value}
5718 pairs, specifying properties to add to the button; see @ref{Button
5719 Properties}. In addition, the keyword argument @code{:type} may be
5720 used to specify a button-type from which to inherit other properties;
5721 see @ref{Button Types}. Any properties not explicitly specified
5722 during creation will be inherited from the button's type (if the type
5723 defines such a property).
5724
5725 The following functions add a button using an overlay
5726 (@pxref{Overlays}) to hold the button properties:
5727
5728 @defun make-button beg end &rest properties
5729 This makes a button from @var{beg} to @var{end} in the
5730 current buffer, and returns it.
5731 @end defun
5732
5733 @defun insert-button label &rest properties
5734 This insert a button with the label @var{label} at point,
5735 and returns it.
5736 @end defun
5737
5738 The following functions are similar, but using text properties
5739 (@pxref{Text Properties}) to hold the button properties. Such buttons
5740 do not add markers to the buffer, so editing in the buffer does not
5741 slow down if there is an extremely large numbers of buttons. However,
5742 if there is an existing face text property on the text (e.g., a face
5743 assigned by Font Lock mode), the button face may not be visible. Both
5744 of these functions return the starting position of the new button.
5745
5746 @defun make-text-button beg end &rest properties
5747 This makes a button from @var{beg} to @var{end} in the current buffer,
5748 using text properties.
5749 @end defun
5750
5751 @defun insert-text-button label &rest properties
5752 This inserts a button with the label @var{label} at point, using text
5753 properties.
5754 @end defun
5755
5756 @node Manipulating Buttons
5757 @subsection Manipulating Buttons
5758 @cindex manipulating buttons
5759
5760 These are functions for getting and setting properties of buttons.
5761 Often these are used by a button's invocation function to determine
5762 what to do.
5763
5764 Where a @var{button} parameter is specified, it means an object
5765 referring to a specific button, either an overlay (for overlay
5766 buttons), or a buffer-position or marker (for text property buttons).
5767 Such an object is passed as the first argument to a button's
5768 invocation function when it is invoked.
5769
5770 @defun button-start button
5771 Return the position at which @var{button} starts.
5772 @end defun
5773
5774 @defun button-end button
5775 Return the position at which @var{button} ends.
5776 @end defun
5777
5778 @defun button-get button prop
5779 Get the property of button @var{button} named @var{prop}.
5780 @end defun
5781
5782 @defun button-put button prop val
5783 Set @var{button}'s @var{prop} property to @var{val}.
5784 @end defun
5785
5786 @defun button-activate button &optional use-mouse-action
5787 Call @var{button}'s @code{action} property (i.e., invoke the function
5788 that is the value of that property, passing it the single argument
5789 @var{button}). If @var{use-mouse-action} is non-@code{nil}, try to
5790 invoke the button's @code{mouse-action} property instead of
5791 @code{action}; if the button has no @code{mouse-action} property, use
5792 @code{action} as normal.
5793 @end defun
5794
5795 @defun button-label button
5796 Return @var{button}'s text label.
5797 @end defun
5798
5799 @defun button-type button
5800 Return @var{button}'s button-type.
5801 @end defun
5802
5803 @defun button-has-type-p button type
5804 Return @code{t} if @var{button} has button-type @var{type}, or one of
5805 @var{type}'s subtypes.
5806 @end defun
5807
5808 @defun button-at pos
5809 Return the button at position @var{pos} in the current buffer, or
5810 @code{nil}. If the button at @var{pos} is a text property button, the
5811 return value is a marker pointing to @var{pos}.
5812 @end defun
5813
5814 @defun button-type-put type prop val
5815 Set the button-type @var{type}'s @var{prop} property to @var{val}.
5816 @end defun
5817
5818 @defun button-type-get type prop
5819 Get the property of button-type @var{type} named @var{prop}.
5820 @end defun
5821
5822 @defun button-type-subtype-p type supertype
5823 Return @code{t} if button-type @var{type} is a subtype of @var{supertype}.
5824 @end defun
5825
5826 @node Button Buffer Commands
5827 @subsection Button Buffer Commands
5828 @cindex button buffer commands
5829
5830 These are commands and functions for locating and operating on
5831 buttons in an Emacs buffer.
5832
5833 @code{push-button} is the command that a user uses to actually push
5834 a button, and is bound by default in the button itself to @key{RET}
5835 and to @key{mouse-2} using a local keymap in the button's overlay or
5836 text properties. Commands that are useful outside the buttons itself,
5837 such as @code{forward-button} and @code{backward-button} are
5838 additionally available in the keymap stored in
5839 @code{button-buffer-map}; a mode which uses buttons may want to use
5840 @code{button-buffer-map} as a parent keymap for its keymap.
5841
5842 If the button has a non-@code{nil} @code{follow-link} property, and
5843 @code{mouse-1-click-follows-link} is set, a quick @key{Mouse-1} click
5844 will also activate the @code{push-button} command.
5845 @xref{Clickable Text}.
5846
5847 @deffn Command push-button &optional pos use-mouse-action
5848 Perform the action specified by a button at location @var{pos}.
5849 @var{pos} may be either a buffer position or a mouse-event. If
5850 @var{use-mouse-action} is non-@code{nil}, or @var{pos} is a
5851 mouse-event (@pxref{Mouse Events}), try to invoke the button's
5852 @code{mouse-action} property instead of @code{action}; if the button
5853 has no @code{mouse-action} property, use @code{action} as normal.
5854 @var{pos} defaults to point, except when @code{push-button} is invoked
5855 interactively as the result of a mouse-event, in which case, the mouse
5856 event's position is used. If there's no button at @var{pos}, do
5857 nothing and return @code{nil}, otherwise return @code{t}.
5858 @end deffn
5859
5860 @deffn Command forward-button n &optional wrap display-message
5861 Move to the @var{n}th next button, or @var{n}th previous button if
5862 @var{n} is negative. If @var{n} is zero, move to the start of any
5863 button at point. If @var{wrap} is non-@code{nil}, moving past either
5864 end of the buffer continues from the other end. If
5865 @var{display-message} is non-@code{nil}, the button's help-echo string
5866 is displayed. Any button with a non-@code{nil} @code{skip} property
5867 is skipped over. Returns the button found.
5868 @end deffn
5869
5870 @deffn Command backward-button n &optional wrap display-message
5871 Move to the @var{n}th previous button, or @var{n}th next button if
5872 @var{n} is negative. If @var{n} is zero, move to the start of any
5873 button at point. If @var{wrap} is non-@code{nil}, moving past either
5874 end of the buffer continues from the other end. If
5875 @var{display-message} is non-@code{nil}, the button's help-echo string
5876 is displayed. Any button with a non-@code{nil} @code{skip} property
5877 is skipped over. Returns the button found.
5878 @end deffn
5879
5880 @defun next-button pos &optional count-current
5881 @defunx previous-button pos &optional count-current
5882 Return the next button after (for @code{next-button}) or before (for
5883 @code{previous-button}) position @var{pos} in the current buffer. If
5884 @var{count-current} is non-@code{nil}, count any button at @var{pos}
5885 in the search, instead of starting at the next button.
5886 @end defun
5887
5888 @node Abstract Display
5889 @section Abstract Display
5890 @cindex ewoc
5891 @cindex display, abstract
5892 @cindex display, arbitrary objects
5893 @cindex model/view/controller
5894 @cindex view part, model/view/controller
5895
5896 The Ewoc package constructs buffer text that represents a structure
5897 of Lisp objects, and updates the text to follow changes in that
5898 structure. This is like the ``view'' component in the
5899 ``model--view--controller'' design paradigm. Ewoc means ``Emacs's
5900 Widget for Object Collections''.
5901
5902 An @dfn{ewoc} is a structure that organizes information required to
5903 construct buffer text that represents certain Lisp data. The buffer
5904 text of the ewoc has three parts, in order: first, fixed @dfn{header}
5905 text; next, textual descriptions of a series of data elements (Lisp
5906 objects that you specify); and last, fixed @dfn{footer} text.
5907 Specifically, an ewoc contains information on:
5908
5909 @itemize @bullet
5910 @item
5911 The buffer which its text is generated in.
5912
5913 @item
5914 The text's start position in the buffer.
5915
5916 @item
5917 The header and footer strings.
5918
5919 @item
5920 @cindex node, ewoc
5921 @c or "@cindex node, abstract display"?
5922 A doubly-linked chain of @dfn{nodes}, each of which contains:
5923
5924 @itemize
5925 @item
5926 A @dfn{data element}, a single Lisp object.
5927
5928 @item
5929 Links to the preceding and following nodes in the chain.
5930 @end itemize
5931
5932 @item
5933 A @dfn{pretty-printer} function which is responsible for
5934 inserting the textual representation of a data
5935 element value into the current buffer.
5936 @end itemize
5937
5938 Typically, you define an ewoc with @code{ewoc-create}, and then pass
5939 the resulting ewoc structure to other functions in the Ewoc package to
5940 build nodes within it, and display it in the buffer. Once it is
5941 displayed in the buffer, other functions determine the correspondence
5942 between buffer positions and nodes, move point from one node's textual
5943 representation to another, and so forth. @xref{Abstract Display
5944 Functions}.
5945
5946 @cindex encapsulation, ewoc
5947 @c or "@cindex encapsulation, abstract display"?
5948 A node @dfn{encapsulates} a data element much the way a variable
5949 holds a value. Normally, encapsulation occurs as a part of adding a
5950 node to the ewoc. You can retrieve the data element value and place a
5951 new value in its place, like so:
5952
5953 @lisp
5954 (ewoc-data @var{node})
5955 @result{} value
5956
5957 (ewoc-set-data @var{node} @var{new-value})
5958 @result{} @var{new-value}
5959 @end lisp
5960
5961 @noindent
5962 You can also use, as the data element value, a Lisp object (list or
5963 vector) that is a container for the real value, or an index into
5964 some other structure. The example (@pxref{Abstract Display Example})
5965 uses the latter approach.
5966
5967 When the data changes, you will want to update the text in the
5968 buffer. You can update all nodes by calling @code{ewoc-refresh}, or
5969 just specific nodes using @code{ewoc-invalidate}, or all nodes
5970 satisfying a predicate using @code{ewoc-map}. Alternatively, you can
5971 delete invalid nodes using @code{ewoc-delete} or @code{ewoc-filter},
5972 and add new nodes in their place. Deleting a node from an ewoc deletes
5973 its associated textual description from buffer, as well.
5974
5975 @menu
5976 * Abstract Display Functions:: Functions in the Ewoc package.
5977 * Abstract Display Example:: Example of using Ewoc.
5978 @end menu
5979
5980 @node Abstract Display Functions
5981 @subsection Abstract Display Functions
5982
5983 In this subsection, @var{ewoc} and @var{node} stand for the
5984 structures described above (@pxref{Abstract Display}), while
5985 @var{data} stands for an arbitrary Lisp object used as a data element.
5986
5987 @defun ewoc-create pretty-printer &optional header footer nosep
5988 This constructs and returns a new ewoc, with no nodes (and thus no data
5989 elements). @var{pretty-printer} should be a function that takes one
5990 argument, a data element of the sort you plan to use in this ewoc, and
5991 inserts its textual description at point using @code{insert} (and never
5992 @code{insert-before-markers}, because that would interfere with the
5993 Ewoc package's internal mechanisms).
5994
5995 Normally, a newline is automatically inserted after the header,
5996 the footer and every node's textual description. If @var{nosep}
5997 is non-@code{nil}, no newline is inserted. This may be useful for
5998 displaying an entire ewoc on a single line, for example, or for
5999 making nodes invisible by arranging for @var{pretty-printer}
6000 to do nothing for those nodes.
6001
6002 An ewoc maintains its text in the buffer that is current when
6003 you create it, so switch to the intended buffer before calling
6004 @code{ewoc-create}.
6005 @end defun
6006
6007 @defun ewoc-buffer ewoc
6008 This returns the buffer where @var{ewoc} maintains its text.
6009 @end defun
6010
6011 @defun ewoc-get-hf ewoc
6012 This returns a cons cell @code{(@var{header} . @var{footer})}
6013 made from @var{ewoc}'s header and footer.
6014 @end defun
6015
6016 @defun ewoc-set-hf ewoc header footer
6017 This sets the header and footer of @var{ewoc} to the strings
6018 @var{header} and @var{footer}, respectively.
6019 @end defun
6020
6021 @defun ewoc-enter-first ewoc data
6022 @defunx ewoc-enter-last ewoc data
6023 These add a new node encapsulating @var{data}, putting it, respectively,
6024 at the beginning or end of @var{ewoc}'s chain of nodes.
6025 @end defun
6026
6027 @defun ewoc-enter-before ewoc node data
6028 @defunx ewoc-enter-after ewoc node data
6029 These add a new node encapsulating @var{data}, adding it to
6030 @var{ewoc} before or after @var{node}, respectively.
6031 @end defun
6032
6033 @defun ewoc-prev ewoc node
6034 @defunx ewoc-next ewoc node
6035 These return, respectively, the previous node and the next node of @var{node}
6036 in @var{ewoc}.
6037 @end defun
6038
6039 @defun ewoc-nth ewoc n
6040 This returns the node in @var{ewoc} found at zero-based index @var{n}.
6041 A negative @var{n} means count from the end. @code{ewoc-nth} returns
6042 @code{nil} if @var{n} is out of range.
6043 @end defun
6044
6045 @defun ewoc-data node
6046 This extracts the data encapsulated by @var{node} and returns it.
6047 @end defun
6048
6049 @defun ewoc-set-data node data
6050 This sets the data encapsulated by @var{node} to @var{data}.
6051 @end defun
6052
6053 @defun ewoc-locate ewoc &optional pos guess
6054 This determines the node in @var{ewoc} which contains point (or
6055 @var{pos} if specified), and returns that node. If @var{ewoc} has no
6056 nodes, it returns @code{nil}. If @var{pos} is before the first node,
6057 it returns the first node; if @var{pos} is after the last node, it returns
6058 the last node. The optional third arg @var{guess}
6059 should be a node that is likely to be near @var{pos}; this doesn't
6060 alter the result, but makes the function run faster.
6061 @end defun
6062
6063 @defun ewoc-location node
6064 This returns the start position of @var{node}.
6065 @end defun
6066
6067 @defun ewoc-goto-prev ewoc arg
6068 @defunx ewoc-goto-next ewoc arg
6069 These move point to the previous or next, respectively, @var{arg}th node
6070 in @var{ewoc}. @code{ewoc-goto-prev} does not move if it is already at
6071 the first node or if @var{ewoc} is empty, whereas @code{ewoc-goto-next}
6072 moves past the last node, returning @code{nil}. Excepting this special
6073 case, these functions return the node moved to.
6074 @end defun
6075
6076 @defun ewoc-goto-node ewoc node
6077 This moves point to the start of @var{node} in @var{ewoc}.
6078 @end defun
6079
6080 @defun ewoc-refresh ewoc
6081 This function regenerates the text of @var{ewoc}. It works by
6082 deleting the text between the header and the footer, i.e., all the
6083 data elements' representations, and then calling the pretty-printer
6084 function for each node, one by one, in order.
6085 @end defun
6086
6087 @defun ewoc-invalidate ewoc &rest nodes
6088 This is similar to @code{ewoc-refresh}, except that only @var{nodes} in
6089 @var{ewoc} are updated instead of the entire set.
6090 @end defun
6091
6092 @defun ewoc-delete ewoc &rest nodes
6093 This deletes each node in @var{nodes} from @var{ewoc}.
6094 @end defun
6095
6096 @defun ewoc-filter ewoc predicate &rest args
6097 This calls @var{predicate} for each data element in @var{ewoc} and
6098 deletes those nodes for which @var{predicate} returns @code{nil}.
6099 Any @var{args} are passed to @var{predicate}.
6100 @end defun
6101
6102 @defun ewoc-collect ewoc predicate &rest args
6103 This calls @var{predicate} for each data element in @var{ewoc}
6104 and returns a list of those elements for which @var{predicate}
6105 returns non-@code{nil}. The elements in the list are ordered
6106 as in the buffer. Any @var{args} are passed to @var{predicate}.
6107 @end defun
6108
6109 @defun ewoc-map map-function ewoc &rest args
6110 This calls @var{map-function} for each data element in @var{ewoc} and
6111 updates those nodes for which @var{map-function} returns non-@code{nil}.
6112 Any @var{args} are passed to @var{map-function}.
6113 @end defun
6114
6115 @node Abstract Display Example
6116 @subsection Abstract Display Example
6117
6118 Here is a simple example using functions of the ewoc package to
6119 implement a @dfn{color components} display, an area in a buffer that
6120 represents a vector of three integers (itself representing a 24-bit RGB
6121 value) in various ways.
6122
6123 @example
6124 (setq colorcomp-ewoc nil
6125 colorcomp-data nil
6126 colorcomp-mode-map nil
6127 colorcomp-labels ["Red" "Green" "Blue"])
6128
6129 (defun colorcomp-pp (data)
6130 (if data
6131 (let ((comp (aref colorcomp-data data)))
6132 (insert (aref colorcomp-labels data) "\t: #x"
6133 (format "%02X" comp) " "
6134 (make-string (ash comp -2) ?#) "\n"))
6135 (let ((cstr (format "#%02X%02X%02X"
6136 (aref colorcomp-data 0)
6137 (aref colorcomp-data 1)
6138 (aref colorcomp-data 2)))
6139 (samp " (sample text) "))
6140 (insert "Color\t: "
6141 (propertize samp 'face
6142 `(foreground-color . ,cstr))
6143 (propertize samp 'face
6144 `(background-color . ,cstr))
6145 "\n"))))
6146
6147 (defun colorcomp (color)
6148 "Allow fiddling with COLOR in a new buffer.
6149 The buffer is in Color Components mode."
6150 (interactive "sColor (name or #RGB or #RRGGBB): ")
6151 (when (string= "" color)
6152 (setq color "green"))
6153 (unless (color-values color)
6154 (error "No such color: %S" color))
6155 (switch-to-buffer
6156 (generate-new-buffer (format "originally: %s" color)))
6157 (kill-all-local-variables)
6158 (setq major-mode 'colorcomp-mode
6159 mode-name "Color Components")
6160 (use-local-map colorcomp-mode-map)
6161 (erase-buffer)
6162 (buffer-disable-undo)
6163 (let ((data (apply 'vector (mapcar (lambda (n) (ash n -8))
6164 (color-values color))))
6165 (ewoc (ewoc-create 'colorcomp-pp
6166 "\nColor Components\n\n"
6167 (substitute-command-keys
6168 "\n\\@{colorcomp-mode-map@}"))))
6169 (set (make-local-variable 'colorcomp-data) data)
6170 (set (make-local-variable 'colorcomp-ewoc) ewoc)
6171 (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 0)
6172 (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 1)
6173 (ewoc-enter-last ewoc 2)
6174 (ewoc-enter-last ewoc nil)))
6175 @end example
6176
6177 @cindex controller part, model/view/controller
6178 This example can be extended to be a color selection widget (in
6179 other words, the ``controller'' part of the ``model--view--controller''
6180 design paradigm) by defining commands to modify @code{colorcomp-data}
6181 and to finish the selection process, and a keymap to tie it all
6182 together conveniently.
6183
6184 @smallexample
6185 (defun colorcomp-mod (index limit delta)
6186 (let ((cur (aref colorcomp-data index)))
6187 (unless (= limit cur)
6188 (aset colorcomp-data index (+ cur delta)))
6189 (ewoc-invalidate
6190 colorcomp-ewoc
6191 (ewoc-nth colorcomp-ewoc index)
6192 (ewoc-nth colorcomp-ewoc -1))))
6193
6194 (defun colorcomp-R-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 0 255 1))
6195 (defun colorcomp-G-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 1 255 1))
6196 (defun colorcomp-B-more () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 2 255 1))
6197 (defun colorcomp-R-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 0 0 -1))
6198 (defun colorcomp-G-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 1 0 -1))
6199 (defun colorcomp-B-less () (interactive) (colorcomp-mod 2 0 -1))
6200
6201 (defun colorcomp-copy-as-kill-and-exit ()
6202 "Copy the color components into the kill ring and kill the buffer.
6203 The string is formatted #RRGGBB (hash followed by six hex digits)."
6204 (interactive)
6205 (kill-new (format "#%02X%02X%02X"
6206 (aref colorcomp-data 0)
6207 (aref colorcomp-data 1)
6208 (aref colorcomp-data 2)))
6209 (kill-buffer nil))
6210
6211 (setq colorcomp-mode-map
6212 (let ((m (make-sparse-keymap)))
6213 (suppress-keymap m)
6214 (define-key m "i" 'colorcomp-R-less)
6215 (define-key m "o" 'colorcomp-R-more)
6216 (define-key m "k" 'colorcomp-G-less)
6217 (define-key m "l" 'colorcomp-G-more)
6218 (define-key m "," 'colorcomp-B-less)
6219 (define-key m "." 'colorcomp-B-more)
6220 (define-key m " " 'colorcomp-copy-as-kill-and-exit)
6221 m))
6222 @end smallexample
6223
6224 Note that we never modify the data in each node, which is fixed when the
6225 ewoc is created to be either @code{nil} or an index into the vector
6226 @code{colorcomp-data}, the actual color components.
6227
6228 @node Blinking
6229 @section Blinking Parentheses
6230 @cindex parenthesis matching
6231 @cindex blinking parentheses
6232 @cindex balancing parentheses
6233
6234 This section describes the mechanism by which Emacs shows a matching
6235 open parenthesis when the user inserts a close parenthesis.
6236
6237 @defvar blink-paren-function
6238 The value of this variable should be a function (of no arguments) to
6239 be called whenever a character with close parenthesis syntax is inserted.
6240 The value of @code{blink-paren-function} may be @code{nil}, in which
6241 case nothing is done.
6242 @end defvar
6243
6244 @defopt blink-matching-paren
6245 If this variable is @code{nil}, then @code{blink-matching-open} does
6246 nothing.
6247 @end defopt
6248
6249 @defopt blink-matching-paren-distance
6250 This variable specifies the maximum distance to scan for a matching
6251 parenthesis before giving up.
6252 @end defopt
6253
6254 @defopt blink-matching-delay
6255 This variable specifies the number of seconds to keep indicating the
6256 matching parenthesis. A fraction of a second often gives good
6257 results, but the default is 1, which works on all systems.
6258 @end defopt
6259
6260 @deffn Command blink-matching-open
6261 This function is the default value of @code{blink-paren-function}. It
6262 assumes that point follows a character with close parenthesis syntax
6263 and applies the appropriate effect momentarily to the matching opening
6264 character. If that character is not already on the screen, it
6265 displays the character's context in the echo area. To avoid long
6266 delays, this function does not search farther than
6267 @code{blink-matching-paren-distance} characters.
6268
6269 Here is an example of calling this function explicitly.
6270
6271 @smallexample
6272 @group
6273 (defun interactive-blink-matching-open ()
6274 "Indicate momentarily the start of parenthesized sexp before point."
6275 (interactive)
6276 @end group
6277 @group
6278 (let ((blink-matching-paren-distance
6279 (buffer-size))
6280 (blink-matching-paren t))
6281 (blink-matching-open)))
6282 @end group
6283 @end smallexample
6284 @end deffn
6285
6286 @node Character Display
6287 @section Character Display
6288
6289 This section describes how characters are actually displayed by
6290 Emacs. Typically, a character is displayed as a @dfn{glyph} (a
6291 graphical symbol which occupies one character position on the screen),
6292 whose appearance corresponds to the character itself. For example,
6293 the character @samp{a} (character code 97) is displayed as @samp{a}.
6294 Some characters, however, are displayed specially. For example, the
6295 formfeed character (character code 12) is usually displayed as a
6296 sequence of two glyphs, @samp{^L}, while the newline character
6297 (character code 10) starts a new screen line.
6298
6299 You can modify how each character is displayed by defining a
6300 @dfn{display table}, which maps each character code into a sequence of
6301 glyphs. @xref{Display Tables}.
6302
6303 @menu
6304 * Usual Display:: The usual conventions for displaying characters.
6305 * Display Tables:: What a display table consists of.
6306 * Active Display Table:: How Emacs selects a display table to use.
6307 * Glyphs:: How to define a glyph, and what glyphs mean.
6308 * Glyphless Chars:: How glyphless characters are drawn.
6309 @end menu
6310
6311 @node Usual Display
6312 @subsection Usual Display Conventions
6313
6314 Here are the conventions for displaying each character code (in the
6315 absence of a display table, which can override these
6316 @iftex
6317 conventions).
6318 @end iftex
6319 @ifnottex
6320 conventions; @pxref{Display Tables}).
6321 @end ifnottex
6322
6323 @cindex printable ASCII characters
6324 @itemize @bullet
6325 @item
6326 The @dfn{printable @acronym{ASCII} characters}, character codes 32
6327 through 126 (consisting of numerals, English letters, and symbols like
6328 @samp{#}) are displayed literally.
6329
6330 @item
6331 The tab character (character code 9) displays as whitespace stretching
6332 up to the next tab stop column. @xref{Text Display,,, emacs, The GNU
6333 Emacs Manual}. The variable @code{tab-width} controls the number of
6334 spaces per tab stop (see below).
6335
6336 @item
6337 The newline character (character code 10) has a special effect: it
6338 ends the preceding line and starts a new line.
6339
6340 @cindex ASCII control characters
6341 @item
6342 The non-printable @dfn{@acronym{ASCII} control characters}---character
6343 codes 0 through 31, as well as the @key{DEL} character (character code
6344 127)---display in one of two ways according to the variable
6345 @code{ctl-arrow}. If this variable is non-@code{nil} (the default),
6346 these characters are displayed as sequences of two glyphs, where the
6347 first glyph is @samp{^} (a display table can specify a glyph to use
6348 instead of @samp{^}); e.g., the @key{DEL} character is displayed as
6349 @samp{^?}.
6350
6351 If @code{ctl-arrow} is @code{nil}, these characters are displayed as
6352 octal escapes (see below).
6353
6354 This rule also applies to carriage return (character code 13), if that
6355 character appears in the buffer. But carriage returns usually do not
6356 appear in buffer text; they are eliminated as part of end-of-line
6357 conversion (@pxref{Coding System Basics}).
6358
6359 @cindex octal escapes
6360 @item
6361 @dfn{Raw bytes} are non-@acronym{ASCII} characters with codes 128
6362 through 255 (@pxref{Text Representations}). These characters display
6363 as @dfn{octal escapes}: sequences of four glyphs, where the first
6364 glyph is the @acronym{ASCII} code for @samp{\}, and the others are
6365 digit characters representing the character code in octal. (A display
6366 table can specify a glyph to use instead of @samp{\}.)
6367
6368 @item
6369 Each non-@acronym{ASCII} character with code above 255 is displayed
6370 literally, if the terminal supports it. If the terminal does not
6371 support it, the character is said to be @dfn{glyphless}, and it is
6372 usually displayed using a placeholder glyph. For example, if a
6373 graphical terminal has no font for a character, Emacs usually displays
6374 a box containing the character code in hexadecimal. @xref{Glyphless
6375 Chars}.
6376 @end itemize
6377
6378 The above display conventions apply even when there is a display
6379 table, for any character whose entry in the active display table is
6380 @code{nil}. Thus, when you set up a display table, you need only
6381 specify the characters for which you want special behavior.
6382
6383 The following variables affect how certain characters are displayed
6384 on the screen. Since they change the number of columns the characters
6385 occupy, they also affect the indentation functions. They also affect
6386 how the mode line is displayed; if you want to force redisplay of the
6387 mode line using the new values, call the function
6388 @code{force-mode-line-update} (@pxref{Mode Line Format}).
6389
6390 @defopt ctl-arrow
6391 @cindex control characters in display
6392 This buffer-local variable controls how control characters are
6393 displayed. If it is non-@code{nil}, they are displayed as a caret
6394 followed by the character: @samp{^A}. If it is @code{nil}, they are
6395 displayed as octal escapes: a backslash followed by three octal
6396 digits, as in @samp{\001}.
6397 @end defopt
6398
6399 @defopt tab-width
6400 The value of this buffer-local variable is the spacing between tab
6401 stops used for displaying tab characters in Emacs buffers. The value
6402 is in units of columns, and the default is 8. Note that this feature
6403 is completely independent of the user-settable tab stops used by the
6404 command @code{tab-to-tab-stop}. @xref{Indent Tabs}.
6405 @end defopt
6406
6407 @node Display Tables
6408 @subsection Display Tables
6409
6410 @cindex display table
6411 A display table is a special-purpose char-table
6412 (@pxref{Char-Tables}), with @code{display-table} as its subtype, which
6413 is used to override the usual character display conventions. This
6414 section describes how to make, inspect, and assign elements to a
6415 display table object.
6416
6417 @defun make-display-table
6418 This creates and returns a display table. The table initially has
6419 @code{nil} in all elements.
6420 @end defun
6421
6422 The ordinary elements of the display table are indexed by character
6423 codes; the element at index @var{c} says how to display the character
6424 code @var{c}. The value should be @code{nil} (which means to display
6425 the character @var{c} according to the usual display conventions;
6426 @pxref{Usual Display}), or a vector of glyph codes (which means to
6427 display the character @var{c} as those glyphs; @pxref{Glyphs}).
6428
6429 @strong{Warning:} if you use the display table to change the display
6430 of newline characters, the whole buffer will be displayed as one long
6431 line.
6432
6433 The display table also has six @dfn{extra slots} which serve special
6434 purposes. Here is a table of their meanings; @code{nil} in any slot
6435 means to use the default for that slot, as stated below.
6436
6437 @table @asis
6438 @item 0
6439 The glyph for the end of a truncated screen line (the default for this
6440 is @samp{$}). @xref{Glyphs}. On graphical terminals, Emacs uses
6441 arrows in the fringes to indicate truncation, so the display table has
6442 no effect.
6443
6444 @item 1
6445 The glyph for the end of a continued line (the default is @samp{\}).
6446 On graphical terminals, Emacs uses curved arrows in the fringes to
6447 indicate continuation, so the display table has no effect.
6448
6449 @item 2
6450 The glyph for indicating a character displayed as an octal character
6451 code (the default is @samp{\}).
6452
6453 @item 3
6454 The glyph for indicating a control character (the default is @samp{^}).
6455
6456 @item 4
6457 A vector of glyphs for indicating the presence of invisible lines (the
6458 default is @samp{...}). @xref{Selective Display}.
6459
6460 @item 5
6461 The glyph used to draw the border between side-by-side windows (the
6462 default is @samp{|}). @xref{Splitting Windows}. This takes effect only
6463 when there are no scroll bars; if scroll bars are supported and in use,
6464 a scroll bar separates the two windows.
6465 @end table
6466
6467 For example, here is how to construct a display table that mimics
6468 the effect of setting @code{ctl-arrow} to a non-@code{nil} value
6469 (@pxref{Glyphs}, for the function @code{make-glyph-code}):
6470
6471 @example
6472 (setq disptab (make-display-table))
6473 (dotimes (i 32)
6474 (or (= i ?\t)
6475 (= i ?\n)
6476 (aset disptab i
6477 (vector (make-glyph-code ?^ 'escape-glyph)
6478 (make-glyph-code (+ i 64) 'escape-glyph)))))
6479 (aset disptab 127
6480 (vector (make-glyph-code ?^ 'escape-glyph)
6481 (make-glyph-code ?? 'escape-glyph)))))
6482 @end example
6483
6484 @defun display-table-slot display-table slot
6485 This function returns the value of the extra slot @var{slot} of
6486 @var{display-table}. The argument @var{slot} may be a number from 0 to
6487 5 inclusive, or a slot name (symbol). Valid symbols are
6488 @code{truncation}, @code{wrap}, @code{escape}, @code{control},
6489 @code{selective-display}, and @code{vertical-border}.
6490 @end defun
6491
6492 @defun set-display-table-slot display-table slot value
6493 This function stores @var{value} in the extra slot @var{slot} of
6494 @var{display-table}. The argument @var{slot} may be a number from 0 to
6495 5 inclusive, or a slot name (symbol). Valid symbols are
6496 @code{truncation}, @code{wrap}, @code{escape}, @code{control},
6497 @code{selective-display}, and @code{vertical-border}.
6498 @end defun
6499
6500 @defun describe-display-table display-table
6501 This function displays a description of the display table
6502 @var{display-table} in a help buffer.
6503 @end defun
6504
6505 @deffn Command describe-current-display-table
6506 This command displays a description of the current display table in a
6507 help buffer.
6508 @end deffn
6509
6510 @node Active Display Table
6511 @subsection Active Display Table
6512 @cindex active display table
6513
6514 Each window can specify a display table, and so can each buffer.
6515 The window's display table, if there is one, takes precedence over the
6516 buffer's display table. If neither exists, Emacs tries to use the
6517 standard display table; if that is @code{nil}, Emacs uses the usual
6518 character display conventions (@pxref{Usual Display}).
6519
6520 Note that display tables affect how the mode line is displayed, so
6521 if you want to force redisplay of the mode line using a new display
6522 table, call @code{force-mode-line-update} (@pxref{Mode Line Format}).
6523
6524 @defun window-display-table &optional window
6525 This function returns @var{window}'s display table, or @code{nil} if
6526 there is none. The default for @var{window} is the selected window.
6527 @end defun
6528
6529 @defun set-window-display-table window table
6530 This function sets the display table of @var{window} to @var{table}.
6531 The argument @var{table} should be either a display table or
6532 @code{nil}.
6533 @end defun
6534
6535 @defvar buffer-display-table
6536 This variable is automatically buffer-local in all buffers; its value
6537 specifies the buffer's display table. If it is @code{nil}, there is
6538 no buffer display table.
6539 @end defvar
6540
6541 @defvar standard-display-table
6542 The value of this variable is the standard display table, which is
6543 used when Emacs is displaying a buffer in a window with neither a
6544 window display table nor a buffer display table defined, or when Emacs
6545 is outputting text to the standard output or error streams. Although its
6546 default is typically @code{nil}, in an interactive session if the
6547 terminal cannot display curved quotes, its default maps curved quotes
6548 to ASCII approximations. @xref{Keys in Documentation}.
6549 @end defvar
6550
6551 The @file{disp-table} library defines several functions for changing
6552 the standard display table.
6553
6554 @node Glyphs
6555 @subsection Glyphs
6556 @cindex glyph
6557
6558 @cindex glyph code
6559 A @dfn{glyph} is a graphical symbol which occupies a single
6560 character position on the screen. Each glyph is represented in Lisp
6561 as a @dfn{glyph code}, which specifies a character and optionally a
6562 face to display it in (@pxref{Faces}). The main use of glyph codes is
6563 as the entries of display tables (@pxref{Display Tables}). The
6564 following functions are used to manipulate glyph codes:
6565
6566 @defun make-glyph-code char &optional face
6567 This function returns a glyph code representing char @var{char} with
6568 face @var{face}. If @var{face} is omitted or @code{nil}, the glyph
6569 uses the default face; in that case, the glyph code is an integer. If
6570 @var{face} is non-@code{nil}, the glyph code is not necessarily an
6571 integer object.
6572 @end defun
6573
6574 @defun glyph-char glyph
6575 This function returns the character of glyph code @var{glyph}.
6576 @end defun
6577
6578 @defun glyph-face glyph
6579 This function returns face of glyph code @var{glyph}, or @code{nil} if
6580 @var{glyph} uses the default face.
6581 @end defun
6582
6583 @ifnottex
6584 You can set up a @dfn{glyph table} to change how glyph codes are
6585 actually displayed on text terminals. This feature is semi-obsolete;
6586 use @code{glyphless-char-display} instead (@pxref{Glyphless Chars}).
6587
6588 @defvar glyph-table
6589 The value of this variable, if non-@code{nil}, is the current glyph
6590 table. It takes effect only on character terminals; on graphical
6591 displays, all glyphs are displayed literally. The glyph table should
6592 be a vector whose @var{g}th element specifies how to display glyph
6593 code @var{g}, where @var{g} is the glyph code for a glyph whose face
6594 is unspecified. Each element should be one of the following:
6595
6596 @table @asis
6597 @item @code{nil}
6598 Display this glyph literally.
6599
6600 @item a string
6601 Display this glyph by sending the specified string to the terminal.
6602
6603 @item a glyph code
6604 Display the specified glyph code instead.
6605 @end table
6606
6607 Any integer glyph code greater than or equal to the length of the
6608 glyph table is displayed literally.
6609 @end defvar
6610 @end ifnottex
6611
6612 @node Glyphless Chars
6613 @subsection Glyphless Character Display
6614 @cindex glyphless characters
6615
6616 @dfn{Glyphless characters} are characters which are displayed in a
6617 special way, e.g., as a box containing a hexadecimal code, instead of
6618 being displayed literally. These include characters which are
6619 explicitly defined to be glyphless, as well as characters for which
6620 there is no available font (on a graphical display), and characters
6621 which cannot be encoded by the terminal's coding system (on a text
6622 terminal).
6623
6624 @defvar glyphless-char-display
6625 The value of this variable is a char-table which defines glyphless
6626 characters and how they are displayed. Each entry must be one of the
6627 following display methods:
6628
6629 @table @asis
6630 @item @code{nil}
6631 Display the character in the usual way.
6632
6633 @item @code{zero-width}
6634 Don't display the character.
6635
6636 @item @code{thin-space}
6637 Display a thin space, 1-pixel wide on graphical displays, or
6638 1-character wide on text terminals.
6639
6640 @item @code{empty-box}
6641 Display an empty box.
6642
6643 @item @code{hex-code}
6644 Display a box containing the Unicode codepoint of the character, in
6645 hexadecimal notation.
6646
6647 @item an @acronym{ASCII} string
6648 Display a box containing that string. The string should contain at
6649 most 6 @acronym{ASCII} characters.
6650
6651 @item a cons cell @code{(@var{graphical} . @var{text})}
6652 Display with @var{graphical} on graphical displays, and with
6653 @var{text} on text terminals. Both @var{graphical} and @var{text}
6654 must be one of the display methods described above.
6655 @end table
6656
6657 @noindent
6658 The @code{thin-space}, @code{empty-box}, @code{hex-code}, and
6659 @acronym{ASCII} string display methods are drawn with the
6660 @code{glyphless-char} face. On text terminals, a box is emulated by
6661 square brackets, @samp{[]}.
6662
6663 The char-table has one extra slot, which determines how to display any
6664 character that cannot be displayed with any available font, or cannot
6665 be encoded by the terminal's coding system. Its value should be one
6666 of the above display methods, except @code{zero-width} or a cons cell.
6667
6668 If a character has a non-@code{nil} entry in an active display table,
6669 the display table takes effect; in this case, Emacs does not consult
6670 @code{glyphless-char-display} at all.
6671 @end defvar
6672
6673 @defopt glyphless-char-display-control
6674 This user option provides a convenient way to set
6675 @code{glyphless-char-display} for groups of similar characters. Do
6676 not set its value directly from Lisp code; the value takes effect only
6677 via a custom @code{:set} function (@pxref{Variable Definitions}),
6678 which updates @code{glyphless-char-display}.
6679
6680 Its value should be an alist of elements @code{(@var{group}
6681 . @var{method})}, where @var{group} is a symbol specifying a group of
6682 characters, and @var{method} is a symbol specifying how to display
6683 them.
6684
6685 @var{group} should be one of the following:
6686
6687 @table @code
6688 @item c0-control
6689 @acronym{ASCII} control characters @code{U+0000} to @code{U+001F},
6690 excluding the newline and tab characters (normally displayed as escape
6691 sequences like @samp{^A}; @pxref{Text Display,, How Text Is Displayed,
6692 emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
6693
6694 @item c1-control
6695 Non-@acronym{ASCII}, non-printing characters @code{U+0080} to
6696 @code{U+009F} (normally displayed as octal escape sequences like
6697 @samp{\230}).
6698
6699 @item format-control
6700 Characters of Unicode General Category [Cf], such as @samp{U+200E}
6701 (Left-to-Right Mark), but excluding characters that have graphic
6702 images, such as @samp{U+00AD} (Soft Hyphen).
6703
6704 @item no-font
6705 Characters for there is no suitable font, or which cannot be encoded
6706 by the terminal's coding system.
6707 @end table
6708
6709 @c FIXME: this can also be 'acronym', but that's not currently
6710 @c completely implemented; it applies only to the format-control
6711 @c group, and only works if the acronym is in 'char-acronym-table'.
6712 The @var{method} symbol should be one of @code{zero-width},
6713 @code{thin-space}, @code{empty-box}, or @code{hex-code}. These have
6714 the same meanings as in @code{glyphless-char-display}, above.
6715 @end defopt
6716
6717 @node Beeping
6718 @section Beeping
6719 @cindex bell
6720
6721 This section describes how to make Emacs ring the bell (or blink the
6722 screen) to attract the user's attention. Be conservative about how
6723 often you do this; frequent bells can become irritating. Also be
6724 careful not to use just beeping when signaling an error is more
6725 appropriate (@pxref{Errors}).
6726
6727 @defun ding &optional do-not-terminate
6728 @cindex keyboard macro termination
6729 This function beeps, or flashes the screen (see @code{visible-bell} below).
6730 It also terminates any keyboard macro currently executing unless
6731 @var{do-not-terminate} is non-@code{nil}.
6732 @end defun
6733
6734 @defun beep &optional do-not-terminate
6735 This is a synonym for @code{ding}.
6736 @end defun
6737
6738 @defopt visible-bell
6739 This variable determines whether Emacs should flash the screen to
6740 represent a bell. Non-@code{nil} means yes, @code{nil} means no.
6741 This is effective on graphical displays, and on text terminals
6742 provided the terminal's Termcap entry defines the visible bell
6743 capability (@samp{vb}).
6744 @end defopt
6745
6746 @defvar ring-bell-function
6747 If this is non-@code{nil}, it specifies how Emacs should ring the
6748 bell. Its value should be a function of no arguments. If this is
6749 non-@code{nil}, it takes precedence over the @code{visible-bell}
6750 variable.
6751 @end defvar
6752
6753 @node Window Systems
6754 @section Window Systems
6755
6756 Emacs works with several window systems, most notably the X Window
6757 System. Both Emacs and X use the term ``window'', but use it
6758 differently. An Emacs frame is a single window as far as X is
6759 concerned; the individual Emacs windows are not known to X at all.
6760
6761 @defvar window-system
6762 This terminal-local variable tells Lisp programs what window system
6763 Emacs is using for displaying the frame. The possible values are
6764
6765 @table @code
6766 @item x
6767 @cindex X Window System
6768 Emacs is displaying the frame using X.
6769 @item w32
6770 Emacs is displaying the frame using native MS-Windows GUI.
6771 @item ns
6772 Emacs is displaying the frame using the Nextstep interface (used on
6773 GNUstep and Mac OS X).
6774 @item pc
6775 Emacs is displaying the frame using MS-DOS direct screen writes.
6776 @item nil
6777 Emacs is displaying the frame on a character-based terminal.
6778 @end table
6779 @end defvar
6780
6781 @defvar initial-window-system
6782 This variable holds the value of @code{window-system} used for the
6783 first frame created by Emacs during startup. (When Emacs is invoked
6784 with the @option{--daemon} option, it does not create any initial
6785 frames, so @code{initial-window-system} is @code{nil}, except on
6786 MS-Windows, where it is still @code{w32}. @xref{Initial Options,
6787 daemon,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.)
6788 @end defvar
6789
6790 @defun window-system &optional frame
6791 This function returns a symbol whose name tells what window system is
6792 used for displaying @var{frame} (which defaults to the currently
6793 selected frame). The list of possible symbols it returns is the same
6794 one documented for the variable @code{window-system} above.
6795 @end defun
6796
6797 Do @emph{not} use @code{window-system} and
6798 @code{initial-window-system} as predicates or boolean flag variables,
6799 if you want to write code that works differently on text terminals and
6800 graphic displays. That is because @code{window-system} is not a good
6801 indicator of Emacs capabilities on a given display type. Instead, use
6802 @code{display-graphic-p} or any of the other @code{display-*-p}
6803 predicates described in @ref{Display Feature Testing}.
6804
6805 @node Bidirectional Display
6806 @section Bidirectional Display
6807 @cindex bidirectional display
6808 @cindex right-to-left text
6809
6810 Emacs can display text written in scripts, such as Arabic, Farsi,
6811 and Hebrew, whose natural ordering for horizontal text display runs
6812 from right to left. Furthermore, segments of Latin script and digits
6813 embedded in right-to-left text are displayed left-to-right, while
6814 segments of right-to-left script embedded in left-to-right text
6815 (e.g., Arabic or Hebrew text in comments or strings in a program
6816 source file) are appropriately displayed right-to-left. We call such
6817 mixtures of left-to-right and right-to-left text @dfn{bidirectional
6818 text}. This section describes the facilities and options for editing
6819 and displaying bidirectional text.
6820
6821 @cindex logical order
6822 @cindex reading order
6823 @cindex visual order
6824 @cindex unicode bidirectional algorithm
6825 @cindex UBA
6826 @cindex bidirectional reordering
6827 @cindex reordering, of bidirectional text
6828 Text is stored in Emacs buffers and strings in @dfn{logical} (or
6829 @dfn{reading}) order, i.e., the order in which a human would read
6830 each character. In right-to-left and bidirectional text, the order in
6831 which characters are displayed on the screen (called @dfn{visual
6832 order}) is not the same as logical order; the characters' screen
6833 positions do not increase monotonically with string or buffer
6834 position. In performing this @dfn{bidirectional reordering}, Emacs
6835 follows the Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm (a.k.a.@: @acronym{UBA}),
6836 which is described in Annex #9 of the Unicode standard
6837 (@url{http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr9/}). Emacs provides a ``Full
6838 Bidirectionality'' class implementation of the @acronym{UBA},
6839 consistent with the requirements of the Unicode Standard v8.0.
6840
6841 @defvar bidi-display-reordering
6842 If the value of this buffer-local variable is non-@code{nil} (the
6843 default), Emacs performs bidirectional reordering for display. The
6844 reordering affects buffer text, as well as display strings and overlay
6845 strings from text and overlay properties in the buffer (@pxref{Overlay
6846 Properties}, and @pxref{Display Property}). If the value is
6847 @code{nil}, Emacs does not perform bidirectional reordering in the
6848 buffer.
6849
6850 The default value of @code{bidi-display-reordering} controls the
6851 reordering of strings which are not directly supplied by a buffer,
6852 including the text displayed in mode lines (@pxref{Mode Line Format})
6853 and header lines (@pxref{Header Lines}).
6854 @end defvar
6855
6856 @cindex unibyte buffers, and bidi reordering
6857 Emacs never reorders the text of a unibyte buffer, even if
6858 @code{bidi-display-reordering} is non-@code{nil} in the buffer. This
6859 is because unibyte buffers contain raw bytes, not characters, and thus
6860 lack the directionality properties required for reordering.
6861 Therefore, to test whether text in a buffer will be reordered for
6862 display, it is not enough to test the value of
6863 @code{bidi-display-reordering} alone. The correct test is this:
6864
6865 @example
6866 (if (and enable-multibyte-characters
6867 bidi-display-reordering)
6868 ;; Buffer is being reordered for display
6869 )
6870 @end example
6871
6872 However, unibyte display and overlay strings @emph{are} reordered if
6873 their parent buffer is reordered. This is because plain-@sc{ascii}
6874 strings are stored by Emacs as unibyte strings. If a unibyte display
6875 or overlay string includes non-@sc{ascii} characters, these characters
6876 are assumed to have left-to-right direction.
6877
6878 @cindex display properties, and bidi reordering of text
6879 Text covered by @code{display} text properties, by overlays with
6880 @code{display} properties whose value is a string, and by any other
6881 properties that replace buffer text, is treated as a single unit when
6882 it is reordered for display. That is, the entire chunk of text
6883 covered by these properties is reordered together. Moreover, the
6884 bidirectional properties of the characters in such a chunk of text are
6885 ignored, and Emacs reorders them as if they were replaced with a
6886 single character @code{U+FFFC}, known as the @dfn{Object Replacement
6887 Character}. This means that placing a display property over a portion
6888 of text may change the way that the surrounding text is reordered for
6889 display. To prevent this unexpected effect, always place such
6890 properties on text whose directionality is identical with text that
6891 surrounds it.
6892
6893 @cindex base direction of a paragraph
6894 Each paragraph of bidirectional text has a @dfn{base direction},
6895 either right-to-left or left-to-right. Left-to-right paragraphs are
6896 displayed beginning at the left margin of the window, and are
6897 truncated or continued when the text reaches the right margin.
6898 Right-to-left paragraphs are displayed beginning at the right margin,
6899 and are continued or truncated at the left margin.
6900
6901 By default, Emacs determines the base direction of each paragraph by
6902 looking at the text at its beginning. The precise method of
6903 determining the base direction is specified by the @acronym{UBA}; in a
6904 nutshell, the first character in a paragraph that has an explicit
6905 directionality determines the base direction of the paragraph.
6906 However, sometimes a buffer may need to force a certain base direction
6907 for its paragraphs. For example, buffers containing program source
6908 code should force all paragraphs to be displayed left-to-right. You
6909 can use following variable to do this:
6910
6911 @defvar bidi-paragraph-direction
6912 If the value of this buffer-local variable is the symbol
6913 @code{right-to-left} or @code{left-to-right}, all paragraphs in the
6914 buffer are assumed to have that specified direction. Any other value
6915 is equivalent to @code{nil} (the default), which means to determine
6916 the base direction of each paragraph from its contents.
6917
6918 @cindex @code{prog-mode}, and @code{bidi-paragraph-direction}
6919 Modes for program source code should set this to @code{left-to-right}.
6920 Prog mode does this by default, so modes derived from Prog mode do not
6921 need to set this explicitly (@pxref{Basic Major Modes}).
6922 @end defvar
6923
6924 @defun current-bidi-paragraph-direction &optional buffer
6925 This function returns the paragraph direction at point in the named
6926 @var{buffer}. The returned value is a symbol, either
6927 @code{left-to-right} or @code{right-to-left}. If @var{buffer} is
6928 omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to the current buffer. If the
6929 buffer-local value of the variable @code{bidi-paragraph-direction} is
6930 non-@code{nil}, the returned value will be identical to that value;
6931 otherwise, the returned value reflects the paragraph direction
6932 determined dynamically by Emacs. For buffers whose value of
6933 @code{bidi-display-reordering} is @code{nil} as well as unibyte
6934 buffers, this function always returns @code{left-to-right}.
6935 @end defun
6936
6937 @cindex visual-order cursor motion
6938 Sometimes there's a need to move point in strict visual order,
6939 either to the left or to the right of its current screen position.
6940 Emacs provides a primitive to do that.
6941
6942 @defun move-point-visually direction
6943 This function moves point of the currently selected window to the
6944 buffer position that appears immediately to the right or to the left
6945 of point on the screen. If @var{direction} is positive, point will
6946 move one screen position to the right, otherwise it will move one
6947 screen position to the left. Note that, depending on the surrounding
6948 bidirectional context, this could potentially move point many buffer
6949 positions away. If invoked at the end of a screen line, the function
6950 moves point to the rightmost or leftmost screen position of the next
6951 or previous screen line, as appropriate for the value of
6952 @var{direction}.
6953
6954 The function returns the new buffer position as its value.
6955 @end defun
6956
6957 @cindex layout on display, and bidirectional text
6958 @cindex jumbled display of bidirectional text
6959 @cindex concatenating bidirectional strings
6960 Bidirectional reordering can have surprising and unpleasant effects
6961 when two strings with bidirectional content are juxtaposed in a
6962 buffer, or otherwise programmatically concatenated into a string of
6963 text. A typical problematic case is when a buffer consists of
6964 sequences of text fields separated by whitespace or punctuation
6965 characters, like Buffer Menu mode or Rmail Summary Mode. Because the
6966 punctuation characters used as separators have @dfn{weak
6967 directionality}, they take on the directionality of surrounding text.
6968 As result, a numeric field that follows a field with bidirectional
6969 content can be displayed @emph{to the left} of the preceding field,
6970 messing up the expected layout. There are several ways to avoid this
6971 problem:
6972
6973 @itemize @minus
6974 @item
6975 Append the special character @code{U+200E}, LEFT-TO-RIGHT MARK, or
6976 @acronym{LRM}, to the end of each field that may have bidirectional
6977 content, or prepend it to the beginning of the following field. The
6978 function @code{bidi-string-mark-left-to-right}, described below, comes
6979 in handy for this purpose. (In a right-to-left paragraph, use
6980 @code{U+200F}, RIGHT-TO-LEFT MARK, or @acronym{RLM}, instead.) This
6981 is one of the solutions recommended by the UBA.
6982
6983 @item
6984 Include the tab character in the field separator. The tab character
6985 plays the role of @dfn{segment separator} in bidirectional reordering,
6986 causing the text on either side to be reordered separately.
6987
6988 @cindex @code{space} display spec, and bidirectional text
6989 @item
6990 Separate fields with a @code{display} property or overlay with a
6991 property value of the form @code{(space . PROPS)} (@pxref{Specified
6992 Space}). Emacs treats this display specification as a @dfn{paragraph
6993 separator}, and reorders the text on either side separately.
6994 @end itemize
6995
6996 @defun bidi-string-mark-left-to-right string
6997 This function returns its argument @var{string}, possibly modified,
6998 such that the result can be safely concatenated with another string,
6999 or juxtaposed with another string in a buffer, without disrupting the
7000 relative layout of this string and the next one on display. If the
7001 string returned by this function is displayed as part of a
7002 left-to-right paragraph, it will always appear on display to the left
7003 of the text that follows it. The function works by examining the
7004 characters of its argument, and if any of those characters could cause
7005 reordering on display, the function appends the @acronym{LRM}
7006 character to the string. The appended @acronym{LRM} character is made
7007 invisible by giving it an @code{invisible} text property of @code{t}
7008 (@pxref{Invisible Text}).
7009 @end defun
7010
7011 The reordering algorithm uses the bidirectional properties of the
7012 characters stored as their @code{bidi-class} property
7013 (@pxref{Character Properties}). Lisp programs can change these
7014 properties by calling the @code{put-char-code-property} function.
7015 However, doing this requires a thorough understanding of the
7016 @acronym{UBA}, and is therefore not recommended. Any changes to the
7017 bidirectional properties of a character have global effect: they
7018 affect all Emacs frames and windows.
7019
7020 Similarly, the @code{mirroring} property is used to display the
7021 appropriate mirrored character in the reordered text. Lisp programs
7022 can affect the mirrored display by changing this property. Again, any
7023 such changes affect all of Emacs display.
7024
7025 @cindex overriding bidirectional properties
7026 @cindex directional overrides
7027 @cindex LRO
7028 @cindex RLO
7029 The bidirectional properties of characters can be overridden by
7030 inserting into the text special directional control characters,
7031 LEFT-TO-RIGHT OVERRIDE (@acronym{LRO}) and RIGHT-TO-LEFT OVERRIDE
7032 (@acronym{RLO}). Any characters between a @acronym{RLO} and the
7033 following newline or POP DIRECTIONAL FORMATTING (@acronym{PDF})
7034 control character, whichever comes first, will be displayed as if they
7035 were strong right-to-left characters, i.e.@: they will be reversed on
7036 display. Similarly, any characters between @acronym{LRO} and
7037 @acronym{PDF} or newline will display as if they were strong
7038 left-to-right, and will @emph{not} be reversed even if they are strong
7039 right-to-left characters.
7040
7041 @cindex phishing using directional overrides
7042 @cindex malicious use of directional overrides
7043 These overrides are useful when you want to make some text
7044 unaffected by the reordering algorithm, and instead directly control
7045 the display order. But they can also be used for malicious purposes,
7046 known as @dfn{phishing}. Specifically, a URL on a Web page or a link
7047 in an email message can be manipulated to make its visual appearance
7048 unrecognizable, or similar to some popular benign location, while the
7049 real location, interpreted by a browser in the logical order, is very
7050 different.
7051
7052 Emacs provides a primitive that applications can use to detect
7053 instances of text whose bidirectional properties were overridden so as
7054 to make a left-to-right character display as if it were a
7055 right-to-left character, or vise versa.
7056
7057 @defun bidi-find-overridden-directionality from to &optional object
7058 This function looks at the text of the specified @var{object} between
7059 positions @var{from} (inclusive) and @var{to} (exclusive), and returns
7060 the first position where it finds a strong left-to-right character
7061 whose directional properties were forced to display the character as
7062 right-to-left, or for a strong right-to-left character that was forced
7063 to display as left-to-right. If it finds no such characters in the
7064 specified region of text, it returns @code{nil}.
7065
7066 The optional argument @var{object} specifies which text to search, and
7067 defaults to the current buffer. If @var{object} is non-@code{nil}, it
7068 can be some other buffer, or it can be a string or a window. If it is
7069 a string, the function searches that string. If it is a window, the
7070 function searches the buffer displayed in that window. If a buffer
7071 whose text you want to examine is displayed in some window, we
7072 recommend to specify it by that window, rather than pass the buffer to
7073 the function. This is because telling the function about the window
7074 allows it to correctly account for window-specific overlays, which
7075 might change the result of the function if some text in the buffer is
7076 covered by overlays.
7077 @end defun
7078
7079 @cindex copying bidirectional text, preserve visual order
7080 @cindex visual order, preserve when copying bidirectional text
7081 When text that includes mixed right-to-left and left-to-right
7082 characters and bidirectional controls is copied into a different
7083 location, it can change its visual appearance, and also can affect the
7084 visual appearance of the surrounding text at destination. This is
7085 because reordering of bidirectional text specified by the
7086 @acronym{UBA} has non-trivial context-dependent effects both on the
7087 copied text and on the text at copy destination that will surround it.
7088
7089 Sometimes, a Lisp program may need to preserve the exact visual
7090 appearance of the copied text at destination, and of the text that
7091 surrounds the copy. Lisp programs can use the following function to
7092 achieve that effect.
7093
7094 @defun buffer-substring-with-bidi-context start end &optional no-properties
7095 This function works similar to @code{buffer-substring} (@pxref{Buffer
7096 Contents}), but it prepends and appends to the copied text bidi
7097 directional control characters necessary to preserve the visual
7098 appearance of the text when it is inserted at another place. Optional
7099 argument @var{no-properties}, if non-@code{nil}, means remove the text
7100 properties from the copy of the text.
7101 @end defun